AN: (1)I suggest you read Concert Angle by Martina McBride while reading this first part to set the mood. Some of the parts in here are lyrics from the song.
Epligoue
A light autumn wind blew through the colour-kissed trees. Picking up a few bronze leaves along its way, the wind sent them dancing among the grey headstones of the cemetery. The crisp wind sent the jet black fringe across the face of a man, whose shoulders were bent as if a huge weight were settling on them.
Harry didn't bother to swat away the strands of hair from his unguarded eyes. He had taken to doing an eye-correction spell during the war. Made it easier in fights if he didn't have to worry about his glasses getting broken.
Harry stared down at the headstone before him. It was an angel boy made of silver grey stone. The little angel had its hands clasped under his cheek as it cocked its head to the side. It was wrapped in a piece of cloth serving as a toga and its stone wings were extended behind him.
(1) A concrete angel.
Just like Draco.
Nobody knew what he was holding back. It was so hard to see the pain behind the mask. He bore the burden of a secret storm.
A fragile soul caught in the hands of fate. Now a statue stands in this shaded place. An angel boy. His name written on the silver stone. A broken soul that the world forgot.
Through the wind and the rain he stood hard as a stone in a world he couldn't rise above. But his dreams gave him wings and he flew to a place he was loved.
To Harry, whose broken heart was also forgotten.
Harry bent down and wiped the fallen leaves away from the base of the headstone, uncovering the name as he did.
Draco M. Potter
That's all it said. Harry hadn't wanted to put the dates of his birth and death. It would only serve to remind him how horribly young he had been. He also didn't want to add that he was a loving husband or friend or anything of the sort because it just seemed so impersonal.
For those who knew Draco, they knew he was a loving husband, friend and more. They knew how great he was and it didn't need to be etched into stone for strangers to see. They had no right to know all the great stuff about Draco without also knowing the bad and to put that he was sometimes a pompous git on his headstone, well that just didn't seem right.
Harry bent down and placed a daffodil on the stone.
It meant; you're the only one.
And he was.
Draco was the only one Harry had ever loved and will be the only one.
It also meant; the sun shines when I am with you.
And it did.
Even if the sky was overcastted, to Harry, the sun always shone when Draco was near.
Harry looked at the angel and fingered the silver band that had a snake, with emerald eyes etched into it. Slytherin colours.
Draco's had been gold with a ruby-eyed lion. They thought it was fitting. Giving each other rings that represented their houses, on the day they gave each other themselves.
Draco and Harry were able to relish in their bliss till the end of the school year, when the war started.
They were immediately called off on assignments and missions. Draco and his group of spies were placed among the ranks of the Death Eaters. They couple rarely saw each other, and were constantly worried.
It was Harry who proposed. They both were a little over eighteen but with a war raging around them and no sure possibility that they'd survive one more day; they wanted to be sure that their love for each other was acknowledged. It was also the last step to freeing Draco from his past.
Draco would become Draco Malfoy Potter. He decided to drop his middle name in favor for his old surname. To most, he would simply be Draco, or Draco Potter, to others. He would be free.
Mrs. Weasley was not happy, to say the least. She felt the two were far too young and were only getting married because of the war. But she was silenced when Bill and Charlie Weasley brought up the fact that she and Mr. Weasley had married on the eve of war as well.
Other than that there were no complaints. It was a simple ceremony and the next day Draco was called off to battle.
That was the last time Harry saw him, their wedding night. Draco never returned from the mission. It was said that he was founded out as a spy and was killed. Harry didn't really know the story. He couldn't bear to hear it.
It was a year later that Harry defeated Voldemort in the final battle. It was a glorious day to all but felt hallow to Harry.
Harry sighed heavily as he looked at the stone. Today was their fifth wedding anniversary.
"Happy anniversary, love," He whispered. Harry stood there a few moments staring at the stone and thinking.
"Ready?" A voice asked behind him as a pair of strong arms circled his waist. Harry put his hands over the arms around him. Harry turned his head to look behind him at the brunet, whose dark blue eyes were full of concern and love.
"Yeah," He said softly turning to give the concrete angel one more look before he apparated with the man.
XxXxX
"Ugh, that always takes so much out of me," Harry said tossing his cloak on the coat rack in the entrance Hall of Malfoy Manor.
"Than why do you go?" His companion asked as he walked past him and into the drawing room to the side. Harry half-heartedly glared at the retreating figure.
"How can you say that? I can't just not go." Harry protested.
"Why not?" He asked sitting on the couch. "Helena," he called and shortly the elf appeared.
"Yes, Master?" She asked bowing so low that her pointy nose nearly touched the ground.
