A Dark Time For The Light

79

Harry was back at work the following week. In the event, the cadre didn’t have to fork out for wages as a rush job had come in as the Magicals were working on Voldemort’s property and Gary’s team were free to take the job. Ron was now in Steffie’s team as were all of the Magicals. There were now three teams. Joe had kept Ron on and the work was coming in thick and fast as the warm weather approached.

Just before Easter, Hussain had a small two bedroomed terrace come empty, that Ron signed for. Hussain flirted like mad with Harry’s tall husky red-haired friend. He liked big brawny boys. Until Ron explained he was bringing his boyfriend and their new baby from Italy to live with him. The man squealed, “You have a kiddie?. Aaahhh, that’s so sweet. Boy or girl?” “A little girl. She’s just over a year old”, he showed the man a photo. He melted. “I come from a big family myself. Are you related to Ginny in the House?”, he shyly enquired. Ron grinned, “She’s my kid sister. We are also part of a large family”.

Hussain blessed the day when he met Harry Potter and handed over the keys and shook Ron’s hand, holding on for a tiny bit too long. As they left the shop, Harry glanced sidelong at his best friend, “Whoops, the landlord really fancies you. Well, you know what you can do if you’re short of the rent one month”. Ron swatted Harry’s arm, “Eww, sod off, Harry”, then drew out his phone and called Blaise. They parted at Harry’s front door. Harry watched Ron walk away with his easy slouch and had to admit that his landlord had a point.

A few days later and Harry made a dinner reservation at a very upmarket restaurant. He and Draco got dressed up in their best clothes and rode a cab up West. They had a wonderful intimate meal for two in a dim candle-lit alcove, then Harry presented Draco with a bouquet of flowers and a beautiful bracelet made of rose gold mesh about an inch wide. Inside the clasp was engraved their initials and two dates.

“Harry, what’s this for, love of mine?”. Harry rolled his eyes, “Today, my love, it is exactly 5 years since you rode into school like the damned cavalry and took my heart forever. Today is the day I think of as our anniversary even though we’d been together a while. This is the day you rode 200 odd miles on a broom to tell me you loved me”, he took up Draco’s hand and kissed it. “Happy Anniversary, love of my life”, his eyes shone with unshed tears.

Draco had completely missed this and bitterly regretted that he hadn’t remembered, but he held Harry’s loving gaze and felt a lump in his throat. He lifted his wine glass and smiled, “Forever, Harry. Happy Anniversary, sweetheart”. On an impulse, Harry stood slightly, leaned over the table and kissed Draco, “Love you to pieces”, he murmured as he sat down.

The waiter approached to clear their main course, “This is a special night, gentlemen?”, he enquired. Harry sniffed and smiled, his green gaze direct into the man’s eyes, “Yes, it’s our anniversary tonight”. As dessert was served, they were presented with a bottle of champagne, “Compliments of the ‘ouse, messieurs”, the sommelier produced just the right amount of ‘pop’ from the cork. They spent the rest of the meal in a romantic haze and left with their arms around each other.

In the taxi on the way home, they were still in the delicious bubble, Draco’s flowers beside him on the seat, the driver nary batting an eyelid. “Harry Potter, you are such a romantic. Tonight was lovely. Thank you. I love you so much”. He lay in Harry’s arms gazing up at him. Harry dipped his head and they kissed, this time with more passion. They made love on the rug in front of the fire in the living room with it turned low, their favourite soundtrack which had grown by a few tracks also on low, but the passion was high. Eventually they got to bed.

As they both got ready for work the next day, Harry listened to a message on the answerphone. Remus. “Call me Harry, when you get this. Will you be my best man?”. Harry bounced around the flat. He kissed his lover as he bounded out the door and called Remus at lunchtime. “You’ve set a date?”, his voice was high pitched with delight. “Three weeks on Saturday. Just enough time for the banns to be posted. We’re not doing anything fancy, just a simple ceremony, a meal somewhere. We can’t go abroad for a while, so our honeymoon will be delayed. I don’t want a big fuss”.

Harry wandered away from the group with his phone. “Now, Remus. Come on, you only wed once in your life, let us help. It was our anniversary yesterday and we ate in a beautiful restaurant. The food was divine. Let me and Draco treat us all to a meal there as your reception if you haven’t chosen anywhere yet. How many are you inviting?”. Remus laughed, “I haven’t thought that far ahead yet, but if you want to be our wedding planner then you are welcome. Anniversary, you say?. Might I ask how long?”. Harry beamed, “Five years, give or take nearly two missing in the middle. I realised the other day that we’ve been back together well over a year now, and, yeah, we’ll plan your wedding. I’m so pleased for you both”. He folded his phone and went back to join his friends and workmates, “Remus and Sev have set a date, three weeks on Saturday”. It lifted all their spirits that tired Friday afternoon.

That night, Harry and Draco showed up at the House ready to go out. Seamus and Terry were ready. Jonathan had arrived to meet Colin and the girls were just putting the finishing touches to their look. Hermione dished out a Bomber apiece with a large glass of water they all shared, then Ginny emerged, her hair swept up, her look polished wearing a barely there top and a tight miniskirt and tall boots, smoky eyes and deep carmine lips. The concensus was ‘wow’ amongst the boys, even Draco who was wearing a very fetching see-through black mesh t-shirt with jeans so tight that they almost showed his religion.

