Hello, Readers :)
My milkshake brings Dean and Seamus to the yard, 'cause I'm like, that's all I want.

So, we're finished, and this...well it went somewhere. I'm happy where it's ended, but if I get enough requests for some sort of epilogue I'll consider adding one.

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"I told you, Theo, I knew they were cuddlers."

"I'm just glad neither of them snores."

"I wonder if Potter's tan continues all the way down his-"

"Hey! What the…" Draco exclaimed loudly, opening his eyes to the bright dormitory. The curtains of his bed were pulled back and Pansy, Theo and Blaise peered down at him. He felt a warm, shifting weight against his body; him and Harry, he amended.

Harry blinked large, owlish eyes around the room, woken up by the commotion, his gaze growing decidedly more focused when he saw the situation he was in. He pulled up slowly from where he was almost entirely draped across Draco, reaching for his glasses. He arranged the duvet to better cover them from the waist down, moving so they could both fully sit up and face the figurative music.

"This is a rather rude awakening, even for you, Pans," Draco muttered, scrubbing the back of his head with a yawn. To his audience's surprise, he didn't appear the slightest bit embarrassed about being caught in such a compromising position with Harry. He stifled another yawn, "Merlin, what time is it?"

"Just after six," The girl crossed her arms stubbornly, "And you should be thanking me, honey. I figured your sleeping beauty here would want to be up and back at Gryffindor Tower before everyone leaves for breakfast. I assume you want the presumably inevitable confrontations that are imminently scheduled to be contained within the lion's den? Unless your plan was to just strut into the Great Hall this morning, hand in hand, and damn the consequences?"

Draco let out a tense breath, massaging his temples as if developing a headache, "No, we're not that stupid. Thanks, Pans."

"Thank me by sorting out your mess, imbeciles. Get up, make yourselves presentable, and get your shit together." She nodded her head once, with an air of finality, before heading to the bathroom.

"Any advice, guys?" Draco asked Theo and Blaise hopefully. They just stared down at him, unamused and unaffected by his pleading.

"You're on your own with this one."

"You've made your bed, or rather, fucked Harry Potter in it, so lie in it, brother."

The two turned away dismissively, either ignorant or uncaring of Draco's defensive, indignant cries and Harry's embarrassed sputtering. The couple on the bed gaped at each other before the tension seemed to drain out of their bodies. Their shoulders slumped and their heads bowed defeatedly. They slowly got out of bed, going about their normal morning routines, knowing their time was limited.

"What are we going to do, Harry?"

Harry recast cleaning spells on himself and his clothes from yesterday for good measure, before yanking them on. "I don't know. I'll meet Ginny in the common room before she leaves for breakfast and break up with her. The rest is still a work in progress."

"Are you going to tell her why you're breaking up with her?"

"Sure. I don't feel for her in the way that I should, I cannot be what she needs or wants, and I don't see us ever having a successful, happy relationship." Harry nodded, heading into the bathroom to wash up.

Draco trailed after him, carrying on their conversation as they got ready, "And what are you going to say about where you've been? About me? About that?" He pointed his toothbrush in the direction of the still dark bruise on Harry's neck.

The brunette absently pointed his wand at it, casting a small glamour that instantly hid the evidence of their deeds, "We are wizards, Draco. You might want to do the same." He grinned cheekily, eyeing up the damage he'd inflicted on pale skin. He let his smile turn more sombre, "I'll tell her I have feelings for someone else. I'll even tell her who, if she asks. There won't be much point in lying about it anyway, she'll know as soon as we make our relationship known."

"I don't know, Harry. She knows you were here with me last night, she's not stupid, she'll put two and two together. Even if she has no proof, she'll suspect you're a cheater. It could ruin your reputation, not to mention your relationship with your friends and her family. Cheating is a big deal, Harry, and it will only take one whisper to the press and that's what you'll be associated with, forever. And you might never be forgiven."

