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rsadelleTitle: Impulse To Talk
Author: Ruth Sadelle Alderson
Pairing: None. Harry, Bill.
Rating: FRT
Disclaimer: They're not mine. I'm not making any money off of this.
Summary: Harry and Bill talk.
It had been a hot day, but the evening was pleasant. Harry assembled a small pile of flat rocks and occupied himself with skipping them across the pond.
Bill sat next to him and tossed a stone that skimmed the water four, five, six times before it sank. "All in the wrist," he said with a smile.
Harry smiled back at him and managed to get a rock to hit four times before sinking.
"Not bad," Bill approved. "Where are Ron and Hermione?"
"They went for a walk."
Bill raised his eyebrows. "So he's figuring it out, is he?"
Harry grinned. "He's starting to."
Bill snorted. "About time from what I hear."
It was Harry who broke the silence as they companionably skipped rocks. "You're gay, aren't you?"
The rock Bill had started to throw plopped into the water without bouncing even once. "How did you know?"
Harry shrugged. He glanced up at Bill and looked back at the pond. "The earring," he said. "I was Muggle-raised."
"Hermione was too."
"She wouldn't figure it out." Harry paused, then added, "I am too."
"Oh. Oh, Harry." Bill sighed. "It's not like the Muggle world here. The wizarding world, we're so *insular*. We're supposed to get married and have kids so there'll be more wizards."
"The Muggle world isn't very accepting either," Harry pointed out.
"No," Bill admitted, "it's not. But there are places to go in the Muggle world where it's okay, clubs and things." He skipped a rock across the water. "And not everyone here is intolerant. It's just that everyone thinks the war is still on, and they want to live to see their grandchildren."
"The war is on."
Bill waved that away. "But it wasn't for eleven years, and every time I come home, Mum asks me when I'm going to get married and have kids."
"Why don't you just tell her?"
Bill made a face. "It's just easier this way. I'm away all the time anyway, so she doesn't know what I do most of the time." He regarded Harry steadily. "Do Ron and Hermione know about you?"
Harry shook his head. "No."
"You're not in love with him are you?"
Harry laughed. "With Ron? No." He cocked his head. "Why?"
"I was in love with my best friend when I was your age."
"What happened?"
Bill sighed. "He got a very safe job at the Ministry, he married a very nice girl, and they had two very nice children."
"Sorry," Harry offered.
Bill smiled crookedly at him. "I'm over it. Mostly." He tossed a stone across the pond. "Anyone special in your life?" he asked as casually as he could.
"No." Harry peered up at him. "You?"
Bill laughed. "No. I do have something of a reputation, though. There are a couple of good Muggle clubs in Egypt." He grinned wickedly. "There doesn't have to be someone special for you to have fun." He winked at Harry. "Just don't tell anyone else I suggested that."
Harry laughed. "I won't," he promised.
"It's not easy," Bill said seriously. "It's hard to meet people, harder to have a relationship."
Harry laughed humorlessly. "I'm not worried about that. I wouldn't have time for one anyway. Too busy being the boy who lived and all that."
Bill didn't sugarcoat it. "They'll be hard on you to continue the Potter line."
"I know." Harry pulled his knees up and rested his chin on them. "I can put them off for a while. Until Voldemort dies, or until I do."
"You won't," Bill said confidently. "You're a great wizard."
Harry pushed his hair back off his forehead. "The scar doesn't make me a great wizard."
Bill reached out and ran his thumb over Harry's scar. "No. It just reminds us that you are one." He brushed his hand over Harry's hair. "You'll turn out all right."
"Harry." Hermione's voice came to them from across the garden. "Harry, where are you?"
"I'm out here," Harry called back. "I'm just coming in." He leaned over and gave Bill an impulsive hug. "Thanks," he said as he stood.
Bill smiled up at him. "You're welcome. Owl me if you ever need any advice."
Harry rested his hand on Bill's shoulder for a moment. "I will," he said, and started back to the house.
