Harry was up and ready by the time Hermione came for him. He'd been too excited to wait.
"Well don't you look dashing." she smiled upon seeing him. He was dressed in a tailored suit of midnight blue. "I take it you're going to give him a shot, then?"
"What could it hurt?" Harry wondered. "If I don't at least try, I'll be wondering about it the rest of my life."
"Good for you, Harry. Here, let me help you with your traveling cloak." He handed his cloak over to her, blushing the whole time. Hermione touched the cloak in awe. It was midnight black silk over a red velvet lining and looked very warm. "Where did you get this?"
"Draco gave it to me as a late wedding present." Harry replied in a small voice.
"Did you thank him for it?" she asked. The look on his face told her otherwise. "Make sure that you do."
"Yes, Mother." Harry grinned, turning his back so she could drape the cloak properly. She made sure there were no extra wrinkles before sending him on his way.
Nigel met him at the bottom of the stairs with a slight bow.
"All set, Master Harry?"
"Lead the way." Harry nodded. He followed Nigel to the coach in the courtyard. Once he was inside, Nigel got them on their way.
- - -
Harry must have dozed off sometime during the trip. He felt a slight pressure on his lips and without thought, opened his mouth. A warm tongue slid inside and he moaned low in his throat. The kiss deepened and his arms wrapped around the body in front of him. After a moment, the lips on his pulled away and he sighed.
"Draco." he whispered, more to himself.
"I should hope so. Or do you just let random anyones kiss you like that?" came an amused voice. His eyes opened on a gasp of surprise. Draco was sitting in the carriage next to him, smiling at his mate with a twinkle in his eye.
"Um...hello?" Harry stammered. Draco couldn't contain his mirth any longer and broke out into laughter.
"And hello to you as well, love of my life. Enjoy your nap?"
"I did." Harry smiled, sitting up straighter.
"Did you dream?" Draco wondered.
"I did." Harry responded.
"About me?" Draco asked, his voice husky. Harry swallowed hard.
"Yes." he admitted. He watched Draco move closer to him, resisting the urge to bolt the other direction.
This is my husband. I have nothing to fear from him. He repeated to himself. Draco's lips stopped a hair's breath from his own and Harry felt his lips tingle, anticipating his kiss.
"Good." Draco whispered before moving away and stepping from the carriage. He held out his hand for Harry to take and led him inside the Opera House.
- - -
"What are we seeing?" Harry wondered as Draco led him to the Malfoy Family box.
"William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. The man was an absolute genius." Draco replied as they sat down.
Harry spent a pleasant moment looking over the gathered crowd before someone behind him called his name.
"Harry Potter is that you?" Harry turned in his seat to see an elegantly dressed woman approach him. His eyes lit up with joy.
"Grandmother Min!" Harry smiled, standing to hug is adoptive grandmother. Minerva McGonagall-Dumbledore stood back and eyed him carefully.
"Don't you look handsome. I never thought I'd see you here. Where's Remus?"
"Harry?" came Draco's voice. They both turned to look at the blonde. "Care to introduce me, love?"
"Um, Gran. This is Lord Draco Malfoy...my husband." Harry stammered. Minerva looked shocked for all of 2 seconds before she recovered her wits. She shook Draco's hand and smiled.
"I never knew you'd gotten married, Harry." she admonished. "I would have liked to have been there."
"It was kind of sudden, Lady Dumbledore." Draco replied, placing an arm around Harry's waist. She arched an eyebrow at him.
"Care to explain, Harry?" she asked her grandson.
"Um...well...you see...Father did it." he blurted.
"Did what?" her tone was dangerous.
"Married me off." Harry replied, not realizing the deep hole he was slowly digging himself into.
"What?" she screeched so loudly, it brought her husband immediately to her side.
"Harry! Good to see you, my boy!" Albus grinned, ignoring his wife sputtering beside him.
"Grandfather Albus." Harry smiled, hugging him.
"And who's this strapping fellow by your side?" Albus wondered, looking at Draco.
"Grandfather, this is my husband, Lord Draco Malfoy." Harry introduced for the second time.
"Malfoy...Malfoy...ah yes! Narcissa's boy! You've grown up since the last time I saw you." Albus smiled.
"I had to, sir. For Mother's sake."
"I'm sorry for the loss of your father. He was a good man. He didn't deserve to be betrayed like that by Master Riddle." Albus stated solemnly.
"At least the bastard got what was coming to him, may he never rest in peace." Draco scowled.
"Indeed." Albus nodded. "Now what has my wife all twitter pated?"
"Remus married Harry off without his consent!" Minerva snapped out.
"Well I'm sure Remus had a good reason for it, Min." Albus replied.
"A good reason? What possible reason could he have for marrying off his son like he was a piece of property?"
"Because he knew how much I loved him." came a small voice beside them. The Dumbledores looked at Harry, who was blushing so hard his face was a deep red. He was staring down at his hands. Draco was, understandably, in shock.
"What was that?" Draco asked, afraid he'd heard wrong. Harry took a deep breath and looked Draco straight in the eye.
"I love you. I think I always have, since the first time I saw you. I tried to hate you when you kissed me that day, but my heart and my body wouldn't let me. Remus knew it was tearing me up inside how much I wanted to be with you but I didn't want to risk my heart for his sake. He's my father, and his happiness always came before my own, at least in my own mind. But he wanted to see me settled and happy, regardless. That's why he did it."
"Then why did you fight it so hard? You knew how I felt about you!" Draco wondered.
"Because I was scared of losing my heart. It was too fast for me. But I ended up losing my heart anyway." Harry reached up and touched Draco's cheek. Draco took his hand and kissed the inside of his palm.
"I promise you, Harry, here and now. I will go slow with you. I never want to hurt you. I'd sooner cut off my right arm than do you any harm."
"I know, Draco. I do love you, and want to be with you like you want me to, but I need to do this at my own pace."
Draco assumed this had something to do with what Hermione had told him earlier, and he kept his silence on that. Instead, he leaned toward Harry and kissed him gently.
"Thank you." Draco smiled when they drew apart.
Minerva cleared her throat, clearly embarrassed at witnessing such a private and tender moment.
"Reminds me of us at their age." Albus grinned. She elbowed him in his side.
"Lord and Lady Dumbledore, I would be so honored if you joined us." Draco smiled, indicating the two empty seats beside Harry's.
"We'd love to, Lord Malfoy." Albus answered. He escorted his wife to her seat as Harry sat down beside her. As the orchestra was tuning up, she leaned toward Harry and whispered in his ear.
"I like him, love."
He looked at her, his heart in his eyes.
"I do, too." he agreed. He looked over at Draco, who was grinning like a love-sick fool. He took Harry's hand in his own and kissed it.
He interlaced their fingers between them as the house lights dimmed and the opera began in earnest.
A/N: So what did you think of this chapter? It just came to me about an hour ago (4/30/06 at 8:30 am EST). I like the implication of Minerva and Albus being the grandparent type to Harry. It seemed that way in the books so I kind of played with it.