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Step Three: Family Therapy The rather worn out campers filed themselves into the gathering room for group therapy. Draco's face was despondently blank as he sat by his mother and father, careful not to look either of them directly. His bruises had healed for the most part, at least on his face, but he felt like his father would be able to see what happened. He would be able to know that he hadn't been able to hold his own. His eyes drifted over to the Weasleys, both sitting by the window… and the person they'd brought with them. "Harry?" Ron cocked his head in surprise as he approached them. Harry nodded, biting his lip. Before he could think of anything intelligent to say, Molly jumped up and gave Ron a huge hug. "Oh, Ron. It's so good to see you. We've missed you around the house." "Whose fault is that?" He snapped, surprised at his own venom. Molly released him and looked at his exasperated face, which softened a little at her concern. Ron pulled away from her and sat on the other side of her, next to his father. "I'm fine." Harry was leaning over, trying to catch his eye, but Ron was pointedly not looking his way. If Harry was going to condemn him like his parents had, Ron didn't want to deal with it at the moment. He could see Draco scowling over at them. He shrugged in Draco's direction. Draco found himself to be the unlucky party to catch Harry's bright green eyes, which were unexpectedly filled with concern. Harry noticed and started mouthing a few words. "Is this place alright?" Draco rolled his eyes in response. Harry grimaced and began trying to get Ron's attention once again. After a few minutes, he gave up and sat back. Draco was beginning to feel a little sorry, but he wasn't sure why. His own parents were completely silent. Cho's mother was still hugging her and talking inanely about the cutest dress she'd gotten for her. Andreas' mother was trying to slick a piece of hair back with her spittle. Draco wasn't sure which way he'd prefer, being ignored or being smothered. "I know that many of you parents are reluctant to accept your responsibility for your child's homosexuality, but let's remember, choice is key. Once we have determined your child's root, they will be capable of making the choice for a moral and health conscious lifestyle." Mary informed them. She sat magnanimously in her chair. "Now, each of you is going to try to find your root: A key event or circumstance in your life that caused you to give in to weakness and become a homosexual. Your parents are here for support, and in some cases, brothers and sisters, or even close friends." Draco noted that Harry's eyes kept growing wider. He watched the Boy-Who-Lived with jealous eyes. Potter's not all that attractive. Draco thought to himself. He was practically emaciated, and his hair was a mess, twisting around his head in unruly black that couldn't decide if it were curly or straight. His cloths were as worn as Ron's robes usually were and at least three sizes too big. What is Ron thinking? And why does he look like that? "Mr. Malfoy. You're on my right. Tell us about your root." Draco cringed inside. He wasn't even sure this was good enough, or even sensible. But it would certainly irritate the hell out of his father, but he wanted to do that after all he'd been through. "Well, my family is pretty wealthy." Ron groaned. Draco turned his head and stuck his tongue out at him, then continued. "Anyway. So we have many house elves around. Because of that, my Mum can use her time to focus on different things, and growing up I never saw her doing any of those things that build up a female role model such as cooking and cleaning and such. And my Father… well, he's an important man, and couldn't always be around to reinforce the idea of what a man should be. So I think somewhere when I was young, I got the idea confused and never really figured out what I was supposed to do." Mary pondered that a moment while Lucius starred him down. Narcissa was filing her nails. She yawned. "That is a very good one, Draco. I think you're full on your way to recovery. Alright. Next." Cho flushed awkwardly. "I'm not really sure what mine is. I think because I'm an only child and my father allowed me to play sports from an early age, I began to think of myself as one of the guys, and therefore… wanted to be attracted to the same kind of people they were attracted to?" "Hm… I think you need to dig a little deeper, Cho. You're on the right track, but see if you can't find the exact moment when you became a homosexual and the exact reasons why." Cho nodded and sighed. She looked over at Harry anxiously. He smiled at her reassuringly. "Don't worry, Sport. We'll help you." Her father said. Cho nodded and looked at her lap. "Roberta, darling?" "My mum likes to be on top during sex." Her mother, a chunky woman, nodded sadly and clutched her husband's hand. He himself was rather thin and tall, and dabbed the corners of his eyes with a tissue. "Sylvia, we all know your reasons here. Do you have anything you'd like to say to your mother and father?" "I want to die." Sylvia's mother started crying into her handkerchief. Her father reached over and put a hand on her shoulder. "No you don't." "Whatever." Sylvia looked at her black nails. Her eyelids drooped halfway, and she looked as though she were sitting around waiting for the bus. "Maybe I want you to die." "Well, that's healthier, Sylvia." Mary informed her. "But blaming your parents for your situation isn't going to help you become less homosexual, now is it?" Harry made the strangest noise, and Draco looked at him oddly. He peered up at Mary through his glasses as those she were the strangest creature he'd ever seen. Anna glared at Sylvia's father. "Why don't you take your hands off of her, huh?" "Look here, miss, I've gotten therapy for my problems. This is Sylvia's time now." "Mr. Wolfe, this is Anna. Her root is an extension of the protective nature that she's developed over women. In her confused mind, she believes she's saving women from men by sleeping with them." "Yeah." Anna said with irritation. Her mother sat on the left of her. Her hair was long, blond and loosely bound at the nap of her neck. She starred onto the proceedings innocently, as though she didn't really understand what was going on. "I'll make Silly's life all better by sleeping with her. It'll make it all go away." "Anna, would you like to be excused from this group session?" Anna frowned and twisted her lips as though she were thinking it over. "I guess not." "Now. Ron? You've