Harry frowned into the white porcelain of the sink before splashing cold water on his face, "She wouldn't do that, would she? I know she'll be angry and upset, but she wouldn't go that far, right? We were really good friends before we started dating. She will probably hate me, but I don't think she'd try to ruin me."

"Are you willing to take that risk?"

Green eyes locked with grey as Draco moved to stand behind him and they looked at each other in the mirror. Harry was looking utterly distraught, and Draco wrapped his arms around him, pulling Harry's back flush to his chest and resting his head atop the messy locks. Draco wanted to tell him it would all be okay, to whisper sweet nothings and nonsensical promises into his ear until those eyes lightened and a smile broke across that handsome face, but he couldn't. He wouldn't lie to Harry. Especially not about something like this.

"Fine, fine, I'll do it!" Pansy exclaimed loudly as she bustled through the door, startling them both and drawing their attention.

"You'll do…what, Pans?"

The witch rolled her eyes at her friend, shaking a finger at him like she was scolding a small child, "I'll rescue your ungrateful, moronic, train wreck arse, of course. Again, might I add. Yours too, you cheating, morally corrupt, scumbag," She fixed her glare onto Harry as she uttered the last part. Her tone was light, almost affectionate, jarring rather scarily with her stern face. "I'll spread the word that yes, whilst it's true you were here, nothing happened between you two. You chatted about boring shit like quidditch, then Draco went to bed in the dormitory whilst Harry slept on the couch. I can even throw in that I definitely know nothing was going on as I was also in the dormitory last night."

"You would do that? Thank you." Harry asked, staring at her in wonder.

"I'm not doing it for you, Potter, I'm doing it for him," She said, nodding her head towards Draco.

Harry felt the corners of his lips quirking up, "Even so, I'm still thankful."

"Don't get all soppy on me now, imbecile. Just remember; if you ever, ever, mess around my best friend and treat him like you're treating the Weasley girl, I will murder you." Her tone left no doubt to the sincerity of her words. Satisfied when Harry gulped and nodded, she spun on her heel and left, calling over her shoulder, "Now, for the love of Merlin, fix your hair and leave, won't you?"

###

Harry had never felt more trepidation than he did right at that moment. Not even coming up against Voldemort compared to the gut-wrenching, bile-inducing, knee-trembling nervousness that came with the simple task of opening the entrance to his common room to meet his fate.

"I know that look, dear," The Fat Lady spoke softly from her frame, eyeing him up and down, "The look of a man torn two ways."

Harry straightened up a little at that, frowning at her pretty face, "I'm not torn. I know who I want to be with."

"I never said you were torn between two lovers, child. You are at a forked road between a difficult life of happiness and an easy life of misery." She looked at him, assessing, "You seem to have decided which path you want to walk. I hope she's worth it."

Letting out a deep breath, Harry squared his shoulders, putting on an air of confidence he didn't feel and willing his hands to stop shaking, "Yeah, he is. Societatis."

She gave him one long, hard, contemplating look before bowing her head, swinging open her portrait with an elegant gesture of her hand. He walked in, head held high and a falsely cheerful grin on his face, resisting the urge to check his hair and glamours in every reflective surface.

"Where have you been?" Hermione shrieked as her eyes landed on him, "We were worried sick!"

Harry strode over to her, pressing a quick kiss to her cheek in greeting, doing the same to Ron when he ambled over significantly calmer, "I was studying with Draco, and then we were just chatting. Before we knew it, it had gotten really late. He offered to let me crash in their common room, and I accepted. Sorry, guys, I didn't mean to scare you."

"You were with that slimy git and the snakes all night? Did they hurt you, have you been poisoned, did they cast Imperio on you?" Ron looked ready to start a fight.

Taking the time to pick his words, knowing the more elaborate the lie the higher the chance of him being caught out, Harry shook his head, "No, nothing like that. Draco and the rest of the Slytherins all slept in the dormitories." He figured telling half-truths and blurring the details of real events would make his story easier to swallow.

