Chapter 21: Marriage is Just a Beginning

After the panic had died down, McGonagall gave Harry and Draco some time to decide exactly what kind of ceremony they wanted to have.

After a small amount of discussing, they both decided on a Handfasting Ritual.

With Hermione's help (since she of course had read all about it), they quickly gathered the things they would need.

- - -

At the front of the room but off to the left of the platform, a bower with roses, cherry and apple blossoms and gardenias was placed, on which was placed two small lit candles that smelled of cinnamon.

On the east side of the platform, where the ceremony was to be performed, was an altar. Resting on top of the altar were 2 white candles, a wand made of willow bark and the rings that would be used to mark Harry and Draco as married. There were also 4 items representing the energies of Gaea: a blue ribbon for air, red incense for fire, a gardenia flower for earth and a chalice of wine for water.

Ron and Seamus went around the room providing everyone with small bells to use at the end of the ceremony, explaining to everyone what was going on.

Draco went to check on something with Severus and Harry took the opportunity to draw Keiron aside.

"Keiron, I need you to do something for me."

"Sure, Harry." Keiron agreed readily. Harry pulled a small silver bracelet from the pocket of his robes.

"Keep this on you until I call for it. I'll let you know when."

"All right, Harry." Keiron smiled, reverently placing the small trinket in the right-hand pocket of his dress robes. Remus called Harry to him and Keiron found himself standing in front of Draco.

"Keiron, I need you to hang on to this bracelet for me until I call for it. You'll know when." Draco told him, pulling a bracelet from his pocket. It was an identical match to the one Harry had given him earlier. Keiron kept that to himself and agreed to Draco's demand, placing the bracelet in the opposite pocket of his robes.

"I'll guard it with my life." Keiron pledged, taking his role in the ceremony very seriously.

"Well I wouldn't go that far." Draco grinned, patting Keiron on the back.

McGonagall announced that everything was ready and Flitwick cast a charm to play a song for the ceremony.

- - -

Harry and Draco stood at the back of the room, waiting for McGonagall to call them forward.

Draco took Harry's hand and kissed it gently. Harry looked at him, a small smile playing about the corner of his mouth.

"What?" he wondered, seeing the look on Draco's face.

"I love you, Harry James Potter. I hope you realize how much having you in my life means to me." Draco stated solemnly.

"We've come a long way since school, haven't we?" Harry laughed lightly.

"Yes we have. I know I haven't told you, but I regret everything I ever did to you, Hermione and Ron back then. There were much bigger things going on and I acted like the spoiled little shit you accused me of being once."

"Draco-"

"No, Harry. Let me finish. When you refused my hand and became friends with Ron our first year, I was so hurt and angry. No one had every refused to be my friend before and you did it in under 10 seconds flat. I couldn't understand it. But now I do and I am so much more greatful because of it."

Harry had tears in his eyes when Draco finished his speech.

"Now you've done it, you git. I bet my eyes are all red and swollen." Harry gave him a watery laugh. Draco touched a hand to his cheek and brushed away a stray tear with his thumb.

"You look beautiful to me, Harry. Always." Draco whispered. Harry stared into the stormy gray eyes before him and saw the truth of Draco's words. His heart swelled with love.

"Harry. Draco. Please come forth and receive our blessings." McGonagall called to them.

Taking a deep breath, both men turned as one and sedately made their way to the front of the room.

As he was walking, Harry caught a glimpse of his aunt and her husband and gave her a smile. She smiled back at him, tears of happiness in her eyes.

- - -

They stopped before McGonagall, who looked upon both of them fondly.

"Harry, Draco. Before we begin, there is someone who wishes to bestow upon you a blessing of their own." McGonagall told them. Both looked around but saw no one approach them. She pointed to a spot near the wall behind her. As they watched, a dense mist appeared out of nowhere, swirling around where there was no air to sustain it.

Slowly a form began to take shape, one that seemed familiar to Draco somehow. His eyes widened in pure shock when the form became solid.

Narcissa Black Malfoy stared at her one and only child, her blue eyes as clear as the sky.

"Hello, Draconis."

"Mother!" Draco gaped. Narcissa nodded slightly. She looked at Harry.

"Hello, Harry." she greeted him.

"Mrs Malfoy." Harry nodded.

"Please, you're marrying my son. Call me Cissa." she replied. She looked at Draco again.

"Draco, I wanted to give you my blessing for this day. I know this may not be easy for you to hear, but your father and I did love you. We may not have shown it to you like proper parents should but we did. We don't blame you for what you did that day. We were never more proud of you then. It takes a lot of pride and courage to stand up for your beliefs and you did so without any hesitation."