not said anything about your root at all during sessions. Have you found it yet?" Mary asked, patiently. She'd learned that too much authority with Ron would have less effect than not speaking to him at all. To her surprise, he smiled and nodded. "I've got it." He said confidently. He actually looked over at Draco and Cho and gave them a broad wink. "You see, when I was a little baby, me and my sister Ginny were born pretty close together. Babies all sort of look alike, you know? So this one time, when my mum was rushing around to take us out with her on her errands, she put us in the wrong clothes. Ginny in my jumper and me in the nice cornflower blue, ruffly dress that she'd just got for her second hand." Draco bit his lip and looked at the floor. It would be terribly indecorous to laugh. "Ron," Molly protested. "Ginny couldn't talk, and I kept trying to get her attention cause I knew that was supposed to be Ginny's new clothing, but she was in a hurry, and not looking didn't realize what I kept going on about. So she took us out for the day in the wrong clothes and didn't catch her mistake until we met the twins and dad for lunch. The twins took pictures. She was introducing me to people all day as her baby girl Ginny." Draco let a little cackle slip. "Oh, my." Molly blushed hotly as Mary's exacting gaze fell upon her. "I see. A classic case of transference. Good work, Ron." Mary starred at his parents accusingly. "If you'd not neglected him so much during his early years, this wouldn't have been a problem. I think perhaps you two could benefit from some lessons on parenting." They sat there looking like two children who had just been strongly chastised by their mother. Mary turned her attention to Steven who was looking over at them curiously. His parents were as plain looking as could be. "Have you found something more for us, Steven?" "Er… yeah. I remembered this one time when I was seven, and my father was angry at me for something, probably a bad mark in school. Anyway, I remember him saying to me, he was yelling and by that time not really meaning all of it, you know? But he said: Steven, you're best isn't good enough. I remember that. And my root is me getting back at my father, mostly. I shy away from subjects at school, and I don't finish things like I aught and I think this was the best one I managed." Steven stopped speaking suddenly and shrugged. His mother laid her head on his shoulder, hugging him with her hands on either arm, and sighed. "Yes. It's difficult to admit that such a deep problem came from nothing but rebellion, but good for you for being able to see that." Mary got out of her chair and began to pace. Draco was beginning to think the woman couldn't sit still. "I have to say I'm very proud of this group. "Eli?" "I was born in France." "Exactly. Alright. Andreas could you tell us about yours?" Andreas looked at the group nervously and shuffled his mother's hand off his shirt. She was trying to straighten it. "I think my root has to do with the swimming lessons I got when I was a child?" Mary frowned. "Go on?" "More? I mean, I was just around all those boys, in next to nothing…" "Just because it's there, doesn't mean it's for you." Lucius said tersely. Andreas pulled his head back sassily and blinked his eyes at him. "I don't believe I asked your opinion, hunny." "I am not going to take backtalk from some prissy queer!" Lucius roared as he jumped out of his seat. "Mr. Malfoy, please calm down." Mary said evenly. "We're all here for healing-" "My son is nothing like these pathetic grasping weaklings. We're wasting our time just being in their presence!" He half turned to Draco. "When we come back for graduation, you'd better have this thing licked." "He'll be licking something." Anna said under her breath. "You think you're funny, little Miss Gloom and Doom?" Lucius glared the children down. "Am I clear, Draco?" "I know what you bloody want Father. Why don't you just go?" Draco said through clenched teeth. Lucius slowly raised a brow. He'd never heard a word of defiance from his son before. "I don't like that tone. If you can't get this thing under control, you will not be coming home." "I understand." Draco clipped. Lucius snatched his cloak from the chair and walked briskly from the room. "We're leaving, Narcissa." She stood primly and followed him out the door with a gentile wave to Mary. "Draco, you're father is a prick." Andreas said huffily, tossing his hair. "Normally, I like that, but, damn, baby!" "Oh, just forget him Andy. He has control issues." Draco sighed, leaning on his hands. Arthur stifled a laugh. "Well, I know it's difficult to work on our problems when we don't have family support, but I hope you feel you can continue-" Mary told him. "I'm used to it." He said shortly. "Now, Andreas, I'm afraid you are going to have to think some more about your root." Andreas' mother rubbed his back protectively. "Now, I'd like to comment on the roots of the rest of the group." Harry felt his eye twitching. His mind reeled over the things he'd heard over the past half hour and lifted his head only when he realized he was being addressed by Miss Mary Cummings. "Er… yes?" "I asked you if you would mind a few questions?" She cocked her head to the side and looked at him intensely. His eyes darted around at the others, and he hoped this would have nothing to do with fame. "Sure, I guess." "I don't normally allow outsiders to come to these sessions, but oftentimes, my pupils find themselves without letters or contact from the people in their lives "before" once they come here. It isn't popular for their friends to even ask to see them." Harry raised a brow. "Er, yeah." Draco frowned at Harry and contemplated the amount of brain damage that must have occurred when Voldemort struck his forehead. Harry had never been very vocal, but he seemed particularly dumbfounded now. "How long have you known that you were heterosexual?" Harry straightened himself in surprise. He spoke warily. "I wouldn't say I've known, I guess. I mean, it never occurred to me to be otherwise? I didn't know there was anything else." "You never knew that homosexuals existed? You must have led a sheltered life." Mary said. "Not really, well… I mean the Dursleys don't believe in anything that isn't what they consider the straight and narrow. Anything that slips out of what is normal, so I didn't know about a lot of things 'til I went to Hogwarts." "Ah… and it was away from the exposure to the idea that homosexuality was a phenomenon that you were able to establish such a strong and normal male