Fortunately, Ron's head was screwed on straight. He knew exactly what kind of establishment that teahouse behind them was.
"Harry, snap out of it," Ron said, looking thoroughly pained. "Don't you know that only couples go to that teahouse?"
"I..." Harry also realized his blunder. His face flushed bright red in an instant, and he hurriedly looked down at his shoes.
Luckily, Kyle's arrival broke the tension.
"Hi, Kyle." Seeing Kyle show up, Hermione greeted him with a cheerful tone, though a subtle, hidden trace of anticipation flickered in the depths of her eyes.
Kyle smiled and nodded at the group, considering the greeting done.
Curious, he asked, "What are you guys crowding around here for?"
From the awkward expressions plastered across Harry and Ron's faces, Kyle knew there had to be some major gossip brewing.
Hearing the question, both Harry and Ron turned their heads away in sheer embarrassment.
Hermione wasn't quite sure how to explain it to Kyle either. She felt it wouldn't be right to expose Harry and Ron's apparent "bromance" like that.
Ginny, on the other hand, was an absolute gossip maestro. The moment she heard Kyle ask, she immediately spilled everything that had just transpired between Harry and Ron.
By the time Ginny finished her tale, Kyle's expression instantly mirrored the one Hermione had worn moments before.
After a brief wave of shock, intense confusion flooded Kyle's mind. What exactly was Harry, this pure English lad, trying to pull?
As a certain possibility crossed his mind, Kyle's face twisted into the exact likeness of the "old man squinting at a phone on the subway" meme.
As expected of Albus Dumbledore's favorite student. Harry and the old Headmaster share the exact same hobbies.
Fortunately, Kyle quickly caught himself. Harry just wanted a companion to go into Madam Puddifoot's Tea Shop with him.
This absolute homewrecker was definitely gunning for Cho Chang, not looking for an actual date with Ron.
Suppressing a powerful urge to laugh, Kyle clapped a hand onto Ron's shoulder.
"Ron, don't worry. This is Britain, we've got all kinds of people here. You don't need to worry about anyone giving you weird looks."
He flashed a mysterious, inscrutable smile. "I actually know two guys. Men. They even got married."
Kyle's words left Hermione standing to the side with a forehead full of metaphorical black lines.
Are these two people you're talking about Albus Dumbledore and Gellert Grindelwald?
"Uh... Kyle, we aren't..." Harry stammered, desperately trying to clarify.
"Alright," Kyle said, placing his index finger against his lips. "I get it, I get it. We'll keep your secret."
He glanced over at Hermione and Ginny. "You two will keep it a secret as well, right?"
The black lines on Hermione's forehead multiplied.
Ginny stared at Harry for a long time before finally sweeping her gaze over her cheap excuse for an older brother. Considering the reputation of the Weasley family, Ginny eventually gave a slow, reluctant nod.
Seeing all three people in front of him wearing variations of an "I understand" expression made Harry feel incredibly pained.
He originally wanted to speak up to prove his innocence, but the reality of trying to poach another guy's girlfriend wasn't exactly honorable either.
Furthermore, Kyle and Cedric Diggory were very close friends, yet here Harry was, trying to undermine Cedric.
He was terrified that if he confessed the truth now, he would end up getting brutally double-teamed and beaten to a pulp by the four "Father's Disappointments."
With no other choice, Harry could only drop it.
He reached out and threw an arm around Ron's shoulder.
The moment Harry's hand made contact, the ultra-straight Ron reacted as if he had been struck by lightning, instantly leaping to the side.
"Harry! Just use your words! Keep your hands to yourself!"
In the past, when he didn't know Harry's preferences were so... unique, Ron wouldn't have thought twice about it. Forget throwing an arm around his shoulder—even if the two of them slept in the same bed, Ron wouldn't have batted an eye.
But now, even the slightest bit of physical contact made Ron feel like this guy was harboring improper designs on him.
Seeing Ron react so violently, Harry's face darkened instantly.
