Their Begining

With arms wide open

Under the sunlight

Welcome to this place

I'll show you everything

With arms wide open

Now everything has changed

I'll show you love

I'll show you everything

With arms wide open

-Creed, With Arms Wide Open

Their Beginning

"I have it," Snape said stepping into the room. "The cure, it's finished."

Groggily, I opened my eyes. "Wha--" I said before coughing uncontrollably again.

"Use the spell, Draco," I heard Snape say. "He doesn't have long."

Again, it took more than one casting of the spell to calm my coughs. Each time I heard Draco nearly shout the spell, I heard the panic in his voice rise.

Four...five...six.

Finally, I could breathe again. Snape wasted no time in shoving the potion down my throat. It tasted bitter, vile, and stank. It nearly sent me into another coughing fit.

"It'll take about a day to kick in," he said. "No big stuff," he warned me. "That means kissing," he said to the both of us. Being gay himself, Draco and I had found little to no trouble in telling him the truth. We did, however, chuckle at his words.

And then Hermione showed up.

"Professor Snape!" she exclaimed. "Did you finish the cure?"

"Yes," Snape said oddly. "And Harry's already taken it."

"So he's cured?" she asked. I hate it when she talks about me like I'm not here. "It's over?"

"No, not quite. It will take a while, but he'll be fine. He's cured, for the most part. There may be a few lingering side-effects, but seeing as to how no one has survived this long before, let alone actually be cured, I think this is more than we could ever have hoped for."

"Yes," she said in a far away voice. "Yes, it is."

"What kind of side-effects?" Draco asked, worried.

Snape visibly stiffened. "Erm, maybe a fit or two every now and then, the possibility of...err...anearlydeath."

"An early what?" Draco demanded. "An early death! Are you mad? You're supposed to cure him, not make it linger!"

"I did the best I could, Draco. You'd best be satisfied I did that much. Otherwise, Harry would be dead right this very instant!"

"You--"

"Draco stop," I ordered. "Thank you, Snape," I said. "I owe you."

"No, you don't," he replied before Disapparating.

Hermione shuffled her feet a few times. "Can I ask," she started, clearly uncomfortable, "what Draco is doing in your bed, Harry?"

"Oh," I said. I could literally feel the blood leaving my face. "Erm...Hermione," I said, very uncomfortable, "I'd like you to meet my...fiancé."

Now it was her turn to pale. "What?" she whispered.

"I-I never told you that-that I was...gay, did I?"

She shook her head weakly. "No,&rdqu; she whispered. "No, you never did."

"Surprise?" I said hopeful.

"I was hoping more for an "April fools'," she admitted. "You're serious, aren't you?"

My heart fell. No, please Merlin, no. Not this. "Yes," I said hoarsely. She's going to leave me now, isn't she? She's going to leave and never--

"I can't believe it," she said smiling. "I never would have thought--Wow!" she exclaimed. She walked over to the bed and hugged both me and Draco. "I'm so happy for you! Why didn't you tell me before?"

I shrugged, not wanting to tell her the real reason. Who wants to tell their best friend they didn't tell them their secrets for fear of them turning away? Then again, I've done this very thing more than once. I can clearly remember a prophecy I didn't tell anyone about for three years. "I don't know," I lied. Draco squeezed my hand.

Flash Back

"Hey Harry," Draco said plopping down on the couch next to me, legs crossed over mine. "I've got something I want to ask you."

"Well, what is it?" I asked pushing his legs off of mine, and returned to my reading.

"I'm not about to ask you if you're not going to pay attention."

I sighed and placed my bookmark in my spot and set it down. "What?" I asked getting frustrated.

"Keep your shirt on Harry, I only wanted to know if you'd marry me."

"W-What?" I sputtered, completely shocked. Draco threw back his head and laughed. "Are you serious?" I asked him.

"Of course, silly," he replied. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"Because you like to joke around. You'd be a great match for the Weasley twins."

He waved his hand dismissively. "No one could match those two blokes. Now answer me," he ordered. "Will you marry me?"

I wasn't too sure about this. I mean, I wanted to, more than anything ever before, but still.... What if I died?

What if I died?

"Harry," he asked getting nervous. "Please, love, say something?"

He was afraid I'd say no!

