Chapter two: Courting a Malfoy bride:
The term was not long under way but already Draco was aggravated, when the Ice prince had told his mother and father the houses reaction to Harry they had been shocked, but had known better then to argue with the house and instead had bombarded their son with advice none of which as yet Draco had, had any chance to use.
The simple reason for this being that Harry was avoiding him and making sure that he was never alone around Draco, it was driving the blond insane, every time he came across Harry someone was with him, how was he supposed to woo and seduce the man if he couldn't get him alone.
The only other people to know about him and Harry were Blaise, Pansy, Crab and Goyle; this was because Draco ad deemed it wise for them to know from the start rather then find out later as the rest of his house would. The blond had been rather surprised when they had actually offered him their support, they had carried on being friends with him, what had shocked Draco more was he could tell they were not faking this friendship and he was glad of that.
As he turned a corner for the first time in the month since they had return to school Harry Potter was standing alone in the corridor watching the sun set, quietly the blond came up behind him and carefully slipped his arms round the other wizard.
Harry jumped with surprise, his hands reached down to touch the pail ones clasped round him. "Draco?"
"Yes love, what is it?"
"Why are you holding me?"
"You looked worried, so I was concerned for you."
Harry sighed softly. "Draco let go, what if someone sees you holding me like this?"
"I don't care if they do, I love you, now tell me what's wrong."
Harry pulled against Draco's grasp but the other man merely tightened his hold. "Let me go Draco!"
"No, I won't you'll just avoid me again."
"Give me one good reason I shouldn't do that I'm surprised that the event on your estate isn't half way round the school by now." The dark haired wizard said angrily.
The Slytherin sighed gently. "The fact I haven't told anyone except my friends doesn't tell you something. Harry I won't tell anyone else till you except me and are my betrothed properly."
The other wizard stood quietly in his arms for a moment before he spoke. "Alright I was thinking about Voldamort and about the fact you're due to go into service to him some time soon."
"It worries you?" Draco asked the other man quietly a little surprised by this.
"Of cause it does you idiot, I could never take you seriously as any kind of prospect with that hanging over anything I might have with you."
"Wait that means you've actually been thinking about us."
"I hate to admit this but yes I have. You're the darkness, I'm the light, it would never work... It just wouldn't." Harry said with a decisive shake of the head.
"Harry I haven't been marked yet, besides I love you I don't want to fight against you I want to fight with you. So how about this will you be happy I won't take the mark if I make you a solemn promise that I won't in front of the head master?" The blond asked Harry in all seriousness.
Slowly the other wizard looked over his shoulder at the man who held him. "You'd do that for me?"
"Yes Harry, I'd make you that promise but only to you and that's because I love you. I'll woo you; seduce you just so long as I get to have you."
Harry shook his head, smiling at the other man. "Draco, you can't be serious."
Slowly Draco let go of the man he held, the dark haired wizard moved away from the other man, who reached out and grasped Harries hand, green eyes met grey, and the Gryffindor was shocked by the seriousness in the ice prince's eyes. "Don't try to avoid me and I'll prove to you how serious I am about all this. I will make you this promise right here and right now, one day you will come home to the manor with me as my bride."
Harry's eyes went wide, slowly the blond let go of the other man's hand and blushing furiously the dark haired man walked away into the school.
As the Slytherin requested Harry stopped trying to avoid him, soon the Gryffindor was receiving regular gifts from the other wizard who was unfailingly polite to him, holding open doors, talking to his friends nicely even Ron and tried very hard not to fight with the red head and sometimes Harry could see how hard it was for him.
Grudgingly Harry found himself admiring Draco's perseverance, he had always had a crush on the blond but now it was really starting to develop, Harry knew he was falling for the other wizard but he was loathed to admit that the idea of marrying him was becoming more and more appealing.
"Me a Malfoy bride..." Harry muttered quietly, Hermione looked at him and raised both eye brows at him and then spoke to her friend quietly. "Is that what's going on is he trying to woo you?"
"Is who trying to woo Harry?" Ron asked the witch suddenly curious.
The golden boy sighed put his head in one hand and shook it. "God Ron you hadn't noticed!" Hermione said with complete shock, even she had been suspicious that something was going on she just hadn't known what it was till now.
"Never mind Ron, it's alright, I thought I might have to tell you eventually. Draco is wooing me and don't even go down that root, yes I am aware of who he is but since this all started he has changed slowly but surely or at least dropped his mask enough to let me see the real him. Yes before you ask I like it, I think I'm starting to like him."
Ron smiled across at his best friend. "Well I knew you were gay, after all you never really dated after Cho it was a large hint. I have to say I wasn't quiet expecting you and him but if he makes you happy so be it. I kept trying to tell Ginny she had no chance with you, I'll make sure I let her down easy for you next time I see her. I'll say this though if he so much as hurts one hair on your head I'll kill him!"
Harry couldn't help but laugh slightly. "Thanks mate that means a lot to me."
"As for me, I'd also guessed the gay bit as for it being Draco well I think you'll do him some good but why did all this happen?"
"You remember when we went to the manor and I refused to talk about what happened that day?"
"Yes, I remember."
"Well I felt the house, I told Draco the house felt sad and... why are you both looking at me like that?" Harry asked when he saw the awed expression on the faces of his two friends.
"You know what the means right?" Ron asked him in return.
"Draco said that meant the house saw me as his intended as his bride some day."
"Yeah that's the one, did you know it also means none of his family can harm you?" The red head asked at the shake of Harry's head he smiled. "Well they can't if you two fall in love you'll be the first love match in the manor for a long time, I should think the house would like that."
Harry blushed slightly. "So have you decided what you're going to do about this yet?" The witch asked the dark haired boy softly.
"Not yet, but I do like Draco a lot."
"Well don't let him rush you when your heart feels it's time you'll know."
"I'm sure I will."
After this talk with his friends Harry felt a lot better about his feelings for the blond, the next time he saw Draco it was a Saturday morning after breakfast, Harry managed to make the Slytherin stop in his tracks by smiling at him widely. "Good morning Draco."
"Good morning Harry." The blond said somewhat surprised.
"Isn't it a lovely day?" The Dark haired wizard asked, a sudden idea of spending a little time with Draco popping into his head.
"Yes it is."
"I was wondering since it's the weekend that is if you have nothing you need to do?" Harry fumbled over his words slightly.
Draco blinked rapidly; it appeared Harry wanted to ask him something, the blond smiled at the other wizard. "No, I don't have anything I need to do, why was there something you wanted to ask me?"
"Well yes actually, would you like to go for a stroll round the grounds with me?"
Draco felt his heart leap in his chest it looked like his wooing was at least having some effect on the Gryffindor, now he just hoped it was intended as a romantic walk on Harry's part and not a way to get him on his own so that the dark haired boy could ask him to back off. Draco Smiled at the other man widely, before gesturing towards one of the doors that lead out onto the grounds. "I'd love that shall we?"
With a smile Harry walked outside next to Draco, the two men walked round the grounds together in silence just enjoying each other's company, for a while and then turned back inside, when they were back in doors Harry turned to the other man. "That was lovely thank you Draco." Slowly he leant up and placed a soft kiss on the blond cheek before walking off back towards the Gryffindor dormitories.
Draco stood there for a moment frozen with surprise, then lifted a hand to the cheek that had been kissed, a slowly smile spreading on his face. The Slytherin suddenly felt happy it looked as if things were finally looking up between him and Harry.