Chapter Twenty-Three:

Isn't It A Lovely Night?

A/N: Read, Review, Enjoy!!

.Lover - I think getting along doesn't happen enough in Drarry fan-fictions...always so much bickering ;)

allieb23 - Hehe I love naughty Draco...I can't wait till you read how naughty he makes Harry...hehe..

OutsidexMyself - Oh I'm so glad you like it!!! ^_^

Isn't It A Lovely Night? - The Decemberists

Isn't it a lovely night

And so alive

With fireflies

Providing us their holy light.

And here we made a bed of boughs

And thistle down

That we had found

To lay upon the dewey ground.

*

"Are you sure you don't wanna come with us, mate? I mean, Dumbledore's letting you come and all, extra Auror guards could be placed around the area no biggie..." Ron tried for what felt like the billionth time to persuade his best friend into changing his mind for the holidays.

The Golden Trio was standing at the Entrance gates to Hogwarts, the carriages being filled up with their luggage and other student behind them before getting pulled away by the Thestrals to Hogsmeade Station. "I'm sure, Ron. Draco's Manor is so much more secure than any other place, any unwanted personel can't get in or out of it. Death Eaters can't apparate in, only those of the Malfoy bloodline can come and go as they please. To get in there you either need to be a corpse, or be led by the Head of the Manor...don't you think I'll be much safer there?" Harry tried explaining again, though they all knew that even if Draco's Manor was crawling with Death Eaters, Harry would still go to it instead.

"Urgh, fine have it your way," Ron grumbled crossly. Him and Malfoy were getting along quite well whenever they ran into one another in privacy, or as well could be expected despite the circumstances, but that did not mean that the redhead would trust him yet. Even as Harry's mate for life, he didn't feel Draco held the courage of his convictions.

"Listen guys, don't worry about me over the next couple of weeks. I'll write you, you write me, have a good happy holiday together, alright?" Harry smiled brightly, his insides were itching in anticipation to apparate with Draco to the Manor just outside of Hogwarts. Dumbledore had granted them special permission to do so, understanding the possible poor implications riding on the train together could cause for the couple.

"You too, and say the same to him for us," Hermione smiled sweetly in response, and after a couple of hugs the two were off on their carriage with Neville and Dean Thomas, Seamus was staying there as going all the way back to Ireland was always too troublesome for him.

As soon as the last of the carriages were out of sight, Harry quickly ran down the gravel road in the directions of Hogsmeade, about five minutes later he came to a clearing to the right in the forest. There stood Draco, basically camoflouged with the snow falling lightly around in the mid-morning December day. He was smiling so beautifully at Harry, walking towards him with a goofy grin as his messy raven hair flopped in the slight wind.

Draco's smile climbed higher up his face the closer Harry got, until they reached one another and just stared momentarily, enjoying the look of the flushed red colour on each others cheeks. "I get you for two whole weeks," Draco finally spoke, softly as his warm breath hit the edge of Harry's face.

"It sounds like heaven, doesn't it?" Harry responded, he wrapped his arms around Draco finally, bringing the skinny body close to his own.

Without saying a word, Draco suddenly apparated the two of them and after the quick tug at his naval, Harry suddenly appeared in the foyer of the Malfoy Manor. It looked more spectacular in real life than it did in those nightmares he had experienced. He smiled and pulled away from Draco, "Show me around your castle, oh dear Prince of Snakes," he teased as Draco rolled his eyes.

"Would you wait a moment? I have to inform the House Elves I have returned. Dawny," he called, and the House Elf appeared out of nowhere before them.

"Master Malfoy has brought a guest! What do you need of us, Master?" the House Elf excitedly asked, obviously not being used to the months of absence with nobody to serve.

"Dawny this is Harry Potter, Harry this is Dawny," Draco introduced them quickly and the House Elves eyes went wide and he began to back up. "Harry is my mate, Dawny, and you will see to it that all the other House Elves udnerstand that. Now, have all the Floo networks been cut-off as I had asked for?"

"Yes, sir. Still cut-off since the summer, Master, sir,"

"Good. Just make sure you have lunch, dinner, and everything else appropriate ready for us at the correct times. That will be all, Dawny," Draco said wearily before the House Elf shot another lingering look on Harry before disappearing.

