Being that I'm not feeling well, I'm posting this early so I can sleep late and be better by tomorrow. Here's the next installment!

Previously:

Harry's smile blinded Draco. "May I kiss you?"

"You don't have to ask." The blonde whispered and leaned a little closer, already remembering the last kiss they'd shared.

Harry wrapped his arms around his fiancé. "I'll hold you to that." Their lips met softly.

Draco felt relaxed in Harry's embrace. He moaned into the other boy, enjoying his attentions until a throat cleared. Draco's eyes opened at once when he recognized the voice of person standing there. He pushed Harry away lightly. "Hello, Father; what brings you to Hogsmeade this lovely day?"

******** ******** Chapter 8 ******** ********

"I called at the school and was told you'd gone off with Potter. I wanted to see how you were getting on." Lucius glared at Harry. An auror was standing a few feet away and Harry knew that it was Lucius' escort. "I didn't expect to find you pawing each other so publicly. Is this your plan, Potter? Will you embarrass Draco by making him act like some common slut in the public eye?"

Draco looked down at the floor.

Harry knew his fiancé hadn't been embarrassed until their audience contained his father but he couldn't back down from the challenge Lucius just threw down. He glared at the older man. "Of course not, Mr. Malfoy; I merely forgot myself. We were about to look for wedding bands, if you'd like to join us."

The older blond man nodded curtly and followed the boys into the shop. "If only to be sure my son gets a ring that is worthy of him..."

Harry gritted his teeth as they neared the counter. Looking around he saw an older gentleman standing near a display of pendants. "Hello, sir," Harry said to the man behind the counter. "I'm looking for wedding bands."

"The wedding bands are over here." The man said pointing to the left of the register. "Did you have anything specific in mind?"

He pulled Draco closer to the area where the man had pointed. "Well, as you can see my fiancé is anything but common, so I was thinking of something unique and exquisitely beautiful, but I also want myself represented in this ring." Harry hadn't been able to resist the barb against Lucius' prior statement. He was rewarded by a squeeze of his hand by Draco. "Do you have any platinum bands with a swirl of yellow gold and a jewel or two?"

"I actually have something similar, young man. The bands are white gold and yellow gold intertwined with round cut emeralds in them." He pulled out the tray and showed them. "Platinum jewelry runs up to quite a high price – if you don't mind my saying so."

Draco smiled blandly at the rings and pointed out that the gems matched Harry's eye color.

"Money isn't a problem, sir." Harry considered them carefully. "Can you change the stones and replace the white gold with platinum?"

"I can, but this is less expensive even with the stones changed to whatever you want." The man explained as he glanced at Harry's tattered cloak.

Harry was beginning to get frustrated. "Sir, I'd like to order some rings and if you're not willing to help me, I'll take my business elsewhere. I have considerable funds at my disposal but not much more patience…if you take my meaning."

"Yes, young man, I do." The man replied with a nervous half-grin. "I'll make the rings to your specifications and send you a notice when it's finished."

"Good – then please write this down." Harry almost growled. "I want one that looks just like this but with platinum instead of white gold and rubies in place of the emeralds. Its mate should be its opposite; mostly yellow gold with a swirl of platinum and alexandrite in place of the rubies. Also, the gems should be trillion cut instead of the round." He looked at Draco who was both amused by the tone of Harry's voice and curious about the gems. "The rubies and alexandrite are our birthstones; they'll remind us of each other even when we are apart for a short while. I'll wear the gold with your birthstone because it goes well with my coloring and it happens to be my favorite metal. You'll get the platinum band with my birthstone because platinum, not only goes with your coloring – it's a rare, hard and very strong metal that's also very beautiful and enduring."

"I love it." Draco stared at him in wonder. "Harry, I don't think I've ever gotten something so heartfelt and thoughtful in my life."

"Well, I'm glad to be making you so happy." Harry smiled.

"Are you sure you can…?" Draco started to ask.

"Seeing as I approve the design and intentions behind the rings, I can cover it if you've gone over your balance, Potter." Lucius smirked.

"Do you want to see my bloody Gringott's statements?" Harry glared and repressed the urge to draw his wand. "Yes, I can afford it! Now, can we please stop talking about my finances?! Merlin! Now I know how Julia Roberts' character felt in Pretty Woman!"

"Who is this Julia Roberts and why should we care if she's a pretty woman?" Lucius narrowed his eyes at the young brunette.

"It's just a muggle reference, don't bother thinking on it." Harry snapped as he rolled his eyes.

Draco bit his lip. "I didn't mean to upset you, Harry."

"Look, Draco, just because I don't flaunt it with a brand new wardrobe and flashy frivolities doesn't mean it's not there." Harry explained. "I can detail things for you when we're married or even before, if you'd like. I really can afford to provide a comfortable life for us."

"That would be a good idea, son. Just so you know if he's got a gambling problem or something." Lucius commented casually.

Harry ignored Draco's father and turned back to the man at the counter. "Can you have that done before Halloween?"

"Yes, young man, but there will be an additional charge." The man said with a condescending air.

Harry snarled and did the only thing he could think of. He lifted his bangs. "I think I can afford it, don't you?"

The other man's eyes widened and he gasped. "I'm so sorry, Mr. Potter! I didn't realize!" He wrote up an invoice and sent it off to Gringott's as quickly as he could while Harry turned to face his father-in-law to-be.

"Mr. Malfoy – I realize that you wouldn't know this but I am heir to both the Potter and Black fortunes. In addition to that, Headmaster Dumbledore left me some money as well. I own at least two houses and I am part owner of a small business called Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes – perhaps you've heard of it. I've bought several things from here through owl-order for Hermione and Mrs. Weasley for past Christmases. I suppose I should've come in and introduced myself before now, but I've been a bit busy saving the world from a megalomaniac and his mindless minions." Harry snapped. "Now then, I could really use some hot chocolate. Draco, are you still joining me?"

