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“I need to get married, Pans .” He whispered, the delicate silver envelope in hand dropping down onto the coffee table.
“Whatever for?” She braced herself, gathering her arms across her chest protectively.
“Because-” He began, but chose instead to throw the silver card at her to catch.
“Ginevra Molly Weasley and Harry James Potter, formally request the honour of your presence at their wedding! ” Pansy’s eyes bulged in their sockets. “Wedding?! But! Since when? Last I heard that red headed bint was flying round the world playing Quidditch! How did they manage this?”
Draco shrugged.
“This still doesn’t explain why you need to get married.” She sighed, waving the invitation in hand dramatically.
“I need to get married because he is.” Draco said, as if that would suddenly explain everything.
“If this is out of competition then you are more of an idiot than I-” He turned away from Pansy’s harsh glare.
She let the silence simmer between them, didn’t dare move a muscle least it set him off. She knew better than interrupt him when he was like this.
Finally, he turned eyes glassy and raw looking. “Pansy. I said I need to get married, because he is getting married.” He enunciated the ‘he’ as if the very word carried the weight of the world, and then, she realized that maybe it did, for Draco’s world at least.
-X-
When the war was over Blaise Zabini, having little connection to the dark side and the ambition to make something of himself, decided to get a job. His mother, having acquired her wealth due to a series of mysteriously dead husbands didn’t want for anything. Blaise however felt the urge to prove himself to the greater known wizarding world and signed up for the Auror Corp.
Which is how, after a few hard years, and a few dozen more dangerous missions later Blaise Zabini had come into the position to find himself within this very office to say the words, “Fuck off Potter.” With good mirth knowing it would be well received by said Potter. Harry Potter, who was of course, his Auror partner.
“I swear, you should have seen your face when the pus hit you!” Potter laughed, leaning back against the leg of his chair.
“You should have seen yours when you had to file the reports later!” Blaise countered, smugly accepting victory as Harry’s face contorted with the haunting memory of ‘Section 38’s Unknown Substance’ files.
“Touche.” Potter murmured.
“Knock Knock?” Draco spoke from the open door, “Blaise, a word?”
Potter, sat up straight, fixing his chair. Eying Draco like a puppy aching for attention. “Malfoy.” He said in greeting.
“Potter.” Draco nodding in return. Blaise watched him fumble with his manilla folder, “I see that congratulations are in hand. I hope you and Miss Weasley will be very happy.”
And with that he was out the door, leaving Blaise to follow.
-X-
“I think this is a bad idea Draco. Pureblood crap like this should actually go extinct with all that Dark Lord crap. It’s basically an arranged marriage. Surely you see that!” Pansy cried, Draco hushed her with a look and she sat back into the wicker of her chair, fiddling with the teaspoon resting by her latte.
“The whole point is, Pans, that I am the one arranging it. Not my parents, not a century old blood pact or a cursed bonding trinket, me! If I want to get married, I will chose one of these lovely ladies and procure Malfoy heir’s until I die! Now help me choose! What about this one?”
Pansy sneered, ignoring the insecurity of how much she knew it made her look like a pug. “This agency is barbaric, they’ve written her out to sound like a piece of cattle. Refined features, family of good breeding. Wand, maple oak, magic reserved but readily responding to wandwork.”
Draco rolled his eyes and snorted a little, knowing fairly well how ridiculous it sounded.
“Draco. You’re gay. We’ve both known this since fourth year. You can’t just ignore this for the rest of your life. Just to avoid how in love with P-”
“Here you go! The enchanted wax cheesecake! And the cherry drizzle sponge! Anything else I can get you?” The waitress interrupted.
“No thank you!” He smiled with sickening sweetness.
“Draco!” Pansy warned.
“Hush. Eat your cake.” He commanded, before shaking out the agency case files, and starting over them again.”
-X-
“Marry me!” She was wet, she was stormy, she was having none of his shit as she burst through his Floo, covering herself in soot.
“The fuck Pansy what happened?!” Draco leapt from his couch to her aid.
“If you’re going to have a sham wedding, and have a sham of marriage, have it with me!” She declared.
“Pans!” He sighed, curling the conjured towel around her shoulders.
