The Second Great Wizarding War had been over for three years now.

The wizarding world found themselves plunged in a cautionary peace... Things certainly felt safer now, but unlike after the end of the first war, people seemed to be a little less sure that things were over. No one wanted a third go around, after all. Life moved on, yes, but better precautions were put in place- headed by Kingsley Shacklebolt himself. The Ministry of Magic increased the Auror budget, for one... invested more money into muggle studies, and more.

But, ultimately, things were better. Calmer. In terms of the Dark Arts, anyway. For Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger, well... the three of them found themselves elevated to a level of infamy they could have never dreamed of- worst than anything Harry had dealt with during his years at Hogwarts. They had all but dropped the Boy Who Lived title, no, now the three of them were seen as a unit, The Golden Trio.

Instead of claiming Harry was a liar, reporting about the war, or whatever else the Daily Prophet had busied themselves with in the past, they had moved on to stalking the trio. The people wanted to know everything, who they were dating, if they were still friends, are the Weasley siblings close? How about the muggle family Harry had lived with, the Dursleys, were they still in Harry's life? The public just had to know. Apparently.

The prophet had leaked Hermione's engagement to Viktor Krumb. It had ruined several female friendships of Harry's as they speculated which one he was dating (spoiler; none of them). Reporters had even stood outside the Ministry of Magic just to get photographs of Ron when he first began working there- and, when they had found out Ron and Harry were renting a flat together? Well- they'd forced the two of them to move when their address leaked. Ron and Harry were constantly bombarded with photographs for days ... just to find out it had been their landlord who had thrown them to the vultures for a hefty price.

Yes, the press was awful... and if they ever found out about what Ron and Harry had just done...

Ron jumped back, eyes wide. He was staring at Harry, who stood in front of him in their living room, looking equally as shocked. Harry was still in his quidditch uniform, the red and white jersey of England's National Quidditch team making Harry's hair look especially dark. He had dirt and even a bit of blood smudged on it from where he had fallen off his broom after catching the snitch... he was even still wearing his shoulder and knee pads. They had just won the Quidditch World Cup, you see...

Ron ran a hand through his hair. He was also wearing a jersey, but not the professional one Harry sported... a merchandised one- meant for fans. He had gone to watch his best friend play, getting to sit in the VIP section reserved for friends and family of the players. His jersey, of course, sported Harry's last name and number, eleven. Ron's head was a bit fuzzy, he'd had a couple of beers at the game... which explains what had just happened. Yeah, the beers. That explained it. Harry had won England the game, their adrenaline was pumping as the two friends came back to their flat to change and go to the after party, and Ron was a bit buzzed.

Yeah, that explained why they had just kissed.

They had walked in, talking excitedly about the best plays of the game- Harry's risky dive for the snitch that had resulted in a skinned-up right arm and the world cup... and the next thing Ron knew, they had been kissing. He had no idea who started it, just that it had been passionate and heated, and Ron had found himself being backed up towards the wall- which he would probably be pressed up against right now if he hadn't tripped and nearly fallen over the coffee table.

No, instead, Ron and Harry were staring at one another, wide-eyed. Harry had one hand at his mouth (the same hand he had caught the snitch, Ron noted numbly) his index and middle finger touching his lips, his glasses slipping down his nose. Ron's hands were behind his head, his mouth working, but no sound was coming out.

Finally, Harry said, "Well..." but he trailed off, making things feel more awkward.

Ron swallowed, before letting a nervous laugh escape his throat, "We're just... passionate about the game..." his voice came out weaker than he intended it to.

"We were... passionate about something..." Harry said softly, causing Ron's cheeks to go pink.

Ron laughed again, blue eyes darting around their flat. It was cluttered, homey. Harry's water bottle was on the ground from where he had dropped it when the two had begun kissing. There were files from Ron's ministry job stacked on the kitchen table in a messy-yet-organized way. Harry's firebolt hung above the muggle television Harry had insisted they bought. Besides the TV were piles and piles of muggle movies Harry and Ron had been working their way through... the coffee table Ron had just tripped over... Ron looked everywhere but Harry's face.

