Once upon a time, in the land of Weasley, King Arthur and Queen Molly had seven children. The royal couple wished for their children to be happy and healthy; although, they also wished for their children to find their true loves and produce lots of beautiful grandchildren. The only child that was still single was their second eldest son, Prince Charles. Queen Molly decided to host a ball with all the eligible men and women in the kingdom. She wanted Charlie to interact with people and maybe find someone to love instead of spending all his time in the stables. Charlie loved horses and preferred their company over people.
A few days after the ball's announcement, Harry drove back into Weasley. He parked his old beat-up truck behind his shop/apartment. Smiling as he opened the door to his shop, Harry carried boxes inside and looked around the dusty interior. He had been away for three years, apprenticing for a master potter. King Arthur and Queen Molly had generously asked Master Ollivander if he would take Harry as an apprentice. He wanted to follow in his father's and grandfather's footprints and become a potter.
Inside the shop, Harry saw the empty shelves waiting for clay pots, dishes, mugs, vases, and platters. His grandfather had built the shop and handed it down to his son, James. Unfortunately, James and his wife, Lily had died just after Harry's first birthday. The shop had stood empty and abandoned until now. At age 21, he was ready to reopen the shop and continue his family's legacy.
Harry walked into the back of the shop where the kiln and potting wheel were located. He had used part of his inheritance to buy a new kiln and wheel and had them delivered last week. He heard a loud knock on his front door and hurried to the front of the shop. As he opened the door, he saw his two best friends, Prince Ron and Hermione.
Hermione rushed towards him and enveloped him in a bone-crushing hug. "Oh Harry, it's so good to see you. I'm so happy you're home."
Harry smiled. "It's good to see you too."
Ron walked over and clasped Harry's shoulder after his fiancé had let him go. "Hello, mate. When did you get back?"
"Just a little while ago," the raven-haired man said. "I've been looking around the shop. I haven't even made it upstairs yet."
"Are you sure you want to live above the shop?" Ron asked. "You know Mom invited you to move into the castle."
Harry shook his head. "It's a very generous offer, but I want to live here. I'll be working long hours, so it will be easier to go upstairs to sleep than driving back to the castle."
"Let's take a look upstairs and figure out what you need," Hermione said, already starting to make lists of what Harry will need for his apartment.
Harry grabbed his bags and headed upstairs. "When I was here last weekend, I arranged for my furniture to be delivered. So, I do have a bed, sofa, table and chairs, and appliances.
Ron grabbed his other bags and followed Hermione up the steps. He looked around the small apartment. Dust covered everything but the new furniture. The kitchen, dining room, and living room were one open space and a short hallway led to the bedroom and bathroom.
"Alright, first we have to clean, and then go grocery shopping," Hermione said. "Did you get your electricity turned on?"
"Yes, I did that last week too. I have electricity and water," he said. "I was going to clean but the delivery people were late, so I had to hurry back to Master Ollivander."
Harry opened one of his bags and brought out the cleaning supplies he had bought on his way to Weasley. He also retrieved two wrapped presents.
"Ron, can you please give this gift to Percy and Penny? I'm sorry I missed their wedding."
"Sure, mate. Percy and Penny understood why you couldn't come," Ron said as he accepted the present.
"Ron and Hermione, I'm sorry I missed your party, so here is your engagement present," Harry said he handed the other present to Hermione.
"Thank you, Harry, but you didn't have to get us anything," Hermione said. She gasped as she opened the box. She gingerly reached inside and brought out a beautiful, tall vase. It was light blue in color with golden swirls.
"Oh Harry, it's beautiful," she gushed. "I can't believe you made this."
"Hey!" he said, mock offended. "I did just apprentice with a master for three years."
"Oh, I'm sorry. I know how talented you are. It's just amazing that this came from your hands and imagination," she said contritely. She handed the vase to Ron and hugged Harry again.
Ron looked closely at the vase. Like his fiancé, he was amazed at Harry's skill and talent. "Thanks, Harry. This is really beautiful. I guess I'll have to buy Hermione more flowers now."
Hermione lightly smacked Ron's arm. "Yes, you better. We're going to use his wonderful gift."
The three friends got busy cleaning the small apartment. When they were done, they collapsed on the new couch. They rested for a few minutes in silence until Ron suddenly spoke up.
"Hey, Harry, do you have a suit?" he asked.
Harry looked at his friend in confusion. "I have the suit I wore to the twin's double wedding last summer."
"You'll probably need a new one," Hermione said. "I think you've grown a couple inches since last year."