I smiled. "Of course, silly," I replied. "Why wouldn't I?"

_ - ~ ' * ' ~ - _

I was glad Hermione knew now. I'm actually thoroughly amazed Harry didn't just find some way to dismiss my presence in his bed as something minor, not worth noticing. But Hermione was bound to find out sooner or later, perhaps it's better that Harry told her now, instead of her finding out some other way and taking it out on Harry for not saying something.

"Can I ask when this happened?" she asked sitting down at the edge of his bed. "How long you've been together?"

"Almost seven years," Harry replied thoughtfully. "Since seventh year..."

"Has it really been that long?" I asked referring to both Hogwarts and our relationship. Time flies in an instant when you're not paying much attention.

"Seven years?" Hermione asked in shock. "How?" she demanded. "When?"

"Remember that night, in December, when I asked Draco to go search the grounds for out-of-bed students?" She nodded. "That's when. I had sent him out there on purpose. I cornered him out on the grounds that night and demanded answers from him."

"So that's why you didn't just use the map that night?" she asked.

"What map?" I asked at the same time Harry answered "yeah".

"What map?" I asked again.

Harry shrugged. "It's just this map of Hogwarts that tells you where people are."

"The one you used to check to see if anyone was coming or going whenever we'd go back to our common rooms?" I asked remembering how he'd always look at the same tattered piece of paper that I'd told him to throw away countless numbers of times.

He smiled that smile and I was so grateful that he was alive. For the first, but certainly not the last time, I kissed him in front of Hermione--who gasped.

I laughed. Harry blushed.

"Hermione, you'd better get used to that quick," Harry said. "He tends to do that a lot."

"This is going to take some serious getting used to," she confessed. "You know, I used to go through every single girl we've ever known, just trying to figure out who you'd be engaged to. I could never come up with the right person though. None of them seemed right for you. None of them fit. Now that I see you two together, it's like you two fit like two pieces of a puzzle."

We both smiled. "Thank you, Hermione," I said. "That means a lot."

"No," she replied. "But if you ever hide anything like this from me again," she threatened, "I'll skin both of your hides."

*(*(*(*()*)*)*)*

It's been three months now. Three months and I'm finally completely cured. Snape came up with the actual cure about a week ago. No early death for me!

And now, I'm finally going back to work.

"It's been too long," Draco sighed giving me a kiss on the cheek. "I've forgotten how good you look in those robes."

"Shut up," I said embarrassed. "And get ready. You're going back today too you know."

"I know," he said. "I just thought I'd admire the view a bit more before I started readying myself for the day."

"If you wait any longer, you'll be late."

"I'll be fine," he shot back. "I'm not that vain."

"You can't pass a mirror without looking at it for nearly five minuets, just to make sure every single hair is in place," I reminded him. "Now get ready, I'm not waiting for you."

He sighed and pushed himself off of our bed and sauntered over to the closet. He pulled out a long neglected robe and cast a quick charm over it. It looked as good as new, all over again. He put it on and looked up at me. "See," he said with a shrug. "It doesn't take me more than five seconds to get ready."

"Just wait until you stand in front of a mirror," I shot. "Then I'll have to leave without you."

I hit a nerve. "No," he said quickly. "No, you are not leaving without me."

I sighed. "I'm not going anywhere, Draco," I said. "I promise."

"You can't leave me, Harry," he said. I could hear the tears in his voice, but I knew they would never breech the surface. Draco Malfoy never cried.

It was good to be back at work. I never realized just how much I missed being in the underground office that housed the Auror Headquarters. I walked up to my supervisor's desk. She looked up, seeing the shadow cross over her paperwork and laughed. "Harry Potter," she said nearly laughing again. "Bloody hell, you're actually here. You know, when they told me you were coming back to work, I didn't believe them. I said 'Harry's coming back to work? Are you sure?' and they said 'he'll be there on Monday.' And here you are."

"Here I am," I replied.

"Are we going to get you right back into the swing of things, or should we gradually allow you back?"

"I would say let me back where I stopped, but I have a fiancé who wouldn't be too happy about that. Let me back gradually," I sighed.

"Gradually it is then. Weasley would want to know you're back, doing an interview for the Prophet. Should be done soon," she said checking her watch.

