Lifting The Veil

Harry sat perfectly still he didn't want to waste the moment. He let his fingers ruffle through Ron's hair and he sat there smiling. It had been a mere few minutes since he'd finally revealed both to himself and to Ron the feelings he'd been keeping for these past six years. Ron was smiling too, his head buried deep into Harry's chest and he seemed content in lying there in a world that was completely Harry. Harry was happy enough sitting there watching as the sun lowered itself into the horizon. Harry smiled at watching the sky turn red in a colour similar to the hair colour of the one he felt for so dearly. Ron seemed to notice the view also and began to lift his head from Harry's chest sniffing deeply the smell that was so very Harry. Then Ron looked up a look of worry across his face.

"Harry!" he said calmly. "What are we going to tell the others?" Harry hadn't thought about this, he'd been so involved with the feelings he'd discovered for Ron that it never occurred to him what everyone else would think. For a start there was the other Gryffindors, Harry and Ron shared an all male dorm room and showers and wasn't entirely sure how they would respond to the development in Harry and Ron's relationship. He thought about how Neville and Seamus would react and the various scenarios sped through his mind like a stampede of angry cattle.

"Perhaps we shouldn't tell them just yet!" He began his voice low, the frightened tones clearly audible. "Perhaps we should keep all this quiet until we know they will feel better." To Harry's delight Ron seemed to agree feeling that perhaps it was best if their secret was kept just that for a while.

"But we have to tell Hermione!" said Ron suddenly, "I mean she already knows about me and she might fight with Ian and try and set me up with someone!" Harry nodded he knew that it would be hard telling Hermione about him and Ron but it was better she heard it from them before everyone else found out.

"I agree!" said Harry. "We'll go find her in a minute...tell her before the night is through!" Ron nodded and turned his attention back to the sunset his head resting on Harry's shoulder. Harry smiled and rested his head on the cushion of the patented Weasley red hair, he wasn't looking forward to what was to come but he was content in the now. They both sat like that for a further half an hour as the sun settled into the hills weary after a days traversing across the sky. Then the two got up before Snape or Filch could get them for being out of bed in forbidden times.

They made their way to the Gryffindor tower and the fat lady allowed them to enter after they had uttered the password at her. Ron stepped through the door first and scanned the room for Hermione, she wasn't there. Harry followed and almost crashed into his friend before the two decided to sit down and have a game of wizard chess in waiting for her. It took the entire length of the game, which admittedly Ron won easily not even letting up for the newfound love in his life, before Hermione entered the room.

"It's now then?" said Ron turning nervously to Harry. Harry shook his head.

"No we had better wait until the common room is empty first!" Ron nodded then attracted Hermione's attention by frantic waving. She smiled and came to sit by them blushing slightly and feeling slightly uncomfortable. Fortunately for Ron no one had heard about the events earlier that day involving the new Ravenclaw chaser and a rather embarrassing truth potion, except of course for Harry and Hermione. But it seemed to make Hermione slightly uncomfortable. The group sat talking about very little and venturing only into small talk and light conversation about potion's lessons and the quidditch match until the common room had emptied itself of all other people. It was then that Ron decided to confront Hermione.

"Thanks Hermione!" She turned to look at her red haired friend whose cheeks were now turning the patented Weasley red. "You know for being there for me...I know it must have been embarrassing and all but you know...thanks!" He dropped his gaze so that his eyes no longer met hers. She smiled back.

"You don't need to thank me Ron!" She grinned understandingly "I mean we're friends the whole point is that I should be there for you!".

"Yeah I know...but there's something else I need to tell you!" His face was now turning scarlet Harry wanted to wrap his arm around him to comfort the young wizard but knew that Ron wanted to deal with this himself. "I don't love Ian!" He looked up into Hermione's eyes the blush now giving the impression that he was a tomato.

"What? You know you can tell me anything!" Hermione said knowing full well what Ron was going to exclaim after all she had set it up. Ron swallowed hard and stared into her eyes.

"Me and Harry are in love!" He instantly dropped his eyes when saying this, his face now as red as the Gryffindor badge that adorned his robes. Harry put his arm around him to comfort him, letting Ron know that Harry was there for him. Hermione sat back a huge grin across her face.

"I know!" she said the smile widening. "I've always know that you and Harry felt something for each other, but it wasn't until the incident with Ian and that potion that I realized exactly what those feelings were!"

"You mean you knew?!" said Harry dumbstruck. Hermione nodded before adding.

