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Chapter Text

“I’m telling you, Lily,” Hermione grinned, rolling her eyes. “Your son is completely arse-over-tits for Draco Malfoy!”

Harry buried his face in his hands. Sirius patted him on the back.

“I hate you,” he ground out. “So much.”

“No, you don’t,” Hermione said briskly. “Besides, it’s not like it’s a secret. You are so obvious about it, it’s almost painful.”

“Well,” Harry heard his mother say, “if he’s anything like James was at school, he’s not bound to be subtle.”

“Hey!” James called, making Sirius snicker. “Really, though, Harry? A Malfoy?” he asked, sounding sceptical.

“That’s what I said,” he piped up.

“He’s not like his father at all,” Harry said defensively, resurfacing from the fort his hands had provided to glower half-heartedly at everyone. “He’s funny and clever and loyal.”

“See?” Hermione said, wiggling her eyebrows. 

“To be fair, Harry is correct,” Remus came to Harry’s aid. “Draco has developed into his own person, free of the prejudice his parents tried to instil in him.”

“And Harry wants to shag him,” Ron said matter-of-factly, making Harry let out a choked noise.

“They do seem rather touchy,” Remus conceded, making Harry slump back in his chair in defeat.

“It’s not just me, though!” he whined. “Draco is flirting back!”

“Well, I wouldn’t count what you do as ‘flirting’,” Hermione said, rather unkindly, Harry felt. “You’re a bit like a puppy in his presence. Eager to please, to receive and to give affection.”

“Ouch,” Sirius said, sounding impressed.

“You’re hanging out entirely too much with Millie,” Harry frowned. “It’s rubbing off on you.”

“Coddling you is getting you nowhere,” Hermione shrugged, unperturbed. “Draco is clever . He knows how to play you. It’s time you got your act together, Harry.”

“Seems like my estranged cousin is quite something,” Sirius pursed his lips. “Makes me almost regret cutting all ties with my family.”

“Well, maybe, if Harry and Draco get together, you can meet him and mend fences,” Lily smiled. James opened his mouth, but when his wife elbowed him in the ribs, he closed it again. 

Harry, on the other hand, had flushed noticeably. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to ask Draco out. He really, really wanted to. He just didn’t know how. 

Things had just fallen into such an easy routine between them. Ever since one of their fights in second year had ended in a shared detention that had somehow forced them to bond, they had come out at the other end of it not only friendly but pretty much attached by the hip. 

The people in their direct surroundings hadn’t trusted the peace, at first. Ron had kept picking fights with Draco, then he’d started becoming jealous, thinking he was being replaced. Hermione had started a weird competition with Draco, trying to shut him up with knowledge and becoming weirdly sulky whenever Draco knew something she didn’t. Pansy had tried to make up unfavourable rumours about Harry to get Draco to back off. Blaise and Theo had tried to hex Harry when Draco wasn’t around. 

The only ones who’d  adapted quickly had been Greg and Vince. Draco had announced that they were friends with Harry now, and they had shrugged and offered Harry a cupcake. Sometimes, things were just that easy. 

It had taken until fourth year for everyone to bloody calm down. By then, Hermione had realised that, rather than competing against Draco and the other Slytherins, joining ranks with them was way more beneficial for her academic goals. Ron had found a shared passion for chess with Blaise. And so, after a tense period of nearly one and a half years, their friend groups had finally merged organically, and Harry and Draco could start hanging out with each other without getting into arguments with their friends.

That was when it had started. Draco had always been an affectionate person. An arm wrapped around Blaise’s shoulder, leaning against Pansy’s side as he read something - those were normal gestures with people he felt comfortable around. 

Only with Harry, it had sort of escalated. And Harry didn’t want it to stop. 

“Have you heard from him over Christmas?” his mother asked Harry, breaking him out of his thoughts. “You never bring him around over the holidays. We wouldn’t mind, you know.”

“He’s always busy with his family,” Harry frowned. “You know how the Malfoys are. Always throwing one social event after the other, and Draco gets roped into them.”

“Right,” Harry’s father rolled his eyes. “All their little pureblood parties.”

“They’re charities, James,” Lily sighed. “Narcissa Malfoy has an important fund supporting war victims and their families.”

“Still, they only invite rich pureblood families to their little soirees, don’t they?” her husband muttered. “They’re just stamping a good cause on their elitism.”

Harry kept silent. He knew Draco’s parents were a piece of work and that Draco’s father had even worked with You-Know-Who in the war, though he claimed he had been under the Imperius Curse. Even Draco didn’t know whether or not he had been lying. “I don’t really want to know, either,” he’d told Harry, his face pinched. “I don’t really want to have that conversation with him.” And Harry couldn’t blame him. Draco knew he was conflicted about his parents’ beliefs and the traditions they upheld; while he did believe that wizarding traditions should be protected, he’d come to realise that the whole concept of pureblood elitism was just a construct of oppression. He’d had long, tiring discussions about it with Hermione, tucked into Harry’s side after he had snuck into the Gryffindor common room. 

“Poor boy,” Sirius shook his head, topping up his drink. “I remember what it was like. I hated those parties. The people there.”

“That’s what Draco always says,” Harry agreed. “He can deal with the dancing and the socialising, but the people are just awful most of the time.”

“Poor kid,” Remus grimaced. “He’s a good boy and he seems so much brighter since he’s taken up with you. I hope his parents won’t push him into anything he’s not ready for after graduation.”

Harry nodded, his chest feeling a bit tight at the thought. Draco had once confessed to Harry when Harry had stayed over in the Slytherin quarters and they’d been the only ones left in the common room, the green light of the lake eerily illuminating the room, that if he could do anything he wanted, he would become an Unspeakable and work in the Department of Mysteries. “I like riddles,” he’d smiled at Harry. “I like secrets, and they’re working with the biggest secrets in Wizarding Britain.”

“Then why don’t you do it?” Harry had asked. “You’d surely get the grades.”

Draco sighed. “I don’t think my parents would approve,” he shrugged. “I’m not supposed to become an employee. Malfoys don’t get employed. We employ. ”

Harry had frowned at him, feeling like there was still so much about Draco’s world that he didn’t understand, and hating it.

As usual, Harry didn’t see Draco again until the end of the winter holidays. They wrote letters, exchanged Christmas gifts, but they never met up the way Harry met up with Ron or Hermione, as much as he wanted to. So his relief was all the bigger when Draco sashayed into their compartment on the way back to Hogwarts, perfectly put together and with an easy smile on his face. 

No, Harry’s heart did not stop at the sight. Shut up. 

“We need bigger compartments,” he announced, looking around only to realise that all seats were taken by their friends. “This is getting ridiculous.” Then, he proceeded to walk over to Harry and sit on his lap unceremoniously. Harry caught him on muscle memory, despite his heart having jumped back into motion and beating out of his chest now. His arms wrapped around Draco’s waist and pulled him against his chest until Draco sat more securely. 

“Right,” Draco said. “What’s up with you lot? I need news from people who aren’t friends with my parents.”

“Nice, Draco,” Pansy glared. 

“I love you, Pansy, and your presence was a saving grace in a viciously burning hell, but yes, you are included in that statement. So are you, Blaise. And Theo, when he honours us with his presence. Greg and Vince aren’t listening, so I won’t bother.”

Greg and Vince were indeed talking to Luna on the ground. Greg was wearing a strange pair of glasses that seemed to have come from the Quibbler . 

“The Burrow is a madhouse because it’s turned into a wedding planning centre,” Ron grumbled. 

“I still can’t believe your brother is marrying Fleur Delacour,” Blaise noted with a smirk. “Go him.”

“Well, he’s hot,” Draco pursed his lips. “Did you see his photo?”

“Please don’t, Malfoy,” Ron groaned.

“You have such a weird fascination with Weasley’s older brothers,” Theo said as he entered the compartment, Susan in tow because apparently, they were missing a Hufflepuff. They folded in on the ground next to Luna. It was a bit like that game Dudley used to play. Tetris, Harry thought it had been called. 

“It’s a fascinating family,” shrugged. “Two hot brothers, one nutcase, two you’d better cosy up to because they’re going to rule the world one day, and a future English star player.”

“Cheers,” Ginny grinned from the corner. 

“Wait, who’s the nutcase?” Ron glared at him. “Me or Percy?”

Draco grinned. “Wouldn’t you like to know,” he just said. Then he leaned back against Harry’s chest and turned halfway until he was able to meet his eyes. “How about you?” he asked. “Any news?”

“Nothing much,” Harry shrugged. “Business as usual. You?”

Draco just made a face. “Don’t wanna talk about it,” he said. He turned back to the round. “I stole the expensive chocolate from the Manor, so you can all have some later.”

He was greeted by cheers in response and he turned back to Harry with a smirk. Harry’s stomach twisted. 

Merlin, but Hermione was right. He was gone. 

For the next weeks, things went mostly back to their status quo. Sure, Hermione pestered them all about NEWTs revision and Harry cycled deeper and deeper into his despair about fancying Draco, but other than that, everything was perfectly normal. 

That was until Draco let a bomb drop that screwed Harry’s life over with the force of one of the Weasley twin’s stink bombs.

It had started out as a normal Sunday. They were sitting out on the grounds, enjoying the first rays of sun March had brought and trying to focus on whatever schedule Hermione had prepared for them. Predictably, one of them had cracked, in this case, Seamus, and he’d started talking about the summer holidays, effectively distracting all of them.

“We should take a trip together,” Seamus suggested. “You know, when all of this is over and we don’t have to worry about school or grades anymore. We can just have fun and party!”

“Yes!” Blaise grinned, predictably all for the idea. He turned to Draco, who was currently resting with his head in Harry’s lap, his book perfunctory resting on his chest. “You have a chateau in France! Let’s all go!”

There was a murmur of agreement from the group, but Draco had tensed. He was grimacing as he raised himself from Harry’s lap. Harry immediately missed his warmth.

“Sorry,” Draco shook his head. “Can’t. My family has plans.”

“Already?!” Pansy groaned. “Merlin, your parents are a pain!”