heterosexual identity." "I wouldn't call myself normal." Harry said instinctively. Ron bit back a chuckle and looked over at him. Harry was getting that look on his face that appeared whenever they were in Professor Trelawney's presence too long. "However, without the knowledge that you could become a homosexual, you did not." "Er… that's obvious, but I don't think that's why I didn't." "Oh? So what are your theories?" Mary stepped closer, seemingly interested in his hypothesis. "My theory is that I didn't become a homosexual because I'm not attracted to boys." "Oh, that's precious." Draco chuckled. Molly put a hand on Harry's shoulder in warning. "It's that simple to you, isn't it?" Mary said condescendingly. "Well I don't suppose I can expect you to understand. You've never been exposed to this and were completely unable to spot the people around you as practicers of homosexuality. It's odd that a person such as yourself could not see the evil weaknesses present in your own classmates-" "I wouldn't call them evil." Harry said stubbornly. Mary stopped her incessant pacing and glared at him. "What would you call it?" "Er… I dunno." He flushed and squirmed under his gaze. "Do you know what homosexuals do together?" "I think I've hazarded a guess." Harry said with a cringe. "Homosexual sex is dangerous. When men have anal sex together, they spread bacteria, STDs, and cause tearing in the anal canal. Homosexuals have a higher risk of alcoholism, suicide, and a shorter life span. And despite this, they try to convince others that this is a normal, acceptable "alternative lifestyle." Does that sound like the actions of a good person to you?" "Er… I…" Harry looked away. "I thought not. Really, Hogwarts should be teaching these things to young children. How else are you going to find out how destructive it is?" She clapped her hands together. "Alright people, I'll give you the rest of the day to visit with your families. Enjoy this time off because we're really going to have some work to do tomorrow." The others filed out with their parents, all feeling a bit awkward around each other with their families in full view. Arthur looked at his watch and frowned. "Look, Molly, I've got to get back. I can send someone for you later-" "Why don't you guys just go?" Ron said disinterestedly. He was leaning against the side of the building, looking away. Molly put her hand on his arm. "Ron, don't be like this. We love you and only want the best for you. I know it's difficult for you to be here, but this is hard on us too." "I'm crying." Ron muttered. Molly sighed and looked over to Arthur. "Hold on a moment, Harry." She said, holding up a finger and walking off with Arthur. Harry scratched the back of his head awkwardly. He saw Cho in the distance throwing her arms down in silent resignation as both of her parents converged on her. Sylvia was off in another direction, screaming at her parents so loudly that he could almost make out what she was saying. "You don't have to stick around you know. We might be catching." Ron told him bitterly, looking off at the pretty young women fighting adamantly with their parents. "Just do what they say, Ron." Harry said in a soft voice. Ron crossed his arms. "What are you talking about?" "Just do what they want you to do. Say what they want you to say, and get the hell out of here. It's only three more years right? Three more years and you can move out, and what can they say then? That's what I keep telling myself back at home. Just three more years with the Dursleys and I'm out of there! Same for you. I don't care about all this stuff. You haven't changed that much since I met you. I don't think you went wrong anywhere, so… I dunno…" He looked at his feet and began to squirm. "That Miss Cummings is something else." "It's not your fault I'm here you know. It's my own fault. I was too gaga over that Krum boy. Everyone saw it." Harry blushed. "Er… yeah. Well… it sort of is my fault." "Oh come on. My parents are the ones that sent me here. You barely had anything to do with it." "No.. It's just. It costs a lot of money to send people here, Ron, and you're family normally wouldn't have had the money to spare-" "You gave my parents the money to send me here?!" Ron spun around and looked at Harry fiercely. "How could you do that?" "I didn't give the money to your parents! I gave the money to Fred and George!" "You-! …What?" Ron asked in confusion. Harry's voice faltered a little. "What am I going to do with that much money? I mean, I have an inheritance anyway and… well, you never want me to help you out… I gave the prize money from the Triwizard Tournament to Fred and George to start their business, so long as they looked out for you… and… this is them looking out for you… I guess. I'm really sorry. I should have said something at the… intervention I guess…" Harry trailed off, keeping his eyes to the ground, afraid of what he'd see if he looked up at Ron. This was the first time he'd really being flat out wrong where he couldn't escape the fact. He didn't want to really. He wanted to fix it, but didn't have the faintest how. Ron smacked Harry's shoulder. "You didn't make them do that. Maybe you should have stood up for me at the intervention, but I don't think it would have done any good." Harry looked up uncertainly. "You're not mad?" "No. Not at you. I'm pretty right pissed off at Fred and George but I'll get to them later. It's not so bad here." He added, trying to make Harry a little less antsy. Harry leaned over to speak and lowered his voice seriously. "Yeah, but this isn't right. I'm sitting there listening to these kids make up some reasons for things they can't help and thinking this is just crazy." "These people are mental. I think half the staff are queers anyway." Harry cracked a grin. "So… are you going to try to get out of here?" "We haven't got that far to go. I'll make it. Sorry about Cho, though." Harry shrugged. "Nothing to be done. At least I know, that makes it easier." He smiled wickedly and shook his head in mock exasperation. "I've got to work on my gaydar!" "Tell me about it. You've only spent nine months out of the year for four years in the bed next to me and you couldn't bloody tell." "I'm sorry!" Harry protested comically. Draco walked out of the building and gave them both a harsh look. "You dead beat me in there, you know that, Weasley?" "Eh? What are you on about?" Ron said defensively. Draco shrugged. "I thought I was going to give it to my parents on a plate in there, but you took the show. It's not fair. I don't even remember my mum ever