Oh, oh, oh! I'm back! I got back some love for this story (an a new review reminded me I haven't finished it). Oopsie daisy, I forgot :p
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Draco woke up in his bed. He was feeling significantly better than before and the healer announced he was healthy a few weeks ago. Draco was just glad it was over. Right now he just wanted to move out of his parent's house. It wasn't because he suddenly started hating his father; although he still hasn't forgotten him; just his aunt seemed to have moved in and she was unbearable.
Draco and Marvolo were both sure someone sent her from the deepest circle of hell or another cursed land. The blonde snuggled into his fiancé, enjoying last minutes of peace before Bella would storm in with a new list of things to arrange. To Draco the wedding was so far away he couldn't even start thinking about what had to be done. Young Malfoy looked up, feeling an arm pulling him closer, and smiled.
"Hello serpent." Marvolo smiled, stretching under him and Draco did the same. "And here comes another torturous day. As much as I like your family, would you mind if we moved to the other end of the world?" Draco laughed hearing his plans and sat up.
"Not really at the moment. I would even bear living in the forest for the next year if it meant avoiding this." Draco admitted looking towards the door with sheer hatred. As much as they both liked Belltrix it was tiring to run around every day. Especially that they wanted to spend some time together, there was a lot they wanted to talk about and work through. It's not like their relationship was perfect the moment Marvolo courted him. They had their own little fights and couldn't get used to each other.
They both moved into the same room, or rather a suite in the manor, to try living together. It's not like Draco had any doubts about marrying the Dark Lord. He was just a bit lost and overwhelmed. He felt arms embracing him from behind and warm lips kissing his neck. "What're you thinking about snowflake?"
"You like calling me names, don't you?" Draco looked at him with a smile and Mervolo smiled in agreement. "About everything really. About us." Marvolo rose his head and looked at him. Draco could feel him stiffen. "Stop that. Every time I want to say something concerning our relationship you're ready for a death blow. I just want to talk Marvolo."
"I'm all ears Draco." He said, resting against the bed frame. He was watching Draco closely as the young man turned to him.
Draco swallowed nervously. He didn't want to talk about and he was sure Marvolo could see it. Draco wasn't comfortable with the subject at all, but he couldn't settle in. "You know it already, but I… It's so hard to talk about and even if you know me better than anyone else." Draco looked to the side, as the white picture outside the window. "I was… raped and… ugh, I hate it."
Marvolo moved forward and lied him down on the bed. Draco looked at him surprised. He closed his eyes, feeling a kiss on his forehead. Marvolo lied next to him. "Don't force it. I want you to come to terms with it, not hurt yourself more. I've seen through your eyes what you've been through and I just wish it had never happened." He felt Marvolo hold his hand gently and Draco smiled.
"I'm scared. I'm always scared that I will wake up in the middle of the night and see HIM instead of you. I hate it." Draco rolled onto his side, resting his forehead against Marvolo's chest. "I just want to forget."
"I know love, but that wouldn't be healthy. Even if your memories would be gone your brain could still be triggered and it can be even worse with a hole in your memory." Draco nodded as he was embraced by his fiancé. He was so thankful for having Marvolo here right now.
'I love you. Thank you for being born. You've never been a mistake.' Draco thought quietly, embracing him tightly and Marvolo smiled happily. He pulled Draco closer, kissing the top of his head lovingly.
'I love you too serpent. Thank you for trying so hard for us.' Draco heard his fiancé in his thoughts and he grinned happily. He looked up and got smooched immediately by his partner. "So what are we looking for today?"
"Food. I'm hungry." Draco answered and Marvolo stood up. They had a small kitchenette in their apartment and Draco usually ate alone. He hated it, knowing his mother was gone tore him apart. They used to sit down for lunch and chat about different things in a mix of English and French. He missed those talks.
"What's it now?" Draco looked at Marvolo, who's been looking at him for some time now.
"Mom." He sighed. Marvolo tensed up and looked to his side. "It's not your fault."
"I just wish you were hurt less. That's all." He smiled as Draco walked over to him and snuggled to his side. Marvolo gladly wrapped his arm around him and kissed his forehead. The Dark Lord enjoyed mornings like these- slow, cuddly and nice. Even if they talked about painful things it was needed. Draco had the urge to talk everything through and Marvolo accepted it. It was just something his lovely fiancé needed. Marvolo never anticipated he would feel so strongly towards Draco.
