The Golden Snitch

Prince Hal and the Haka

'I've met someone.'

'Tell me about them, Harry.'

'We're not involved, emotionally. A week's fling before he goes off to New Zealand for a month. By the time he gets back I'll be back in Scotland. We both aware of the situation. He's a muggle and has a kid so he's a bit older. But he's been really kind. It's been fun. Educational too.' Harry smiled to himself.

'What do you mean by educational, Harry? Have you leant something about yourself through this relationship?'

'Have I learnt something? Apart from an awful lot about gay sex. Or do you mean has it been educational because I've been ambivalent about my own feelings towards men for the past eighteen years of my life and now there's a certain clarity! Which do you want to know more about?'

'How do you feel about this realisation about your sexuality?'

'Ron and Hermione have always teased me about being oblivious to life around me, but this takes the bloody biscuit. But actually, it's not really a revelation, I've always known. I mean, there's always been an appreciation for other men in the past. I just haven't acted on it. I'm not disturbed or upset by being gay or bi or whatever. I've not been trying to suppress it. It just is. I've just never paid any attention to it, I guess that's been something to do with old Voldy trying to knock me off each year since I was born.'

'This isn't a time for being flippant, Harry. How do you feel about not being emotionally involved with this person?'

'It's fine, good. I'm not ready for a relationship. I guess, ultimately, he's not the right person for me. But it's been a release. Sex has been a release, letting go completely, allowing myself to be vulnerable in the arms of someone I feel secure with.'

'Why does he make you feel secure, Harry?'

'Because.' He paused. He didn't know. But then the words came tumbling out. 'Because there's no ulterior motive. He doesn't want me to be someone I'm not. Because he doesn't know the truth about who I am so I don't get those awful sympathetic looks, or looks of worry, or looks of worship, or gratitude, or hatred, or accusation, or whatever bloody else people in the wizarding world see when they look at me. Merlin! Its because I don't feel like some bloody circus freak to be stared at every bloody moment of the day.

*****

Eventually, the Hogwarts rebuild came to a close, it was nearly ready for a new beginning, a new start in the September. Harry decided it was time to return to Grimmauld Place. It was his home now after all, it was time to make it so, even though he hadn't been back there since he, Hermione, and Ron had to Disapparate from the doorstep nearly a year ago. He decided it was time for a fresh start there too, he could take his learnings from helping at Hogwarts to No. 12. Minerva had offered to come with him, to help him over the threshold, so to speak, but he declined, suggesting that she visit later, and that his door would always be open to her when she came to London, in fact, he would be insulted if he ever found out she had come his way and not called in for a cup of Earl Grey. He knew he would miss their daily chats. She hugged him fiercely before he left and made him promise to owl frequently otherwise she would be knocking on his door with worry. He promised and agreed to return in two months' time to finish his schooling before he joined the Ministry to become an Auror.

Arthur found him a contact in the Ministry's Magical Building and Regulations Department, and from there, they found him a builder and decorator. Contracts were drawn up to protect Harry's identity and the location of his home. Harry decided to start with the hallway, sitting room and the two bedrooms on the second floor. He wanted the kitchen doing as soon as he went back to school. First the builders started with replacing the boiler and renewing all the electrics. Harry was going for full modernising, much to Kreacher's disgust. However, Kreacher soon came around when Harry asked him to be involved in the new kitchen design. They still couldn't get rid of Mrs Black, even the Department of Mysteries had tried. As it was an adjoining wall with No.11, they couldn't even take the bricks out that she was attached to. A joiner put a false wooden wall around her which was then soundproofed so she couldn't bother them any further with her obnoxious objections.