"Hmm...now will you give me the grand tour?" Harry asked again, he was quite intrigued to see every part of where Draco had grown up and lived his entire life before Hogwarts. The marble, twisting staircase, impossibly high ceilings, the statues, the portraits unmoving and moving alike plastered elegantly on the stone walls. It was quite the astonishing building, and Harry had a hard time calling it a home...it was much more elaborate than that.

After the tour of the Malfoy Manor, Draco took Harry into his bedroom. The walls were depressingly black, the four-poster bed was large and covered in emerald silk sheets. There was a vanity, a walk-in closet filled with expensive clothing, and an excessively large bathroom. The tub looked fit for an entire synchronized swim team.

"Didn't you ever think you were spoiled?" Harry asked as they settled down on the bed, his arm around Draco's neck as they lay ontop of the sheets, staring up at the ceiling.

"Oh, I know I was. I loved being spoiled I mean, who would not?"

"I just think that...all this...it's a little much. I mean, I'm happy with food, shelter, good friends, and you," Harry quickly pecked Draco's forehead as the blonde rolled his eyes.

"And that is what makes you a Gryffindor and me a Slytherin,"

*

And isn't it a lovely day

We got in from our play

Isn't it?

A sweet little baby...

*

The first couple of days Harry spent at the Malfoy Manor went by rather fast for him. He rumaged through many old Malfoy family books including photo albums, and he had even been granted permission by Draco that he could snag a few baby photos of him. Harry just thought he looked too damned adorable to pass it up; a small boy of only three, smaller than the rest his age, the wisps of platinum hair falling around those intense silver eyes, that beautiful innocent smile that graced his features.

Draco talked to Harry a lot about growing up, what it was like outside of his Father's 'lessons'. The most part of his childhood came across that Lucius was barely around, and when he was the elder Malfoy was constantly imprinting his twisted values on his son and wife. Narcissa, however, acted much like any normal Mother would up until the point that Draco started attending Hogwarts. When that time came around, Narcissa began to grow cold and distant from not only her son but also her husband. Draco's guess was that she despised what she saw Draco turning into; a replica of Lucius, and she didn't want her family to go down the dark path of the Dark Lord any longer. Harry sympathized for the late woman, it must have been hard to love your husband so dearly even though his morals were completely opposite from yours - in the worst of extremes.

They kept mostly to themselves, Harry's letters to his friends were short and sweet as he was too entangled in Draco to think of anything else. They reveled in one another every second of the day, they even bathed together which felt like pure bliss to Harry. Draco's wet, warm body lying against his own lazily in the bath. And no, he didn't feel dirty. He just simply couldn't anymore, not when something felt so damned right and natural to him.

By the time Christmas Day crept around, Harry was rather nervous about the Christmas present he had gotten from Draco from Hogsmeade as he shopped around with Ron before the holidays. He didn't know how the blonde would react, but all he could do was cross his fingers and hope for it.

Harry woke up feeling cold, and he was quick to realize that Draco wasn't in the bed with him curled around him like most mornings. "Dray, hun?" he called, but recieved no answer. 'Probably just in the study or the kitchens' Harry shrugged it off and got ready for the day. By the looks of it outside, morning had barely begun.

"Why do people always wake up extra early on Christmas?" Harry wondered aloud to himself.

"Because they are that more excited to start their day," Draco drawled behind him, he was leaning suavely on the entry way of his door, dressed in a long black cloak with his fingers adorned with silver rings. That same old key hung loosely around his neck and Harry could even see the pale skin that it fell against because of the button-downed shirt he was wearing with his tight, black slacks. Harry doubted he had ever seen Draco look nicer.

"Wow..uh...lose..for words," Harry finally choked out with a blush as Draco smirked elegantly.

"You are not too bad yourself, Potter. Mind you, I will be freshening you up before dinner this evening," Draco said pointedly as Harry rolled his eyes and groaned.

"I don't wanna do it!"

"You? These are your friends, are they not? Having the entire Weasel gang here and more was never on the top of my To Do List, but if we are hosting this dinner we need to be the sexiest couple there,"

"We already are, as long as you don't decide to leave me," Harry grinned, crossing the room and taking the back of his hand to Draco's smooth cheek, the blonde sighed and nuzzled against the touch, fluttering his eyes shut.

