Chapter 21
'The most important day of my life.'
Harry shivered at the thought. He couldn't believe that he was going to marry Draco... in less than twelve hours!
When Harry woke, Draco was gone. The tan curtains were spread and fluttering in a soft summer breeze from the open window. A single red rose rested gracefully at the end of the queen-sized bed. A note sat next to the beautiful red flower, written carefully in Draco's small, neat handwriting.
'Good morning, love. I'm sorry I couldn't be there to wake you this morning. You looked so perfect sleeping. Now go downstairs and have a good breakfast, we have a long day ahead of us.'
Harry went to his dresser and pulled on his clothes, grinning. How is it possible that anyone could be as perfect as Draco? How much he had changed in those two years.... He was no longer bitter and cold, no longer the mean and hard Slytherin Harry had fallen in love with in the first place.... This Draco was better.
He opened the door and ran down the stairs. When he arrived in the kitchen, he gasped. The Counters were covered with plates overflowing with delicious-smelling food.
Harry walked past each platter of food, examining it, taking in its scent. There was a platter of eggs, next to the bacon and sausage. Then there was a large stack of pancakes, and a small platter filled with fruits.
Just when Harry had decided that the food in front of him was twice the equivalent of all the food ha had ever eaten in his life, the doorbell rang. He grabbed a piece of bacon and walked into the entrance hall.
When he opened the door, he was met with a flurry of greetings and hugs that nearly bowled him over.
It took him a few seconds to realize what was going on. Hermione, Tonks, Lupin, Moody and Dumbledore were standing outside the door, all grinning in at him.
"Hi," Harry muttered, still slightly shocked, as he opened the door waider, allowing them in.
Tonks and Hermione oth hugged Harry a second time as they entered. Moody shook his hand, as if meeting him for the first time, while Lupin and Dumbledore just grinned at him as they examined the entrance hall.
"Draco sent us over to have breakfast with you," Tonks explained when she saw the mild surprise on his face.
Harry nodded. "Where is he? And everyone else?"
"They ate breakfast at the Grimmauld Place earlier, now they're at the church getting ready," Hermione replied as she made her way through the hallway to the kitchen. "We thought it would be a good idea if he got to know the rest of the Order members better."
Harry nodded again and followed her into the kitchen, with the rest of the guests following slowly behind, examining the house.
He was shaking. His knees were about to collapse under him. He shivered as he straightened his collar again.
'I'm not nervous,' he thought. 'I'm not. I'm not nervous.'
He stared into the mirror in front of him. His pale skin looked almost ghostly.
"Who am I kidding?" he asked himself aloud. "I've been so nervous."
He closed his eye tightly. He couldn't believe he was so afraid. He was marrying the love of his life! What was there to be nervous about?
He stared at himself in the mirror for several more minutes, as his mind wandered. Where would they be in two months? What would they be doing? Would they be happy? What about two years? Two decades?
This nearly knocked him off his feet. Twenty years... with the same person. The same old Harry. He smiled.
There was a quick tap on the door, and Draco turned around to see Hermione smiling at him. She seemed almost proud.
He was suddenly reminded that his own mother wasn't there. There was no family for him to share his own wedding with. No siblings to be by his side, no proud father to walk him down the isle, no crying mother to worry over the smallest details. No one.
"We're your family, Draco," Hermione murmured, embracing him tightly.
"When did you learn Legilimency?" he asked.
"Ron and I practiced it a bit last year," she sniffed.
When she pulled back, she had tears in her eyes. "I'm proud of you, Dray. We all are." She paused. "I remember when we used to hate each other.... It seems like only yesterday that you first called me that god- awful name."
"Merlin, don't remind me," Draco smiled softly. "I never want to remember how much of a jerk I was."
Hermione laughed quietly. "I gotta go, the ceremony's about to begin."
Draco shivered again. Hermione smiled and gave him another hug before leaving the dressing room.
The church was beautiful. The only light in the room was the glowing candlelight from the back wall, on which half the candles were flickering. The candles were enchanted so the small flames would change colors, fading from red to pink to purple to blue.
The ceiling had also been enchanted, to imitate the night sky. The mock stars shone brightly against the black void they were settled in, casting shadow patterns along the walls and the floor.
Rose pedals had been traced along the isle, and clouds of golden mist floated around the room, the dim candlelight shimmering off of them, creating flares of color.
Harry's breath caught in his chest when he saw Draco. The scene couldn't be more perfect.... Draco couldn't be more perfect.