"You know by the way you mustn't hold a grudge against Ian...those things he was saying...he didn't mean them!" She blushed and ducked her head from Harry's gaze, which was now burning into her as he began to understand. "Erm...I told him to say those things...so that you and Harry would erm...get together!" she said glancing briefly at Ron. There was a heavily audible silence as Ron and Harry stared at Hermione, half furious and half grateful.

"You meddled!" said Ron finally able to speak and raising his voice louder then perhaps he should given that the other Gryffindors were only upstairs. "You meddled in something so important to us!" He seemed as if he was ready to hit her. She lowered her head ashamed and worried that she might well have lost her closest friends. But the flames of rage were drenched by the words that sprung from Ron next. "Thank you!" The silence hit Hermione in the face like a wet kipper. She didn't know exactly what to make of the whole thing and instead decided to sit quietly and wait for whatever came next. But nothing did. Ron stood up and made his way towards the dormitory and left Harry and Hermione to sit with each other.

"I know you knew about Ron!" said Harry finally feeling that he could talk. "But how did you know about me?" Hermione turned to look at him smiling slightly.

"Oh come on!" she said grinning. "You never leave his side! You'd do anything for him! He means more to you then anything or anyone else! I should know I'm always around you!" She seemed slightly upset at her comment but it was obviously not a major issue with her.

"So you decided that we needed a shove to get together?" continued Harry looking down at his brown haired friend. Hermione turned to face him with the look of DUH! about the whole affair. Harry smiled and nodded half laughing to himself.

"I have to admit it wasn't something that I'd thought of before!" continued Harry, "I mean well." He lowered his voice to a whisper. "It's Ron for pete's sake!"

Hermione sat and chuckled.

"Yeah it's Ron!" She continued still smiling "But you have to admit you two do make the perfect couple!"

"If a little controversial!" smiled Harry.

"Controversial?" said Hermione looking quizzically at him, then she suddenly realized halfway through "Oh yes I see what you mean! So when are you going to tell everyone else then?" Harry fell silent, this was an area he had to discuss with Ron first after all it obviously affected both of them, and in a way it affected the entire of the Gryffindor house.

"I don't know!" he said truthfully "It's still such a big step, I mean we do share a dorm room with other lads and I'm not is sure all of them would feel entirely comfortable with having two..." He tried to think of the right way to put it. "...Poofs in the room with them!" Hermione just nodded in response. "Then of course there's Malfoy. He's going to have a ball with this information!"

Hermione looked up sharply at Harry.

"I never thought I'd see the day that you were frightened of Draco Malfoy!" It wasn't really a statement, more of an insult. Harry simply looked up at her.

"It's not Malfoy so much as the fact that as soon as he finds out...EVERYONE will know and that's going to make everyone, even the teachers uncomfortable!" Hermione nodded realizing that this time they couldn't just ignore Malfoy. "What about Ian? Can we really trust him?" continued Harry looking meaningfully at his friend. Hermione smiled and sat back.

"You don't have to worry about Ian!" she said grinning "He's on our side...well mine in particular" She grinned at the last bit. Harry suddenly developed a massive grin.

"You and him are an item!" He couldn't stop smiling at the juicy gossip, partially because it let him take his mind off telling the Gryffindors. Hermione nodded blushing slightly at the revelation.

"Yes, yes we are it all happened while you and Ron were lusting after him!" She grinned and said the last bit with a gibing tone.

"Oh shut up about that would you!" Said Harry going red and sitting back in his seat. "Anyway we'd better make a move potions again tomorrow must be awake!"

Hermione nodded and the two got up to leave.

"I'm glad you knew that you could tell me!" said Hermione as they began to part directions.

"I'm glad I knew you could listen." said Harry softly as he made his way to the boy's dormitory.

On entering the room he noted that everyone was asleep, Ron seemed to be sleeping uncomfortably and Harry just wanted to get under the covers with him and comfort him through his nightmares. He thought better of it of course and got into his own bed, he slept well that night everything seemed to be coming together at last.

Harry and Ron sat next to each other in potions this time making a point of being utterly interested in the lesson. Ron was too paranoid about another truth potion incident to be affected by Harry who was sitting besides him. Snape burst into the room in his usual fashion and turned around to fact the class, Harry and Ron in particular.

"Today EVERYONE will follow the instruction with the uttermost care and attention do you understand!" It wasn't a question rather a demand. "I don't want any foolish incidents like yesterday!" He glared at Harry and Ron when he said this, a slight smile across his face after the red haired boys misfortune in the affair.

