Although Harry started at the back of the line of people, he found he was the first to reach the front door, having nearly ran the footpath to get there. Harry waited for the others to catch up before knocking on the door. Less than a second later, Sirius' shaggy head appeared in the doorway. Harry just barely controlled his urge to hug Sirius right away; the others were already fighting their way inside, trying to escape the bitter cold, leaving Harry blocking their way. But as soon as everyone was inside, their jackets being hung on the coat rack, Harry gave his godfather the biggest hug he could muster.
"I take it you missed me?" Sirius asked with a chuckle, taken aback by Harry's forwardness. He squeezed his godson back.
"Just a little bit," Harry said, pulling away and giving Sirius the first real smile he had managed to produce all day. Sirius smiled back before turning to the rest of the group.
"Well then, dinner is almost done if you want to follow me to the kitchen," Sirius said, turning around and heading to a side door that led to the kitchen, Harry right in tow.
"So Harry, how has your term gone so far?" Sirius asked as they reached the landing to the kitchen. Harry looked over his shoulder – the others were filing into the kitchen as well.
"I'll tell you about it later," Harry whispered. Sirius noticed the nervous glance he sent the others, at how secretive he seemed to be.
"Everything alright, Harry?" Sirius whispered in concern, for he clearly could tell Harry did not want attention drawn to him. Harry just nodded his head as the others sat around the table. Harry looked around for an empty seat; there was one in between Hermione and Fred. He went around the table and sat down.
While Sirius, Lupin, Mrs. Weasley, and Tonks levitated the food onto the table, Harry looked around at the chattering people; Ron and Ginny still seemed to be heavy in conversation; Fred and George were talking about what to do next for their latest Weasley Wizard Wheezes product; Moody and Arthur were making sure everyone had a plate in front of them. Harry looked to Hermione on his right to find that she seemed to have been watching him the entire time. She gave him a small smile before turning to look at Mrs. Weasley, who had told them to help themselves. Everyone dug in without a second thought.
Harry was absolutely starving, having eaten nothing since breakfast in the Great Hall that morning. But he found that he was having trouble getting his food down. As hard as he tried to force his food down, it just didn't want to go. He couldn't explain why, but he suddenly had a very strong feeling of apprehension. He put his fork and knife down, giving up on the food. Instead, he thought he would go for a bottle of Butterbeer. He looked up and down the table, trying to figure out where they were. But, of course, they were right in front of Ron, who was three seats down from him. Harry was trying to decide whether or not he should just skip the drink, but then his thirst outweighed this thought almost immediately.
"Hey Ron, could you please pass me a Butterbeer?" Harry asked politely, watching for Ron's action. Fred and George stopped talking to Sirius about their latest products in mid-sentence and looked around at Ron, waiting as well. This seemed to cause a domino effect on the rest of the group, mainly the adults, curious as to why everyone was so interested in Harry asking Ron something. Ron, who was talking to Ginny and had undoubtedly noticed the lull of conversion, grabbed a bottle of Butterbeer, and handed it to Harry without looking at him and returned to his conversation with his sister. Harry mumbled a defeated "thanks," before turning back in his seat. Lupin and Sirius exchanged curious looks as did Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, but decided not to say anything.
Sirius watched as Harry sat there with his drink, looking down at his hands, not participating in the conversations going on around him. Sirius knew Harry needed to talk to him about something, and now he had an idea of what. It was why that intrigued him. But he knew that pulling Harry aside now would bring attention to Harry, and he knew Harry wouldn't want that. So after everyone finished their pudding and were heading up to their beds, Sirius pulled Harry to the side.
"Harry, could I have a word with you for a moment?" Sirius asked. Harry smiled for the first time since he had arrived. They walked to the drawing room, Sirius closing the door right behind him. He turned to face Harry. "I'm going to get right to it then, Harry. What's going on between you and Ron?" He sat down on the chair at the writing desk. Harry sat down on the arm chair right next to him.
"That's what I was going to talk to you about. And it's not just Ron, it's Ginny too." Harry said, and then whispering, "and pretty much all of the school."