dressing me as a child!" "I thought that spiel of yours sounded made up." Draco shrugged. "It was all true. I just put a psychobabble spin on it so Mary would be happy. She must have nearly pissed herself hearing yours." "Right, right." Ron said, bobbing his head in wicked agreement. Harry raised his brow and looked them both over. "Got something to say, Potter?" Draco challenged. He crossed his arms and stepped forward a bit. "I think it's obvious I don't." Harry replied. The expression of bafflement stayed on his face. Ron laughed. "Don't worry about Mary pinning you down in there. She does it to the best of us." "That woman is scary." Harry said, rubbing his temple. "I've never heard of such a thing. That isn't true is it? It doesn't seem like it can be true." "Isn't what true?" Draco asked. Harry blushed and looked away. "That what gay people do together is really so… dangerous." Draco paused and looked to Ron. "You know I really have no fucking idea?" "You need to read up on this, Malfoy. Seriously. I'm not coming on dates with you." He turned his head to Harry. "No, for the most part it isn't. But any sex has dangers, so if you don't use lube or you're too rough, you can get hurt. You should always use condoms with what she mentioned in there cause of bacteria. But she didn't mention that het-folk do that together, too. Your bum has as many nerve endings as your lips. And she didn't mention any of the things girls can do together or even that some women can actually bleed to death after a bloke breaks her hymen, though." Harry's eyes boggled. Ron grinned at the overwhelmed expression on his face. "Eh! I can be the sex ed teacher for Hogwarts!" "You know I can see Dumbledore hiring one?" Draco mused. "So is your mate sticking around?" "He's not my "mate," Draco. I told you that." "You can deny it all you want, but we all saw that you were his "most precious thing". Giving you visits, sending you letters. I'm not so easily fooled." "We aren't an item! Harry and I are best friends. I don't expect you to understand that, since you don't have any friends yourself." Ron said cuttingly. He expected a bit of a wrangle back, but Draco's face went blank and he turned away quickly. He looked to the sky and bit his lip in a most ridiculous chagrined expression. "What's this?" Harry whispered, eyes on Draco's retreating back. "Time for a sandwich!" Steven cried cheerfully, smacking his index and middle finger to his lips as he half danced around the corner of the building. Ron rolled his eyes. Apparently his parents had decided to leave with the others, thus his good mood. Harry looked at him quizzically. "In a minute, Steven." Steven saw Draco's distraught face and hooked his arm into his and dragged him along. "You too, boyo." "Hey! No!" Draco protested. He was pulled along anyway, as Steven seemed to have no intention of letting go. Anna stormed up to them. "Hurry the hell up, Ron. There's no fucking way I'm going to be in the middle of this. It's all you, Draco." She said with mock irritability, ruffling his hair as she breezed past them. "How did I get to be in the middle?" Draco demanded. Steven chuckled. "Because you're the prettiest, that's why. Come on." Steven winked at Ron and Harry then turned and sped after Anna. "What was that all about?" Harry asked. Ron sighed heavily. "I'm not sure if I could explain it. They're off for a smoke." "They let you smoke here?" "Well, they don't let us, but we do." "So what's the bit about a sandwich?" Ron felt his face redden. "It's an inside joke. A perverted inside joke." "Er… okay, I guess." Harry said reluctantly. He looked a bit sheepish, as though he was hesitant to press, but didn't want to be left out. "Oh, alright. But you'll be sorry I told you." Ron paused. Harry waited, determined not to back down. "One night when we came back from the wall, Andy asked us if we'd been out being bad, and Steven told him that him, me and Draco were off in a threesome. That's what the sandwich is about. Going for a smoke is going for a sandwich, because it's the three of us." "Oh." Harry said softly. "Sorry I told you?" "Er…" "Yeah, you are. Sorry bout that." Ron grimaced with his token half-smile. Harry realized how much he'd missed that broken smile over the summer. "I'm the one who asked." "Yeah." The boys were silent for a moment, and Harry looked down at his battered shoes. Ron noted that Harry's clothes weren't fitting at all and figured that his hand-me-downs from Dudley were probably getting bigger since the Muggle boy was such a cow. In fact, Harry was looking down right spindly, now that he began to think about it… Molly spun around the corner. "Ron, we've got to be off. I'm sorry, but we need to take Harry back home, too. The Dursleys were very specific that we not let him stay too long." Harry looked up at him bashfully. "I'll write." "It won't be too much longer." Ron said. "Before you know it, we'll be on the Hogwarts Express, trying to think of new ways to stay out of trouble for this year." Harry smiled widely and genuinely. "Yeah. See you." "See you." Ron called as Harry walked off with his parents. Why couldn't mum and dad just keep him for the rest of the summer? He wondered. Ron looked on for a moment, then headed for their wall. To Ron's surprise, there was another girl there. "Hey." Cho said softly. She held her cigarette delicately and gave him a weak smile. "Hey." Ron accepted a cigarette from Anna and leaned over so she could light it. He spotted Draco on the far end of the wall, puffing cutely on his cigarette and kicking the wall with the back of his heel. "The 'rents give you a rolling over?" Anna asked taking a long drag. "Not really. Just the bit about how it hurts them just as much as it hurts me." "We can tell them that next time you dislocate your shoulder chopping wood." Steven said, grinning. "Really." "Silly's in a complete snit over her parents. She's not too happy with me for twisting on her dad either." Anna griped. "He wasn't a very nice man." Cho said softly. "Most men aren't." Anna returned. Cho shook her head. "That's not true. There are a lot of nice guys. Ced was a nice guy. Harry's very nice. Well, he always is to me." "Guys are nice to you when they want to do you!" "There are three very nice guys right here." Cho insisted, smiling over at Ron and Steven, who were both to her right side. Anna looked from them to Draco and rolled her eyes. "Sap." "Maybe." She smiled and stood firmly against the wall. "How'd it go with your 'rents? Seemed like they weren't happy." "My parents are a little obsessed with perfection in