“Tell me about it,” Draco muttered, his fingers tracing the spine of his book. Harry frowned, elbowing him. Draco only met his eyes hesitantly.

“Hey,” he said. “Everything okay at home?”

“Sure,” Draco shrugged. Harry could tell he was lying. His shoulders were way too tense. 

“You’re sure?” Harry asked. “What are they planning for the summer?”

Draco searched his face, not answering. It was Theo who cut in, his voice pained.

“Oh, damn it,” he muttered, staring at Draco in alarm. “Don’t tell me they’re going through with it?”

Draco glanced at him, his lips a tight line. Theo cursed under his breath. 

“What?!” Harry asked, an edge to his voice. The rest of the group had fallen silent. He looked at the Slytherins, who seemed to have clued in on Draco’s situation and looked uncomfortable or dismayed. Harry looked between them, frustrated. “What is going on?!”

Draco sighed, looking back at his book - to avoid eye contact, Harry realised.

“My parents are insisting on a proper courting season this summer,” Draco muttered. “That’s why I’ll be unavailable.”

Harry stared at him. “A what?!” he asked.

Draco rolled his eyes. “You know,” he shrugged. “They insist I find a proper pureblood wife, ad sooner rather than later. So they’re starting the courting process.”

“Shit, I forgot your families are still doing that shit,” Ron muttered, sounding aghast. “I mean, I heard about it from my grandmother, but -”

“Not every family does,” Pansy shook her head. “Some families fall back on courting seasons if they feel like their heir has been unmarried for an extensive amount of time. But the Malfoys are very particular about upholding traditions. And I think they are worried about Draco’s beliefs and lifestyle.”

Draco didn’t say anything. He just looked down at his book, his face utterly miserable.

“So, what?” Harry asked, an edge to his voice. “They’re going to force him to marry someone he doesn’t love? That’s sick!”

“It’s not unheard of, in our circles,” Daphne shrugged, though she, too, looked very pale. “Most of our parents met through courting seasons. They insist it’s possible to learn to love each other in the process.”

Harry felt like he was going to throw up. The thought of Draco marrying some prissy pureblood girl was horrific. He turned to Draco. “Can’t you just refuse?”

Draco sighed. “It’s complicated,” he shrugged. “I don’t want to break with my parents entirely.”

“But they’re forcing you into something you don’t want!” Harry insisted.

“They think it’s what’s best for me,” Draco grimaced. “Even if I disagree.” He sighed, glancing up at him. “I wouldn’t expect you to understand. You come from a different world.”

It cut through Harry like a cutting curse. He avoided his gaze, blinking rapidly. 

They were all silent for a long moment.

“I’m sorry,” Draco sighed. “I really wanted to keep it to myself until the end of the school year. I just wanted things to stay normal.” He sounded so miserable it tore at Harry’s heart. 

“Well, we can send you off with a bang,” Pansy promised. 

Harry heard Draco chuckle, but he still couldn’t bring himself to look up.

Harry went home for the Easter holidays. He desperately needed space from Draco. Things had been weird between them since his announcement, the easy affection giving way to awkward tension. He needed to sort his head.

He also needed to talk to someone who knew Draco’s family situation.

“I see,” Sirius grimaced after Harry was finished explaining. “So basically, he can leave and cut all ties as I did, or he’s fucked.”

“I don’t know what to do,” Harry muttered, hugging his knees close to his chest. “I thought he liked me. I thought we were, you know…”

Harry didn’t finish, but Sirius understood anyway.

“I don’t think it’s a matter of liking you or not,” he said, not unkindly. “It’s a matter of what’s possible or not. In his world, being with you isn’t possible, so he doesn’t pursue it, even if he might want to.”

“That’s stupid,” Harry grumbled.

“Not everyone is a Gryffindor like us,” Remus smiled from the kitchen. “Slytherins aren’t as prone to take risks, Harry, especially with their families.”

“And you have to see it from his side,” Sirius shrugged. “You’re both seventeen. That’s very young. Infatuation might fade. Family ties, on the other hand, that’s a big deal to people like him. He might regret throwing that over for a relationship that won’t work out.”

“You threw it all over!” Harry pointed out. 

“Yes, but not for love,” Sirius smiled. “I found love in the process, but I left for myself. There’s a difference.”

“I think,” Remus said, coming to join them on the settee with tea cups and a pot  flowing after him and settling on the table in their midst, “if you are serious about him, Harry, you need to play by his parent's rules.”

“What are you talking about?” Harry frowned at him. 

“Well,” Remus lifted his eyebrows, lifting his teacup and taking a sip. “Draco is having a courting season, not a wedding. You can still influence the outcome.”

“I - what?” Harry blinked. 

Remus rolled his eyes and looked at Sirius in fond exasperation. “Just like James at his age,” he muttered. 

“You’d think they’re willfully oblivious,” Sirius grinned. “But that’s just how they are.”

“Can you please get to your point?!” Harry grumbled, frustration bubbling over.

“Well, Harry,” Sirius said, his voice indicating he was talking to an especially dim three-year-old. “You are a Potter, which means you are part of a traditional pureblood family yourself, even if you’re a half-blood. And I am a Black, which means I have the right to suggest a suitor for Draco.”

Harry gaped at him. “What?” he asked, not intending to be repetitive, but - what ?

“You could enter the courting season and try to win Draco’s parents over,” Sirius rolled his eyes. “Merlin, Harry, keep up!”

“But they’d never accept me,” Harry blurted out.

Sirius pursed his lips. “Narcissa isn’t that bad,” Sirius mused. “I bet Lucius is the driving force behind all of this. She probably just wants the best for her son and is a bit misguided in how she wants to achieve that. If she sees that Draco is attached to you and you play by the rules, she might be persuaded. And if you have Narcissa, she can help with Lucius.”

Harry blinked. “You think I could actually do this?” he asked.

“If you are willing,” Remus injected. “It’s a commitment. You’d signal your intent to marry Draco and you’re still very young, Harry. Please think about it carefully.”

“You’d also step into the very family circles I stepped out of,” Sirius made a face. “So that’s something to consider.”

“But if he’s worth it,” Remus smiled, “it’s a viable option.”

Harry stared at them, unsure what to say.

“Think about it,” Remus repeated. “You still have time.”

Harry nodded, his heart racing. 

When Harry came back to Hogwarts after the holidays, Draco approached him, his shoulders tense but his face one of determination.

“Can I talk to you?” he asked.

Harry nodded. He let Draco’s fingers close around his wrist, trying not to hyper focus on the contact as Draco led them towards an alcove where they could have some privacy. Then, Draco turned to him, his eyes full of remorse. Harry’s chest tightened.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “I know I flirted with you, and that wasn’t fair. I knew it was going to end up like this. I’m so sorry, Harry.”

“Draco -” Harry began, but Draco shook his head. 

“Please,” he said. “Let me speak.”

Harry nodded, gulping.

“I think a part of me hoped for a different outcome,” Draco sighed, shrugging. “And in another universe, I would have loved to continue exploring this thing between us. But I can’t and I’m sorry, Harry. I just -” he bit his lip, his throat working before he continued. “I don’t want to lose you entirely. You’re one of my closest friends and my life is already going to go to shit this summer and I don’t want to lose you, too.”

His voice was pleading and Harry couldn’t help but reach out for his hand. It was an instinct. Draco stared at the way Harry’s fingers curved around his palm like it was a lifeline. 

“You’re not going to lose me,” he promised. “No matter what.”

Draco let out a breath that was bigger than him and closed his fingers around Harry’s.

“Thank you,” he whispered.

That night, Harry wrote to Sirius. His letter only contained one sentence.

‘I’m going to do it.’

The NEWTs passed like a blur and then, they all had to say goodbye to Hogwarts and each other for good. Well, it wasn’t like they were never going to see each other again, Harry rationalised, but with the way Draco clung to him as he hugged him at King’s Cross, it almost felt like it.

“We’ll write,” he promised as he let go.

“We will,” Harry smiled. 

Draco smiled, though it didn’t reach his eyes. Then he turned and walked towards his waiting parents. Harry watched him go, feeling like Draco was taking Harry’s heart with him. The only thing that made it bearable was that he would see Draco again soon, even if Draco didn’t know it yet.

James Potter was not pleased about Harry’s decision to enter Draco Malfoy’s courting season.

“My parents, your grandparents, dropped this nonsense for a reason!” he snapped. “And you want to subject yourself to it voluntarily?!”

“It’s for Draco,” Harry shrugged. “So yes.”

“You’re just turning eighteen!” his father pointed out.

“We were eighteen when we married, James,” Lily threw in.

“That was different!” James called. “A war was going on! We were afraid we wouldn’t survive the year!”

“And Harry is afraid Draco will be married at the end of the summer,” Lily shrugged, unimpressed. “Special circumstances lead to extraordinary choices. We can’t talk him out of it if he thinks it’s the right thing to do.”

“This is the family Sirius fled from!” James protested. “He stayed with me and my parents because it was that horrible! And Harry wants to marry into it?!”

“Well, he’s not marrying into the Black family. Walburga Black is dead,” Lily reminded him calmly.

“Lucius Malfoy is just as bad,” James grumbled.

“You can’t know that,” Lily shook her head. 

“Also, you know how it is in these families, James,” Sirius spoke up, at last. “Married people have much more freedom than unmarried people. As soon as Draco is married, his parents can’t really make rules for him anymore. And by extension, Harry.”

“You!” James glared at him. “You put the idea in his head, didn’t you!”

“Strictly speaking, it was Remus,” Sirius smirked.

“Thank you, love,” Remus said tiredly.

“Dad,” Harry sighed, making his father finally look back at him. “Stop blaming Sirius and Remus. I want this.”

“You’re a child. You don’t know what you want,” James grumbled.

“Yes, I do!” Harry glared. “And I’ll do this with or without your blessing, so you can either support me, or you can keep throwing a tantrum.”

James pursed his lips before looking at Lily. “He gets that from you,” he accused.

“Tell yourself that,” Lily nodded before smiling at Harry. Harry smiled back. 