His fiancé nodded quietly and followed him out the door leaving Lucius staring after them.

"Harry…I'm sorry I just assumed you were poor." Draco said cautiously as they went down the street. "Its just that… well, your clothes and things are always tattered and too big…"

"Not always, Draco…I told you that I'd explain my past. Maybe I should do that soon…" Harry sighed and opened the door to let Draco precede him into the Three Broomsticks. "Let's go in here."

The blonde looked a little awkward as they stepped through the doors.

"Don't worry; she's not here. It's under new management." He let Draco choose a table and went up to the counter to order. When Harry came back he was very quiet. "Do you have any specific questions? They might help me figure out where to start."

"Why not start at the beginning, Harry?" He asked.

So Harry did…He told him what he knew about the night his parents were murdered and how he ended up at his muggle relatives' home. He told Draco about the cupboard and the chores and how nasty his uncle and cousin always were. He even told the other boy how he always tried to keep from being noticed most of the time he spent with them. Harry also told him about the day he got the letter of acceptance from Hogwarts. Sometime in the middle of Harry's description of their first year, their hot chocolates had been delivered to the table.

The two boys sipped the hot liquid as Harry went into detail about his adventures in Hogwarts.

"So that's how it happened! I always wondered why Father was so angry with you after second year. He only told Mother and I that he'd given one of our elves clothes and it was your fault but he never would say why." Draco shook his head when Harry finished telling him about saving Ginny from Tom Riddle in the Chamber of Secrets and freeing Dobby the house elf from Malfoy service.

"Yes, well...I daresay being humiliated by one of his former servants was probably not one of your father's favorite moments." Harry smirked. "When Dobby died after saving us from the Manor I felt so horrified...I buried him myself, you know."

"I didn't know he died...I'm sorry." Draco said softly. "You obviously cared about him a lot."

"I did...even though most of the times he 'helped' me, he also almost got me killed." Harry told him. "I'll tell you more on the way back up to school." He pulled his cloak around him and fastened it tightly before helping Draco do the same. The other boy seemed quite comfortable allowing Harry to do things for him so Harry continued, opening doors for him and guiding him along the path back to the school as he kept the story going. Draco didn't comment again until Harry's story reached the end of third year.

"Sirius Black? My mother's cousin was your godfather? I can't believe I never knew that!" Draco was shocked.

"Not many people did know." Harry said with a wistful tone as he carefully took hold of Draco's hand. "He died near the end our fifth year and left me his vault and house and the elf that's served his family for generations."

"And he was innocent?" Draco's bitter tone surprised Harry.

"Yes, they'd switched secret-keepers at the last minute so he couldn't have told Voldemort even if he had wanted to." Harry confirmed.

"You could've had your godfather all that time but he'd been wrongfully imprisoned. That's so sad." The blond said softly, squeezing his fiancé's hand.

"I survived it, Draco. That's what matters." Harry grimaced. "Anyway, I sort of had him for two years...even if we could only write each other most of that time. It was for both of our safety and I know that but it would've been nice to be closer."

"Of course it would, Harry! I wish..." Draco trailed off.

"If I'd gotten my wishes, Draco, then my parents and so many other people would still be here and if they were here Voldemort may never have been defeated and we'd never be having this conversation." Harry stopped and faced him. "I may miss some important people, but I like where I am now. This outcome is the one we have and if we got caught up in wishes and dreams we wouldn't really be living our lives."

The blond boy nodded thoughtfully. "I guess you're right, Harry..."

"Let's get moving; I'm getting cold so I'm sure you are too." He smirked.

"I suppose it is getting chilly..." Draco said before casting a warming charm on his cloak and then Harry's.

Harry took this as a sign that Draco really was beginning to care for him and smiled as they continued on their way with Harry disclosing many of his adventures.

Before bed that night, Harry owled a letter to the goblin in charge of his Gringott's accounts. On his eighteenth birthday he'd been sent a thorough breakdown of his inheritances – funds, investments and real estate as well as a list of the heirlooms inside his vaults – so what he asked for now was a second copy to be sent to him in a sealed envelope. Harry knew that it would put his future father-in-law in his place to see how Harry's fortune rivaled the great 'Malfoy Family Vaults' and he couldn't wait.

Dear readers: I'm happy to once again be giving you another piece of this story! I feel so happy and connected to all of you when I see in your reviews that you care about the characters and story as much as I do. I laugh, cry, rage and fear with them so I'm glad to see that coming through to you.

Here's another response to Kb:

I'm glad to see you have such enjoyment for my work! I'm sure I'll be happy to see your future reviews no matter how infrequent they are. You know, when I first created an account here I was nothing more than a reader and many of my current readers have not a story to their names. What they have is a list of favorite fics that provide them with alerts when those fics update, as well as the ability to PM with authors and other readers. As for your writing style not being 'up to par' – I'm sure all you need is a beta reader. They simply go over your work and fix spelling and grammar mistakes but the best ones can also point out holes in the plot or facts you messed up sort of like you did with my numbers in chapter 6.

Rita is one of my least favorite characters in the HP universe and it amuses me to confine her to a glass jar for simply annoying our Harry. I do wonder what house I'd be in…Probably Hufflepuff because of my sentimentality and naivety or Ravenclaw for my ability to (selectively) retain knowledge and my love of books. I'm not really all that sneaky or calculating so Slytherin in out and I have little to no courage so I don't think Gryffindor would welcome me either although I am loyal to a fault. Actually loyalty is another vote for Hufflepuff…isn't it? LOL! I guess that's where my ten points will go!

Thank you all for reading and enjoying. As long as people do these things, I will keep writing.