"Some tea, please, for Harry and myself." He said and the elf disapperated. He then turned his attention to Harry who was flipping through the post that had been placed on the desk by the window.
"Anything interesting?" He asked lazily. Harry didn't reply. "Harry!" He shouted to try and get the other man's attention.
"We got a letter from the lawyer," Harry said after a moment. His head picked up.
"Yeah? What's it say?" He asked eagerly. Harry's eyes scanned the letter quickly as he spoke.
"Says that they held a meeting about the will," Harry answered.
"And?"
Harry didn't answer for a while. The man got off the couch and stood behind him.
"And?" He asked again as he wrapped his arms around the other man.
Harry looked at him and smiled.
"It says that they are going to hold to Draco's will. I get everything that's left to me in it."
"Grand! It only took them five years to do as the will says. You'd think that they'd make you first priority, you only saved the world." He muttered darkly into Harry neck.
"Oh, don't go into that again." Harry said rolling his eyes.
"Hmm, but they're so mean," He whined and Harry laughed.
"You're so childish,"
"But you love me anyway." He replied.
"But I love you anyway." Harry agreed. The brunet smiled into Harry's neck.
"And I love you," He said, pulling Harry around to face him. He leaned in to kiss Harry but the black-haired man moved his head.
"I can't," Harry said. "Not when you're like that." He said waving his hand to indicate the man's body. He looked at him confused, and then it dawned on him.
"Oh, sorry," He said and closed his eyes. Harry watched as his dusty brown hair, lengthened and turned to silver blonde, his sandy skin turned to marble and when he opened his eyes, they were no longer ocean blue but smoke grey.
"Much better," Harry murmured as he leaned in to capture the man's lips. "Did I ever thank you for leaving me this house?" Harry asked once the kiss ended.
"I don't believe so," the other man replied. "But you can do that later." He said waggling his eyebrows suggestively. Harry smiled.
"I definitely will. It's our anniversary after all. Not to mention, our first night in Potter Manor." Draco drew back and looked at Harry.
"Potter Manor?" He asked in disgusted.
"And what's wrong with my name?" Harry asked in mock indignation. "It was good enough for you."
Draco thought about that for a moment.
"True, but Potter Manor just doesn't flow like Malfoy Manor." Draco pointed out. Harry thought about it and had to agree.
"Yeah, but we can't continue to call it Malfoy Manor. No Malfoys live here, and you're dead." Harry answered.
"Well…" Draco tried to think of something, "The Griffin's Den?" He suggested.
"The Griffin's den?" Harry replied.
"Yeah," Draco nodded. "Surely you know what a Griffin is." Harry nodded. "Part eagle,"
"Part Lion,"
"With a snake for a tail,"
"…that might just work," Harry said thoughtfully.
"It's settled than." Draco exclaimed and Harry chuckled a bit. "So, let's go celebrate our anniversary," Draco leered.
"Eager are we?" Harry laughed again.
"Being dead does that to you," He said with a shrug. Harry shook his head and then disentangled himself from the blonde.
"Well, we can't just yet. I saw a letter from Blaise we should read first." Harry said heading back toward the desk to pick it up.
"But why?" Draco whined flopping back onto the couch.
"Because, he is our friend and we can just as easily shag after reading it as we can before." Harry argued. Draco pouted and Harry ignored him.
Harry sat down on the couch a little ways away from Draco. He opened the letter and began to read it aloud;
"Dear Harry and 'Dante',
How are you two? I hope all is well. I noticed that today was you're fifth anniversary with Draco, Harry. Congratulations.
Wow, five years! Has it really been that long? I know it must be a sad day for you, with Draco dead and all, but I am sure Dante will help you forget. wink wink-,"
"Bastard, "Draco interrupted. Harry looked up.
"What?" He asked.
"How dare he even suggest that you'd ever be able to forget me!" Draco griped. Harry rolled his eyes.
"Draco, he knows you're alive and that 'Dante' is just you using a glammer."
"I don't care," The blonde mumbled. Harry rolled his eyes again and went back to the letter.
"Well, enough small talk. Yesterday was the best day of my life.
He did it!
Ron finally proposed! Oh, it was beautiful. We were out to dinner at this little Italian place in London. There was candlelight and roses and he even got on one knee. It was perfect.
Of course I said 'yes'. You should've seen him, he looked so relieved. And the ring is fabulous. It is a simple gold band and there's and inscription the inside.
'I found love in the most unlikely place; the snake pit,' isn't that just darling!
We've decided to have the wedding at the Burrow. We figure that the majority of the attendees will already know where the Burrow is, considering most of my family is dead or in hiding. It's to be the fourteenth of October.
