Truly Madly Deeply

Chapter Twenty-Seven - The Wedding Ceremony

~ The Great Hall ~

The Great Hall looked vastly different from how it usually did. Candles hung in the air and white lilies adorned every possible surface. The head table was gone, leaving an empty space for the celebrant and Harry and Draco. Rows of chairs faced this empty space, which were filled with excited wedding guests.

At the other end of the hall, there were many tables, with chairs to seat ten to a table, surrounding a dance floor. Draco had managed to get the Weird Sisters to play at the reception and there was a small raised stage at one end of the dance floor.

Sirius, Remus, Ron and Hermione were seated in the front row on the left side of hall while Narcissa, Snape, Blaise, Crabbe and Goyle sat on the right side. Classical music was playing softly in the background as the guests chatted, waiting for the ceremony to start.

The music changed and the volume increased, causing the guests to stop mid-sentence and look around.

Harry was standing framed in the doorway on the left side of the hall. He grinned at everyone and walked purposefully across the hall, in front of the guests to stand in the centre of the empty space where the head table usually resided. Ron stood up next to Harry, naturally he was Harry's best man. A youngish man had appeared near Harry, facing the guests with a small black book in his hand. Harry was facing the right hand door to the hall with a soft smile and bright eyes so the guests turned expectantly.

Draco was standing still, staring at Harry. He looks incredible, Draco thought proudly and then realised he could have a problem. Think unsexy thoughts, think unsexy thoughts, he commanded himself, Goyle in a g-string, Pansy naked, Snape, just Snape. That's better, he thought with relief. Getting married in front of everyone with a raging hard-on was not what he had in mind when he planned this event.

Draco started walking towards Harry, his eyes never leaving Harry's green ones. He stopped a couple of feet from Harry and smiled blissfully. Harry had imagined what Draco would look like in the outfit he had chosen but reality had far surpassed his fantasy. Draco looked like a golden haired angel in the silvery blue outfit. Harry felt as if his heart would burst with pride and love for Draco.

Draco slipped his hand into Harry's and they turned to face the priest. Blaise stood up beside Draco, the obvious choice for his best man, considering Goyle's childish reaction to Harry in Draco's bed (that and the fact that he actually had a brain). The priest started the ceremony.

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered together here in the sight of God to join together this Man and this Man in holy Matrimony; which is an honourable estate into which these two persons present come now to be joined. Therefore if any man can show any just cause, why they may not lawfully be joined together, let him now speak, or else hereafter for ever hold his peace."

There was utter silence in the Great Hall so the priest continued.

"Harry, will you have this Man to be your wedded husband, to live together in the holy estate of Matrimony? Will you love him, comfort him, honour, and keep him in sickness and in health; and, forsaking all others, keep yourself only unto him, so long as you both shall live?"

"I will," Harry replied solemnly and squeezed Draco's hand gently.

The priest then turned to Draco.

"Draco, will you have this Man to be your wedded husband, to live together in the holy estate of Matrimony? Will you love him, comfort him, honour, and keep him in sickness and in health; and, forsaking all others, keep yourself only unto him, so long as you both shall live?"

" I will," Draco replied, his eyes shining, full of love for Harry.

The priest then turned back to the centre and asked the two of them to join hands and for Harry to state his vow.

"Whatever lies ahead, good or bad, we will face together. Distance may test us for a time, and time may try us. But if we look to each other first, we will always see a friend. Draco, look to me for all the days to come; today I take my place as your husband."

Harry's voice quavered towards the end of his vow, the emotional moment getting to him. Draco squeezed Harry's hands and, through tears of joy, clearly stated his vow.

"I used to be afraid of falling in love, of giving my heart away. How could I trust a man to love me, to give to me all that I wanted to give to him? Harry, when I truly saw you, I realized how much we could share together. You have renewed my life: Today I join that life with yours."

"The rings, please," the priest said to the best men.

Ron handed Harry a plain platinum ring with a broad smile.

"Draco, with a free and unconstrained soul, I give you all I am and all I am to become. Take this ring, and with it my promise of faith, patience, and love, for the rest of my life." Harry gently slid the ring onto Draco's finger, caressing his hand as he did so.

Blaise handed Draco a matching plain platinum ring.

"Harry, with a free and unconstrained soul, I give you all I am and all I am to become. Take this ring, and with it my promise of faith, patience, and love, for the rest of my life." Draco slid the ring onto Harry's finger,

"You may now kiss each other," the priest said with a smile.

Harry and Draco leaned in towards each other and their lips met in a brief but meaningful kiss. They grinned at each other.

"FOR AS MUCH as Harry and Draco have consented together in holy wedlock, and have witnessed the same before this company, and thereto have given and pledged their vow, each to the other, and have declared the same by giving and receiving a Ring, and by joining hands; I pronounce that they are wed. I now present you with Mr and Mr Potter."

As the priest finished the ceremony there were a few gasps heard throughout the hall. Only a few had known of Draco's intent to give up his last name and take on Harry's. He knew he would always be associated with his father and this was his way of renouncing his father's beliefs and showing the world of his true feelings and allegiances. The name Malfoy had only ever caused him pain so it wasn't hard to give it up.

Harry and Draco turned to face their guests, huge smiles on their faces and their hands still joined.

Chapter Twenty-Seven - The Wedding Ceremony