"But I killed you and Father! How can you be proud of me for that?"

"Because, my love, you risked a chance for the sake of happiness Happiness with the man standing beside you." She glanced at Harry. "And we couldn't be more pleased."

She floated toward him, as insubstantial as fog, and touched his cheek with one ghostly hand. "I give my blessing freely and without reservation. Be happy, my little Dragon. And I love you." She pressed a ghostly kiss to his cheek and stepped back.

There were tears running down Draco's face as he stared at her.

"I love you, mum." Draco whispered.

"Take care of each other. I'll always be watching over you both." She whispered before fading away.

Harry looked at Draco, placing a hand on his cheek. Draco looked at him.

"You okay?"

"I'm fine, Harry. Just fine." Draco smiled, swiping at his tears. He felt a gentle hand on his shoulder and turned his tearful gaze to McGonagall.

"Ready to continue?" she asked softly. Draco nodded, taking a deep breath. She squeezed his shoulder before stepping back.

After casting a Sonorous on herself so everyone could hear her, the ceremony began.

"Welcome everyone. We come today to witness the bonding of Harold James Potter to Draconis Spencer Malfoy, to be blessed in the most sacred of ceremonies. Who so giveth these two so that they may bond and forever be united in love?"

"Remus J Lupin and Severus S Snape." Remus answered.

"A wise man once said: Death is not the end of all, only the beginning of the next great adventure. I should think that would apply to marriage as well." McGonagall continued.

Harry smiled in remembrance of Dumbledore.

"May the place of this marriage be consecrated, For we gather here in the ritual of love and bliss with two who would be wedded." McGonagall intoned. "Harry and Draco, please step forward and stand here before your friends and family and before the gods and goddesses of this world."

Harry and Draco, hands clasped together, stepped up onto the platform before the altar. McGonagall continued.

"Be with us here, O spirits of the air. And with your swift fingers, tie the bonds between these two who would be married and tie them closely and securely. Be with us here."

She took the rings from the altar and tied them with the blue ribbon before looping them over the willow wand and replacing the joined items back on the altar.

"Be with us here, O spirits of fire, And light their love and passion with your fiery ardor."

She lit the incense with the candles and set them back down.

"Be with us here, O spirits of the earth, And ground deep the roots of their love."

She picked up the gardenia flower and tied it to the wand.

"Be with us here, O spirits of water, And let joy flow forever for Draco and Harry. For as long as they are married, Blessed goddess and merry god. Give to Draco and Harry, who stand before us in the light of their love, your love and protection. Blessed be!"

All around the room, their family and friends repeated the sacred vow.

"Blessed be."

McGonagall picked up the blessed wand and held it toward Harry and Draco.

"Place your right hand over this wand and the rings of this rite of marriage."

Draco and Harry did as she requested.

"Above you are the stars, Below you are the stones. As time passes, think upon this: Like the eastern star, your love shall remain constant. Like a rock, your love will stand firm. Possess one another, but be always understanding. Have patience at all times." She gave Draco a look when she said this and he smiled. "For stormy times come and go, but they leave upon the wind. Give each other love as often as possible of the body, the mind, and the spirit. Be not afraid and do not let the ways of others dissuade you from your path. The gods and goddesses are always with you, Now and forever."

She turned to Harry.

"Harry, is it your wish to become one with this man?"

"It is my wish." Harry replied.

She looked at Draco.

"Draco, it is your wish to become one with this man?"

"I do so wish it." Draco nodded.

She looked out over the crowd.

"Does anyone here today say nay? Let them speak now or forever hold their peace."

There was dead silence, allowing both men to breathe a sigh of relief.

"Harry and Draco. You have come before us today, free of mind, peace of soul, love of heart. So I bid you now to take these rings and place them on one another."

Draco reached out with a trembling hand and untied the ribbon that secured the rings to the wand. He took Harry's left hand and slid the ring onto his finger, pausing to kiss the digit. Harry repeated Draco's actions, his own hands trembling with emotion. Once done, they turned back to McGonagall.

"Before the gods, goddesses, and everyone here as witness, I now proclaim you Bonded!" she announced to the room. "Harry, Draco, you may now share your first kiss and exchange your own personal vows and gifts you have for each other."

Draco looked at Harry, who was staring back expectantly.

"I think I said all I had to earlier, Harry. I can't think of anything else to say except I will love you and protect you to the best of my ability."

"It's nice to have someone to protect me for a change." Harry smiled, drawing laughter from their family and friends. "And I promise I will return your love for the rest of my life."