“You’re my best friend. I know you. I love you. We can make it work! I’m not seeing anyone and nobody is willing to give me much time anyway since the war, so why not?” She reasoned resolutely.
“That’s ridiculous Pansy. I’m not holding you back from a lifetime of happiness!” He guided her back the fireplace, the green flames turning orange once more heating them at once.
“We’ll both see men on the side! It’s a perfect arrangement. No one gets hurt! And if you really want to beget children, then who better than to carry them but your best friend? Not some snot of a wife who’ll try to use them to manipulate you should things go sour? We could even do it all clinically, St.Mungo’s can impregnate my eggs with your swimmers we’d never have to share a bed!”
“Pansy.” He gasped, “You don’t know what you’re offering! What if you meet someone? What if you find someone you could share your life with?”
“Then we can get divorced!” She smiled, her breath finally reaching its calm. “Besides Draco, I refuse to believe that you know what you are throwing away! Just because you can’t have Potter, doesn’t mean you’ll never be happy. You could find another!-”
“Yes, well, as you said. There is always divorce.” He stood up to face the flames.
“Is that a yes?” Pansy asked after a time.
“Yes.” He whispered, Pansy had never heard such a broken, tortured sound.
-X-
“Is it true?”
“Excuse me?” Draco turned to face Harry, cup of tea in hand to steady him, alone in the breakroom.
“You and Pansy.” Harry explained.
Oh! “Um, yes. Quite.” He took a sip, trying to recover his resolve.
“I wasn’t aware you were that close! All those pub nights and you never even mentioned…” Harry quietened strangely.
“Potter, she’s my best friend.” He said, not needing to lie, gripping the cup tighter.
“Oh right. Of course. I mean, I didn’t mean to. I just wondered, I mean.” Harry rambled awkwardly, looking as he if he wanted to back away through the door at any given moment.
“Yes well. Um, I’m needed back in records. So unless you have a mission report to file with me, I must be going.” In truth, Draco needed to find enough distance to breathe again.
“Right of course. Well, again. If I didn’t say it before. Congratulations Malfoy. I wish you every happiness.” Harry’s green eyes shone, even through the glasses and Draco knew without a doubt that he meant it.
-X-
“I didn’t want to go to this. I don’t know how you dragged me to this thing.” He murmured to his ‘fiance’ who glittered in blue alongside him.
“You wanted this wedding to happen sooner rather than later, and this was my only concession. If you are going to sink your head in the sand, fine, I will even pin back your hair for you. But you are not getting out of facing this.” Pansy snipped at him, eyes front.
“Yes ma’am.” He murmured, only half teasing.
Potter looked handsome, so handsome he outshone everyone around him, which Draco assumed he should on his wedding day. Ron Weasley stood beside him nervously, Blaise on the other side of him, looking cool and collected. The traitor, Blaise was supposed to be his friend.
“I heard it’s shotgun wedding!” The witches in front of them whispered noisily. “Got her pregnant, vowed to marry her, keep her a decent woman!” They laughed in a gaggle of ugly sounds before adding, “Though from what I’ve heard she was never all that decent!”
He kicked the back of their chairs, crossing his legs flamboyantly when they turned back to glare at him. “Pardon.” He answered. Pansy sniggered beside him.
Draco felt his guts turn when the music played, watched as Harry’s face distorted into pure happiness as his bride started walking down the aisle. Dressed in lace, form fitting robes, coming to her ankles, her hair swept up on top of her head in a knot.
They met with joined hands, shared a whisper and a fit of giggles.
If Pansy hadn’t blocked him from the aisle he would have made a run for it by now, instead she just took his hand and squeezed. He screwed his eyes shut and waited for it to all be over.
“Witches and Wizards, Goblins and Freefolk! We are gathered today to share in sanctioned matrimony the union of this witch and the this wizard. In-”
There was a blue flash, a shock of spellfire and quick as a whip, Ginny removed her wand from a sheath hidden in Harry’s sleeve, Harry pulled his own, from a hidden pocket amongst Ginny’s laces and fired protection spells around the entire gathering.
As several key people jumped into the action, including Blaise and the Weasel. Finnigan? Where had he come from? Auror Thompson?! Draco realized, that the whole thing had been a set up.
-X-
They’d given their statements to the overseeing Wizards, and retreated to a small cafe an apparition away in Paris.