Harry spent the next couple of weeks obsessively studying pureblood etiquette, learning how to dance and picking outfits. Weirdly, Harry felt like studying for his NEWTs had been easier. 

When his NEWT results arrived three weeks into the holidays, Harry almost didn’t have the space of mind to be happy about them. He had done well, thanks to Hermione’s drilling and Draco’s help in subjects he was usually weak in, and his father was already talking about getting him an interview in his department, but Harry felt like he really couldn’t focus on that right now. 

“I don’t know, Dad,” he sighed. “I don’t know if I even want to be an Auror. Give me some time.”

James frowned at him. “How much time?” he asked.

“Until I know what’s happening with Draco, maybe,” Harry shrugged.

“You can’t let this whole thing distract you from your professional future!” James said disapprovingly. “The Malfoys might be able to afford never working a day in their lives, but I don’t want that for you!”

“It’s not what I want, either,” Harry rolled his eyes. “I just need to get my head straight. And I can’t do that while it’s still full of courting rituals.”

“Leave him be, James,” Lily injected. “Worst comes worst, he joins Hermione at university and honestly, I wouldn’t be too miffed about that.”

James glared at her and Harry smiled. Trust his mother to be an advocate for further studying. 

When the start of Draco’s courting season finally came, Harry felt like he was going to go out of his mind. He was wearing finer robes than he’d ever owned in his life and had endured whichever spells the stylist at Diagon Alley had thrown at him, but they had tamed his hair and cleared his skin in a way Harry had never seen before. 

Malfoy Manor, when they arrived, seemed to have been given a make-over, too. It looked bright and inviting and even the peacocks looked festive. Hordes of well-dressed people were walking down the driveway towards the Manor, and Harry nervously hoped they weren’t all competition. 

“Cheer up,” Sirius smirked at him. He looked rather cheerful for someone reentering a society he had removed himself from twenty years ago. “You want to woo the Malfoys, and a greenish tint isn’t very attractive.”

Harry glared at him. Sirius snickered.

As they walked up the driveway, they could soon spot Narcissa and Lucius greeting the guests, with gracious smiles on their faces.

“Right,” Sirius said. “Your first test. Chin up.”

Harry straightened, trying to smile. He suspected it came out as a grimace. 

Narcissa was the first to spot them. She blinked, halting in her movements. Her hand went to her husband’s arm, alerting him. Then, Lucius’ gaze found them, and he stared, his smile falling. 

Sirius walked up to them like he had every right to be there and Harry tried to keep up with him his heart racing. 

“Cousin Narcissa,” he smiled. “It’s so good to see you!”

She blinked and inclined her head. “Sirius,” she said cautiously. “It’s been a while.”

“It has,” he agreed. 

“What are you doing here?” Lucius said, under his breath. His gaze was darting around, clearly uncomfortable with the thought of others overhearing the conversation.

“My godson told me about Draco’s courting season,” Sirius smiled pleasantly. “So I’m here to present him as a suitor.”

Both Narcissa and Lucius stared first at Sirius, then at Harry. Harry tried his hardest to smile.

“You can’t be serious!” Lucius hissed.

“Oh, I quite am,” Sirius said, and Harry bit his lip, grateful that his godfather refrained from making a pun. 

“You cut off all family ties twenty years ago,” Lucius pointed out under his breath. “And now you’re turning up with your half-blood godson at my son’s courting season?”

“As you very well know, as a Black, I still have a right to present a suitor,” Sirius said, unimpressed by Lucius’ rant. “And Harry cares deeply about Draco. He wanted a chance to show that he’s committed to him.”

Lucius opened his mouth to argue but his wife’s hand on his elbow stopped him.

“Don’t make a scene here,” she said softly. “We’re talking about this later.” She nodded at both Sirius and Harry politely and motioned to the entrance of the Manor. “Welcome.”

They both nodded and Harry almost stumbled in his haste to get away from them.

“That was less than ideal,” he muttered.

“It went as expected,” Sirius shrugged. “Lucius was never going to like this. But if Draco wants you here, Narcissa might be persuaded. So go and find Draco.”

And with that, they entered a spacious ballroom full of people. Harry’s eyes quickly found Draco on the other side in conversation with a young witch. His smile was polite but detached.

“Right,” Harry said distractedly. “Talk to you later.”

“Ta,” Sirius grinned, waving at Harry. 

Harry weaved himself towards Draco, and when he was near enough, he could hear bits and pieces of Draco’s conversation. 

“The education at Beauxbatons was so much more extensive if you ask me! I’d never send a child to Hogwarts again. Dumbledore really ruined that school for all of us.”

Draco smiled tightly and took a sip of his drink. Harry took a deep breath and stepped up to him. 

“Excuse me,” he said. 

Draco turned towards him and his eyes widened. “Harry,” he breathed. 

“Draco,” he smiled, private and small. “I wondered if I may speak to you for a moment.”

Draco seemed frozen. Then he blinked and nodded. “Of course,” he said, turning to his former conversation partners. “If you’d excuse me.” Then, he followed Harry a few steps away into the crowd.

“Harry,” Draco hissed, his voice urgent. “What are you doing here?!”

Harry smiled, turning to him. “Sirius brought me.”

“Sirius?!” Draco demanded. “But Sirius left this family ages ago!”

“He’s still a Black by name,” Harry shrugged, sounding more casual than he felt. “He can always present a suitor.”

Draco gaped at him. “You’re - you’re here as a suitor?” he asked, his voice an octave higher than before.

“Yes,” Harry confirmed, his voice softer than before. “I am.”

Draco stared at him for a long moment. Then, a middle-aged man stepped up to them with a daughter. Draco cursed, grasping Harry’s wrist and pulling them further into the crowd.

“Have you lost your mind?” he hissed as they moved. “You realise this isn’t a game! This is a sick ritual in which people fight for my hand in marriage!”

“I know what it is, Draco,” Harry said. “I had endless discussions about it with my father.”

“Then why are you here?!” Draco asked, looking at him in confusion.

“Because I hate the thought of you marrying someone else,” Harry burst out. “Of you marrying someone you don’t even like! And if this is the only way I can fight for you, I’ll damn well do it!”

Again, Draco seemed speechless. Too speechless, it seemed, to notice that the earlier man and his daughter had caught up with them.

“Draco!” he called in a booming voice. “My boy, let me introduce you to my youngest, Aurelia!” 

Draco shook himself out of it then. “Later,” he mouthed to Harry before turning to the man and his daughter.

Unable to help himself, Harry wrapped his hand around Draco’s wrist before he let go of Harry, squeezing once. Draco returned the gesture, squeezing back, before finally breaking the contact. 

Chapter Text

“This whole event is ridiculous,” Harry muttered, following Draco with his eyes as he was aggressively talked at by a young girl’s mother. “Nobody even gets to talk to him for more than five seconds because everyone behaves like a pair of hungry wolves.”

“Well, you just have to be a bit more Gryffindor about this,” Sirius rolled his eyes. He snatched a glass of champagne from a floating tray before slinging an arm around Harry’s shoulders and pulling him forward, towards Draco. “Watch and learn, young fledgling,” he said under his breath. He let go of Harry when they reached Draco, standing straight and pasting on a polite smile. He cleared his throat.

Draco looked up at them. His eyes travelled to Harry for a moment, lingering, before he forced himself to meet Sirius’ gaze.

“I think you promised my godson a dance, Draco,” Sirius smiled pleasantly. 

Draco blinked. Then he nodded, the movement hesitant. “Right,” he said. “I believe I did.”

He excused himself from the conversation and offered Harry his hand. Harry took it, smiling at Draco. Draco’s palm was clammy and his skin was strangely cold. Harry rubbed his thumb over Draco’s knuckles in a soothing gesture. He saw Draco’s adam’s apple bob in response. 

As they stepped onto the dancefloor and got into position, Harry could tell that all eyes in the room were on them. Draco’s movements were stiff and practised and Harry felt clumsy next to him. 

“I still can’t believe you’re here,” Draco said, under his breath. “You’re completely mental, you know that, right?”

“Dad mentioned it,” Harry chuckled. “But I think you’re worth the hassle, so…”

“Am I?” Draco muttered. “Are you really sure about this?”

Harry hesitated before stepping just a little closer than was appropriate. Like this, he could smell Draco’s clean scent and feel the heat of his body. 

“I am,” Harry whispered. “If I’m sure about anything, it’s you, Draco.”

Draco let out a shaky breath. “I thought I had to give you up,” he muttered. “I thought there was no chance.”

“I’m sorry,” Harry whispered. “I’m sorry you’re stuck in this situation. But let’s fight? We can pull through this if we work together, I know it. We are a good team.”

Draco chewed on his lip as he met Harry’s eyes. “The best,” he breathed. 

“See,” Harry grinned. “We can do this.”

“My father will hate this,” Draco shook his head.

“I know,” Harry shrugged. “We’ll just have to convince him.”

Draco nodded, his hand tightening on Harry’s waist. 

Sirius and Harry stayed until the very last guest had left. Harry wasn’t actually sure that was a very good plan, seeing that the company of his peers was the only thing that had kept Lucius Malfoy from making a scene, but this was Sirius’ old world, so he made the plans.

When finally, the last guests had bidden the Malfoys their goodbyes, Draco immediately turned to Harry, an expression of pure longing in his grey eyes that made Harry want to cross the room and pull him into his arms.

Lucius Malfoy’s expression, though, was one of pure anger.

“Black,” he snapped. “How dare you turn up at my house on a day like this -”

“Father -” Draco tried to interrupt, but Lucius spoke over him.

“Is this your idea of a joke?! Are you trying to make fun of our traditions and beliefs? Just because you threw them all over -”

“This has nothing to do with my disregard for your way of life,” Sirius rolled his eyes. “I’m here because Harry is committed to Draco. There no other reason.”

“Please,” Lucius snorted. “You know better than to think that we’d ever allow Draco to -”

“Father,” Draco interrupted, louder this time. “I am in love with Harry.”

