I own nothing.
A/N: Hey, guys! Chapter 10, Ta-da! Thank you to everyone who has read and reviewed - love you all, mwah! I hope you all enjoy the first part of this chapter, I had fun writing it! I'm hoping to have the second half of it done before I go on holiday (don't wanna leave you all hanging!) but if I don't…SORRY! I will try my best though, promise!
Well, my baby's first week of school went fantastically, he's such a little trooper. Mummy has been experiencing a case of separation anxiety, though lol. I have pictures on my face book page (which is the 'webpage' on my author page lol) so, if you're bored you can have a looksy lol. He does look dashing, though.
P.S If I haven't replied to your review of chapter 9 yet, I will do so as soon as possible. I figured you'd rather have a chapter than my rambling thanks lol. I WILL reply though xxx
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Chapter 10 - Wedded Bliss? Part 1.
Draco was in the fiery pits of hell. Literally! He could almost feel the red hot flames licking at the gruesome lime green chair he sat in, could almost smell it smouldering beneath him.
All around him, minions of the underworld dashed back and forth, all wearing varying expressions of evil delight, each delivering gifts for Beelzebub herself who stood before him on a plinth, surrounded by mirrors…wearing a wedding dress!
"What do you mean you will have to take it out? I haven't eaten in a decade! How could I have possibly put on weight, you stupid woman?!" Pansy snarled at the jittery seamstress who was currently trying to fasten the back of her gown. Draco was willing to bet his entire inheritance that the woman would not finish without crying.
Everyone in the immediate vicinity winced at the sound of Pansy's snarling voice. Well, everyone besides Draco who, of course, was quite used to his flatmate's temper.
"Pans', be careful sweet, you don't want to have a heart attack…You're due at the church in an hour." Draco said in a placating tone, his eye meeting Pansy's in one of the mirrors. The glare she sent him at the reminder would have made the poor seamstress wet herself, however Draco flashed the irate bride-to-be an unaffected, winning smile.
"Like I'm going to turn up, Draco! She's just told me I'm obese!" Pansy all but shrieked, and the seamstress's face turned an amusing shade of green.
"No. No, I didn't. You're not…I just…" She stuttered, and Draco, sighing heavily, decided to rescue her.
"Pansy! No one said you're obese, you Drama Queen. And I'm guessing the reason the dress isn't doing up is because it's all gathered up at the side. Look!" He said pointing to a collection of material that was ruffled beneath Pansy's left arm. As soon as she tugged it free, the fabric settled into place and the line of pearl buttons lined up perfectly.
A collected sigh of relief issued from the staff in the surrounding area, and anyone who wasn't absolutely necessary to the fitting flew from the room before Pansy could find something else to screech about.
Seemingly oblivious to the panic she had caused during her tirade, Pansy breathed her own sigh of relief "Thank fuck for that, I thought I was going to have to cancel."
Draco simply closed his eyes and shook his head, wondering how one woman could be so exasperating. "Blaise is so lucky to be marrying such a lady." He announced, rolling his eyes when Pansy huffed.
He couldn't really blame her for being stressed out, though. After all, this was the biggest day of her life, and he understood her need for everything to be perfect. And if he was honest, he knew she was secretly loving every single minute of it all.
Draco, on the other hand, was hating every minute of it! His misery was only made worse as he had gradually been forced into helping with every tiny detail; apparently Pansy couldn't make a single decision by herself! Luckily, the worst of it was out of the way, and in 60 short minutes, Pansy would be married and Draco's ordeal would be over.
He just had to make it through the hour first…and he was beginning to think that was going to be impossible. Especially as he had a ton of his own problems to deal with. Namely, Harry!
Shifting in his seat, careful not to crease his suit trousers, Draco began to feel fidgety as he thought of the brunette.
The blonde's mobile phone, that was situated on the inside pocket of his pale grey tuxedo jacket, felt like a lead weight with the text message that Harry had sent him earlier that day saved in its memory. Who could believe that one message could make someone feel so overwhelmingly sick and happy and terrified and happy! One message. 'Lots of luck. P.S, Apparently the rings are quite important...' Draco studiously ignored the smiley face at the end.
Ever so subtly, he pulled at the silk neckerchief so he could breathe more easily, and with all the will-power of a saint, he managed not to throw up as he made sure the rings were still sat snugly beside his phone.
"What's up with you? I'm the one who's just had a 'fat scare'; you look like someone's just told you that you have to wear off-the-rack!" Pansy said, a shudder tearing through her at the prospect of wearing something generic and mass-produced. "What's wrong?"
Draco glanced at the woman, who was currently trying to line up the ruffles that flowed down the length of Pansy's gown whilst the irritated bride-to-be kept twisting to look at Draco, and shook his head. He had no intention of talking about his private life in front of the help, especially not on Pansy's wedding day.
Pansy, sensing his reluctance, looked down at the woman before her. "Erm…you!-" She said, tugging at the dress to get the woman's attention. "-Go away." Without even attempting to argue with Pansy, the woman scurried, leaving the two friends alone.
Climbing down from the plinth, Pansy shuffled towards Draco with half a gossamer factory trailing behind her, and perched precariously on another lurid green chair that was positioned beside his own.
Draco watched her, shaking his head incredulously. "How do you get away with treating people like that?" He asked distractedly.
