Chapter 17

                                    

                                          


                          
Harry lay awake for what seemed like hours that evening. He and Draco had sat in the library until way after curfew. For hours they had talked, while occasionally stealing a few kisses. Neither of them wanted to be the one to end it. Eventually, as the clock struck midnight they decided to head back. With one last kiss by the library doors they went their separate ways. Harry barely managed to escape Filch by the second floor, but thanks to the Marauders Map he managed to run behind a tapestry in the last second. He let out a sigh of relief as he climbed through the portrait hole and heard it shut behind him. He stood by the entrance and watched the small dot labeled Draco Malfoy walk the last few corridors and disappear into the Slytherin common room. When he knew that he had made it back without being caught he closed the map and climbed up the stairs to his dormitory.
                          
As Harry lay in his bed a few minutes later, a smile on his lips, he felt like his was on the top of the world. Draco had said yes! Draco was his boyfriend! He felt so happy he almost didn't know what to do with himself. He just hoped that people wouldn't be too weird about it. Harry might be able to handle most judgement that came his way, being used to it after so many years, but he knew that Draco did care. Of course, he would never show or want to admit it to anyone, but Harry knew. He knew and he wanted to protect him from it if possible. 
                          
For ages he lay there, buried under the warm covers, jumping between radiating happiness and worry. When he finally felt sleep take him over in the early hours of the morning, one last thought struck him. He would have to tell Hermione tomorrow morning. She still didn't know and he didn't want her to have to find out from someone else. With that reminder, he closed his eyes and drifted off.
                          
The next morning, he was slow to get out of bed. The lack of sleep hit him like a brick wall and Ron had to basically drag him out of bed before throwing his school uniform at him. Harry groggily asked him to get Hermione and bring her up here when the rest had gone to breakfast. Ron gave him a knowing look before heading downstairs. Harry lazily pulled his pajamas off and got dressed for the day. He was buttoning his last button when his two best friends returned to the now empty dormitory.
                          
Ron had a knowing smile on his face as Harry turned around, which caused Harry to suppress one of his own. Ron thought that Harry was only telling Hermione that he was bi, and not that he would also spring his new relationship on them. He motioned for them both to sit down on Ron's bed and together they all squeezed into the four poster and got comfortable. Hermione had a curious but patient look on her face as she absentmindedly took one of Ron's hands in hers. The casual gesture felt so perfect it made Harry think of Draco. Which in turn brought him back to why he asked them here.
                          
"First, I need to tell you something Hermione. Ron already knows, but that was more an accident than an actual decision." He bit his lip nervously, but the friendly look in Hermione's brown eyes calmed him down enough to tell her. "I recently figured out that I'm gay... or bi actually. But the point is that I like guys." After Harry had managed to fumble through his sentence, he took a deep breath. His hand found its way up to his hair and he messed it up absentmindedly.
                          
"I know Harry" For a few seconds nobody said anything. She knew? But how could she know? Harry only figured it out himself like a week ago. In the end it was Ron who broke the silence.
                          
"What?" 
                          
Hermione had a knowing smirk on her face and she rolled her eyes at the two boys. 
                          
"Honestly you two. Harry, I've known that since fourth year, but since you're about as observant as a brick wall I figured you'd probably need some time to figure it out for yourself. Which you did...eventually"
                          
Harry was dumbfounded. Fourth year?! That was four years ago. Had she known for four years? His cheeks were flaming red of embarrassment when he spoke.
                          
"What in Merlin's beard made you realize that I was gay in fourth year? I mean I had never even had the though myself then." Now it was Hermione's time to grow red and she looked down on her and Ron's joined hands.
                          
"It was a bunch of different small things, but what really got me was how you looked at Cedric. I don't think you realized it yourself at the time, but your eyes were basically two big hearts" Hermione broke out in laughter at the memory and Harry couldn't help but join her. That was until a certain though made him quiet abruptly. The other two went quiet too as he looked at them with worried eyes.
                          
"Did Cedric know?" He buried his face in his hands and blushed like crazy. Hermione broke out in laughter again, which caused Harry to look up. When she saw the genuinely worried look on his face, she contained her laughter, but she couldn't help the smile that was tugging on the corner of her lips.
                          
"Yes Harry, he knew. He even came and asked me about it. He was flattered but obviously into girls. He needed to know how to best let you down if you came and asked him out." That sounded too much like something Cedric would do that Harry had no doubt that Hermione was telling the truth.
                          
"At least he was cool about it mate" Ron looked between Harry and his girlfriend, a big grin on his face. Harry couldn't help but agree with that. Together they sat and let it all sink in for a little while. 
                          
"And the second thing?" Hermione broke the silence after looking down at her watch and realizing that they only had about ten minutes left if they wanted to have any time left for breakfast before their first class.
                          
"The second thing? Oh right! Yeah... so I figured all of this out because I started to like someone, and yesterday I asked that someone to be my boyfriend." As he looked over at his friends, Hermione had an openly curious look on her face and Ron had one of shock, his mouth hanging open and his eyes wide. As Harry looked back to Hermione, she gave him a look that urged him to continue, which he did happily.
                          
"So, as of last night, Draco Malfoy is my boyfriend" 
                          
Hermione might have seen the "I like guys" thing coming, but it was clear that that was not the case for the "Draco Malfoy" thing. Her expression now matched her boyfriends. Nerves hit Harry like a waive and he began fidgeting where he sat. He might personally be ecstatic that Draco was his boyfriend, and he might not care what people thought about him, but he did care what his friends thought. In the end it was Ron who recovered first, which might have had something to do that he already kind of knew that something was going on between the two of them.
                          
"I hope he doesn't expect me to call him Draco just because you guys are together." At Harry's stern look he quickly added "At least not right away. But I'm not saying never mate." Harry could accept that. It had taken some time for him to get there with Draco after all these years of him being Malfoy, and he was confident that his friends would get there too.  arry's stirnh
                          
"Do you love him?" Hermione's question made him stop for a second. The same word that he had told Ron only two days ago. But now, after he knew that his affection was answered, the word felt so big and important. Too big and too important for right now.
                          
"I don't know yet. I can say that I like him. I like him a lot. And I think that I will probably grow to love him. But I don't know if I'm ready to be there quite yet." Hermione nodded her head in understanding. 
                          
"Can you promise you'll tell us when you do though."
                          
Harry smiled widely at his two best friends.
                          
"Trust me, right after Draco, you two will be the first ones I tell."