everything that you do. They were a little disappointed that my root needed work." She sighed, leaning limply against the wall. "They're a little disappointed in general." "Well, they'll get over it." Draco snapped. Cho looked on him softly. "I didn't suppose your parents were going to take this very well." "To say the least." He shrugged. "It could have been worse. Though I wish he hadn't lain into Andreas like that. It really isn't fair. It's me he's mad at." "What's he angry about? Does he think you're doing this on purpose?" Anna asked. "My parents do." Steven interjected. Anna rolled her eyes. "You just told them that you were." "Yeah… but they thought that anyway." He said. Cho nodded. "Parents are idiots." Anna informed them. "Oh, not all parents. They just don't get it." Ron said. "They can't see things from our angle. They're too absorbed in their own problems." "My mum can be quite the slackjawed moron." Anna said flatly. "You seem to have a pretty lax attitude about being ignored by people who should really be giving a damn about you." "I'm used to it." "My housemates seem to be thinking that I'm doing this on purpose too." Cho said suddenly. "They've written letters together, telling me that this thing about Ced will get easier, and they know sooner or later I'll decide to be okay, and everything will be the same as it was." "What they don't realize is that the only thing that changed was them." Ron told her. "At least you dafties have friends." Draco muttered. Steven turned his head and grinned. "Don't be ridiculous. You have friends." "Oh, I do not." Draco replied casting him a withering glance. "You do." "Right. Who?" "You got me!" Steven reached around the girls and grabbed his shoulder, shaking cheerfully. Draco continued to glare at him for a moment. "Steven, you are one bloody awesome guy, you know that?" Draco said, smiling a bit. He and Steven bumped knuckles. "Nah. I'm just another puffer." Draco shook his head. "No way. Not a chance, mate." "Steven Silver, rebellious teen finds that mediocrity is the only way to annoy his parents." He announced, like a voice on the Wizards Wireless. Cho chuckled. "Well, that and picking up boys outside a public loo." "Again, I say, loverly. Just romantic and smashing." Ron said sarcastically. "Steve's not our spokesqueer for safe sex apparently." Anna put in. Steven smiled at all the attention and bobbed his head from side to side merrily. *** "So are you and Draco going to make up or not?" Steven asked. The "wrench" that he was using slipped out of his fingers and made a loud clang against the other random pieces of the motorcycle they were trying to work on. Ron shook his head as Paul headed over. Paul leaned down and rubbed his hands with a rag. "How's it going over here?" "I'm beginning to get a little more respect for the Ford Angelia that I totaled." Ron responded blithely. He sat up and rested his elbows on his knees. Paul raised his brow in confusion, but chose to ignore the random comment. "Let me know if you boys need any help. This is going to be on the test." " Gotcha." Steven said. Ron rolled his eyes. "I didn't realize being straight meant being a Muggle." Ron told Steven when Paul had left. The girls never stopped complaining about all the disgusting things they were being forced to do. Ron was glad that they at least got to be outside most of the time. Manual labor he could handle. However, Draco sitting in exhaustion, with his shirtsleeves rolled into rings over his shoulders, the rest of the shirt clinging to his sweat drenched body… that was something that was a little harder to ignore. "You didn't answer my question." "No, I didn't. Cause I don't know the answer. I'm wrong, he's wrong. But I beat the shit out of him, mostly because I was angry, but not at the stuff he was doing… I tell you, he really knows how to push my buttons!" Ron rubbed his sweaty brow in frustration. Steven smiled, slicking a hand through his own thick hair. "Is that a good thing or a bad thing?" "You're getting as bad as Andy, you know that?" Ron replied looking up at him. "Let's get back to this. Paul's almost done showing Eli how to change the oil on that beast over there." "Vas y!" Draco cried out suddenly. Ron and Steven looked over in his direction just in time to see a large fender being sent crashing into the ground. Andreas' eyes were wide and blinking. "Hey, what happened?" Steven asked, running over to the two boys fixing up a "bug". "I shouldn't have placed that thing on the bench, I guess." Andreas said shakily. "Thanks, baby. That could have left a mark." "No problem." Draco looked over to Ron and Steven. "Don't tell Paul what I did. I don't think they realize that the place they've set up here allow us to use magic." "We can use magic here? That's fantastic!" Steven whispered. Draco nodded. "How'd you do that without a wand?" Ron asked. Draco shrugged. "It takes a lot more concentration, but there are some spells that you can do without a wand, and that one is easier than Accio. I didn't want that thing coming at me anyway." "This is great." Ron said mischievously. Andreas seemed to have recovered and looked up at him curiously. Before he could ask what Ron had in mind, Paul came over with Eli. "What was that crash?" "Baby lost his temper and chucked that big metal thing at me." Andreas said giving Paul a charming smile. Draco put his hand on his hip. "Sorry, hunny! It slipped!" "Oh sure it did." Andreas mocked a sniff. Paul sighed in exasperation. "Try to be more careful, guys. Someone's going to get hurt." "Only my feelings." Andreas whined. "Aw… give us some cuddles." Draco said, enveloping him in a hug. They rocked back and forth a few times before Paul cuffed Draco upside the head. "Behave yourselves." Andreas leaned back on his palms. "Oh, Pauly, you know I can't do that." *** Draco awoke a few nights later to hear rustling from the other boys around the room. Someone giggled. "Hey, what's going on?" He looked up and caught view of Ron's naked back stretching as he pulled a shirt over his head that was not blue, but rather tight and red over a pair of cargo style but very faded blue jeans. "We're going out!" Andreas hissed almost giddily. The lights were still off, but the boys were managing to stumble around in the dark. "Where?" "Are you coming?" Ron asked, sitting abruptly on his bed and beginning to lace up a pair of clunky black boots. Draco paused a moment. "What if we get caught? We're not supposed to be out, you know." "Of course I know that. I'm not retarded. Are you coming?" Ron repeated. He picked up a comb and