Pansy simply smiled indulgently. "Because, my ignorant little friend, the cost of this dress is enough to wipe out third world debt! I can treat them however the hell I want." She laughed, apparently rather amused that Draco had even had to ask. "Anyway, what's going on?" She added, her face softening as she gazed at Draco's distracted expression.
For the past few weeks, the blonde had been growing more and more agitated, and Pansy had put it down to stress about the wedding - after all, Draco had made no secret that he detested the entire process - but now she had actually taken the time to ask, she could see it was probably more than that. A small ice cube of guilt slid into her stomach as she realised how wrapped up she had become in her own life, and she scolded herself for not keeping a closer eye on her skittish friend.
Draco frowned to himself "Pans', you have to be at the church in an hour. We don't have time for a cosy little chat." He whispered.
"So, we'll be fashionably late. Tell me what's going on." She demanded, reaching over and pushing a few wispy silver locks out of Draco's eyes.
"I've invited Harry." He said softly, his eyes flicking down to gaze at the ruffles billowing out around his friend. He didn't want to see her expression, didn't want to see the mixture of chagrin and excitement that was guaranteed to be there.
"You did what?" Pansy gasped after a few silent moments. Draco had been right not to look up, the mixture of emotions were evident enough in her voice. "Oh, my god! That's wonderful!" She exclaimed, her hands clapping together in delight.
Draco cringed and shook his head at her enthusiasm "Yeah, bloody wonderful." He muttered in irritation. Surely she could see the problems it would cause if Harry was to be at her wedding!
Pansy seemed to catch on to his mood, and dropped her hands back against the frothy material in her lap. "Did he say no? Is that why you're upset?" She asked delicately, silently scolding herself for the reaction. She should have realised that Draco's mood was hardly one of a person who had received an RSVP from the person he was crushing on.
"That's the problem…he said yes." Draco sighed, his silver eyes connecting with Pansy's chocolate brown. The panic that had been building inside of him since he had asked Harry had finally become too much, and even though he felt awful for dumping this on Pansy now, he couldn't keep it to himself any longer. "I'm not good enough for him Pans', I should never…" He trailed off, shaking his head as he felt his face crumple.
"Hey!" Pansy's voice lashed out, exasperatedly. Her perfectly manicured hand flew between them and gripped Draco's chin so he was forced to look her in the eye. The utter resignation in his silver orbs broke Pansy's heart. "I don't want to hear any more of that! I will not tolerate that negativity. Do you hear me?" She scolded.
Draco's entire body sagged, and Pansy - completely uncaring of her hair, dress and make-up - reached out and enveloped the blonde man in a hug.
Draco leaned wearily into the embrace, his head falling against the bear skin of Pansy's shoulder. He wished he didn't need this, didn't need to feel this type of comfort, didn't need to hear Pansy's murmured words of reassurance, but he did need it. And he hated it.
"You like him a lot, don't you." Pansy whispered, her hand rubbing soothing circles against his back. Her tone wasn't accusing or even questioning, it was merely a statement.
Draco clamped his eyes closed, wishing with everything he had that he could give the opposite answer to the one that was true, because he did like Harry…and he really wished he didn't. "Yes. And it terrifies me." he whispered, his fingers shaking as they clutched at the detailed bodice of Pansy's wedding gown.
"It's O.K. Shh, it's O.K." she soothed quietly as she felt Draco cling to her. She knew he wasn't crying, knew he would never allow himself to do something so weak, but she knew that his terror was real. She knew it all too well, had witnessed it on so many occasions over the years.
Of course Draco would be afraid of having feelings for Harry, especially after how absolutely destructive his past relationship had been.
At times like these, Pansy wanted nothing more than to see Theodore Nott at the bottom of a lake somewhere.
"Look, darling, you can't live your life in the shadow of what happened.-" She began, only for Draco to start shaking his head as though he were going to interrupt, however Pansy quickly continued. "- No, listen to me! I know you're afraid of putting yourself out there, but not every guy is going to be like Theo…" Pansy whispered, continuing to rub circles against his back. This time Draco cut her off.
"But I'm still me, aren't I?! That hasn't changed! You don't know Harry; you don't know how…bloody perfect he is! And I'm not perfect, I'm the complete bloody opposite! I can't…!" He pleaded, begging Pansy to see what he was trying to say, for her to realise how difficult it was for him.
The past fortnight had been sheer torture for Draco. The skipped heartbeats that had taken place inside Harry's flat had only increased as the days had passed, and as each one happened Draco sank lower into despair. Their almost kiss hadn't been mentioned by either of them. In fact, besides Harry telling Draco that he wouldn't be able to attend the actual wedding due to a pro-bono case he had taken on, but would be at the reception, the two men had remained entirely professional. If Draco hadn't spent 20 minutes in the car park at the base of Harry's apartment block trying to regulate his erratic breathing, he would have been convinced that he had imagined the entire thing.
He wished he had imagined it!
Pansy pulled away so she could, once again, peer into his eyes. "Draco, stop that. Yes, you are you, and that is all you need to be. You made a mistake, but you can't let it rule your life; you have to move on from it. Maybe, Harry is the answer to that. Maybe, if he knew…"
Draco shook his head defiantly and composed his face. "No! I don't want him to know…ever! I don't want him to think of me like that! Pansy, promise me you won't say anything, please?" Draco begged, panic washing over him like an icy breeze.