--End--
Author: Ruth Sadelle Alderson
Pairing: None. Harry, Bill.
Rating: FRT
Disclaimer: They're not mine. I'm not making any money off of this.
Summary: Harry and Bill talk.
It had been a hot day, but the evening was pleasant. Harry assembled a small pile of flat rocks and occupied himself with skipping them across the pond.
Bill sat next to him and tossed a stone that skimmed the water four, five, six times before it sank. "All in the wrist," he said with a smile.
Harry smiled back at him and managed to get a rock to hit four times before sinking.
"Not bad," Bill approved. "Where are Ron and Hermione?"
"They went for a walk."
Bill raised his eyebrows. "So he's figuring it out, is he?"
Harry grinned. "He's starting to."
Bill snorted. "About time from what I hear."
It was Harry who broke the silence as they companionably skipped rocks. "You're gay, aren't you?"
The rock Bill had started to throw plopped into the water without bouncing even once. "How did you know?"
Harry shrugged. He glanced up at Bill and looked back at the pond. "The earring," he said. "I was Muggle-raised."
"Hermione was too."
"She wouldn't figure it out." Harry paused, then added, "I am too."
"Oh. Oh, Harry." Bill sighed. "It's not like the Muggle world here. The wizarding world, we're so *insular*. We're supposed to get married and have kids so there'll be more wizards."
"The Muggle world isn't very accepting either," Harry pointed out.
"No," Bill admitted, "it's not. But there are places to go in the Muggle world where it's okay, clubs and things." He skipped a rock across the water. "And not everyone here is intolerant. It's just that everyone thinks the war is still on, and they want to live to see their grandchildren."
"The war is on."
Bill waved that away. "But it wasn't for eleven years, and every time I come home, Mum asks me when I'm going to get married and have kids."
"Why don't you just tell her?"
Bill made a face. "It's just easier this way. I'm away all the time anyway, so she doesn't know what I do most of the time." He regarded Harry steadily. "Do Ron and Hermione know about you?"
Harry shook his head. "No."
"You're not in love with him are you?"
Harry laughed. "With Ron? No." He cocked his head. "Why?"
"I was in love with my best friend when I was your age."
"What happened?"
Bill sighed. "He got a very safe job at the Ministry, he married a very nice girl, and they had two very nice children."
"Sorry," Harry offered.
Bill smiled crookedly at him. "I'm over it. Mostly." He tossed a stone across the pond. "Anyone special in your life?" he asked as casually as he could.
"No." Harry peered up at him. "You?"
Bill laughed. "No. I do have something of a reputation, though. There are a couple of good Muggle clubs in Egypt." He grinned wickedly. "There doesn't have to be someone special for you to have fun." He winked at Harry. "Just don't tell anyone else I suggested that."
Harry laughed. "I won't," he promised.
"It's not easy," Bill said seriously. "It's hard to meet people, harder to have a relationship."
Harry laughed humorlessly. "I'm not worried about that. I wouldn't have time for one anyway. Too busy being the boy who lived and all that."
Bill didn't sugarcoat it. "They'll be hard on you to continue the Potter line."
"I know." Harry pulled his knees up and rested his chin on them. "I can put them off for a while. Until Voldemort dies, or until I do."
"You won't," Bill said confidently. "You're a great wizard."
Harry pushed his hair back off his forehead. "The scar doesn't make me a great wizard."
Bill reached out and ran his thumb over Harry's scar. "No. It just reminds us that you are one." He brushed his hand over Harry's hair. "You'll turn out all right."
"Harry." Hermione's voice came to them from across the garden. "Harry, where are you?"
"I'm out here," Harry called back. "I'm just coming in." He leaned over and gave Bill an impulsive hug. "Thanks," he said as he stood.
Bill smiled up at him. "You're welcome. Owl me if you ever need any advice."
Harry rested his hand on Bill's shoulder for a moment. "I will," he said, and started back to the house.
--End--