ran it through his gingerbread hair a few times. Andreas was still fussing over his outfit, a silky yellow shirt to go with his well-tailored khaki colored pants. Draco mused that Andreas was probably even pickier about his wardrobe than he himself was. Draco didn't respond but ducked to the end of his bed to quickly sort through the clothing that Mary hadn't deemed inappropriate. His fingers slid through the delicious fabric, and he was suddenly reminded how much he missed picking out his clothing in the mornings, how frustrating it was sometimes, how he used to like looking at himself in the mirror behind those fabulous clothes. He loved it. Or rather, he had loved it. Draco was a bit grateful now that they didn't have a lighted mirror for him to look in. That way he didn't have to try to find beauty in himself before they left, and that was what took the real time. "Niiiice." Andreas cooed looking over Draco's choices. All things "salmon" had been nicked from his stash of clothing, but he did have some rather nice pastels left and he was grateful for the selection of shoes, no matter how small. Draco propped himself up on his knees and held up the shirt and pair of crushed velvet pants, grinning at Andreas. "How's this? A little too fabulous or just right?" "Not to hot or cold, Goldielocks." Andreas giggled. Draco merrily stripped out of his pajamas and began putting on his clothing. He turned a moment as he heard Andreas making indiscreet kissing noises. "Turn your head, hunny. I'd hate for you to have to change your pants on account of me." Ron had to cover his mouth to keep from laughing. Honestly, Andreas had been teasing him for looking at Draco while he was dressing. He'd never expected for Draco to take to camp so well, even if it was only in jest. "Sorry, baby. You're just so cute!" Draco bounced off the bed and swiveled around the room in his outfit, pausing a second to grab a pair of shoes, platform black with a schoolgirl strap across the front. He saw Ron grinning at him and turned his head in embarrassment. "You blokes ready to go?" Steven asked. He was dressed pretty plainly in comparison to the other boys in his nice dress shirt and pants. Even Eli was wearing something rather interesting though he didn't seem to be wearing a shirt, just a thin, open jacket. "Going to church, Stevie?" Andreas asked. Steven looked down at his feet. "Look, if I'm going to get to dress up as myself for one night, I'm bloody well going to be comfortable." "High heels are comfortable when you're used to them." Andreas teased. "Oh, rubbish." Steven replied heading for the door. Draco followed. "Don't pay any attention. You look nice." "Especially if you don't want anyone lumbering after you like a were-grizzly." Ron said dryly. Andreas threw his arm around him and gave him a squeeze. "But I like the bears. So soft… and fuzzy…" "Okay, that's enough, ladies. Can we go?" Eli said. Steven shrugged. "I know how to get out through the passages the house elves use, but I dunno how we're going to unlock the door. Anybody got a hairpin?" "Why do you look at me when you say that?" Andreas asked. Draco put his hand on the door. "Alohamora!" Ron blinked in surprise as the door clicked open. "How'd you do that? Hermione's the only person I ever knew who could do that spell. It's hard!" "Ron, I think you'll find if you ask, most of the teachers probably know it as well. They just don't teach it to us in Charms because they don't want us getting into their things." "That seems about right." Ron puzzled. He looked over to Steven, who shrugged. Draco peered out the door and held a finger up. "One at a time. Take a good look around before you go." "I'll go first." Eli said. "You can keep an eye out and follow me." The other boys nodded, their hearts racing with apprehension as they watched Eli dart lithely from the door to the closest building. "So this is how you got out that night." Ron mused softly. Draco sighed. "Can we not talk?" He said nervously. Ron looked at him blankly and took his turn out the door. "Be nice, baby. It matters, really." Andreas said, without his usual quirkiness. "I meant I didn't want to talk about that. I'm nervous. If I get caught, I'm homeless." Andreas smoothed a hand over Draco's hair and nodded, looking into Draco's nervous eyes. "Lock the door." Draco nodded, locked the door and headed into the night. The air was hot and humid. They were getting deeper into the summer and farther and farther into the program. It felt like the time was flying by and Draco was rapidly losing himself to a person who didn't quite exist yet. Draco spotted several of the girls hopping into a van on the outskirts of the grounds and reached them quickly. He climbed into the van and they took off. "Silly said she didn't want to come." Anna growled. "So I stole her eyeliner." Ron chuckled and leaned up to the front. "Thanks for the ride!" Anna grabbed his face as he spoke and turned it in her direction. "No problem, then." A familiar voice said calmly from the front seat. "We've been trying to help people forced to go to True Directions for years." Ron turned his face from Anna and smiled widely. Draco started. Anna had applied eyeliner on him, giving him a dark and demented look that clashed with his bright hair. "Anybody else got any slap? Mary took my black lipstick and nail polish!" "So that was the make-up you were talking about?" Draco asked incredulously. "I'm not a transie, I just like the way this looks." Ron asserted leaning back into his seat. Their driver peeked his head around took look at the teens in his backseat. "Weasley?" Ron looked up the front and barked a laugh. "Snape?" "And Draco Malfoy. For all that is dear and holy-" "Sev, eyes on the road, please." The man in the front seat said gently. Draco looked closer and realized he was looking at the worn, but still rather attractive profile of Remus Lupin. "I know how to drive, Remus." Severus snapped. "I'm only saying-" "Shush. I don't need you telling me how to do this." Remus pressed his lips together and turned around to look at the students in the back. "I told you about Cho, though." Remus said, changing the subject. "How are you dear?" "Yes you did. Now shut up." Severus replied, keeping his sharply cut face away from the students and on the road. Cho blinked. Aside from Andreas, she was the most feminine person in the car, though she had chosen a tight pair of flared pants over a dress. "Okay I guess. I thought you too seemed a little too… passionate when you fought." Remus all but giggled. "Passionate." Severus scoffed. "He's