New Years had gone better than either man could have imagined. They started the new year in bed wrapped around each other, not concerned with what the new year may bring. As long as they were together, they could handle anything.

It was New Year's Day where the Malfoy's officially met the Weasley's as Harry's family. The two men had decided to host their families at Grimmauld Place as a middle ground. It would be the most comfortable, and neither family would have any "upper hand."

Once again, Harry was cooking in the kitchen, but this time Draco was baking right alongside him. They moved in tandem, and more than once did Harry think that if this was what he had to look forward to for the rest of his life, he would be okay with that.

"Spill."

"Hmm?"

"You keep looking at me like that. What are you thinking about?"

"That this, we, are my greatest accomplishment. If this is what I have to look forward to for the rest of my life, it was a success."

Harry quickly found himself pressed up between Draco and the counter.

"You can't just say things like that when we're on a strict time schedule and I can't have my way with you."

Draco kissed Harry thoroughly, one hand splayed across his stomach and the other softly caressing his cheek. It was sweet, much softer than Harry was expecting given what was said.

"We have all the time in the world, Draco."

"I never thought that I would have this," Draco said quietly, wrapping his arms around Harry's neck. "Most of the time I don't even believe that you're real."

"I'm real, and I belong to you Draco."

Harry sealed his promise with a kiss.

"I belong to you Harry. For as long as you'll have me."

"I'll have you forever. Today is going to go well, and our families are going to talk about this meeting on our wedding day."

"Our wedding day?," Draco asked quietly, looking Harry in the eyes.

In his boyfriend's eyes, he saw love, but also the promise of a future.

"I'm not proposing yet, but I'm in this ideally for forever. You were my wish, my star. You're my chosen one."

Draco giggled at the wording, he couldn't help it.

"I'm the Chosen One's chosen one. Does that make me better than you?"

"You are my better half," Harry agreed, fondly shaking his head with a laugh.

Draco kissed him softly once again. He couldn't help himself.

"The answer is yes."

"Yes?"

"When you propose. My answer is yes. Unless I beat you to it."

"Knowing us we would choose the exact same day to propose."

That was how their families found them, still in the midst of discussing their future proposals.

"I would hate for it to be in front of a large crowd," Draco carried on, kissing his mother on the cheek as he took her coat.

"I think it should be intimate, just the two of us. But with someone there to take pictures."

"See Narcissa, I told you this wasn't too soon. Draco, I've gone to our vault and collected the rings."

"The rings?," Draco asked, putting emphasis on the.

"What rings?"

"As we are a part of the sacred 28, our wedding bands hold a lot of meaning. There is a specific pair of rings that were used when one of our family members proposed to a muggleborn. They weren't so easy to track down, it took me a month's time, but I have them."

"Oh," Harry said softly.

"Of course, many of us use those rings as promise or engagement rings, and get new wedding bands for the day. Superstitions and all of that."

Molly and Arthur exchanged a surprised look.

"I'm sorry, you approve of their relationship?," Molly asked, seeking clarification.

"I didn't at first, but Harry makes Draco happy. He will also help him succeed where I have failed. There are no negatives to this relationship that I can see. Obviously producing an heir becomes much harder, but it isn't impossible."

"I see," she said slowly, giving Lucius a long look, before raising an eyebrow at Harry.

He nodded and shrugged his shoulders. This conversation had already been held with Lucius. Draco's father had been tipsy of course, but the sentiment remained the same.

"So Draco, Harry told us about your first trip to the muggle supermarket. That sounds absolutely fascinating..."

Legs tangled together later that night, Draco's head was resting over Harry's heart, listening to his heartbeat.

"Harry?"

"Yes my love?"

"What's going to happen when we go back to Hogwarts?"

"I'm going to kiss you against every available surface because I can," Harry teased, nuzzling his face against Draco's. "What do you want to happen?"

"I don't want to hide us, but I don't want to flaunt it either you know? Ideally I'd love to mark your neck and kiss you whenever and wherever I want so that everyone knows you're mine, but we don't need that attention."