Sirius wasn't sure if Harry intended him to hear this last part, but he ignored that bit. "You and Ron are best friends; what's happened that you two can't seem to work out?" Sirius asked.
Harry looked up at his godfather, whom he had wanted to see for the longest time. This was the moment he was finally able to get someone to listen to him, without – hopefully – getting judged for his actions. But now that the time has come, Harry found that it was a lot more difficult than he expected it to be.
"Well, something happened to me, and Ron found out about it in a way I wish he hadn't. And I keep trying to talk to him about it, but he doesn't want to listen to me. And Hermione has tried to talk to him for me, and Fred and George tried as well, but he just doesn't, well….well, I don't know want he wants I guess." Harry said, starting off slow, but rushing through the end. "I just wish he would stop being immature about this."
"Well, it seems to me whatever happened to you, Ron is just having a hard time adjusting to it. Maybe he just needs this time to absorb it all, to make sure he can be mature about it when he does come talk to you." Sirius said, watching Harry, who was still staring at the floor. He has never seen Harry look so sullen. He knew that he missed Ron. "Might I ask what it was that happened?"
Harry looked up at Sirius, his heart starting to race once more. He was starting to have second thoughts about discussing his newfound relationship to Sirius. But why would Sirius care about it? He was probably one of the most open-minded people he knew. He took a deep breath, exhaling it slowly. He opened his mouth to speak, but found he didn't know where to begin.
Sirius saw Harry's hesitation, and put a comforting hand on his shoulder. "You know you can tell me anything, Harry, and I won't judge you for it." Sirius said softly, giving a warm smile. That was all Harry wanted to hear. He took another deep breath.
"Thanks. Um...well...ok, here it goes. Ron and Hermione witnessed…um, they witnessed me and Draco Malfoy kissing." Harry said, staring directly into Sirius' eyes, his heart caught in his throat. Sirius stared at Harry for a moment in a kind of shocked silence. He seemed to be thinking of the right thing to say.
"I see. And, er, what happened after that? What did Ron and Hermione do?" Sirius asked slowly, watching Harry.
And Harry launched into the story of how Ron and Hermione ran off, what was said in Gryffindor Tower where Harry chased them to, and how the whole school ended up finding out. But he didn't stop there; he told Sirius about the possible reason as to why the Gryffindors and Slytherins hated both of them even more, and how the Gryffindor Quidditch team refused to even look at him when they passed in the corridors.
"And now I'm just very confused, Sirius. I mean, I don't think that my being with Draco is the only problem Ron his having. I feel like it's something else." Harry said desperately. Sirius seemed to be in deep thought, his eyes in and out of focus. He hadn't said one thing during Harry's telling, and Harry was afraid that he wasn't going to be as sympathetic as he hoped.
"Well," Sirius said, folding his hands together, looking up at Harry once more, "it's as I've said before; he needs time to adjust to this very new information. I mean, this seems to be a very new situation for him, and finding out his best friend is gay and you not telling him…he's probably very taken aback by it that he doesn't know how he should act. Does that help?" Sirius asked, hoping it did.
Harry nodded his head, but was still frowning. "But Sirius, I didn't even know I was gay until Draco kissed me and Ron walked in. That's what my problem is – he won't even give me the chance to explain that I was going to talk to him about it right after!" Harry said, starting to get frustrated.
"Well, maybe the only way to get through to Ron is to just corner him and make him listen to you. We all know that Ron is as stubborn as a mule." Sirius said, smiling once again. Harry smiled back, but it was one of worry. "There's something else bothering you." Sirius stated. Harry nodded his head.
"I wanted to ask…how you feel about all this? About me and Draco being together?" Harry asked, looking anywhere but at Sirius. Sirius looked at Harry in surprise.
"You're worried that I wouldn't approve? Harry James Potter, I am surprised at you!" Sirius said with a hearty chuckle. Harry looked up, startled by Sirius' reaction. "You're my godson, whom I very much love! You don't need my approval, but if it makes you feel any better than yes, I approve! I don't care that you're gay, least of all with Draco Malfoy – though I'll never understand why. All I've ever wanted for you was to be happy, and if that means having Malfoy as your boyfriend, then so be it!" Sirius said, a wide smile on his face.