quite right. We weren't quite together when I was teaching at Hogwarts. We managed that sometime after, though we did have a very fun but secret relationship going while we were schoolmates." "Do they really need to know that?" "I'm just being friendly with them. I'm sure they've gotten enough harshness over the last few weeks to scar them for life." "My father said that Voldemort doesn't allow gays to become Death Eaters." Draco said in confusion. "That is correct." Severus said stiffly. "However, I became a Death Eater at a rather young age, and he was not aware of my orientation then." "Severus was a graduate of True Directions." Remus said proudly. "Right. And see where that got me. I can imagine your father's delight, Mr. Malfoy, upon realizing that his son is a queer." "We don't really want to force you kids to make a decision either way." Remus explained, his eyes crinkling warmly at them. "We'd just like for all of you to have the information you need to make a decision that will make you happy." "Rather than having your parents make all the decisions for you. That isn't going to do anything to your benefit once they've died and you're stuck with the consequences of their decisions." Ron grimaced. He didn't want to try to picture the two of them together. Snape was as stiff and unpleasant as he'd ever been. Remus seemed a bit less weary and quite a bit happier than the last time he'd seen him, however. So he decided not to dwell on the idea. "Were you ever put in this pufferfarm?" Ron asked. Remus smiled a bit sadly and said simply. "No." Cho had fished some lipstick out of one of her pockets. "It's not black… more like… red…" "Um, that's okay. Thanks anyway. I'll have to settle for only looking like half the denizen of the night." Ron heard Snape snickering front the front seat. "What's so funny?" "So many different kinds of Weasleys. It's an infestation, I tell you." "Oh, Sev, be nice." Remus pleaded. "He reminds me of Bill, only more…" Severus searched for the word. "Blunt. Much more blunt than Bill was." "It takes all kinds, I suppose." Remus replied pleasantly. "Okay, do I get to know who these guys are?" Andreas asked pleadingly to Draco. "Of course, sorry to leave you out, hunny." Draco returned. Remus raised his brow at the exchange. "The driver there is Severus Snape, our Potions Master at Hogwarts." "Um hm." Andreas said, his eyes shining. Their eyes met as they both remembered what Mary said about potions. "And that is Remus Lupin. He's a Dark Arts Master and he taught that at Hogwarts for a year." "Why just a year?" Eli asked. He had been sitting next to Rob talking to her quietly during their conversation. "No one teaches Dark Arts for more than a year." Cho said diplomatically. "It isn't healthy." Remus chuckled. "Well put, Cho." Severus pulled the car into a parking lot, and Remus peered out the window. On the dark building with blacked out windows there was a large neon sign that read garishly: Cocksucker. "Oh, that's just charming, Sev." Remus said rather stiffly. Severus cuffed his arm lightly. "You have a better place in mind?" Severus challenged. He unlocked the doors and got out of the driver's seat. Remus sighed and motioned for the others to follow. The parking lot was not very well lit, but with the moon nearly full they could see one another a little better. Remus was dressed casually in clothes that draped off his thin frame. He was looking up at the sky with apprehension. Severus, who had walked around the car and put a protective arm around Remus' shoulder, wore a long sleeved navy shirt with well-tailored pants. Casual wear certainly suited Professor Snape, Draco decided, looking at them together. "I'm alright." Remus told him softly. Severus leaned over silently and kissed him on the temple. Remus closed his eyes and sighed at the touch. "Just relax for tonight, okay?" Severus whispered to him. To the others he said sharply: "Paul checks in on you at 1am sharp. Be back at the van at midnight, or you'll miss your ride." With that announcement out of the way, he led an unresisting Remus inside the building. "Oh my goodness." Cho said, putting a slender hand to her mouth. The others looked at her. "What? Did you forget something?" Ron asked. Cho shook her head, looking eternally amused. "Those two are so cute!" Anna pointed a finger at her and said: "You're evil." The group of apprehensive teenagers walked into the building nervously, only to find that it wasn't that much different from the other pubs they'd been to in their lives. Only in this pub, there were several couples snogging in the corners that were obviously lesbians. "I don't believe this." Draco said nervously. He walked into the bar tentatively and took a seat on one of the stools, looking around. He tried to calm his mind, to relax and enjoy some time off from this strenuous process of becoming heterosexual, but every time he looked around he saw people bending and breaking all the "rules" he'd been learning over the past few months. Ron sat down next to him and smiled. "Eh, you don't look like you're having a good time." He said and then took a drag on his cigarette. Draco looked over and noticed that he was also drinking out of a long-necked bottle held carelessly in his hand. "Are you drinking?" Draco said incredulously. Ron shrugged. "Sure, why not?" Ron turned a bit to the bartender. "Hey, could you get my friend a beer?" "I don't want a beer." "Com'on, it'll help you relax." Ron wheedled. He pushed against Draco's shoulder gently. "I don't want a beer. And I don't want to relax." Draco said through his clenched teeth. Ron looked at him oddly. Draco ran his hands through his hair, as his eyes darted around at all the people in the room. Two women dancing with one another who could be men. A bloke dressed as a woman kissing a woman. Remus and Severus chatting discreetly in the corner… So let it be what it'll be "You okay?" "No, I am not fucking okay!" "Here's your beer, kid." The gruff bartender said, slamming the cold, long bottle down beside him. Draco looked at it as though it were the Draught of the Living Death. "Calm down. It's just a beer. It's just a bar." "I…" Draco looked away from him and clenched his jaw. Ron sighed and looked away. Andreas practically bounced up to them. "Dance with me!" Andreas demanded, grabbing Ron's arm and dragging him to the dance floor, beer, cigarette and all. Draco looked on at them. Ron managed to set the beer on a table and began to move along to the music with Andreas. He was actually quite a good dancer. Ron's body moved as though it were in love