Someone Else's Life

Eleven: Still Running

Broken,
Yeah, you’ve been living on the edge of a broken dream.
Nothing,
Yeah, that’s the only thing you’ll ever take away from me.

I’m never gonna stop,
I’m never gonna drop,
Ain’t no different than it was before.

So take some good advice,
You better stop and think twice,
Before you take your first step,
Out that door.
--Drowning Pool “Step Up”

A smile lit across pale pink lips as the last invitation was given to Hedwig and sent off to Remus Lupin. It was going to be a small ceremony, as mentioned earlier, but still a nice one. He turned to his dark haired lover lying on the bed and blowing back the hair that was falling into his face. He smiled at the view. How had he ever been lucky enough to get such a spirited mate?

The dark haired boy looked up at the blond, an expression of impatience on his face. “Are you done yet?” he groaned.

The blond smirked. “Yes, Harry,” he answered as though answering a child and then he grinned as he realized what the following Thursday would bring. “With the ceremony taking place at night, I was thinking that perhaps it should take place in the night blooming garden, under the jasmines. My mother would have loved that. She always did like night blooming flowers, and jasmines smell so sweet.”

“And whatever happened to roses?” Harry asked.

“They are too cliché. I want something unique, priceless, memorable. Roses are wonderful, but jasmines glow with the moon.”

“Well, then Draco, I will have to trust your judgment,” Harry answered, and then grinned as he felt the smooth slender body of a small snake gliding across his arm.

“Hello, Sesssheta,” Harry said to the small snake, and then he looked up at Draco in curiosity and asked in English, “Draco, how is it that you can speak Parseltongue?”

Draco rolled his eyes. “Because you can you twat. I told you our magic was bonding. I actually didn’t know I could speak it, until I summoned her.”

“You took the chance of her biting you?” Harry asked in shock.

“I knew you were there Harry. I trusted that you wouldn’t let that happen. As it is, I am a Slytherin, and I thought there was a chance that she would take to me. And I think I was quite right in that regard, and understanding her is amazing. They are so misunderstood,” Draco said as he looked fondly upon the snake now curling up around Harry’s spread fingers.

Harry looked at the snake and then up at Draco. “You’re rather fond of her. This wouldn’t have anything to do with her calling you ‘Lord of the Flying Serpents’? Because I would have addressed you as Lord of the Dance, myself.”

“Harry,” Draco made a face, and rolled his eyes. “I’ve always seen snakes and cats as highly sacred creatures, as the Egyptians saw them. You know these creatures were revered as gods. Serpents and Cats guard the tombs of pharaohs and their queens, they protected the kingdoms. They kept their masters’ and mistresses’ secrets, and made excellent familiars. Thoth held a fondness for them as well, as they are nocturnal creatures.”

“I see there will be no arguing or living with you after this,” Harry answered with a sigh.

Draco gave a small snort. “Living without me is an impossible feat for you, Harry Potter.”

“And the same could be said for you,” Harry said and then added sarcastically, “Lord of the Flying Serpents.”

The blond began to go about planning for the ceremony, when his eyes widened and he looked at Harry and sighed. “Is it appropriate, do you think, to ask Blaise to stand for me?” the blond asked.

Harry looked up, a thoughtful expression on his face. “Well, I assume that you’ve been friends with him for a long time.”

“And we were lovers Harry,” Draco said.

Harry blanched. “I think he would be honored that you thought of him for such an important moment in your life.”

“Our lives, Harry,” the blond answered with a smile, and then got up, sauntered over to the bed, and softly kissed the dark haired boy’s lips.

When they drew part Harry was grinning. “Our lives. I like that. Now is it time for bed?”

The blond rolled his eyes. “Have you always been this demanding? Because if you have, how have Granger and the Weasel put up with you for so long?”

“I thought you were above the name calling,” Harry answered.

“Call it a term of loathing endearment, besides he let ‘Ferret’ slip earlier today,” Draco replied.