Harry shrugged his shoulders. "Maybe, but why do I need a suit?"
Ron chuckled. "Mom's hosting a ball this Saturday to find Charlie a spouse."
Harry stared at his friend in shock. "What? Why would she do that?"
"You know Mom. She wants all of us to settle down, get married, and have babies for her to spoil."
"How did he react?" he asked. He didn't know Charlie very well. He had already graduated from Hogwarts before Harry had started there. Also, Charlie spent all his time with the horses. Harry had only seen him at his brothers' weddings.
Ron laughed loudly. "Mom didn't tell him until after everything was already planned and invitations sent in the mail. He's not happy and planning to sneak out of the ball as soon as he can."
"I didn't get an invitation. Are you sure I'm invited?"
"Yes, Harry. Every single man and woman in the kingdom is invited," Hermione stated. "I'm sure your invitation is at the post office. You haven't gotten your mail yet. You can go to the post office before we go grocery shopping."
Harry heard what Hermione said but he was stuck on one particular point. "Men and women? Charlie is bisexual?"
"Yes, he is," Ron said. "Well, that's what he's always said but he's never had a boyfriend or girlfriend. He's always in the stables with the horses."
He hummed thoughtfully. "Well, we should get going. I'm sure you don't want to spend your whole day getting me settled in."
"Of course we do," Hermione said. "We've missed you."
"After we get groceries, we can come back here and unpack all your stuff," Ron said. "We can order pizza. It will be great."
Harry laughed. He really appreciated what wonderful friends he had. They were the only family he had, and they were always there for him.
Over the next few days, Harry cleaned the shop and placed his finished pieces on the shelves for customers to see and hopefully buy. In the back of the shop, he put his raw materials: different types of clay, paints, and glazes. The grand opening of the shop was scheduled for Monday.
On Saturday night, Harry walked into the castle wearing his new black suit. Hermione had been right; he had grown a couple inches and his old suit was too short. He was wearing an emerald green shirt with a black and silver striped tie. As he walked into the ballroom, he was overwhelmed by how many people were already inside the large room. He saw King Arthur and Queen Molly receiving the guests. Prince Charles was standing beside them with a scowl on his face. He looked like he would rather be any place else than here.
Harry made his way over to the royal couple and waited in the short line to greet them. As he waited, he observed the prince. Charlie was tall and broad-shouldered with shoulder-length red hair and bright blue eyes. He was also wearing a black suit but with a white shirt and navy tie. Harry remembered him smiling and laughing at Fred and George's double wedding. He thought he looked very handsome when he was happy.
Finally, he made it to the front of the line and the attendant announced him. He bowed to the king, queen, and prince.
"Good evening, your majesties. Thank you for inviting me tonight," Harry said.
"It is good to see you again, Harry," King Arthur said. "I know Ron and Hermione are happy you have returned."
"They are not the only ones happy to see you," Queen Molly said. "I have missed you, my dear Harry."
Harry looked at the royal couple who had treated him as another son when he had become friends with Ron. He gave them a smile and said, "I have missed all of you too."
Then, he turned to Charlie. "Hello, Prince Charles, it's a pleasure to see you as well."
Charlie had been staring in awe at the young man as soon as he had addressed his parents. He was surprised when he realized that it was his younger brother's best friend. Harry looked very different from the last time he had saw him. He was wearing new silver-framed glasses with rectangular lenses that highlighted his emerald green eyes. His raven-hair was cut short and slightly tousled.
"Hello, Harry, the pleasure is all mine," Charlie said with a genuine smile. "I hope you are well."
"I am well, your majesty. I trust you are well too."
"I am now," the prince said flirtatiously. He was focused entirely on Harry, ignoring his parents and the line of people still waiting to greet him.
Arthur and Molly watched their son in surprise and amusement. They had wanted Charlie to be more interested in the guests and hopefully form a connection with one of them. They were surprised by his interest in Harry. They had obviously met before at family gatherings, and they hadn't interacted much.
Harry spotted his best friends and said his good byes. "I shouldn't take up any more of your time. I hope you have a wonderful evening."
Harry walked over to his friends, feeling Charlie's eyes following him. He was flattered by the attention and wouldn't mind talking to him more. He had always thought Charlie was a good looking man, and he respected his passion for working with horses. He had a similar passion for working with clay.
Harry had an enjoyable evening catching up with his friends. He had just said goodbye to Neville and Luna when he was accosted by Draco Malfoy. Harry and Draco had been rivals in school. They both played striker on their soccer teams, and Harry's team had usually won. In addition, Draco was a bully and regularly insulted Harry for being an orphan.
