The Pensieve

Moving On

"Malfoy..." Ron muttered for the ten-thousandth time, shaking his head. "Of all the people in the world..."

He'd been doing this every time Harry was in earshot. Harry tried his hardest to ignore it, but it was impossible. The only two people who were still somewhat civil to him were Draco and Hermione.

His relationship with his two best friends had never been worse. Ron wasn't speaking to him, and because of this, Hermione wasn't speaking to Ron.

"Harry, really," Draco said to him one night. "Don't let it get to you. If he's too think to understand this, then you don't need him!" As much as Harry hated to hear Draco talk like that about his friends, he had to admit it was the truth.

Finally, Harry had had enough. He was sick to death of Ron ignoring him.

Seeing as Ron wouldn't listen to him, he asked Hermione to speak to Ron for him.

"Harry, you know I'm not speaking to him!" Hermione protested, not looking up from her book.

"Well, he won't listen to me! How else are we going to sort this out?"

"Why don't you talk to him? If he doesn't listen to you, then it's his own misfortune." As Harry opened his mouth to protest, she added, "It can't hurt to try."

~*~

But, unfortunately, it could hurt to try. At least, in Harry's mind it could. It took him three weeks to muster up the courage to talk to Ron.

One February night, Ron went up to the dormitory to get his sweater, and Harry spotted the perfect chance to talk to him alone.

"Ron," he said, walking through the door.

Ron continued shuffling through his trunk as though no one else was around.

Harry sighed. "Ron, I know you're not thrilled about Draco and I, but that's hardly any reason to stop talking to me!" Ron still acted oblivious to the fact that there was another person in the room. Harry's anger grew. "I thought you were my friend, Ron! We've been through worse than this! Why should we end our friendship over such a little thing as me being gay?"

"It's not about that, Harry!" Ron yelled suddenly. "I don't care if you're gay! I'm glad you've found someone you can love!"

"Well, then what is it about?"

"It's about him!" Ron said, close to tears. "You know what he's about! You know what he thinks about me and my family! How can you lecture me about being friends? You're the backstabber here!"

Harry looked at him incredulously. "Ron, you could have talked to me about this," he said softly. "He's not as bad as you think he is anymore, and he's trying so hard to change. He really is."

"But he won't! People like him can't change, Harry! That's just the way it is!"

"You don't know that, Ron! Just give him a chance."

Ron considered it for a moment, and sighed in defeat. "I will if he will, I suppose."

Harry smiled hugely. "Thanks, mate."

Ron shook his head. "I must be out of my mind."

~*~

"Weasley wants to be my friend now, does he?" Draco asked offhandedly.

Harry sighed. "Not exactly. He'll agree to give you a chance if you'll agree to give him a chance."

Draco smirked. "Well, maybe I won't agree to give him a chance until he agrees to give me a chance!"

"Draco, don't be difficult!" Harry whined.

"Alright, love," Draco laughed, kissing his fiancé's forehead. "I was just joking. You go tell your precious Weasel that I'll attempt to be civil to him."

Harry laughed. "Tell him yourself, you little ferret!" Seeing Draco's hurt look, he wrapped his arms around him. "I'm just teasing, Drake. But, seriously, you need to tell him yourself." Draco raised his eyebrow. Harry put on his puppy face and said in a whinny voice, "It would mean a lot to me, love."

Draco rolled his eyes. "Damn you. You know I can't resist that!"

~*~

Walking down to breakfast the next day, Harry, Ron, and Hermione talked livelier than they had since the beginning of Harry and Draco's relationship together. Harry smiled to see Ron and Hermione holding hands again.

In the entrance hall, Draco came up behind the trio and placed a hand on Harry's shoulder.

"Hey, love," he said. To anyone else, he would have looked just the same as he always did, but Harry could see that Draco was abso-bloody-lutely nervous. Draco turned to Ron. "Er...Wea- I mean, Ron, may I speak to you? In private?"

"Er...ok," Ron said, looking to Harry for help. Harry just smiled and shrugged, so Ron had no choice but to accompany Draco to a secluded corner of the entrance hall.

"What's going on?" Hermione asked Harry.

"Well, I believe Draco's talking to Ron about the two of them getting along."

Hermione stared at him. "Well, that's going to take a lot of work!"

"Yes but, for the sake of my friendship, I think they'll work it out."

Over in their corner, Draco stuck out his hand. Ron hesitated for a moment, clearly having an inner conflict with himself. Finally, he shook Draco's hand and they returned to Harry and Hermione.