Maybe it was the bond that made him better at showing his feelings. "Do you have anything to do today?" Draco asked, looking up to him.
"Except taking care of you? Not really. Plus your aunt threatened that if I don't get a day of today the theme of our wedding would be, and I quote, 'unicorns and squids'." Marvolo rolled his eyes, but still had a smile on his face.
"You look good with this stubble." Draco smiled and caressed his cheek gently. He really liked the way Marvolo looked in the morning with his messy hair and a nonchalant way he behaved.
"Then I won't shave. Tell me when you stop liking it and take two cups out of the cupboard." Marvolo said letting him go. The water in the kettle was boiling and a thick stream of steam flew towards the ceiling. Draco pulled out two grey cups they got while looking for a decorations they would like for their wedding. "Coffee?"
"Yeah." Draco nodded and walked to the drawer. He took off his boxers and dressed lazily.
"I was enjoying you naked." Marvolo complained and Draco laughed, bringing his attention to the counter. One of the cups have overflown and the milky coffee was dripping down onto the floor. Marvolo cleaned it up with a quick spell and Draco grabbed his mug. He didn't mind that his coffee was even lighter, the satisfaction from getting his fiancé distracted was enough. " You should just walk naked."
"We can both walk as naked as we want when we get our own house." Draco smiled, placing his coffee on the small table. They had one chair at each side in case Lucius wanted to join them. Draco has been worried for his father, but with relief noticed that Severus has been around way more often to keep him company.
"We're not letting Bella come for the next thousand years when we get it." Marvolo changed into a normal outfit as Draco watched with a grin. "Maybe a month."
"You won't be able to keep her away for a week. She will slip in one way or another." Draco laughed as he made them sandwiches. He put a plate on the and they both sat down, enjoying their breakfast. "Have you thought about the colours though?"
"Green, obviously." They both smiled. It was both the colour of the house of Slytherin and the Malfoys. "Maybe silver?"
"I'd rather have white. It just seems too heavy. Really… old?" Draco looked at him and Marvolo nodded. He created a piece of paper and a quill that started taking notes. It was the first time in weeks they could sit down and actually talk about the wedding. For a change it was without loud Bella, who tried to help, but it didn't work out the way she wanted.
"So white and green with a bit of silver?" Marvolo proposed and Draco nodded with a smile. "Flowers?"
"White Narcissus' and black Dahlias." Draco answered immediately. Marvolo nodded in silence. He thought it to be a good choice plus he knew exactly why his partner chose them. He held Draco's hand on the table and the blonde smiled. "Do you want us to wear something in black or white?"
"I look amazing in both and you'd look stunning in a potato sack." Draco laughed at his words. Their mugs were empty as well as the plate and they knew Bella would soon appear in their door. "You can wear white, it will go well with the flowers and I'll wear something black?"
"Okay, my Lord." Draco said teasingly and Marvolo kissed him possessively. "I'm not going to call you that in bed."
"Why not? That'd sound great." Marvolo said and Draco could feel his warm breathe on his lips.
"Okay, love birds. Time to go!" The door swung open as Bella marched into the room. Lucius followed her with a sceptical look on his face. "We're bringing Lucy along."
"Bellatrix!" Said man glared at her and rolled his eyes.
"You should have gotten used to it by now." Severus remarked, appearing in the doorway. He was holding a cup of coffee.
"She's gotten worse and she's still going down." Lucius looked at him with a grim look on his face. "I'm moving to your place."
"I suggested this a month ago." Severus smiled teasingly and Lucius just huffed angrily. "But someone was stubborn and insisted that he would live on his own."
"Shut up Sev. No one cares what you think." Lucius glared at him and Severus just shrugged with a smile. Draco's lips curved into a light, relieved smile as he looked at them. Marvolo waved his wand and the dishes flew to the sink and started washing themselves.
"So where first?" The Dark Lord asked Bella, who smiled wildly in return.
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"She's the devil, I tell you." Lucius said, impatiently pacing back and forth. He was sick of sitting on a chair in a bridal shop. He and Severus sat there for almost an hour waiting for either Draco or Marvolo to walk out in anything by now. His friend didn't seem too bothered by it, but Malfoy senior had enough. He wanted to see his son and make sure he got his dream wedding. Without his wife it was hard for both of them, but that was the reason he agreed to join them.