The class all turned to look at their instructions Ron's had in red ink at the top READ CAREFULLY scrawled obviously by Snape in a bid to amuse himself. The potion was simple enough it was a potion to make the drinker be able to levitate for a short period of time, Snape had called it "Jump juice" in a failed bid to be funny. The instructions were also fairly simple and for once even Ron and Harry knew what to do, Neville it appeared was even having some success with the potion. Hermione of course was breezing through the potion and seemed like she was finding it disappointingly simple.

The class was uneventful, even at the end when a couple of students had been instructed by Snape to leap into the air and hover there for a short while before coming to a stop. Neville had been asked and had to be rushed to Madam Pomfrey after he knocked himself out on the ceiling. Gryffindor had of course been docked points for this, other than that nothing happened, even Malfoy was being disturbingly tolerant in that lesson. Afterwards however Malfoy returned to his normal snobby self.

"Wow actually managed a correct potion for once Weasley!" he jeered, "Must be an unusual feeling success! I wouldn't get too used to it your family doesn't get that feeling very often does it!" He grinned after saying the last bit.

"Piss off Draco, I'm not in the mood to hear you whinging again!" said Ron calmly for once not being easily worked up by Malfoy. The blonde haired kid didn't seem to be able to cope with that and simply grinned and walked away. Harry was impressed with his friend Ron normally let Draco get to the point where he was ready to punch the brat, but this time Ron had simply ignored him.

"Well done!" said Hermione appearing from behind them. "For once you didn't get Gryffindor any points docked by hitting him!" She said this with a superior tone.

"Why bother!" said Ron matter-of-factly. "He's not worth it!"

"You finally figured that out did you!" said Harry grinning. "Why the sudden revelation?"

"Well recently I've been thinking a lot about myself and those around me and I realized why Draco does that!" he said nodding his attention in the direction of Malfoy who was now picking on some first year Gryffindors. "He's jealous!"

"Oh?" said Hermione amazed that Ron had jumped to this conclusion on his own. "What of exactly?"

"Everything! I have friends who care about me and a family that loves me!" said Ron his head held high with pride "That's more riches then he'll ever own!"

"Wow since when did we become the philosopher?" grinned Harry proud of Ron his Ron. Ron turned and grinned at him.

"It is a bit deeper than I normally get isn't it!" Hermione and Harry both nodded instinctively. "Hey you weren't supposed to agree with me!" Ron said playfully hitting Harry and Hermione on the arm with his books. The three simply laughed as they made their way down towards their next class. There in front of them talking to a group of Ravenclaw's was Ian. Harry and Ron stood still whilst Hermione smiled and ran up to him, pulling him over to them. Ian turned and grinned, his nose was still bruised after Harry's punch the day before.

"Everything alright then you two?" he said smiling. He turned to Ron, "Hermione has told me that you know it was a set up I hope there are no hard feelings hey Ron, Harry?" He proffered his hand as a sign of truce. Harry grinned and shook it.

"No hard feelings Ian...sorry about the nose!" Ian rubbed it again

"Nah, gives me a story, how many people have been in a fight with the legendary Harry Potter!" He continued to grin and turned his attention back to Ron. "You know I didn't mean any of those thing I said don't you?" Ron nodded.

"Yeah, no hard feelings I'm grateful in a way." Then he blushed realizing what he was going to start talking about in the middle of the corridor. But Ian had realized and simply nodded smiling. He turned his attention back to Harry.

"So when's the next Quidditch match and who is it against this time?" Harry grinned.

"It's in a couple of weeks and we're against Slytherin no less!"

"Ooh the legendary Slytherin! Our next match is in two days time and its against Hufflepuff, I'm quite looking forward to it!" Harry nodded.

"There not a bad team, they play fair anyway!"

"More than I can say for Slytherin!" said Ron butting in. "Anyway we'd better run Harry or we'll never make it to divination on time!" Harry nodded and turned and gave a farewell nod to Ian, who returned the nod and made his way back to the other Ravenclaw students. Then Harry, Ron and Hermione ran towards their divination lesson.

Fortunately they weren't late and made it into their seats just as Professor Trelawney began to ramble on about how since Mars was in phase with Venus it was time for them to begin studying the tarot cards. Ron groaned he considered the Tarot cards to be a muggle attempt to get in on the wizards arena. After all how could a bunch of cards tell them what was going on. Of course in traditional Hogwarts fashion these cards were enchanted so that they changed depending on the reader and the questions that were asked of them.