"Did you work everything out?" Harry asked when they joined the group.

"I suppose so," Ron grumbled, placing an arm around Hermione's waist.

"You'll warm up to me eventually, Wea- Ron," Draco said, and took Harry's hand.

Ron rolled his eyes, but kept his opinions to himself.

Walking into the Great Hall, Harry and Draco earned more than a few glares and stink-eyes.

"Damn homophobes," Draco commented. "I think I might skip breakfast today. Or for the rest of the school year."

"No way, Drake," Harry said sternly. "You skip enough meals, you anorexic freak! Now, go eat!"

"I am not anorexic," Draco whined, but complied.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione all sat down at the Gryffindor table. Luckily for Harry, most of the Gryffindors were fine with his sexual persuasion.

The Slytherins, on the other hand, were avoiding Draco altogether. In a single night, he had gone from the most loved Slytherin to the most hated. They wouldn't even sit near him at their table.

Draco sat down at the very end of his table, looking sadly at his housemates, and began to eat.

Harry watched him longingly, wishing he could sit with him, let him know that everything was going to be alright.

Ron noticed his look. "Honestly, Harry, you two don't have to be together all the time! Besides, you're only two tables apart!"

"Yeah, well, how would you feel if you and Hermione were two tables away from each other?" Harry grumbled.

Ron grabbed Hermione's hand, looking horrified. "Don't even joke about that!"

~*~

Transfiguration, that day, was one of the more difficult days. McGonagall had them all transfiguring feathers into ten-pound weights.

Suddenly, an explosion came from Harry's right. He looked over quickly to see Draco, face covered in soot, staring at what Harry assumed used to be his feather.

"Mister Malfoy, perhaps you should get a new feather," McGonagall suggested. "And this time, be more careful."

"Yes, Professor," Draco said obligingly. On his way back from getting his feather, Draco placed a note on Harry's desk and trailed his fingers discreetly across Harry's back.

Harry's senses went wild, causing him to lose his concentration on the spell he was doing. His arm jerked up, sending his spell directly at McGonagall.

The class erupted in laughter as the professor disappeared in a cloud of smoke and reappeared as a newt.

With a pop, McGonagall transformed herself back. "Ten points each from Gryffindor and Slytherin. I suggest you keep your hands to yourself, Mister Malfoy."

Harry sniggered at Draco's indignant look and winked at him.

Read the note, Draco mouthed at him, and Harry nodded.

Opening the note, Harry read:

H,

I would like to talk to you tonight. This conversation may last a while, so prepare for a long night.

I love you.

D.

Harry grinned and shook his head. Draco. Always so formal. He caught his fiancé's eye and nodded to show that he'd be there.

~*~

After being forced to sit through five hours of classes and two meals, Harry was finally able to meet Draco outside Slytherin house.

"What's this all about, Draco?" Harry asked.

"Come on, we'll talk about this in my room," Draco said, taking Harry's hand.

Walking through the Slytherin common room, Harry was surprised that all the Slytherins didn't spring out of their seats and rip both their throats out.

"Do they always look at you like that?" Harry asked him softly.

"Yeah, pretty much," Draco said, opening the door to his private Prefect room.

"So, what did you want to talk about?" Harry asked once they were inside.

Draco sighed. "Father has decided to...oh, I don't know what the word is...re-own me, maybe."

"What are you saying?"

"He's reclaimed me as his son."

"What?" Harry exclaimed. "Why?"

Draco shook his head. "I don't know. But he's going to force me to get the Mark."

Harry's eyes grew wide. "Draco, you're not going to take it, are you?"

"I don't see what choice I have!" He sat on his bed and buried his face in his hands.

"Oh, Drake," Harry said, sitting next to him and hugging him tightly. "Do you know when your father scheduled you to get it?"

Draco nodded. "He says it'll be sometime in July."

"You know..." Harry started thoughtfully. "There is that wizarding law that no one's ever changed..."

Draco snorted. "Which one?"

"The one that says that once a child is married, their father has no hold over them anymore."

"Harry...that was more for medieval times."

"Yes, but they've never gotten rid of it!"

Draco looked at him. "So...what are you saying exactly?"

"I'm saying, let's set a wedding date for sometime in June! After that, your father can't do anything to you!"

Draco's eyes lit up. "You know, you're right!" He flung his arms around Harry. "I love you, Harry!"

