Orpheus' Legacy

Thank Merlin for Pansy Parkinson

Harry had never cried in front of Ron and Hermione.

Never.

Until now.

Suddenly, he was explaining everything. He hadn't quite planned to say everything, but the grounds were deserted, and he'd been able to cast the 'Muffliato' charm to prevent any unwanted beetles from eavesdropping and it all just sort of slipped out. He'd never meant to do something like this, to tell without asking Draco first if he could, but he couldn't find a way to explain it all without every piece of information. As well as that, he'd never been good at keeping things from Ron and Hermione before. It was now, more than ever, that he needed their comfort.

At first, he'd held it together; tried to explain his situation.

Ron and Hermione had been shocked into silence. He kept going. Started on the new timeline, all that had happened since the start of the loop, then, as he began to explain the changes they'd made to this timeline, he felt them. Tears.

Hot and wet and weak. He didn't know why he was crying, what was there to even cry over? He was only talking about Draco.

Draco.

Draco who he longed for.

He wished that it was Draco sat before him instead. He wished it was Draco he was crying to. Crying in front of. He loved Ron and Hermione, but it wasn't the same. It would never be the same. He could tell them, explain it all like some impossible story but they'd never feel it. They'd never know it, not like Draco did. Not like Harry did.

At the end, when he told them how Draco had pushed him away, and the tears were falling thick and fast, Hermione had broken.

"Oh, Harry!" She cried, throwing her arms around him and yanking him close, "It's okay," She soothed. Ron placed his arms around them, too, and they stayed like that for what could've been hours.

"It's okay, Harry. It'll be okay, you have us now." She kept whispering. Soothing. Loving.

Harry only buried his face further into her shoulder.

He felt stupid.

He was acting like a child. He was four years older than them, and acting like some silly toddler who didn't know how to regulate his own emotions.

"It's- it's not," he sniffed, pulling out of the hug. "I shouldn't have told you any of this, it's-" he sniffed again, "It's not fair to Draco, I- I told him we wouldn't tell anyone else. We both agreed on Sirius," Sniff, "and Snape together. I shouldn't have- I shouldn't.."

But Hermione was shushing him again, hand pressed to his back.

"Shhh, shhh, no it's okay! It's okay, look you can solve this. Just tell him what's happened okay, and we can-"

"No!" Harry interrupted, trying vainly to pull himself together a bit, "I can't! I can't see him again, not after that.."

"No, no you don't have to! Look, we can use Hedwig! We can owl him. Harry, it'll be alright. This won't ruin things. We won't tell anyone else, you know you can trust us with anything."

Harry brightened a little at the thought of not having to say it face to face.

"Yeah.. okay. Yeah, let's do that." Harry sniffled, wiping his eyes on his sleeve, "Sorry for, um," He gestured at his wet cheeks and puffy eyes.

"No! Don't apologise. It's okay. It's all going to be okay, Harry." She pulled him into a hug again, and he let his head rest heavily on her shoulder. She was handling it terribly well. If he was in their position he probably would've ran away or thrown up or something. Ron not so much, he hadn't really said anything in response, only placing a gentle hand on Harry's shoulder.