Pansy was torn. Part of her wanted to fight against Draco's perception of himself, wanted to scream at him that nothing that had happened in the past made him a bad person, that he didn't have to deny himself happiness because of his past mistakes. However, the other part - the part that knew how he would react if she did fight against him - wanted to take away the fear in his expression, wanted to reassure him.
"Of course I won't say anything. But sooner or later, Draco, you're going to realise that not everyone shares your views on perfection." She whispered, placing her hand affectionately against his cheek. The disbelief in the blonde man's eyes almost broke Pansy's heart, and she silently prayed that Harry would find a way of doing what she kept failing to do…make Draco believe!
"Right. -"She breathed suddenly, glancing at the clock. "We've got 45 minutes; let's see who can get through a bottle of champagne first." She laughed, expelling the tension that had settled over them.
Draco, who was still no where near being placated of his fears, reined his emotions back in and reminded himself that today was supposed to be about his best friend.
Glancing at the magnum of champagne that, now they were focused on it, was utterly enticing, Draco grinned and turned to face a smiling Pansy. "You're on!"
***
"Don't we look dapper!" Hermione grinned as she walked into Harry's office, a pile of files in her hands. Harry, who had just finished pulling on his waistcoat, blushed at her approval, stuffing his battered medical bracelet beneath the cuff of his shirt as she set the folders down on his desk.
Straightening up and taking a proper look at Harry, Hermione smiled as she took in how dressed-up he was. A warm feeling spread through her veins when she realised Harry was probably going on a date.
"Is it too much?" The brunette man asked self-consciously, blinking his eyes as they adjusted to his contact lenses. He felt slightly exposed without his glasses, however he knew that his green eyes stood out a lot more when he didn't wear them, and even though the contacts were the most irritating creation known to man and he hated every minute he had them in, he was willing to put up with it…he wanted Draco to see him at his absolute best. It was all or nothing today.
"Well, I don't know Harry…you've brushed your hair! I think that's about as dapper as it gets!" Hermione laughed, pinching one of Harry's perfectly shaved cheeks.
Rolling his eyes and shaking his head, Harry leant forward and kissed Hermione on the forehead. "Thanks so much!" He grumbled, however the smile he had been wearing since he had gotten up that morning was soon pulling at his lips again. "And I've done more than brush my hair…I've had it cut!" He laughed.
Hermione gasped in mock surprise, her hand flying up to her chest. "Christ, it must be love!" She teased, and the blush that coloured Harry's face at her remark was more than a little interesting. "So, who is he? Where are you going?" She asked, perching on the edge of Harry's desk, her arms crossing against her chest.
Harry, who couldn't help but check his watch to see how long he had to wait until he could leave, shrugged nonchalantly. "A wedding. Draco's friend's, actually."
Hermione's mouth fell open comically in obvious shock, and if the brunette wasn't so utterly nervous about meeting up with Draco, he would've found her reaction funny.
"You're dating Draco? Why am I only hearing this now? How long?" She asked excitedly, pointing an accusing finger at the nervous man. Harry quickly shook his head, a serious expression replacing the smile for a moment.
"We're not dating, it's nothing like that. He probably just realised what an unsociable loser I am and took pity on me. Stop jumping to conclusions." He said, pointing his own accusing finger straight back at her.
Harry was pretty certain that there was a lot more to it than the reason he gave Hermione, he was almost sure that Draco liked him just as much as he liked the blonde, however, he wasn't about to mention that to Hermione. Talk about jinxing something!
"Right, of course! And I'm actually a witch, excuse me whist I go and fetch my broomstick!" Hermione replied sarcastically.
"Well, no one said you had to believe me. Go on, bugger off and annoy someone else." Harry moaned, his frown completely ruined by his ever present smile.
The closer the hour hand of the clock crept towards 3pm, the faster Harry's heart slammed against his chest. He had never been so excited and nervous in his whole life, and he was sure that if he didn't leave soon he would probably have a heart attack.
He couldn't wait to see Draco, he literally ached to see the blonde in his best-man suit, see him smiling that warm smile that had lit up his face when he had spoken about his friends back in Harry's apartment.
He smiled to himself when he thought about the text message that he had sent the blonde earlier that day, and the smile morphed into a grin when he remembered Draco's reply. 'The rings? Yeah, that's a thought! Probably should have had Blaise buy some…'
Harry wondered if tonight would finally be their chance to progress a little beyond their current relationship. He hoped, quite a lot, that he would finally get the kiss he had been fantasising about for the past few weeks, finally get to taste Draco's mouth, feel his body under his hands…
With a frustrated sigh, Harry gathered the card and gift vouchers he had signed from Aurors rather than just himself, and deciding it was now or never, he made his way to his car.
He didn't get very far though, because Hermione dashed out of her office when she caught sight of him making his way through to the exit. "Harry, wait." She called, quickly falling into step with him when he continued his pace. As they entered the reception, that was empty bar Luna dreamily gazing out the window, Hermione pulled Harry to a stop. "Oi, will you stop for just a second, Christ!" She huffed, exasperatedly.