Harry nodded, trying to swallow the lump in his throat. He was very glad that he decided to tell Sirius. This was all Harry really wanted to hear – that it didn't matter whom he dated as long as it made him happy, and it very much did. He blinked away tears as Sirius drew Harry into a fatherly hug. They sat there for a moment before pulling apart.
"Thank you Sirius," Harry said, wiping his face on the back of his sleeve.
"Anytime Harry. And rest assured, your secret is safe with me." Sirius said, standing up, Harry following suit. "When you're ready for everyone to know, then they will."
"Thanks," Harry repeated, heading out of the drawing room, Sirius following from behind. They headed up the deserted staircase, everyone having gone to bed already, and heading to their respectable rooms. For once, Harry wasn't bothered by the fact that Ron was asleep again when he got into the room. He was happy for a reason to not pretend he was tired right away, shutting himself away from humanity. He dressed into his pajamas and hoped into bed, contemplating everything Sirius had said to him, and thinking of what he was going to say to Ron tomorrow. Now it was just figuring how to corner him without being pushy or awkward about it. He decided he was going to recruit Fred and George for this one.
When Harry woke up, he found that Ron had already made his way down to breakfast – not that this surprised him or anything. He got dressed and headed downstairs for breakfast as well, the smell of bacon and sausages making his stomach hurt with hunger. Seeing as he barely ate a thing yesterday, he was very eager for this meal, and he was determined to not let Ron ruin it for him. Everyone was downstairs already, helping themselves to the stacks of food piled across the table. Harry sat between Sirius and Mr. Weasley.
"Alright there, Harry?" Mr. Weasley asked, as Harry started loading his plate with pancakes, bacon, and sausages. "You sleep well?"
"I'm good, thank you. I did sleep well." Harry said truthfully; he slept better after his talk with Sirius. Mr. Weasley gave him a smile before looking around at the rest of the gang, talking and eating, slowly waking up. He noticed that there was a free spot in between Ron and Hermione, and wondered why Harry hadn't sat there instead. Mr. Weasley knew that there was obviously something going on between the two friends, what with Harry's reluctance on the bus and Ron's abrasive manner during dinner. He turned to Harry, whispering quietly, "if there is anything you ever need to talk to me about Harry, you know I'm always here."
Harry looked up at Mr. Weasley with surprise, but smiled at him with gratitude. "Thanks, Mr. Weasley. I really appreciate that." Harry said. Just then, Fred and George had stood up and started leaving the kitchen to get ready for the day. Harry stood up as well. "If you'll just excuse me for a moment," Harry said, and walked quickly to the stairs after the twins.
"Fred! George!" Harry said as loud as he dared, for he didn't want to wake up Mrs. Black's portrait again. They were nearly halfway to the stairs when Harry caught up to them; they turned around.
"Oh, hey Harry! What's up?" George asked.
"Hey, I need to ask you two a favor," Harry said, his heart pumping wildly once more.
The twins exchanged a look. "Oh?" Fred said. "What d'ya need?"
"I need your help getting Ron to listen to me. This whole ignoring me thing is getting really sickening." Harry said.
"Touché to that! And Ginny?" George asked.
"I'll worry about her later. It's Ron I'm more concerned with, right now." Harry explained.
"Alright Harry, what d'ya have in mind?" Fred asked. Harry smiled.
Harry sat upstairs in the twins' bedroom, waiting for Fred and George's part of the plan to unfurl. He paced the floor nervously, not being able to sit still. He was going over in his head exactly what it was he wanted to say to Ron, and anticipating what Ron might say each time. The door was slightly ajar, and Harry could hear people coming up the stairs – he could here snatches of conversation.
"But I still don't understand why you need me?" he could hear Ron saying. "I thought you guys usually tested your products on yourselves?"
"I told you before; we're starting to become immune to all this trickery. We need a fresh system – plus, you'll be getting ten Galleons!" Fred was saying.
"I'm sure you could do with extra spending money, right?" George was saying. They were getting closer to the room. Harry stopped pacing, watching the door.