Sesheta looked up at her two masters and flickered her tongue before slithering from Harry’s warm hand, and slipping to the floor. Just as she reached the floor, Harry’s hand was cupping Draco’s face as they kissed, and Draco was flicking open the buttons of Harry’s shirt.

----------

There was a tapping at his office window. The tall man stretched, and ran a hand through his long, bright red hair. He gave a yawn, and then went over to the window and pulled it open. In flew an owl, an owl that looked like one from Hogwarts’ School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He scratched his head, gave his dragon’s tooth earring a tug, and then retrieved the cream envelope sealed with red wax and the Gryffindor seal. He smiled thinking it was from either Ron or Ginny, and he wondered if he would hear any complaints about the Slytherins.

Using a wicked looking dagger with an ebony handle as a letter opener, he broke the wax seal, opened the envelope and removed the parchment from within. There was a heavy feel to the parchment, thick and probably expensive. He furrowed his brow as he read the unfamiliar, aristocratic penmanship.

To Mr. William Weasley,

You are cordially invited to the joining ceremony of Harry Potter and his soul bound mate. The affair will be a quiet ceremony occurring on Thursday night at ten p.m. Feel free to wear anything that is wholly comfortable to you, although formal attire is recommended. Also feel free to bring a date.
Oh, and we strongly urge you to attend, as your mother will most certainly be present, and will wish you present at the occasion. Many surprises await your arrival at Hogwarts where you will receive temporary room and board.
Please respond or apparate before Thursday on the aforementioned time.

Sincerely,

Harry Potter & Fiancé

Bill’s eyes widened and he blinked several times as the letter became clear. Harry Potter, little Harry, his younger brother’s best mate, and future wizard savior was getting married? A grin spread across Bill’s handsome face and he wondered who the lucky girl was. Perhaps it was Ginny; he could imagine how happy she would be. He quickly grabbed a pinch of floo powder and called to the Burrow. His head appeared in the fireplace in the den and his smile widened as he saw his mother bustling in from the kitchen to see whom it was that wanted to talk.

“Hullo Mum,” he said in greeting and then blowing back a strand of his long hair asked, “So’s it true? There abouts Harry getting married? Wouldn’t be to my little sister would it? Because I haven’t rightly had the talk with him, although I’m sure Ron has.”

Molly blinked owlishly at her oldest son’s question. “Married? Harry getting married? And where might my invitation be? And no dear, if he is getting married, it’s not Ginny, sad to say, but I’ve an idea who it might be, though I won’t go spoiling the surprise for you.”

“What? Not Ginny? But she’s always been mad for him, and Harry seemed like a solid enough bloke for her,” Bill answered.

His mother huffed up a bit in Harry’s defense. “Now, don’t make me grab that tooth you’ve got dangling from that ear and drag you through my fireplace. Harry is a wonderful young man. He’s just been going through a terrible ordeal as of late and he’s finally found himself some happiness, the both of them have, and you’ll not go spoiling it over Ginny’s sake as she completely understands.”

“Mum? What is it you know? Who is he marrying, and isn’t he a bit young for that sort of thing?” Bill asked.

“I won’t tell yeh who, and as for being too young. The poor dear’s never had a childhood, and what with the things he’s been through from such a young age… Well, I say he should be happy at some point in his life, and now is as good a time as any. He’s had tragedy riddled through his life as has his bond mate, the poor souls, and such a bond. Never saw one quite like it. They’re such a lovely couple,” she said as tears began to form in her eyes. Bill groaned at the prospect of his mother crying.

Suddenly there was a tapping from the window and the crisis was avoided for the moment, as Molly pulled open her window and Hedwig entered the Burrow, and dropped a cream colored envelope much as Bill had received. She hastily broke the seal and began reading through it. A smile broke across her face and she looked at the fireplace, beaming, and with tears glistening diamonds in her eyes.