“Well, thank god for that! To think you almost got married over a Ministry Sanctioned Trap! Neo-Death Eaters, threats against the Chosen One! Who knew?!” Pansy smiled like the cat who got the cream.
“Pansy.” He said for the third time before catching her out of her revere. “I’m still going through with this. If you refuse, I’ll stick to my original plan.”
“But why Draco?!” She barked, slamming her cup down harshly.
“Don’t think it’ll look highly suspect if as soon as this wedding sham has been discovered that we suddenly break off our engagement? I’ve thought about this too much. I’m going through with it.”
“And if I say no and back out anyway? What will your poor Potter think then? Huh?”
“I can just say that I am desperate to settle down, and then start spouting pureblood tripe until everyone believes me!” Draco spat back with equal desperate venom.
“Why are you doing this? It can’t all be over Potter can it?” She leaned forward to reach for him. “You can’t possibly think that you can’t find happiness without him!”
Draco jutted out his jaw, sulking rather than talking. “For now, no. And as I am the last Malfoy heir, I think it would be rather pertinent to create more and keep the line going. If nothing else, I can manage that.”
Pansy was lost for words, resolving instead to call the waiter over, ordering a large bottle of highly expensive wine. I silent truce it seemed was in order.
-X-
“Knock knock!” Potter came through the door just as Draco was spelling his tie together.
“Potter. What are you doing here?” He spat before he could say anything else. “I mean, you RSVP’d that you couldn’t make it. I just didn’t expect you, is all.”
Harry laughed nervously, dressed to the nines. Draco wanted to pull him apart and piece him back together again with his mouth. He stifled the emotion down, and fixed his tie. “Well, actually I’m the bearer of bad news. Blaise told me to offer you his sincerest apologies. He’s on mission and couldn’t make it without breaking cover.”
“What are you doing here Potter? He’s your partner! You should be out there with him!” Draco got mad a little suddenly, tempering himself, it wasn’t Potter’s fault, he didn’t know.
“After the wedding shenanigans I’ve been given sabbatical for a month. Rogers is with Blaise now. Actually, Blaise asked me to fill in.” Harry winced.
“He’s my best man.”
“I know, look, I’m sorry, I know you’d rather Zabini, you’ve been friends much longer but I’m still here for you. No matter what you want to do. I mean, just- if you want to find someone else to stand up there with you. That’s fine. I can go get them if you’d like.”
It occurred to Draco, that it would be the only time in his life he’d be able to get married with Harry by his side, that he didn’t even care if it were on the wrong side of him, so he said. “No it's fine. Please. Potter, be my best man.”
Pansy looked beautiful, and he ached suddenly for another life, where this would mean more to him than it actually did. Pansy’s dress, was nothing like Ginny’s it was big, expensive and encrusted with diamonds. Pansy looked regal despite it all and Draco felt suddenly so proud for knowing her, such a deep and loyal friend.
He was crying he realized. Tears streaming down his face, marrying his best friend, standing next to the man he was in love with, crying like a child.
If Pansy noticed the change in best man, she didn’t mention it, or give sign to noticing the change, when she reached him, she reached out for his hands and took them, squeezing them in hers. “Pet.” She whispered, wiping away his tears.
They stood, and they started, they got as far as the vows before a patronus came tearing through the proceedings, the tall giraffe reaching Potter, who trembled behind him.
“Zabini. Code 525. St.Mungo's!” The patronus announced in an ominous voice.
Harry looked at him then in a panic, “Code 525 that’s-!”
“I know what it bloody well means Potter, I file all your damn reports!” Draco spat in a rush, grabbing onto Pansy’s outstretched hands and taking Harry’s into the other one. From there he apparated them both out from his own damn wedding.
Code 525. Auror down.
-X-
“Draco! You realize what you just did?” Harry cried.
“Potter! He’s our best friend. Find his room number now!” Pansy barked, gathering her skirts into her hands, ready to rush to Blaise’s side.
“Right.” Harry conceded and rush they did. First, to the nurses station for the room number and then to the spell damage ward. When they got to Blaise’s room, they found him unconscious and alone. The room eerily free of Healers.
“I’m going to find someone.” Pansy announced, “I need to find out what’s going on!”
