Second Chances

      That evening, at dinner, Harry sat down beside Ron and Hermione, leaning in to whisper to them.       “Hey… you guys know how I’ve been trying to cut things off with Ginny?” Whispered Harry.       Two nods, and a slightly sour look from Ron. Not that he disapproved of them breaking up- he was just dreading having to deal with the inevitable sulking he would have to deal with from his sister.       “Well… I’m going to do it tonight. A clean cut, y’know?” He said, slightly nervous. He straightened up slightly, putting a meat pie and some vegetables and gravy on his plate once the food appeared.       Ginny, having just walked into the Great Hall, spotted Harry and came over, sitting right next to him with a bright smile, grabbing herself some food. “Hey Harry~ I was thinking, for our next date, we could-”       Harry interrupted. “Actually, Ginny… I’d like to break up. As in, I’m breaking up with you. I just… haven’t felt that same spark lately. Honestly, I don’t know if, for me, that it was anything more than being caught up in the haze of a relationship while trying not to get killed by Voldemort.”       Ginny blinked rapidly, trying to process his words. Her face fell, opening and closing her mouth a few times before she could get out words. “I- what? But… Everything was so perfect!” She whispered. “How could this happen… I mean, I know in my third year I thought you were gay, but you dated me so that’s clearly not the case…”       Harry sputtered as Ron stifled a laugh. “You… thought I was gay? Wh- What gave you that idea??” He demanded, almost dropping his fork.       “Mate…” Seamus butted in. “I mean, a good half of the school thought you were gay. You literally feuded so much with Malfoy that year, with the tournament and all…”       Ron laughed, adding on. “You should’ve seen him in sixth year, stalking Malfoy!” He exclaimed.       Harry’s face flamed with embarrassment, red spreading across his cheeks. “Sh-shut up!!” He exclaimed. “That was not- You know damn well why that happened, you carrot head!” He huffed, not even noticing Ginny get up and storm off, too busy staring at his meat pie like it would make the teasing disappear. “And for the record- I’m not gay!” He muttered. Which wasn’t untrue- he was bi, not gay. He just wasn’t out to anyone yet.       Draco, having been listening to the conversation and had wandered over to the Gryffindor table midway through, took the now vacated seat Ginny had left. “You stalked me, did you?” He asked, arching one pale eyebrow.       “Not you too!” Harry exclaimed. “And I didn't!” A kick from Hermione under the table. “Okay, maybe I did a little bit- but not like that! I just… knew something was going on with you, and nobody believed me!” Harry looked down. “I mean, I’m sure you remember all the stuff that went down. It was bloody chaos. I tried to prove it to everyone, and myself. I thought I was going bloody crazy!”       Draco almost started laughing right there. “Really? All over that? I mean, you weren’t wrong, but- damn.” He shook his head, smirking as he set his elbows on the table.       “Oh- go away, Draco.” Grumbled Harry halfheartedly.       “Hey…” Ron suddenly said. “When did you guys just suddenly get on a first name basis?”       “Huh? Oh.” Harry shrugged slightly. “I mean, we’re sharing a room. We kinda just got used to it, I guess” He admitted, taking a bite of his meat pie. ~~~~~~~~       Well, that was the first of his problems out of the way, breaking up with Ginny, Harry thought. He was back at the dorms, laying on his back and thinking to himself. Now he had coming out of the closet, dealing with whatever the hell was wrong with his brain, and his nightmares to take care of. Wonderful. Harry was just glad he’d thought to put silencing charms on the curtains, lest Draco hear him waking up screaming in the middle of the night.