“Oh Bill! I hope to see you before Thursday. But if not before then, I know I will see you there at ten o’clock. And wear something nice,” she said in a motherly tone.

Bill shook his head, as he always did when he never quite understood his mother and then sighed. “Just tell me one thing, Mum.”

“Alright,” she said.

“It isn’t Hermione, is it?” he asked.

“Of course not. You know how she and your brother get on. Ron would be lost without her, he would, and she will make such a lovely addition to the family. Don’t you think? But then again, Harry’s family, and well, any addition to the family is a welcomed one,” she answered.

“Well,” Bill chuckled. “I suppose you’re right, and it’s no worries. It isn’t as though he’s marrying a Malfoy or anything.”

Bill of course had stepped back from the floo and disconnected the call before he could see the ashen look on his mother’s face.

----------

With a leisurely groan the blond rolled over and stretched, his back arching off of the bed as his muscles eased into wakefulness. He smiled at the garbled words that sounded from next to him. He let out a small chuckle as he looked toward the dark haired wonder that was trying to bury his head into his pillow after gathering his arms from their previous perch, which had been around the blonde’s waist.

“Eurgh, what time’s it?” Harry grumbled.

The blond smirked evilly and began to tickle Harry mercilessly about his stomach. The dark haired boy squirmed and tried to fight the laughter trying to escape as he gasped and wheezed for the torture to stop. Finally the blond relinquished his attack and the dark haired boy rolled over and sat up, blinking owlishly. The blond sighed, leaned across the dark haired boy, grabbed the glasses from the bedside table, and stuck them on the dark haired boy’s face.

“Better now that you can see, Harry?” the blond asked.

“I don’t know, Draco,” Harry answered. “You looked much more angelic when you were fuzzy.”

Draco looked indignant. “See if your back gets scrubbed this morning,” the blond responded heatedly.

Harry laughed. “You’re always gorgeous, you prat.”

“Better,” Draco conceded and then smirked as he leaned in for a kiss.

Harry soon responded and Draco winced at Harry’s morning breath. “I really should teach you that spell for cleaning your teeth. Honestly Harry,” the blond said.

“Is that why you always taste so minty fresh and spicy?” Harry asked with a grin.

“Wouldn’t you like to know…” Draco answered and then Harry caught his lips in a gentle kiss, and morning breath was forgotten as Draco murmured a spell of minty freshness in the midst of the kiss.

----------

Draco sighed as he looked down at his empty plate, and then groaned as he noticed Ron going back for thirds. He looked to his right and noticed that Harry was giving him a look of encouragement and then he rolled his eyes.

“You want me to do it now? At bloody breakfast? Do you know how quickly this will spread throughout the school?” Draco hissed.

“He’s right over there you prat. Do it now while he’s not quite fully awake, it wouldn’t be as shocking for him then,” Harry replied.

“Easy for you to say,” Draco grumbled. “But as I recall Blaise was always a bloody morning person.”

Still the blond Slytherin stood and left the Gryffindor table in his wake as he began to approach the Slytherin table. The Slytherins present glared at him or their eyes widened in fear, wondering what he had planned for them today. He smirked at the lot of them and then his grey eyes locked with the dark eyes of Blaise Zabini.

The dark haired Slytherin looked at Draco and raised a brow in curiosity, as the blond took the available seat in front of the Head Boy. Blaise brought a napkin to his lips and dabbed at the corners of his mouth as his gaze locked with the blonde’s. “You haven’t sat down at this table once this year. So to what do I owe the pleasure of your company now?” the dark haired boy asked.

“Now Blaise, you could have paid us a visit if you so longed for my company. I’ve missed a good chat with you for a long time,” Draco answered with a smirk.

“As I’ve heard it, you’ve been kept rather occupied,” Blaise returned.

“What?” Draco asked.