"You know I cannot possibly, ever leave you Harry. It would be a fate worse than any sort of death or living hell," Draco took Harry gently into his arms and began kissing his cheeks, forehead, eyelids, lips, nose as softly as possible. He smirked when he felt Harry's hard member push lightly against his leg and he backed up with a suspicious look in his eye, "Now now, is it not a little early to be this frisky, love?" he asked sexily, winking down at his mate who blushed.

"Hey...it's not my fault you come waltzing in here looking so...delicious," Harry allowed his eyes to once again rake over his boyfriend, how lucky he was to have him.

"Yes well, I am sorry to decline what your body wants so bad. And mine too, do not get me wrong, but I do not want to ruin what I spent hours preparing," he pouted, pointing to himself as Harry rolled his eyes.

"You're such a little prissy princess," he teased.

"And you are my prince. Now come, Happy Holidays love, lets not spend them in this bedroom...that would just be too tragic," Draco smirked as he led Harry out of the bedroom by the hand, dragging him down the many flights of stairs until he reached the dining room where the long, ebony table with its tall chairs already had two plates of breakfast waiting for them.

"Mmm, bacon and eggs, is there ever any better breakfast?" Harry smiled brightly, his stomach growling at the sight of the delicious food as they sat down beside one another, Draco at the head of the table, and the brunette didn't take his time getting to his food.

"Breakfast with presents. That is always a specifically happy one, too," Draco smirked, and with that he pulled Harry's Christmas gift out of his pocket and set it on the table between him and his boyfriend, and then he took out a slightly larger parcel, though not by much, as well.

Harry just swallowed his food and looked at the two presents, wrapped with a silver ribbon and green paper. "Well, are you going to open it?" Draco hissed with playful impatience as Harry rolled his eyes and grabbed the box closest to him. He unwrapped it dreadfully slow, causing Draco more pain in waiting, and then he ended up with a small, blue velvet box. He had seen this box before..but where?

"Draco is this..."

"Just open it, would you!" Draco responded hastily, leaning forward on his chair now in anticipation of Harry's reaction.

Harry clicked open the box and stared down at the Malfoy family signet ring, it looked just as it had that night he found it in Draco's trunk. "Draco I...I can't take this. Literally, I can't. The ring will burn me if I try,"

"Will it?" Draco asked in response slowly with a certain intention in his voice.

Harry hesitantly picked up the ring and was surprised when it didn't burn him and the two snakes jumped to life, writhing against their stiff scales.

"Ah, it is you again snake talker,"

"How is it you can touch us in this other, strange body?" They hissed at Harry.

"I-I honestly don't know, but I can. And you're my Christmas gift,"

"What?! A Malfoy gave the signet ring away, why in the world would our Master do that to us?"

Harry looked uneasily up at Draco, "I don't think they want me as their new owners," he explained.

"I think they have no choice in the matter, and not only that but tell them why you can touch the ring,"

"And why can I? I don't even know!"

"Oh Harry, are you that dense?" Draco rolled his eyes as Harry huffed at him and then he looked back down at the ring he saw on his Father's hand almost everyday as a child, "When we completed our bond, we were magically married. That makes you half Malfoy, and sadly I am half Potter as well,"

"Really? Oh, that makes so much more sense now!" Harry smiled happily and concentrated back on the snakes watching them curiously. Harry slipped the ring onto his right index finger and looked at it shine against his skin.

"You don't burn me because I'm a Malfoy now, too. Draco and I are soul mates, we completed the bond and are technically married," Harry explained quickly, as to not anger the snakes who did not like protecting anybody other than the Malfoy Master.

"A true soul bond?"

"That is impressive new Malfoy. What is it we can call you by?"

"Harry, call me Harry. And none of that Master nonsense. What are your names?"

"I am Mael, and he is Telia,"

"Well then Mael and Telia, I'm glad to make your acquintance," Harry finished hissing down at them and cleared his throat only to look back up at Draco who was staring at him with a dreamy experssion, leaning on his elbow on the table.

"Uh...Draco, are you alright?"

"I am perfectly fine Harry, but I must say that you speaking in Parseltongue is perhaps the sexiest thing I have ever heard," he admitted without a hint of embarassment as Harry's cheeks immediately flamed up. "And your blushing...you always blush and it is so...irresistably adorable," Draco cooed, bringing his hand up to stroke Harry's flushed face.

