Hermione approached Harry slowly and dropped some papers in his lap. Harry looked up.

"What's this?" he asked gloomily. Hermione stared down at Harry sadly.

"Records from the ministry office. Draco and Lucas are having another ceremony in a week's time. I thought you might want to be there." She offered. It had been private information, but all it took was a quick memory charm and she managed to take the records from the incompetent receptionist.

"But they didn't see me tear up the contract. They still think they're married. Why would they be having another ceremony?" he asked, bewildered. Hermione shrugged; Harry was right. They wouldn't have known that Harry had ruined the contract.

"I don't know. I don't know what's going on here, but there's the time and place of the ceremony. You can go, but you might not like what you find." She warned. Harry silently began reading the papers. There was even a picture of the church included. It was large, with a tall steeple forming a point high in the sky.

"I should have killed him." Harry said darkly. "I should have killed him while I had the chance." He knew Lucas belonged in Azkaban for his crimes. He never should have been allowed free. And after everything he had done to Draco…why? Why would Draco have stepped up and make the statement? It was possible Lucas was threatening him again, but why hadn't he got away when he had the chance?

He ran his fingers through his hair. None of it made sense, but he would have time to ask Draco about it later. He would go to the church and this time he would get his Draco back at all costs. Lucas would not walk away again even if he had to use some nasty curses to stop him.

"You're going to go, aren't you?" Hermione asked. Harry simply nodded. She sat next to him.

"I'll come with you. So will Ron." She offered. Harry agreed; he needed all the support he could get; he wasn't going to leave anything to chance.


The day of the ceremony came a lot quicker than Draco would have liked. Lucas was hovering around the church, checking the decorations. Draco looked down at the rows of pews. Predictably, they were completely empty. It would have been nothing like that if he had managed to get around to marrying Harry. The rows would be filled with friends and family. It would have been an amazing day.

"The priest will be out in a while. I didn't invite anyone else; I wanted it to be special." Lucas told Draco happily. More like no one would want to come, Draco thought to himself. Draco was nervous. His insides were twisting, and not in the good way. He didn't want to spend the rest of his life with a madman! Lucas took his hand.

"I've waited for this day for so long," Lucas said. Draco was staring at the ceiling. It was extravagantly decorated. Draco's attention was caught as the church doors opened. His heart dropped as he saw Harry storm in. he was followed by Hermione and Ron. Draco turned to Lucas.

"We have to leave." He said quickly. He couldn't deal with Harry right now. Not again. Lucas shook his head.

"This is our special day, angel. We shouldn't let him ruin it." he said calmly. Harry raced up to them, his wand out, pointed furiously at Lucas.

"If you think I'm letting you go again, you're mistaken." Harry said to Draco. He turned to Lucas "Whatever you've done to Draco, its over. He's coming home with me." The confidence was clear in his voice, but Lucas didn't seem bothered. Harry's hand was steady as he kept his wand pointed at Lucas. There would be no escaping this time.

Draco rushed forward, planting himself firmly between Lucas and the end of Harry's wand.

"You weren't invited." Draco said angrily. If Lucas lost his temper, things could turn out badly. Harry's eyes softened.

"I know he's done something to you." Harry said simply. Draco tried to sneer, but failed miserably.

"That's what you want to believe," he said.

"No, Draco, it's the truth. I know you wouldn't suddenly leave without a good explanation. Something happened that night. He did something. It doesn't matter what it was, because he's going straight back to Azkaban. Azkaban Draco! He can't touch you from there!" Harry said, trying to comfort Draco.

Ron could have Lucas held in Azkaban while Draco changed the statement. Then, Lucas would be stuck in Azkaban for the rest of his life. Draco only wished it was so simple. Once, he had thought Azkaban had been the answer. Now he knew better, and knew just how far Lucas's power stretched.

"H-Harry…it's not that simple anymore." He said quietly. Harry's heart leap; he had confirmation that Draco wasn't willingly with Lucas. He could hear the pain and distress in Draco's voice. Lucas, however, heard Draco's little plea too, and grabbed his wrist, pulled him back to the altar.

"The priest will be here soon." Lucas said. To Draco, it sounded more like a threat.

"I knew it! Draco, listen, it doesn't have to be this way! We can lock him up. Forever." Harry said soothingly. He was aiming his wand at Lucas again. As soon as he got Draco away, he could attack and subdue him, ready to take him back to Azkaban. Draco was determined not to look at Harry. He knew he would fall prey to those green eyes.

"Draco. Tell me that you love me. Just tell me that." Harry reasoned. He had to get Draco to say something. Anything. Ron had also pulled his wand out, pointing it at Lucas. Hermione followed.

It didn't seem to bother Lucas that he was outnumbered.

"I…I do love you, Harry." Draco said. It was worth it just to see Harry's eyes light up. He couldn't deny it any longer; it was cruel to keep acting like he didn't care about Harry. Lucas grabbed him angrily.

"Why, Draco, why?" he snarled. For the first time, Draco saw Lucas properly lose his temper. "After everything I've done for you! I killed my father! I made sure everything was perfect. I was perfect! You're mine!" he rambled. A dark look passed across his face.

"I'm not letting him take you. If I can't have you, no one can!" he yelled. Harry saw the flash of metal and knew it was time to stop playing around.

