Eli sat in the car waiting for his father after they had finished putting the horses away. Harry and Draco were standing by the blond's vehicle trying to awkwardly say goodbye.

Draco's hair hung loose, the ends lifting in the whispering breeze, like beckoning fingers. Harry had been pleasantly surprised by the whole day. Aside from a few strained moments, it had gone better than the Gryffindor had expected. During the horse ride, Draco had even seemed to enjoy himself, though he'd kept his attention mostly on Eli.

Still, Harry felt like he'd cleared a fifty foot hurdle. "Eli had a good time today," the Gryffindor stated as he reached out and touched those flirting tendrils of blond hair. They were silky, just like he remembered. "I had a good time today, too," Harry admitted softly.

"I'm glad," Draco returned, moving away from Harry's fingers. "But I did this for Eli," he finished plainly.

Harry nodded, feeling disappointed, but what did he expect? Getting Draco to forgive him was going to take more than just one pleasant day. The Gryffindor looked beyond the blond. His cruiser was running, the exhaust making clouds in the colder air. Eli sat waiting in the front seat, occasionally turning around to see what was taking his father so long. Harry thought some things should be simple. Things like bidding goodbye to a person he cared for after a nice day, but nothing was simple about Draco. Not then, not now.

"Well, I guess I'll see you later then," Harry said in a soft voice.

Draco nodded, and Harry felt his wide eyed gaze on him as he turned and went to his car.

XXX

"Here," Dee said as she pushed several plastic containers of food into Draco's hands. "Help me take these to the car."

Dee was hurriedly trying to get ready for her cousins wedding and had asked the blond to be her date for the affair as Evan was tied up with family business and couldn't attend. "Thanks for coming with me on such short notice," the curly haired woman expressed gratefully. "It's really nice of you."

"You're welcome," Draco responded with a smile as he put the items in his friend's car. "It keeps me busy," he finished with a shrug. In point of fact, it kept him from thinking too much about a certain Gryffindor.

"So you seemed to be having a good time at the school concert last week," Dee stated with a conspirational grin.

Draco flushed lightly. "So?" he questioned buckling his seatbelt as Dee began to pull out of the driveway.

Dee just grinned more. "You left together."

"I promised Eli I'd take him riding so we went to the stables and rented some horses for an hour," he told her, trying to pretend it was just an everyday occurrence. "It's not like I could tell his father not to come."

"He might be here today, you know," Dee announced.

"What? Why?" Draco questioned with surprise. He was trying hard to figure out why Potter would be bothered to come to Dee's cousins wedding.

"I invited him," Dee replied. "Told him you'd be there."

Draco didn't have a chance to berate his friend as she pulled into the parking lot of the Crowder home and ran around to the back of the car to retrieve the food. The blond helped her to carry the containers into the house where the reception would be taking place, fuming at the gall of the woman. "He probably won't come. He doesn't know anyone there."

"Actually, I think he does. He went to school with a couple of the ushers I believe," Dee told him. "I bet he comes. You'd like him to, right?"

Draco scowled and didn't say anything as they jumped back in the car and headed for the church.

______________

"I now pronounce you husband and wife."

Cheers filled the cozy church as the minister made the announcement. A smile was wreathed in his weathered face as he continued, though it held nothing on the smiles the bride and groom were giving each other. Sarah, Dee's cousin, was in a buttercup colored gown and looked like a breath of spring next to her tall, tux clad, black haired groom.

"Ladies and gentlemen, it's now my pleasure to introduce you to Dr. and Mrs Axel Clay." The couple headed up the center aisle toward the exit of the crowded church. Dee grinned as she stood beside Draco, watching as the two happily married people went by, eyes only for each other. She gave her blond escort a wink and they shuffled their way toward the door to continue to the recessional. "Now we can get on with the partying!"

Draco chuckled, nodding, but his gaze kept wandering over the congregation who were now all on their feet. Harry's face wasn't among them. He hadn't come after all and the disappointment of that fact ran alarmingly deep.

The church wasn't really large enough to hold all of the people who'd turned out to see the nuptials. Those who hadn't made it inside stood crowded around outside, despite the crisp, cold evening.

Tabby Taggart had made it and she walked just ahead of Dee and Draco with Sarah's little brother, Derek. Though, at twenty four he was nowhere near as little as seventeen year old Tabitha. Dee gave her male cousin a pointed look when she saw his appreciative gaze lingering on Tabby as he slowed to allow her to walk just in front of him.

The young teen grabbed her coat, giving Draco and Dee a wave and then turned to leave the church without a second glance at Derek, running out towards her school friends, Caleb Buchanan and April Reed.

"Put your eyeballs back in your head, Derek," Dee murmured. "She's too young for you."

"She's almost eighteen, isn't she?" Derek didn't seem unduly crushed, particularly when two women that Draco couldn't quite place rushed up to him, ostensibly to keep him warm as they pressed themselves against him.

