Divorce, disaster and denial

Thank you so much for all the reviews. I love them so much and I can’t believe I have so many! Hugs to all my reviewers.

The suggestions for the weddings are still coming in, and to answer kiwigirl, you can leave as many suggestions as you like.

Feel free to leave any suggestions for the story you want, they don’t have to be about the weddings. If there is something you want to see, tell me and I’ll see what I can do.

On with the chapter.

*************

Andie walked into the kitchen to see complete chaos. No wonder Onyx had run screaming.

“What on earth is going on in here?” Andie asked. The kitchen was covered in flour. Interspersed with the flour was eggs, water, milk, food colouring, icing and candy shapes. Draco, Percy, George, Lily, Albus, James and Scorpius were all huddled under the table, while Harry and Lucius stood in the middle of the room. Harry was holding the charred remains of what Andie assumed to be a cake, and Lucius had a dripping bowl of green icing.

“I was trying to help the kids make a cake, and then these two decided to instigate a mutiny,” Draco said, remaining in his hiding place with the others.

“Would you two care to explain why I had Onyx come and find me? Poor little thing was terrified, said the kitchen was possessed!” Andie said, rounding on Harry and Lucius, who both recoiled. Percy whispered to Draco that Andie reminded him of his mother when she was angry.

“I was trying to teach him…” Lucius began, only to be interrupted by Harry.

“Not everything has to be made with magic you know! There are some things you can do just as well….” Harry said, only to be interrupted by Lucius.

“Doing things the Muggle way is boring and tedious!” Lucius said.

“Enough!! Both of you!! Do you realise that James, Scorpius, Albus and Lily could do a better job of telling me what happened?” Andie said, holding her hands up. They both had the good grace to look ashamed of themselves. Andie beckoned the children over to her. “Now, will someone tell me what happened, one at a time?”

“Draco and Percy were showing us how to make a cake the Muggle way, Draco said that it was something we should see, that you make cakes the Muggle way. And then Dad and Lucius came in and took over,” James said.

“Dad said he wanted to see Draco do it and then Lucius got bored and said it was pointless doing it the Muggle way, that the magical way was much more exciting and it was faster. And then they started arguing,” Albus said.

“And then Grandfather and Harry started trying to prove that they were right. And then the flour exploded and the kitchen got covered in stuff,” Scorpius said.

“So, you all took cover and this is what ended up?” Andie asked calmly.

The four children nodded.

“Alright, go and get cleaned up. Draco, Percy, George, you as well. And as for you two!” she said, rounding on Harry and Lucius again. Harry dropped the burnt cake and Lucius dropped the bowl, both plate and bowl shattering. “You two can clean this up, by hand!”

She silenced protests from them with a single look. “Give me your wands, now.”

They handed them over without protest. She stood there for a moment before she spoke again. “Father, do you realise what Draco was trying to show them all?”

Lucius shook his head. “What can be learnt by taking that long to make a cake?” he said confusedly.

“What can be learnt is that some things are better if you work for them! All four of those children are magical, and they all come from money. They need to be taught that not everything can be done by magic. My mother taught me that, and, believe it or not, Severus taught Draco that too. It’s about time you learned it,” she said calmly. She turned to Harry. “You need to keep your temper under control. Don’t think that I don’t know how things exploded in here! James has more control and he’s 13.”

She walked to the door, their wands stowed in her pocket. She paused, looking over her shoulder. “Oh, and you two are banned from my kitchen. Once it’s clean, I don’t ever want to see the two of you in here again.”

She walked out and Harry looked at Lucius. “You know, one day, she is going to positively terrify George. She can be scarily like Molly when she’s angry,” Harry commented, before beginning to clean up the kitchen. Lucius stood stock still for a moment, before Harry saw comprehension dawn in his mates eyes. “What’s wrong love?”

“A Weasley? Another Weasley?” Lucius said weakly.

Harry laughed in spite of the pained look on Lucius’ face. “Poor little Veela. Now you’ll really have to make friends with Arthur,” Harry said as he scrubbed down the marble countertops and the cupboard doors. “How do you manage to keep your house elves when Hermione had them all freed?”

“They’re not mine. They’re friends of Andie’s, all free elves. They had no where else to go, so they came here. She pays them. Apparently, they had no desire to leave Andie‘s service,” Lucius said as he reached for the broom.

Harry smiled as he filled the sink with hot soapy water and started washing dishes.

Lucius huffed as he swept the floor. “Of all the people in the world, my children both choose Weasley’s,” he muttered.

“Now now, you know they have no choice. It’s fate. Just like me and you. And, if it’s any consolation, they’re good men. They’ll be good for them,” Harry argued as he watched Lucius out of the corner of his eye. He used wandless magic to clean the floor, making Lucius jump.