“Well, I’ve actually taken to sleeping in the Head common room. I transfigure the sofa into a bed. The Slytherins haven’t been friendly toward me either. Not since I took up for you in the common room at any rate. You aren’t exactly their favorite person. And you and Potter should consider a silencing charm before bedtime. You know you’ve not only awakened me in the middle of the night. Hermione has actually poked her head through her door a couple of times.”

“I didn’t know… I’m sorry about that,” Draco said, and then looked at his hands and then up again at the Head Boy, and lifted an eyebrow. “Wait a tick. I woke up in the middle of the night a few days ago and didn’t see you when I went to the bathroom.”

“Well…” Blaise said and then tugged at his tie for a moment, and then something clicked in Draco’s mind, as he looked from the dark haired Slytherin back to the Gryffindor table, in particular the Head Girl.

“Blaise! You do know that when the Weasel finds out…” Draco was unable to finish as the Slytherin reached across the table and covered his mouth.

“Will you shut up?” the dark haired boy hissed and then recovering his composure, removed his hand and sat back in his seat as he noticed that they were getting several stares and a glare in the case of Harry Potter. “Now, what is it that you want, Draco?”

“Would you stand as best man for me?” Draco asked.

Blaise’s dark eyes widened. “You would have me stand for you? Me?”

“Isn’t that what best friends are for?” the blond countered with a grin.

“Alright, Draco, I’ll stand for you,” the boy answered and then after a thought added, “And you won’t say anything… I mean about,” here he grew very quiet and mouthed, “Hermione?”

“You’ve my word that I won’t,” Draco replied, and then grinned at the boy, “But I honestly had no idea you went both ways.”

“There are many things you don’t know about me, but you know quite a lot, more than most, as it is. She’s something too. I think I could be losing myself to her. Two Slytherin’s lost to Gryffindors. What is the world coming to?”

Draco snorted. “I always thought she’d end up with the Weasel, but I’m glad she didn’t, how cliché. Still you might want to be wary of him for a bit. He won’t be pleasant to be around when he finds out, you know.”

“That thought had crossed my mind,” Blaise replied with a roll of his eyes.

“Why don’t you join us at the Gryffindor table? You would be welcomed company. At least I would welcome you. It’s almost oppressive being the only Slytherin over there. Besides you’re always sitting by yourself over here…” the blond trailed, and then he smirked when he noticed Blaise blow a lock of dark hair out of his eyes.

“Very well, but if you drop hints about…” Blaise trailed menacingly.

Draco shook his head. “I already said I wouldn’t. You know I’m discreet.”

“Discreet like a tap dancing hippogriff,” the dark haired Slytherin shot back.

Draco clapped his friend on the back as they walked over to the Gryffindor table and took a seat. Blaise next to Hermione, and Draco resuming his seat next to Harry. Several sets of eyes had been watching the entire display. Hermione leaned in to whisper something in Blaise’s ear, which promptly caused the dark haired boy to flush, and then he whispered something back. Ron, sitting to Hermione’s right narrowed his eyes at the dark haired Slytherin, and Harry lifted an eyebrow at the similar flush that alighted across Hermione’s face at the words of the usually quiet and overlooked Slytherin.

----------

Draco groaned as Harry rolled and tumbled in his sleep, twisting the sheets around, and nearly hitting Draco in the head with his flailing arm. Taking a deep breath, the blond sighed and sat up, before he tried to shake Harry awake, but before he could lay a finger on his lover, Harry sat up, his eyes flying wide, as he screamed in horror. Draco felt his blood run cold and wondered what sort of nightmare had plagued Harry the night before their wedding.

----------

“So mum, are you going to tell us who Harry’s marrying or do we have to wait to see the little lady walk down the aisle?” Charlie asked, and next to him, Bill looked just as eager to know.

Rolling her eyes, Molly Weasley looked between her two boys and sighed. “I think a surprise would do the two of you good, just know that Harry is happy. Now settle in, everything will be beginning soon, and where is your father?”

“I think he’s getting a few extra handkerchiefs,” Bill said.

“Why, whatever for?” Molly asked.