It seemed to take a lifetime for Draco to reach the altar. Harry just wanted Draco to be by his side. To watch Draco walk toward him but never seem to get closer was torture.
Draco's soft skin brushed against Harry's hand. Draco was still trembling.
"Dearly beloved," Dumbledore's strong voice rang out over the large number of guests, "Were are gathered here today to join Harry and Draco in holy matremony. Does anyone object to the joining of this couple?"
It was only then that Harry realized just how many people were watching them. When they had entered, Harry was too lost in thought to notice. But now he realized just how many people were staring at them, watching their every move. And he wished he could become lost in thought once again.
He looked back at Draco. Draco was gazing intently back at him, and his jaw was quivering. Harry almost laughed at how nervous Draco looked.
"Do you, Harry Potter, take Draco Malfoy, to have and to hold, in sickness and in health, until death do you part?"
"I do," Harry whispered.
"Do you, Draco Malfoy, take Harry Potter, to have and to hold, in sickness and in health, until death do you part?"
"I do," Draco replied strongly.
"The couple will now exchange their vows."
Draco took one of the silver bands from the floating cushion that was hovering between them. "Harry, you were the first person I ever loved, and the first person I ever let see the real me. There is no way to ever describe how much you mean to me, how much you changed my life for the better. But I will spend the rest of my life trying to show you. I don't know what I did to deserve you, but I promise I will never do anything to lose you." He slid the band onto Harry's ring finger and gave his steady hand a soft squeeze.
Harry removed the other ring from the elegant pillow and began to speak softly to his lover.
"Draco, you changed my entire existence. You lit up my life when I could see nothing but darkness. You gave me something to live for when I had nothing left. You were my savior. You're perfect to me—heaven. It would be hell to live without you, to go without your love." He slipped the silver band onto Draco's quivering finger.
Dumbledore smiled gently. "By the power invested in me by the Ministry of Magic, I now pronounce you married. You may kiss."
Harry grinned as he pulled Draco in for their first kiss as a married couple.
A/N: Wow, that took a bit too long, eh? Sorry about that. I had it all written out, but then I lost my notebook. (May I remind you that I lose everything, and you can't blame me for it, it's in my genes.) Of course, I found the week of finals, so I had no chance of typing it up then.... I'll start working on the next chapter... as soon as I use the computer next?
TTFN, Deathdragon4
'The most important day of my life.'
Harry shivered at the thought. He couldn't believe that he was going to marry Draco... in less than twelve hours!
When Harry woke, Draco was gone. The tan curtains were spread and fluttering in a soft summer breeze from the open window. A single red rose rested gracefully at the end of the queen-sized bed. A note sat next to the beautiful red flower, written carefully in Draco's small, neat handwriting.
'Good morning, love. I'm sorry I couldn't be there to wake you this morning. You looked so perfect sleeping. Now go downstairs and have a good breakfast, we have a long day ahead of us.'
Harry went to his dresser and pulled on his clothes, grinning. How is it possible that anyone could be as perfect as Draco? How much he had changed in those two years.... He was no longer bitter and cold, no longer the mean and hard Slytherin Harry had fallen in love with in the first place.... This Draco was better.
He opened the door and ran down the stairs. When he arrived in the kitchen, he gasped. The Counters were covered with plates overflowing with delicious-smelling food.
Harry walked past each platter of food, examining it, taking in its scent. There was a platter of eggs, next to the bacon and sausage. Then there was a large stack of pancakes, and a small platter filled with fruits.
Just when Harry had decided that the food in front of him was twice the equivalent of all the food ha had ever eaten in his life, the doorbell rang. He grabbed a piece of bacon and walked into the entrance hall.
When he opened the door, he was met with a flurry of greetings and hugs that nearly bowled him over.
It took him a few seconds to realize what was going on. Hermione, Tonks, Lupin, Moody and Dumbledore were standing outside the door, all grinning in at him.
"Hi," Harry muttered, still slightly shocked, as he opened the door waider, allowing them in.
Tonks and Hermione oth hugged Harry a second time as they entered. Moody shook his hand, as if meeting him for the first time, while Lupin and Dumbledore just grinned at him as they examined the entrance hall.
"Draco sent us over to have breakfast with you," Tonks explained when she saw the mild surprise on his face.
Harry nodded. "Where is he? And everyone else?"
"They ate breakfast at the Grimmauld Place earlier, now they're at the church getting ready," Hermione replied as she made her way through the hallway to the kitchen. "We thought it would be a good idea if he got to know the rest of the Order members better."
Harry nodded again and followed her into the kitchen, with the rest of the guests following slowly behind, examining the house.