"Yeah well I think one of these days you're going to make me die of blushing too much," Harry mumbled through his smile. "You didn't have to give me this, Draco. I know it means so much to you, I mean it's probably been in your family for...."

"More than five hundred years," Draco finished quickly for him and with a wave of his hand pushed it away, "It is nothing, Harry. I want to mark you as mine, and this is the best way I can do that. Harry Potter can now be seen as Harry Potter-Malfoy, and that is the way I want it,"

"Oh? And does that make you Draconis Malfoy-Potter? Hmm...that's a hot name," Harry teased.

"Pfft...open your next present," Draco pushed the other slightly larger package towards Harry who picked it up and began peeling away slowly at its wrappings.

"You didn't have to get me another one, Draco. The ring was more than enough,"

"But I did not pay for the ring, Harry, I needed to buy you something too!" Draco protested quickly, and Harry merely shook his head and finished unwrapping the box.

He clicked it open and found a silver chain inside with a pendant and a silver old looking key attached to it. The key had an intricately made handle that twisted around itself, and there was a small engravement on the length of it reading in script, 'With Love, DM '. The pendant was a strange, light gold colour of knots every where. The knots interweaved and were all tied together, and in between the knots were the colour of emerald.

"That is a secondary key to my trunk. I know that it is not really necessary and all but I thought that it would be...symbolic. Me trying to say that everything that is mine, is yours," Draco found himself tinting pink at his own words, realizing how corny he sounded. "And the pendant is a Celtic Love Knot. I have one too," he pulled it out from his pocket, it wasn't attached to a chain but he quickly undid the one with his key on it and slipped on the Celtic Love Knot before putting it back on his neck.

"Celtic Love Knots are supposed to be worn by two lovers, not only does it tie them together across any distances, but it also stregthens the bond and disallows unfaithfulness towards one another. Though it has no magical properties, I still thought it was fitting," Draco smiled gently as Harry fingered the pendant whilst biting his lower lip.

"It's beautiful, Drac. And yours is silver instead of emerald...matches your eyes," he commented dreamily, and accepted his boyfriends help as Draco stood up from the table and took the necklace from Harry before clipping it around the other boys neck.

"This has already been the best Christmas ever," Harry smiled brightly, he pulled Draco from behind him after he was finished securing the necklace on his neck and brought the boy down onto his lap. Draco draped his arm around Harry's neck as the brunette began to softly kiss his lover.

"Harry, I love you,"

"And you have no idea how much I'm in love with you either, Draco. Y'know...I'm really beginning to get used to this whole soul mate thing, because it makes me confident knowing that you'll never leave me. That this isn't some stupid school crush, that it is everything we have to feel for each other,"

"Yes, love, and so much more. Ever since I kissed you when we were in each others bodies I have felt a fire burning deep inside of my soul and it was just for you. Ever since then I never doubted how I felt about you, and I know I never will," and Draco's words didn't sound romantic to Harry, instead they sounded like an eternal promise.

After breakfast was eaten and finished, between snogging and Harry admiring his Christmas presents, the brunette was nervous all over again. He knew that Draco wouldn't, or even couldn't, say no to his own present but still...Harry had a tendency to over react when it came to his emotions.

"I thought we could take a walk outside, maybe? Enjoy the weather,"

"Enjoy the weather? It is bloody freezing outside, Potter," Draco protested with a whine.

"I promise to keep you warm. C'mon, we'll just do warming spells, please Draco...I-I want to give you my Christmas present," Harry stuttered and looked nervously down at his feet.

"Oh, alright. But only because you are so cute, Potter," Draco hissed with a wink before leading the way towards the front hall. Harry and him put on two winter cloaks, immediately Harry was overwhelmed with the scent of lavender.

"I love wearing your clothes, they all smell like you," Harry smiled against the fabric. The entire holidays, he had taken advantage of the walk-in closet and excessive amount of clothing his boyfriend had.

With their hands clasped, the two boys began to slowly walk along a shovelled, gravel path that twisted around the large nearly empty Manor. They were silent for the most part, just enjoying each others company. Finally they came around to the East end of the Manor, there was a small courtyard there with bare trees piled with snow and a couple of vacant, dry benches. Harry quickly led Draco over to one of them, seeing as how the blonde was beginning to shiver because of the cold.

