"Harry. Harry, wake up," Gabrielle encouraged, gently wiping the soft damp rag over his face. She'd cleaned up the bloodied cuts and scratches and healed his black eye as best she could and now Harry's head was resting in her lap. He was still out cold, whether sleeping or passed out she wasn't sure. Flashing back to a night nearly three years prior, she couldn't help but shiver as she traced his lips softly with her finger.
"Mmm," he moaned, opening his eyes slowly. "You're fuzzy…"
"That's because I took off your glasses. They were broken, along with your nose. Whoever fixed it did a good job," she whispered, putting his glasses back on him.
"You learn to do it yourself after a while," he replied, grabbing her hand in his and pressing it to his cheek. "I'm so sorry I missed your dance."
"It's ok, really…"
"No, you deserve an explanation…for a lot of things. Is what Snape said true?" Harry asked softly, running his fingers gently over the back of her hand.
"I don't know…what did he say?" she asked, somewhat breathlessly. He was staring intently at her under hooded eyes, and Gabrielle was finding it hard to think clearly.
"That I was toying with your feelings. That I've been leading you on, only to disappoint you…" Harry repeated, watching her eyes carefully for any reaction to his words.
"Well… Harry," she sighed, taking a deep shaky breath, "it's hard, you know. I know that you know how I feel about you. I'm a horrible liar and there is no way that you could be so dense that you haven't picked up on…"
"How do you feel about me?" he questioned, his voice quiet yet firm. "Gabrielle?"
"I love you, Harry," she answered, slowly drawling the words out, words that she'd spoken hundreds of thousands of times in her head, but never gave voice to. "I love you. I've loved you for years now." Gabrielle continued, not noticing the smile that was overtaking Harry's somewhat less bruised and battered face. "But… I've come to…not accept but live with the fact that it's completely one sided. I mean, the only time you've ever shown me anything in terms of romantic affection was the time you were drunk and then the next day you ran off without a word or a note or…" she finished rapidly, a slight hysteria creeping into her voice.
"You're wrong about that…"
"That you didn't run off? Well, maybe it was work related but still. You can't deny that you were drunk and…"
Harry cut her off, sitting up quickly and, ignoring the sudden pounding in his head, he kissed her. After a few moments, he pulled away to look at her, his hands framing her face as his thumbs tenderly caressed her cheeks. "I'm not drunk now, am I?"
"You've had a head injury!" she protested, tears beginning to pool in her eyes.
He laughed and kissed her again. "I'm sorry for running like I did, I'm sorry for keeping you at arm's length ever since, and I'm so sorry for not being here tonight. Will you believe me when I say that I truly did fight my way to you?" he teased, grinning boyishly at her.
"What happened?" she sighed as he pulled her to him again.
He kissed her until they both were desperately in need of oxygen yet, even after he broke away, he didn't fully release her. "I've wanted to do that for so long, Gabby," he whispered into her hair. Shifting so that she was sitting in his lap, and not the other way around, Harry began to explain. "It has all been work related. I can't tell you what I did…but believe me when I say did. I'm done… I don't want to fight evil and sneak around pretending to be someone I'm not, living in constant danger…not anymore. I've done it for nearly 24 years now. I just want…"
Harry paused a moment, looking deep into her eyes before continuing.
"I want a normal life… with a house and a family and a…dog. I've always wanted a dog and I've never been able to have one. I can now. I can have all of that because I quit, Gabby, I quit. I have no idea what I'm going to do now, but… I don't want to have to treat you like a mere acquaintance, to deny the way I feel about you in the hopes of keeping you safe. I don't want you wondering where I am, or why I left with no word, or if I'm going to come back," he stated fervently, clutching her against his chest. Looking down into her eyes, he repeated huskily, "I don't want to deny how I feel any longer."
"How do you feel, Harry?" she asked, holding her breath.
"I love you, Gabrielle. I loved you as a little girl. I loved you as a quirky teenager. I love you as the woman you've become. I love everything about you…" he declared, punctuating the end of every sentence with a kiss on her face.
"Oh," she gasped, not knowing how to react. "You do?"
"How could I not?" Harry asked in return, laughing at the dumbfounded look on her face. "I…love…you."