Stopping with a sigh, Harry turned and frowned at his bushy haired friend. "I'm a rush, 'Mione." He groaned. He really didn't want to hear any of her words of warning.
"Actually, I just thought you'd like this." She said softly, handing him a small black box with a silver ribbon. Harry took it from her, surprise washing over him, and when he flipped the lid open, a small smile pulled at his lips. "I picked it up ready for Christmas; I figured you could have it a bit early." She smiled as Harry fingered the black leather that made up a stylish wristband of a new medical bracelet. "It will fit better than your old one, so it won't keep escaping the confines of your cuff." She continued with a laugh, pulling the strap from the box and holding it so she could put it on his wrist for him. "See, it's more like a funky watch. It's already engraved." She added with a nod.
Harry felt slightly overwhelmed, and more than a little guilty. He had been expecting a lecture on eating before he had a drink, and making sure his sugar levels stayed safe, and using protection should he and Draco have sex…O.K, perhaps she wouldn't have said the last one, but Harry liked the sound of it. Anyway, now she had given him a gift and he felt wretched for expecting her to be all Mother hen-ish.
"Wow, thanks 'Mione. You didn't have to." He smiled as she wrestled his old battered bracelet out from under his cuff. Once she was done she smiled and shrugged her shoulders.
"Now, I feel mean for telling to bugger off." He confessed, pulling her into a hug.
"So you should!" She scolded with a grin. "Now, shouldn't you be at a wedding…!" She laughed as a fresh smile sprang to Harry's face, and he turned to leave.
"Thanks 'Mione, love you!" He called over his shoulder as he made his way out of the door, and raced to his car.
"Yeah, love is definitely involved here." Hermione nodded to herself as she watched Harry leave. As she thought about Draco, the man Harry was so excitedly rushing towards, she frowned to herself. Before now, she hadn't really thought much about the blonde man, besides that odd feeling of having met someone before and not being able to remember where, and now that she saw Harry was so…into Draco, she felt it was probably time she became a little more interested in the blonde herself.
A little background check couldn't hurt, right?
***
"How could you let her get drunk?" Blaise hissed at Draco as they made their way into the hotel where the wedding reception was being held. Pansy, who had spent the entire ceremony giggling, was currently stood between Draco and Blaise, holding each of their hands and swinging them merrily.
Draco, who'd had just as much champagne as Pansy, hiccupped softly as he shook his head at the irritated groom. "She's is drunk!-" Draco announced, a little more loudly than was appropriate. "-Drunk on you, Blaise! Utterly intoxicated on love! Have you ever seen such a brushing blide?"
Blaise shook his head exasperatedly at Draco, cursing himself for having the magnum of champagne delivered to Pansy's hotel suite. He watched as the blonde man stumbled a little, and quickly righted himself, glancing around to see if anyone had noticed.
"Draco, is Harry here yet? I'm dying to see him!" Pansy asked excitedly "I've been looking forward to it all day!"
Draco watched as Blaise turned incredulously to his bride. "We just got married, and the thing you're looking forward to the most is meeting Draco's boss?!" He asked, his eyes wide.
Pansy seemed to sober a little at Blaise' tone, and Draco inwardly sniggered as she began to backtrack. "No, of course not. Obviously, I'm more excited about you shagging my brains out tonight, but you know…Draco's boss! This is huge!" She said, grabbing a glass of champagne from a passing waiter, which was promptly stolen by Blaise.
"No!" He scolded, apparently putting his foot down. "And you -" He said, pointing at Draco "-Do not let me see you passing her any more alcohol!" and with a stern glare at the both of them, he turned to find some non-alcoholic beverages that would possibly sober up his new wife before the speeches.
Pansy and Draco both watched Blaise' departure with similar guilty expressions. "Wow, marriage soo doesn't suit him!" Draco scoffed, turning incredulous eyes to Pansy. "Better do as you're told, little woman!" He added in his most manly voice.
Pansy's laughter showed Draco exactly what she thought of being Blaise' 'little woman', and when she turned to look at him there was a mischievous glint in her eye. "Did you notice how he said 'Don't let me see you passing her any more alcohol'?" she asked, sounding a little more aware than she appeared. "Get me some champagne when he's not looking!" She giggled.
Draco, who was a little worse for wear, found her logic completely sound and grabbed the next tray of champagne that drifted passed them.
He reasoned that, letting Pansy have more to drink was probably the complete opposite to his best-man duties, and she was probably going to be furious with him later on, but the truth was - Draco needed to be drunk! It was the only way he was going to make it through the reception. He told himself this as he knocked back two glasses of Bucks Fizz, and glanced around for any sign of Harry.
His gaze landed on parents, who were standing with Mr and Mrs Parkinson, and he instantly looked away before they could turn and look at him. His mother had spoken with him at the church, had told him how handsome he looked and how much she missed him, and his father had pretended that his only son wasn't there.
The panic he had felt earlier slammed into him again as he thought of Harry being in the same room as his father, and he suppressed it with another glass of champagne.
***
The Hogsmeade Hotel was one of the most glamorous hotels Harry had ever seen. He had passed it every day since he had moved into his apartment in Hogsmeade, and had always admired it, though, he had never been inside. Even though he could afford to use the restaurant, or even one of the rooms, he never had because he just didn't feel 'posh' enough. As he walked into the lobby, he realised he was absolutely right in his reasoning for never coming inside the building - even the vase holding a bouquet of flowers in the centre of the lobby looked more posh than Harry did.
