Disclaimer: I am not J.K. Rowling. This story is merely my way of saluting her. I do not own any of these characters; I just manipulate their thoughts. I also want to give props to Beren and Mijan for inspiring my stories.
A/N: PLEASE DON'T HATE ME!
-x-
The next few months saw the couple making furious plans for their upcoming wedding. Along with Auror training, the nuptial arrangements took over their lives. During the days, they would be in the Ministry rooms, studying and practicing relentlessly. During the nights, they would in the dining room, fervently writing out details about the wedding venue, caterers, and music. Thanks to Draco's delegation, their friends were making progress with regards to invitations and decorations.
The plan was to have the wedding in spring of the following year, a mere ten months after they had been engaged. The date was starting to loom closer and closer. A hundred-odd people had RSVP'd already and they'd only invited fifty. It was to be held at the Malfoy Manor upon Narcissa's insistence. The large sloping hills behind the house were a perfect venue. Neither of them was allowed into the back until the day of the wedding. Harry trusted that Draco's mother and Hermione would do a pleasant enough job with the altar and the seating arrangements. Draco wasn't all that optimistic.
"It's my wedding, why can't I oversee the important parts of it?" he griped.
"Because you're too stressed already and you're going be chewing my head off the day before the wedding," Harry said.
Ron and Blaise were the best men at the wedding. They were more than happy to oblige. They helped Draco drag Harry to his suit fitting and cake tasting sessions. They helped calm Draco down whenever he went on a ranting rampage in Harry's house.
There was a month left before the nuptials.
-x-
Harry and Draco were on their patrol. It was already eight months into the program and both men were thoroughly exhausted from the effort required to stay focused on the training while balancing wedding plans. They were slowly strolling down a deserted Diagon Alley, talking quietly about who should be seated with whom and what not to serve at the reception dinner.
"Fuck this, we should just elope," Draco muttered.
"Yeah, I'm sure everyone would appreciate that," Harry replied, rolling his eyes.
That's when they heard their Sneakoscopes whistling shrilly and rotating in their pockets. Both men quickly drew out their wand and cast a Disillusionment charm, peering out into the darkness. Soft rustles echoed along the cobblestone road and Harry caught slight movement from the corner of his eye. He swore silently, pushing himself closer to Draco. He felt the rush of unease as Dementors slowly descended.
"Finite Incantantem," Bellatrix Lestrange's sharp voice chanted decisively. Harry and Draco felt the Disillusionment charm lifting off of them, leaving them visible to the cackling Death Eater.
"Well, well, well… " Bellatrix said softly as the Dementors closed in on the two Aurors.
"Expecto Patr-"
"Flagrate," Bellatrix interrupted Harry. He yelped as he felt hot slashes cutting through his arms. He heaved in pain, letting his wild magic heal him. He took a deep breath before standing back upright.
Draco was staring at the figure behind Bellatrix. Lucius Malfoy was looking at the two men passively. Draco felt despair filling him as the Dementors stopped moving, making a loose circle around Harry and him.
"Father?" he said, his voice cracking.
Harry felt Draco's mind filling with hesitation. He tried to dispel the Dementors again, but Bellatrix cut him short, this time with an Expelliarmus. Harry's wand clattered onto the stones and rolled away, but he held his ground. Fuck Draco, do something! But Draco was rooted on the spot, his wand hanging limp. Harry threw a protective shield around himself and Draco.
"Snap out of it, Draco," Harry said through his gritted teeth. "I need you to use the Patronus when I open the shield, okay?"
Draco nodded hesitantly, not wanting to break his eye contact with Lucius. Harry poured magic into Draco, wanting him to stay resilient. He tried to enter Draco's mind, but it was firmly shut, keeping Harry out. Draco felt the slight tingle of Harry's magic in his body and took a deep breath. He nodded again.
"Now," Harry muttered, dropping his shield.