"You'll have to clarify exactly which Weasley we're talking about."

"Oh!" she said. "Ginny. She's a reporter, remember? Well on her way to editor, I'd say."

"That Weasley," I said with a nod. "Alright, sure. I'll talk to her."

"Oh, and by-the-way," she said raising her quill. "Did you know your partner in the Unspeakables is coming back today as well?" she asked. "Before now, I didn't even know he'd taken off. Did you?"

"He is my roommate," I supplied. "He was there, helping out, while I was on my death bed."

"Really? I didn't know that. I guess you two must be close. I heard you hated eachother during school."

"Until seventh year, yes."

"Do you want field work, or should we keep you at a desk job until your fiancé deems you ready for combat?"

"Desk job for now, I guess. Still really paranoid about what I do. Didn't really want me coming back today."

(((((*)))))*(((((*)))))*(((((*)))))

Work. Wow, it's been so long. I almost forgot how to get back into the office.

"Malfoy!" my boss yelled as soon as I walked through the door. "My office, now."

I sighed and turned down the hall, entering the first office door on the left. "What?" I asked as soon as he walked in behind me.

"You've been off for quite some time. You sure you can handle coming back like this, or should we send you off to the Auror department until you can get your bearings back?"

"I don't think you should be worrying about me," I replied coolly, folding my arms across my chest. I felt like I was back in school, acting cool while being arrogant. "I can handle what you've got to throw at me. Test me again if you really want to, but stick me in the Auror department, and you'll never see me again."

Those hard, chiseled features suddenly smiled. "I've really missed that smartass quality only you posses," he replied. "You've got a ton of paperwork waiting for you, I suggest you get started."

I nodded and walked to my small cubicle.

And stopped dead at the mess that awaited me.

There were papers everywhere! Scattered all over the place, I couldn't believe it. It was like someone had sent a windy jinx on my office--cubicle that it was--and it nearly destroyed everything.

I cast a quick cleaning charm and everything went back to its proper place.

And then I started working.

Five reports on missions from some of my interns, three that were so lousy they'd never make it into the department. Guess I should have been there for them, but hey, my fiancé was dying. I couldn't leave him in the condition he was in, I don't care how much Ron and Hermione were there and practically living with us. I hated every minuet of that, by the way. All they ever did was remind me how sick he was. I knew enough of that, I didn't need them there, and I didn't want them there. But, this is Harry, and his friends are nothing without him.

"You look busy," drawled the best voice I've ever heard.

I smiled, turned around in my chair, and looked up at the man I was going to marry. "And what of it?" I asked.

"I was wondering if you wanted to come with me to the Prophet. Ginny's up there, and my boss said I should probably go see her."

"She doesn't know you've been cured yet."

"Neither does Ron."

"He at least knows you're up and healthy again."

Harry nodded once. "Yes," he said. "But he doesn't know that we're about to..." Harry trailed off, hearing footsteps nearing my cubicle. I looked up at my boss.

"Yes?" I asked.

"How's it coming?" he asked.

"Fine, I was just about to take lunch."

He nodded. "Alright. You're working hard, why don't you just take the rest of the day and take some of your work home."

"I could do that." I looked up at Harry. "What do you think?" I asked. "You up for my work being piled all over the table?"

"We've got Ron and Hermione coming over tonight," Harry reminded me. "And aren't Pansy and Blaise coming as well?"

"Yes," I said remembering. "They are. Okay, I'll pile it somewhere else."

The three of us chuckled.

"Alright," my boss said. "Get out of here."

I straightened the papers on my desk and followed Harry out of the department. As we exited the doorway, I reached for his hand, our fingers interlacing. He looked over at me and smiled. "What?" I asked as he shook his head and chuckled.

"You," he replied.

(*()(*()(*()(*()(*()(*()

I knocked twice and opened the door to Ginny's office.

"Hey, Gin," I said walking in, pulling Draco behind me. she looked up and her jaw drooped very comically.

"HARRY!" she squealed jumping up and running around her desk. She collided into me and nearly knocked me over. She'd knocked the wind out of me, that's for sure. I coughed slightly as she let me go, causing Draco to worry.

"Careful," he said softly.

"I'm fine," I shot at him.

"Are you cured?" Ginny asked at the same time.