A deafening silence followed his words. Harry’s heart seemed to try to beat its way out of his chest. He’s in love with me. Did you all hear that? Draco Malfoy is in love with me.

“Draco,” Lucius said, his voice tight. “Infatuation, especially at your age, is a fleeting thing. It may pass. You can’t make important life choices based on -”

“It’s not an infatuation,” Draco cut him off. “I’ve been in love with Harry for three years.” Their eyes met for a moment. Draco’s grey eyes were blazing with emotion that made Harry’s knees feel weak. “I just never thought I could have him,” he whispered. “I never imagined I’d be allowed.”

“But - Draco,” Lucius began, clearly discomfited. “Think about this - think about who he is, and who you are, and -”

“Mother,” Draco breathed, turning to her, his eyes pleading. “ Please.”

She looked at him for a long moment. Then, she turned to her husband. “I don’t see any harm in allowing Mr Potter the chance to court him,” she said, at last. “If he doesn’t make the cut, that’s that. But if he proves himself worthy and is willing to go along with our customs to such a degree, we shouldn’t intervene.”

“Narcissa!” Lucius snapped. “You know who he is! Who his mother is!”

Harry bit his tongue very hard. You’re doing this for Draco , he reminded himself. 

“If he makes Draco happy and proves himself committed to him, I am willing to overlook that,” she said briskly. She turned to Harry. “Please expect our owl regarding our next invitation, Mr Potter. Thank you for coming today.”

Harry bowed slightly. “Thank you for having me,” he said. 

And then, they turned and left. Only Draco caught up with them when they were halfway down to the gates.

“Harry!” he called, and when Harry turned around, he had an arm full of Draco. “I can’t believe you did this,” he breathed into Harry’s throat. 

Harry smiled, holding him tight and pressing his nose into soft blond hair. “Three years, huh?” he said, at last. 

“Shut up,” Draco groaned. “They wouldn’t have listened without a grand confession from my side.”

“Well, I’ve been in love with you for ages, too, just so you know,” Harry smiled, kissing his temple. “Hermione and Ron have been teasing me about it non-stop.”

“You should have heard the comments in the Slytherin common room,” Draco snorted. “ ‘If you throw yourself at Potter any more obviously, Draco, you’re going to be humping in the Great Hall.’ ”

“Well, that would have surely spiced up dinner,” Sirius commented with a smirk.

Draco drew back from their embrace with a red face at that. Harry laughed. 

“Can you give us a minute, Sirius?” Harry asked.

“All right,” Sirius shrugged. “But you’ll have to get used to doing this with a chaperone, boys. Narcissa and Lucius won’t leave you alone till the engagement.”

Harry raised his eyebrows at Draco as Sirius turned around to take a few steps away. Draco sighed.

“He’s not wrong,” he confirmed. “The courting season is so outdated. I’m not supposed to even be talking to you. I sneaked away as my parents started discussing the other candidates.”

“Right,” Harry. “So no snogging?”

“No snogging,” Draco smirked. “My father might murder you in cold blood if he finds out.”

Harry rolled his eyes. Draco shrugged. Then he frowned. 

“I’ll also need to actually pretend to date these other candidates they chose for me,” he pointed out. “Sorry. I know it’s fucked up.”

“I know,” Harry made a face. “I know what I got myself into. I don’t like it, but I know you don’t actually want to do it. It’s okay. Don’t worry.”

Draco reached out for Harry’s hand, entwining their fingers and squeezing them.

“It’s four dates,” he reminded him. “And then, afterwards, I can announce that I choose you and be done with it.”

“Sounds easy enough,” Harry smiled.

“Yeah,” Draco smiled. “Totally doable.”

Harry knew that he was trying to convince himself as much as Harry, but Harry didn’t mind. Harry could be confident enough for the two of them. He squeezed Draco’s hand again.

“I promise,” Harry said, “I’m not going to let your parents separate us. I’ve just begun to fight.”

Draco smiled. “You can be scary when you set your mind to something. They don’t realise that, but I do.”

“I know,” Harry smirked. “Let them learn.”

The next day, Harry’s dad knocked at Harry’s door. His face was pinched when Harry opened it.

“Our living room was invaded by Slytherin kids,” he informed him. “Please come downstairs and save me.”

Harry blinked and went to investigate, only to find Pansy Parkinson, Blaise Zabini, Millicent Bulstrode, Theodore Nott, Daphne Greengrass, Gregory Goyle and Vincent Crabbe squeezed onto their settee, next to Ron and Hermione. 

“Potter,” Zabini smiled at him. “At last. We have come to plot.”

Hermione got up to pull Harry into a tight hug. “I’m so proud of you,” she said vehemently. “You finally found your guts and did something. That’s my boy.”

“What is happening?” Harry asked, looking at Ron for help.

“Word got out that you’re courting Malfoy, mate,” Ron shrugged. “We’re here to help.”

“Ahh,” Harry nodded, still not understanding. “Right. And how exactly can you help with that?”

“Oh, my sweet summer child,” Millicent smirked. “You have only been exposed to the top of the iceberg when it comes to Slytherin scheming.”

“We’re Draco’s friends,” Theo explained. “We walk pureblood circles. Meaning we can sabotage your competition, and they’ll never suspect because we’re just so concerned for our friend.”

“We just mean well,” Daphne said with her best innocent face, and to be fair, it looked damn innocent. Harry would swear she’d never done a bad thing in her life and he’d seen her hex Trelawny’s glass orbs to insult her as a graduation present only a couple of weeks ago. 

“And they won’t connect us to you, either,” Blaise shrugged. “Because Narcissa and Lucius only chose suitors who attended schools other than Hogwarts, which means that they have no idea we’re all friends. They’ll think we hate you, and we can ride that train until the engagement.”

“Not very smart of them, to be fair,” Greg, of all people, noted as he munched on a cookie Harry’s mother had left out. “They should have expected us to get involved.”

“A real oversight,” Vince agreed. “Harry, these cookies are amazing! How does your Mum make them? Can she give us the recipe?”

“Vince and Greg have been baking a lot since they left school,” Pansy stage whispered. “They want to open a bakery in Diagon Alley.”

Harry grinned. “Sure, I can ask Mum to write it down for you later.”

“Cheers,” Vince nodded, taking another one from the bowl.

“Who are the other suitors?” Hermione asked, taking out a notebook and a pen. Harry stared at her incredulously.

“Aurelia Carolina Atkins,” Theo began. “Seventeen years old, long pureblood line hailing from Lancashire. She was homeschooled since her family has always been at odds with Dumbledore.”

“I remember her,” Harry frowned. “She’s that tiny girl with dark blonde hair, right? Obnoxious Dad?” 

“Yup,” Blaise said, popping the ‘P’.

“Next one is Eva Caitlin Bates,” Theo continued. “The oldest of the lot with twenty-one. Born in New York and schooled in Ilvermorny but her father is British with strong roots in Scotland. She’s rumoured to be quarter-Veela but her family is denying it. Anyway, both mother and daughter are suspiciously stunning.”

“I’m surprised Lucius allowed them in, with their dubious heritage,” Pansy rolled her eyes. “I think he hopes Draco might be seduced by Eva’s beauty. Too bad he’s very, very gay.”

Harry bit his lip, smirking.

“Well, Lucius thought of that, too,” Theo rolled his eyes. “Candidate number three is Natan Khalid Dante Russo Abadi.”

“Merlin, the name is a mouthful, isn’t it,” Ron rolled his eyes.

“Well, his father hails from a long Italian line originating from Verona, and his mother hails from a century-old Yemeni family. I imagine the naming of the child was a battle of will.”

“Imagine a marriage with Malfoy,” Ron shuddered. “Poor child. It would end up with three surnames and four first names.”

“Well, it won’t come to that,” Millie rolled her eyes. “Because he’s not marrying Draco.”

“Right,” Harry muttered, chewing on his lip. “Is he, um, good-looking?”

Daphne snorted. “Nervous, Potter?” she teased.

“Oh, if he’d have been offered to me, I’d have totally taken him to bed,” Blaise announced. 

Pansy rolled her eyes and kicked him in the chin. “He’s fifteen,” she glared. “He’s practically jail-bait.”

“He’s turning sixteen next week,” Blaise shrugged. “That’s two years. Like, who cares.”

“Right,” Theo snorted. “Moving on. The last lady in the group is Miss Mirabelle Florence Rousseau. Eighteen, schooled in Beauxbatons, old french pureblood line, long friendship with the Malfoys. She was an obvious candidate.”

“Do I get to mess with her?” Millie asked, raising her hand with a smirk. “She is so perfect. I want to ruffle her feathers.”

Theo smiled. “Go right ahead.”

“Thank you,” she smiled, looking pleased. 

“I’m taking Natan,” Blaise said immediately. 

“No,” Pansy shook her head. “You’ll just seduce him.”

“That’s sabotage, too!” he called, affronted. 

“ I’ll take Natan,” Theo announced, making Blaise pout. “Pansy and Daphne, you’ll take Aurelia.”

“But why her?” Pansy moaned. “She is horrible! ”

“Exactly,” Theo rolled his eyes. “Mess her up good. It’s a two-girl-job.”

“On it, boss,” Daphne saluted.

“That leaves Eva for Greg and Vince,” Theo said, frowning at them. “You think you can do that, guys?”

“Sure,” Greg shrugged, looking unconcerned. 

“We could bake her cookies,” Vince said seriously. 

“You’re supposed to screw her over,” Pansy reminded them. “Not be nice to her.”

“Well, the cookies don’t have to be good, ” Vince shrugged. 

“Right,” Theo nodded, looking as if he regretted his life choices already. “Okay. You do that.” He looked at Harry. “Okay, so, can you try not to piss off Narcissa and Lucius while we handle the rest of them?”

“I can try?” Harry shrugged. 

Theo sighed. “I guess that’s as good a shot as any,” he declared. 

Harry was invited to the Manor a week after the opening of the season. Draco and Narcissa received him in the Manor gardens. Draco looked soft and happy as he greeted him, his face as open as Harry had ever seen it. It made Harry feel all tingly. 