We are going to continue to live at Zabini Manor. Oh, I almost forgot. Ron would like to go to lunch with you some day to ask you to be his best man. And 'Dante', I can come over for tea and we'll talk.
Well, there lots to get done so I must go but please owl us and let us know what days would work for you.
Much Love,
Blaise Zabini,
P.S. Should I change my name to Weasley? Or should he be a Zabini? Or maybe a hyphen?" Harry stopped reading and looked up at Draco.
Draco's jaw was wide open.
"So, Ron finally proposed." Harry said. Draco looked as if he'd be sick.
"I can't believe that Blaise is still with the git let alone marrying him," Draco said in disgust. Harry narrowed his eyes.
"I thought you and Ron dealt with your issues a long time ago."
"Oh we did," Draco replied flippantly. "But we can't just stop acting like we hate each other, even though we really don't." Harry stared at him.
"That makes no sense." He said.
"Yes it does," Draco replied. Harry bit his tongue and didn't say anything. There was no use, Draco was too stubborn.
"Scoot over," he said instead. Draco obliged. Harry sat on the couch next to the blonde. "Come here," He whispered and pulled Draco to him. The pair positioned themselves so that Harry was leaning against the arm of the couch with his legs up with his arm around Draco's waist as the other man lay in front of him.
"Hmm, this is nice," Draco murmured as he cuddled closer to Harry. Harry lazily ran his fingers through the silver strands of Draco's hair. The pair sat in silence for a while before Draco spoke again. "Harry?" He asked.
"Hmm?" The other man replied.
"Why did you refuse my hand that day?" Draco asked. Harry's hands froze in his hair for a moment before he started stroking again.
"Because," He stared and then sighed heavily. "I was afraid." Draco's brow furrowed.
"Afraid? Of what?" He questioned. Harry sighed again.
"I don't know. You, me- I'm not sure. It's just that, when I saw you in that robe shop, it was like I was seeing myself. I mean, for all you snotty comments and high priced robes, you were really just a scared little boy whose life has been filled with pain and darkness. You're story was too close to my own." Draco listened but he still didn't understand.
"But, if we had so much in common, wouldn't that mean we'd be good friends?" He asked.
"You'd think that, but to my eleven year old mind it just meant that I wouldn't be able to get away from my past, even in this new world of magic and mystery. It felt like being friends with you would be a constant reminder of a horrid childhood.
At that point in my life, I just wanted to forget it all. Forget the Dursleys, the cupboard, and everything. I wanted to be Harry Potter, Boy-Who-Lived. As foolish as it was, I thought that I would find love in this new world. But it didn't take long to realize that it wasn't love but mere fascination. People were fascinated by me, I survived the killing curse. But that's all they cared about. They didn't care about me or how I felt." Draco nodded.
"That makes sense. But why did you choose the friends you did?" He asked.
"I've already told you how great they are, ages ago. But I guess, now that I think about it, there's more to it than them being loyal and trustworthy. Ron and Hermione came from a background completely different from mine. I was immediately adopted into Ron's family. It was like having my own. It felt good.
And they truly cared and loved me. Ron, Hermione and the Weasleys I mean. They cared. They would've given their lives for me." Harry spoke softly. Draco listened to his deep voice.
"Makes sense," He replied through a yawn. Harry's large hands were stroking his hair and his strong body was wrapping Draco in an envelope of warmth. Draco snuggled closer and was on the verge of sleep.
His last memory was the time he had met Harry in that shop. He hadn't known who he was but he could just tell that there was something about him. Something extraordinary. Draco got the same vibe Harry did but he took it differently.
He felt that Harry had had a childhood close to his and he felt that they could become friends and protect each other. Be a shoulder of understanding to be cried upon when the need arose. Be able to say that someone out there understood, well that means more than you'd think. To know you're not alone. Draco hated being alone.
Draco yawned again.
All in all, he'd have to say, his father's advice worked. He had gotten to know his weakness and accepted it. And in the end, he conquered it. The only thing was that Draco had been confused at what his real weakness was.
It wasn't love, it was loneliness.
Draco had spent so much time in his life being alone, and when the time arose for him to be able to open himself up and fill the void in his heart, he had been too afraid to. He hadn't understood. But along the way to 'conquering' his feelings for Harry, he had instead conquered his loneliness.
So, know thine enemy, because you might just find something you were missing. Something new, something old, something borrowed, and something blue. Knowing thine enemy was the best thing for Draco to do.
THE END
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(An: Well that's that, it's all over. How SAAAADDDDD! To think I wasn't even going to write more than the first chapter. I hope you all liked it. Until next time
-70inc)