"When asking a card a question choose the card that is most familiar with the question and ask in a clear firm voice!" said Professor Trelawney.

Harry stared down at the cards and knew what question he wanted to ask but didn't dare ask in case the rest of the class heard. He looked down at the card in front of him and thought that he would ask the first question that came to mind. The card he was staring at was the strength card, he thought of a question.

"Will Gryffindor beat Slytherin in our next quidditch match?" The card sat still, no change came over it. Harry repeated the question firmly and clearly but still no change occurred. Professor Trelawney came to stand next to them.

"Is something wrong Mr. Potter?" she asked. Harry nodded and asked the question to the card again, again it sat still. Trelawney looked stumped. "Well it's the right card to ask that question to I mean victory is strength after all so it must mean that you don't really care about that question!" Harry turned to look at her quizzically.

"What I mean is there is a far more important question on your mind that you want to ask the card! So go on ask that question don't be embarrassed we can all keep secrets here!" Trelawney looked as though any chance of gossip was far more important than the affect that revealing the gossip had on the student. Harry sat still refusing to ask the question. He knew though that his silence would start rumours everywhere and soon enough the rumours would become more unbearable than revealing the truth, but he still couldn't bring himself to ask the cards.

Ron on the other hand was having an argument with the fool card, he'd foolishly asked the card quietly about what he and Harry should do about their feelings and the card was now laughing hysterically threatening to shout it to the entire class.

"Shut up!" whispered Ron forcefully to the fool card as it began to jump around laughing on the table.

"Oh poor little Ronniekins!" said the card its face now changed to look like Ron's older twin brothers. "What will everyone think?" It jeered now beginning to sound like Fred and George as well.

"I have a wand!" said Ron threatening the card with a fire spell.

"Oh and I'm sure that's seen a few new uses these last few days!" said the fool card now toppling over in hysterics. Ron had gone bright red and people were beginning to stare at him.

"Karten Inflamari!" said Ron pointing his wand at the card and true enough the card caught fire around the edges. Ron put it out as fast as he could before it could become too burnt, but it had the desired effect ant the card was now silent.

"Big bully!" it said under its breath.

"Right put the cards back in their packs!" said Professor Trelawney realizing that the class was coming to an end. "And for those of you who are worried about the cards spilling your secrets in the next lesson, don't worry the cards loose their enchantment in the packs and their memory is erased so your secrets are quite safe!" There was a heavy sigh of relief from a lot of the room, the largest coming from Ron. Then the cards were replaced and the class dismissed.

"Stupid card!" muttered Ron under his breath as they left the room. Harry turned and grinned at him.

"Come on we've got a break now!" He grinned wickedly and absent-mindedly reached for Ron's hand.

"Where we going?" asked Ron quizzically, but he was met only by the look of you-know-where from Harry.

"Oh!" said Ron grinning and they made their way off to the greenhouse hoping none of the other students had Herbology there.

Luckily none of the other students did appear to be having Herbology as it appeared that professor Sprout was having problems with the Mandrakes again as they were beginning to be forming gangs. Harry and Ron sat down on the small hill where it had all began and folded into each other's arms. Harry let his fingers run through Ron's red hair and gently stroked the back of his neck. Ron shuddered at the feeling and reached his hand to Harry's chin, he pulled Harry's face down and pressed his lips onto Harry's. Harry melted into the kiss and barely noticed when his glasses tumbled to the floor besides him. He kissed Ron harder and pulled Ron closer to him, letting his lips slide open so that Ron and Harry's tongues could meet for the first time. It was a perfect moment...almost.

"Well well well this is a turn up for the books!" said familiar voice behind them. Harry couldn't see clearly without his glasses but even in his blurred vision he could make out the blonde hair and the burly shapes of the two standing besides the figure. It was Draco Malfoy. Oh Shit! Thought Harry realizing that Draco would have the time of his life after this. "I knew you had a disturbing adoration for Potter Weasley but I never thought it went this far!"

Harry reached up and put on his glasses to see Draco in fits of hysterics and Crabbe and Goyle looking confused and dumbstruck as ever. This was bad, this was very bad, thought Harry as he stared unable to speak into his archenemy's grey eyes.

But it was Ron who spoke next.

"Jealous are we Malfoy!" he said wrapping his arms around Harry refusing to let him go. "Upset that I got here first?" Draco's mouth fell open.

"Don't be disgusting Weasley!" he snapped.

