Harry Potter: Raised by Wolves.

Harry snickered; he hadn't realised Fred and Angelina were a thing. "What do you need me for, then?" Surely George wasn't pulling a prank without his brother's assistance?

George sat on his own bed, facing Harry, a surprisingly serious look in his eyes. Harry's pulse ticked up. What was wrong? "When I was about your age," George started, looking like he was choosing his words very carefully. "I started realising some… things. Things I didn't even tell Fred about, at first. It's a weird thing, growing up — so much stuff happening, you're not sure what's normal and what's not. I bet it's even worse for you, what with the people out to kill you and whatnot."

Harry stared at him, utterly baffled, but George ploughed on. "It was getting to the point where even Fred noticed I was acting funny, but I still didn't say anything. We'd always been the same, you see, and I didn't want to start admitting that there might be something different in there. Then Charlie came home for a visit, and he could tell right off the bat. He sat me down, much like we are now, and he talked to me, and he gave me this book. And… now I think it's time I pass that on, because I might be wrong, but I think you need it more than I do, now."

The redhead reached under his blanket, pulling out a slim hardback book with a plain blue cover. He held it out to Harry. "The cover is charmed, so people don't know what it is just by looking at it." He tapped it with his wand, and suddenly it changed, the title written across the front in black lettering. 'A Wizard's Guide To Wizards: A How-To for Male Homosexual Relationships'.

Harry's cheeks burned.

"Like I said, I could be wrong, in which case, feel free to tell me to fuck off," George said hastily. "And even if you're not sure yet, or you're not ready, or whatever, that's totally fine. You can read the book, decide it's not for you, and give it back. But… I can't imagine how torn up about it I would have been if I hadn't had that little gesture of support from Charlie. It might've taken me years to tell Fred, or anyone else. And talking to Lee about it, he said muggles can be a bit funny about that sort of thing. I didn't know what kind of tripe they might've filled your head with."

George shuffled forward so his knee bumped Harry's, his brown eyes earnest. "I just don't want you going through this alone, Harry. You're our little brother, regardless of what Ron thinks, and it's my brotherly duty to make sure you know we love you regardless." He smirked wickedly, and there was that Weasley twin mischief. "And, of course, to make sure you're properly informed about everything." He winked salaciously, and Harry blushed impossibly redder. But George sobered up again, tapping the book cover until it was plain once more and nudging it into Harry's hands. "It's all yours. If you've got any questions, you can come to me. Or write to Charlie, he'll listen. And if you're not ready — hell, if you're never ready — that's fine. The offer's good for whenever. I'm giving you the information, but I'm not pressuring you to make any sort of decision or announcement. Only you can know when it's time for that."

Harry stared at the book in his hands, flipping it open to the index page. Homosexuality in wizarding culture… Marriage rights for same-sex couples… Helpful spells for intercourse… That one made his eyes go wide, and he slammed it shut again. George chuckled.

"Yeah, it's a lot to take in. You don't have to read it all at once. It's just… information is a good thing to have. Even if it might not be relevant to you."

For a moment, Harry thought about giving the book back to him, saying 'thanks, but no thanks' and leaving, never speaking of it again. This was different than the twins teasing him about being a little star-struck over Bill. This was all the conversations his dorm-mates had about girls that Harry didn't feel part of; all the times he found himself glancing at boys in the halls, or in the quidditch locker rooms, or on the street; all the times his heart beat faster when Draco Malfoy smiled at him. This was listening to Uncle Vernon going off about 'queers' and wondering if the man was right, if he really was a freak after all.

This was real. "Do many people know? About you?" he asked quietly. George shrugged.

"Fred, and Charlie, and Bill. I think Ginny knows. Lee, obviously. Angie and Katie and Alicia, and Oliver. Few others here and there; boys I've kissed, some of their friends, y'know. I don't hide it, but I don't exactly go around telling everyone I meet. Mum and Dad know, though I don't know if Mum's really come to terms with it yet. Merlin knows she still hasn't about Charlie or Bill. At least with Bill there's still hope for grandkids. He likes both," he explained. "As if there aren't other ways of having kids than just knocking a girl up."

"There are other ways?" Harry asked, perplexed. A tiny bubble of hope rose within him; did that mean that even if he was… he could still have kids?

"Well, there's always adoption," George pointed out. "But there's a spell that can take the stuff from two blokes and put it inside a woman and make a baby. It's all in the book. As long as you've got a woman willing to be pregnant for you, you can have a kid. Rumour has it there's some wizard in Spain working on a potion to make men get pregnant, but that all sounds a bit much if you ask me," he added with a grimace. Harry's eyebrows shot up — men being pregnant? Magic really could do anything!

"Wizards don't really care about it all," George continued. "At least, they never used to. With more and more muggleborns coming in, people are getting weird about it. But two blokes or two girls can get married and everything. Their kids are legal heirs — or they can name other heirs, if the family magic is compatible and they don't want kids of their own. You're always going to find people who are dicks about it, but that's life, unfortunately."

"What's it like?" Harry's question was barely louder than a whisper, and he couldn't bring himself to elaborate. Luckily, George seemed to get what he meant.

"I'd imagine it's about the same as being in love with a girl," he said slowly. "I've not been with many guys. If you want to talk logistics, that's a very different conversation." Harry shook his head quickly, feeling like he was going to burst from all the blood rushing to his cheeks, and George snorted. "Maybe after you've read the book. But without getting all mushy on you, being able to be honest about it, being myself… it's like finally putting on shoes that actually fit, after ages of wearing three sizes too small."

Harry knew what that felt like, quite literally. His whole body ached with the need to feel that way. Was it really just that simple? "Hey, George," he said tentatively.

"Yeah?"

"Thanks for the book. I think it'll be really informative." He sounded like he was thanking him for a book about Herbology! "You're welcome, Harry."

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