I nodded. "Yes, but my lungs are still a little bit weak."

"I'm sorry," she said hurriedly. "I didn't hurt you did I?"

I shook my head. "Just surprised me is all. How's Lavender?" I asked, changing the subject. I hated how it was always about me lately. Not really me though, but my health. Snape cured me already! Why can't people just leave it alone?

Ginny smiled, "She's as crazy as ever," she answered. "We're adopting a little boy sometime next month. He's really cute. 8 years old, Native American, beautiful brown eyes.... Oh, he's adorable."

"Sounds like it," Draco replied. "Wonder if you have custody when we get married," he added as an afterthought.

"WHAT???" Ginny demanded. "You're getting married? To eachother?"

"Yes," I answered.

"We were going to do it as soon as the war ended, but Harry got sick, so we couldn't. And he kept getting worse. We almost lost him the day he was cured. I will forever owe Snape."

"So will I," I added somberly.

"Does Ron know?" she asked.

(*&*(*&*(*&*()*&*)*&*)*&*)

Harry's face changed. We all remembered how Ron reacted to Ginny and Lavender coming out about their relationship.

"No," Harry answered stiffly. "He doesn't."

"It's not because of us, is it?" she asked sounding hopeful that it wasn't. But it was. Harry was afraid of his reaction because of the reaction Ginny's marriage had caused in him.

"Partly," Harry answered. "The way he reacted--"

"That wasn't because of us!" she interrupted. "I mean it was, but not for that reason. I didn't tell Ron we were dating, and then we eloped, and he found out. We got into a huge fight over it, but he didn't stop talking to me for a month because I was a lesbian, Harry. He stopped because I hurt him when I didn't trust him enough to tell him. Not to mention we had already told the other Weasleys and our friends. He was the last to know and he hated it."

"He's always the last to know," I said. Ginny looked as if she were going to protest that statement, but instead she sighed and nodded. I was right.

"You should tell him, Harry," she said. "Now, not later. It'll be worse if you wait."

"Dinner?" I asked Harry. If we were getting married next month, we may as well tell Ron now. Besides, Blaise and Pansy don't know yet either.

He sighed and nodded. "Would you like to come to dinner?" he asked Ginny.

"Dinner?" she repeated.

"We've got Ron, Luna, Blaise, Pansy, and Hermione coming to dinner tonight. Out of all of them, Hermione's the only one who knows. It would be great if you would come, having dealt with telling Ron before."

"Lav and Chris too?"

"Of course!" I answered as though she were stupid for thinking we wouldn't allow her wife and future son to come to dinner with us.

"You have that kind of room in your apartment?" she asked.

"It's bigger on the inside thanks to magic."

She smiled sheepishly. "Of course. We'll be there. What time?"

"Six."

"How about an interview?" she asked Harry quickly.

"Wh-What?" he asked surprised.

"Yeah! The whole world knows you've been sick with some incurable disease, why not tell them what it's like being the only survivor?"

"You should talk to Snape, he's the one who came up with the cure."

Ginny walked around her desk and picked up her Quick Quotes Quill and activated it. The quill quickly wrote down all that was said between the two after Ginny's question about the interview.

"Why now?" she asked. "Why wasn't the cure invented before now? After all, wizards have been suffering from this disease for centuries."

"It was a favor," I answered. "He owed me."

"Owed you for what?"

"None of your business."

"Off the record?"

"No."

"We should go," Harry said jumping in to save me. "We need to get ready for dinner and...stuff."

I nodded, and Disapparated.

I sighed and sat down on the sofa. Then I realized I didn't have my work with me, so I had nothing to take my mind off of that interview. Snape owed me, that wasn't a secret, so why did it bother me so much?

Flash Back

"Draco?" asked the concerned voice of my Head of House. It was odd, hearing his voice like that, so I looked up at him, confused. "Yes?" I answered.

"I need you to do something for me," he confessed. "Slytherin and Gryffindor are at an all time low when it comes to the petty fighting around here. Dumbledore's threatened my job if I cant do something about it, same goes for McGonagall."

"So you need us to be friends."

"I need you and Potter to become friends," he clarified.

"NO!" I yelled. "No way!" Harry and I may be together, but that does not mean I'm going to play nice to the Gryffindors. That's way too much to ask. I can't blow my reputation by being friendly to those damn lions.