"Potter, I see that you have returned to Weasley. I had hoped that you would forget your way home," Draco drawled.
"I had hoped that you would have the good grace to leave me alone tonight," Harry said. "It seems we are both disappointed."
Draco stepped closer to Harry and trailed his finger done his firm chest. "I'm not disappointed by the fact that you clean up nicely. Dance with me, Potter."
"No, thank you, Malfoy," Harry said and he stepped back. He didn't want Draco to touch him. During their school years, Draco had the habit of insulting him and then flirting with him. He had hoped that three years of no contact would have eliminated Draco's interest in him.
Across the room, Charlie was watching Harry. He was supposed to be mingling with the crowd, but he was talking to Bill and Fleur. He wanted to know more about the young man and asked his brother and his wife. Bill told him about Harry's apprenticeship and being away for three years, and Fleur mentioned the beautiful wedding gift he had made for them. Charlie watched avidly as he saw the young Malfoy approach Harry. He noticed Harry becoming uncomfortable by Malfoy's advances. He quickly strode across the room to reach Harry's side. He never noticed Bill and Fleur exchange amused looks.
He arrived in time to hear Malfoy's remark. "Come now, Potter, don't you want to dance with the handsomest man in the room?"
Harry was about to answer Draco when he was interrupted. "Excuse me, Harry, would you like to dance with me?"
He was surprised to see Charlie but smiled and took his hand. Then, he turned to Draco and said, "You're right, Malfoy. I do want to dance with the handsomest man in the room."
Harry looked at the redhead and said, "I would love to dance with you, your majesty."
Draco fumed as he watched the prince lead Harry to the dance floor. He couldn't understand why Harry kept rejecting him. He was rich, smart, and gorgeous.
On the dance floor, Harry let Charlie lead as they danced. "Thanks for rescuing me from Malfoy, your majesty."
"Please call me Charlie," the prince said. "I wanted to ask you to dance all evening, and I thought you wanted to get away from him."
Harry laughed. "You have impeccable timing. So, are you enjoying your ball?"
Charlie shook his head. "This is my mother's ball. I was forced to attend."
"I'm sorry you don't want to be here."
"It hasn't been all bad; I'm glad I'm dancing with you," Charlie said. He was definitely enjoying holding Harry in his arms and dancing with him.
Harry smiled at the prince. "I'm happy too."
"I've heard you've been away from the kingdom. An apprenticeship with Master Ollivander is very impressive."
"Thank you. I learned a lot from him, but it is good to be home."
"Are you ready to open your shop?"
"I'm opening the shop Monday. I just hope I get some customers."
"I'm sure you will. Fleur was raving about the beautiful serving platter you made for her and Bill," Charlie said. When he had asked about Harry, Fleur was very complimentary about Harry's artistic talent.
They danced to a couple more songs, talking animatedly, until Charlie caught his mother's eye. She motioned to the crowd. He knew he had to dance with other people to make his mother happy.
At the end of the song, Charlie stopped dancing and bowed to Harry. "Thank you for honoring me with this dance."
"You are most welcome, Charlie," the raven-haired man said, bowing. He was disappointed their dance was finished, but he knew he couldn't monopolize the prince's time.
"I would like to see you again. Would you like to go horseback riding with me tomorrow?" the prince asked nervously.
"Yes, I would enjoy that very much," Harry said smiling brightly. He loved horseback riding, and he wanted to spend more time with Charlie.
"Wonderful. Meet me at the stables at 11 o'clock?"
"Yes, I'll be there."
They went their separate ways, and Harry was ambushed by Ron and Hermione.
"What was that?" Ron asked.
"What do you mean?" Harry was confused.
"You and Charlie looked very cozy," Hermione said. "You were the first person he danced with tonight."
"He saw that Malfoy was bothering me, so he asked me to dance," he said. "It was no big deal."
"He's been watching you all night," Hermione observed.
"Has he?" Harry wondered. "He asked me to go horseback riding with him tomorrow."
"Really?" Ron asked. "He almost never asks anybody to ride with him. Bill and Fleur will go occasionally. Fred and George are banned from the stables after their last prank turned the mane and tail of Charlie's favorite horse pink. The rest of the family doesn't like to ride."
"I enjoy riding," Harry said. "I've missed it; I haven't ridden since we graduated. I'm looking forward to tomorrow."
"Is riding the only reason you're anticipating tomorrow?" Hermione asked. "It looked like you were enjoying dancing with him."