He had liked it.

Ron had really liked it.

Ron had never felt like that when kissing someone before. The women he had kissed, well... He had always kind of just gone with it. Ron had assumed that kissing was something you sort of just did in order to get to the shagging... except, well, if he were being honest, Ron hadn't really enjoyed the shagging bit all that much either. Ron just assumed that, well, he was a late bloomer or something- but now...

"You wanna get passionate again?" Ron blurted out, surprising himself. He felt his face get red, and he opened his mouth to try and pass it off as a joke, but-

"-Alright," Harry said, just as awkwardly. They were twenty-one years old, but Ron could have sworn they had reverted back to teenagers then.

Both men stared at one another for a moment. They were meant to be at a party by now, getting piss drunk... but instead, here they were in the middle of the flat, talking about kissing- kissing for the second time at that. Ron swallowed when Harry took a step forward, but he did not back away. His breathing hitched when he felt Harry place his hands on his waist... where they made contact, Ron felt as if he were on fire. In a positive way. He stared at Harry for a moment, inches away from his face... and slowly, he lifted a hand to caress Harry's cheek. It was a gentle move, and Ron wasn't entirely sure why he did it- but it felt right.

When they kissed again, it was less heated- less in- the-moment. It was clumsy, and a bit awkward- and again left Ron feeling as if he and Harry had been transported back to their teenagedom. Hesitantly, Ron found his hand going to the slightly shorter man's shoulder. They continued to kiss, Harry pulling Ron closer to him, Ron's hand gripping Harry's jersey.

When they pulled away, they stared at one another again but did not jump away. They stayed in their positions.

"Right," Ron said softly, scanning Harry's face, "things make more sense now..."

"What do you mean?"

Ron shook his head, "Just..." the redhead trailed off, finding himself leaning in to kiss the quidditch star again. He felt as if he were in a trance.

They continue to kiss for a while, and eventually, things start to get more passionate. Harry pulls Ron to the couch, kissing his neck when they're both seated. Ron gasps softly, allowing the dark-haired male access, tangling his fingers in his messy hair.

"So- mm - what does this- what are going to?-" Ron is rambling, he doesn't know why. He just feels like he needs to talk, that he and Harry need to sort some things out. This was weird- not bad-weird, but definitely unusual. Ron finds himself kissing Harry back whenever he can, wherever he can, feeling almost desperate for his touch, "you're definitely into women, so-"

Harry pulled away from Ron for a moment, he still looked a bit bewildered, but not upset. It was clear they were both enjoying themselves with- whatever this was, "Yeah, but... even so, I'm clearly also into you."

"Heh... Right, uh-" Ron doesn't really know what to say to that, instead choosing to kiss Harry again. Eventually, he pulled away again, "Bisexual, then?"

Harry kissed Ron's jaw as if trying to confirm it for himself. He'd relaxed a lot since the war ended... he seemed happier, even healthier. Eventually, Harry nodded, "Bisexual... guess that means you are, too."

Ron blinked, the rate at which Harry took the label and owned it was rather surprising to the redhead, but he found himself shaking his head, "No. I'm not bisexual."

Harry pulled away, giving Ron an incredulous look, "Oh come off it, you're sitting here letting me suck hickeys into your neck, mate. Do not try and sit there and claim you're straight."

Ron snorts, "Bloody hell, jump to conclusions much? I didn't say I was straight, I just said I wasn't bisexual."

Harry paused, furrowing his eyebrows, "You've been with women before."

"Yeah, I don't think I liked it, though," Ron muses, a bit of humor in his tone. He pulls Harry into another kiss then, deeper, wrapping his arms around his neck, sighing contently. When they part, Ron's nodding, "Yeah, no... no kiss I've ever shared with a woman has felt like that."

"Really?" Harry asked, their foreheads were touching. It was weird how right this felt, how normal it all was already, "This is usually how it feels for me, but, less emotion maybe..."

Ron shakes his head, "Right, well, before this, kissing always sort of just felt like the first of a series of steps in order to get to the end result... which I also never really got that into?" Ron chuckled, a bit bashful but trying to keep the mood light.