"I never get it," Harry said after casting a quick warming spell, "You're always so cold yet you spend so much time in the dungeons,"

"Hmm..somethings shall remain a mystery," Draco shrugged nonchalantly, no matter where he was he always felt cold.

"Draco...I hope, erm...you like my present. I mean, I got it because...I wanted something formal. Some kind of event where all our friends can come and where we can show ourselves in front of people...and most of all I want you. And I know that, well, we're already...technically...well, erm...y'know...married but I want...I really want you to..be, erm, well..." Harry was stuttering like crazy, stumbling over his own words as he found himself doing the Muggle action of dropping down onto one knee in front of an open-mouthed Draco. Harry nervously grabbed ahold of Draco's cold hand and gently kissed the top of it before taking out a ring from his pocket.

Draco gasped audibly, despite his regular ability to keep himself masked, "Harry...are you asking me to marry you?"

"I-erm..I mean...if you don't..." Harry took a deep calculating breath, "Draconis Lucius Malfoy, will you be my husband?" he finally choked out, visibly shaking with nerves.

"Harry, I have never wanted something I already have more in my entire life! Of course I will, of course, yes!" Draco excitedly responded and a bright smile graced his features as Harry nervously slipped the ring onto Draco's ring finger.

The blonde looked admiringly down at the piece of jewelry, it matched his other rings. It was a white gold band with a single beautifully cut diamond in the middle of it, there was an engraved heart on the inside of the band. "I know it's not much but...it was simple and...nice.."

"Shut up," Draco commanded quickly, "It is absolutely gorgeous, Harry. I can honestly say that I did not expect this," Draco beamed and pulled Harry off of the ground to stand up with him, he looked down into the same emerald eyes he found himself getting continuously lost in. Draco bent down and kissed him softly before Harry pulled away, nerves flushed away and a broad smile on his face.

"Draco Potter. Charming, isn't it?"

With a quick reflex, Draco bent down and balled up and handful of snow in his hand and smooshed it against the side of Harry's face as the brunette squealed and jumped back from the sudden burst of cold. "No. Harry Malfoy sounds much better," Draco stuck out his tongue and before Harry could exact his revenge, ran away.

Harry's smile broadened as snow dripped from his raven hair and he grabbed a handful for himself and started off after Draco. "You're mine, Malfoy!" he screamed as he quickly caught up and tackled Draco to the snowy ground.

*

And wasn't it a lovely breeze

That swept the leaves

Of arbor reeves

And bent a brush of blushing knees

*

There were many things that Draco wanted to do. Retrieving Ginny, Ron, Fred, George, Molly and Arthur Weasley from the Burrow by Floo that evening around five o'clock was not one of them. Severus, Remus, and Hermione were all joining as well, but still Draco didn't want to retrieve them either. All he wanted was to continue being locked away in his Manor with only Harry, he never wanted their beautiful afternoon fooling around in the snow to end. But of course he had to end it sooner or later, to prepare both of the boys to host Christmas dinner.

Currently Draco found himself in a tiny, cramed room of a tiny, cramed house. The Burrow. He was trying his absolute best not to scowl at every little nick-nack in sight, but the clock with all the Weasley children faces on it was unavoidably the tackiest thing Draco had ever laid eyes on. Harry hadn't flooed with him, he was finishing up putting on the clothes Draco had picked out for him.

"Alright, everybody ready to go?" Molly's cheery voice called from the kitchen, but as soon as she entered the family room where the fireplace was, her smile dropped as she looked at Draco. She was weary of him, though she had been explained of their relationship as had the rest of the Weasley clan.

"I will have to Floo each of you individually, which is a hassle in itself," Draco announced once everybody was piled in the room. Severus seemed just uneasy as he was, which Draco was eternally grateful for his presence. What would his parents say now if they were alive..him spending Christmas evening with this bunch?

It was a long process which left Draco feeling queezy and with a headache, but eventually everybody was sitting at the same large table in the dining room. The candles were dimmed down low, the large window had its curtains drawn to let the moonlit in and the beautiful view of the expansive Malfoy estate astonish the Weasley's.

"This is such a beautiful home you have, Malfoy," Molly said, her eyes just like Hermione's and Ginny's couldn't stop looking around at all of the beautiful statues and portraits.