with the beat. "Hey, little one. First time here?" Draco looked up at a handsome man, with dark brown hair swept neatly to the side. He smiled at Draco warmly. "Care for a dance, lad?" "I… er…" He patted his arm gently. "I'll be over there if you change your mind." Draco nodded, but he was still looking over at Andreas and Ron dancing. The song was fast and didn't warrant the teasing touches that Andreas seemed to like sneaking whenever Ron was close enough. Draco opened up the beer and took a long swig. He fought to not spit out the foul liquid in his mouth. It was horribly acrid, not at all what he'd expected beer to taste like. Ron had been drinking it just like it were his tea. Draco shook his head and took another long drink and then walked over to the talk man leaning up against the wall. "Still interested in that dance?" Draco asked with false confidence. The man smiled, reflecting his good white teeth. Draco thought that if he'd met this man anywhere else, he would have never guessed he was into men. The man took his hand and stepped out into the crowd of dancers. The song changed. Draco flushed pinkly as the man drew him close and put his hand on his hip. That old dog has chained you up alright Draco looked over the man's shoulder. This wasn't so difficult. All he had to do was move along with him. His head was beginning to feel a little swimmy when he spotted Ron and Andreas still dancing, though much closer, with Andreas laying his head on Ron's shoulder. Oddly enough, Draco had never remembered crying much as a child. But over the last few weeks, the tears kept spilling out without his consent. He could feel his face growing even redder when Ron and Andreas turned, still dancing, so that Ron could face him. Their eyes met, and Ron's brow furrowed, watching Draco's crumbling face. Draco wrested out of the man's embrace and ran out of the building as fast as he could. Ron stopped moving, to Andreas' surprise. "What?" "I dunno." Ron broke away from him gently, staring in the direction that Draco had run so fast. "Did Draco leave? Well, Ronny, why don't you just go after him?" Andreas asked, looking up at him critically. Ron nodded and rushed out of the building. Andreas sighed. Then smiled and headed for the man that Draco had been dancing with. The air was still muggy outside, and it was darker than before. Ron looked around a bit, trying to get his eyes to adjust. Finally he spotted a small figure sitting on a bench by the alleyway, shaking and making soft sobbing noises. "Draco, are you okay? What's wrong?" "Nothing's fucking wrong. I'm bloody dandy." Draco managed angrily. "Go the fuck away." Ron paused. "No." He said calmly. He walked over and sat next to Draco on the bench. "No? So you're just going to sit here until I spill my guts for you? It isn't going to happen." Ron looked at his feet. "I'm sorry you're having such a hard time with this. I forget that it's all so new to you. This is something that I've been dealing with for awhile. Usually I would say that time doesn't make any difference, but it does. You get more comfortable and things start to make more sense… feel more natural." "That's the problem. I'm not supposed to start feeling like this is more natural. I came here to stop being a queer, not become more of one!" Draco shouted at him. Ron moved back at the outburst. "Mary seems to think you're doing okay." "I was doing okay before." Draco said. Another hot tear slid down his cheek, and he hoped Ron couldn't see. How could he tell him he was crying over him? "Now… Before I didn't know I could love other men. I didn't know it was possible, so I didn't do it. I thought I had no need for love or anything like that. I knew something was wrong… but I didn't know what it was. I wish I'd never found out." "Well…" Ron shrugged. "You were going to find out eventually." "I don't know about that. I'm pretty good at following orders. And then I would never have had to feel this way." "Feel how?" "It must be so bloody wonderful to already have somebody." Draco said darkly, glaring at an innocent crack in the pavement. "Huh?" "You and Potter. Stop denying it. I read your bloody letter. I know he loves you. I know what happened last year." "You've got to get over that, Draco. Harry and I aren't together. We're just close friends, and that means a lot to two kids who never had many friends. Or in Harry's case, didn't have anybody at all to relate to for ten or so years." "He said "what happened between us"." Draco said accusingly. "He said that he didn't need to talk about "what happened" between you two, and it was okay if you wanted to come here and change your life! I'm not stupid, Ron. I can read between the lines." Ron frowned. "You're mental." "I am not!" "You are so! "What happened between us" last year was a fight! We weren't talking for weeks!" Ron shouted at him. "I don't love Harry. Not like that." "Not your type." Draco scoffed. "Yes, he. Is. Not. My. Type." Ron told him, getting angrier. "So what is your type?" Draco asked haughtily. "Andreas? Steven?" "No, if you really want to know, my type is apparently you!" Draco paled and shut his mouth. Ron rubbed his head. "Sorry. It isn't fair for me to put that on you. You're trying hard enough to get out of this without me making you feel weird." "How?" Draco asked in a high, fearful voice. "How what?" "How can you… how can it be me?" Draco's eyes filled with apprehension. He could be toying with him. "I dunno. I don't think… there was ever I time I didn't find you attractive, only, you acted so…" Ron paused. "I don't think I ever knew the real you until I met you here." Draco looked down at his lap and tried to breathe in deeply. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that." Draco looked up at him nervously. "No, it's okay." Ron cocked his head to the side. "You swear there's no one else?" Draco asked softly. Ron nodded, curious as to what Draco was thinking. "Not a one." Ron barely had time to take a breath before Draco jumped on him, pressing his lips against Ron's. He applied pressure inexpertly, trying to let his lips show Ron just what he'd been feeling over the past few weeks for him that he couldn't say. Luckily, Ron seemed to be more adept and slid his tongue into Draco's mouth and over the roof. He returned the kiss with passion. Draco pulled back a moment to breathe. He'd never known touching another person could feel so good. Ron looked into his pale blue eyes hungrily. "I've been thinking how beautiful you really are." "But I'm not…" "Yeah, you are." Ron argued, this time initiating the kiss. |