"Well, I don't approve, but I'm glad you're okay," Hermione said with a stern tone, her hands on her hips like a mother disciplining her wayward child, "And let us know the next time you plan on disappearing for hours at a time. It's nice to know whether we need to send out a search party or not."

Harry looked down, sheepish, "Yeah, I will do. Sorry, guys."

A shrill shriek could be heard from the other end of the common room. Ginny was bounding down the stairs that lead up to the girls' dormitory, loudly shouting Harry's name. She ran towards him, launching herself at him, her arms wrapping tight around his neck. She placed a large, heavily glossed, smacking kiss to his lips, "Oh, Harry, I'm sorry we fought yesterday. Were you wandering the corridors all night thinking about it? Were you unable to come back because you weren't sure how to make it up to me? Have you spent the night thinking up ways to apologise?"

"Err, no, not quite." Harry reared his head back, setting as much distance between their faces as possible, and reached behind his head to forcible unlock her arms from their death grip. He used his hold on her to not so gently push her off of him and took a step back, "Look, Ginny, we need to talk."

She frowned at his behaviour, but it was soon replaced with a smile and enthusiastic nodding, "Oh, baby, no need to be so dramatic and moody. You know I'll forgive you, silly."

"No, Ginny, listen to me, I…" He looked around the busy common room, seeing that more than a few were not so subtly listening in to their conversation, "Can we take a seat? Or a walk? I think we should speak a little more privately."

"Oi, mate, anything you've got to say to Ginny you can say in front of me, alright?" Ron stepped in, placing a protective hand on his sister's narrow shoulder.

Ginny crossed her arms, pouting, "Yeah, babe, anything you say to me you can say in front of all our friends. We're Gryffindors, we don't have secrets."

No, because you're a bunch of bloody gossips Harry thought to himself, the voice in his head sounding eerily like Draco's. And when had the you Gryffindors become 'you' not 'we'? He shook his head to clear it before addressing her, "If you insist. Ginny, we need to break up."

The room fell deathly silent and the air felt thick, buzzing with tension. Ginny looked ready to burst out into tears, and Ron didn't look far from punching him. He quickly decided that some elaboration was definitely in need, "Look, I love you, Ginny, but I'm not in love with you. I thought things would change between us when we started dating, but I still feel exactly the same. I feel for you like you're a close friend, like I always have, and nothing more. There will never be anything more."

"But Harry, we're perfect together! We're going to have a future, and get married, and you're going to be part of my family, and we're going to have our own family!"

Harry shook his head, "No, Ginny, I don't want that stuff. At least, not in the same way you do. We're not compatible, I can't give you what you want, and I certainly can't give you what you need."

Ginny did burst into tears at that, and she threw herself into her older brother's arms. Ron held his sister tight, glaring at Harry over her head, "How could you do this to her, Harry? She loves you. She's the best you'll ever have. She's well out of your league, and yet, what, she's still not good enough for the famous Harry Potter?"

Surprisingly, Hermione stepped forward, standing beside Harry in a show of solidarity, "Ron, don't be ridiculous, you know Harry's not like that. If he doesn't love her in that way, then it's best he ends things now rather than string her along. I know it hurts her, but in the long run, she's being saved a lot of pain."

"How dare you take his side? Ginny's heartbroken!"

"And what about Harry?" Hermione shouted at him, losing her temper, "Not all relationships work, Ronald, get over it. Be there for your sister, comfort her. Hell, go sneak into the kitchens and eat ice cream and gossip about how he's not worth her. Just don't ruin your friendship with Harry, because that's special, Ron. Especially when he's doing the right thing."

Harry smiled warmly at her, glad she was being so understanding and supportive, "Thanks, Hermione."