Draco wasn’t someone to wear his feelings on his sleeve. He had really chopped down his walls for the sake of being as demonstrative as possible in front of his mother. It made Harry want to shower him with affection, but he knew he had to hold back in front of Narcissa.

Narcissa greeted him politely and then fell into step behind them. Harry knew she was there as a chaperone and while Harry felt weird about her presence, he was glad she wasn’t actively intervening.

“So,” Harry smiled at Draco shyly. “How were your other dates?”

Draco looked at him in amusement. “Strange, to say the least.”

“Okay,” Harry blinked. “Strange how?”

“Well, Eva turned up with digestive problems and had to cut the whole thing short,” Draco began. Harry tried hard to keep a straight face. “Aurelia kept talking about Hippogriffs, and when I asked her why, she seemed convinced that they were my favourite creature.” Harry bit his lip, hard. “Natan seemed very confused about how to behave throughout this courting season. He kept trying to recite poetry or break into song. I’m not sure if that’s normal in Italy but I was pretty embarrassed.” Inwardly, Harry sent a thousand thank yous to Theo. “And Mirabelle… was pretty absentminded, I’m not quite sure what was up with her,” Draco shrugged. “All in all, they were all very strange.”

“I’m sorry?” Harry said, though he definitely sounded amused rather than sincere.

“Oh, I’m sure you are,” Draco chuckled, elbowing him in the ribs. 

“Can you blame me?” Harry grinned. Draco just smiled. “Anyway, what have you planned for us, Romeo?”

“Planning our date was actually the easiest,” Draco grinned and then, they reached the open fields behind the Manor. Two brooms were propped up against a tree. “Fancy a flight, Potter?” he asked playfully.

Harry laughed. “You know I always do.”

The good thing about Draco’s choice of date was that Narcissa had to stay earthbound while they took off into the air. She still kept an eye on them, of course, but she couldn’t overhear their conversations anymore, and it made Harry feel much freer than he’d have expected to be with her as a chaperone. 

It was almost as if they were alone, back at Hogwarts, flying just for the sake of it. Draco was laughing and joking and Harry felt light and happy. 

When he reached out across the space between their brooms to hold Draco’s hand, Draco didn’t stop him, even though his mother would surely see. 

Eventually, they touched down on the other side of the fields, surrounded by a few trees. 

“She’ll need a few minutes to catch up with us here,” Draco grinned.

“Sneaky,” Harry chuckled. 

“You know me,” Draco shrugged. His face softened and then, he stepped up to Harry, folding him into a tight embrace. Harry closed his eyes and hugged him back. He buried his nose in Draco’s neck and took a deep breath, marvelling at his scent. 

“All this feels so stupid,” Draco whispered. “I already know that you’re the only one I want. I’m just playing pretend for my parents.”

Harry’s arms around him tightened. “It’s just to convince them that we’ll last, right?” he reminded him. “That we’re serious. They know where your loyalties lie. You made it clear.”

Draco let out a breath and nodded. “Yes. Yes, you’re right.” He pressed a soft kiss to Harry’s forehead. “I just want to fast-forward and be done with all of this.”

Harry smiled and squeezed his arms around his waist more tightly. “Three more dates,” he reminded him. “We can do that, right?”

Draco sighed. “You’re right. Of course, you are.”

And then, Narcissa pointedly clearing her throat made them pull apart. Draco sighed, turning to her. 

“Sorry, Mother,” he smiled sheepishly. “I swear, I just indulged a little.”

There was almost a smile on her lips as she rolled her eyes. Harry wondered if they were wearing her down. 

“Right,” she said. “Just keep it clean, or your father will have a fit.”

“I know,” Draco smiled. He took Harry’s hand, entwining their fingers. “Let’s walk back to the house,” he smiled. 

Harry nodded, unable to stop smiling. 

He received two owls that very evening. One was from Draco. 

‘Eva was eliminated. We’re still in the game. See you next Saturday for dinner with my parents. Love, Draco’

Harry groaned a little at the prospect of dinner with the Malfoys but knew he couldn’t complain. If he was planning to marry Draco, this would be his life. 

He looked at the other note instead. It was from Theo.

‘We’re meeting at yours tomorrow to make a game plan for round two.’

That was all it said, and Harry couldn’t help but smirk. 

“Dad,” he called. “You’d better go out tomorrow, Slytherins are going to invade the house again.”

There was a groan from his Dad’s study, making him laugh.

Chapter Text

“I want to help, too,” Hermione announced at their second joint Slytherin-Gryffindor meeting at Harry’s home, her face set in determination.

All the Slytherins looked at her wearily.

“Hermione, sweetheart,” Millie said softly. “I don’t know how to tell you this, but you’re a… Gryffindor.”

Harry had to bite his lip to keep from laughing. Hermione frowned at her. 

“That means you are connected to Potter,” Blaise explained helpfully. “They wouldn’t trust you.”

“They also wouldn’t let her into the house because she’s Muggleborn,” Pansy noted, less delicately.

“Well, only if I look like myself,” Hermione replied irritably. “If I looked, just for example, like Daphne’s sister, no one would question it.”

Daphne blinked at her. “Astoria?” she tilted her head to the side. “That could work.”

“We’d need Polyjuice, though,” Theo reminded her. “And we don’t exactly have that lying around.”

“I do,” Hermione shrugged, to everyone’s surprise.

“Be friends with Harry long enough,” Ron smirked. “You’ll get there.”

“Right,” Theo looked between them in slight alarm before turning to the others. “So, we’re here to set up a new game plan. I suggest we all take up new suitors this time so they don’t catch on. And no, Greg, Vince,” he said pointedly when they started opening their mouths, “you can’t give anyone food poisoning again. I admit it was surprisingly effective, but it would definitely get out that we’re behind it if it happens a second time.”

They both pouted in reply.

“Can I take Mirabelle again?” Millie asked hopefully.

“No,” Theo frowned. “We each get new ones.”

“But messing with her was fun,” Millie sighed wistfully. 

“Be that as it may,” Theo shook his head, looking like a kindergartener trying to reign in his group. “We should  -”

“Can I have Natan this time?” Blaise tried innocently.

“No,” they all rolled their eyes. Blaise huffed and crossed his arms. 

“What I was about to say is that we should mix it up,” Theo huffed. “Blaise, you didn’t mess with anyone last time. You should take either Mirabelle or Aurelia.”

“Aurelia then,” Blaise wrinkled his nose. “I like a challenge.”

“Right,” Theo rolled his eyes. “Daphne, Hermione, how about you two take up Mirabelle?”

“On it,” Hermione nodded, scribbling furiously in her notebook. Daphne watched her in alarm.

“That leaves Natan,” Theo frowned. “I can’t take him again, so it has to be Millie, Greg, Vince or any combination of you.”

“I’ll do it,” Millie volunteered. “Those two will just end up baking again.”

“We could punch him, too?” Vince shrugged.

“Too on the nose,” Blaise said gently.

“Right,” Theo nodded, getting to his feet and approaching Harry. “That means I am free to teach you. ”

Harry looked around wildly to the others for help.

“I thought no one was supposed to mess with me? ” he asked. “I thought that was the whole idea?”

“I’m not going to mess with you, you moron,” Theo rolled his eyes. “I’m going to school you in all things Malfoy. Merlin knows you will need it when you’re invited for dinner with his parents.”

“Oh, can I help?” Pansy asked eagerly.

“No,” Theo glared. “You’ll actually mess with him.”

Pansy pouted.

“Who cares which cutlery I use for which course?” Harry huffed. “This is stupid.”

“Lucius will care,” Theo rolled his eyes. “Narcissa will care. So you should care by extension.”

“I have to agree with him, kiddo,” Sirius smiled. “Remember, it’s for Draco.”

Harry’s frustration softened slightly. He sighed and unfolded himself again, sitting back up straight. “Right,” he muttered. “Which one was which again?”

“Do not speak about taking up a Ministry career,” Theo advised. “If you’re to marry Draco, Lucius will expect you to become a gentleman. You can’t let it show that you’re planning on following in your father’s footsteps. Sidestep all his interrogations on the subject. You can still do what you want once you and Draco are actually married.”

“But I don’t even want to be an Auror,” Harry shrugged. From the kitchen, Harry heard a crash. He frowned before continuing. “I don’t really know what I want. So it’s easy to pretend I want to be a man of leisure. It’s Draco who has it all figured out, who actually wants to work for the Ministry.”

“Yeah,” Theo made a face. “Do not mention that, either. They will think you’re encouraging him.”

“So I should only reveal what a bad influence I am after the wedding?” Harry scoffed.

“Exactly,” Theo stressed. “Purebloods hate divorce. Why do you think Blaise’s stepdads keep dying?”

“I don’t actually try to think about that,” Harry admitted, making a face. 

“Once you’re married, you can do whatever you want,” Theo rolled his eyes. “They can complain and disapprove, but they can’t actually stop you.”

“That’s a fucked up system,” Harry pointed out. 

“You think we don’t know?” Theo scoffed. “You think I’ll put my poor child through a courting season like we’re still in the eighteenth century? But we can’t change the situation Draco is in now. All we can do is roll with it now and try to make the future a better one.”

Harry sighed, vowing to himself to win this stupid season and Draco’s hand and get Draco out of this mess. 

“So,” he said, sitting up a bit straighter again. “What else is taboo in front of Lucius Malfoy?”

“Your father wants me to tell you that he will support you, no matter what you choose to do with your life,” Harry’s Mum told him with a smile over a cup of tea.

Harry raised his eyebrows. “Oh?” he asked.

“Yes,” she said, grinning. “That being said, he hopes you won’t choose to become - how did he put it? ‘A gentleman of leisure at Malfoy Manor’.”

Harry closed his eyes and groaned. His mother laughed.

Harry knew that going through this ridiculous courting ritual to be with Draco was completely worth it. He knew it, deep in his heart. But still, in this very moment, when he sat in the Manor’s dining room facing Lucius Malfoy’s unimpressed stare, he regretted all his life choices.