"Calm down." Severus looked at him seriously. They have been served some tea in the meantime by one of the shop assistants, who wasn't grabbed by Bella on the way. Finally they saw a pissed off Dark Lord march out the fitting room. He had a black formal robes on and he looked great.
"What's she doing?" Lucius asked him and Marvolo sighed.
"It would have been easier if I'd just killed her." He sighed heavily. "She's been complaining over Draco's outfit for the past hour and I didn't have the heart to leave him alone. You must be bored out of your mind."
"I was contemplating murdering Severus a while back." Lucius smiled glancing at his best friend, who crossed arms on his chest. "It was just a thought. Who would I live with without you?"
"You would die a sad, old, lonely man." Severus nodded and Lucius glared at him.
"What do you think?" Marvolo asked him and Lucius looked at his outfit critically.
"The shoulders are a bit too wide, but that's details. It looks really good." He smiled and Marvolo nodded. "I hope Draco will survive."
"Last time I saw him he only had a scowl of a pissed off serial killer." Marvolo informed him and the other men laughed shaking their heads. "I think you should worry about Bella more."
"I'm going. No, I don't care auntie. Stick your sashes up your ass." Marvolo gave Draco an entertained look as he appeared before the mirrors.
" You look stunning." Marvolo looked at him from head to toe and Draco smiled lightly. He looked at them in the mirror.
"What do you think dad?" Draco asked looking at his father.
"You look almost perfect, but I think something is missing here." Lucius walked to him and took off his ring. Draco's eyes widened as the lordship ring was slid onto his finger. Lucius smiled and stood behind him. "Now it's perfect."
"Why?" Draco asked quietly, feeling his eyes water. He felt his father's hands on his shoulders.
"It's time I gave it to you. I got my retirement money and me and Sev planned some traveling. I was supposed to do this with your mother, but he'll do too." They both laughed, but it was a bitter laugh. "I'll still help with the ministry, but I want to enjoy life now that it's all over."
"You deserve it, but I won't let you retire this young." Marvolo's lips curved into a gentle smile and Draco looked at him in relief. A young assistant walked up to them obviously nervous, asking if they liked their outfits. Then she looked at Draco terrified.
"Auntie, we're taking those." Draco yelled towards the fitting room and heard an inhuman screech coming from Bella.
"What did you do to her?" Severus asked with an entertained smile. Draco shrugged innocently.
"She was picking buttons for an hour." Draco rolled his eyes and the assistant followed him to the fitting room. "So I might have changed her into a caged parrot." Draco winked at him innocently. Ten minute later he was in his normal clothes, holding a cage with a parrot in his hand. It was a very mad and insane, flying all over the limited space. "Auntie, behave."
"He's ruthless." Lucius noted, eyeing Marvolo, who also walked out of the fitting room. He had a very pleased expression in his face as he watched Draco. "Why hadn't we done it earlier?"
"We got used to her. Draco is a little bit more… impatient." Marvolo said shrugging. He was really happy with Draco's attitude. He walked to him and paid for their outfits. "You can't gain weight until the wedding, you know that."
"Actually I ordered it a little bit bigger. The healer told me to gain a bit weight. I lost a lot during the sickness." Draco said, taking the cage with a slightly less rampaging parrot and walked out of the shop with his entourage following behind him. "Cake?"
"If that's what you want serpent." Marvolo nodded. He would allow Draco to just go anywhere he wanted just to make him happy. Severus snatched the cage from his godson and Draco shook his head. He could hear Bella's screeching and knew he would be in trouble. Right now it was too fun to stop.
He embraced Marvolo's arm, looking around. The Diagon Alley was almost rebuilt and the shops were working again. Some of them changed names or owners due to the war, but they were free to open for business again. The ministry started hiring people and Draco was sure that his family would soon start traveling to re-establish connections with other ministries. Of course they made the first move and got responses and invitations.
Draco suspected everyone was surprised with the way Marvolo decided to rule. He didn't sit in a throne and seemed much more occupied with his fiancé than anything else. He just wanted to stop that idiot, who was the previous minister of magic for many years. Now after it all calmed down people seemed surprised with the lack of hunting and killing people. Draco was happy with that and Marvolo was sure to hear from his future husband if he messed something up.