Harry stood by Blaise’s side, reaching for the Healers report, trying to discern what it said. “I should have been there. No matter what it was. You were right. I’m his partner I should have been there. Potion’s ring be damned. Fuck the sabbatical!”
“Why is it always a bloody potion’s ring?” Draco cursed, edging closer to Potter by the foot of the bed. “Anyone with that amount of potions talent would surely make a killing above board. Potion’s do not come cheap!” He prattled, nervously trying to fill the empty room with something .
“Look, I’m sorry bout your wedding.” Harry whispered.
Draco waved it off. “Don’t worry. I’m sure we could just do it again or something. I’m sure they’ll all understand once this comes to light.”
“Right. Right.” Harry shuffled on his feet a good minute, before sniffling. “I wish you wouldn’t.”
Blaise looked so lifeless, so pale in his unconscious state. Had they had to put him under a coma, or was that inflicted by his ailments? Draco wondered. His friend lying there in such a deathly state he almost missed Harry’s whispered confession.
“What?”
Harry turned on him in a panic, obviously emotional from the trauma of the situation. “I said I wish you wouldn’t. I know that I have no grounds to tell you this and telling you does nothing for either of us, in fact you might not want to speak to me ever again but when you do get married again I really won’t be there this time. Because I can’t watch you do it! I can’t watch you marry her. Even though I know you love her. I just can’t Draco!”
Potter, threw himself at Draco, his worried lips pressing onto Draco’s own just as Pansy walked back through the door, the touch gone as quick as it was given.
“Oh god!” Harry blanched, and tore out of the room, nearly knocking the Mediwitch over on his exit.
Pansy smirked a little before returning to the situation at hand, leaving Draco to stand back in shock.
-X-
“He was hexed, the warehouse was overrun. Bad intel. There was a potion explosion, which he would have successfully dodged, had he not been hexed into a lumbering speed. Roger’s died on impact.” Draco found Harry in the nearest waiting room, his head hanging over his knees, his hands over his face.
“Fuck!” Harry swore, leaning back suddenly to knock his head back into the wall behind him. “Rogers!”
“Pansy and I aren’t going to be getting married.” Draco said not a moment later.
“Fuck. Wait -what?” Harry looked up at him then, looking a complete wreck.
“Pansy made me go to your wedding. I couldn’t do it but she made me.” He kneeled down in front of Harry, crawling his way between Harry’s knees.
“What?”
“Us clerks down in records don’t have clearance high enough to know it wasn’t a real wedding. I thought… I thought.” He tried.
“You thought the wedding was real?” Harry finished for him, his eyes desperately trying to read his.
“Blaise takes his position very seriously. He didn’t even tell me. The git. But then again he didn’t know the kind of torture a false wedding invitation would inflict upon someone so hopelessly in love with-” Draco’s voice broke and his face threatened to break out into tears for the second time that day.
Harry inhaled deeply, shaking with breath.
“Potter. Kiss me again. Please.” Draco breathed.
“Pansy.”
Draco smiled softly, watching the effect of it sweep across Harry’s face. “Pansy is my best friend. She offered to marry me out of convenience. She has in fact been ruthlessly trying to make me give up marriage-”
Harry kissed him, and it was so sweet that Draco crushed his eyes closed and leaned into it. Harry kissed so feverently, his insides felt as if they would burst.
“Marry me.” Harry smiled, breaking away from the kiss in a breathless daze.
“What?” Draco cried.
“Not now, I mean. Don’t give up marriage completely. Just you know, keep it open for me. I mean.” Harry rambled, and Draco realized then that it was a nervous tick, how endearing it seemed almost novel, Draco made Harry feel flustered!
“Okay.” Draco smiled, kissing the corner of Harry’s mouth. “I will keep marriage on the table. For you.”
Harry chuckled with nervous happiness and with such unbridled relief, they couldn’t keep themselves apart, nestling into each other's arms. Resting their foreheads together, they shared whispers and kisses long after Pansy found them sitting there.
Leaning into the doorway watching happily, Pansy crossed her arms across her chest, cold in the ridiculous wedding dress.
“He’s awake.” She smiled after some time, and found when they looked up to see her there, that they returned her smile, tenfold.