Make the Years Count (H/D, PG)
Title: Make the Years Count
Author: sesheta_66
Rating: PG
Word Count: ~ 1350
Pairing/Characters: Harry/Draco
Challenges: slythindor100's challenges #67 - to use a picture (I used the fire & romantic dinner setting on the beach), #68 - to use one line of song lyrics (I used "The voice of my father still loud as before, It used to scare me but not anymore"), and #69 - to use one of three quotes (I used "Love is not a matter of counting the years ... But making the years count).
Summary: Draco pays a visit to Lucius, and Harry has a surprise waiting for him when he comes home.
Disclaimer: The characters contained herein are not mine. They belong to JK Rowling and her publishers. No money is being made from this fiction, which is presented for entertainment purposes only.
"You okay?" Harry asked as Draco stepped out of the Floo looking grim. Draco shrugged his shoulders but said nothing. "How did it go?"
"About as I expected."
Harry wrapped his arms around his boyfriend and pulled him in for a soothing hug. "That well, hmm?"
Draco gripped Harry tightly. "The war is over, damn it. Voldemort's dead, There's no more fighting. Why can't he understand that?"
Harry pulled back enough to place a soft kiss on Draco's lips. "He's angry, Draco. It's not easy to lose, but to have his own wife help the person who destroyed his leader --"
"But she did it to save me, his son!" Draco argued, pulling away from Harry and pacing the room.
"Yes, but then he ended up in prison," Harry reasoned.
"Because of what he did, not what she did!" Draco screamed.
"Yes, Draco. But to then have his son --"
"Yes, well, that's when it really went downhill," Draco said with a grave note to his voice.
"Was he furious?"
"Well, he didn't know that I was gay, so --"
"He didn't know?"
"No, Harry, he didn't. It's not something that came up in casual conversation," Draco explained, with a bitter and somewhat condescending tone. "What with preparing for war, then having the Dark Lord and his minions move into our home, it wasn't exactly something that I wanted to share."
"Sorry," Harry replied. "That was stupid of me."
"No, Harry, not stupid. You just didn't think it through before asking me," Draco offered. "Dear old Lucius wasn't exactly prepared for the news that he wasn't going to have anyone to carry on the pureblood Malfoy line."
"What did he say?"
"Nothing really. He just stood there staring at me in disbelief for the longest time." Draco looked away from Harry, walked to the window, and took a deep breath, as if gathering strength to continue. "Until I told him about you, that is."
Harry's body went rigid as he thought about Lucius' possible reaction. "He didn't hurt you, did he?" Harry asked, worry evident in his voice.
"He tried," Draco let out a derisive laugh at the shocked look on Harry's face. "But the Azkaban protective spells anticipate that I suppose. As he launched himself at me, I didn't have time to react," Draco explained, his face suddenly white as a sheet as he recalled what had happened. "But the spell preventing contact threw him back with at least double the force that he was using, and he landed hard against the wall, hitting his head in the process."
"Oh, Draco, I'm so sorry," Harry said, feeling awful for Draco. He was glad the spells were in place, and frankly wouldn't have been upset if Lucius had been knocked out cold, or better still ... but he didn't think saying it was going to help matters. Right now, he just felt horrible for Draco because, no matter what, Lucius was his father.
"I'm not. The man's an ass, and it's about time I accepted that."
Shocked to hear Draco say that, even after all that had happened, Harry once again took his boyfriend in his arms. "Did he threaten you?"
Draco pulled back. "What do you think?"
Harry tried to stay calm, taking deep breaths while clenching his fists at his sides. "Do you want me to --"
"No, Harry, I don't. This is my battle. You don't need to save me anymore."
"I didn't mean --"
"Yes, Harry, you did. You want to take care of me, and I love you for that, really I do. But you can't make this any better. Short of killing the man, there's nothing you can do." He gave Harry a weak smile. "And before you get any ideas, no I do not want you to kill him. Now, if you offed yourself, he'd feel better about things ... but, as I rather like having you around, I'd prefer you didn't do that either."
Harry gave him a crooked smile. "So you still want me around? Even though Lucius --"
"The voice of my father still loud as before ... it used to scare me, but not anymore," Draco said softly.
"What?"
"I'm not afraid of Lucius Malfoy anymore. He may be my father, but he will never again be able to scare me into doing his bidding. I am my own man, making my own choices, and for as long as you'll have me, I choose to be with you."
Harry's heart leapt at those words. "Come with me," he said, holding out his hand and smiling broadly. Draco looked confused, but took his hand.
Harry Apparated them to a beach with a roaring fire, and a romantic table set for two. The look of surprise and elation on Draco's face made all the effort worthwhile.