Draco noticed the curious looks on him, but he didn't mind. He would be glad to appear as a pacifier in people's eyes. He would be the calm and patient lover, who would push the Dark Lord towards peace and he suspected that was Marvolo's plan. His father wasn't very liked, but Draco could make a new impression as a member of the younger generation.
They reached a new bakery and walked inside. It was brand new and nothing like they've seen before, but seeing all the colours and cakes Draco smiled. People inside seemed to tense up as soon as they walked in. Severus and Lucius decided to go to a pet store and buy Bellatrix some food. "Those two have more fun than they should." Marvolo looked at them standing outside, looking like two school kids.
"Let them. I hope they won't laugh to their deaths though." Draco said, standing in line behind everyone else. He knew people were staring, but he wanted to break that barrier. Marvolo was a human being and he wanted to have the freedom to go out with him. He rested his head against his chest and felt a hand brushing his hair gently. "What flavour cake do you want?"
"I can't eat nuts so that's out of question." Draco looked at him surprised and Marvolo shrugged. "Allergy."
"Good thing you told me." Draco said a bit unhappy, but a kiss on top of his head made him smile. He was happy that Marvolo got affectionate with him in public.
"Sorry, I was standing here. Just went to the bathroom." A woman stood in front of them, looking at her phone. Everyone seemed to freeze . She rose her head startled by the complete silence and paled as she looked at the Emperor of Great Britain. To everyone's surprise Draco laughed quietly against his fiancé's chest. "Sorry, I didn't mean…"
"I'm here to order a cake. If you got here first, you stand before us. No need to apologize." Marvolo said and glared at Draco, who tried to stop his laughter. "Are you enjoying yourself serpent?" He asked, raising his eyebrow.
"Immensely." Draco answered with a grin. "But you're so handsome it would probably take my breath away too."
"Okay, you'll live to see another day." Marvolo said with a smile and Draco giggled.
"Oh thank you, my Lord. I was afraid I'd be punished." Draco said in an overly dramatic voice.
"I can chain you up in the basement if you want it so much." His fiancé agreed, pulling him closer.
"Why basement? The bed is closer." Draco suggested, which actually made Marvolo chuckle. It was probably the most bizarre thing to see. The woman stood before them, glancing at the over her shoulder as if she was afraid that Marvolo would turn into a monster in a second. "Don't worry, he's only wild in the bedroom." Draco winked to the woman, when he caught her staring.
"Love, would you please shut up and stop making inappropriate comments?" Marvolo asked and Draco grinned to him in response.
"No." He answered simply, not even changing his carefree expression. Marvolo glared at him, but Draco just smooched him in response. Then he turned to the shop window and all the pastries. "Can we buy some?"
"Do you deserve some?" Marvolo asked, looking at him entertained. Draco looked at him as if his words hurt him to the very core. "What do you want?"
"Cupcakes. For dad and Sev too." Draco looked at him with a happy smile. People seemed to finally get used to their presence. "I'll pay for them. And no, I'll pay for them."
"I won't convince you so okay." Marvolo nodded, playing with his blonde hair. "Choose whatever you like and I'll take same. With…"
"Without nuts. Got you love." Draco interrupted and Marvolo smiled. Finally they reached a counter, asking for a consultation . Draco also bought a box of cupcakes, four of each. Aunt Bella hated sweet so he decided to spare her. They followed a baker to another room. There was one other couple sitting next to a desk and discussing details of their cake.
Draco felt as if he was thrown into paradise after what he have been through. They sat down on the opposite side of the desk. This time Draco made Marvolo do most of the talking by remaining quiet. "You're not very helpful serpent." He said, looking at him.
"Oh, but you're doing good." Draco looked at him calmly. "Besides I want you to actually choose something. And no- robes don't count."
"I just chose a simple cake. It's way too simple for us. You're better with parties." Marvolo said, brushing lost strands off Draco's face.
"I'm terrible with parties love." Draco said seriously. "Mom was the one for parties. It would be easier with her." He admitted sadly.
"I know, but we'll be okay." The blond smiled. He was sure it must have been a weird conversation for the person, who was talking with them. He looked at the man, who was his father's age.
"Sorry if I seem pushy. Are those flowers for your mother?" The man smiled kindly to him.