“Damn it, why didn’t I think of that?” Lucius scowled as he joined Harry at the sink, drying the dishes Harry placed on the side in front of him by hand. He sighed. “I know Percy, he‘s been in Draco‘s life for near on sixteen years. He‘s a good man. He is good for Draco, a good match and they do love each other. But Andie…She’s my little girl. I know she’s all grown up but I’m not ready to see her as anything as my little girl. And that means I don’t like George,” Lucius finished stubbornly.

Harry smirked. “Well, me and Draco aren’t exactly bosom buddies, but we manage to be civil to each other. By God, sometimes we even stretch to being downright friendly. No one is asking you to be George’s best friend. All we ask is that you try to be civil to him. Who knows, you might even like him.”

Lucius just scowled as Harry exited the now clean kitchen to clean himself up.

******************

George stood in the doorway of the greenhouse and watched Andie work. George had talked to Percy about the woman. And George had decided that, for once, Percy was right.

Andie could give Molly Weasley a run for her money as a fearsome woman, but that side of her he had only seen once, this morning when she had turned on Harry and Lucius. She was soft and gentle when dealing with the little ones of the house. She was naturally maternal. She was a goddess in the kitchen, another thing she could compete with his mother over. As a lover, George could see she was going to keep him hot under the collar for a very long time.

But here she was different. Here in her greenhouses there was side to her that George had never seen. And he suddenly realised why. He had never seen her elfish side before. She was in her element here. She pruned and clipped and dug and planted and caressed the delicate blooms.

She was graceful and light, almost gliding. She was dominant, asserting her superiority over the blooms, yet she was submissive too, as if accepting her small place in the grander scheme of the universe.

He cleared his throat. She looked up at him and smiled, beckoning him to join her. He walked in and seated himself beside her. She was tending to a beautiful bloom. “It’s a Tropaeoleum Tricolorum. Very rare. A gift from Percy,” she said.

He leaned in and kissed her. “What was that for?” she asked. “Not that I’m complaining.”

He smiled. His nerves were suddenly tenfold. “I spoke to my father a few days ago, just after you explained what it means to make love to you. And I made a decision. Want to know what it was?” he asked, playing with her loose curls.

“Ok, I’ll go with it. What decision did you make?” she said.

“I decided that I wanted to be married to you before we bonded like that. So I had my father find me this,” he said, drawing out a small black rose. “My father told me that it’s Elvin tradition to give a flower as a marriage proposal, and I thought that your name sake would be appropriate.” He took a deep breath and repositioned himself so he was on one knee, drawing out a small black box from his pocket. “You, Andromeda Malika Persephone Malfoy, are the most complicated and beautiful person I have ever met. I know that there is much more to you that I don’t know yet, but I want to know them. I met you at the height of an emotional rollercoaster and yet you were an island in the storm. In the past few days you have shown me a love and trust that no other woman or man has ever shown me. Not even my own family. You have given me everything you have, and if I ever make you a fraction of the amount of happy that you make me, you will be so incredibly happy. So, Rohauna Ivy Greenleaf, will you do me the great honour and privilege of letting me be your husband?”

As he finished the speech he opened the box to produce a beautiful ring, it was white gold. It was a simple Celtic design that was not lost on Andie. Two continuous interwoven loops that could not be separated on either side of a diamond.

George looked hopefully at her and she nodded mutely, tears filling her green eyes. She launched herself at him, covering his lips with her own.

They separated and he slipped the ring onto her finger and the rose into her hand. He looked up to see her crying and pulled her to him. For once, he knew they were happy tears.

*********************

Percy watched as Draco slept on. He was slightly miffed that George had managed to get to a proposal before him, but Draco had been married. Percy couldn’t have done it. But after Pansy’s death, he could have. But Percy admitted to himself that he was afraid that Draco would say no. He knew it was a moot point, as they were already bonded, but he was still scared the love of his life would say no.

The day had passed in a flurry of partying at the announcement of George and Andie getting engaged. Lucius had confided in Percy that what shocked him the most about George was that he managed to honour both Elvin and human tradition with his proposal.

Draco and Percy were now laying in bed after a long and particularly satisfying love making session. Draco had allowed Percy to top him, a rarity in their relationship, but Draco had declared that it was a special day so it called for a difference to their usual. Percy fingered the ring he held.

He had owned the plain white gold band for nearly ten years, hoping for a day when he could place it on Draco’s finger.

“Yes.”

Percy jumped as he realised that Draco was awake and staring at him with those stormy eyes. “What?” Percy whispered.

“Yes, I will marry you. I was just waiting to see the ring. You asked me the first time we made love,” Draco said simply, rewarded by the huge smile that crossed Percy’s face before he leaned down and kissed his mate, slipping the ring onto Draco’s finger silently.

