Who Knew

Draco scurried over to Harry, draping himself over his fallen body, allowing the tears to fall. He clenched Harry’s shirt in his fists, knowing he was truly gone. He then froze when he heard the menacing laughter of the evil tyrant who stood above them. He fisted Harry’s shirt tightly in his grasp, pressing his lips firmly to the boy’s in a heated passion, before hurriedly standing up and darting toward the sinister man.

The adrenaline rushed through him, and he knew nothing could stand in his way at the moment. He pushed the Dark Lord forcefully against the steel bars of the cage, one arm pressed violently against the man’s neck, the other trapping his arm that held his wand to the side, his face beet red in anger. He was out for blood now, no longer wanting death.

Voldemort was a little taken aback by the sudden power the boy possessed. His face remained impassive, but inside he was a bit fearful of the turn of events. Just because he was immortal didn’t mean he couldn’t feel pain. He truly had no idea what the boy would do to him, given his state of anger.

“I’m going to fucking kill you,” Draco fumed, pressing his arm a bit harder on the man’s neck.

“Draco,” Snape suddenly called out, causing the blonde to turn his head in his direction. “You can’t kill him,” he explained.

“Don’t fucking presume that I can’t,” Draco snapped at him.

Snape shook his head. “I don’t mean you can’t. I mean you can’t,” he stressed.

Draco furrowed his eyebrows, returning his gaze to the evil man under his grasp. He noticed a small smile form on his lips, confusing him even more.

“If I were you, I’d listen to the traitor,” Voldemort smirked.

“Yeah, well you’re not me,” Draco seethed, pressing onto the man’s windpipe, hearing him gasp for air.

Snape continued to watch the two, feeling helpless at the moment, but praying Draco would not do anything foolish. He glanced over at Lucius, noticing that his body still lay unconscious on the ground. He then turned his attention over toward Potter’s lifeless body. He still couldn’t believe Potter had sacrificed his own life to save Draco. As soon as he saw him jump in front of that curse, he knew their love was real.

“Why are you even trying to be some sort of hero?” Voldemort snorted at the blonde. “It’s not like you have anyone left who will show you their appreciation. Your boyfriend’s dead, your father will soon follow after, and your mother,” he paused, suddenly smirking. “Well, let’s just say your mother is a bit confused at the moment.”

Draco glared at the man. “What did you do to my mother?” he forced out through clenched teeth.

“Nothing,” he innocently answered, before grinning once more. “Now Bella on the other hand,” he chuckled in amusement.

Draco suddenly paled, afraid of what his lunatic aunt had done to her. Bellatrix was so wrapped up with the Dark Lord, always craving his love and approval. She didn’t care what she had to do to achieve it, even if that meant harming her own sister.

While Voldemort retold the story of how Bellatrix “accidentally” made Narcissa insane by using the same technique she had done once before on those two unfortunate members of the Order, Lucius had finally come to and slowly opened his eyes, staring confusingly around the room. He felt a sharp pain in the back of his head and closed his eyes, hoping the darkness would ease the sting.

After hearing about his wife’s ill-fated misfortune, Lucius opened his eyes again and took a deep breath, knowing her life would never be the same. He started to stand up, wobbling a little, before he noticed the fallen body on the ground. He gulped, realizing what Potter had done to save his son’s life.

“So like I said, you have no one,” Voldemort concluded with a sneer.

Draco suddenly felt his adrenaline drop, becoming a bit feeble in his position after learning about his mother. Voldemort smirked, counting on that type of reaction from the boy. He quickly used it to his advantage, lifting his arm away from Draco’s grasp and pushing him away.

Draco fell to the ground, trembling in fear as he stared up at the wand pointed in his direction. He took a deep breath, glancing over at Harry’s still body on the ground. He cursed himself for not being able to avenge his death.