"Don't get me wrong, Harry, I'm upset too, and I feel bad for Ginny, but I won't begrudge you for this." She returned his smile, "I actually saw it coming a while ago; I was going to talk to you about it soon if you didn't figure out your feelings on your own. I could see that you were both wanting and feeling different things." Her smile grew larger, and she let out a small, dark chuckle, "Besides, we're sixteen. We're going to make mistakes, and we're still learning about all this difficult stuff. How screwed would we all be if we had to stick with the first relationship we ever got into?"

"Is that why your taking his side?" Ron bellowed, angrily, "Because I'm dating Lavender and you don't like her?"

"No, Ronald," Hermione blew away a lock of hair that had fallen across her face with an agitated breath, "This isn't about you, or me. It's about Harry and Ginny."

Ginny turned her head from where it was buried in Ron's chest. She took a shaky step away from him and towards Harry, pointing an accusing finger, "Is that why you didn't come back last night? Were you up all night talking to you little friend about me? Were you talking and laughing about me behind me back? Did he tell you to break up with me?" She didn't give Harry time to respond as a thought seemed to strike her. She gasped in a shaking breath, narrowing her eyes further, "Or were you even there at all? Were you off shagging some bint? Is he covering for you? Is there someone else?"

Harry raised his hands defensively. His stomach was clenching painfully, and he felt seconds away from being sick. He felt awful, he had betrayed her, and he knew he was more than deserving of her wrath. But Draco wasn't, he didn't deserve to have his name dragged through the mud because of him. He would tell her the truth, but only parts of it, and say nothing that would incriminate the other, "No, I was in Slytherin all night. I did talk to Draco about us, but only because I was confused. He just helped me see clearly and sort out my emotions, that's all."

"So he did tell you to break up with me!" Her cry was more a statement than a question.

"No, Ginny. Things were never going to work between us, no matter what anyone else said or did. He saved us from a lot of heartache by making me really think about my feelings for you and h-…and stuff." Harry quickly corrected, his running mouth almost ruining everything.

"Your feelings for who?" Ginny shrieked, jabbing a finger, hard, into his chest, "Who were you going to say, Harry? Is there someone else?"

Harry sighed, he didn't want to do this, but he didn't have much choice. His relationship with Draco was going to be made common knowledge very soon, anyway, so he might as well start planting the seeds, "I'm sorry, Ginny, but yes, I do have feelings for someone else. It helped me figure out that what I was feeling for you wasn't what I should be, as what I feel for him is so much…more. I want to tell him how I feel, and it wouldn't be fair to either of you if I told him my feelings whilst still with you. Even if it doesn't go anywhere, I can't continue my relationship with you knowing that I don't love you and I lo- like him." Where had that come from? he asked himself. Surely he didn't…he shook his head. He had other things to focus on at the moment.

"Him?" Ginny shouted loudly, her voice echoing of the walls. If anyone wasn't already listening in to the heated conversation, they definitely were now. She stared at him blankly before a high, almost hysterical laugh bubbled out past her lips, "That's what this is all about? I just though you were a prude, but this, this is priceless. You realised you were gay? You've just been using me as a cover all this time?"

"I'm not gay, Ginny, I'm bisexual." Harry stated bluntly, growing frustrated. He took a deep breath, willing himself to ignore all the whispers around him, "And my sexuality has nothing to do with me breaking up with you. We just don't work, and we never will. Why can't you see that?"

Before he could ever see it coming, Ginny slapped him, hard, across the face. She shoved him roughly, and was about to again, had Hermione not taken a defensive step in front of her best friend.

"That's it, hide behind Hermione, you filthy bastard!" Ginny screeched, "I can't believe this whole time you were secretly thinking about some bloke! Bisexual my arse, you're just a bloody queer or this wouldn't be a problem and you'd still want me. I don't even want you anymore, you're not even a real man. Get out of here, you're not welcome, you fucking fag!"

