Title: The Marriage Bet
Author(s): josephinestone
Beta(s)/Alpha(s): digthewriter, tavia_d, helikesapeanut
Written For: wipbigbang
Pairing(s): Harry/Draco
Rating: R
Era(s): Post-Hogwarts
Content: bets, arranged marriage, genderbending Draco, hints at mpreg
Summary: Ginny just signed a two year Quidditch contract and is questioning her future with Harry, but Harry is ready to for them to promise their lives to each other. Draco runs into Harry at a jeweller's shop and bets him that he'd be a better spouse for him then Ginny would; Draco believes that you learn to love your spouse through marriage, but Harry thinks you have to be in love first for a marriage to work. Dejected because Ginny just called it quits for the two years she'll be away, Harry agrees.

The first appointment Mrs Malfoy made for them, was to find suits to wear. Harry was not looking forward to it, at all. He had heard that it took a whole year to plan a wedding and did not know if it was possible to get it done in six weeks. Having Malfoy there to laugh at him through the entire experience would make it that much worse, and he hated shopping for clothes anyway. Plus, the appointment was for eight in the morning on his day off.

Harry met Draco outside the store on Saturday, and then they walked in together. Harry looked around the shop at all the different suits, becoming more overwhelmed by the second, but Draco was calm.

'Just look around a minute while I go to get someone to help us,' Draco whispered in his ear. All he could do was nod, though, he did step farther in the store and started to look at some of the suits on display. Draco could tell he was nervous and went to the sales person before she had a chance to approach them. The blond smiled and gestured at her to follow him back up to the counter where the rest of the employees kept themselves busy.

'Hello ladies.' Draco smiled as he approached them. It was new to him smiling at people instead of sneering at them, but his family lost a lot of respect after the war. It was up to him to earn that respect back, and he had learnt that demanding it did not work the way his father had taught him. Actually, he learnt that a lot of things did not work the way his father had taught him.

'Good morning, Mr Malfoy. I believe you have an appointment. What are you looking for today?' The manager spoke up first. She was just as curious as the rest of the girls about what they were doing there together. Even though the war was long over, they had never associated with each other before, and Harry did not go out in public very often. There were even rumours that he had died, until the recent ring shopping sightings.

'I have a few instructions for you, and it's very important that you strictly follow them.' He paused as they acknowledged that. 'One: no one, and I mean no one, neither your significant others, nor your children, not even your mothers are allowed to know that we were here today.' He knew better than anyone how quickly gossip got around. It was where he got his most reliable information, because behind every lie was a grain of truth. He was rather talented at finding out what the truth actually was and using it to his advantage. 'Not any other day that we choose to return. In fact, that will be the factor in if we ever do return.' The manager nodded and glared at the girls, until they did as well.

'Yes, your mother made that perfectly clear.' Draco smiled at the mention of his mother. It took over a year for him to regain the respect he used to receive as a child. That was the first time anyone mentioned his mother in a pleasant way. People had grown accustom to just not to mention them at all. It was still too soon for his family to be forgiven. He knew that his presence caused people fear, just by how often their eyes would drift down to his covered arm. It was as if they could see through the fabric. There were very few people that actually knew the mark was there, and he had no intentions to let that number rise.

'Two, he's new to this. Don't ask questions that he doesn't know how to answer. He doesn't know his measurements or the names you use for your colours and fabrics. Direct the questions at him, but I will answer most of them. When you ask him if he likes one cut over the other, show it to him. He won't know what you are talking about.'

'He hates to shop. I'm aiming to change that,' Draco said sweetly. 'He's going to feel uncomfortable at first, and I don't want anything to make it worse. So, when he asks you to call him "Harry", do it, do not question it, and call me "Draco".'

'Forget who he is. That's the reason he never comes out. So, treat him like you treat each other and not the way that you would normally treat me.' Once he was sure that they understood what he was saying, he switched to the question the manager had originally asked. 'We're looking for two suits for us that coordinate with each other together. And another one for him to wear to a dinner party.'

'Yes, sir, Mr Malfoy,' the manager said politely. He raised his eyebrow, and she stuttered, 'Sorry, of course, Draco.'

'Good. Also,' Draco said while staring at one particular girl, 'if any of you can't keep themselves from staring, blushing or giggling, then you should stay in the back until we leave.'

The girl went silent and nodded her head quickly, before he walked with another sales associate towards Harry. The girl held out her hand, and Harry accepted and shook it. She gave him a pained smiled, but continued naturally with her introduction.