Harry frowned a little at that, but not unhappily. He looked like he was thinking... "Huh... that's... wow, Ron,"

"I also don't think I've ever been the one to initiate..." Ron thinks aloud, beginning to count on his hand, "Lavender, Emily, Carrie, Delia... No, all approached me... and I sort of just went with it."

Harry leans back against the couch, listening to Ron, genuinely curious, "And you really never enjoyed any of it?"

"No... I thought I did?... Or- I convinced myself I did, anyway... that's mental, I gaslit myself,"

"So, you were in denial."

"No," Ron said, he still had a bemused look on his face, "It just never crossed my mind, at all. Not until we kissed, that is,"

"That's-" Harry laughs a little, exasperated, "I mean- really? Not even once?"

Ron shrugs, "Seems not... Did it cross yours?" "What? That you were gay?"

"What?- No, Harry-" Ron says, "That you were Bisexual?"

Harry shrugs, "Well, no, but... I also didn't dislike being with the women I was with, so..."

"Fair."

It didn't take long for the two of them to end up making out again. Ron's soft noises drove Harry crazy as he kissed his way down the taller man's neck, nipping here and there. Ron was really responsive, which made sense if the poor guy was telling the truth about never being satisfied during sex... ever. Harry pinned Ron's hands above his head, drinking in the pleasured sounds that fell from his lips.

Ron pulled Harry closer, letting out soft, content, noises as Harry slid a hand up his shirt, exploring his lean body. This makeout session was getting Ron hotter than actual sex with the women he had been with in the past.

But there was one thing Ron didn't understand. Why did this all feel so natural? He and Harry had accepted this like it was nothing... sure, there had been mild shock, but for the most part, they had just taken everything in stride. Was it because they were older now? Because they had been through hell together?...

No. That wasn't it at all.

Ron suddenly grabbed Harry's face in his hands. Harry had begun kissing his stomach then, and it had felt quite good... amazing, even. Ron gently pulled Harry up so they were at eye level, eyes wide, lips slightly parted.

"Oh, sorry," Harry began, blushing- looking a bit shy for the first time since they had started this makeout session, "was I going too fast?"

"No," Ron said, "but that's just it..."

Now Harry looked confused, cocking his head which was still being cupped by Ron's hands, "then?..."

"Harry. We're dating."

Harry laughed at that, though he blushed a bit more, "I mean, I was sort of hoping that that was where this was headed-"

"-No, mate," Ron cut him off, "We've been dating. For years."

"...Come again?"

Ron let go of Harry's face, and gently pushed Harry off. He needed to be sitting up to say this. He ran a hand through his hair, smiling at Harry goofily, " Think about it. We live together, right? We spend pretty much all our free time together... doing what? Going to restaurants, parties, the park, watching these muggle movies- those are dates ."

Harry opens his mouth to protest, before closing it, "...And we never do any of that with Hermione... or if we do, it's different- we split checks at restaurants and such when we're with her, but when we're together I pay..."

"...Even though I have the money to pay now," Ron adds, staring at Harry.

"...And you used to never let me pay without a fight..."

Ron is standing up now, pacing. His world is being rocked by now- the last few years of his life with Harry starting to re-contextualize itself in his mind, "Harry, I bring you round for Christmas... bloody hell, I bring you home for every family get-together- just like how my siblings bring their partners."

"You've met Dudley ," Harry says, dumbfounded. He is also standing now, arms crossed. Harry and Dudley were not on great terms or anything, but... they talked. Occasionally. Their strained relationship was mending, very slowly , after Dudley had shown him before the war that he could have a change of heart. So, sometimes they ate lunch together... usually accompanied by Dudley's long-term girlfriend and... Ron, "Like- actually met him- not just the fireplace incident... no-ones met Dudley... I've never even thought to-"

Ron covers his mouth, thinking about the last awkward lunch they had with Harry's cousin, "You don't think that's why he shakes my hand, do you? And acts so strange with me? I always assumed it was because of the wizard thing, but-"

"-Come off it," Harry breathes, "there is no way Dudley knew you and I were dating before we did- it has to be the wizard thing-"

"Do you think anyone else knows?" Ron asked Harry, "Like- do you think everyone knows and they're just waiting for us to say something?"