“I’m done with these childish games,” Voldemort growled, holding his wand firmly in his hand while he glared at the young blonde on the floor who had faced him once again. “Why won’t you people just let it sink in? I am the most powerful wizard of all times. I am the one people fear. I can never die!” he finished yelling.

“Oh I don’t know. I think there’s still a wizard out there more powerful than you,” Snape suddenly said, causing the Dark Lord to quickly turn toward him.

Snape crossed his arms over his chest and smirked, motioning his head toward the direction he wanted the man to look. Voldemort narrowed his eyes, before shifting his gaze in that direction, suddenly freezing in his stance when he saw the figure standing there. “No,” he gasped. “It can’t be. You’re…you’re dead.”

Harry stood there grinning at Voldemort, pointing his wand in his direction. “Actually, another part of you is dead,” he responded. “Just like your grandfather’s ring, your diary, Slytherin’s locket, Hufflepuff’s cup, and Ravenclaw’s diadem.”

After hearing his voice, Draco snapped his head over in Harry’s direction, feeling a rush of emotions inside. He couldn’t believe what he was seeing; it had to be an illusion. He was dead. He had seen it with his own eyes.

Harry glanced over at Draco and gave him a reassuring smile, before returning his attention to Voldemort. “I’m more than certain you weren’t aware of it, but apparently when you killed my parents, a part of your soul somehow attached itself to me, and I unknowingly became one of your Horcruxes,” he explained.

“My soul was bonded to you?” Voldemort asked in disbelief.

“And since I was willing to sacrifice my life for love, you were only able to kill that part of my soul not knowledgeable of that kind of love: your soul,” Harry continued. “You destroyed one of your own Horcruxes, Riddle,” he finished with a smirk, pointing his wand a little higher at the man.

After putting everything together and seeing the boy’s threatening stance with his wand, Voldemort suddenly shook his head and laughed. “Go ahead, Potter. I still won’t die,” he remarked, knowing he still had one Horcrux left.

All of a sudden, a loud screech echoed inside the dungeons, causing Voldemort to quickly turn around in fear. His eyes grew wide when he stared at the man kneeling on the ground beside his snake, his hand wrapped around the dagger implanted in her body.

Lucius lifted his gaze up toward the Dark Lord, keeping a firm grip around the dagger. “Are you sure about that?” he suddenly smirked.

Voldemort paled, turning back around to face Potter. Not wanting to take any chances, Harry quickly reacted first. “Avada Kedavra,” he cursed over at him, watching the spell hit him directly in the chest, causing him to fall to the floor.

The room grew silent as everyone looked at each other, still surprised by what just happened. Harry took a big gulp, slowly moving toward the fallen body, keeping his wand held firmly in his grasp. Lucius stood up from the snake’s side and remained where he was, noticing Snape and Draco not moving as well.

When Harry reached Voldemort’s body, he stared down at the man, checking to see if he was still breathing. After a few more minutes of stillness, Harry concluded he was dead. He closed his eyes and released the breath he was holding, realizing it was finally all over. “He’s gone,” he announced in a low whisper.

He suddenly heard a muffled cry, releasing him from his thoughts, and he turned to look toward the sound. Draco stared up at him with tears running down his face, still a bit stunned to see him alive. Harry glanced over at Snape and Malfoy, noticing they too were staring at him in shock. He ignored the two men’s stares and hurried over toward Draco, dropping to his knees in front of him.

After a few silent moments of neither of them knowing what to say, Harry finally grabbed Draco fiercely in his arms, kissing him firmly on the lips. Draco positioned himself up on his knees, wrapping his arms around Harry and pulling him closer. Their breaths became shorter as they continued kissing, pushing themselves closer and closer to each other, believing they were still very much apart.

Harry sucked on his lover’s lips, missing the wonderful taste, while he tousled his hair. He groaned against his mouth, pushing his lips harder against his own. His eyes began to tear when he realized how much he truly missed Draco and how he had almost lost him.

