Irhaboggle Pride (2018) 30 Days, 30 Stories

Polite Conversation

"So, uhhh, Harry?" Seamus Finnigan walked over to his fellow Gryffindor with a swagger in his step and a smirk on his face.

"Hmm?" Harry looked up from the painfully long and boring potions essay he was writing to write while eating lunch. The moment he caught sight of Seamus' smirk, his eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Why are you smiling at me like that?"

"Ah, no reason," Seamus shrugged. "Just... polite conversation with a classmate."

"Well, if that isn't the biggest lie I've ever heard," Harry replied sarcastically.

"Ok, you got me there," Seamus raised his arms in playful surrender. "I just came over here to ask you, because Dean wanted to know-"

"No I didn't!" another young wizard interrupted, hopping up from his seat at the long table.

"Sure you did!" Seamus grinned wolfishly at him, too. Dean continued to protest, but Harry interrupted them both.

"Wanted to know what?" he demanded. He didn't mean to sound so cross, but with this essay being as long and confusing as it was, he really didn't need to be distracted by other students at the moment. He was busy! Couldn't they see that?

"Dean wanted to know if you were gay!" Seamus replied, having to shout a little because of Dean begging him not to say anything. The moment Seamus finished asking, however, Dean groaned and hid his face in his hands. Harry, meanwhile, was stunned into silence.

"What?" he asked, once the ability to speak finally returned to him.

"Dean wanted to know if you were gay," Seamus repeated, looking totally nonchalant despite how private the question was.

"No I didn't," Dean tried again, but much softer since the question had already been asked.

"What in Merlin's beard ever gave you that idea?" Harry answered the question with another question.

"Well, you seemed to have been quite fixated on Mr. Malfoy all year and Dean and I couldn't help but notice..." Seamus trailed off, still smirking.

"What! Merlin, no!" Harry hissed in disgust. "Draco and I? Are you mental?"

"No, just observant," Seamus shrugged with a cheeky smile. "I mean, you've been staring after him and talking about him all the bloody time!"

"What? No! Are you mental?" Harry repeated. "That's disgusting!"

"Wait, what is?" Dean finally spoke up, a defensive light entering his eyes. "You and Draco, or the idea of two guys?" The playful atmosphere turned dark and Harry could tell that he was approaching a sensitive topic.

"Me and Draco, I mean," Harry said quickly. "Blimey, I'd be fine if it were Ron!" he added as a joke, but then Dean's face lit up.

"TOLD YOU!" he bragged to Seamus, hostility gone just like that.

"Told him what?" Harry frowned. Just what in Merlin's beard was going on?

"That you would totally do it with Ron," Dean explained. Harry inwardly cringed at the idea while Seamus pretended to grumble angrily. Truth be told, Harry was fairly sure he was straight. His sexuality wasn't something he'd thought much about. But to have Seamus and Dean both coming up to him now, demanding to know if he was gay, did make him wonder. This 'polite conversation' was taking a very weird turn...

"Look, I don't know what exactly you guys are getting onto," Harry said finally. "But I'm fairly sure I am not gay."

"Suuuure," Dean and Seamus both gave Harry disbelieving looks.

"Look. I have a potions essay to write. If would be so kind as to either help me or leave, that would be much appreciated!" Harry insisted.

"Is something the matter here?" a new voice entered the conversation.

"Professor Dumbledore!" Respect instantly entered all three of the boys' voices as their headmaster walked over.

"Yes, hello. It is a lovely day, is it not?" he asked serenely as he approached the trio.

"Yes, sir," the three replied.

"Then please, tell me, is anything the matter?" he asked gently.

"No, just having some polite conversation," Seamus answered for himself and the other two.

"Is that so?" Dumbledore asked, raising a white eyebrow as he looked at Harry and Dean. The two only nodded, not daring to speak. "Well, that is good, for it is among the most pleasant and idle of conversations that the closest of friendships begin to bloom!" he sighed dreamily.

"Isn't it, sir?" Seamus agreed, then Dumbledore took leave of the three wizards, but not before catching Harry's eye, his own twinkling knowingly. It was a look that said that perhaps queer wizards were not as rare as they seemed...

"See, Dumbledore knows," Dean said mysteriously as the headmaster walked away again.

"Nah, I'd bet he would agree with me!" Seamus insisted.

"Yeah right!" Dean play-punched Seamus' arm and Harry could only stare up at them, completely baffled. He even looked around to see if anyone else was hearing any of this craziness, but the only person who caught his eye was McGonagall, and she had the same knowing look that Dumbledore had given Harry just a moment ago.

Harry shook his head again and, while Dean and Seamus continued to muse on whether Harry would be more likely to snog Ron or Draco, several clouds passed by and uncovered the sun. The moment the bright light streamed through the windows of the Great Hall, several rainbows spread themselves across the floor.

AN: What house would you guys be in? I'm either Hufflepuff or Ravenclaw.

And yes, this was just a weird little HP short that's meant to take place in 'Half-Blood Prince', and yes, it addresses Harry/Draco and Harry/Ron and even hints to Dumbledore being gay and McGonagall being an ally, but really only Seamus and Dean are supposed to be 'canon' in this story.