Sarah and Axel were already shaking hands and greeting people. As soon as the bridal couple could break free of the people crowding around them, they'd all head to the Crowder estate, where the reception was being held.

Draco's gaze traveled over the throng once again; still no Potter and then he cursed himself for looking for the dark haired Auror. He, with Dee, slowly worked their way through the crowd, exchanging greeting as they went, until they made it to the parking lot where cars were already jammed, trying to get out of the single exit. Draco couldn't help but notice that there was no police vehicle in view.

Because he didn't want to appear foolish standing in the parking lot for no discernable reason, Draco followed Dee to her car. The woman unlocked the trunk and gifts of every size and shape were already inside. Despite Sarah's and Axle's request for no gifts, people were still bringing them anyway.

"I still have to pack some more gifts, I'll never get to the house," Dee groaned. The primary six teacher had promised her cousin she'd be there to greet folks since Sarah would be tied up here for a while with the receiving line and then getting photo's done.

"Why don't you go with your uncle, I'll pack up the gifts and meet you there," Draco offered seeing the flustered expression on his friends face.

"Oh God, would you?" Dee sighed in relief. "That would be wonderful." The woman began to hurry off to find her Uncle so she could get a drive when she stopped for a moment. "I'm sorry, I really thought he'd come."

Draco shrugged, an uncaring façade plastered on his face and then hopped into Dee's car, driving it around to the back of the church.

He left the trunk wide, then went in through the rear entrance and began loading up the gifts that people had left in the narthex. A few people from Dee's family eventually appeared and helped him. Before long, the gifts were all packed, the parking lot was nearly cleared and there was hardly anything left for Draco to do at the church.

The blond waited for everyone else to depart and then went back inside the church, making one last pass, even though he'd already gathered up every last gift, every last flower petal. Now, all he found was one forgotten gold, silken bow with wild heather attached. He picked it up, twirling it between his fingers feeling immensely stupid at hanging around just in case Potter showed up.

Draco sighed and was just about to leave when he heard that voice.

"Guess I missed the vows."

The blond's fingers tightened around the bow, crushing the heather. He slowly turned around.

Harry stood at the narthex doors. He wore a black suit, but his dark red tie was un-knotted, hanging loosely around the neck of his white shirt. "So, a funny thing happened on the way to the church," the Gryffindor joked.

Draco managed a faint smile. "I think that only works when you're the groom who is late."

Harry tilted his head in acknowledgement and slowly headed into the sanctuary. When he reached the last row of pews, he dropped his hand on the wooden arm. "I saw a car in the lot outside."

"It's Dee's. I was just, um, seeing if we'd forgotten anything...just trying to help out." He lifted his shoulders a little, and held up the bow. "This is it."

Harry's fingers grazed over the next pew as he slowly continued towards the blond. "I was headed here."

"The tie was my clue," Draco drawled.

Harry's lips twitched. "Yeah." The Gryffindor pulled one end and it slid out from beneath his collar. He rolled the tie in a ball and tucked it in his pocket. "Something came up that I had to take care of."

Draco waited, but the Gryffindor said no more about what had kept him away.

"Nice suit," Harry complimented.

Feeling self conscious, Draco swept his hand down the front of his black suit coat. He was wearing a jade green shirt underneath with a silver tie. "It's not so bad, for muggle clothing."

Harry's gaze worked its way up to Draco's face. "You look good in anything."

Draco's fingers tightened on the bow. It crinkled softly.

"And in nothing," the Gryffindor finished.

Draco blinked owlishly at him, unable to think of a suitable response to save his soul.

Harry's appreciative stare went past the blond to the pulpit and the high stained glass windows. "Lightning's probably going to strike me down now."

Draco moistened his lips. "Well, this is a church." There was a nervous silence for a moment or two before the blond spoke again. "I, um, I need to go."

"The reception?" Harry asked.

Draco nodded and started to turn.

"Save me a dance," Harry smiled.

Draco stopped. "You're going?" he asked stupidly, not even acknowledging the dance remark.

Harry didn't stop his approach, closing the distance between them to only two pews width. "I was invited."

"Yes, of course," Draco returned slowly.

"Then don't look so surprised."

"Everything about you lately surprises me," Draco confessed.

Harry finally stopped when the toes of his black shoes were brushing those of the blond's. "That makes two of us," he breathed.

'Harry must have shaved again since this morning,' Draco thought dimly, because his lean cheeks were still smooth, no hint of five o'clock shadow. "Harry..."

The Gryffindor drew his dark eyebrows together when the blond said nothing more. "Draco," he answered.

The Slytherin swallowed. He didn't know what to make of the dark haired Auror. For that matter, he didn't know what to make of himself. He was supposed to have Harry all neatly boxed up and categorized.

Harry reached up and the blond nearly jumped as the Gryffindor brushed his fingers lightly down Draco's cheek. "You need to drive the car there?"