"Yes."

"What do I get out of it?" I asked stubbornly. I wasn't doing this if I wasn't getting anything out of it.

"Nothing."

"Then absolutely not!" I cried. "I'm not doing this if I don't get something out of it."

"Then what do you want?"

"I want a perfect grade for the rest of the year, and an IOU payable at any time."

"Fine."

End Flashback

Did I perhaps know something would happen then?

%&%&%&%&%&%&%&%

"He owed you?" I demanded as soon as I entered the apartment. "He fucking owed you?"

"He owed me," Draco said heavily.

"For what?"

"For what we did in seventh year...When we united our Houses. I never told you, because I never thought I'd call in his favor."

"And here I was thinking he did it just because you were his godson."

"He didn't remember that he owed me until after I said something about it. Hell, even I forgot it. You were cursed, I didn't know what to do. I couldn't loose you, Harry, and then I remembered it. The conversation came back to me one night while I was watching you as you slept, thinking how lucky I was to have you in my life, even if it was only for a while. I owled him that night, asking...begging for help."

He had tears in his eyes again. I hated seeing them like this. Those eyes were not meant to hold tears.

"I'm sorry I yelled," I said giving him a kiss on the cheek.

"I'm sorry I lied."

"I think I know how to tell Ron," I said thoughtfully.

"How?" he asked looking over at me.

"The same way we told them I was engaged in the first place. We'll tell them you're engaged, and then we'll tell them who. Hermione already knows, so hopefully she'll catch on and work with us. I talked to Ginny, she agreed that she wont tell Lavender and that she'll act like she doesn't already know."

"Take Hermione aside and make sure she knows how you want her to act. It's a good idea, love. I'll go get dinner started."

"Need help?"

"You, my love, are a horrid cook. I don't know how your aunt and uncle lived with it for so long."

"Ha ha," I said throwing a pillow at him. He caught it, laughed, and threw it back. I glared at the back of his head as he walked into the kitchen.

Hermione was the first to show. I explained what was happening at dinner tonight and she agreed to act thoroughly surprised. Next Ron and Luna showed, followed shortly by Ginny and her family. Blaise and Pansy, of course, were the last to show.

The dinner went almost exactly like the last one. The food was excellent, the conversation good, and near the end...

"Oh! Draco," I said as though I'd just remembered. "Didn't you have something you wanted to tell everyone?" I asked with a smile. This was my acting revenge. He pulled this surprise on me, now I pull it on him.

"Now?" he asked. I nodded. "Well, I suppose I should tell them...they are invited after all..."

"What?" Ron asked impatient.

"I'm getting married," he said staying right where he was. Ron's jaw dropped, Pansy squealed, Lavender gasped, and the rest--minus Luna--acted surprised in their own way.

"To who?" Blaise demanded.

"When did you have time to find someone to marry?" Hermione asked, playing her part.

"Harry," Draco replied smoothly. "And I found the time years ago.

Every fork dropped. Every mouth hung open. Every set of eyes bulged. Well, except the two getting married. Draco sat there, in his chair across from mine with a smirk on his face, I sat with my own grin.

"No," Ron finally whispered, shaking his head. "Not possible. Harry's already engaged!"

"Have you ever seen his fiancé around?" Draco asked. "Ever seen some chit around fussing over him? I sure as hell haven't. I remember little more than five people showing the whole time Harry was on his death bed. If you find this supposed fiancé of his, I'd like to meet her. Tell her I stole him."

"You're serious..." Pansy breathed. "You're bloody serious."

"We are," I replied.

Ron's gaze snapped in my direction. His face was turning red, he was getting furious. "You've been engaged for two fucking years Harry!" he yelled. "Why the fuck didn't you tell us before?"

"I was afraid," I confessed.

"Afraid of what?" Hermione asked, realizing that I had been lying to her that morning.

"Of you."

"Of us?"

"Maybe we should wait for this conversation to continue," Draco said stepping in. "We do have a child in the room after all, and if this escalates like I expect it will, Chris does not need to hear it."

"I think you're right," Ginny said stepping in on Draco's behalf. "Lavender, what do you think?"

"I want to hear this Gin," she said. "You and Chris go if you want, but I'm staying."

