The Closet

Chapter 4: Neville

Harry opened the door of Greenhouse One cautiously. He didn't want to disturb any of the plants, even though the least dangerous of the plants were in Greenhouse One.

"Neville?" Harry called. "It's Harry. Are you here? I need to talk to you."

For a moment, Harry thought he was alone, until Neville's dark haired head popped out from behind a row of plants.

"I'm here, Harry. I wasn't expecting you. What can I help you with?"

Harry frowned slightly. It sounded like Neville was expecting someone else. "Am I interrupting something? Were you waiting for someone else? Should I leave?" he asked.

Neville shrugged. "I was waiting, but they're not here yet. You can stay. What is it you wanted to talk to me about?"

Harry looked down at his feet, a little unsure of where to start. "Well, er, I sort of need help with something and Hermione said you could help me."

Neville's brow wrinkled in confusion. "Hermione sent you to me for help?"

"Yeah, er, she didn't know how to help me. She said you might."

Now, Neville looked completely flabbergasted. "She thought I could help you when she couldn't?"

Harry shrugged. "That's what she said. She said I should ask you who you're seeing and I'd understand why."

Neville's shocked look faded and he smirked a very un-Neville-ish, knowing smirk. It was actually more reminiscent of Draco than anyone else.

"Do you want to know, then?"

Harry looked up at him. "Do I want to know what?"

Neville's smirk grew. "Who I'm seeing, of course."

"Er, sure."

Neville turned to one of the plants on the table in front of him and in a calm voice, as if he were talking about the weather, he said, "Blaise."

Harry's eyed widened immensely. "Blaise?" he said, in an oddly high voice. "As in Blaise Zabini? Blaise Zabini, the Slytherin? Blaise Zabini, the boy?"

Neville nodded. "Yeah."

Harry was silent for a few seconds, before laughing lightly. "Now I get it. Oh, Hermione. You're brilliant."

Neville frowned. "Do you have a problem with my boyfriend, Harry?"

Harry sobered immediately. "No, not at all, Neville. I just understand why you can help me. How did you do that?"

Neville looked genuinely confused. "Do what?"

"How did you say that? How did you say Blaise was your boyfriend so easily?" Harry had an eager look on his face.

"Er, I just, you know, said it." Neville looked a bit thrown at Harry's interest. "It's not like I'm ashamed of him, or anything. Why do you want to know?"

"Because, I don't know how to do it. Don't you think it's a big deal?"

Neville raised an eyebrow. "No, it's not. Blaise is my boyfriend, full stop. There's no reason for me to skirt around the issue."

Harry looked confused. "But you didn't tell anyone. If you're keeping it a secret, why did you just tell me?"

Neville shook his head. "I'm not keeping it a secret. I'm keeping it private. There's a difference, Harry. Nobody asked, except you and Hermione, so I'm not going about telling everyone. If someone wants to know, I'll tell but I'm not going to parade around with a sign or anything. It's my own private business." He paused. "I don't see how any of this is relevant to you, though. I thought you needed my help with something."

Harry nodded. "I do. I need to be able to do that. What you just did."

Neville looked at him out of the corner of his eye, still working on the plant in front of him. "I'm not really following, Harry. Could you be a little more specific?"

Harry sighed. "I need you to tell me how I can do what you just did. You know, how I can tell people I have a boyfriend. As opposed to the girlfriend they're all expecting."

Neville looked up from his plant and looked straight into Harry's eyes. "Are you gay, Harry?" he asked levelly.

"Well, er, yeah," Harry said, dropping his gaze and scuffing his shoe on the floor.

Neville frowned. "You don't seem very sure, Harry. How can you tell other people if you can't even say it?"

Harry looked at Neville in surprise. "I did say it."

Neville gave him a pointed look. "Leave out the 'well, er' and then I'll believe you. Say it like you're proud of it, Harry, not like it's some dirty little secret. It's who you are. You shouldn't be ashamed."

Harry scowled at Neville and stuck his chin out. "I'm not ashamed."

"Good. Say it, then. Tell me."

Harry looked Neville right in the eye, determined to prove him wrong. "I am gay, Neville." He said every word as if it were its own sentence. Just try and doubt me now, Longbottom.

Neville smiled. "That's right, mate. You are. See, it's not so hard to say."

Harry blinked, feeling a little dazed. He shook his head a bit, to rid it of the feeling. It couldn't be that easy. It seemed that easy, but he knew it couldn't be. He opened his mouth to say so, when he heard the creak of the door behind him.

Blaise Zabini's blond head popped in around the door.

"Nev? Are you here?"

Neville smiled widely. "I'm over here, Blaise. By the Abyssinian shrivelfig."

Blaise looked over, and his usual Slytherin smirk was replaced by a grin as wide as Neville's. "Oh," he said, spotting Harry as he came in completely and shut the door behind him. "You didn't say you were bringing friends."

Neville shrugged. "I wasn't. Harry just came and found me. He was actually telling me something." Blaise narrowed his eyes slightly at Harry. Neville chuckled. "Nothing like that, love. He just wanted advice for something."

Harry didn't want to cause undue trouble for Neville so he thought it best to back Neville up. "I'm not trying to steal your boyfriend, Blaise. Don't worry." Then, with a wave for Neville and a nod for Blaise he started to head for the door. "I'll just leave you two alone, then. Thanks for the tip, Neville. I'll keep it in mind." Yes, I'll remember I'm not ashamed. "See you later."

He had his hand on the doorknob when Blaise's voice stopped him. "Oh, by the way Potter, Draco Malfoy gave me a message to pass to you through Neville, but as you're here I might as well tell you."

There was a pause and Harry held his breath. Finally, he couldn't stand it anymore. "Well, what is it?" he spat out.

Blaise smirked that trademark Slytherin smirk. "He said you've got two days and he said you'd know what that means. Do you?"

Harry let out the breath he'd been holding. "Yeah. Yeah, I know what he means," he said in a resigned voice. Two days just wasn't long enough. "Is that it?"

"He said there'd be no room for negotiation."

"Yeah," Harry muttered, "I'd figured that."

He opened the door and as he was closing it he distinctly heard the voices start up.

"Finally," said Blaise, "I thought he'd never leave."

Neville's low chuckle drifted through the rapidly narrowing gap. "C'mere, you."

With a sigh, Harry shut the door all the way. Whatever came next was their private business. Harry just wished he could have that.