“So, Mr Potter,” Lucius said, his tone indicating that the mere act of talking to Harry was taxing to him. “Draco tells me you’ve been close friends for years.”

“Yes,” Harry nodded, trying desperately to remember which fork was the right one for the next course. “Since our second year.”

“Funny,” Lucius drawled. “I still remember him cursing your name in the summer holidays after his first school year.”

“We grew together after,” Draco injected. “It happened very quickly.” He noticeably omitted that they had bonded over a shared detention, and Harry was grateful for that. That fact alone might disqualify him in front of Lucius and Narcissa. 

“And what made you decide to pursue Draco’s hand in marriage?” Narcissa asked. “After all, this courting season is not something you are used to. Why go through it?”

That was an easy question. Harry smiled at her. “Because I love Draco,” he said honestly. “And the idea of him marrying someone else was killing me.”

Under the table, Draco’s hand found Harry’s knee, squeezing. Narcissa’s blue eyes studied him for a long moment.

“Marriage isn’t only love and passion, though,” Lucius cut in, his voice cool. “It’s loyalty and confidentiality and humility in the face of your partner’s needs.”

“With all due respect, Mr Malfoy,” Harry replied. “I think I’m showing the latter just by going through this courting season.”

Lucius’ lip curled but Harry thought he had brought his point across. 

“How do you picture a marriage with my son, Mr Potter?” Narcissa asked, swiftly changing the topic. “Would you like to have children?”

Harry smiled because he knew that, too, was a question he didn’t have to lie about to answer to their satisfaction. “I’ve always wanted children,” he admitted. “I know the fact that we are both wizards complicates the process, but I would be willing to go through the potions treatment to try and carry, if it’s possible. If not, we could explore other avenues, like surrogacy or adoption.”

“The Malfoy line needs an heir,” Lucius said stiffly. “The child has to be Draco’s.”

“I realise that,” Harry nodded. “And I’d be willing to try everything in my power to make that happen. Adoption would be the last resort, if all else fails.”

Lucius’ lips were pressed into a tight line, but he did not argue again. Draco squeezed his knee. It felt strange, to discuss potential future children with Draco’s parents when they hadn’t even discussed that subject themselves. But Harry needed Draco’s parents to know he was serious, so needs must.

“How about your professional future?” Lucius said with a nasty smile. “I assume you’d like to follow your father into the Ministry?”

Thanks to Theo, Harry immediately recognised the question for the trap it was. “I don’t have any ambitions at the Ministry,” he shook his head. “And I understand that a marriage to Draco would come with its own expectations about how I present myself in public, so I am postponing any professional plans until after the end of this courting season.”

Lucius looked at him, long and hard, clearly displeased that he’d answered so elegantly. Harry could see Draco smiling out of the corner of his eye.

“You did spectacularly,” Draco whispered as he walked him towards the door. “Much better than the others. Father is furious. ”

“What did the others do that was so horrible?” Harry asked, amused. 

“Well, Aurelia’s dress was positively indecent, for one,” Draco shook his head. “I don’t know what she was thinking. And Natan kept talking about how he would support my career at the Ministry, since he could take over as the Lord of the Manor. I thought Father would implode.”

Harry tried not to laugh, inwardly congratulating Blaise and Millie. “And Mirabelle?” he asked.

“Well,” he frowned. “Mirabelle was fine, really, she just… didn’t really seem to want to be there? Same as last time. Really absent-minded. Not sure what’s up with that. Maybe she has a sweetheart at home and her parents are making her do this.”

“Hm,” Harry hummed. They had reached the front door and Draco had turned to face him. Narcissa stood on the stairs, watching them from a distance. Harry was grateful for the small privacy that afforded them.

He reached out for Draco’s hand, lifting it to his lips to kiss it. Draco smiled. 

“I’ll see you for the next round,” Harry breathed.

“Yes,” Draco smiled. “Definitely.”

“We’re not saying you did enchant Mirabelle, Millie,” Daphne said slowly. “We’re just saying she asked about you an awful lot.”

“I didn’t enchant her,” Millie rolled her eyes. “I just flirted with her. It’s not my fault I’m so charming.”

“Draco said she looked like she didn’t want to be there,” Harry noted with a smirk. “Like maybe, she had a sweetheart at home.”

“So the ‘sweetheart’ is Millie?” Pansy groaned, looking sick. “Really, Millie, I thought you had better taste. She’s so French.”

“She’s cute,” Millie frowned. “And she likes cats, which, major plus.”

“Why can Millie seduce Mirabelle and I can’t have a shot at Natan?” Blaise complained.

“Because Mirabelle and Millie are both eighteen, perv,” Theo groaned. 

“But Natan is supposed to marry Draco,” Blaise gestured wildly. “If he’s old enough for that -”

“Yeah, just because Lucius Malfoy thinks so,” Ron made a face. “And mate, I wouldn’t look to a guy who thinks marrying his child off against his will and following a murdering madman is a good idea for moral guidance.”

Blaise made a face, as if realising that he indeed had a point. 

“Well,” he shrugged. “At least I got Aurelia thrown out with my disastrous fashion advice, so.”

“And we thank you for that,” Theo nodded as Blaise high-fived Greg and Vince. “Now, for the next round, we only have Mirabelle and Natan to take care of.”

“Can I go with Mirabelle again?” Millie smiled sweetly.

“You know what?” Theo blinked. “Go for it. If she’s really smitten with you, you’re our best bet.”

Millie grinned smugly.

“Now, about Natan…”

“We could put in Ron, for a change,” Daphne smirked. “Have him mess around with people.”

“Do those Weasley genes even completely disappear with Polyjuice?” Pansy asked sceptically. “What with all that ginger and the freckles.”

“Excuse you,” Ron called. “I’ll have you know I make a very dashing, freckle-free blond. Been there, done that.”

“What, did you turn into Draco as some kind of weird sex present for Potter?” Blaise asked, with interest. 

Both Ron and Harry groaned. 

“Something is seriously wrong with you,” Theo told Blaise, shaking his head. “I blame your mother.”

“The thing is, I’m not sure I’m the right person for the job,” Ron frowned. “But if you want to polyjuice two newcomers, I know just the right ones.”

“Are we talking about the twins?” Daphne asked, smirking. “I hope we’re talking about the twins.”

“Hell yes,” Pansy grinned. “Signed off. Bring them in, coach.” 

Everyone looked at Theo, who sighed. “Fine,” he relented. “Fred and George Weasley will polyjuice into Greg and Vince and they’ll take care of Natan.” There was a round of cheers from the Slytherins, much to Harry’s amusement. Fred and George were strangely popular amongst them. Theo rolled his eyes and waited for the ruckus to die down. “Meanwhile,” he continued, once he could be heard again, “we need to coach not only Harry, but his entire family for the next round, seeing that Draco and his chaperone will come here.”

“Yeah,” Ron laughed, “Good luck with James.”

Theo frowned. “Blaise, Daphne and Hermione,” he said. “You’ll help me.”

“Why me?” Blaise groaned. 

“Because despite all your flaws, you are charming and you’ll hopefully charm the socks off the Potters,” Theo rolled his eyes. “Daphne is calm and patient, and we can use that. Hermione is from their world, so she can help Harry mediate.”

“Why did you not ask me?” Pansy asked, sounding miffed.

“Because your presence would end with James Potter storming out of the house,” Theo scoffed. “You’ve never learned to hold your tongue, Pans. We all know it.”

“That is so rude,” she huffed, crossing her arms. Daphne patted his shoulder. She shrugged her off. 

“Right,” Theo sighed. Harry thought that if Dumbledore were ever looking for a replacement for Snape, Theo would do just fine. Maybe he should give Remus a hint. “So, we have a game plan. Let’s focus on getting Harry into that last round.”

Harry couldn’t stop looking back and forth between Theo, Blaise and Daphne on one side of the table and his Dad on the other side. It was like watching an accident happen. You couldn’t look away. 

“We’re supposed to host the Malfoys at our home,” Harry’s Dad asked slowly. 

“Well, to be fair, it will probably just be Narcissa,” Theo injected. “So far, she has taken over the chaperoning. She will probably report to her husband, though,”

“But that’s a good thing,” Sirius smirked. “Narcissa is much easier to win over, and it seems to me like she honestly just wants Draco to be happy.”

“That’s a good basis,” Lily smiled. “We can work with that.”

“Should I be here for their visit?” Remus frowned. “We know their stance towards werewolves. Lucius was never happy that I was allowed to teach at Hogwarts.”

“By Lucius’ standards, Mrs Potter’s Muggle heritage is a problem, too,” Blaise shrugged. He smiled winningly. “No offence, Mrs Potter.”

“None taken,” she smiled tiredly. 

“Blaise is, sadly, correct,” Hermione made a face. “So I’d say you all present yourselves. Leaving anyone out would just draw attention.”

“Also, they know who Harry is and what his values are,” Daphne pointed out. “That’s why they’re so reluctant. Your job is to show them that your families can peacefully coexist and even merge successfully.”

“What if we don’t believe they can?” James grumbled. 

“Then you’ll put up a smile and pretend,” Lily glared at him. “This is for your son and his happiness. Got it?”

Her husband slumped in his chair. “Yes, ma’am,” he mumbled.

“Right,” Theo nodded. “Let’s begin, then.”

Draco and Narcissa Malfoy’s visit to Harry’s home was a bit of an out-of-body experience. Harry’s mother doted on Draco - which was not exactly a surprise, since she tended to love on everyone Harry brought home. Harry’s Dad made a show of being overly polite and cheerful towards Narcissa, which filled Harry with an unreasonable amount of love for him. Sirius and Narcissa made small talk about the family, talking about Narcissa's estranged sister Andromeda and her daughter and the time when they were children.

“Maybe, if Harry and Draco marry, I could reconnect you with Andromeda,” Sirius offered. “I’m sure she’d love to see you.”

Narcissa hesitated. “Maybe,” she nodded. 

Remus kept to the background, at first, but when Draco noticed, he drew him into a conversation about some of the magical creatures living on Manor grounds. Narcissa soon participated. 