Hermione rounded on the girl, cold, deadly fury emanating from her in thick, almost palpable waves, "You take that back right now, Ginny. You can be upset that Harry broke up with you, and angry that he likes someone else, but you cannot use hate language like that. You're lucky if I don't report you for discrimination."

She whirled around in a fly of wild hair and swishing robes, grabbing Harry by the hand and tugging him towards the door, "Come on, Harry, let's go. I will not have you suffering in the presence of such people any longer."

They almost made it to the door when Ron's voice called after them, "Yeah, run away, you sick fuck. Go run to your boyfriend, I'm sure he's got a big cock he can shove up your arse to make you feel better."

Both friends turned, ready to start an all-out war in the common room, but a short, broad figure stepped in their path, blocking them. Seamus Finnegan raised a fist and, in a blur, it connected with Ron's jaw with a resounding crack. He turned to Harry and Hermione with a cheery smile that jarred with his violent action, "Let's go breakfast, am starvin'."

In a daze, Harry and Hermione let the fiery Irishman bundle them out of the room, but they did register than Dean, Neville, and a few others quickly closed ranks and joined their little group. Harry looked at the friends surrounding him, a warm, fuzzy feeling in his stomach.

"Thanks, everyone. I honestly thought you'd all hate me if I broke up with Ginny. And I wasn't sure how people would react to me being bi, either. I know the wizarding world can be rather conservative and prejudiced. I'm really happy you're all here."

"Don't be daft," Seamus clapped a heavy hand to his shoulder, "We're not going to hate you for ending a three-week unhappy relationship. And after all you've done for us, and all we've been through, it'll take more than you liking a little dick to scare us off."

Hermione linked her arm with Harry's, bumping their shoulders lightly, "You know that anger you feel when people call me a mudblood? Well, that's how I felt when they were saying those things to you."

Dean Thomas stepped closer to the two boys and Hermione, "You guys don't get how much it meant to see you standing up for Harry. Coming out is one of the scariest things you can do. You can be surrounded by the most loving people and it's still terrifying, you never know for sure how they will react." When a few curious gazes fell on him, he let out a low, deep chuckle, a small smile playing on his handsome face, "Trust Harry to steal on the thunder and beat me to it. I'm bisexual too, guys." His grin grew as he received cheers, whistles, and several claps on the back.

"Merlin, that's not fair, now you two will be getting all the attention from the ladies and the blokes," Neville chuckled, his tone joking, "Save some for us mere mortals, yeah? Guess it's just you and me now, Seamus."

"I'm gayer than a unicorn eating fruit cake on a rainbow, mate. I was the original gay, I've told everyone repeatedly, they just never seem to believe me."

Neville joined in the loud, shocked laughter that erupted from the group, "That means that with Ron out of the picture as official douchebag of the year, and if Harry hooks up with his mystery man, and if you two get together, I'm Gryffindor's most eligible bachelor!"

"Speaking of, Harry," Parvati spoke up in her light, tinkling voice, throwing her arms over Harry and Hermione's shoulders and drawing them in conspiratorially, "Who is your mystery man?"

"I'm going to tell him how I feel at breakfast," Harry answered easily, "If it goes well, I'll tell you then. If it doesn't, I'll go cry in the kitchens with a plate of brownies and we'll never speak of it again. Deal?"

"Not a chance," She said, "If it doesn't go well, we'll all skive off revising charms and camp out in the kitchens with you, right everyone?"

Hermione nodded her agreement, "Of course. We can all talk about how much of a dick he is and how he's not worthy of you."

"Then we can work out a plan to hook you up with the best-looking guy at Hogwarts as the ultimate rebound," Neville joined in.

"There might be a problem with that," Harry felt a dopey, love-sick puppy grin stretch across his face, "He is the best-looking guy at Hogwarts."

Harry felt his face flushing as the girls all cooed at his cuteness, and found himself getting pulled back against strong arms. He looked to either side and found himself crushed quite uncomfortably between Dean and Seamus, their arms draped over him and each other.

