Stop the Wedding!

The silvery blond sprawled lazily on a couch in a sunny living trying to immerse himself in a novel that simply was not catching his interest. He sighed and threw his head back against a pile of pillows, hearing the bones in his neck crack.

He jumped a little as he heard the sound of someone moving in the hallway outside the door to his apartment. Things had been silent lately since his only neighbor, Mrs. Ketterbury, had been on vacation in Venice for the past month. She must be back because he heard the sound of the old woman dragging her luggage down the narrow hallway of the apartment building.

Giving up on his book, Draco Malfoy stood from the couch and stretched. He hated Saturday's. Nothing ever happened on a Saturday. He checked the clock. It was three p.m., time to make some lunch. He headed to the kitchen and began to prepare a sandwich.

He was just finishing up when somebody knocked on his door.

As he entered the living room, mumbling about people interrupting his meals, he heard another knock and the soft voice of Mrs. Ketterbury.

"Draco! Are you home, dear?"

"Yes, Just a moment, Mrs. Ketterbury," he called.

When he opened the door the old woman was standing before him looking fresh and smelling of the Italy, minus the garlic.

"How was your vacation?" he asked politely.

"Oh just fine dear, it was very pleasant. I do hope things weren't too quiet without me around," she said, winking.

"Oh I don't know, I may have missed it a bit," Draco said, smiling kindly at her. "What can I do for you?"

"Oh nothing dear, but the post man accidentally delivered this to me. He's always confusing our apartments," she said and handed him a square, pale envelope.

Draco smiled and thanked the woman before closing the door and settling down on a white leather armchair near the door, sandwich forgotten in the kitchen. The widow was nice, as far as Muggles go. However, his attention was set on the small envelope in his hands. He never got mail, not in the Muggle way anyway. If he did receive post it always came in the form of an owl. Who would send him something by Muggle mail? It was post-marked for last week.

He tore open the offending post and pulled out a stiff, elegantly decorated card. His eye read over the cover and he stopped, perplexed. It wasn't a card; it was an invitation. A wedding invitation.

Who would invite me to a wedding? he asked himself as he flipped open the front and read the inside print.

His heart stopped for a moment, then started again.

Harry Potter was getting married.

To Ginny Weasley.

It had been post-marked a week ago. Draco's eyes flipped over the date. June 18. That was in two days! Harry's wedding or not, there was no way he would be ready to go to a wedding in two days!

Draco sighed heavily, he didn't want to think about the fact that it was Harry's wedding.

The same Harry that had shared a warm bed with him just over a year ago. The same Harry to whom he had pledged to love to until the end of time.

The same Harry who had broken up with him last August with the excuse that "things weren't working out".

He shook his head to clear his thoughts. He did not need to be having thoughts like this right now.

Well, if he couldn't make an appearance at the wedding the least he could do would be to call and explain why he couldn't be there, and wish Harry a good life.

Harry and Ginny. Harry Potter and Ginny Weasley. Harry and Ginny Potter. Merlin, that sounded awful.

Draco decided if he was going to do it, he might as well do it now. He walked to his barely-used telephone and picked up the receiver. He glanced down at the invitation and dialed the R.S.V.P. number. Harry had decided to live in the Muggle world too. There were actually Floo directions at the bottom of the invitation as well, but Draco didn't have a fireplace. He doubted very much that he could have faced Harry right now anyway.

His hand was slightly shaking as the phone rang, once, twice, three times-.

"Hello?" said a distinctly female voice.

"Yes, hello. May I speak to Harry Potter please," said Draco in his best 'I'm-the-king-of-the-world' voice.

"I'm sorry Mr.-,"

"Malfoy."

"Mr. Malfoy, but Mr. Potter isn't here right now, I'm just a house sitter," said the woman.

Draco actually sighed in relief; he was worried that it had been Weasley on the other end.

"Well, can you please tell him that I wish him all the best at his wedding," Draco said airily into the phone.

"Oh, I'm sorry Mr. Malfoy. Mr. Potter's at his wedding right now, I'm afraid I won't be able to relay the message. Didn't you know the wedding was today?" she asked, bewildered.

Draco's mouth went totally and completely dry. "T-Today, you say?"

Panicking, Draco looked down at the invitation, his eyes narrowing on the date. There it was, the date, smudged. What looked like an eight was actually a six. Harry wasn't getting married on the eighteenth; Harry was getting married on the sixteenth. Harry was getting married today. Harry was getting married right now. Draco dropped the invitation.

Oh holy fuck, no.

Draco dropped the phone, not hanging up but simply dropping it, leaving the receiver to dangle listlessly at the end of its chord. He didn't care. He snatched up the invitation from where he had dropped it only a moment ago and focused in on the location.

