(Jumps up and down excitedly) Now, I do wish to appologize to any of you who were a little confused with the last chapter. I hadn't meant to make you think that the story was over in my author's note at the end of said chapter. Because, it's not. But anyway, I think you're going to LOVE this chapter. At least, I hope so. I hade loads of fun writing this one and I hope you have loads of fun reading it!
Warnings: (shrugs) the ussual I suppose...
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, though I really wish I did (grins)
Chapter 22: The Water Vow
Three months later:
Draco laughed, watching Harry try to change Ronald's diaper. Draco had Karin all cleaned up and into a new one and couldn't help but watch as Harry shielded himself from the little boy's projectile urine. Pansy walked into the living room, and seeing what was going on, laughed.
"Harry, what in Merlin's pink boxers are you doing!?" Pansy managed out in between her giggles.
"I'm TRYING to change Ron's diaper, what does it bleeding LOOK like I'm doing!?" Harry practically screamed out. Pansy and Draco both couldn't help themselves, and ended up on the floor from laughter.
Harry finally managed to get a clean diaper onto Ron and he put him back into the playpen. Turning around, he glared at the two former Slytherins.
"You think that's funny, do you? Well, next time one of YOU can change Ron's diaper!" Harry huffed and went into the kitchen. With that declaration, Pansy and Draco sobered up real quick like.
"Aw…baby, you're so good at changing Ron's diaper though! You'll just get upset if one of us does it wrong." Draco said sweetly, following Harry into the kitchen and giving him his best puppy dog eyes. Harry rolled his eyes and shook his head.
"Oh well, looks like that's a problem I'll have to get over." Harry said before putting the baby formula away. Draco pouted, make Harry laugh.
"Oh, don't pout love, you know that doesn't work on me. Besides, it makes you look like a sodding twelve year old, and I don't want to think I'm dating a twelve year old." Harry said, causing Draco scowl and plop down into a chair.
"And anyway, YOU yourself don't have to change Ron's diaper. All I said was that ONE of you do it." Harry said, walking over to Draco and kissing him on the cheek. Draco grinned evilly and couldn't wait. He was most definitely going to make Pansy change Ron's diaper.
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Draco woke up and rolled over, his hand coming into contact with warm flesh. He smiled and opened his eyes, staring at Harry's sleeping face. Placing a small kiss to Harry's lips, Draco got up and went into the bathroom to take his shower. Coming back out a half hour later, Draco smiled as he stood in the doorway and watched Harry cuddling with Ron and Karin. Draco knew that Harry already considered the twins his children by all but blood. So did Draco.
Draco grinned when Karin seemed to notice that Harry was currently paying more attention to her brother. So, she pulled Ron's hair. Ron pouted and then pulled her hair. Harry chuckled softly and pulled them apart. For three-month-olds, they were rather rambunctious.
Draco couldn't help but think of how much they reminded him of Fred and George. Draco was afraid to see what they'd grow up to be like. Harry looked up and saw Draco.
"Draco love, come over here and hold Karin." Harry said. Draco obliged, pulling the little girl into his lap once he was settled on the bed comfortably.
"So, what do you think, do you want children of your own?" Harry asked curiously, knowing how much Draco adored the twins. Draco shrugged, smiling as he let Karin grip his index finger and yank on it gently.
"Well, I do like the idea of having my own son or daughter, but I'm gay. There's no way I'd ever sleep with a woman. And for two men to have a child together, one must take a potion and then the couple would have to have sex. A lot." Draco said, emphasizing the last two words. Harry blushed and looked down at Ron, who was pulling at his hair.
"I'd love a kid of my own." Harry said. He was going to say something more when Pansy rushed in.
"Sorry to disrupt whatever, but I need to get ready and I left my favorite pair of earrings in my dresser drawer." Pansy said as she began opening the drawers of said dresser and searching frantically.
"Where's the fire, Pans?" Draco asked.
"I've got a date with Fred in an hour, he's taking me to some fancy restaurant for breakfast." Pansy said. Finding her earrings, she rushed into the bathroom and slammed the door shut before the two wizards could ask any more questions.
"I'm glad to see that Fred and Pansy are hitting it off. I hope it works for them." Harry said softly. Draco nodded.
"Yeah, Merlin knows Pansy seems to have horrendous luck with relationships." Draco said. He cringed when Pansy screeched some odd profanity through the door.
"Pansy apparently has good hearing too," Harry said, laughing. Draco smacked him playfully before kissing his cheek.
"Well, what do you say we feed these two their breakfast?" Draco asked. Harry nodded and they stood, carrying the twins out of their room and into the kitchen.
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Draco walked in the front door of the apartment quietly. He looked around the living room and sighed when he didn't see anyone. That meant that Harry and Pansy were still at the joke shop with the twins, visiting Fred and George. Figuring that they wouldn't be back for a while, Draco went and took a shower.
