Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter

Rose opened the door to the Fourth Year Hufflepuff Boy's dorm as silently as possible so that she didn't wake the five sleeping boys.

After letting her eyes adjust to the dark, Rose tiptoed her way over to where she could faintly hear her cousin Albus mumbling in his sleep.

"Albus, Albus, wake up. I need to ask you something," Rose said as she lightly prodded Albus's shoulder.

The only response she got was Albus rolling over and pressing his cheek into her hand as he once again mumbled something in his sleep. It was all she could not to yank her hand away and retch. She was pretty sure Albus had drooled on her hand!

Rose was in the midst of extracting her hand from in between her cousin's hand and his pillow when she honed in on what exactly Albus was mumbling about as he slept.

"Lorcan… don wanna, stop," Albus mumbled as he pressed his face harder into Rose's hand.

Rose was pretty sure she had stopped breathing by that point. What was she going to do? She was pretty sure her cousin was in the midst of a dream that she wasn't sure she wanted to know about.

After hearing Albus groan again, Rose decided enough was enough.

After casting a silencing charm around Albus's bed, she decided to try again. "ALBUS WAKE UP!" Rose shouted into Albus's ear.

Rose couldn't help but chuckle as her cousin bolted upright and then promptly fell out of bed to land at her feet in a heap of sheets and blankets.

"Rose what the hell are you doing here? You just woke me up from a great dream you prat!" Albus said angrily as he picked up his bedding and climbed back into bed.

"I could tell. You were mumbling in your sleep," Rose said partially amused.

Even though it was dark, Rose could sense that Albus had tensed as soon as she had said that.

"What do you mean Rose?" Albus asked cautiously.

"Well, you've always been a mumbler since you were young," Rose said as she reminisced a bit about their shared childhood.

"That's not what I meant and you know it. I want to know what I said, if I said anything really," Albus said.

"Well, you snuggled into my hand and then mumbled about Lorcan. Scamander I'm guessing since we don't know any other Lorcans. Oh, and you did groan a bit. That's when I decided it was time to wake you up," Rose said a bit sheepishly.

"Shit," Albus said as he dragged his hands over his face. "Look, Rose… I don't know how to say this…" Albus started.

"You know you don't need to say anything if you don't want to. We can pretend that this never happened if that makes you more comfortable," Rose offered since she could tell that Albus was struggling to say what he might not even have wanted to say.

"No, it's better that someone knows. It might help me process things anyways. I trust you, Rose. You wouldn't tell anyone, right?" Albus asked seriously as his green eyes bore into Rose's through the dark.

"Albus, we've been best friends since before we were born. You know I'd never tell anyone anything you tell me in confidence, unless it was something that—" Rose began.

"Something that might harm me. I know Rose. I was just checking because what I'm about to tell you might change how you think of me, or how other people might think of me. Trust me when I say that is the last thing I want to happen," Albus said shakily.

"Albus, you can tell me anything. You know that I don't care what other people think or say. Look at what they say about me and Malfoy! I'm not letting that bother me!" Rose said as she sat down next to Albus and put a comforting arm around his shoulders.

"Rose, I think our situations might be a bit different," Albus said although he did chuckle a bit to Rose's relief.

"Well, I'm listening if you want to talk," Rose said quietly.

"Ok, well I guess here goes nothing. I think I might like boys. No, I know I like boys. And I'm not talking about as friends. Ok this is where it gets awkward. You're my cousin and a girl. I don't know if I want to tell you this or if you'd even want to hear this," Albus said as he wrinkled his nose.

"You've made it this far. Why not just continue? Besides, I can judge for myself whether or not it's something I'd want to hear or not," Rose said as she stuck her tongue out in Albus's direction.

"Fine. Where was I? Oh, right. So I know I like boys because I have wet dreams about them instead of girls. It's ok. You have permission to laugh," Albus said as he stared straight ahead.

"Does it sound like I'm laughing Albus? What you told me is normal. Why would I laugh at that?" Rose asked genuinely confused and even a bit hurt.

"Because Rose. I just told you I have sex dreams about other guys. I'm a guy. Most guys don't have sex dreams about other guys. How is this normal?" Albus asked angrily.

"Because sexuality is a spectrum Albus. It's not confined to certain categories that fit everyone. There are numerous different sexualities. I know that this isn't something talked about in the Wizarding World, but it's talked about a lot in the Muggle World. I picked up some books this summer after visiting the movies where there was a female character who was interested in other girls. It struck me so I wanted to do some research," Rose said.

"Is that what you were doing holed up in your room all summer then? Reading about different sexualities?" Albus asked.