"Expecto –"
"Crucio," Lucius interrupted, pointing his wand at his son. Harry's stomach dropped. He furiously summoned his wand using his wild magic and let his wings unfurl as he watched Draco writhing on the ground.
"Curcio," Bellatrix screamed at Harry. Harry pushed the pain out of his mind and quickly snapped up his wand. Lucius turned his calm eyes to Harry.
"Sectumsempra," he hissed, slashing at Harry. Harry gasped in pain. He dropped to his knees, trying to heal himself.
"Hmm… Potter. Isn't that how you killed the Dark Lord? How fitting, killing the darkest wizard with Dark magic," Lucius said quietly.
Harry couldn't heal the slashes that ran across his chest. The Dark magic barrier was stopping his wild magic from closing the wounds. He groaned in pain as he felt the blood seeping out. Lucius slashed his wand again. Nausea filled Harry as he felt the skin on his back ripping open underneath his wings. Tears fell from his eyes as he tried unsuccessfully to repair the cuts. Bellatrix crowed loudly, throwing a vicious Cruciatus at him. This time Harry wasn't prepared for it. His wings curled up around him as he tried to protect himself from the pain in his head and in his body.
Draco woke up from his swoon to find Harry whimpering on the ground. Fury took over as he whipped his wand at Lucius.
"How dare you! Impedimenta," he shouted hoarsely, watching his father fall to the ground.
Bellatrix quickly switched her focus to the conscious Auror. With a quick smirk she chanted, "Avada ked-"
No, Harry thought through his pain. He threw his shield up around Draco, feeling his magic falter as blood gushed through his gashes. He didn't know if his shield could stop the killing curse. He poured more and more of his magic into it spontaneously. He cried out in agony as the Killing Curse bounded off the shield. His heart faltered at the jarring effect of the curse. He struggled to breathe. His wings went limp and his consciousness flickered.
"Incendio," Draco roared at Bellatrix. She screamed as her robes caught on fire. She fell to the ground, trying to extinguish the insatiable flames.
Please, Harry. Just hold on, Draco thought as he gathered up all his positive energy and let it flow out of his wand. "Expecto Patronum," Draco said clearly, sending out his Patronus. The angel flew out of his wand, looking at him sadly for a moment. The shimmery silver Patronus of Harry then flew towards the surrounding Dementors, causing them to scatter into the sky. It drew out its large wings and pushed heavily against the Dementors. Within seconds, the last of the Dark creatures screeched loudly and flew away. Draco's Patronus slowly flew back up to Draco. Patronus Harry touched a warm translucent hand against Draco's cheek silently, enveloping him in the silver wings. Draco let out a strangled cry and the Patronus disappeared into his wand.
Draco quickly knelt down beside Harry, gathering him up. Harry was crying silently, his shoulders shaking violently.
"Harry, please…" Draco pleaded, not knowing what he wanted Harry to do.
"I can't," Harry whispered painfully. "Oh god, it hurts!"
Draco watched in horror as blood flowed freely down the street. He tried to staunch it using healing charms, but nothing worked against the Dark magic. His hand was soon soiled with Harry's warm blood. Harry was mumbling incoherently while Draco frantically called the Ministry for assistance.
"Hold on, Harry, just hold on, okay," Draco said urgently, trying to keep Harry conscious.
Harry cried out in agony again, this time because he felt Draco's pained emotions. He didn't want to hold on. The torture was unbearable. He wanted to let go. His mind jolted in awareness when he suddenly tasted salty lips against his mouth. He hungrily accepted Draco's love, moving his lips quickly under Draco's trembling ones. "Don't leave me," Draco cried into Harry's cold lips.
I won't, Harry tried to say, but he couldn't remember how. He struggled for another breath, wanting to tell Draco that he loved him. But he couldn't make the words come out. He cried harder at the thought, feeling his consciousness slipping.
Draco saw Harry's bright emerald eyes open for a brief moment, staring clearly into Draco's. "I know you love me, Harry," he breathed, pushing his lips against Harry's once again. Harry sighed as he let the darkness take him.
-x-