Manchester Street. That was only six blocks from his apartment. If he hurried, if he really ran, then maybe...maybe he could make it.

Clutching the invitation in his hand, Draco threw open his apartment door and ran. He didn't care about keys, or shoes, or brushing his hair or shutting the door behind him. He had to get to Harry. His Harry.

And so he ran, leaving an empty apartment, with an off-the-hook phone, and a wide open front door far behind him, he ran.

*

You Can't Say I Didn't Give It
I Won't Wait Another Minute
On Our Way This Time Around
Whoa Yeah
You Can't Say I Didn't Give It
I Won't Wait Another Minute
On Our Way This Time Around
Yeah
And We Won't Go Down
Yeah

-"This Time Around"-Hanson

*

It was Harry Potter's wedding day. Harry Potter was getting married, to a gorgeous Ginny Weasley. It should have been the happiest day of his life. He should have been ecstatic with joy, grinning from ear to ear. Which of course begged the question: why did he feel so miserable?

Harry looked out over the crowd of guests that had come to see the famous Harry Potter marry into the Weasley family. He looked at Dumbledore, who was spouting word after word of babble that Harry couldn't comprehend.

Ginny was smiling brilliantly at him and he did his best to return it, but it felt weak and fake. What was wrong with him?

He tried to focus on what Dumbledore was saying. He heard the words 'in sickness and in health'. Sickness. Harry had been sick, very sick. A year and a half ago Harry had gotten pneumonia and his fever refused to come down. He remembered very little, many people had come to visit him but he didn't remember a one of them. Harry only remembered one thing about being so very sick; Draco Malfoy.

Draco had been there, the whole time. The other man had refused to leave his side. Not to drink, not to eat, not to sleep. Draco had stayed.

Harry shook his head to clear his thoughts. What was he thinking about Malfoy for? This was his wedding day! Harry felt sick now.

Harry gazed deep into Ginny's beautiful brown eyes and his heart stopped. Something was wrong. This wasn't right, what was wrong here?

The eyes aren't gray, said a voice in his head.

Ginny's eyes were never gray, they're brown, Harry reasoned.

You don't love Ginny, said the voice.

Of course I love Ginny! I'm marrying her! Harry thought.

Don't lie to yourself, Potter. You may be marrying her but you do not love her, said the voice.

I'm not lying! I do love Ginny! thought Harry.

Lying prick, said the voice.

Harry shut his eyes and tried to clear his mind. Eyes shut, Harry was shocked when Draco Malfoy's smiling face appeared behind his lids. Draco Malfoy. Draco. Harry remembered Draco. He remembered his beautiful smile, and his eccentric personality. Harry remembered his twisted sense of humor, and his sarcastic wit. He remembered his silky smooth voice, and his pale-as-milk skin. Harry remembered everything about Draco Malfoy.

"Do you, Geraldine Marie Weasley take Harry James Potter to be your husband?" Dumbledore was saying.

"I do," said Ginny firmly and smiled up at Harry, squeezing his hand.

Harry jolted at the touch and Ginny gave him a concerned glance.

*

Draco ran faster than he had ever though possible for a human being to run. His heart throbbed in his chest and his sides ached but still he ran. One more block, come on Draco you can do it. Half a block. Almost there.

Wait for me Harry!

*

"Harry?" said Ginny's voice, soft but concerned.

"Huh? What?" asked Harry dully, jolting out of his thoughts again.

"I said," began Dumbledore, eyes twinkling as always but giving him a heavy look. That look had meaning, that look was trying to tell him something. "Do you, Harry James Potter, take Geraldine Marie Weasley to be your wife?"

"I d-,"

Don't be stupid, Potter, said the voice again.

Not you again! Go away! I'm marrying Ginny!

This is going to be the worst mistake of your life and you know it, you can't marry Ginny, said the voice.

And why is that?

Because, you don't love her. Now stop lying to yourself now, before it's too late. You want to be happy don't you? Stop fucking around and go be happy. Go be happy with him. You love him!

Him, Draco Malfoy.

Go on Potter, stop being a pillock and get out of here!

Draco. Oh Merlin.

"Harry?" asked Ginny, worrying that he had missed the question for a second time.

"No," said Harry firmly. There was utter silence.

"I'm sorry, Harry...what did you say?" asked Ginny, praying...just hoping beyond hope that she had not just heard him say that word.

"I said no. I'm sorry, Ginny--I can't do this. I can't to this to myself," Harry whispered in a sad, defeated voice.

Dumbledore looked like he was frowning, but Harry saw his eyes, and they were still twinkling.

"Wha-Harry, I don't understand. D-do you mean that you can't marry me? Is that what you're saying?" Her voice was dead. Harry nodded.

"Why? For Merlin's sake, Harry! Why?"

"My-," Harry's voice cracked and he cleared his throat. "My heart belongs to someone else."