In the short break before the desert, Harry and Draco escaped out to the garden for some privacy.

“This is going well, right?” Harry checked nervously. “No one is making a fool of themselves?”

“It’s going great, Harry,” Draco smiled, taking his hand. “Give your family my gratitude when we left, please. I know how much they must be restraining themselves, especially your father.”

Harry made a face and Draco chuckled.

“How did your visits to the other families go?” Harry checked.

“Um,” Draco blinked. “The evening with Natan was a disaster. Various members of the family mysteriously fell sick throughout the dinner. Mrs Russo Abadi developed a sudden nosebleed over the soup. Mr Russo Abadi fainted right into his dish of pasta. Natan’s older brother threw up after the tiramisu. And finally, fireworks went off in the kitchens, sending all the house elves into a frenzy. I have no idea what happened there but I’m sure he’s out.”

“Well,” Harry grinned. “I’m glad to hear that. How about Mirabelle?”

“Oh, her family was perfect, of course,” Draco rolled his eyes. “She still seemed really out of it, though. To the point where her father had to call her name twice at one point to get her attention. Poor girl. Whoever she’s pining for, she’s got it bad.”

Go, Millie, Harry thought. 

“So you think I’ll pull through?” Harry asked hopefully.

“Well, your kitchen still stands,” Draco said drily. “I’m sure that’s counted in your favour.”

Harry grinned. Draco squeezed his hand. 

“We’ll make it,” Draco said softly. “We have to. We didn’t get so far just to lose now.”

Harry nodded. Then, the door to the garden opened and Narcissa looked at them with fond exasperation.

“Boys, you know the rules,” she admonished. “Stay where I can keep an eye on you.”

“Yes, Mother,” Draco rolled his eyes, smirking at Harry. Harry smirked back.

Chapter Text

“So,” Pansy said, rubbing her hands in glee. “It’s the finale!”

“We made cookies,” Vince announced happily, and Greg held out a bowl with brightly coloured biscuits. Some proclaimed: “H + D = ♡” Others said: “Harry for the win!” Harry smiled and took one of the first bunch. They tasted of vanilla. 

“That is so creepy,” Millie sighed as she took a cookie. “And so cute.”

“Right,” Theo sighed, “Can we please focus?” 

“What is there to focus on?” Blaise asked with a full mouth. “Millie has Mirabelle wrapped around her little finger, and she’s Harry’s only opponent. He literally can’t lose unless he sets the Manor on fire.” 

“And the last date isn’t even at the Manor, so I guess it’s a pretty save bet,” Ron shrugged.

“So, what, we just put our feet up and accept victory?!” Theo glared. “It’s too early for that! Lucius is a Slytherin! He won’t give up that easily!”

As if to prove his words correct, the Potters’ fireplace flared up with green flames and then, Draco stumbled out, looking dishevelled. When he straightened up enough to look around, his eyes were red-rimmed and wet. 

“Harry -” he began, but stopped when he took note of the presence of each and every one of their friends. He blinked, opened his mouth and closed it again. Then, he tried again.

“Do I want to know?” he asked, sounding tired.

“Probably not,” Pansy smiled. “Plausible deniability, darling.”

“Right,” Draco rolled his eyes before his gaze landed on Harry. His expression crumbled slightly.

Harry’s heart sank and he was out of his seat and across the room in an instant, taking Draco’s hands in his.

“What is it?” he whispered.

“Can I stay here for a while?” he asked, his voice breaking.

“I - what?” Harry asked, blinking.

“I had a disagreement with my father,” Draco sniffed. “I told him as long as he was behaving like a fascist arsehat, I wouldn’t come home. So I sort of need somewhere to stay.”

“Wait?” Blaise said. “Does that mean the finale is off?”

“Does that mean I have a free shot at Mirabelle now?” Millie added. 

Draco looked at them over Harry’s shoulder before looking back at Harry. “I have so many questions,” he whispered.

Harry focused on addressing the most urgent matter first. “Of course, you can stay here,” he said, squeezing his hand. “For as long as you need.”

“Thanks,” he breathed. He hesitated before leaning into Harry, resting his forehead against his shoulder. Harry enfolded him in his arms and Draco just slumped against him.

“What did your father say that was so horrible?” Ron asked. “Did he want to kick Harry out of the competition? Because it’s a bit late for that.”

Draco tensed and Harry thought Ron might have inadvertently hit the nail on the head.

“Yeah, well,” Draco muttered, into Harry’s throat. “My father doesn’t give up easily.”

“Told you,” Theo glared into the round. 

“So what did he do?” Hermione asked, sounding worried. 

Draco sighed. He still didn’t resurface from Harry’s embrace. Harry held him just a bit tighter. 

“He told me I wasn’t allowed to pick Harry,” he muttered, at last. “That he wouldn’t accept it if I did.”

Harry’s jaw clenched. For a moment, there was silence in the room.

“That fucker,” his father called, from the kitchen. “Wait till I -”

“James,” his mother warned. “Don’t interfere.”

“Don’t interfere?!” he demanded. “This arsehole wants to tell my son he’s not good enough to marry the love of his life and you want me to not interfere?!”

And then, their voices were cut off. Harry guessed his mother had cast a silencing charm on the kitchen. 

“I guess you have Harry’s parents on your side,” Daphne said mildly.

“Don’t forget Sirius and Remus,” Ron added. 

“I wouldn’t count out Narcissa,” Blaise mused. “Draco played by their rules. And she seemed to respect Harry’s determination. I don’t think she will approve of her husband’s actions.”

“Maybe the finale will be back on?” Greg asked hopefully, taking a ‘Harry for the win!’ cookie and biting into it. Millie pursed her lips, looking conflicted.

“Right,” Draco muttered, finally pulling away from Harry and frowning at them. “I’d like some explanations, please. I thought something was off when Natan’s house blew up, but I didn’t expect a war committee like this.”

“‘War committee’ is such a nasty word,” Daphne frowned. “Let’s call it a charity group.”

“Right,” Draco said, deadpan, but his lips were twitching. He glanced at Greg and Vince’s cookies. “Did you poison Eva?!”

“Not poison ,” Vince said innocently. “We just learned she was allergic to ginger.”

Draco snorted. “Okay then. And who of you blew up Natan’s house? That’s so crude, I wouldn’t have expected -”

“The Weasley twins, in a guest play,” Pansy smirked. 

“The lot of us just misguided and seduced, as good Slytherins do,” Blaise said cheerfully. “Or, well, Millie seduced. I wasn’t allowed to.”

Draco’s face was blank for a long moment before his eyes widened. “So that’s why she’s been so out of it,” he muttered. “She has the hots for Millie.”

“You’re welcome,” Millie smirked, leaning back against the cushions with a look of satisfaction.

“Right,” Draco shook his head, looking dazed but impressed. “I think I need to sit down.”

Harry gently pushed him into the seat he’d abandoned, next to Ron. Ron kindly moved further into Blaise, making room for Harry to squeeze in next to him. 

“You didn’t think we’d leave you to your own devices,” Theo said with a raised eyebrow.

Draco sent him a small smile. “Thanks for having my back.”

Theo rolled his eyes. “Anytime, your majesty.”

Harry reached out to entwine his fingers with Draco’s. “What now?” he asked. 

“Well,” Draco sighed. “I have no clue, to be honest.”

“All you can do is wait,” Hermione said gently. “Either they respond, or they don’t, and you’ll need to find a way to move forward with this new situation.”

Draco nodded, his gaze far away.

“It might not be the worst thing?” Ron shrugged. “At least you’d be off the hook when it comes to your parents’ expectations?” 

The Slytherins all shot him a synchronised glare. Ron held up his hands in defeat. “I’m just saying,” he muttered, but fell silent.

Harry squeezed his hand. Draco squeezed back.

Narcissa Malfoy arrived at their doorstep after dinner, her face grim but determined. By then, all of their friends had gone home, though Sirius and Remus had come over for moral support, so the group sitting around the table was quite an add one indeed. Draco’s foot was resting against Harry’s under the table, clearly asking for comfort. 

“Draco,” Narcissa said gently. “I’m sorry your father has been acting so… irrational.”

“That’s one word for it,” Draco muttered. “I’d have a few more, if you were asking.”

“I’m sure you do,” she smiled tightly. “But I don’t think that would be conducive to finding a solution to the issue.”

“I told him,” Draco said sternly. “I’m not coming back if he insists that I’m not allowed to choose Harry. He shouldn’t be interfering with my final decision.”

Narcissa sighed, looking tired. “Draco, you have to realise that he’s from a different generation,” she said. “When we were young, parents had a say in the final choice. They could veto. So Lucius didn’t think he was doing anything wrong.”

“You have to admit, though, Narcissa,” Sirius said wrily. “Those customs were already going out of fashion when we were young, and nowadays, they just seem unnecessarily cruel. They don’t fit in with the way our society works.”

Narcissa smiled tightly. “I have come to realise that.” She looked so defeated that Harry almost felt sorry for her. “Lucius and I have been raised on the importance of tradition and family,” she continued. “We have raised you the same, Draco, because we believe in those values. And the courting season has been a good way for us to find a stable partner. We found lasting love. We wanted the same for you, Draco.”

“But that’s not all you wanted,” Draco argued. “You wanted pure blood for the next generation, and honourable names so you could keep your heads up high. It didn’t matter to you that I had already found love. He just wasn’t right in your eyes.”

Narcissa’s lips were tight. “I admit that I was prejudiced at first,” she agreed. “But I tried to look past that. I was more worried that your love was fleeting. I was reassured when Mr Potter steadily showed his devotion through every round.”

“Then why wasn’t it enough for Father?!” Draco hissed. Harry couldn’t help but reach out for Draco’s hand under the table. Draco squeezed it tightly.

“Your father… is more determined to hold onto his prejudices than I am,” she sighed. “But I had a long talk with him. He is willing to make an effort with Mr Potter. If you complete the season, we won’t argue if you chose him.”