"Alright. Come on Chris," she said standing. "We'll come back and see Uncle Harry and Draco some other time, alright?"

"Okay," the little boy said. It was the first time I'd heard him speak. When Ginny had said he was Native American, she failed to say that he was actually American. His accent would probably change in time, but for now, his heritage was unmistakable. It made me wonder what had happened to him. Why was he being adopted in England when he was American?

"What were you afraid of?" Hermione demanded as soon as Ginny and Chris left through the fireplace.

"Of what you would say," I confessed. I was feeling very secure for some reason. I knew I could tell them, and I knew they wouldn't leave me like I'd been afraid they'd do. I don't know how I knew, but I knew. "I was afraid of what you would say, Ron, because you and Ginny fought over what happened with her and Lavender. None of us knew what was really going on, so we assumed you were a raging homophobic. You're my best friend, mate, I couldn't loose you just because I was different."

"Harry, you are the most unique person I know. Hell, you'd have been just like everyone else had you actually died."

"Ron, would you like to know my other reason for not telling you?" I asked. He looked at me oddly, asking 'There's more?'. I nodded, answering his unvoiced question. "Ginny," I finished. "You two didn't talk for months after she told you about her and Lav. I was afraid that because I wasn't your brother you'd quit talking to me altogether for it. Bare with me here, Ron, I'm a little insecure. Comes with everyone knowing more about you than you do."

I caught Draco's eye. He winked, slight grin on his face, telling me that I was doing a good job getting this out. I was amazed that Ron hadn't started yelling full blown yet.

"But two years, Harry. And all those girls you brought on dates with Luna and I. I thought maybe one of them was your fiancé, thinking maybe you were covering your arse by bringing more than one, and few more than once. I was beginning to think Angela was your girl before you got sick."

"Would everyone please stop calling it an illness? Sure it knocks you off your feet and keeps you down like cancer or something, but this is a curse we're talking about here, not some disease."

"Okay, before you got cursed. How's that?"

"Better."

"Anyway, since Angela was the one you brought the most, I thought maybe she was your fiancé. Guess I was wrong."

"Angela was my partner in the Auror Department before she g assigned her own Unspeakable. We were friends, she was someone I enjoyed spending time with, so I brought her the most. I never hid the fact that I wasn't engaged to a girl you two. In fact, I never once specified a gender. I said things like 'my fiancé' or something along those lines. I don't know how you didn't notice, Hermione, but neither one of you did. Maybe since he was a she in your head, you always heard me say that I was engaged to a girl. Maybe next time I start talking about something like this, you'll pay attention to a gender."

"Maybe," Hermione replied softly. "I think we had best be going now. Do you need any help cleaning up?"

I shook my head. "No," I answered. "We can get it."

&*(&*(&*(&*(&*(

"Come on, Draco, it's time to go!"

I breathed deeply, trying to calm myself down. This was it, the big day. I was getting married.

I was getting married.

I wonder if this is how Harry felt when he was cured the first time. If he had this same sense of awe and wonderment that I do. If he had that feeling right now.

I checked my appearance once more in the mirror before following Blaise out.

"You do have that ring, don't you?" I asked again. I've probably asked this question a thousand times in the last fifteen minutes--think about how many times would amount to in the last four hours, which was when I started asking.

Blaise patted all of his pockets and stopped suddenly. His face changed into that of shock and I freaked. "YOU LOST IT?" I demanded.

"It was right here, Draco, I swear!"

"YOU FUCKING LOST IT?"

"I had it!"

"I CANT BELIEVE YOU! I TRUSTED YOU WITH THAT RING!"

He pulled something out of a pocket and held it out. "Could you perhaps be talking about this ring?" he asked all smart-assy.

I slapped the side of his head. "You are a bloody bastard, Blaise. I can't believe I asked you to be my best man."

"You need to relax, Draco."

@!@#@!@#@!@#@

"And do you, Harold James Potter, take Draco Lucius Malfoy to be your lawfully wedded husband 'till death do you part?" Hermione asked me with a huge grin on her face.

"I do," I said staring straight into Draco's eyes. His beautiful silver-blue eyes...

"I now pronounce you married," she said, clearly choking back a lump in her throat. "You may kiss."

And so we did.