Chapter Text
Chapter 59:
It was already a few days into January and Cedric was alone in the school's corridors, watching longingly the many happy couples formed at the Yule Ball going to class together. They were laughing, enthusiastic, loving and themselves... Everything he wasn't. Ever since he had asked Cho to be his date, he had been feeling under the weather and he knew perfectly why: at that very moment, he had for the first time in his life admitted that he was maybe a little tiny bit on the gay spectrum... And it had been liberating.
To be able to say it out loud, to free himself of the constraints of being closeted... He had never felt so at peace with himself before. He loved being gay and owning it. He loved himself gay and proud of it! But reality was quick to trap him back where he belonged : he had admitted the truth, yes, but only to better hide it. Only to betray his heart in the name of acceptance.
To see the sorrow in Oliver's eyes when he refused him to go with Cho to the ball... To this day he wasn't sure it had been worth it. Because, you know... Cedric too wanted to be happy and to laugh on the way to class with his beloved. He too wanted to be free and even perhaps fight for himself...! But he was terrified... From the day he had discovered the reality about his parents and how much they were intolerant of homosexual people... He could only disavow his true self.
He had an uncle, Jasper, that his father vilified every time he came up in a conversation and that his always proper mother cursed after like a sailor. Sure, they called him a «thief», a «dastardly bastard» and never said anything remotely homophobic, but what had Uncle Jasper ever done beside being gay?
Cedric was scared. He loved his father and his mother. They were good to him, always putting him first before everything and caring for him with a Love that rang true. But what if this love was conditional? What if this care depended on him being «normal»? What would Cedric do then? What would he become if everything important to him, that made him him, crumbled together as soon as he dared to be himself?
He sighed helplessly.
This time again he realized how unfair he had been to Harry. The boy was so much braver than he was, daring to approach his crush in public without caring about what people would say. Sure, he had exposed himself to judgement, insults, disapproval and rejection, but he had done it with his head held high. He wasn't ashamed of his feelings nor hiding behind any petty excuses. Cedric envied him. He wished he was as thick skinned as that...
He should really make up to him though. He had never been interested in Harry, but he should have turned him down him fairly and unabashed and not... do whatever that attempt at pretending to be straight had been. Who was he to disdain the love of others like that? If he wished to be happy and open, wanted to change his fate and to change himself, he would have to start from the beginning. Which meant apologizing to the people he had mistreated in his denial and fear of being scorned and spurned.
Cho first.
Then Harry.
And only then would he face his feelings and Oliver.
Draco locked the door behind him and skipped over to stand in front of his full-length mirror. Today, he was a happy man! He had suffered a lot lately, trying to stay brave and sane through it all, but his hardships were finally paying: Nott had given him the counter-spell to the atrocity that his hair had become.
Many had been snide and taunting when Draco had gone to the Yule Ball with Gryffindor hair. Even his House-mates hadn't dared to look him in the eyes because of how hideous he was. And let's never talk about what happened when his parents learned about it ever. Especially his father -from whom he had inherited his original beautiful platinum-. Saying his pater had been enraged would be an understatement! That sharply penned letter... Draco shuddered just thinking about it.
But all of this suffering had been worth it, for it was about to stop! By honouring his punishment and proudly -somewhat- bearing its weight in front of everyone, the young Malfoy had proven to own up to his misdeeds. He had messed up, yes, but he also took responsability for it. He hadn't known if Nott would really be receptive to this kind of commitment when he had boldly made the bet of appearing to the ball with his hair free for everyone to see and judge... but, it had paid off! Nott's need for revenge was settled and this counter-spell was the proof: Draco was redeemed!
He offered a satisfied smirk to the mirror and moved his wand in accordance to what had taught him his best friend. Slowly, the loud and vivid colours he hated so much dropped down the length of his hair, replaced by-
"GYAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRG!"
A piercing yet hoarse scream killed Draco's vocal cords, its shrill sound persisting in the air well after the ache broke his voice. It was a violent, earsplitting second before it finally faded in a painful whine. And yet, the real hurt did not come from his throat, for his beloved hair had turned not only red... but Weasley red... And he could even see freckles staining his formerly blemish-free skin.
Draco didn't care anymore about how much worse Nott's revenge would get: he couldn't decently appear like this before people! He looked like a pauper! He already knew from the previous gold and red that no amount of spells, curses, potions and hair-dyes would hide this new profanation of the Malfoy name. And he himself couldn't hide either. He had already tried and it had failed spectacularly once Pansy had breached the secrecy and leaked the truth to one of the worst gossip of Hogwart. Greengrass may have disappeared but that didn't mean he was safe: she wasn't the only gossipmonger in this school!
No, he had to do something! Anything! Maybe even... use the stuff he had inherited from Pucey -acquired through sinister means at the flea market the Slytherins held after the jerk's demise-... It would be ridiculous, but perhaps the incongruous sight of a Malfoy with purple pigtails and pink muggle foundation would be enough to quell Nott's remaining anger? And with any chance the later didn't do threefold revenges? Draco could only hope.