Noticing a sign reading 'Zabini wedding', Harry made his way toward it and found himself entering a fairytale ballroom. There was no other way to describe it! There were balloons, and ribbons, and flowers as far as the eye could see. Suited socialites and beautiful women wearing their best hats and dresses stood and sat in varying groups. A 5 tear wedding cake stood in the corner on the opposite side of the room with a million presents surrounding it, and the sound of a piano softly being played filled the room.
Still not moving from the door, Harry looked around, searching out Draco's unique blonde hair amongst the multitude of bland colours that would stand in contrast. His heart skipped when he clocked the tell-tale silvery-blonde glimmering under a light by the wedding cake, however he quickly found that it was a woman, and not Draco. Just as he was about to search again, the woman shifted slightly to reveal a man standing beside her, and Harry gasped slightly as took in the features that were so like Draco's, but not quite. This man was older, his face a little more sharp and severe.
Harry was willing to bet his entire share of Aurors that the couple he gazed at were Draco's parents. His mother was really very beautiful, and it was obvious that Draco inherited the softer, more feminine qualities from her. The way she held herself was so similar to that of her son; it was almost like he was looking at Draco himself. His father had a superior expression on his face, which Harry also found familiar, and he couldn't help but feel the same resentment for it that he did when Draco displayed it.
Tearing his eyes away from couple, Harry once again began looking for Draco, and when a billowing white cloud of gossamer caught his eye, Harry found the object of his search.
Draco stood beside one of the most beautiful women Harry had ever seen, including Fleur, and he blinked slightly as he gazed at her. No wonder Draco wasn't interested in Hermione's P.A, if he was living with the beauty beside him - and the woman was quite obviously his flatmate, Pansy - then of course he wasn't going to have his head turned by anyone else. Maybe he really was gay then!
He watched as Draco leaned in and said something to Pansy, and he felt his stomach flutter when they began laughing, Draco's eyes sparkling merrily in the process. Harry was more than a little turned on by the sight of Draco in his pale grey tuxedo and pearl coloured silk neckerchief. He had never looked more god-like!
Suddenly, Draco's eyes swept around the hall and settled for a moment on his parents across the room, an odd, hard expression passing over his face, dimming the light that had been sparkling in his eyes a few moments before. Harry watched as Draco hastily threw back a glass of champagne as he turned away, and his eyes finally met Harry's.
A small smile pulled at the corner of Harry's mouth as he watched the other man's eyes widen slightly and the glass in his hand fall to the ground. Raising his hand slightly, Harry made a loose, mock salute, a cheeky smile spreading across his face the longer Draco stared.
This was exactly the reaction he had been hoping for, and he found himself revelling in it. Feeling emboldened by the other man's shock, Harry began to pick himself across the room towards the blonde, his eyes never leaving Draco's as he approached.
"Hi." Harry smiled when he was close enough for the blonde to hear him "Very debonair." He commented, looking pointedly at Draco's attire, and the blonde seemed to thaw out from his shock.
"I could say the same." Draco slurred breathlessly, and Harry wondered if he had arrived just in time for Drunk-Draco. A larger smile than the one he already wore spread across Harry's face, although Draco seemingly didn't notice and continued. "Your hair looks different, like you've brushed it."
Harry laughed easily, shaking his head in amusement. "I do own a hairbrush, you know." he chuckled, wondering if, ordinarily, his hair really was that messy!
Pansy, hearing Harry's laughter, turned and centred her chocolate brown gaze on his face, and the nerves Draco had been suppressing with alcohol finally reared their ugly head. Oh, crap! Sure, Pansy had said she wouldn't say anything she shouldn't to his boss, but that was sober-Pansy speaking, drunk-Pansy was an entirely different kettle of fish!
"Are you Harry, Draco's boss?" She asked with undisguised awe, and Draco felt his face heat up as she stared at the brunette beside him. "Bloody hell, solicitors have gotten hot!" She announced when Harry nodded, her inebriated state rendering her shameless.
Draco felt rather than heard Harry's laughter. All he could hear in his ears was the deafening roar of his frantic heart.
"Thank you, although I pale in comparison - You look stunning. Congratulations -" Harry said indicating the reception going on around them. He held out the envelope containing the card and gift certificate, which Pansy took with a huge smile. "- we at Aurors wish you both the very best."
"Wow, thank you, that's very sweet!" Pansy grinned, leaning forward to hug Harry, whose eyes widened slightly at the contact.
When she pulled away, Draco noticed confusion in Harry's eyes as he gazed at Pansy's face. It was as though he were trying to work out a difficult math problem in his head. Pansy seemed to notice it, too, and her eyebrows rose in amusement.
"Sorry, did I startle you?" She asked with a teasing laugh, her own gaze turning puzzled.
Harry's face cleared instantly as he shook himself out of his trance. "No, no. I just…have we met before?" he replied, his forehead creasing in concentration again.
"Oh, well, I often get mistaken for Angelina Jolie, so maybe that's what it is." Pansy giggled, waving her hand as though she received comments like Harry's a lot. Harry simply chuckled, though his brow remained creased, apparently still trying to figure out if he had met her before or not.
