The violins struck up as a thousand pairs of eyes and dozens of flashing cameras settled on the pair in the middle of the dance floor. Hands clasped, one tanned one resting on a firm, smooth hip, another pale and stroking lovingly over a broad shoulder. Their moves were graceful as the couple was secretly led by the slim blonde. But the crowd would never know, and it didn't matter to the lovers at all. This was the smallest of surprises about their unlikely love.
A pair of emerald eyes watched from afar, a slight smile gracing the face of an aged, slightly graying Harry Potter as he watched his son dance with his new husband. The tall blonde beside him shook his head, taking a sip of champagne.
"Who'd have ever thought my son would marry a Gryffindork," Draco Malfoy drawled, smirking slightly. Harry rolled his eyes.
"Probably the same people who'd have guessed he'd be placed in Ravenclaw instead of Slytherin," the dark-haired man replied. Draco nudged him playfully in the ribs.
"Better Ravenclaw than Hufflepuff."
"Lily's done just fine in Hufflepuff, thank you." Their bickering, which had years before gone from hostile to playful, trailed off as the two proud fathers watched their sons dance in each others arms. "Who'd have thought my son would marry a Malfoy?" Draco smiled.
"Perhaps the same people who'd have guessed you once had the mind to do the same?" There was only a slight twinge of bitterness to those words these days. The pain had mostly faded, only to leave behind that nagging, unanswerable question—what if?
"Draco…" The blonde shook his head.
"It's fine. I know your reasons, and they're good ones. I'm sorry I brought it up."
"I loved you, you know."
"I know."
"I wanted to spend my life with you."
"But?"
"But…well, there were a lot of things. The war picked up and I had to go off and hunt for Horcruxes."
"And snog Ginny."
"Draco…"
"Right, sorry."
"We just weren't meant to be. Besides," he gestured to their sons, "this wouldn't have happened if we'd been together. James, Albus, Lily, Scorpius…None of them would have existed, Draco." The blonde nodded.
"Yeah. I know." There was a smattering of applause and a chorus of 'awws' from the women as the two newlyweds ended their first dance with a kiss. Draco watched it with a bittersweet happiness. His eyes flicked up to Harry's as fingers brushed his wrist. Emerald green eyes met silver-blue for a split second before the former Gryffindor leaned in to whisper in his ear.
"I'll always love you, Draco Lucias Orion Malfoy." With those words, he walked away to join his wife. Draco smiled faintly and shook his head as he headed off to congratulate his son.