Harry wrapped his arms around Draco and buried his face in his hair. "I love you, too."

~*~

"So, let me get this straight," Ron whispered during history of magic the next day. "Draco's father disowned him, only to reclaim him and force him to get the Dark Mark. And now you two are going to get married to try and hide behind the law so that he won't have to get the Mark."

"Basically...yeah, that's the idea."

Ron nodded slowly. "Ok...I guess I'm good with that..."

Hermione nudged him. "What he's trying to say, Harry, is that we're both very happy that you two are going to get married and that we'd like to tear Lucius Malfoy's throat out."

Harry laughed. "Wouldn't we all? Now...you two know that you and your families are all invited to the wedding..." Harry looked slightly uncomfortable. "I mean, if you don't feel comfortable with it, it's fine, but I would really appreciate it..."

"Of course we'll come, Harry," Hermione said warmly. "Won't we, Ron?"

"Well, sure, I'll come, but good luck getting the rest of my family there!"

"Oh, Ron, honestly! Just tell them to come for Harry and not Draco if they're going to be so freaked out about it!"

Harry grinned to himself. He liked to hear Ron and Hermione bickering like their old selves again.

"So, Harry," Hermione said, getting back to the subject, "what date are you two thinking of?"

"Well, I think we both agreed that it would be June 17^th."

"June 17^th..." Ron mused. "Yeah, I can do that, I think."

Harry rolled his eyes. "You'd better!"

~*~

A painstakingly long four months passed, and, finally, the day before the wedding arrived.

Harry and Draco were in the middle of a very long, very passionate kiss, when suddenly, Harry pulled out of the kiss, grasping his scar.

"Harry, are you alright?" Draco asked worriedly.

"Yeah..." Harry breathed slowly. "Yeah, I think I'm ok now."

"What was that?"

"I'm not sure. My scar just...I don't know. I'll be alright."

"Do...do you think we should postpone the wedding?"

"No!" Harry shouted. He collected himself. "No," he said, more calmly. "I swear, I'll be fine. Now, let's just get back to where we were, shall we?" he said, leaning in for another kiss.

Draco pulled back. "I don't know how it is for you, Harry, but being worried to death about you is...kinda a pretty big mood-killer."

Harry sighed. "Alright. Fine. We should probably get some sleep anyway, tomorrow being the big day and all."

"Harry, don't take it that way."

"What way? I'm not taking it any way!"

"I'm just worried about you, okay?"

"I know you are. Just...try not to be, ok?"

Draco wrapped his arms around him. "I'll try. I'm not making any promises, but I'll try."

~*~

Finally, the big day arrived. Ron was in Harry's dressing room, helping him get ready.

"Not nervous, are you?" Ron asked.

Harry grinned. "Are you kidding me?" He took a deep breath. "Well, maybe a little nervous, but that's definitely not going to stop me!"

Ron chuckled. "You'd better not, after all you've put everyone through!"

The wedding started off perfectly. They had decided that Draco would stand up at the altar and Harry would walk down the isle.

Walking up towards his soon-to-be husband, Harry felt pure joy. He swore he'd found his new Patronus memory. This was, to use a clichéd phrase, the happiest day of his life.

He got up to the altar and took Draco's hand. They smiled at each other, and Molly Weasley let out a great, loud, sob in the pews. Harry rolled his eyes at Draco, who grinned.

Albus Dumbledore smiled down at the two boys. "Are two ready?" he whispered.

"Never been more ready," Harry said with a smile, squeezing Draco's hand.

"Very well," Dumbledore said, his eyes twinkling. "Ladies and Gentlemen, we are gathered here today to witness the binding of Harry James Potter and Draco Lucius Malfoy." He turned to Draco.

"Draco, do you take Harry to be your husband, to love him, comfort him, honor and keep him, in sickness and in health, and forsaking all others, be faithful to him as long as you both shall live?"

Draco smiled. "I do."

Dumbledore nodded and turned to Harry. "Harry, do you take Draco to be your husband, to love him, comfort him, honor and keep him, in sickness and in health, and forsaking all others, be faithful to him as long as you both shall live?"

"I do."

"Then, by the power vested in me, I now proclaim you-"

Suddenly, Harry cried out in pain and clutched his scar again.

"Harry?" Draco asked worriedly. "Harry, what's wrong?"

"Agh!" Harry screamed again, and passed out on the altar.

Draco leaned over Harry's limp body and shook him. "Harry!"