"I find Charlie to be interesting and easy to talk to," he said. "I'm open to getting to know him better."
Ron shook his head. "Well, it seems that Charlie is interested in getting to know you better too. Mom could have just invited you to a family dinner instead of hosting this ball."
"He could meet somebody else here he's interested in too," Harry said, trying to hide his dislike of that fact.
"I don't think so," Hermione said. "Look at him now."
Harry turned around and saw Charlie dancing with a pretty young woman. The prince had a forced smile on his face and his body was stiff. He could tell he was uncomfortable and only dancing with her to be polite. The dancing couple moved around the floor, and suddenly Charlie was facing Harry. The redhead gave him a true smile and winked at him. Harry laughed softly. Hermione nudged his shoulder and raised an eyebrow at him.
"Fine, you're right again, Hermione," he said. "I should never doubt you."
Ginny walked over to the trio. She hugged Harry and said, "Hello, stranger. It's good to see you. Let's dance."
Harry laughed as he guided his friend to the dance floor. He had missed Ginny while he was away. While she wasn't his best friend like Ron or Hermione, she was a very good friend.
"So, what's going on with you and my brother?" she asked.
"Which brother?" he asked.
"Don't play coy with me, Harry James Potter. You know which brother you've been flirting and dancing with."
"Well then, you know as much as I do. Charlie and I danced together, and tomorrow we're going horseback riding."
Ginny looked at him thoughtfully. "You two could be good together, but if you hurt him, I'll have to hurt you. I don't want to hurt you, but Charlie is my favorite brother."
"I'm not planning on hurting him," he said. "It might not go anywhere, and we could just be friends."
"That's not a bad thing," Ginny said. "Charlie could use more friends. Do you want it to go somewhere?"
Harry paused and considered it. "I do find him attractive. He's handsome and passionate about his work; I respect and admire that. So, if tomorrow goes well, I'd like to continue seeing him."
Ginny smiled at her friend. "Good, now I should return to my boyfriend before he thinks you're trying to steal me away."
Harry laughed. "I don't think Dean has anything to worry about. All of our friends know that I'm gay."
Meanwhile, Charlie had taken a break from dancing with strangers. He saw Fred and George approaching him, and they hustled him off to the side, away from the crowd.
"Hello, dear brother. Are you enjoying your ball? Find anybody interesting to dance with?" Fred asked.
Charlie looked at the twins. They were smiling, but he could see they were serious about something. "What's going on, guys?"
George looked him in the eyes. "Harry is a very good friend of ours; we consider him family. If you hurt him in any way, we will make life very painful for you."
"Don't you think you're moving a little fast? We only danced together," Charlie said.
"And you're going riding tomorrow," Fred said. "You never invite anybody to go riding with you. You must really like Harry if you asked him to go."
Charlie blushed. "How do you know I asked him to go riding?"
George shook his head ruefully. "We asked Ron and Hermione what was going on between the two of you after we sent Ginny to distract Harry."
"What do you mean?" Charlie asked. Fred answered him by pointing over his shoulder. He turned around and saw Harry and Ginny dancing together. They were laughing, and Charlie felt a small, unexpected jolt of jealousy.
Fred saw his frown and correctly interpreted its meaning. "Relax, Harry and Ginny are just friends. Harry is gay, and Ginny is dating Dean Thomas."
Charlie huffed. "I don't know why I'm jealous. I wasn't planning on finding anybody tonight. I was so angry at Mom for doing this, but I met Harry again tonight. He wasn't what I expected. I saw a handsome, confidant young man; I didn't see him as my little brother's best friend. I'd like to see him again and get to know him better."
The twins exchanged mischievous grins. "We're so proud of you," Fred began.
"You're finally all grown up," George continued.
"You've got a crush," Fred finished.
Charlie groaned. "Knock it off. I'm older than you."
"But we're more mature than you. We're married men now," Fred said.
"It's a miracle that your wives put up with you," Charlie said.
Harry didn't stay until the end of the ball. He headed out with Neville and Luna. As he was leaving, he glanced over his shoulder, hoping for a last glimpse of Charlie. He saw the prince in a small group of people, all vying for his attention. Harry sighed; he hoped tomorrow would go well. He admitted to himself that he definitely liked Charlie.