"Avada Kedavra!" the curse was fast, and the shot of green light tore through the air, hitting Lucas square in the chest. He fell, landing on the floor at an awkward angle, his eyes wide and glassy. Then Harry realised that Draco was also on the floor. He rushed forward.

Ron and Hermione ran forward too. Hermione gasped, her hand pressed against her mouth in shock. Harry dropped to his knees beside Draco. He watched in horror as the red liquid seeped through Draco's clothes.

"Oh god. Oh god, Draco! I'm so sorry. I'm sorry!" Harry didn't even know what he was apologising for. Draco was limp in his arms. Anything. Everything. That he didn't act sooner and kill Lucas, that he hadn't forced Draco to come back that first time when they had found him at the ministry. Hermione came to her senses and pushed Harry away from Draco.

"We need to Apparate him to Mungo's." she said quickly. Harry nodded numbly. Even Ron was looking down at Draco, his eyes wide. She grabbed Ron's arm and Draco's. Harry was already holding the blonde. She closed her eyes and concentrated on getting to St. Mungo's.

Soon, Lucas swam out of view and the bustling hospital appeared. Nurses soon sensed the commotion and came rushing. They levitated Draco onto a bed.

"He…he was attacked." Harry said, even though it was obvious. He felt completely useless. He watched helplessly as they took Draco away. Hermione lay a comforting hand on his shoulder, and steered him to a chair.

"He's going to be fine, Harry. Mungo's is the best, you know that." She said soothingly. Harry did feel a little better at this. Hermione was right; St. Mungo's really were the best. Draco was in good hands.

"I'm going to go and find out what's going on. Ron! Get Harry some tea. No, get him some coffee." She corrected. She gave Harry a last pat on the shoulder before leaving.


As soon as Harry was told he could see Draco, he raced through the hallways before he even knew what room. He came back, several minutes later for directions from Hermione.

He entered the room slowly, afraid of what he would find inside. Draco had been cleaned up and he wasn't as pale. Harry sat beside the bed in a small, metallic chair. He didn't care that it was uncomfortable. Hermione came in after him.

"They say he's going to be completely fine as we got him here really quickly." She said. Harry let out a shaky breath and reached for Draco's hand.

"It's over. Lucas is dead." He told the sleeping blonde softly. He suddenly remembered they had left Lucas's body in the church. Hermione sensed what Harry was thinking about.

"Ron has gone to sort it." she said. Harry looked up at her.

"I killed him. There are going to be repercussions from that." Harry said slowly. For the first time he was thinking of someone other than Draco. Hermione shook her head.

"He attacked Draco; you had no other choice. Besides-"

"My fault."

Harry and Hermione's eyes shot downwards. Harry grabbed Draco's hand.

"It's not your fault, Draco. Don't speak, just rest." Harry commanded softly. Draco ignored Harry's orders and carried on talking.

"He's dead, right, you killed him?" he asked worriedly. Harry nodded slowly. Draco closed his eyes and let out a sigh of relief. So it really was over. It seemed Harry was also ignoring his own orders, and asked Draco a question.

"Why didn't you come home sooner? We would have put him in Azkaban." Harry said.

"Like I said, it wasn't that simple. He had…people working for him from the outside. People who got into our house. They could have killed you." Draco said, remembering the break in. Harry frowned. He had defeated Voldemort, and Draco had been worried about a few wizards Lucas had hired?

"Draco, you know I can handle myself. They wouldn't have stood a chance, you know that." Harry said. Draco wasn't making sense; he really could have come home a lot sooner.

"Yeah, I know, but…would you have killed me?" Draco asked. Harry's eyes shot open.

"I…I don't…what?" Harry had no idea where Draco was coming from with a sudden question like that. Draco refused to meet Harry's eyes as he talked.

"Do you remember that night when I left?" he asked. Harry just nodded. How could he not?

"Well…the people Lucas sent used the imperious curse on me. They made me attack you while you were sleeping. I nearly used the killing curse on you." Draco said sorrowfully. Harry held his hand tighter.

"Those bastards, picking on your weakness!" something suddenly dawned on Harry. "But…you fought it." Harry pointed out. Draco had never been able to fight it before, yet he was still alive. It was proof. Draco swallowed.

"No, I didn't. Lucas, or whomever he had hired, stopped the curse at the last second. It was a warning. He would have made me kill you if I had stayed. If I had told you, it would have had the same result." Draco mumbled. Harry sighed and he gave Draco a gentle kiss.

"Everything's going to be alright. He's gone." He pulled Draco's ring from his pocket.

"Do you...still want-"

"Of course!" Draco interrupted quickly. Harry smiled and took Draco's hand.

"Oh," he tried pulling off Lucas's ring, but it was stuck. Draco groaned.

"He used some kind of permanent sticking charm." He muttered. Harry rolled his eyes.

"Of course." He muttered, looking up at Hermione for help. She rose to the challenge at once, firing spell after spell at Draco's hand. The blonde stared at Harry with raised eyebrows. She was using spells Harry and Draco had never heard of before. Eventually, she found the right one and the ring broke into small pieces, falling off Draco's finger.

The blonde brushed the pieces onto the floor. He smiled as he felt Harry slip the real ring on his finger.

"I'm going to ask you one more time. Draco, will you marry me?" Harry asked gently. Draco smiled. Harry already knew the answer to that. Hermione had little tears in her eyes when Draco replied.

"Yes."

END


A/n: Hope you enjoyed!