Harry hadn't known what to expect when Draco returned. He was half expecting Lucius to have still had enough influence on his son to result in their break-up. He had been worrying about it for a week straight, ever since Draco had told him he was finally going to visit his father in Azkaban. Harry knew that it was something Draco had to do; he needed closure. But in the back of his mind, Harry worried that what Draco had really wanted was acceptance, and he knew that would never happen. His relief was palpable.
"Harry, what is this?"
"Something for you ... for us," he replied, pulling Draco in for a soft kiss. "You know I love you, right?"
Draco nodded, smiling up at Harry, his eyes reflecting the dancing flames of the fire. "And you know that I love you too."
"Yes," Harry said with conviction. "What's that old saying? 'Love is not a matter of counting the years, but making the years count'. Well, I want to make the years with you count, starting tonight."
Draco smiled at Harry's words. "But, Harry, that started the first time you ever kissed me."
"Perhaps," Harry said, leading Draco to the table and sitting him down. "But I want us to have a bit of a new start tonight."
At Draco's confused look, Harry grinned. Removing a package from his pocket, kneeling before him, and taking Draco's hand in his, he said, "As clichéd as this may sound, you complete me, Draco. You have brought me happiness that I never expected to have, and you have brought love into my life, something I can't ever imagine living without again. Draco Malfoy, would you do me the honour of becoming my husband?"
Draco didn't so much answer him as tackle him. Harry found himself pinned to the sand, a wriggling blonde atop him, showering him with kisses. In an attempt to calm down the proceedings, Harry managed to thread his fingers through Draco's hair, and pull his head back to look into his eyes. "Does that mean yes?" he asked, smiling goofily up.
"Yes, Harry. Hell, yes, I'll marry you!" came his reply, just before he brought his lips down upon Harry's. The kiss was soft and warm as a summer's breeze, an expression of their love and their commitment to one another. Tongues explored paths at once both familiar and new, both of them savouring this moment, and wanting to make it last.
When they finally broke the kiss, Harry said, "Let's celebrate." Reluctantly, they got up and made their way to the table. Harry poured them champagne, noting with humour the disappointed look on Draco's face. "We'll celebrate that way when we get home, where there isn't sand trying to get in on the action, yeah?"
Draco took his glass of champagne and chuckled. "Fair enough."
"To the first night of the rest of our lives," said Harry.
"To making the years count," agreed Draco.
With a clink of glasses, the two men who had started out as rivals and grown up as enemies, who had against all odds become friends and eventually lovers, now pledged their lives to one another and embraced the love that they both knew would be theirs forever.
Author: sesheta_66
Rating: PG
Word Count: ~ 1350
Pairing/Characters: Harry/Draco
Challenges: slythindor100's challenges #67 - to use a picture (I used the fire & romantic dinner setting on the beach), #68 - to use one line of song lyrics (I used "The voice of my father still loud as before, It used to scare me but not anymore"), and #69 - to use one of three quotes (I used "Love is not a matter of counting the years ... But making the years count).
Summary: Draco pays a visit to Lucius, and Harry has a surprise waiting for him when he comes home.
Disclaimer: The characters contained herein are not mine. They belong to JK Rowling and her publishers. No money is being made from this fiction, which is presented for entertainment purposes only.
"You okay?" Harry asked as Draco stepped out of the Floo looking grim. Draco shrugged his shoulders but said nothing. "How did it go?"
"About as I expected."
Harry wrapped his arms around his boyfriend and pulled him in for a soothing hug. "That well, hmm?"
Draco gripped Harry tightly. "The war is over, damn it. Voldemort's dead, There's no more fighting. Why can't he understand that?"
Harry pulled back enough to place a soft kiss on Draco's lips. "He's angry, Draco. It's not easy to lose, but to have his own wife help the person who destroyed his leader --"
"But she did it to save me, his son!" Draco argued, pulling away from Harry and pacing the room.
"Yes, but then he ended up in prison," Harry reasoned.
"Because of what he did, not what she did!" Draco screamed.
"Yes, Draco. But to then have his son --"
"Yes, well, that's when it really went downhill," Draco said with a grave note to his voice.
"Was he furious?"
"Well, he didn't know that I was gay, so --"
"He didn't know?"
"No, Harry, he didn't. It's not something that came up in casual conversation," Draco explained, with a bitter and somewhat condescending tone. "What with preparing for war, then having the Dark Lord and his minions move into our home, it wasn't exactly something that I wanted to share."
"Sorry," Harry replied. "That was stupid of me."
"No, Harry, not stupid. You just didn't think it through before asking me," Draco offered. "Dear old Lucius wasn't exactly prepared for the news that he wasn't going to have anyone to carry on the pureblood Malfoy line."
"What did he say?"
"Nothing really. He just stood there staring at me in disbelief for the longest time." Draco looked away from Harry, walked to the window, and took a deep breath, as if gathering strength to continue. "Until I told him about you, that is."