Draco watched the exchange with stunned amazement. For the first time that day, he regretted the champagne as he desperately wanted to be able to talk but was highly aware of saying something stupid. His eyes danced over Harry's face, and his heart stuttered to halt only to lurch frantically again when he realised that Harry wasn't wearing his glasses. And good lord, Harry's eyes were really green!
Those shocking eyes suddenly met Draco's, humour and something un-identifiable shimmering in them as Harry's smile morphed into a smirk. "Yes, they are, aren't they?" He remarked, whilst a snort could be heard coming from Pansy.
Draco felt heat rise to his face as he realised he had said his comment out loud, and he once again cursed the champagne.
"So, Harry, is Draco the best P.A ever, or what?" Pansy asked, obvious pride in her voice. Draco, rolling his eyes, wasn't fooled by her equally obvious attempt at interfering, though. He wondered if Harry also saw through her attempt to test the romantic waters between them.
Glancing at the green-eyed man, Draco found a warm, genuine smile lighting his face. "He really is an asset, pretty perfect, actually…puts the rest us to shame." he said gently, his eyes sliding to connect with Draco's for a fraction of a second before looking back at Pansy.
Draco didn't have a chance to analyse Harry's statement because he could practically feel an 'I-told-you-so' rippling off Pansy. "Perfect, you say? Did you hear that Draco? Perfect!" She said loudly, nudging the blonde pointedly.
Harry watched the interaction between Draco and his slightly tipsy friend, and got the feeling he was being excluded from an earlier conversation, as though Pansy were giving the punch line out loud whilst communicating the joke silently. Draco's answering embarrassed scowl made Harry even more curious.
Turning his back on Pansy, as though she might disappear if he was no longer looking at her, Draco smiled awkwardly at Harry. "Champagne?" He asked, his hand reaching out as a waiter passed, and snagging a glass, he thrust it into the brunette's hands.
"Thank you." Harry laughed, suppressing the urge to ask Draco if he was planning to get him drunk and have his wicked way with him, though, the thought really was quite appealing. "So, I'm guessing you fulfilled your best-man duties without a hitch? Like anyone would even doubt you." he laughed.
Draco sighed slightly, shaking his head. "Not quite. I managed to get the bride drunk before we even arrived at the church, and as a result of that she giggled through the entire ceremony. So, as you can see, I'm not exactly best-man material." he shrugged heavily.
Harry watched as Draco's eyes skittered over to the corner of the room where his parents stood and just as quickly skittered away again. Disappointment was practically radiating from the blonde, and Harry, as curious as ever, decided to start trying to uncover the mystery that was Draco Malfoy.
"No-one is best-man material, Draco. It's like being a Pledge for a Fraternity - you get hazed, and you still mess something up. Don't be too hard on yourself." Harry smiled, reassuringly. He found it odd that Draco might need reassurance, he'd always seemed so confident. "Anyway, I'm sure you didn't force the bottle down her throat, so you can only be partially responsible." He added with a chuckle.
Draco forced a watery smile to his face, and Harry was instantly aware that it was false. Deciding to move on to more pressing matters, Harry took the plunge. "So, I'm guessing those are your parents?" he asked, indicating with his chin when Draco looked puzzled.
The blonde man's silvery gaze didn't move from Harry's to look, knowing full well who the brunette was talking about, and the panic morphed into terror at the abrupt change to a subject he steadfastly wanted to avoid. "Yes." Draco replied, his tone quite obviously indicating that he wasn't comfortable with the subject. However, Harry was, apparently, going to ignore any subtle hints.
"The resemblance is remarkable." The brunette smiled, using the same expression Draco had used to describe the likeness between Harry and his own father. The slight widening of Draco's eyes assured him that the blonde remembered too. "Your mother is stunning, you share a lot of her qualities." he added.
Draco swallowed as he processed Harry's compliment, his heart rattling around his chest as it celebrated. "Thank you, I'm sure she'd be pleased to hear your assessment of her." Draco said stiffly, his tone still unrelentingly unwilling to continue the topic. Harry, however, continued to ignore it.
"For a moment before I found you, I thought you were stood with her. You are your father's image -" Harry said with a smile, forcing himself to carry on even though it was obvious he was making Draco uncomfortable. Preparing himself for Draco's haughty, superior alter-ego to make an appearance, he continued. " -I expect he is very proud of you, both of them."
Draco clamped his teeth together to stop himself from reacting to the other man's statement. The last thing he wanted to do was, as Harry had said 2 weeks prior, 'stick his nose in the air' because things became a little too personal. He figured that, if he didn't react, Harry wouldn't think too much into it. He couldn't, however, stop the bite that was in his tone as he replied. "They're just my parents, everybody has them, it's nothing special."
As soon as the words left Draco's mouth, he regretted them. He turned to gaze at Harry with wide, apologetic eyes, and his mouth worked furiously to make up for his disgraceful lack of tact. "Shit, I'm sorry, I didn't think…I…"
"It's fine, don't worry about it." Harry murmured, finally taking the hint that he had gone too far in his ponderings, and an awkward silence settled over them.
Harry glanced around at the other guests in an attempt to distract himself from the tension that was rolling off Draco. The blonde bit his lip anxiously, scolding himself for his stupidity and his run-away mouth. He felt completely awful for his off-hand remark, and he found himself desperately wanting to remove the uneasy atmosphere.