'Hello, Mr Potter. My name is Victoria. What is the occasion that you are shopping for today?'

'Please, call me Harry,' he said, but then stumbled over the second question. 'Uhhh, I, ummm.'

'He needs a suit to wear to a dinner party,' Draco said. 'And we're both looking for the suits that I previously mentioned .'

'How about we start by measuring you both. Follow me gentlemen.'

Draco knew his measurements by heart, and, even if he hadn't, ithey/i knew them. But, if only Harry got measured then it would be just them hovering around him. The girl was smart. That way she could divide her attention between both of them, and Harry would not feel so pressured.

She took them to the dressing rooms to measure them, and it was done within minutes. The next part would take a while. Though, she knew the styles that Draco liked and even some of his favourite colours, Harry didn't know what he liked, so asking him was futile. She could ask if he liked green or blue, but that would mean nothing in apparel. Some people looked the best in colours that they did not necessarily like and even if he did like and look good in blue there were twelve shades this season. Without seeing them all on him, they wouldn't know which blue would be the best.

In the end, it took three hours to go through the suits and to pick out a few different ones. After the first hour, she had figured out what Harry liked. They spent the rest of the time putting together a few things for him to purchase that day. Harry did end up relaxing and even became very opinionated about it by the end of the visit. Draco could tell that he was beginning to have a good time.

When Harry checked the time as they were paying, he was surprised at how late it was. He had surprised himself a few times that day. He had not planned on buying anything just for himself, but somehow Draco talked him into it. They didn't fight about it too much; since he was going to be married to Draco, he had a feeling that he was going to need nicer clothing more often.

Harry had always hated dressing up before because the clothes were uncomfortable and itchy. It was almost impossible to breath in them, and he had voiced those concerns before they even started.

Draco had smirked at him. 'That's because you've never been properly fitted.'

Harry didn't have any of his previous problems with the clothes Victoria brought him. There was a couple of times that, before she even handed the garment to Harry, Draco shook his head and listed one of the reasons Harry had mentioned, though.

'So, that was not so horrible, was it?' Draco asked once they made their way outside and were absent-mindedly walking down the path.

'Actually, it was a little fun,' Harry admitted. 'Though, I'm tired.' He had never thought that shopping could be so exhausting; then again, he never spent three hours in one store.

'Understandable.' Draco nodded. 'Are you ready for next Saturday?'

'What's next Saturday?' Harry asked wearily and stopped, giving Draco a questioning look.

'It's the fun part.' He smirked at Harry's unease. 'My mother is having a dinner party to celebrate our engagement.'

'Well, if it's the fun part, then I guess I should be looking forward to it,' Harry said sarcastically, not trying to hide his ill mood at the news. 'When were you planning to tell me?'

'I just did. These next few weeks will go fast. She has already sent out the invitations, and everyone that is invited to the wedding will be at the dinner party. They should have gotten them yesterday morning.'

They walked in silence for a while. It had only been a week and everyone was already invited. Harry laughed at the idea of "celebrating" their engagement. What was there really to celebrate? Then again, the more he thought about it, she probably didn't have much to celebrate in the last few years. He didn't know much about Mrs Malfoy, but she helped him in the final battle against Voldemort. He hoped she was having fun planning the wedding. It seemed like the type of thing she would enjoy.

'I'm not looking forward to tomorrow morning,' Harry said.

Draco gave him a confused look.

'I'm not excited to read what the Prophet is going to say about this.' He gestured back towards the store they had walked out of.

'Harry, you'll see that there are many benefits you will attain being with me.' Draco smiled, since he knew that there would be no such story. He was glad that Harry was the one to bring it up. He had tried to figure out how to broach the subject all day; he still had to convince Harry to do an interview.

'Oh, really?' Harry asked sceptically, because he had not thought of one benefit he could gain from the situation. Everything about it had turned out bad for Harry, so far. The shopping had been nice, but he did not think that learning to enjoy spending money frivolously was a benefit.

'One of them is that I can teach you how to deal with reporters.'

'How's that?'

They continued to walk down the street not heading anywhere in particular. Harry was in no hurry to part with Draco's company just yet. He had the options of either going home to be alone all day, or going to the Weasleys' who weren't that happy with him at that moment. Plus, he had not fought with Draco at all that day, which made him not all that unpleasant to be around. There were still little things that annoyed him. He was still not comfortable, but it really wasn't that bad.