"Yeah, I thought they looked nice together." Draco said, but looked at the man curiously.
"Maybe we could change them a bit. Not the Narcissus, but the Dahlias. I think that the black might be a bit heavy with green being the primary colour." The man suggested and Draco looked at Marvolo, who nodded.
"Then we're changing the green." Draco said immediately.
"Why?" Marvolo asked, obviously surprised by his decision.
"I told you- they are in memory of my mother. Narcisa Malfoy nee Black. I just can't imagine it being different." He explained grimly. He didn't feel too comfortable talking about that, but it had to be done. Plus the baker was right. "But we can change the flowers if you prefer the green."
"No, we'll leave them. They're important." Draco smile thankfully and rested his head on Marvolo's shoulder. "We have to pick a different colour."
"Maybe grey? A light matte grey could work well with the flowers. It's just a suggestion." The man smiled at them. He seemed more comfortable seeing that it wasn't a strict meeting he expected. Marvolo was very different in person than in stories.
"I like it." Marvolo smiled and looked at Draco, who nodded. "You're tired."
"I spend an hour hearing auntie bitch about buttons and stitching. I was close to killing her." Draco admitted with a light smile. "And I really want to eat those cupcakes."
"I can bring the taste cakes now if you want." Draco nodded and straightened himself. He was ready to eat and Marvolo chuckled. He saw a spell drift to the kitchen and soon a young guy with a tray walk in. He seemed so nervous that he almost tripped and they all chuckled. The young employee escaped quickly and they were left with two forks and a lot of small cakes.
They tried each and every one of them until Draco looked at him confused. "Choose. I don't know."
"Draco, cakes aren't really my thing, you know?" Marvolo groaned when his fiancé decided to leave the decision to him.
"And?" Draco looked at him impatiently and Marvolo sighed.
"I'm seriously considering keeping you in the basement from now on." Draco hit him lightly on the arm. "Actually I want none of those." Draco looked at him surprised. "A green tea sponge and with grape flavoured filling."
"That's a bizarre combination love." The blond looked at him questioningly, but then smiled. "I like it. I have a question though. Can you make the sponge deep green and the filling silver? It would look nice when we cut it."
"It will look good with the flowers. Do you want to cover it with white or grey chocolate?" The baker asked them, writing everything down on a sheet of paper. "And how many layers?"
"8 layers will be fine. I would pick snow white chocolate for cover." Draco suggested and Marvolo nodded, relieved that his lover was back in his decisive mode. He really wasn't good with parties and all that. He trusted Draco to keep the public happy. The blond did it excellently so far, making him seem caring and trustworthy in front of normal people. Plus he could act normally outside and still had an excuse to keep the aristocrats quiet about his behaviour.
Also he was really glad to see people returning to Great Britain after the mess was over. Everything was working out pretty smoothly. "I have to ask one more thing. We would like to keep being anonymous. I hope you understand."
"Of course. That's why I decided to start writing after the cake tasting. Me and my colleague always mix up our orders just to make sure this kind of requests is fulfilled. I'll talk to him and it's going to be just as you want it. We'll also make sure the cake isn't left alone. What's the date?" He said calmly and Marvolo seemed a bit more assured. Draco knew he feared for his safety and he wanted to make sure his fiancé worried as little as possible.
"16th of August." Marvolo said, standing up. They walked out the shop a bit later when everything was done and they could go back home. Their companions were waiting for them outside the bakery.
His aunt, who was back a woman, glared at him and Draco swore she was ready to kill him. Somehow they returned back home without casualties and they sat down for lunch. His aunt disappeared as soon as she heard about cupcakes and the rest of them settled in the living room with a plate of cupcakes.
So where do you want to travel to dad?" Draco asked, looking at the two of them.
"Sev wanted to visit his friend in Russia. After that probably Asia, then both Americas and Europe. So I guess everywhere." Lucius shrugged. He looked at Draco fondly. His son seemed comfortable in Marvolo's lap, being catered by his lover.
"We'll send you postcards." Severus smiled, sipping his tea. "Maybe some sweets."
"Just come visit once in a blue moon, okay?" Draco asked them with a smile and they both nodded. "I can't wait for the weeding."
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I have about 2 more chapters planned for this story. It was never meant to be long and I'll be working on my studies and personal story starting October.