"Ah you are jealous!" said Ron smiling and he turned and kissed Harry again, right in front of Draco, Crabbe and Goyle. Crabbe and Goyle at this point had turned a shade of both red and green and began to walk away. Draco on the other hand seemed dumbstruck. He stood there open mouthed as Harry and Ron kissed each other Harry not being able to resist riffling his hand through Ron's hair again and Ron simply couldn't resist running his hands along Harry's back and chest.

"Th...th...that's revolting!" blurted out Draco. " It's...it's unnatural!" With that he turned and walked quickly away from the couple. But all the time in his head the sentence finished itself. I mean with a Weasley!

Harry turned to look at Ron. "Do you really think that was good idea?" he asked slightly worried about what they had set in motion. Ron looked up and shrugged.

"He caught us anyway, better that we delay him by getting him so worked up that he daren't reveal this to anyone." He turned to Harry. "But it had better be us to tell everyone before he does." He gestured in the direction of the Gryffindor common room. "We ought to tell them soon you know!" Harry nodded.

"I know! I know, we'll tell them soon...tonight maybe."

For the rest of the day the two of them remained silent except to tell Hermione (and of course Ian as the two were now joined at the hip) about the events with Malfoy. She had been shocked at Ron's handling of the situation but had agreed that they had to tell the other Gryffindors soon before Draco did. It was decided that they would begin telling everyone tonight, only the people closest to Harry and Ron need know first and then by default and the law of gossip everyone else would soon learn about the two of them.

But of course Harry's silence in Divination had already started rumours. Dean ran up to Harry.

"So is it true what they are saying?" Harry looked shocked...had Draco told everyone already?

"Wh...What?" said Harry realizing he was beginning to sound like Professor Quirrell.

"You know...that you've been having strange feelings?" Harry went white. SHIT! Malfoy's told everyone already. Dean stared at him.

"Oh my God it's true then!" Harry was just going to begin nodding and tell Dean exactly what was going on between him and Ron. "So Voldemort is here! He's here in the school!" Dean looked like he was going to wet himself. Harry couldn't help but feel relieved and he shook his head at Dean.

"No that was just another stupid rumour!" Dean seemed to relax a bit.

"Oh...I knew that!" He then walked off and it was Seamus who came next.

"So who is she then?" He grinned and winked at Harry.

"What?" said Harry confused. Seamus rolled his eyes.

"Come on who's the girl you fancy, you know the one you wouldn't name in front of the Divination class!" He said knowingly. Harry shook his head.

"There is no girl." But Seamus missed the purposeful inflection of tone.

"Oh...so what was it then?"

"I wanted to ask the cards what..." He looked around the room to make sure as few people as possible were listening in. "What me and Ron should do!"

"About what?" Seamus said looking up confused, then he looked down and saw Ron's hand entwined with Harry's. "Oh. OH!" he said as the shock of the information hit him making him instinctively jump back a step, knocking a first year Gryffindor over as he did so. Harry just looked straight at Seamus the look in his eyes saying everything. Seamus stared at him. "You and..." He lowered his voice to a whisper. "You and Ron are an item?"

Harry nodded and increased his hold on Ron's hand. Ron squeezed back. Seamus looked like this was a little too much information for his liking, but in typical Gryffindor fashion he was ok with the situation. He congratulated Harry and Ron on their newfound relationship and slowly began to tell the others.

Within the space of a few minutes the entire Gryffindor common room had discovered about Harry and Ron's relationship, many had been uncomfortable and there had been a lot of whispering and talking about the two of them. But eventually everyone began to think of it as perfectly normal and Ron and Harry were allowed the sofa by the fire to themselves. They lay staring into the fire Ron's head on Harry's shoulder and Harry once again resting his head on Ron's soft hair. The other Gryffindors left them too it. Neville occasionally stopping to ask whether or not kissing another man was weird and whether the stubble itched as they kissed. But it wasn't long before everyone else went to bed.

"Well that wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be!" said Ron still staring into the fire.

"That was the easy group, we still have the other houses to watch out for! Especially Slytherin!" Ron nodded.

"I know, that next quidditch match is going to be interesting!" Harry nodded. "Come on lets go to bed!"

The couple made their way up to the dorm where they found everyone lying on their beds their covers pulled completely over them and their curtains shut almost as far as they would go. Harry laughed to himself. As tolerant as people pretended to be there were always going to be little paranoid thoughts that made people get uncomfortable around them. Harry knew however that it wouldn't be long before he and Ron were accepted as normal.

He got into his bed and turned to look at Ron as Ron got into his own bed. He mouthed goodnight and closed his eyes and fell into a deep sleep.