"As a matter of fact it was what I had been doing Albus. If you remember, I invited you along because I thought it might be something you'd be interested in, but I remember you all but ran in the opposite direction when I brought it up," Rose said.

"Yeah, well you know how I feel about reading and books in general," Albus offered as a weak explanation.

"Yes, Quidditch before books. Remind me how we're friends again?" Rose joked.

"It might have something to do with our mothers being best friends and us being relatives who grew up attached to the hip," Albus joked back.

"Hilarious Albus. Just hilarious," Rose attempted to say, but she ruined the line by bursting out into uncontrollable laughter. Albus was right behind her.

After finishing laughing, Albus once again turned the conversation to more serious terms. "So, what did those books say exactly aside from there being multiple sexualities?"

"All sorts of things. And not all of it was about sexual orientations. There was a lot of interesting things about gender identity as well. I still have them if you'd like to read them yourself. I know that you hate reading, but this is something I think you should read and learn yourself instead of hearing it second hand from me," Rose said.

"Thanks, Rose. For everything. I might actually read them," Albus said weakly.

"I can give them to you tomorrow," Rose said.

"No, not tomorrow. I still need time to process everything and to sleep," Albus said pointedly.

"Is this your attempt at telling me to kindly leave your presence?" Rose asked in mock offense.

"Well, now that you said it…" Albus said.

"Fine, I'll leave. But I need to ask you a favor," Rose said.

"Ahh, the real reason why she visits. It's because she needs something," Albus said amused.

"Shut up Albus," Rose said as she whacked him over the head with a pillow.

"Well now that you did that I don't think I want to grant you that favor. Whatever it may be," Albus said as he threw the pillow back.

"No please Albus. I really need this favor. I need it to beat Malfoy!" Rose all but pleaded.

"Malfoy? You woke me up due to your fixation on Malfoy? Rose, as much as I loved talking to you tonight couldn't that have waited until morning?!" Albus asked incredulous.

"First off, I do NOT have a fixation on Malfoy. The mere thought of that is actually repulsive Albus. Second, no it could not wait. And if you listen I'll tell you why," Rose said.

"Fine, I'll listen if you want to talk," Albus said.

"Do you remember how Flitwick assigned the extra credit project on charm behavior alteration?" Rose asked.

"This is seriously about extra credit that you don't even need? Rose, are you serious? This is crazy!" Albus said.

"I DO need it Albus! Scorpius and I are tied for first place in our year, and this extra credit might be what I need to finally come out on top!" Rose said almost hysterically.

"Rose, I don't care what your dad told you, but this isn't healthy. You and Malfoy are both so focused on beating each other that you can't even see how much you two have in common. If you weren't so focused on being the best you two might actually be good friends," Albus said.

"Albus you don't understand. I don't want to let him down. He's my dad," Rose said quietly.

"I think I do understand Rose. I don't want to let my dad down either. I'm gay, or at least I think I might be gay. I think that might be more of a let down than not being the top of your year or being tied for the top," Albus said rather pointedly.

"You're right. I just told you that I don't care what other people think or say, and yet I'm proving the exact opposite in regards to my dad," Rose said with a frustrated sigh.

"It's ok. It's not easy being the children of the Golden Trio. We have a lot to live up to. But then again, maybe we shouldn't be trying to live up to other's expectations. Maybe we need to find our own paths," Albus said with the type of wisdom that only comes about late at night.

"That's true, but," Rose started.

"You still want the cloak," Albus finished.

"Yes," Rose said sheepishly.

"Fine, just don't lose it," Albus said as he found his cloak under his bed.

"Yes Albus. I planned on losing the cloak," Rose said sarcastically.

"It was a rhetorical question that didn't require an answer Rose," Albus replied cheekily.

"Whatever, thank you," Rose said as she slipped the cloak over her body.

"Look Rose, I still think you should put this whatever it is with Malfoy behind you. Then maybe you'll see what's in front of both your faces," Albus said.

"What in the world are you talking about Albus?" Rose asked as she prepared to leave.

"Nothing. It was just an observation others and I have been making," Albus said cryptically.

"Riiight," Rose said unconvinced as she turned to leave.

"You wouldn't tell anyone, right Rose?" Albus whispered once Rose got to the door.

"Of course not Albus. It's something that people should hear from you whenever you're ready or whenever you're completely sure. Oh, and I put a silencing charm around your bed so that only you and I can hear each other right now. I might suggest doing that every night before you fall asleep just in case you do mumble something when one of the other boys are awake," Rose said as she opened the door.

"Thanks Rose. Will do," Albus whispered before Rose stepped out of the boy's dormitory. Now, on to the library to get that book.