"You're making the rest of us queers look bad with your sentimentality and soppy words, stop out gaying us."

"Yeah, or we'll have to squash you to death in a Dean-Seamus sandwich!"

Harry leered up at Seamus with a suggestive wiggle of eyebrows, "Is that a threat? Or an offer?"

The group was laughing cheerfully as they approached the large, open doors of the Great Hall. A few students glanced their way, and a few seemed to cut off their whisperings as soon as they caught sight of Harry. News sure travels fast round here, he thought to himself bitterly. Although, if it was Pansy's news over Ginny's, that could be working in his favour. He disentangled himself from Dean and Seamus, moving a few steps ahead of the group and spinning on his heel, walking backwards as he waved.

"I promised I'd catch Draco up on the gossip, but I'll be over soon. Bye, guys!"

The group seemed to have a quick, almost telepathic conversation before they were all waving back, chorusing in unison "Bi guy!"

With a huge grin on his face and an odd lightness in his steps, like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders, Harry made a beeline for the Slytherin table. Draco stood to greet him, but his smile dropped to a worried frown and he turned back to the table, busying himself with something Harry couldn't see. A moment later the blonde was rushing to meet him, a makeshift icepack in his hands. They met in the middle, halfway between the Ravenclaw and Slytherin tables. Draco grabbed his chin without any preamble, turning it so he could assess something on his cheek.

"Harry, what happened?" Draco's voice was laced with concern, delicate fingers tracing over tender skin.

Wincing, Harry could feel a blush colouring his face as they stood so intimately so out in the open. He let out a small, relieved breath as Draco pressed the ice to his face, "Thanks. I broke up with Ginny. She didn't take it well."

"She hit you?" A small but strong hand clamping on his shoulder was the only thing stopping Draco from marching across the Great Hall and confronting her, "Harry, that's not right, it doesn't matter how upset or angry she is, she can't hit you."

"I'm fine, really, it all just got a bit messy. Seamus punched Ron too. I think it's best to just forget about it."

Draco pried the icepack away slightly, looking at the damage underneath. Now that the initial swelling was starting to go down he could see a split lip, black eye, and a rapidly purpling bruise across the tan skin. He pulled his wand out, banished the ice, and pointed the tip at Harry's face, "Episkey. I'm not happy about this, but if you think it's best, I'll let it go." He gently grabbed Harry's chin, turning his face this way and that to assess his handywork. Satisfied, he let his fingers linger just a little longer than necessary before releasing him with a subtle caress.

The blonde made to turn away and start heading back to the Slytherin table, "Why don't you join us for breakfast and you can update me on everything that happened?" He was stopped again by Harry's hand and turned back to see the dark head downcast, his eyes fixed on his scruffy shoes that were scuffing nervously at the floor, "Harry?"

"I…I need to tell you something, before we sit down. Because you might not like me or want me around after I do."

Grey eyes widened at that and he waited until Harry looked up and met his gaze. He knew that whatever they decided to do, it was best to do it in public so that their story couldn't get warped or twisted by rumours. However, he hadn't expected Harry to be ready yet, especially after what sounded like a rather unpleasant morning. He looked deep into emerald eyes, silently conveying all his questions, are you sure, are you ready? He saw Harry give an almost imperceptible nod, visible only because he was so close, and let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. He wanted this, he wanted Harry, but his stomach felt heavy and his heart felt like it was going to beat right out of his chest. He steeled himself, making sure to act the part of clueless friend, "I'm sure nothing you could say to me could make that true. What is it, is something wrong?"

Harry had to suppress a smile at the words, wishing he had half the acting skills and control of Draco. Although, maybe the Sorting Hat would have put him in Slytherin without any sort of deliberation if he had. "I broke up with Ginny because we weren't compatible, and we would have been miserable together. I don't have any feeling for her beyond friendship," He had to stop himself from turning the statement into the past tense, for he wasn't sure what he felt for her anymore. He wanted them to be friends, but after the things she'd done and said he wasn't so sure they could be. He shook his head slightly to clear it; that wasn't important right now. "However, I realised I did have those feelings for someone else."