'If you give them a little, they will back off a lot. They write rubbish about you, because you refuse to give them any truth.'

'Oh, not you too!' Harry groaned as he rubbed his forehead in frustration. 'I get this from Hermione. Besides, I remember a time when your family was written about quite a bit.' Harry pointed an accusing finger at Draco, who shrugged.

'That was a dark time for all of us, but you do need to learn how to make deals with people,'Draco continued not letting Harry drop the subject. 'You cannot just give them an interview and expect them to back off. You have to let them know that they'll only get the interview, if they back off.'

They arrived at the same deli they ate at the previous day, and Draco pulled open the door and gestured Harry inside.

'But,' Harry said petulantly. 'I don't want to tell them anything.'

Draco sighed and shook his head as he calmed himself before he said something he would regret. It amazed him how much self-control he learnt the last year of the war. Having to watch people get tortured when they said the wrong thing, taught him how to keep his mouth shut. Harry was acting like a child, and he really wanted to tell him that, but he didn't.

'There're things I'm sure you don't mind talking about.' Draco assured him. 'Like, for instance, that you're going to be an Auror and the training you're doing now.'

'Well, that no,' Harry reluctantly admitted. 'But, they don't care about that. Everyone already knows about that.'

'But no one has heard iyou/i talk about it.' That was true, of course. No one had heard Harry say anything; he did not even make an official statement at the end of the war.

There were bits of information from the few people Harry had talked to, like the Minister of Magic and the head of the Auror department, but there had not been a direct quote from iHarry Potter/i in the news since their fifth year of school. Yet, no matter how much Harry hid from it, the public's interest in him never wavered.

'They won't just stick to that. They'll try to make me say more, or say I said things that I didn't.' Harry got angry by just the thought of some of the things that had been said about him. It lingered without being said that Draco was the cause of most of it.

Despite that, Draco pressed on.

'So, you don't let them,' Draco said forcefully. 'Look, I'll help you. I'll get Rita—'

Harry groaned and rolled his eyes.

Draco continued as if he did not hear him. 'I'll get Rita to call you on Monday, and I will be there with you, if you want me there.'

Harry glared at Draco, who was not intimidated by that in the least.

'What? Just talk about the Auror program?'

'Yes.'

Harry's breathing started to quicken, and he was obviously trying to hold back his anger.

Draco sighed in exasperation. 'Calm down, Potter. It will be fine. I told you I'd be there for you.'

'Excuse me if that's not reassuring, but you've never been there for me before.'

'I'm your fiancée. You have to learn to trust me.'

He was not going to take it, though. Just because they were getting married didn't mean he had to listen to everything Draco told him to do.

'That might take a while.' Harry gritted out.

'I trust you.' Draco sounded offend that Harry was still holding a grudge, not that it had really been that long since they were enemies.

'I'm a trustworthy person, and I have not made it my top priority to ruin your life since we were eleven years old.'

'Have I ruined your life?'

'Not yet . . .' Harry was going to add but if I give you a few weeks you might, when Draco said, 'Well then, quit thinking that I will. On Monday, on your lunch, come by the Manor.'

'You can't make me do this,' Harry said in a low angry voice as he vowed to himself to quit having important discussions with Draco in public. It had already turned into a pattern where he always lost.

'You're right. I can't, but I'd like you to.' Draco's voice changed to a pleading tone. 'So would you just think about it?'

Harry calmed down. No one had just asked him before. Hermione had suggested it and then dropped it. She would bring it up in conversation, but never just asked. Ginny would fight with him about it. He did not want to think about her just then or about the interview. Maybe they were all right. When had Draco Malfoy and Hermione Granger ever agreed on anything before? Harry reluctantly nodded. He'd think about it.

After he thought about it, he realised that Draco was acting just as he would expect someone that he was engaged to would act. Well, minus the physical contact that he would ialso/i expect. Had Draco touched him at all that day? There had been a tense moment earlier when Draco showed, or rather taught Harry how to properly tie his tie. Draco still ended up fixing it after Harry's attempt each time. It had made Harry nervous. He expected Draco to kiss him at any moment.

Draco had not kissed him. When was he going to kiss him? The day they got married, or maybe at the dinner party? It was not that he wanted Draco to kiss him. It was just that they were going to get married, and they had not kissed yet.

It was weird, and Draco was acting strange. Harry needed to talk.