About a half hour later, Draco came out of the bedroom feeling more human than he did before his shower. Bored, he wandered over to the bookshelf. He looked at the spines of the books, hoping something might catch his eye. Well, something did. He picked up the thick, cloth-bound book and took it over to the couch where he sprawled himself out on it.
He flipped through the pages, reading something that caught his eye and skipping over the things that didn't. Draco stopped short on a half-page description. He read it, then he re-read it. And he started thinking. This, I want this. With Harry.
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Draco swallowed nervously. It was the twins first birthday. And his and Harry's one year anniversary. Draco thought back to all that had happened in that year and few moths or so ago. Everything that Harry went through, it had still given Harry horrendous nightmares. Pansy, Fred, George, Sora, Charlie, and Draco convinced Harry to go to therapy for a while. It helped. Harry's nightmares subsided.
Draco had watched Marcus Flint receive The Kiss four months ago. A month after Flint's punishment, Draco and Harry moved into Harry's house. They spent an entire day decorating the twins' bedrooms and nursery. When they were a little older, they'd be moved into their own rooms and allowed to redecorate it however they pleased.
That's where Draco was headed now. His and Harry's home. They were throwing a party for Ron and Karin and Draco knew that he and Harry would celebrate their anniversary later that night after dropping the two one-year-olds off at Pansy's and Fred's apartment. But, Draco had plans. Ever since he'd read that half-page description of a ceremony nine moths ago, he'd been planning this moment. He checked his pocket, ensuring that the ring was where he'd stuck it on the way home from Diagon Alley.
Entering the house, Draco smiled a greeting to Charlie and his new boyfriend, Shea. He accepted the hugs he received from Pansy and Sora, and the handshakes from George and Fred. He walked over to Harry and pulled him into his arms. He kissed him lovingly before letting the emerald eyed man go. Ron raised his arms up, alerting Draco that he wanted to be picked up.
Obliging the birthday boy, he sighed when Ron wrapped his arms around Draco's neck and hugged him as tight as his one-year-old frame would allow. Karin walked over to them and raised her arms for Harry, giggling softly. Harry picked her up and let the little girl play with his hair, which now reached down to the small of his back.
"It's amazing, how much Ron looks like his mother and Karin looks like her father," Fred said as he walked over to them. Draco and Harry both nodded their agreement.
"Yes, well, let us just hope that they both acquire their mother's brains." Pansy said, coming up beside Fred. The whole room exploded with laughter. Draco kissed the top of Ron's head before handing him over to his Uncle Fred. Turning to Harry, he felt his stomach explode with butterflies. Harry smiled lovingly at him, and Draco smiled back. He glanced at the Dragon statue with the silver and emerald colored flames. Taking a deep breath, Draco pulled the ring out of his pocket and dropped to one knee in front of Harry and in plain sight for the rest of the room. Draco saw Harry's eyes go wide and heard the collective gasp from the men and the collective sigh from the women.
"Harry, I know it's only been a year since we got together, but I feel as though we've been together much, much longer. Besides, I've loved you for so long. So Harry, would you do me the honor of becoming my Bonded?" Draco asked as he held the ring up. He waited in nervous anticipation. Harry put Karin in Pansy's arms and dropped to his knees in front of Draco.
"Draco, my lovely Dragon, I love you. YES! I will, I want to!" Harry whispered, smiling his heartbreakingly beautiful smile. The room erupted into applause as Draco dragged Harry to him and snogged him like there was no tomorrow. Karin and Ron giggled happily, not exactly aware of what was happening but realizing that it was something VERY good.
One week later:
Draco and Harry walked over to the stream. Their friends on either side of it. Draco gave Harry a chaste kiss before he hopped over the stream and stood a few centimeters from the water's edge. Harry stood across from him and they clasped hands over the running water.
"You two remember the words?" Pansy asked softly. They nodded and took a deep breath before they opened their mouths and said together:
"Flowing water, witness this act: Our hands are bound; we make this pact."
A soft glimmer of green and silver enveloped the two and there was clapping and a few hand bells were heard. Draco stared at Harry, love shinning in his silver gaze. Harry smiled happily, feeling the heat of Draco's love surround him.
"It's done. You two are bound for life." Pansy said happily. And it's about damn time, too. She thought to herself as she turned her gaze to Fred, who was holding little Ron.
Draco's smile got, if at all possible, even bigger. He hopped back over the stream and pulled Harry into a bone crushing hug. He was so happy he read that half-page description of the Water Vow. It was perfect.
Author's Note: Well, I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter! Sorry again for any confusion I may have caused! Thanks for reading. OH! And I came up with the Water Vow idea after reading a brief description of it's meaning and the ceremony itself in Scot Cunningham's book, "Earth, Air, Fire & Water".