"Do you ever wish we weren't us?"

"Sometimes, yes. That's only because I'm confident that I'll love you in every lifetime."

Harry kissed Draco in response, not quite yet ready to say those three words yet.

As the school year continued on, Harry and Draco were ignored for the most part. As much as they could be for who they were anyway. Most of the student body thought they were already dating before things became official, so not much had changed.

The only person they officially told was Arabella, and the art classroom remained as their secret escape. It was the only public part of Hogwarts where they felt comfortable and safe enough to freely embrace each other.

Their relationship first hit the papers around Valentine's Day. They had been photographed with their arms draped around each other, sharing a scarf. It was just close enough to appear a bit too friendly.

Surprising everyone, Lucius gave a statement where he was quoted as saying he would support Draco in any relationship he was in. If that wasn't surprising enough, he also recommended that those interested in Harry's love life should better spend their time by volunteering or making donations to Harry's favorite causes in his name instead of keeping his name in their mouths. Of course, it was stated much more eloquently than that, and Harry would be lying if he said he didn't appreciate someone speaking up for him.

The only time Harry gave an actual interview was right before graduation, alongside Draco, but it wasn't for the Daily Prophet, it was for The Quibbler. Their jointly created potion was ready to head into the clinical trials phase, and they couldn't be happier. Harry was careful to monitor the response to their interview.

Luna: "Harry, Draco, thank you for joining me today!"

Harry: "Thank you for having us Luna."

Draco: "It's our pleasure."

Luna: "Can you give us a basic overview of your potion?"

Harry: "Where would you like us to start?"

Luna: "From the beginning of course. Where did your idea come from?"

Harry: "Remus Lupin was the defense against the dark arts professor in our third year. He went above and beyond for his students, he did so much for me personally, and he was greatly mistreated by those who knew of his affliction. Yes, he was a werewolf, but he wasn't mad. I witnessed his change personally, and myself and those around me remained safe. Draco can talk about the potion itself in more detail."

Draco: "With this improved wolfsbane potion, it's our hope to make the transition painless, and to allow the partaker to keep a better hold over their mental faculties."

Harry: "And it tastes better."

Luna: "How did the two of you come to work together? It was a surprise to most people. Not me of course, I always knew you were destined to be together."

Draco: "Harry asked me actually. He was the brains behind the whole potion. All I did was review his research and aid in the actual brewing process."

Harry: "Draco is underselling himself. He's worried that if people know his name is attached to the potion they won't want to use it. I think that people can change, and while we should be held accountable for our past transgressions, we need to learn how to let things go.

Draco had a fair trial, he served his given sentence, and it's done with now. I don't know why people who ran and had absolutely no involvement in the war think they've earned the right to judge others. We were all forced into a war by the generation before us. If you want to blame someone, blame them. Blame Voldemort. Blame the adults who forced children to fight in a war."

Luna: "That's very insightful Harry, thank you. Do either of you have anything else to add?"

Harry: "I'm very proud of what we've been able to create together. I know this will help a lot of people, so I hope that it's given a fair chance."

Luna: "It's so wonderful what you've both been able to do. I know we all can't wait to see what you accomplish next, together."

Draco treated Harry to a very nice dinner after his interview comments that night. By this point, Draco was completely moved into Grimmauld Place, and the two men tended to slip away there during weekends for some privacy and peace of mind. Harry didn't mind hosting their friends in their home either, and it led to some wonderful weekends spent together.

"I like the house like this," Harry whispered in Draco's ear.

They were hosting one last get together before everyone began their next journey since they had graduated.

"Like what?," Draco whispered back.

"Happy. Full of life. This is everything I always dreamed about. Having a family, good friends, and someone by my side who loves me in the way that I love them."

"I'll love you forever Harry Potter."

"I'll love you forever right back... Draco Malfoy-Potter."

With matching bands on their intertwined fingers, both men knew it was only soon enough before it became official. For now, they were satisfied with being promised to one another. They would take on the world together, one challenge at a time.

Completed: November 29th, 2023