They headed into the West end. They had a few fortifying drinks then headed to the club. Exclusively gay but anything went. The doorman ogled Draco’s nipples through his shirt. The other doorbutch ogled Ginny in her teeny mini with the mile-long legs. Such an attractive crowd were waved in for free. They all grinned at each other, then the speed started to bite as they all lost it on the dance floor, the DJ a genius for milking his audience. At one point, Draco found himself dancing with Ginny, and grabbed her around the waist, “You look really hot, wife”. She threw her head back with abandon, laughing, then tweaked his nipple through his t-shirt, “You’re not so bad yourself, husband”, she grinned at him as they were reclaimed by their partners and the rhythms.

They danced far into the night. When that club closed they drifted to another. The sun was well and truly up as they climbed into taxis and made their way home. Ginny had a mere two hours to sleep before she had to be up for work but wasn’t in the mood as the party continued back at the House, the music on low, the blunts lit, more dancing. At some point, Ginny excused herself and went to shower for work. Hermione made her some toast and tea then pressed a couple of Dexies into her hand, “One now, one for dinnertime”. She kissed her beloved senseless then shooed her out of the door.

Ginny was amazed at how alert and chatty she was on the floor that day at work and the day flew past. She decided she liked this speed stuff, the Dexies a bit milder than the Bombers, but she still felt her hips twitch as she moved up and down the aisles dodging the shoppers, bopping along with whatever was playing over the store’s sound system.

The Tube was quieter that night and she actually got a seat. She could feel the last 36 hours start to catch up with her a bit. She grinned and closed her eyes, mentally counting stops until she changed, moving on automatic with the crowds and hopping on the train which was taking her home. She got another seat, this time opposite two obviously gay boys. She smiled at them and got a grin in return. She winked at them as she got off and walked home, exhausted, into the arms of her beloved, who fed her, half comatose, then took her to bed.

She let Hermione strip her, then submitted to her sweet touches and kisses. She arched off the bed as her lover took her with mouth and fingers. She barely had the energy to reciprocate and they slept in a sweet heap. As they drifted down, Hermione asked softly, “Am I forgiven yet?”. The reply a soft kiss and a whispered, “Yes, my love”. No apologies. But Hermione never really expected one, after all, she was in the wrong.

Sunday, and Harry and Draco were round at Sev and Remus’ for lunch and to hack out the plans for the wedding. They were focussing on the invitation list that kept growing longer. “I would like to invite Caroline, Draco’s colleague”, said Remus, “I like her, and she’s George’s girlfriend”, then Alice was on the list with her husband, Tony, and they couldn’t invite Alice without Steffie. Then Severus wanted to invite Josie and Steve. Then Remus wanted Poppy and Minerva added to the list, but of course they had to add Hortense, as Minerva’s partner, then Belinda as Dean’s partner, particularly as they now lived together, Belinda having left her husband and Jonathan as Colin’s partner, then there were members of the other cadres and an invite to be sent to Hogsmeade to Rosmerta. The list was growing exponentially until there were over thirty names.

Severus tuned out, a little amazed. That all these people he could now count as friends, real friends, for a man who had essentially walked alone all of his life, who had convinced himself that having friends was dangerous and weak given his position as spy for so many years, who had been lonely for so long.....

Remus cast a glance at his lover who seemed all closed in on himself and reached out his arms and gathered Severus to him dropping small kisses into the black hair. Severus relaxed against Remus’ chest with a sigh and a small smile looking up at him, “Sorry. I lost you all there for a moment”.

The boys grinned and went into the kitchen to make tea and leave their hosts alone for a few minutes. Remus murmured, “You looked like you needed a cuddle”. Severus tipped his head back slightly and gave his beloved an upside-down smile, “You were right, thank you”, and reached up for a gentle kiss and subsided again in the circle of arms around him.

Harry came back in with a tray laden with tea things, Draco followed with a plate of cake. “Have you thought about names?, you know, what you’ll call yourselves after you marry. Will you keep your own, or hyphenate or something?”, Draco enquired. The men shrugged and looked at each other, “Haven’t thought about it, to be honest”. Harry laid the tray down on the coffee table, “Me either”, he glanced at Draco’s reddening face, “But you have, haven’t you? Excuse us a moment”, he dragged his lover back into the hall. There was a murmured conference then Harry was heard to exclaim, “That’s a genius idea, love, fucking brilliant”, then the unmistakable sound of a kiss.

They re-entered, both pnk cheeked, “Go on, tell them, it was your idea”, murmured Harry. Draco took a deep breath, “I no longer wish to be a Malfoy in any way, shape or form, so I intend to take my mother’s maiden name and append it to Harry’s so we both become Black-Potter. This will honour both my mother and Harry’s godfather. I believe we are able to do this under British law so long as there is no intention to defraud or anything”.

This met with approval. “Sirius would have been so delighted with that, Harry, and Draco, your mother will be so proud of you”, said Remus. Severus asked, “Draco, are you in touch with your mother only I know she’s been passed into the Underground?. I would very much like to invite her and her new partner to attend, but if you’re not comfortable with it, then....”. Draco pondered a moment, “Yes, we have exchanged cautious letters, but I haven’t seen her yet”, he looked up and smiled, “Well, I think I’ll just have to bite the bullet and go and see her. You always did get along with her, didn’t you, Sev?”

Harry sunk his head in his hands at the implication, “Oh, Merlin, being taken home to mum as your future intended. I’d better mind my ‘p’s and ‘q’s”, the others all laughed aloud.