Draco cried along with him as he continued to hold onto him tightly, never wanting to let go. He thought he had lost him twice; he wasn’t going to let that happen again. “Harry,” he finally gasped, trying to catch his breath.

“I’m here, Draco,” Harry softly answered, running his hands up and down the sides of Draco’s body. “I’m here.”

“I thought you died,” he started to sob, placing his head on Harry’s chest. “I thought-”

“Shh,” Harry hushed him, pulling him closer into a loving embrace and kissing the top of his head. “It’s going to be okay.”

“But how, Harry?” Draco continued to weep.

Harry pushed Draco away from his chest, seeing his teary-eyed lover staring up at him. “This is forever, love. I told you that,” he softly spoke, gliding his thumbs underneath the boy’s eyes to wipe away the tears. “It would have to take a lot more than evil lords and death to keep me away from you,” he added with a smirk, before lightly kissing his lips.

Draco softly chuckled, wiping his eyes once more. “Forever and ever,” he quietly stated.

“Forever and ever,” Harry smiled, pulling him into another strong embrace. “I’ve missed you so much, Draco.”

“Don’t ever leave me again, Harry,” Draco whispered into his chest. “Don’t ever leave me again.”

“Never again, love,” Harry declared. “Never again.”

*****
One Year Later

“Nervous?” he smiled, watching him fidget with his tie in front of the mirror.

“Is it really that noticeable?” Harry sighed, shaking his head in frustration when he couldn’t get the tie to knot.

He continued to smile, before walking further into the room and turning Harry around to face him. “Stop stressing so much,” he demanded, as he slowly began helping him with his tie. “It is unbecoming of you.”

Harry frowned at the blonde before him. “Sorry,” he mumbled.

When the blonde finished with Harry’s tie, he turned him back around, facing him toward the mirror. Harry smiled at his reflection before turning back around. “Okay, I’m ready,” he affirmed.

The two walked out of the room, slowly making their way through the corridors. Harry looked over at the man next to him and smiled when he saw him return his gaze. “Thank you,” he softly said.

“For what?”

Harry shrugged as they turned another corner, feeling a little red in the cheeks. “Just for being there for me when I needed it.”

The man grinned, placing his hand on the boy’s shoulder. “Yes, there really aren’t that many of us who can knot ties,” he joked.

Harry rolled his eyes, but smiled. “You know what I mean. You’ve been a really good father-figure to me this past year, and I truly hope that one day soon, you’ll be able to see me as one of your own.”

Lucius remained quiet, as they reached the double doors to the ballroom. He was so touched by his words that he just didn’t know what to say at that moment. He stared at him for a few more minutes, straightening the boy’s appearance as much as he could, nodding his approval. Finally, he leaned in closer and whispered, “I already do, Harry, and I could never have asked for a more perfect mate for my son than you.”

Harry smiled as they pushed the doors open, finding hundreds of people sitting inside the huge room. Harry nervously chewed on his lip, searching for Draco. When he finally spotted him up in the front, his heart jumped. He smiled, noticing Draco was a bit nervous himself, moving his tie around and clearing his throat, while waiting for him at the altar.

Lucius squeezed Harry’s shoulder and left his side, moving toward the empty seat next to Snape. He kissed the man lightly on the lips before he sat down.

“How is he?” Snape asked.

“Well he’s not as horribly nervous as you were, that’s for sure,” he smirked at him.

“I wasn’t nervous,” Snape argued.

Lucius chuckled and shook his head, before looking up at his son. He had never felt prouder than in that very moment. “He really has grown up,” he remarked.

Snape nodded, grabbing his husband’s hand and gently squeezing it. “You truly did well with him, Lucius,” he commended.

Draco looked over at his father and godfather and smiled. He was shocked when he had first learned of their secret love affair, but after seeing them together, he definitely saw how right they were for each other. His mother was sadly institutionalized, where they had been told she would unfortunately never be the same and would not be able to go home. With that news, his father had decided to get a divorce from her, the first Malfoy ever to do such a thing. And a few months later, after the divorce was final, Lucius had married Snape, another first for a Malfoy to do. Draco honestly couldn’t be happier for them, especially his father who now could live his life free from the Dark Lord and truly be himself once more.