Harry's body went rigid as he thought about Lucius' possible reaction. "He didn't hurt you, did he?" Harry asked, worry evident in his voice.
"He tried," Draco let out a derisive laugh at the shocked look on Harry's face. "But the Azkaban protective spells anticipate that I suppose. As he launched himself at me, I didn't have time to react," Draco explained, his face suddenly white as a sheet as he recalled what had happened. "But the spell preventing contact threw him back with at least double the force that he was using, and he landed hard against the wall, hitting his head in the process."
"Oh, Draco, I'm so sorry," Harry said, feeling awful for Draco. He was glad the spells were in place, and frankly wouldn't have been upset if Lucius had been knocked out cold, or better still ... but he didn't think saying it was going to help matters. Right now, he just felt horrible for Draco because, no matter what, Lucius was his father.
"I'm not. The man's an ass, and it's about time I accepted that."
Shocked to hear Draco say that, even after all that had happened, Harry once again took his boyfriend in his arms. "Did he threaten you?"
Draco pulled back. "What do you think?"
Harry tried to stay calm, taking deep breaths while clenching his fists at his sides. "Do you want me to --"
"No, Harry, I don't. This is my battle. You don't need to save me anymore."
"I didn't mean --"
"Yes, Harry, you did. You want to take care of me, and I love you for that, really I do. But you can't make this any better. Short of killing the man, there's nothing you can do." He gave Harry a weak smile. "And before you get any ideas, no I do not want you to kill him. Now, if you offed yourself, he'd feel better about things ... but, as I rather like having you around, I'd prefer you didn't do that either."
Harry gave him a crooked smile. "So you still want me around? Even though Lucius --"
"The voice of my father still loud as before ... it used to scare me, but not anymore," Draco said softly.
"What?"
"I'm not afraid of Lucius Malfoy anymore. He may be my father, but he will never again be able to scare me into doing his bidding. I am my own man, making my own choices, and for as long as you'll have me, I choose to be with you."
Harry's heart leapt at those words. "Come with me," he said, holding out his hand and smiling broadly. Draco looked confused, but took his hand.
Harry Apparated them to a beach with a roaring fire, and a romantic table set for two. The look of surprise and elation on Draco's face made all the effort worthwhile.
Harry hadn't known what to expect when Draco returned. He was half expecting Lucius to have still had enough influence on his son to result in their break-up. He had been worrying about it for a week straight, ever since Draco had told him he was finally going to visit his father in Azkaban. Harry knew that it was something Draco had to do; he needed closure. But in the back of his mind, Harry worried that what Draco had really wanted was acceptance, and he knew that would never happen. His relief was palpable.
"Harry, what is this?"
"Something for you ... for us," he replied, pulling Draco in for a soft kiss. "You know I love you, right?"
Draco nodded, smiling up at Harry, his eyes reflecting the dancing flames of the fire. "And you know that I love you too."
"Yes," Harry said with conviction. "What's that old saying? 'Love is not a matter of counting the years, but making the years count'. Well, I want to make the years with you count, starting tonight."
Draco smiled at Harry's words. "But, Harry, that started the first time you ever kissed me."
"Perhaps," Harry said, leading Draco to the table and sitting him down. "But I want us to have a bit of a new start tonight."
At Draco's confused look, Harry grinned. Removing a package from his pocket, kneeling before him, and taking Draco's hand in his, he said, "As clichéd as this may sound, you complete me, Draco. You have brought me happiness that I never expected to have, and you have brought love into my life, something I can't ever imagine living without again. Draco Malfoy, would you do me the honour of becoming my husband?"
Draco didn't so much answer him as tackle him. Harry found himself pinned to the sand, a wriggling blonde atop him, showering him with kisses. In an attempt to calm down the proceedings, Harry managed to thread his fingers through Draco's hair, and pull his head back to look into his eyes. "Does that mean yes?" he asked, smiling goofily up.
"Yes, Harry. Hell, yes, I'll marry you!" came his reply, just before he brought his lips down upon Harry's. The kiss was soft and warm as a summer's breeze, an expression of their love and their commitment to one another. Tongues explored paths at once both familiar and new, both of them savouring this moment, and wanting to make it last.
When they finally broke the kiss, Harry said, "Let's celebrate." Reluctantly, they got up and made their way to the table. Harry poured them champagne, noting with humour the disappointed look on Draco's face. "We'll celebrate that way when we get home, where there isn't sand trying to get in on the action, yeah?"
Draco took his glass of champagne and chuckled. "Fair enough."
"To the first night of the rest of our lives," said Harry.
"To making the years count," agreed Draco.
With a clink of glasses, the two men who had started out as rivals and grown up as enemies, who had against all odds become friends and eventually lovers, now pledged their lives to one another and embraced the love that they both knew would be theirs forever.