"Draco, you may call me Draco. Would you like some red wine Molly, Arthur? I can also have the House Elves get anybody Firewhiskey if they would like it..." Draco offered, they weren't to start dinner yet until Harry was down as well. He hadn't come from the bedroom yet.

"Wine would be lovely, Draco, thank you. And yes, you kids can have Firewhiskey...but only because it's Christmas!" Molly quickly added in as her children all smirked at one another, free alcohol was all they were thinking.

Draco was feeling uneasy by the second. Severus had seated himself beside him, Remus beside Severus. Hermione and Ron were clasping hands beneath the table, Ginny next to them and the twins and the Weasley parents on the other side of the table. "Better not have poisoned it, Malfoy," Fred mumbled as George grinned next to him.

"No, that's not Malfoy's style. I think if he wanted to kill us, he'd eat us for dinner instead of have us for dinner," George responded as they chortled beneath their voices.

"Boys! Apologize to Draco right this minute!" Molly screeched as Draco just sat there with the same empty expression as Severus, their eyebrows raised slightly.

"Sorry Malfoy," they muttered together before glaring at the blonde at the head of the table. It was obvious that nobody wanted to really be there, but they were there for Harry. Draco couldn't blame them, he didn't want them there either.

Finally Harry walked in the room from the entrance way, his face flushed but other than that he had dressed exactly as Draco had instructed. The white shirt was unbuttoned halfway down his toned chest as the pendant and silver key gleamed against his skin, his pants were black and loose complimented by black shoes. The cloak he wore was a light weight one, though it was pure black with an emerald inner coating.

"Merry Christmas everyone!" he chimed cheerily. Seeing all of his best friends and 'family' gathered around Draco Malfoy's table was not only the most surprising thing in his lifetime, but also the happiest.

"Happy hols, mate!" Ron cheered back, standing up and running over to hug him. After quite a few rounds of hugs, Harry finally made his way to Severus and Remus who were both smiling up at him. Severus smiling uneased everybody in the room except for Draco and Harry.

"Merry Christmas, guys," Harry said softly and wrapped one arm around each of the mens neck and hugged them tightly. "I love you both so much," he said.

"We love you too," Severus responded, hugging Harry back with Remus as the rest of the table save Draco sat in astonishment watching the cheery, holiday scene. Everybody had been filled in on both Draco and Harry's relationship but also Severus and Remus', still it was the most surprising thing to see...Severus not acting nice, but actually being genuinly kind.

"Now c'mon people! You all look so tense, lighten up! I know ya'll don't wanna be here but it's Christmas! Bottomless rounds, good food, presents, family...y'know?" Harry winked at everybody who all smiled back, they felt the joy radiating off of the brunette as Draco smiled adoringly up at him from his seat. Everybody in that room could easily say they had never seen Harry happier.

"Can we eat yet?" Ron whined, his stomach grumbling.

Draco shot him a quick glare before standing up at his seat and beckoning Harry to his side. Draco put his arm around Harry's waist, much to Fred and George's disgust, and smiled down at everybody. "Before the festivities begin I would like to make an announcent," he said, grabbing everybody's attention quickly. "I just wanted everybody to know that Harry and I are officially engaged,"

"What?! Like-like...you two are going to,"

"Get married and have a ceremony,"

"And pronounce your love and all?" Fred and George countered quickly as Harry blushed and looked nervously at his feet, Draco was growling over at the twins before Hermione started talking.

"I think that's absolutely wonderful! A formal ceremony, that'll be great! Congratulations, you two!" she smiled brightly. It took a few minutes for Harry to get everybody's congratulations, he went around and hugged them all before tucking into his seat at the opposite end of the long table from Draco.

The meal had started off awkward and slow, nobody wanting to say anything or step out of line or make things more awkward than they were. Eventually Fred and George began to have too many rounds of Firewhiskey and got rowdy, Ron joined in with them and then finally everybody loosened up and began actually enjoying themselves.

Harry, however, couldn't stop staring at Draco from the other end of the table as the blonde couldn't help but stare back and both of them had the simeultaneous same thought running through their heads.

'I can't wait until I have you alone tonight...'

*

And here we died our little deaths

And we were left to catch our breaths

So swiftly lifting from our chests

And isn't it a lovely way

We got in from our play

Isn't it?

A sweet little baby...