TW: homophobic slurs, bullying
it started in october of fifth year. the first time it happened he was on his way to potions, a large stack of textbooks and parchment in hand. he had been chatting with justin, minding his own business when a hand sent his stack of books toppling to the ground, and then it was on his chest, shoving him roughly against the wall, smacking his head against the stone.
“faggot” zacharias smith spat at him before laughing with one of his mates, justin starting to yell something but the older boy was already on his way down the corridor. he helped ernie collect his scattered books and papers quietly, neither of them sure what to say but both willing to put the incident behind them.
when it happened again later that month ernie brushed it off, it didn’t matter, sticks and stones he would say to justin, it just only left him with a slight bump and unorganized papers.
later that week hannah (after justin told her what happened) ripped zacharias such a new one he knew better to stay away from ernie, and justin for that matter. he stayed away and things went back to normal, and they could forget that the incidents ever happened. until sixth year, and hannah was gone, justin and him closer then ever, and in january he felt a familiar hand on his back while on his way to muggle studies, shoving him to the ground, ernie not having enough time to drop his books and brace his fall.
a familiar hand, a familiar cruel laugh and a familiar word that made ernie’s cheeks burn.
sally-anne had been nearby though, she arrived as zacharias left, helping ernie to his feet glaring in the direction of the older hufflepuff. hufflepuffs had enough trouble with the other houses, they certainly didn’t need any in-house bullying. but it continued to happen, always on the way to muggle studies, smith must have had a class on the first floor as well, always passing through the corridor at the same time as ernie, always sneering at him or shoving him around. sally-anne sticking up for him when she saw it, calling after zacharias as he continued on his way after shoving ernie to the ground for the third time that week.
helping gather his things she sighed, “i’m sorry ernie,” she said shaking her head, “you’re a prefect, why don’t you tell professor sprout, i’m sure she’d do something about it.” she suggested
ernie only shrugged it off, picking up his things, “i’d just rather not make such a big deal over it,” he said as they continued on their way to class.
when march came around, and it was still happening, not just in the corridor anymore but in the common room, the great hall, sally-anne could see how alert ernie was, how on guard he was when he sat in the common room, waiting for zacharias to enter at any moment, but his insistence on not reporting any of it to sprout, coming with a different excuse every other month. this months was that he didn’t want to waste professor sprout’s time with a problem he could fix himself. he insisted, he could fix this himself.
which is how they found themselves sitting in madam puddifoot’s the last weekend of march, awkwardly holding hands across the table over cups of tea that ernie insisted on paying for.
“your hands a bit sweaty” she whispered with a small laugh.
“sorry,” ernie muttered, pulling his hand away wiping it on a fancy napkin before hesitantly taking sally-anne’s hand again.
surrounded by frilly decorations and lacey tablecloths, both of the hufflepuffs feeling a bit out of their element, not only being entrapped by the decorations but by the other (real) couples gushing over each other, or snogging. that was a rule though, absolutely no snogging. it seemed like a good idea at first though ernie had that sort of confidence that he could probably make anything sound like a good idea. just a few dates and the rumour mill of hogwarts would handle the rest. zacharias couldn’t keep picking on him if it was a clear fact he was wrong ernie had decided. but as they sat surrounded by couples and lace and frills both hufflepuffs felt like shrinking into their seats.
they finished their tea and bundled up and headed out into the winter-spring transition cold, ernie hesitating as he took sally-anne’s gloved hand in his own as they walked through hogsmeade. outside they felt the awkwardness drift, holding hands and talking was easy. sally-anne was just laughing at something ridiculous ernie had said when she felt his hand squeeze hers, she glanced up at him finding him staring straight ahead at who was coming over the hill, his jaw clenched. she saw the moment that zacharias spotted ernie and he started to approach them, though he was still a far ways away. she pulled ernie by the hand off the path, trying to pretend as if they hadn’t seen him but out of the corner of her eye she could still see him drawing nearer.
“ernie,” she said hesitantly.
“don’t freak out.” she warned before leaning up, lightly kissing him, ernie’s eyes going wide too shocked to reciprocate at all. they stood like that for what was definitely an awkward amount of time, to stand mouth to mouth, lips practically completely unmoving. but it had worked, the uncomfortable moment had been too much even for parties not involved, and he slunked off. she pulled away from ernie the minute zacharias was out of sight, ernie still speechless.
“i hope that’s not how you usually kiss ern,” she said with a small smile breaking the tension.
ernie tried to defend himself but sally-anne cut him off, “because if that’s the case no one is going to want to kiss you,” she teased, “boy or girl.”
ernie huffed a bit at that, defences and denials left unsaid, but he took her hand in his again as they made their way back to school.
while it had been a stupid idea it worked, the hogwarts rumour mill worked its magic and by monday nearly everyone in their year knew about their relationship. ernie, a bit embarrassed, thanked sally-anne for her commitment and ernie promised more tea or coffee on his behalf, sally-anne, ever graceful denied, feeling as though the teasing material she had was enough to last her until graduation was payment enough. the two hufflepuffs scheduling their breakup together in the common room over biscuits and muggle studies homework.