“Well, you know how you get, mum,” Charlie said and then winced when his mother cuffed his ear.

A few moments later Arthur Weasley was there and settling into the seat next to his wife. He looked around and noticed the turn out for the ceremony. It was obviously a small intimate affair. Dumbledore was up at the dais, as well as Ron, and surprisingly Blaise Zabini. Dumbledore was of course officiating the ceremony while Ron was standing for Harry, and obviously the Zabini boy would be standing for Draco. The teachers were seated in the two rows behind the first, which seated the Weasleys, Filch of course was standing off in the back, having refused a seat and grumbling about having extra work to do in cleaning up the mess. Looking down either side of the row Arthur currently sat in he noticed his sons, Bill, Charlie, Fred, and George, his wife, and his daughter Ginny, as well as Remus Lupin, Neville Longbottom, Seamus Finnigan, and Dean Thomas. There were also a couple of blond boys with cameras, who seemed a bit jumpy over the whole thing. The four house ghosts, Nearly Headless Nick, the Grey Lady, the Bloody Baron, and the Fat Friar were also present. There was also a seat empty by Remus, but the question of who was to fill that seat was answered when a man in simple black dress robes with long black hair settled into the seat. Arthur did a double take upon realizing that the man that had taken that empty seat was none other than Sirius Black. He then looked toward the dais where Albus stood and noticed the twinkle in the old wizard’s eyes.

Finally a soft melody began to pick up, and Ron looked around, apparently waiting for Harry, so that the ceremony could begin. Eventually the waiting drove Ron to fidget more than usually and the guests were beginning to grow restless. After nearly half an hour of waiting, Blaise Zabini leaned in to say something to Albus and then headed off toward the castle. A few minutes later Zabini, in his rich dark green dress robes, returned followed by a boy dressed in elegant black dress robes, his skin fair, and his hair glowing platinum in the soft light of the lanterns that surrounded the gathering. Everyone turned toward the boy, and Severus Snape winced briefly and closed his eyes, realizing what had happened, as Draco took a deep breath and looked over the people that were present, his silvery-grey gaze lingering over Molly, as he cleared his throat to speak.

“I’m sorry to announce that as of this moment the ceremony has been postponed until further notice. As for those of you not currently in residence at Hogwarts, you have the option of staying in the guestrooms provided by Hogwarts or you may stay at the Inn located in Hogsmeade, your accommodations will be taken care of. I would like to thank you all for coming, though it would seem that you came for nothing,” he paused as his voice began to crack and he turned suddenly from the crowd and began to head back toward the castle.

Bill and Charlie looked at their mother; Bill was the one to actually speak. “Mum, I thought we were attending Harry’s wedding. What in the bloody hell is Malfoy doing here?”

Molly Weasley glared up at her eldest son and gave him a sound smack in the arm, before she pushed past her husband and hurried after the forlorn boy that had just announced that his wedding had been cancelled for some unknown reason. She did however reach a barrier in the form of a tall and menacing Severus Snape. The woman looked up at him, ready to shove him out of her way to get to Draco when the look of pain and understanding in his sable eyes caught her off guard.

“Let him go. He’s been through more than you could possibly understand. There is nothing worse than recognizing your bond mate and then being rejected by him,” Severus said quietly.

Molly swallowed thickly and then looked up at the Potions Master, finally understanding a small piece of the man. “And who was he, Severus?” she asked.

Severus smirked bitterly before he replied, “A dead man brought back to life.”

She looked confused for a moment and then her eyes widened as Sirius Black came to stand next to Severus, Sirius looking rather angrily at the man as he said, “Well, Snape, what have you to say for yourself? Pushing them together. You see what you’ve done? At least Harry had the good sense not to go through with it!”

It was that final statement that grated on Severus’ final nerve as he pulled back his arm and let his fist fly, knocking Sirius Black flat on his bum, before he stalked off toward the castle in search of his godson and some answers.

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