The veins on his forehead pulsed visibly. He suddenly puffed out his cheeks and roared at the top of his lungs, "I am really not gay!"
Passersby instantly turned their heads, throwing bizarre looks at Harry.
Facing Ron's suspicious glare, Harry bit his lip. He dragged Ron over by force and began whispering his true intentions to his best mate, even though the subject was highly embarrassing to bring up.
Watching the two of them whispering with their faces pressed close together, Ginny's gaze toward her older brother and the boy of her dreams grew progressively more warped.
The two whispered for a long time before Ron finally believed Harry's words.
Ron rubbed his chin, which had unknowingly sprouted a thin layer of stubble, and plunged into deep thought.
When it came to Harry's romantic troubles, he definitely wanted to help.
But if two grown men walked into that teahouse shoulder-to-shoulder, people would absolutely mistake them for that.
Suddenly, a spark of inspiration hit Ron, and he thought of a solution that would satisfy both sides.
"Harry, how about you crossdress? That way it won't look too weird."
This time, it was Harry's turn to almost cough up a mouthful of blood.
"No way, absolutely not! I'm planning to talk to Cho Chang. If I'm dressed as a girl, how am I supposed to strike up a conversation with her later?"
Harry shifted his gaze entirely onto Ron. The eerie look in his eyes sent a sudden chill down Ron's spine.
"This..." Ron's expression became incredibly conflicted.
Looking at that pleading face, Ron finally steeled his heart. Making up his mind, he prepared to blend into the teahouse right alongside Harry.
After all, this concerned his good brother's lower half...
Bah!
The happiness of the rest of his life.
In short, it was a matter of great importance, so Ron could only brace himself and push forward.
Ginny watched her older brother in utter bewilderment. Why was he fiercely resisting just a moment ago, and now suddenly walking arm-in-arm with Harry to go drink tea together?
Dealing with rivals like Cho Chang and Draco Malfoy was already giving Ginny a massive headache. Now, her own brother Ron was stepping in to throw a wrench in the gears too?
Ginny felt as though her heart was about to shatter into a million pieces.
She turned to look at Hermione. Heartbroken, she prepared to invite Hermione over to the Three Broomsticks for a few drinks to drown her sorrows.
She never expected to witness a scene that would make her feel even more miserable.
"Uh... Hermione, do you want to go inside and sit for a bit?"
Kyle watched Harry and Ron disappear down the end of the street, presumably to find a place to change clothes, before turning around to extend an invitation to Hermione.
"Huh?" Hermione didn't register it at first. Once she realized Kyle was talking about Madam Puddifoot's Tea Shop, her cheeks flushed completely crimson.
"Okay," Hermione replied in a small, shy voice, lowering her head.
The overwhelming scent of romance instantly filled the air, dealing a 200% critical strike of psychological damage to Ginny, who had just experienced the agony of a shattered romantic dream.
She gave her best friend a despairing look, turned around without looking back, and left this heartbreaking place.
Seeing the shy display of the little Gryffindor know-it-all, Kyle finally realized his invitation was somewhat inappropriate.
He had only wanted to go into the teahouse to spectate the upcoming romantic drama. In his excitement, he had completely overlooked the fact that this teahouse was a designated spot for couples.
He and Hermione hadn't even established a formal relationship yet. Even though they had lived together for a period of time in France during the summer holidays, inviting a girl to a famous couples' teahouse out of nowhere like this felt a bit improper.
"Ahem, actually, I think we should go to the Three Broomsticks instead."
Watching the drama unfold wasn't that urgent anyway.
Given how much the Hogwarts students loved gossip, by the time Harry finished causing a scene and made it back to the castle, the entire school would probably already know about it.
So, changing venues didn't matter.
What Kyle didn't say out loud was that he was terrified of what would happen after the show. If a resentful Cedric secretly slipped a venomous snake into his Quidditch robes as revenge, it wouldn't be worth it. That was the real reason he decided not to court disaster from the front row.
Hearing Kyle change his mind, a fleeting trace of disappointment flashed deep within Hermione's eyes.
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