So, naturally, he went to Hermione and hoped Ron didn't have too many negative things to say. Besides, he needed to bring them up to speed with the proceedings of the wedding arrangements and let them know their role in it. He had put it off long enough.

'Do you think he's up to something?' Harry asked, since he'd decided he might as well get it out, instead of beating around the bush.

Ron snorted. 'We already told you that he's up to something, mate.'

'Yes, but I mean with his new behaviour? He's not himself. He's acting …' Harry really did not know how to describe it. 'Friendly?' But not too friendly.

'Well,' Hermione said, 'you didn't like him before, Harry. How's he supposed to make you fall in love with him by being someone that you hate?' She looked at him as though it genuinely confused her that Harry had not expected Draco to be "friendly" toward him.

Harry grimaced. She had a point. 'Do you think it's just an act? Should I believe anything he says?' Or did? Or didn't do?

'Are you afraid that it might not be?'

'What?' Harry faltered for words. Of course, he didn't care if Draco was acting. 'No, of course, it's an act—' It was just that . . . that would be cheating wouldn't it? He was supposed to fall in love with Draco, not someone pretending to be all Harry had ever wanted. 'But I don't want him pretending to be someone he's not all of the time.'

Hermione smiled her all knowing you're-making-this-more-complicated-than-it-is smile and said, 'Then tell him that.'

'Start our first fight?'

Ron laughed at him then. 'It's what you do best, after all.'

'Would we be allowed to fight if this were real?'

'Harry,' Hermione said in surprise. 'This is real. You're not getting married for love, but you are getting married. Just like any match that would have been made for Draco, except, you are choosing it. You're really marrying Malfoy.'

'For two years,' he added in as if the time limit changed the dynamic of it completely.

'As if a time limit changes anything—' Hermione rolled her eyes, but continued. 'Of course you can fight with him and tell him to be himself if it bothers you.' She threw her hands in the air to show how frustrated he was making her with his slow grasp of what he was doing. 'You think that purebloods don't fight with their spouses because their parents tell them not to?'

'I don't know.' Harry had never thought too much about it, but at school it seemed that everything Malfoy did he did because he parents told him to. 'Maybe. He says there are all sorts of rules.'

'Well,' she huffed. 'One of those rules is no divorce and you two plan to break that one.'

'He doesn't.' Because, of course, Draco planned to win. Harry ran his fingers through his hair and closed his eyes, before he said, 'I do.'

Harry knew that it was probably an important piece of information. It would help them figure out what Draco was up to, but he had been too upset about the fight with Ginny when they'd talked about it before. It wasn't until later that he'd remember just what it was that Draco and more importantly he had said.

'What do you mean, he doesn't? I thought you said he didn't say what'd happen if he won?'

'Right, but … he did ask me, though.'

They waited for Harry to continue, but he just looked away from them.

'And you said?' Hermione tapped her foot impatiently.

'That we'd already be married.' He winced before he even finished the sentence, because he knew what would happen.

Hermione's voice was shrill, loud and made him feel like he was twelve years old again. 'Why didn't you tell us this before!'

'I forgot,' Harry sputtered. 'I was upset about Ginny.'

'Speaking of Ginny,' Ron said. 'Have you heard from her?'

'No…' Harry looked up at him and tried not to sound too desperate for news of her. 'Have you?'

'Yeah, she's settling in fine.' Ron and Hermione shared a look. 'I just thought she might have written to you.'

Harry hated it when they did that. It reminded him of the time when they had not told him anything all summer long, after their fourth year. They were keeping secrets from him again. It hurt more now, because it was about Ginny. He couldn't ask them for information about her or yell at them for not giving it to him. It was none of his business what Ginny had told them, because they were not together anymore. For the next two years, he had to get used to that. Even if the thing with Draco hadn't happened, he still would have had to get used to that.

'Anyway,' Hermione brought them back to their original conversation. 'About Malfoy. It's your marriage; do what you want with it. Just remember that this is real and not a game.'

'Thank you,' Harry said suddenly serious. He looked from Hermione to Ron. 'Both of you for being here for me.'

'That's what friends are for, mate,' Ron said with a smile.

Harry smiled back. 'Speaking of being there for me . . .'

'What? Ron looked frightened then. After all, what else would Harry be throwing at them?'

'Would you two like to be in our wedding?'

Ron looked a little stunned, but Hermione just smiled.

'Of course, we will, Harry,' Hermione answered for them both.

'Good,' Harry said, 'because Mrs Malfoy already made an appointment for you to get fitted for the dress robes.'