Suddenly their erections had returned and Percy wanted Draco to top.

**************************

Lucius and Harry sat late into the night, trying to beat each other in chess. Surprisingly, Lucius had suggested that they play with a Muggle chess set, saying that it was more fun this way. Harry didn’t believe him for a second, and suspected that it was Lucius’ way of apologising for the kitchen incident.

“Your move,” Harry said as he took Lucius’ queen.

Lucius sat there in silence for a moment, his mouth hanging open in shock. He glared at Harry and then moved his knight to take Harry’s queen.

“Check,” Lucius said.

Harry looked at the board and realised he had lost.

He sighed. “Alright, what’s my forfeit?” Harry asked. This was the seventh game he had lost to Lucius, his mate loosing a mere one. At the end of each game the looser had to do a forfeit that the winner chose. Harry had already lost his clothes and admitted to things he hadn’t thought he could be embarrassed about.

Lucius was also naked. Harry had gained retribution for the loss of his clothes with the loss of Lucius’. They were both very thankful they were playing in Lucius’ room and had locking and silencing charms up.

Lucius looked thoughtful for a moment. “To answer some questions for me, honestly,” Lucius said.

“I’m already not liking the sound of this, but ok. Ask away,” Harry conceded as he set up the chess board again.

“With you and Ginny, what was your favourite position?”

Harry dropped the pawn he was holding. He knew it was only a matter of time before Lucius asked about Harry sexual past.

“I ask only to get an idea of what to do with you on our wedding night,” Lucius said, covering Harry’s hand with his own.

Harry took a deep breath. “With me and Ginny, it was about her pleasure, not mine. We usually used missionary. But, when I was given a choice, I preferred cowgirl. Her on top,” he clarified.

“Why?”

“Because she was in control, I suppose. I liked someone else take the lead. Someone else be in control. Believe it or not, I don’t enjoy being a leader all the time.”

Lucius smiled at him. “I think, in that case, I shall be top,” Lucius said and Harry looked at him confusedly. “Harry, have you ever slept with another man?” Harry shook his head. Lucius smiled reassuringly. “Oh sweet Harry. Well, we both have dicks and only one can penetrate at a time. The penetrative partner, and that is usually the same as the partner taking the lead, is the top. The bottom partner, is the one being penetrated, and usually relinquishes control to the partner who is topping them. It can also be known as dominant and submissive, but I prefer top and bottom,” Lucius explained.

“Oh, right. Ok.” Harry paused. “Does it hurt? Being a bottom?”

“It does, the first time. But I promise I will make it pleasurable for you.”

“Like this morning?” Harry smirked.

“Yes, like this morning. Now, I have one more question and then I think it is time for bed.”

“What is it?” Harry asked as he stood and stretched, Lucius helping him to slip into a pair of sweat pants.

“Will you marry me?” Lucius asked as he dropped to one knee, still nude, holding a ring. It was a Claddagh ring, white gold. It was simple but beautiful.

Harry pulled Lucius to his feet and smiled as Lucius looked nervous. He pulled him in for a kiss and laughed.

“Of course I’ll marry you! I love you Lucius,” Harry said, and suddenly he was the nervous one.

“I love you too,” Lucius whispered, slipping the ring onto Harry’s left ring finger, the heart pointing inwards.

Harry helped Lucius into sweatpants, removed the charms around the door and then slipped into bed, curling around Lucius. Harry entwined his fingers with Lucius and noticed that Lucius wore a ring that matched his, on his left ring finger, the heart pointing inwards.

Harry fell asleep with the thought of holding Lucius’ heart, just as Lucius held his.

******************

Phew, three proposals in one chapter! I didn’t plan it but they just all happened to come pouring out of my brain.

I thought I would show you what I’m talking about, so here are some links to the visuals I used:

Andie’s Tropaeoleum Tricolorum:
http://www.rareplants.co.uk/product.asp?numRecordPosition=2&P_ID=2677&strPageHistory=cat&strKeywords=&SearchFor=&PT_ID=648

The engagement Rohauna:
http://plants.thompson-morgan.com/product/8438/1

Andie’s engagement ring:
http://www.irishcelticjewels.com/r410d.htm

Draco’s engagement ring:
http://www.weddingrings-direct.com/show_product/2012/84/1/

Lucius and Harry’s matching Claddagh rings:
http://www.celtic-jewellery-shop.co.uk/SJR150_W8.html

I needed some visual aid when writing this so I’m making sure that you know what I’m talking about.

Please keep the reviews coming and the wedding suggestions, I am loving them.

I would really love to know what you all thought of the proposals. Were they too sappy, or not sappy enough, or did I get them right?

Please let me know.

Happy reading. I will update in a day or two.