"Yes, I definitely could!" Ron said, a hint of excitement in his voice. The door opened and Fred walked in first, closely followed by Ron, with George shutting the door behind him. When Ron saw Harry, it only took him a second to realize he had been tricked.
"You lied to me!" Ron yelled angrily at his brothers. He tried to go around and out the door, but Fred grabbed hold of his shoulders while George put a complicated lock charm on the door. Ron yanked himself out of Fred's grip.
"Look Ron, I know you don't really want to talk to me right now, so all you have to do is just listen." Harry said in a quick breath, his heart beating faster. Ron, who was still facing his now dashed means of escape, let out a defeated sigh, heading over to one of the beds and sitting down; he crossed his arms and stared at the wall. Harry took that as a meaning of cooperation.
"Great, ok," Harry said, taking a deep, steadying breath. "Look, I know you hate Draco, that's understandable. I'm not looking for you to like him or anything just because we're dating." Ron scowled at this part. "But I do want you to know that I had every intention of telling you after the kiss happened. I mean, it caught me by surprise just as much as it did for you." Harry said, sounding a little desperate. Ron looked up and stared at Harry in confusion. It was the first time in a week Ron had looked Harry in the eye, or at all for that matter.
"You – you mean, you and Malfoy haven't been secretly dating?" Ron asked.
"Of course not! Ron, I didn't even know I was gay until he kissed me, when you and Hermione walked in on us!" Harry said, sounding relieved. He knew there was a deeper reason to all this! Ron breathed a sigh of relief.
"I honestly thought that you just weren't telling me anything! I mean, it hurt to think you were keeping something this big from your best friend," Ron said, looking down at the floor.
"I would never keep secrets from you Ron, or Hermione. And you're right, this is big. But let me ask you something – would it have made a difference if I was keeping it a secret with someone else? Or is it really just Draco?" Harry asked, generally curious. Either way, he knew that Ron at least knew that he would never keep secrets from him. Ron took a moment to consider.
"Honestly, I think it's a little of both. I think it would have been worse because it's with Malfoy," Ron said slowly, sitting on the bed opposite Harry. Harry just nodded his head. The two of them sat in silence, looking anywhere but at each other.
"So are you two going to kiss and make up, or what?" Fred said jokingly, causing Harry and Ron to jump. They forgot the twins were still in the room, waiting by the door.
"If you do, make sure you don't let dear ol' Draco find out –" Fred said.
"He's seems to be the jealous type." George said, smirking.
"Oh haha," Ron said in mock amusement.
"Well obviously I don't expect us to kiss or anything, but are we cool now?" Harry asked, looking at his best friend.
Ron, who was still looking at the ground and said, "I just have to know one thing Harry…is this thing with you and Malfoy going to impede your relationship with me and Hermione?"
"Of course not!" Harry said without hesitation. "You and Hermione are my best friends! Besides – although I don't think it's going to happen very often – if you find that I'm spending too much time with Draco, just give me a kick and I'll tone it done a bit. I want to give you all the same amount of attention you deserve." Harry said, hoping he could sway Ron back within good terms. Ron let out a deep sigh and looked up at Harry, giving him a small smile.
"Ok, Harry. I'm no longer mad at you. But I'm not going to pretend that your…relationship…with Malfoy doesn't weird me out at all. As I've said, I could care less that you're gay – although I'm still adjusting to that bit of information as well – but it's going to take me awhile to trust him. So just promise me that this whole thing won't go out of control, and that this whole thing with Malfoy isn't just some evil ploy to kill you or something." Ron said quickly.
"I highly doubt Draco is that smart, but that's beside the point," Harry chuckled, reminding himself to tell Draco that later. "It's understandable why you don't trust him, and I don't expect you to right away. And if this was some ploy to kill me, you know I could jinx him in a heart-beat."
"Well, as long as you're sure," Ron said, standing up and stretching.
"We should probably wrap this up," Fred said, standing with his back facing them. Harry could just make out a fleshy colored string trailing on the ground; an Extendable Ear. "Mum's on a rampage, wondering where we are –"
"We're supposed to be cleaning with the others," George said, also supporting an Extendable Ear.
"Right," Ron said, heading out of the now uncharmed door after the twins, Harry right behind him, all smiles.