Swiping another glass of champagne and knocking it back in one gulp, Draco sucked in a deep breath. "My father and I don't get along; we haven't spoken for a number of years, and I can't see that changing in the near-future. O.K." He said in a rush, knowing that if he had time to think about it he would change his mind.
Harry's vivid green eyes flashed to Draco's face, shock flittering across his face before he managed to compose himself again. Vaguely, Draco wondered how Harry could be such an incredible solicitor when his face was so easy to read. Didn't lawyers need to have a poker face?
"Oh, I'm sorry." Harry murmured, his tone genuinely apologetic. "I didn't mean to pry. I've just always have this preconception that parents are wonderful and flawless; I forget that that's rarely the case. Forgive my inquisitiveness." he added, and frowned when he realised how oddly formal he had become.
Draco noticed it too, and he felt a twinge in his stomach knowing he was the cause of Harry's now stiff, chilly attitude.
Harry's eyes swept around the room and landed on Draco's parents, and curiosity like none he had ever felt before bubbled away inside of him. A million different scenarios as to why the relationship between the blonde and his father was so frosty ran through Harry's mind at a mile a minute: Was Draco's father disappointed by him for his choice of career? Did Draco resent his upbringing and blame the older man? Was his father a strong disciplinarian during Draco's childhood? Was he abusive? Or was it the opposite: Did his father neglect him? Did he put his career before his family? Did he send Draco to Durmstrang to have him out of the way and now the blonde held it against him?
Glancing at the blonde man, it was pretty obvious from his body language that he was utterly uncomfortable and that the conversation about his parents was one that was now closed. Harry decided, like he did when he had first met Draco and the subject of the huge gap in his working career had come up, that it was probably something the blonde would only discuss when he was completely ready. And now that he thought about it, Harry felt slightly disgusted with himself for pushing the other man into talking about something that was private and, obviously, very difficult.
"Erm…oh, how is the pro-bono case going? Did you find the file alright?" Draco asked awkwardly after a stretch of minutes, and Harry inwardly cursed that the blonde was resorting to talking about work to fill the silence. This was so not how Harry wanted things to turn out!
"Yes, thank you. And, it's a pretty interesting case, actually. The client, Mr Lupin, is seeking compensation for unfair dismissal due to a disability. It'll settle out of court, not before I get him a decent settlement, though." Harry replied with a confident nod.
Draco's answering smile wasn't one of the full on, butterfly inducing ones that usually took Harry's breath away, however, it was a smile and he wasn't going to take it for granted. Suddenly a thought occurred to him that could possibly remove the tension between them completely. A thought that had been forming in Harry's mind for a little while now, a thought that might just give Draco the confidence that he surprisingly seemed to lack.
"So, I was thinking, seeing as you work full-time at Aurors, if law is something you could be interested in." Harry commented, nonchalantly, his eyes scrutinizing the blonde man's face.
Draco frowned, his gaze boring into Harry's with a slight intensity. "I don't understand what you mean." he murmured softly.
Clearing his throat, Harry tried to work out the best way to word his reply. He had a feeling he'd have to really sell his idea to the blonde man. "Well, you are really good at your job, I wasn't lying earlier, and you seem to have a real grasp of the law, from what I've observed. I was just wondering if perhaps law would be a career option that you might like to explore. You could do an apprenticeship at Aurors whilst you get the necessary qualifications, we'd be more than happy to help with…"
Draco finally seemed to grasp what Harry was saying, and rather than any other expression Harry might've expected - gratitude, joy, surprise, disbelief - he was taken aback when the blonde actually looked horrified by the idea of becoming a solicitor. In fact it was beyond horror; it was down-right alarm!
"I told you before, I don't want status." the blonde breathed, his mouth mashing together in a hard line. Harry scrambled for a moment, the harshness of Draco's answer completely throwing him. He could feel how wide his eyes were, how utterly perplexed his expression must be, but he couldn't seem to gather any type of composure. "I just…I'm sorry, I just thought - well, you have so much potential - I don't understand why-"
"What? Why I'm just some lowly secretary! Maybe I'm not like you, Harry, maybe I like just being a P.A, did you think of that?" Draco snapped, his face morphing into the stern mask that he had inherited from his father. His silver eyes were incredulous, as though Harry had just told him he thought he should be a bin-man rather than a solicitor.
The brunette floundered. He was completely mystified by the blonde's behaviour, and he had no idea how to salvage any type of sense from the conversation. He had no clue as to the other man's reaction, and for the first time since meeting him, Harry was suspicious of Draco. Yes, he knew the blonde man hid a lot about himself and Harry had been curious, but now he couldn't help but be wary of Draco. What was he hiding…and how bad was it?
Draco shifted his gaze from Harry's face; acutely aware that he had just monumentality wrecked any chance of the afternoon being pleasant, and his eyes landed on Pansy and Blaise who were making their way towards the head table. With a sigh, knowing that he would have to wait a while before he could try and make any kind of peace with the brunette in front of him, Draco cleared his throat and caught Harry's attention.
"Look, I'm supposed to-" He indicated with his hand the head table and Harry nodded in response, welcoming a breather from the tension that seemed to be dogging them.