Draco shifted his eyes over toward Harry, seeing him walking toward him. His heart leaped as he stared at the beautiful man before him. He felt a comforting hand on his shoulder and turned around, staring at his best man.

“You still have time to back out, you know,” Blaise teased.

Draco took a deep breath and shook his head, returning his attention to Harry. “Not in a million years,” he smiled.

Blaise smiled and looked across the way, staring at his beautiful wife who was also at the altar standing in as Harry’s “best man.” She returned his smile, gently rubbing her small protruding belly, before turning to look at her best friend who had finally made his way to the front.

Draco grabbed Harry’s hand, squeezing it gently. “You look amazing,” he commented.

“So do you,” Harry smiled.

“Are you ready for this?”

“I’ve been ready since the moment we first kissed that summer,” Harry answered, caressing his lover’s cheek.

“Me too,” he softly responded, before leaning in and kissing him.

“You and me, love,” Harry whispered behind their kiss.

“Forever and ever,” Draco whispered back, before finally turning toward the front, with Harry standing next to him, as they waited for the officiator to start the ceremony.

The two boys stood together on the altar, holding hands, listening to the man speak. They kept smiling at one another every few minutes, feeling their insides flutter, anxious for the moment that would tie them together as one. Finally, when the officiator ended his speech, the two boys eagerly leaned in and kissed each other with all the passion they had for each other.

Forever and ever. Who knew.


The End

*****
A/N: Again, thank you to everyone who has read my story. I truly hope you all enjoyed it. I know there were a lot of twists and turns in here, and I'm so grateful you all stuck with it until the end. And now that you have, you'll see I had to give them their happily ever after. How could I not?! :) I'm sure I'll have more fics of those two later on, and I hope you'll stop by and check them out.

Special thanks to all my constant (and even one-time) reviewers! I really did appreciate it. :)

yaoiObsessed: You probably did break the world record! Not just for how long it was, but for making me laugh so hard from just reading words on my computer screen! I seriously had tears while laughing (especially with Luna's little appearance). You definitely have an imaginative mind. :) (Which makes a great writer!) Yeah, you rarely read fics where Harry is the Horcrux, and I really wanted to keep it close to that plotline as much as I could because I actually liked that idea about him being one (it just made sense to me). *sigh* Such a sad thing for Draco to witness, but then to see him alive again... AHH! Emotions running rampant (and not just with the characters but my readers too!) :) I hope you're not upset that the fight scene wasn't really all that much and that Snape didn't kill the snake. I just thought having Lucius do it would be his final exit with the Dark Lord. :)

thrnbrooke: Okay, you got the last and final chapter. I really hope you liked how I ended it! :)

KoishiiCatling: haha Perhaps my story just slipped under your radar. It's okay. You were able to read two chapters in one sitting, so in a way, it was better! :) haha I'm glad you won't be hunting me down since I didn't kill them. :) I hope my ending made you smile!

Black Padfoot: *steps out from under bed and grins* Do I get a hug now? :) I really hope you liked the end.

SilentInvictus: Wow, I got ice cream for that last chapter? Hmm... now that you've read the end, will I perhaps get a hut fudge sundae? :) I hope you liked it!

paganwoman: *whew* I'm sure you're glad you didn't go through with that curse. :D haha I guess it shows I'm a Quentin Tarantino fan, huh? I love his stuff. Twists and turns, never knowing what's going on until the end. Movies have always become too predictable for me, which is probably why I like his stuff because it keeps me guessing all the time! MMmmm Thanks for the "special" brownies! :)

Eve: Thank you. Yes, he knew he had to make that sacrifice. And sure enough, his love was all he needed to come back to him. :)

Sinister074: Be sad no longer. He didn't die. :)