"Thankyou for coming with me today Harry. I know there are other things you'd rather be doing." Luna said dreamily. Now, Harry knew that the maid of honour was meant to make the bride feel like a queen, but he was honest when he said,

"Don't be silly Luna, I want to be here, you're going to be beautiful for your wedding day, not that you need a white dress for that." He chuckled. Luna looked at him a little surprised and had the faintest signs of a blush on her cheeks.

"That's really very kind of you Harry. Ah, how lovely, Mrs. Malfoy is here." She smiled sweetly and Harry looked up to see Narcissa Malfoy standing proudly, waiting for them with a well-practiced smile.

"Luna, sweetheart." She said coming to greet Luna. Harry tried hard not to roll his eyes at the woman. He knew the other didn't dispute Luna as Draco's bride –at least not publicly—but she certainly couldn't be as happy as she was making out to be. Or was the fact that Luna spent several months in Malfoy manor already forgotten? He didn't think so. Luna, yes, she was the kind of person to forgive and forget, but he was certain that Mrs. Malfoy had not forgotten.

The woman that saved his life turned to him and smiled—god damn these aristocrats, it was so easy to see through those fake smiles—but Harry did his best to smile back sincerely. He was happy to be here for Luna.

"Good afternoon Mrs. Malfoy." He said. She smiled and eyed him up and down.

"Narcissa, please mister Potter." She said. Harry knew it was only etiquette to reply the same way, but oh how tempted he was not to. Severus warned him, however, to be polite to her. She and Severus went back a long way. Though he knew that he was being jealous for no reason.

"Please, call me Harry." He finally said. She smirked as if knowing he would oblige and with one final look at him she walked ahead, arm in arm with Luna, telling her all about the wonderful tailor she had come all the way from Milan. Harry simply followed quietly, feeling greatly out of depth here, knowing not a single thing about fabrics or corsets or even the difference between satin and silk.

The tailor met them in a store that seemed to have sprung up over-night on the edge of Hogsmeade, he spoke in Italian and he was even more flamboyant than Lockhart had been.

"Ciao, principessa! Oh let me look at you, bella! I have just the dresses for you, you're going to be the envy of every bride! Do you mind if I speak french? I'm afraid my English is not as good." His English sounded just fine, but Harry didn't mention it.

"Oui, monsieur, je voudrais pratiquer pour Draco." She said smiling.

And so the evening passed with Harry not understanding anything. But he was quite in fascination at the flurry of languages. Narcissa spoke to the man in Italian and Luna would practice her French every time the other spoke to her. The different languages reminded Harry of places he wanted to see, and started making a list in his mind. Italy, he'd heard Sicily was quite nice, France would be wonderful too. He remembered Aunt Petunia talking about wanting to visit Greece. Harry started then daydreaming about the entire Mediterranean places to visit.

Harry only sat there, mildly entertained by his thoughts, though at least his friend was having a blast. It seemed she told him of her bizarre tastes because the man suddenly became ecstatic at the prospect of actually designing a runway dress that someone would actually wear. He started sketching a bizarre and abstract dress but even Harry had to admit… the other was good. Luna became even more energetic as she spoke to the man, moving her hands to try and show what she wanted. It left Narcissa to sit beside Harry.

"I am so sorry Harry, you must be bored out of your mind." She smiled sweetly.

"Not at all Narcissa, I'm delighted to see Luna so happy." He smiled back. It seemed he was getting the hang of this. He was happy, but he wouldn't have phrased it that way had he been talking to Ron or Hermione.

"Are you looking forward to your own wedding?" She asked. Harry chuckled.

"Whoever said I was getting married?" He said looking at her. She smiled sweetly.

"Aren't you? All your friends are."

"Well, I'm not someone who marries just because their friends are doing so, but thank you for your consideration." He smiled.

"You'd marry for love?" She asked.

"Yes." Harry said proudly.

"Oh sweetheart, you still haven't learned how life works? You actually think Luna and Draco love each other? After six or so months?" Harry opened to reply but shut his mouth. In all honesty, he didn't. "Love will come eventually, with soul mates even more so." She said. "You should just marry Severus now, he's had more than enough of living alone, I'm sure he doesn't want to wait for a little boy to grow up." She added finally.

Harry's mouth actually dropped open. How… dare she?

"Severus isn't like that! He—"

"He'd say he'd wait, of course he did. It's the kind of gentleman he is. But he is a man. He has urges, and desires, if you're going to make him wait for marriage at least don't make him wait for pleasure."

Deep breaths Harry… the bitch didn't know what she was talking about. She didn't know what happened to him… she didn't know how hard he was trying to feel comfortable with… But she'd known he'd been holding back, had Severus told her?

Tears came to Harry's eyes and Narcissa noticing flinched back, not having expecting to make him cry. "You don't know anything Mrs. Malfoy." He whispered wiping his tears away just before Luna turned around and he smiled and nodded at her final design. Narcissa kept trying to say something but Luna was now looking at them and asking them if they should go for tea.

Harry kept animated for Luna's sake, and prayed that her keen senses wouldn't pick up on him being upset. But she must have because after tea she let Harry go back to the school. After all, they were going back to the designer to see the choices in bridal lingerie and even as maid of honour he was, thankfully, excluded from that.

Without a second glance their way, he walked away blushing when Luna explained the after-tea plans. But his embarrassment was quickly replaced by anger, oh Severus was going to hear him. He was going to hear everything he had to say. How dare the other talk to Narcissa and how dare he tell Harry to be nice to her and not tell him that he'd spoken to her about them?

Just recalling the conversation made Harry want to cry. He'd made it all the way to the castle without so much as a tear. However, he wasn't that strong, and in a, thankfully, empty corridor he broke down, sobbing against the wall. He didn't know how long he'd been there, but when he felt a hand on his arm to turn him around he'd expected to see Severus there.

It was Draco, however, who was looking at him with a frown.

"Merlin, what the devil did my mother do?" Harry whimpered and looked back down, crying into his free arm. "Come on… let's get you to Severus." He said. Harry shook his head.

"No…" He managed. "I don't want to see him right now." He whimpered. That told Draco the second bit of information he needed.

His mother had made Harry cry, and he had made him cry about Severus.