"Y-yes. G-gifts are in the trunk," Draco stuttered, cursing himself internally because he couldn't stop doing it.

Harry's lashes dropped until there was nothing showing of his eyes but a narrow, green gleam. "I'll follow you, then."

Draco managed a nod. "Right, then...Okay." He turned on his heel, feeling absurdly unsteady, and made his way through the back of the church to the door there. When he looked back, Harry was not following him, but when he climbed behind the wheel of Dee's car, trembling as if it were thirty degrees below the zero mark, he saw the Gryffindor sitting in his cruiser, idling in the street. He flipped on the heater and headed toward the Crowder's home.

Harry didn't budge from Draco's rear view mirror the entire way.

When they arrived, the sun had nearly set and there was an even larger crowd hanging out beneath the enormous tent that had been erected directly in front of Dee's parent's house. Dozens of propane heaters were burning, keeping the cold mostly at bay. A country western band was situated on the wide, rambling porch, already playing.

Draco pulled the car around to the rear of the house, but there was simply no hope of parking very close. Not with that many vehicles.

Harry parked beside the blond and when Draco opened the trunk, he nudged the Slytherin toward the house. "I'll get them," he offered. "Do you want them inside the house?"

Draco nodded, still hovering.

Harry lifted his eyebrows. "You'd rather hoof all these inside yourself?"

"Well...no," Draco replied. He never had been the type to enjoy manual labour.

"Then go, see your friend. I'll find you."

Draco went. Straight into the house and to the first empty bathroom he could find where he closed the door and leaned back against it, shaking like a leaf. But hiding in the bathroom at his friend's cousin's wedding reception was hardly the mark of a controlled man, and eventually, he had to force himself to leave the temporary sanctuary. He tightened his tie that didn't need tightening and moistened his lips nervously. 'Keep you're head on, Draco, old boy' he admonished himself. The blond quickly splashed water over his wrists then yanked open the door to brave the world.

Dee stood there in the hallway, a sly smile on her face. "Hiding out?"

Draco made a face and swept past his friend. "Not in this lifetime," he answered with an arrogant tone.

Dee laughed and took possession of the powder room. "Sell it somewhere else, honey."

There were people everywhere Draco turned as he made his way back downstairs. He stopped in the kitchen, only to be shooed out. He headed outside and despite the hundred or so people who were crowded under the tent, he spotted Harry immediately. The Gryffindor was standing next to the table where an enormous barrel was holding bottles stored in ice, he was holding one of the beer bottles and talking with Tommy.

Draco wondered if you had to have been brought up by muggles in order to drink icy beer outside on a winter.

The lead singer of the band that had been hired was talking, introducing the new bride and groom, who were occupying the center of a wooden dance floor that was set up in the middle of the linen draped tables. A moment later, they began playing again and Draco dragged his gaze away from Harry to watch the newlyweds dance. Within minutes, the couple's parents had joined them on the dance floor.

Dee came up beside Draco. "Pretty romantic," she sighed with a soft smile. The two friends continued to watch as more and more people took to the floor.

"May I have this dance?" Derek asked his cousin as he bowed before Dee offering her his hand.

Dee just eyed her cousin with a suspicious look. "Since when do you know how to dance, and where're your legions of fangirls?"

"Hey," Derek intoned with fake indignation. "I've learned all sorts of things that you don't know about," he finished cheekily, grabbing Dee's hand. He pulled the curly haired teacher unceremoniously toward the dance floor, leaving Draco to smirk after the pair.

The prickling at Draco's nape told him Harry had come up behind him and his smug smile disappeared.

"Here," Harry said, handing Draco a glass. The blond looked at it without accepting.

"It's grapefruit juice, not as good as pumpkin juice, but it's only juice," Harry offered, continuing to hold the glass out towards the Slytherin.

Draco took the proffered drink. "I'm sure it's fine. Thank you." The blond sipped at it, the last thing he needed was to add alcohol to his already shaky resistance.

"How large is your friend's family?" Harry questioned, letting his arm brush Draco's shoulder as the Auror lifted his bottle for a drink. "That dance floor is nearly full and I don't think anyone but her family is on it."

"Lets see," Draco stated as he began to mentally count. "More than thirty, actually. Dee comes from a large family."

Harry nodded. "Well, come on," the Gryffindor commanded after a moments silence.

Draco's fingers felt slippery on the glass. "Where?" he asked nervously.

"So cautious," Harry murmured. "When did that happen?" Draco didn't answer and the raven haired wizard made a soft noise. "More things to hold me accountable for." The Gryffindor took the glass out of Draco's hand and set it on a bare space on the table behind them. He then pulled the blond outside by his wrist to a more private spot where they could hear the music, but not be seen, and released the Slytherin. "Dance with me." He held out one hand, palm upward.

Draco looked at the square palm, the long fingers, and even though the Slytherin was afraid he was making the biggest mistake he'd made in recent years, he slowly settled his hand on top of Harry's.