"That's understandable, it's not fair to keep a relationship going if you're not really in it. Who is this other girl, why don't you tell her how you feel? It might be a bit soon, but what have you got to lose? You might as well find out if she feels the same, and if there's any potential there." Draco gave him the bright, supportive smile of a friend giving another friend comfort and advice.

Biting his lip and hardening his gaze to stop himself from laughing or rolling his eyes at the display, Harry glanced around the Hall, taking note of the fact that everyone within earshot was definitely listening. He amped up his nervous act, rubbing a hand at the back of his head and rubbing one foot against the calf of his other leg, "I have everything to lose, see this person, he's gorgeous, and funny, and he's one of the best people I know. He's a great friend and I can't stand the thought of losing him."

Draco could hear the whispers and gasps at the use of male pronouns, but didn't react himself beyond a reassuring smile, even though his stomach felt warm and his skin tingled at Harry's words. Merlin damn him if he didn't come across as accepting and happy for Harry as he genuinely felt, "If he's such a great friend, then he'll want to know how you feel, and even if he doesn't feel the same way, he won't let it come between you. Real friends don't turn on each other over something like that." He couldn't stop his gaze flicking up at the Gryffindor table, pointedly glaring at anyone who didn't seem a hundred percent happy with Harry's revelations. To his surprise, it was only the two Weasley's (he couldn't help but smirk as Ron held his own ice pack to his cheek; he must have done something pretty bad to get Seamus worked up like that and to not be offered healing spells from his House mates) and one or two faces he didn't recognise that seemed to be trying to burn holes in Harry's back with their heated looks. He looked back down into Harry 's eyes, giving him his full attention.

Harry stared back with large, soft but sincere eyes, the gentlest curving of a smile playing on his lips, "It's you, Draco."

The blonde grinned down at him, all pretence dropping, his eyes lighting up with genuine joy. He felt weightless, like he could finally breathe. He cupped Harry's face in his hands, throwing caution to the wind and not caring about their spectators as he leant down, capturing those sweet lips with his own. He felt Harry smiling and giggling, a mixture of nervous and happy energy, slender arms wrapping around his waist.

They pulled away from each other when a loud, raucous commotion could be heard from across the Hall. They turned to see a bunch of Gryffindors from Harry's year standing up and cheering loudly, possibly even louder than when Gryffindor had won the quidditch cup. Seamus was even up on one of the benches, pulling up a reluctant Dean as his other fist pumped in the air.

"That is quite enough!" Professor McGonagall's voice cut through the Great Hall like a knife, instantly silencing the cheer and other mixed responses coming from across the rest of the student body, "Finnigan, off the table now, or you'll be in detention with Mr Filch tonight. Ronald and Ginerva Weasley, I suggest you lower your wands and immediately forget whatever spells you were about to speak, or I will see to it myself that you will never have any free time again. Ten points from Gryffindor, each, and I will be writing to your parents." She turned a slightly warmer gaze on Harry and Draco, giving a stiff nod and the barest hint of a smile before retaking her seat.

Severus Snape stood from his place on the other side of Dumbledore, his cold, black gaze sweeping the room, "And if any…harm was to befall Mr Malfoy…or Mr Potter…because of any…revelations that have occurred this morning, I will be dealing with the guilty parties personally." His voice was oddly quiet yet powerful, easily carrying the slow, drawling threat to the four corners of the room.

Draco smiled at his godfather as he sat back down, knowing that was probably the biggest sign of acceptance of his relationship with Harry that he'd show. He took a tan hand in his, tugging gently to get Harry's attention, "Now, will you please join me for breakfast?"

###

The End.

Happy Reading,
Love,
Bambi x