"I love you too!" she shrieked, throwing her arms around his neck as she began to laugh.
"So…"
"So what?"
Harry grinned; he couldn't help it. He was happy, truly really happy for the first time in a very long time. "Now that we have that settled… Did you get to dance tonight? Or did my unfortunate turn of events ruin your final Hogwartian event?" Gabrielle dropped her eyes, not wanting to answer his question and make him feel guilty. "I will take your silence as a yes to that second question."
"There was only one person I wanted to dance with," she murmured, raising her eyes to his. "And he was late."
"I'll never be late again, I promise," he assured her, standing up with her still in his arms. Slowly lowering her to her feet, he whispered, "Come with me…"
"Where? What?"
"Sssh… You'll see," he murmured, grabbing her scarf off the floor and tying it around her head so her eyes were covered. "No peaking!"
"Harry! You… blindfolded me! What…?"
"Do you trust me?" Harry asked solemnly, bracing his hands on her shoulders.
Even though she couldn't see him, Gabrielle knew that he was staring down at her. She could feel him watching her steadily, waiting nervously for her answer. "With my life."
Letting out the breath he didn't even realize he'd been holding, Harry smiled. "Then just come with me." Taking her hand, he led her out of the common room and through the halls of the schools, carefully helping her up and down staircases, so carefully that she never once tripped or stumbled despite her blindness.
"Are we there yet?" she teased when they stopped moving, Harry telling her to stand still before he began casting spells. Even with the scarf over her eyes, she could see flashes of light and hear the whizzing spells flying past her ears.
"Yes, just one moment more…" Harry mumbled distractedly, taking a look around to make sure it was as he'd remembered it. "There," he sighed, walking behind her to remove the blindfold. "One…two…three." Removing the scarf, he moved to her side, watching her reaction.
"Harry!" she gasped, spinning around to face him. "You did this…for me?"
"Who else?"
"Oh, Harry," she whispered joyously, her eyes still racing around the room taking in all the decorations. Gabby looked around in utter amazement. He'd recreated the entire atmosphere of the dance. The traditional floating candles had been replaced with twinkling stars and the magical ceiling had been enchanted to recreate the haunting, otherworldly display of the northern lights, beautiful flickering curtains of colour that cast dreamlike reflection on the walls. The long house tables were gone and replaced with small round tables every few feet along the walls. The wall hangings were elegant brocades of gold and silver with stars and plants adorning the fabric. The room was housing dozens of small rose bushes with live fairies fluttering happily in their branches causing a twinkling lights throughout the room, casting just enough light to make the atmosphere extremely romantic and giving off a gently fragrance, enhancing the effect.
The very walls and floor disappeared as cloudlike mist began to emanate. Gabrielle thought that this must be what it was like to dance in paradise. But, there was no better paradise than being in Harry's arms. "I don't… You…"
"You like it then?"
"Yes! Of course!" she cried, looking back at him. "I can't believe you did this."
"Aaah, compared to battling my way here, this was nothing," Harry laughed, wrapping his arms around her. "I just wanted to make you happy."
"Harry, this has been the happiest day of my life," Gabby declared exuberantly, shrieking as he picked her up and spun her around in circle. "But," she gasped, grinning at him, "you owe me a dance."
"That's right. I do," Harry drawled impishly, just as soft music began playing in the distance. "May I have this dance?"
"You may have them all," Gabrielle replied, starting to slowly sway with him to the music.
"I plan on holding you to that," Harry whispered into her ear, sending shivers down her spine.
"OK," she laughed, dragging his head down so she could kiss him again.
As they continued to dance, well, sway and kiss, four sets of eyes looked on. "See now, Sev? It all worked out in the end. Happily ever after for all four of them."
Severus smiled down at his wife. "I did good, didn't I?"
"You always do, my love. You always do…" she whispered, leading him away from the door and back towards the dungeon.
From the other end of the Great Hall, another voice was heard speaking softly. "So do you think he'll ever thank me for whisking you away like I did?"
"I wouldn't hold your breath," Ginny laughed, leaning back against Draco's chest as he gently stroked her belly. "But I do, everyday," she sighed, turning in his arms to kiss him. "Everyday."
And, like Margherita said, they all lived happily ever after!