Harry shakes his head, "No way," he sounds more sure about this than the Dudley thing, running a hand through his hair, "Hermione would have said something, you know? She would have brought it up-"

Ron nods, "The twins, too... we'd have never heard the end of the teasing if they suspected anything- and mum, God, mum would have thrown a bloody party-"

Harry nods in agreement, "-And the Daily Prophet..."

"Right," Ron agrees, pointing at Harry, "So, just possibly Dudley, then-"

Harry shakes his head, "-It's the Wizard thing, has to be..." Harry sounds shellshocked, he cannot believe this- cannot bring himself to think that the same guy who Harry had once seen fail a simple addition maths test could have figured out Harry was in a relationship with Ron before either of them had. There was no chance.

"When did this even start?" Ron asked suddenly, after the two of them sat in thought for a moment, "When did we start dating ?"

Harry found himself answering before he even processed he was going to speak, "Sixth year."

"No way," Ron protests, shaking his head, "No way we have been dating for five years and didn't know it- besides, I was with Lavender-"

"Were you, though?" Harry mused, "You said yourself you weren't into her- and she kind of just followed you around..."

Ron's eyes widen, and suddenly he grabbed Harry by the shoulders, "The poison- Slughorn mentioned how desperate you were to save me- How you wrenched open my mouth... How annoyed you were with Lavender, how I would vent to you about her and we'd spend all that time with Snape's journal-"

" We were dating, " Harry gasps, as if that was the first time that was said and not the topic of the conversation they'd been having for the last few minutes.

" Oh! " Ron gasped, slapping his forehead, "In the woods, with the locket, I've never understood it, but... It showed me you and Hermione hooking up and it pissed me off... I assumed then that it was just a manifestation of my worry that you two were going to leave me behind, but it was actually showing me a nightmare scenario- my boyfriend cheating on me with my best friend."

"That's why this is so natural," Harry agreed, gesturing to each other, "Even if we had been in love for years, we should still be shocked, right? As far as we both knew, we were straight until half an hour ago... but it's not weird . It's fine- comfortable , even."

Ron's eyes widen, "Fourth year,"

"What? What about fourth year?" Harry asked.

" That was our awkward stage," Ron gasped, "Our fight, my weird jealousy not even I could comprehend, me being the person you would miss the most-"

Harry covered his mouth, "When Cho and I broke up the following year... after the whole Mariette betrayal and a host of other problems, she told me she thought Hermione and I spent too much time together... I asked her when she thought Hermione and I were spending all this time together and in every instance she named I had actually been with you ."

Ron nods, remembering that, "But, still, how did we never notice the shift? Were we just- too stressed with everything else? Or?..."

"...Or there never was a shift..." Ron gave Harry a look, "What?"

"I mean, neither of us had ever had a friend before we met, right? Hermione joined later... and we were, what? Eleven? If we fancied one another at first look, how could we have known? What frame of reference did we have?"

Ron blinked, smiled strangely, and then sat back down on the couch, "...huh..."

"...But surely not, right?" Harry said, shaking his head, "I mean- Hermione would have noticed eventually..."

"No, she'd never had friends either, remember?" Ron said bluntly.

Harry laughed at that a little, "So, we fancy one another from the beginning, fall hard in fourth year, start dating in sixth, but don't realize any of it until we're twenty-one years old?"

"What are we even going to tell people?"

Harry shrugged, "We can just say we got together now..."

Ron suddenly grins up at Harry mischievously- almost reminding the seeker of the twins, "...or we can just tell everyone we've been dating since we were sixteen, which seems to be the case, and just... watch the aftermath."

"Be serious," Harry laughs a little.

"I am," Ron says, laughing, "I think it'd be funny... I just want to see what everyone says, you know?"

Harry turns the idea over in his brain, rolling his eyes... "Hermione'll kill us..."

"Maybe we just let her stew in it for a few minutes, then tell her the truth... nobody else, though,"

"...I think I could get behind that," Harry says, smiling despite himself.