"You-what? I'm sorry Harry but I don't think I'm hearing you right."

"I'm sorry Ginny, I really am. But I love him." Harry let out a desperate laugh.

"Merlin help me I love the git," he said, more to himself that to her.

"Oh! Oh Harry, tell me you don't mean--not-,"

Ginny didn't get the chance to finish her sentence. There was a deafening bang and the doors of the hall were thrown open. A very ragged; heavy-breathing, very tired looking Draco Malfoy stumbled in.

"Draco?" said Harry's confused voice, completely thrown for a loop.

"HARRY!" he shouted, "STOP THE WEDDING!"

"Draco what are you doing here?" asked Harry, stepping down off the platform on which he and Ginny had been standing.

"I...*gasp*...I ran...*wheeze*...all the way...*gasp*...had to stop...wedding," he stopped a moment, leaning over and placing both hands on his knees, trying to catch his breath.

"Harry, you can't marry her!" he finally said.

"And why not?" he asked, walking to the other man. "Why can't I marry her?"

Finally, Draco looked up and met Harry's gaze and Harry saw them. Those crystal gray eyes. Those beautiful, clear gray eyes, looking at him. The entire room, wedding guests, Dumbledore, Ginny, it all faded into the background. And it was only two.

"Because, I love you. And you love me, I know you do. You'd be wrong to marry her," said Draco firmly, his gaze on Harry never faltering.

"Well, you really didn't have anything to worry about anyway," said Harry stepping closer. He was a bit shaken by how similar Draco sounded to the voice in his head all morning.

They were only a foot away from each other now, and Harry could hear his heart thudding loudly in his chest.

"You mean, y-you called it off?" asked Draco perplexed. Harry nodded.

"AAARGH! HOW COULD YOU?" Ginny shouted; having snapped out of her astonished daze. She fled the room, pushing past Dumbledore and banging out the back door of the hall.

"Oh shit-- Ginny," said Harry, he moved to go after her but was stopped by a light hand on his shoulder.

"Um...Harry?" said a feminine voice.

Harry whirled on the spot. It was Hermione.

"Maybe, you'd better let me go after her..." she said."Right now, I think the best thing you could do, would be to get out of here...immediately."

"Why? Herm, what's wrong?" Harry asked, confused.

"I think I get what she's saying," said Draco. "If we don't get our asses out of here now, we're going to have an entire tribe of Weasleys after us."

Harry tensed and look toward the Weasley family. All six brothers were slowly looking from the door Ginny had just exited, to Harry, to Malfoy, their faces getting redder, and redder...and redder.

"Do you have a car?" he asked Draco quickly. He received a glare.

"No, I ran the whole way here, remember? Plus, I don't know how to drive."

"Well I don't have one!" Harry was getting frustrated.

"Oh, for Merlin's sake! Here," said Hermione shoving a set of keys into his hand, "Take mine, you can return it later. Now go!"

They didn't need telling twice. Harry unknowingly linked hands with Draco and together they ran out the front doors into the sunlight.

*In the parking lot*

"Which one's hers?" asked Draco as they ran out into the parking lot.

"The silver one, at the end," said Harry gasping. The tales of his tux whipped behind him as he ran.

They both skidded to a stop in front of thear.

"Whoa, Granger drives a convertible?"

"Draco," said Harry, throwing open the drivers side door. "Now is not the time to admire Hermione's choice of transportation: get in the car."

Just as he said this a crazed shout was heard from the door of the hall.

"HARRY POTTER! YOU GET YOUR ASS BACK HERE SO I CAN KICK IT!"

"Fuck; that would be Ron, we'd better go," said Harry in a panicked voice.

Draco hopped over the passenger side door and looked over at Harry who was struggling to buckle his seat belt.

"Forget the belt Wonder Boy! Drive, drive!" he yelled.

Harry let the seat belt retract and plunged the key into the ignition. The car roared to life and the raven-haired ex-Gryffindor floored the gas. The silver convertible shot out of the parking space and Harry made a sharp turn to bring them out and onto the road, trying his best to merge with traffic at break-neck speed.

Harry was scared; he heard Ron shouting and saw a crowd of red-heads spilling out of the hall doors. Scratch that, he wasn't scared, he was terrified. As he merged into traffic, Harry did his best to slow it down, but the car was still rushing by at a frightful speed. He didn't look back as the fire-hall and the tribe of furious Weasley's faded behind them. He glanced over at the silvery-blond man in the passenger seat.

Draco was laughing.

"How can you laugh at a time like this?" Harry shouted over the sound of the wind rushing by them.

However, he felt, all of a sudden, his adrenaline died out, leaving him refreshed... and happier than he had ever been in his life. Harry started to laugh too, mostly out of pure relief. It was horrible for him to feel that way, in some ways he did love Ginny, but right now, he had almost made a huge mistake.