"Sure, go ahead." He tried to smile, but it came across as more of a grimace, and he didn't miss the way Draco shook his head to himself as he walked away. Harry watched, with a mixture of confusion and apprehension, as the blonde met his friends and began conversing; rather harshly it appeared, with Pansy.
Harry sipped at his champagne and glanced around the hall. On the other side he spied a pair of French doors leading onto a patio, and with the need to get some fresh air, Harry made his way over to them. He had no desire to listen to speeches when he had the mystery of Draco swirling around his head, and he figured that perhaps a little distance would give him a chance to work out why Draco had so suddenly turned on him.
The grounds of the hotel were really very pretty with sprawling lawns and colourful flowers. A stairway of stone steps led from the patio doors to a huge white gazebo, which twinkled with a thousand fairy lights even though it was still mid-afternoon. It was chilly outside, given that it was almost December, but every detail had obviously been given the utmost attention as heaters dotted around gave it the warm feeling of summer.
It was pretty much deserted outside, with most guests settling to hear the speeches inside, and only a few stragglers remaining in the gardens having sneaky cigarettes and mobile phone conversations.
Sinking down upon the topmost stone step, Harry leant against the pillar holding an urn of beautifully smelling flowers, and sighed with frustration. For the first time since he had walked into the wedding he wondered what the hell he was doing there.
"What reason does a guy as gorgeous as you have to be sighing?" A man's voice asked from behind him.
Harry turned his head and found that he had to crane his neck to be able to look at the speaker. From Harry's position on the ground the guy looked about 7ft tall!
The man sank down beside Harry, a soft smile pulling at his lips. The first thing that struck Harry was how incredibly handsome he was. His cropped hair and obvious muscular physique almost giving him the look of someone in the military, but his face was open and friendly.
Once they were level with one another, Harry realised the man wasn't as tall as he initially thought, but he was a head taller than Harry's own 5'8 frame, and he couldn't help but feel a little self-conscious.
Realising he should probably respond to the comment that had been made, but having no idea how to, Harry laughed nervously. "Got me." He said with a shrug.
The man laughed, the sound light and breezy, and Harry found himself smiling in response.
"Well, whatever the reason, I think we can find a way to rectify it." The man said with a wink. "So, how come you're not inside enjoying the festivities?" he added curiously, his brown eyes seemingly drinking in the sight of Harry before him.
Harry glanced back at the doors where the wedding was still in full swing and sighed again. "I felt a bit out of place. Besides, the bride and groom are friends of a friend, so…" He added with a shrug.
"Ah, snooze fest then? Yeah, god knows why rich people feel the need to make such a show. Whatever happened to a registry office and then a piss-up at the pub?" The man laughed in amusement .
Harry felt himself relax further as he listened to the other man's soft, warm voice, and the things he was saying were completely true - Harry probably would feel better if he were sat in a beer-garden after some shot-gun wedding ceremony. "Yeah, I know, right." He smiled back, comfortably.
"You know what I usually love about weddings? The punch-up. I bet they don't have a punch-up here. So boringly upper-class." The man said, his expression clearly disappointed, and Harry couldn't help but laugh. Now that he actually looked at the stranger's appearance - his rugged, unshaven face, his casual combat jeans and close fitting white t-shirt - Harry realised that the man wasn't actually involved with the wedding at all, and he felt even more comfortable than he did before.
"Yes, very Eastenders. I bet the bride's sister doesn't run in and announce she's pregnant with the groom's baby, either." Harry chuckled, and he felt slightly light-headed when the other man joined in.
"Definitely." He said with a shake of his cropped-haired head. "I think we should just make a run for it, before we end up as boring as all of them in there." He added with a laugh, indicating with his head the guests inside the hotel.
Harry jumped as his phone began vibrating in his pocket, and when he glanced at the call-I.D he groaned at the sight of Hermione's name. He really didn't want to talk to her at the moment, especially when he knew she would probably question him on how things were going with Draco. What was he supposed to say? 'Oh, he lost his temper when I tried to give him some career advice.' No thanks!
Switching the phone off altogether and dumping it back inside his pocket, Harry turned to the man beside him with an apologetic expression. "Sorry about that."
"It's cool. Unless it was your boyfriend…" The man said with a teasing smile "in which case we can just keep him switched off." he added, nodding towards Harry's pocket which housed his phone.
The brunette laughed nervously again, a distant part of his mind impressed that the other man knew instantly that he was gay - but then again impressed was a loose term, Harry was more jealous due to the fact his own gaydar was completely useless! - and he shook his head. "No, it was a colleague of mine. She can be persistent, that's why I switched it off." he explained.
"Ah. Best keep her switched off, too, then."
It suddenly occurred to Harry that he no idea what the man's name was, and he felt completely rude for not introducing himself. "I'm Harry, by the way." He murmured, holding his hand out.
The man grasped a hold of it, his grip firm but the skin of his palm surprisingly soft, and he held it for a few moments, his twinkling eyes holding Harry's almost hypnotically. The brunette actually felt an odd stirring in his stomach which felt wrong for the person he was looking at. That feeling was generally reserved for Draco.
"Nice to meet you, Harry by the way." The man smirked. "I'm Theo."
To Be Continued…
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Dun, dun, dun!!!
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