“The whole thing is a farce,” Harry’s father muttered. “If Draco chose to just throw the season to the wind and date Harry like a normal person, what would you do? Would you cut your son off? Refuse to speak to him ever again?”

Narcissa was silent for a long moment. “I cannot vouch for my husband,” she said quietly. “But I would never abandon my son. No matter how he chooses to live.” Then, she met Draco’s eyes straight on. “But it is my hope and wish that he completes the season and that he marries. It would soothe me in the knowledge that he is loved and in safe hands. It might sound antiquated to most people, but I promise you, it comes from a place of love.”

Draco looked at her for a long moment. “If we complete the season,” he said, “I want your promise that we’ll have the freedom to make our own choices from that point on. Neither you nor Father will try to interfere with our lives.”

Narcissa nodded. “I will make sure of it,” she promised.

Draco looked at Harry then. “It’s up to you,” he said. “If you say no, I’d understand.”

Harry smiled, squeezing his hand. “I told you, I was all in,” he reminded him. “We started this. Let’s finish it.”

Draco smiled back, holding onto Harry’s hand tightly.

And so the rest of the courting season proceeded as planned. Draco returned to the Manor with Narcissa, and the next day, the Slytherin/Gryffindor council came back together for a final meeting. Mostly, everyone just had an opinion about what Harry should do for his final date, which he was allowed to plan. 

Only for once, Harry wasn’t inclined to let anyone make plans for him.

This whole season, he had been trying to stretch and bend to fit into Draco’s world. For this last round, he just wanted to be himself, especially since Narcissa had as good as promised that the choice would lie with Draco, no matter what he did. 

And so, when Harry picked Draco (and Narcissa, the ever-present chaperone) up on Saturday, it was to apparate to the packed Harpies stadium. Draco caught his eye when he realised where they were, smirking at him.

“I knew I could count on you to pick something fun,” he muttered, hooking his arm through Harry’s. Harry smirked, leading him to their seats. 

“So, what?” his mother frowned after he’d returned from his evening with Draco. “Now he just waits?”

“Essentially,” Sirius shrugs. “Traditionally, the decision will be announced about a week after the final round so that the family can confer in peace and make arrangements.”

“I don’t think Draco has to confer much,” Remus smirked.

“I don’t believe so, either,” Sirius snorted. “But they might make him wait anyways, just to make sure.”

“Or to be a pain in the arse, in Lucius’ case,” Harry’s father rolled his eyes.

“Well,” Sirius nodded. “That, too.”

“So, what happens when they announce the decision?” Harry asked, never having really considered it. 

“Oh, that’s the fun part,” Sirius grinned. “You’ll be proposed to!”

Harry blinked. “Oh,” he said softly. 

“What happens if he says no?” James asked, only to be kicked in the shin by his wife. “I’m kidding!” he called. “Godric and Salazar, you can’t even make a joke around here anymore!”

Harry rolled his eyes but smiled, letting his family’s bickering wash over him. 

They were invited to Malfoy Manor the following weekend. For once, it wasn’t only Harry but Harry’s entire family, including Sirius and ‘his husband’, which Harry thought must have hurt Lucius physically to include in the invitation. 

When they arrived, Mirabelle and her family were already seated in Manor gardens, animatedly chatting in quick French with Lucius. It was clear that Mr and Mrs Rousseau were as sure of their daughter’s victory as Harry was of his, seeing that they didn’t as much as glance at Harry. And in their eyes, Harry could see how their daughter was a shoo-in, with the long-standing friendship between the Malfoys and the Rousseaus. 

Narcissa greeted them kindly and showed them to their seats. Draco, though, was nowhere to be seen. 

“Where is he?” he asked Narcissa under his breath as they had sat down.

She smiled at him. “He’ll be here soon,” she assured him. “It’s traditional that he arrives later, as not to not show any favour before the announcement.”

Harry sighed. He was so done with all these procedures. Narcissa put a motherly hand on his shoulder and squeezed. 

They started with tea and conversation. Whenever Harry looked over at Mirabelle, she was staring off into space, clearly not wanting to be there. Harry felt for her. She was caught in this system, just like Draco.

When Draco finally arrived, he was wearing expensive blue robes with silver markings that caught in the sunlight. Harry’s eyes caught on him and didn’t move again. Draco’s eyes soon found his and he sent him a secret smile. Then, he turned to the whole round.

“Thank you all so much for following our invitation tonight,” Draco began. “It has been a pleasure becoming acquainted with you on a more intimate level over these past weeks. I know that both of you would make loyal partners who I would be lucky to ask for their hand in marriage. But I’m afraid there’s only one person who’s claimed my heart.” His eyes caught Harry’s again and held the gaze this time. “Harry, can you come up here?”

Feeling all eyes on him, Harry got to his feet shakily and approached Draco. Draco reached out his hand, smiling, and Harry took it, grateful for the contact.

“My parents thought you were at a disadvantage in the competition, given your background,” Draco smirked. “But let’s be honest, you had an unfair advantage, and we both know it.”

“The fact that I actually know you?” Harry guessed.

“Well,” Draco frowned. “That, too. But also, I haven’t been secretly pining for any of the other candidates since I realised I wanted to ask them for Yule Ball in fourth year.”

Harry couldn’t help but smile. “You should have,” he said softly.

“I couldn’t and you know it,” he said regretfully. “So I’m all the more grateful that I don’t have to hide anymore.” Draco squeezed his hand. “I love you, Harry,” he breathed. “I love how loyal and good you are, even to the point that it becomes annoying sometimes.” 

“Hey!” Harry protested, chuckling. 

“I love making you laugh,” Draco continued, smirking. “I love your honesty and how you never do things in halves. I know I’ll never love anyone like I love you. I know we’re young, but I know I want to spend my life with you by my side because you make me better.” 

And then, Draco procured a simple golden band from his robe pocket. “So, will you marry me?” he asked softly.

Harry’s heart was racing in his chest, but before he could bring himself to answer, Mr Rousseau had shot to his feet, shouting at Lucius in French. Mirabelle was covering her face. “Papa,” she groaned. “Arrête ça!”

“Excuse me,” James called in irritation, “My son is being proposed to. Could you shut up?”

“Well,” Draco said, under his breath. “It’s never boring.”

Harry turned to him with a smile. “Yes,” he said, so quietly that only Draco could hear.

Draco needed a moment to catch on to his meaning. “Yes?” he repeated hopefully.

“Yes,” Harry nodded, smirking. He reached out his hand demonstratively and Draco eagerly pushed the ring onto his finger. Then, he cupped Harry’s cheeks and finally - finally - pulled him into a deep, passionate kiss. 

Sirius whooped. Mirabelle’s Dad was still shouting. But they couldn’t have cared less. They were engaged, and no one could do anything to change that. 

The Rousseaus only calmed down when Narcissa promised to introduce Mirabelle to one of Draco’s close friends. 

“I think they will make a good match,” she promised. “The person is a Pureblood from a highly acclaimed family. I’m sure you will approve.”

She had caught Mirabelle’s eyes, who had lit up for the first time that day as she’d understood.

“I told her about Millie,” Draco told Harry under his breath. “She said to leave it to her.”

“Your mother is a force,” Harry chuckled.

“Don’t you ever forget it,” Draco nodded solemnly.

As soon as it was over, they received an owl inviting them over to Blaise’s for their engagement party. 

“About bloody time,” Pansy called when they arrived hand-in-hand.

“I thought it would never happen,” Daphne sighed, wiping away a fake tear.

Greg and Vince had made a ‘Congrats to your engagement’ treacle tart in Harry’s honour, which earned them each an embrace from Harry. Vince didn’t quite seem to know what to do with the gesture. Greg squeezed him so hard that he almost bruised Harry’s ribs.

“I’m calling best man,” Blaise said, raising his glass. 

Draco frowned. “I’m sorry to disappoint you, Blaise, but I was going to ask Theo.”

“Obviously,” Theo rolled his eyes. 

“Right,” Blaise shrugged, smiling at Harry. “Hi, Harry.”

“Oi!” Ron called to everyone’s laughter. “That’s my part you’re trying to steal!”

“You can plan the stag party if you want to,” Theo shrugged. “Parties aren’t my thing.”

“ Hell yes!” Blaise grinned and Draco groaned, to everyone’s amusement. 

Later that night, Harry and Draco managed to steal out to the balcony for some well-earned alone time. Draco immediately pulled Harry into a series of deep kisses from which they only resurfaced when they were threatening to run out of air. 

“Hey,” Harry said breathlessly.

“Hm?” Draco asked.

“We’re getting married,” he reminded him, grinning.

Draco laughed. “Your powers of deduction astound me, as always.”

Harry rubbed his nose against Draco’s, closing his eyes in contentment. Draco fisted his fingers in Harry’s hair.

“You can apply for the Department of Mysteries now,” Harry whispered. “They can’t stop you anymore.”

Draco smiled. “I thought about that,” he admitted. He chuckled. “Father is going to curse the day I met you, you know?”

“Oh, I’m sure of it,” Harry grinned. He caught Draco’s lips in another kiss.

“And you,” Draco whispered against his lips, “you can go to uni with Hermione, if you want. I know you’ve got no clue what you want to do. You can figure it out on your own time.”

Harry smirked. “So you’ll pay my way?” he teased. 

“Harry, you’re marrying into the Malfoy family,” Draco scoffed. “We’ll have more money than we can ever spend, even if you decide to never work a day in your life.”

“My father would blame you if I did, you know.”

“Oh, I’m sure he would.”

Chuckling, Harry pulled Draco into another kiss. 

“Where is the happy couple?” Someone shouted from inside. Harry thought it was Ron.

“Probably in a cupboard snogging.” Pansy, definitely.

“Ew!” Ron, this time for sure.

They laughed against each others’ lips just as Blaise declared: “Come on! They deserve some good snogs! Have you not watched them pine over the years?”

“It was sad,” Daphne sighed. 

“It was pathetic,” Millie added.

“Our friends are horrible,” Draco noted.

“They are,” Harry grinned. “But they’re also kind of the best.”