"Oh. My. God! I can not believe I just did that!" shouted Harry into the wind. He looked over at Draco. The other man's blond locks were whipping around in the wind and he was smirking. Harry felt his heart melt.

"It feels good doesn't it?" Draco asked him, smirk still in place. Harry realized he couldn't wipe the grin off of his face either.

"You have no idea," said Harry.

There was silence for awhile as they drove. The sun was just fading over the horizon and the road stretched on in front of them for miles. Harry had turned onto a disused road on the outskirts of the city.

"Where are we going?" asked Draco, sounding almost bored now that the initial excitement was over.

They'd slowed the car sufficiently, and now they were driving at a leisurely pace past trees and fields, the dusk fast becoming night. The radio was blaring an old Jimmy Hendrix tune that Hermione used to listen to. Something about 1983...or a Merman, Harry couldn't really remember

Harry shrugged. "Wherever we want," he said.

"Then stop here," said Draco firmly.

"Here? Why?" Harry asked, whilst still slowing down the car.

"No don't slow down! Drive out there." said Draco, pointing out into the vast field they had been driving past.

"Out there?"

"Yes, out there."

Harry sighed and turned to steering wheel, the ground in the field was bumpy and rough but Harry continued to drive until Draco told him to stop. They were in the vague center of the huge field and Harry turned off the car. The music cut off and they were plunged into a seemingly continual silence.

"Happy now?" asked Harry, but he was smiling.

"Ecstatic," said Draco, smiling back.

Harry opened his door and stepped out. He walked to the front of the car and stood leaning back on the hood and staring off into nothing. Draco stayed, sitting in the passenger seat. He could think of nothing to say, but he a roaring had started in his ears, attempting to fill the void the music had left behind.

"Do you regret it? Stopping the wedding?" he finally asked, the silence was scaring him.

Harry glanced back at the blond; he caught his eyes and saw the uncertainty buried in their gray depths.

"No," said Harry giving a weak smile.

Draco hopped nimbly over the passenger door and took a few steps toward Harry. There was a tense silence for awhile; just him, looking at Harry, looking into nothing.

"You came," said Harry finally. "I almost didn't believe it when I saw you, but you actually came. I almost made the biggest mistake of my life."

Draco walked over and stood beside Harry, also leaning back against the hood of the car and staring into nothing.

"Of course I came, you great stupid Gryffindor," said Draco with a sigh. "Then again...I almost didn't."

Harry looked over at him, raising his eyebrows. "Why's that?"

"Oh, not for the reason you would think. There was a smudge on the invitation, and I thought it said the eighteenth. If I hadn't called to wish you luck, I would never have known. I almost missed you."

"I'm glad you didn't," said Harry softly.

Silence, then:

"I've missed you." It was Draco.

"I think I've missed you too," Harry said.

"We sure are a pair, aren't we?"

Harry nodded.

"Weasley's going to kill you, you know that right?"

"He'll cool down. I just need to give him some time."

"Potter?"

"Hmm?"

"You do realize that you're talking about the weasel?"

"Oh shut up," said Harry, but he was smiling.

Draco turned to look at him, but he wasn't smiling anymore. "So...now what?"

"What do you mean 'now what'?" asked Harry, a soft smile played on his lips and he seemed amused.

"Well, I just saved you from making the biggest mistake of your life. What are you going to do now?" Draco asked, not noticing how Harry was watching him. He was struggling to keep his voice nonchalant.

"What do you think I'm going to do, Draco?"

"I--I don't know. I was hoping, I mean--Do you want to be...with me?" Draco was looking out at the horizon with the usual expression of Malfoy arrogance, as if he hadn't just asked the question he had. In truth, he was afraid to meet the raven-haired man's gaze, afraid of what he'd see.

Harry Potter looked over at Draco Malfoy, he wasn't fooled.

He pushed himself away from the hood of the car and moved to stand in front of the taller man. He took the ex-Slytherins face in his hands and pulled it down to face him, looking into the eyes he had come to love.

"That's a stupid question, Malfoy," he said smiling.

Draco gazed down at him serenely, his face betraying nothing. But, all the love in his heart was shining through his eyes, raining forth onto the man that had stolen his heart so very long ago. Finally he took the time to speak.

"I love you...Harry Potter," he whispered.

Silence surrounded those words and for a minute, Draco was almost afraid that he would get no answer.

"I...love you too."

That was all that was necessary and without further prompting needed, Draco claimed the other man's mouth with his own and the two knew nothing except for the love and adoration that was passing between them once more. The kiss held all the suppressed craving they'd held for the year they'd been separated. This kiss was their love and everything they knew; everything they could, and would be.

Harry and Draco lived happily ever after.