What If? - Drarry

Epilogue

Once the first kiss was out of the way, many followed. It was as though an invisible seam between them had been broken, and now that it was gone, they could be in love without fearing each other - or anything, for that matter. Blaise heard about it very quickly, of course, as did Hermione. Neither of them were at all surprised, and both assured their friends that they'd known it was only a matter of time.

Harry broke the news to Ron not long after he told Hermione. He brought him to a pub - where else? - and explained everything, from Hogwarts right up until the present day. After Harry had finished speaking Ron was silent for several minutes, and Harry gave him space, knowing how much he needed to take in. Eventually, Ron nodded brusquely. 

"I knew you liked blokes, Harry. Even if you like girls too, I always had an idea about... yeah. I don't care. You're my best friend, that's much more important." Then he added, "I'll need some time to process the whole... you know... 'Draco Malfoy was my secret lover for three years' bit, but..." He gestured passively, "Like I said, there are more important things than who you date. And anyway, Ma- Draco isn't even that bad once you get to know him."

They didn't tell anyone else until Ron and Hermione's wedding, which took place on a gorgeously sunny day in June. Draco had been terrified of going, and Harry couldn't blame him as he took in the expressions on his friend's faces as they saw just who his plus one was. A tense ceremony passed, but Ron's face was so happy and Hermione - who's belly was beginning to show a prominent bump - looked so beautiful that the atmosphere couldn't have been ruined. At the party afterwards, a smiling Luna approached Draco and happily asked him to dance. After that, the ice began to melt, and even Seamus had started to warm to Draco by the end of the night. They knew for certain that Draco had been accepted when, not more than a week later, an invite came for Seamus and Dean's wedding, addressed to both of them.

Under Draco's supervision, their flat became a gorgeously decorated home with expansion spells in each room, harmonic furniture, and plenty of bookshelves, which were soon filled. But most importantly, the home felt truly loved. Harry started having people round for dinner regularly, and Draco became rather good at cooking himself as he regularly helped out in the kitchen. With Draco's new job, they started splitting rent between them, and Draco started feeling as though the flat wasn't just a temporary stop, but his real home. Their real home.

The Chudley Cannons won the UK Quidditch league for the first time in half a century, when Harry caught the snitch in the first ten minutes of the final against the Newcastle Bludgers. In a later interview with Blaise Zabini of Magic Today, Harry called it the third-happiest moment of his life - the first being when they won the war, and the second, mysteriously, being a secret. 

One day Draco asked Harry to come on a walk with him, so they climbed up a hill on the outskirts of London. It was a warm day in early autumn, and the sun was painting the sky strong, beautiful colours as it set over the hazy city. They stood for a long time, watching the sky change. Then, quite suddenly, Draco turned to Harry, and took hold of his Hands.

"I want to tell you something."

"You okay?" Harry asked, looking concerned. Draco smiled.

"I'm fine. I'm amazing." He squeezed Harry's hands. "I wanted to tell you that sometimes I think about how much I love you and it makes me want to cry, not because I'm sad, but because I'm so intensely happy."

Harry smiled, and his eyes were bright as they reflected the sun. 

"I was thinking about us," Draco continued. "We've been drawn to each other from day one, haven't we? Even back on the train that first day of school, I chose your carriage out of hundreds. And whatever happens - I mean, God knows it hasn't been smooth - we find our way back to each other." He paused. "I like to think that this time, we won't have to 'find our way back' because from now on we'll just stay together. There's nothing else I want in the world than to be with you, forever," And, getting down on one knee, Draco produced a box from the pocket of his jacket. "Harry, will you marry me?" He asked, and opened the box to reveal two rings, one gold, one silver. Harry laughed, his eyes shining brightly, and nodded emphatically.

"Yes!" He exclaimed, leaning down and kissing Draco. "Yes," he repeated, as he pulled Draco up to stand, and kissed him again. "Yes."

He held out his hand and Draco slid the gold ring onto Harry's ring finger, and then, standing up, slid the silver ring on his own. Linking their hands, he kissed Harry very softly.

"I know I'm not meant to wear a ring too, but- well, I was curious," He said, quietly, "so the other day I tried to accio the rings we wore back in Hogwarts. And they just flew into my hand." Draco smiled at Harry. "I knew I had to ask you after that."

Theirs was a winter wedding. Narcissa, newly released from the Moody Centre, walked Draco down the aisle, and Harry thought that Draco had never looked more beautiful than he did then, in the suit which matched Harry's own. Teddy was the ring bearer, and to his credit, managed to stay solemn enough during his part of the ceremony, though he spent the rest of the time running around the feet of the guests, his hair turning every bright colour imaginable.  Hermione, by that time heavily pregnant, would later proclaim emotionally that it was the second most beautiful wedding she'd ever seen, before bursting into tears. Ron assured them that it was only hormones, and to just take the compliment. 

It was at the Potter's wedding - 'Potters', of course, because Draco snatched the chance to lose his father's surname at first grab - that a certain newly-Hogwarts-graduated Weasley girl got into conversation with the renowned head of the wizarding newspaper Magic Today, and rather unexpectedly found herself deeply in love with him - a feeling which went fully reciprocated. Blaise and Ginny were soon known as the power-couple of the '90s Hogwarts kids, a formidable force of nature not only in life but also on the page, as Ginny joined Blaise in reporting for Magic, both working hard to bring light on all that went on in the world of Wizarding Britain. Ginny remained a steadfast friend to Harry after they got over the awkwardness that had followed their break-up (which both agreed was completely justified, and even became something of an in-joke within their circle).

Seventeen Years Later

It was just getting dark when Harry got through the garden gate, and walked the path leading to the big London house that he and Draco had moved to seven years ago. The flat, while comfortable and familiar, could never have accommodated Lily, and when she was conceived they'd both known it was time to move. A warm yellow light beckoned him forward as he made his way to the front door, which stood slightly ajar in anticipation of his arrival, and he was welcomed home by a wave of warmth and the smell of good food. Paintings, mostly done by Draco after he and his mother had won the lawsuit against Lucius Malfoy, decorated the walls along with Lilly's drawings, of which there seemed an endless supply. 

"I'm home!" Harry called, hanging up his jacket and dropping his training bag and broom by the door. 

"Dad!" the shout was followed by the appearance of Lilly from the kitchen, her muggle school uniform still on and her bright blonde hair in two bunches. Harry crouched down and opened his arms, laughing as his daughter flew into his arms and he swung her up high. Draco appeared at the door to the kitchen, a spatula in one hand and a grin on his face.

"Hello stranger," He said, but raised a hand as Harry leant forward to give him a kiss, Lilly still in his arms. "Not until you've had a shower."

"I think sweat makes me sexier, don't you. Come on, won't you give me a kiss?" Harry smirked, and Lilly buried her face in his neck. 

"Dad..." she groaned. 

"What? Don't I look sexy?" Putting Lilly down, Harry imitated a female model and posed, and, mortified, Lilly ran back to Draco.

"Da! Tell him to stop!"

Draco and Harry exchanged a look and both burst out laughing. 

Lilly had been made half by magic, and half by science, because however much magic advanced, no one had yet figured out how to make a baby without a male and a female. Lilly had parts from both Harry and Draco, but she also had a mother: Luna, who had happily carried her for nine months. She had Harry's eyes - or Lilly's eyes, as many would say - and Draco's hair and skin tone, and something else that was altogether her's, a new spark. 

Harry and Draco loved her more than anything in the whole world.