Epilogue - New Year's Eve

You are cordially invited to the wedding of

Harry James Potter

Draco Abraxas Malfoy

Tuesday, December 31, 2002

7:30 pm

Malfoy Estate

Please note the ceremony and following reception will be held outside, while you are welcome to enter the Manor it is not necessary.

The stars in the nearly black sky sparkled a brilliant white through the transparent tent that had been erected near the pond. Gentle orbs of light allowed the guests to see one another and their seats but did not restrict the view of the sky. The men had chosen to have the chairs placed in several semicircular rows rather than have an aisle, as Draco's half would have so many fewer people seated there. Instead, they would enter from each side of the tent.

Kingsley stood front and center at a small pedestal ready to begin. Hermione waved her wand at the record player to start the music. The children began to stream in, five per side until they stood in their own little semicircle between the chairs and the Minister. The three girls were in navy blue dresses with silver sashes and shoes that reminded Hermione she wanted to read them all the original Wizard of Oz. The boys were in navy blue suits with silver shirts and blue ties with silver stripes.

Draco entered on the right escorting his mother to her seat while Harry entered with Molly on his arm and Arthur on his other side. When all of the parents were seated the two men moved to stand in front of the children. They were dressed to match the children in navy suits with silver shirts. Draco also wore a navy tie though Harry had forgone that particular accessory for comfort. They had considered robes and decided they didn't want to bother.

"Welcome, all. It is a joyous occasion when a couple decides to marry. Harry and Draco have chosen to marry today so that they and their children might start the new year as an official family. In their words, the most important thing to do in the new year is to start the way you intend to go on. All of us here begin the new year as we will go on as well, supporting this new family and one another."

"Draco, Harry, take each other's hands."

The two men turned to each other and did just that.

"Marriage is a journey. You will be together through good and bad, through thick and thin. There will be arguments. There will be disagreements. You are pledging to love one another no matter what happens. You are pledging to work to keep your relationship strong. Life is often not easy, as you both well know. Now you will have someone to lean on and support you. As you have chosen to recite your own vows I give you leave to start now. Draco," Kingsley nodded to the blond.

"Harry, I still think you are utterly mad to marry me, to love me, but I can't imagine my life without you. Life will certainly be tough married to me. We will always face adversity due to my past decisions. The mere fact that you are willing to forgive those, to love me in spite of all of that makes me love you more. With our children," he looked to them and smiled, "life will certainly never be dull or boring. I promise to love them always. I promise not to nag you if you leave your socks on the floor. I promise not to drink tea with caffeine after five in the afternoon. I promise to share my snacks with you while we watch movies. I also promise not to ask too many questions as we watch. I'll save them for the end. I promise to not give up and hide from the world so long as you are by my side. I promise not to go to bed angry even if it means we stay up all night to work it out. I promise to be there every morning and every evening, every day and every night. I promise to love you now and always."

"Harry."

"Draco, if anyone had told me I'd be here with you tonight even a year ago I'd have thought they'd gone barmy. I'd have thought the same if they'd told me about our amazing kids. Life moves fast, it changes so rapidly. You were there for me when I brought them home. You stepped up to help raise them. What was once fascination became love, or maybe it had been for longer than I'd thought. During the past few years of getting to know you, I've often wondered how our lives would have been different if I'd taken your hand on the train all those years ago. I'm not looking backward anymore. What happened led us to one another and led our children to us. The way to look now is forward to our life together. I told you the night I proposed that I don't want to think of a life without you in it. I don't want to raise these crazy kids without you. I don't want to stand on the platform at 9 ¾ and say goodbye to them each year all by myself. I don't want to end my day without you or start my day without you either. I don't want to think of a day when you won't be here for me and I won't be here for you. I promise to try to remember not to leave my socks on the floor. I promise to hide those caffeinated teas if need be. I promise to never give the kids sugar without warning you first. I promise to always be by your side. I promise to support you. I promise to love you now and always."

"Do you have the rings?"

Each man pulled a ring from their pocket and handed them to Kingsley.

"Draco, place this ring on Harry's hand and repeat after me. With this ring, I thee wed."

"With this ring, I thee wed," Draco repeated, slid the ring onto Harry's finger, and squeezed his hand.

"Harry, place this ring on Draco's hand and repeat after me. With this ring, I thee wed."

"With this ring, I thee wed," Harry repeated the words and the motion.

"It is my honor to pronounce you married. Gentlemen, you may kiss your husband."

Harry raised his now-ringed left hand and placed it on Draco's cheek. Draco slid his around Harry's waist. They kissed to the cheers of their children, family, and friends.