Stifling a bored sigh, Charlie glanced around the room, barely paying attention to the person talking to him. He didn't know any of these people. He tried talking to them about horses or riding, but they weren't interested. He caught sight of Harry walking out the door with his friends. He was disappointed that Harry was leaving early; he wanted another chance to talk to him or dance with him again. He was glad that he had had the courage to ask the raven-haired young man to go riding with him. He hoped that Harry liked riding; he had eagerly accepted his invitation. He couldn't wait for tomorrow, so he could see him again.
The next six months passed by smoothly. The first horseback riding date had gone very well, and Harry and Charlie continued dating. The prince learned that Harry was a good rider and enjoyed spending time with the horses. There were more riding dates where they picnicked on the castle grounds. They often ate dinner together three or four nights a week. Harry would cook for Charlie at his apartment, or they would eat in Charlie's suite at the castle. Molly also invited the couple to family dinners. She was very happy that her plan had worked. She couldn't have picked a better man for her son. She loved Harry like he was already a member of her family.
Charlie also took an interest in Harry's pottery. He loved watching him work. There was something beautiful and sensual in watching Harry's long fingers shape and mold the wet clay as it spun around the wheel. Since he was aware of how easily Harry lost himself in his work, Charlie would bring lunch or dinner to his boyfriend. The raven-haired man had to work constantly to keep up with demand; his shop proved to be very popular with the citizens of Weasley. They loved his clay creations.
One weekend after their six month anniversary, Charlie had a surprise for Harry. He drove his boyfriend to a house located on the outskirts of town. As they pulled into the driveway, Harry looked around in confusion. It was a beautiful two-story house with an attached garage. There was a lush meadow and a small stream behind the house.
After they got out of Charlie's truck, the redhead asked Harry what he thought of the property. "So, do you like the house?"
"Yeah, it's beautiful," Harry said. "What are we doing here? Who owns this house?"
Charlie took a deep breath; he was incredibly nervous. "I do. I bought it for us."
Harry stared at his boyfriend in shock. "What?"
"As soon as I saw it, I knew it would be perfect for us. It has four bedrooms and 2 baths. It's big enough to have guests over but not too big that we feel like we're living in the castle. Plus, we have a lot of land. I thought I could put a stable over there," Charlie said, pointing to the left of the house. "The horses could run in the meadow after we fence it in. They would have lots of room to run."
Harry continued gaping at his boyfriend's nervous babbling. Charlie took Harry's shell-shocked expression as a sign to continue talking.
"On the other side of the house, I thought we could build you a studio. I know you have the workshop, but I thought you might like to have a studio here at home, in case you suddenly get inspired and have to create another beautiful work of art."
Harry looked around the property and could see the stable with their horses and his studio off to the side. He could picture the two of them living there happily, and he wanted that future more than he had ever wanted anything. He turned his attention back to Charlie and heard the redhead saying something about privacy but still close to town so he wouldn't have to drive far to his shop. He smiled at Charlie's babbling and gently kissed him to silence him.
When he pulled back from the kiss, Harry asked, "What's going on, Charlie?"
Charlie gathered his thoughts. He had a speech prepared but he ruined it with his nervous ramblings, so he decided just to speak from his heart.
"Harry, I love you. I want us to be together forever. Will you marry me and live here with me for the rest of our lives?"
Harry's mind whirled. He couldn't believe that Charlie loved him and wanted to marry him. "Wait a minute. You love me? That's the first time you said you love me. Now, you're proposing and you bought this house for us."
Charlie smiled. "Not a house, our home."
Then, he dropped down to one knee and pulled out a black velvet box. "I love you so much. Marry me and we can build our lives together here."
"Yes," Harry said with tears swimming in his green eyes.
Charlie blinked. "Yes?"
He laughed and pulled his boyfriend to his feet. "Yes, I'll marry you. I love you so much, Charlie. I want to be with you always."
Charlie grabbed him in a bear hug and spun him around, letting out a joyful roar. He placed Harry gently back on his feet and kissed him passionately. After a few minutes, Charlie realized he was still holding the ring box.
"Here," he said as he opened the box.
Harry lifted his trembling hand and watched as Charlie slipped the simple platinum band on his finger. He loved it immediately. A tear fell down his cheek as the redhead placed a sweet kiss on ring.
Charlie brushed the lone tear away. "I promise to try my best to make you as happy as you make me every day. Everything that I have and everything that I am is yours."
Harry hugged him tightly. He was overcome with emotion. "You already make me so happy. I never thought I could have all of this, but I want it with you. I want to be your husband and grow old with you. My heart, my body, my soul; they're all yours."
The newly engaged couple stood embracing in front of their new home. The sunlight shone brightly on Harry's ring, foretelling their bright and happy future.