At the same time, Harry and Draco motioned to Keiron, who stepped forward holding a small red satin pillow with silver trim. Upon it sat the bracelets Harry and Draco had given to him for safe keeping.

Everyone gasped in surprise at the identical looking bracelets. Harry looked at Draco.

"How's this possible? I didn't see you buy this!" Harry exclaimed.

"I didn't see you either." Draco replied.

"This means something, doesn't it?" Harry questioned.

"I believe it does." Draco agreed. He took one bracelet and carefully placed it on Harry's right wrist. Harry took the other and did the same. The minute he clasped it shut, both men were enveloped in a soft white light. Blue sparks surrounded both men, concentrating on the bracelets upon their wrists. The light grew brighter and wider, encompassing both Remus and Snape, who were standing behind them. The blue sparks surrounded the older wizards as well.

- - -

No one knew what was happening except Hermione (of course), who waited patiently beside her family.

- - -

The light and sparks faded as quickly as they came. Harry noticed it first.

"Draco look at your bracelet!" Draco opened his eyes (he didn't realize he'd closed them) and looked down at his wrist. The bracelet, when he'd originally purchased it, had been plain with no other adornments marking it. Now there was an inscription. He looked at it closer and read it aloud.

"Mo Anam Cara. What does that mean?"

"It means 'Friend of My Soul'." Hermione answered immediately. "It's also inscribed on Harry's as well."

Harry looked at her.

"Hermione, what was that light?"

"That light was a Soul Light. In the simplest of terms, it means you and Draco are soulmates. Only people who are fated to be together can be soulmated. As such, so are Remus and Severus." she added. The older wizards in the room stared at her in shock.

"I beg your pardon?" Snape exclaimed.

"For all intent and purposes, you and Remus are bonded, Severus." Hermione repeated gently. Snape looked at his left wrist. Sure enough, in place of a bracelet, there was a ring of Celtic runes pressed into his flesh around his wrist. He grabbed Remus by his arms and yanked up his sleeve to see the same runes adorning the wrist of the man he loved.

"Great Caesar's Ghost!" Severus exclaimed. Remus looked at him worriedly.

"Severus?" Severus looked at him. "I know you didn't want this."

"Remus, I will admit the thought of marriage didn't even cross my mind before." Severus began. Remus looked crestfallen. "But, in light of everything that's happened...I find myself...amendable to the idea of being shackled with you the rest of my days."

"You mean that, Sev?" Remus asked, hope in his eyes.

"Well who else am I going to brew Wolfsbane for with the care it so deserves?" Snape grinned. "I do love you, Remus. I may not say it often, but I do." And then he snagged Remus around his waist and kissed him thoroughly.

McGonagall cleared her throat and everyone looked at her.

"If I may finish?" she asked. Everyone resumed their positions. "I have my own blessing to give before I pronounce this ceremony finished."

She looked at Harry and Draco.

"I've watched these two men before you grow within the walls of this school for 7 years. Not all the memories are good ones but for the most part they were good. Through Quidditch and the war, they have grown and matured beyond my expectations and I am proud of how they both turned out. To witness their bonding today – it does my heart good. I know that somewhere, Albus is smiling down on you both." she smiled at them both, tears in her eyes. Stepping forward, Harry pressed a kiss to her cheek.

"You've been like a grandmother to me, Minerva and I love you with all my heart." Harry whispered in her ear. "Thank you." He stepped back and Draco stepped forward, kissing her other cheek.

"Thank you for being there when we needed you most." he whispered before stepping back beside Harry.

She took a moment to get her emotions under control before looking out over the crowd.

"And now, we ring the bells and it is proclaimed – this ritual is done!"

Everyone in the room rang the little bell they'd been given and at that moment, a rainbow streaked its way across the ceiling.

A/N: And now you know the identity of the person McGonagall was talking to in her office. -grin-

The handfasting ritual I used I took directly from a book I own called Rituals for Life by Brenda Knight.

I also have pictures of the rings and bracelets used in the ceremony.

Rings:http / img . photobucket . com / albums / v20 / Blackcat666x / DJ-LJ 20Pics / graphicsmisc / dancingtriskels . jpg

Triskels: The Triskel is a Celtic symbol of eternity- the past, present, and future. Each symbol is linked to another, illustrating their belief in reincarnation. I believe that by embracing the past, being together in the present and looking forward for the future embodies all that Draco and Harry have been through together to get to the point they are at now.

Bracelets:http / img . photobucket . com / albums / v20 / Blackcat666x / DJ-LJ 20Pics / graphicsmisc /bracelet . jpg

Bracelet is engraved with the phrase "Mo Anam Cara" meaning "friend of my soul" or "soulmate".