He was shaking. His knees were about to collapse under him. He shivered as he straightened his collar again.
'I'm not nervous,' he thought. 'I'm not. I'm not nervous.'
He stared into the mirror in front of him. His pale skin looked almost ghostly.
"Who am I kidding?" he asked himself aloud. "I've been so nervous."
He closed his eye tightly. He couldn't believe he was so afraid. He was marrying the love of his life! What was there to be nervous about?
He stared at himself in the mirror for several more minutes, as his mind wandered. Where would they be in two months? What would they be doing? Would they be happy? What about two years? Two decades?
This nearly knocked him off his feet. Twenty years... with the same person. The same old Harry. He smiled.
There was a quick tap on the door, and Draco turned around to see Hermione smiling at him. She seemed almost proud.
He was suddenly reminded that his own mother wasn't there. There was no family for him to share his own wedding with. No siblings to be by his side, no proud father to walk him down the isle, no crying mother to worry over the smallest details. No one.
"We're your family, Draco," Hermione murmured, embracing him tightly.
"When did you learn Legilimency?" he asked.
"Ron and I practiced it a bit last year," she sniffed.
When she pulled back, she had tears in her eyes. "I'm proud of you, Dray. We all are." She paused. "I remember when we used to hate each other.... It seems like only yesterday that you first called me that god- awful name."
"Merlin, don't remind me," Draco smiled softly. "I never want to remember how much of a jerk I was."
Hermione laughed quietly. "I gotta go, the ceremony's about to begin."
Draco shivered again. Hermione smiled and gave him another hug before leaving the dressing room.
The church was beautiful. The only light in the room was the glowing candlelight from the back wall, on which half the candles were flickering. The candles were enchanted so the small flames would change colors, fading from red to pink to purple to blue.
The ceiling had also been enchanted, to imitate the night sky. The mock stars shone brightly against the black void they were settled in, casting shadow patterns along the walls and the floor.
Rose pedals had been traced along the isle, and clouds of golden mist floated around the room, the dim candlelight shimmering off of them, creating flares of color.
Harry's breath caught in his chest when he saw Draco. The scene couldn't be more perfect.... Draco couldn't be more perfect.
It seemed to take a lifetime for Draco to reach the altar. Harry just wanted Draco to be by his side. To watch Draco walk toward him but never seem to get closer was torture.
Draco's soft skin brushed against Harry's hand. Draco was still trembling.
"Dearly beloved," Dumbledore's strong voice rang out over the large number of guests, "Were are gathered here today to join Harry and Draco in holy matremony. Does anyone object to the joining of this couple?"
It was only then that Harry realized just how many people were watching them. When they had entered, Harry was too lost in thought to notice. But now he realized just how many people were staring at them, watching their every move. And he wished he could become lost in thought once again.
He looked back at Draco. Draco was gazing intently back at him, and his jaw was quivering. Harry almost laughed at how nervous Draco looked.
"Do you, Harry Potter, take Draco Malfoy, to have and to hold, in sickness and in health, until death do you part?"
"I do," Harry whispered.
"Do you, Draco Malfoy, take Harry Potter, to have and to hold, in sickness and in health, until death do you part?"
"I do," Draco replied strongly.
"The couple will now exchange their vows."
Draco took one of the silver bands from the floating cushion that was hovering between them. "Harry, you were the first person I ever loved, and the first person I ever let see the real me. There is no way to ever describe how much you mean to me, how much you changed my life for the better. But I will spend the rest of my life trying to show you. I don't know what I did to deserve you, but I promise I will never do anything to lose you." He slid the band onto Harry's ring finger and gave his steady hand a soft squeeze.
Harry removed the other ring from the elegant pillow and began to speak softly to his lover.
"Draco, you changed my entire existence. You lit up my life when I could see nothing but darkness. You gave me something to live for when I had nothing left. You were my savior. You're perfect to me—heaven. It would be hell to live without you, to go without your love." He slipped the silver band onto Draco's quivering finger.
Dumbledore smiled gently. "By the power invested in me by the Ministry of Magic, I now pronounce you married. You may kiss."
Harry grinned as he pulled Draco in for their first kiss as a married couple.
A/N: Wow, that took a bit too long, eh? Sorry about that. I had it all written out, but then I lost my notebook. (May I remind you that I lose everything, and you can't blame me for it, it's in my genes.) Of course, I found the week of finals, so I had no chance of typing it up then.... I'll start working on the next chapter... as soon as I use the computer next?
TTFN, Deathdragon4