Who: Draco Malfoy and Remus Lupin
What: a rendezvous before Remus' wedding to Tonks!
Where: at the church
Status: complete



The part about formal affairs that Draco had always liked least was dressing for the part. The wedding of his cousin to Remus Lupin proved to be no exception, for he was still attempting to smooth down the lapels of his dress robe and surreptitiously adjust his tie while seeking out the man of the hour. Fortunately, Remus was not hard to find. Draco pushed open the door to the small room set aside for the groom and groomsmen and found his former professor, the man who was due to become in name what he had been in feeling for the past few months – family.

Draco brushed aside sentiment, however, and surveyed Remus critically. “Your tie is not straight,” he pointed out, from the doorway.

Remus glanced down at the blasted tie. He despised getting dressed up; he truly did. "Oy, not surprised." He winked. "Good thing she's not marrying me for my style of dress, hm?" He reached up, trying to straighten the thing again.

Draco rolled his eyes, albeit good-naturedly, for once. "Is it safe to point out that Tonks has never had a sartorial bone in her body?"

Remus smirked. "So it's a good thing I have a regular tailor, huh?" He gave Draco a once over. "I'm glad you're here."

Draco made his way into the room slowly, giving Remus a return look that spoke more than he would verbalise, at least in that moment. "It was the least I could do, I think, to make sure that now you've spoilt her, you marry the girl after all."

Gently, Remus swatted at Draco's arm. "Hush, you." He laughed, thinking he had never felt so at peace. It would have been perfect had people such as James, Sirius, Lily, and Severus could be present, but…he couldn't think about that. Not on a day meant for joy and looking forward. "I know she's glad you came as well."

"I believe she'd have had my head if I didn't." Draco did smile at that, softening his features. "Though I'm not certain you wouldn't have gotten there first, Remus."

"Aw, you know me well." Remus flashed a grin, reaching out to take the boy's face in both hands. "Merlin, I am so proud of you, my boy."

Despite himself, Draco flushed a little. "You've no reason to be," he returned, rather stiffly.

"Oh, I don't agree." Remus laughed, letting his hands fall to his sides again. "You're turning into quite a young man." A wave of emotion passed Remus' face, but it passed quickly. "Seems just yesterday we could do nothing but bicker."

"Can't help that," Draco returned with a bit of a smile. "Gryffindor and Slytherin, you know."

"Nah, I think you just like pushing my buttons." Remus gently chucked Draco under the chin before his eyes wandered to the clock. Harry would be back soon and then it would be time to marry Tonks. It was surreal. His heart clenched as he thought about his parents and Ted. How he wished they were present! Pushing aside the thoughts again, he focused on the young man with him. He didn't have all the people he loved with him that day, but he did have this boy and Harry and Andi and the Weasleys…Remus had much to be grateful for. "So you think I can get through this?"

"Am I supposed to be spitting platitudes with you?" Draco lifted a brow. "You wanted this, Remus, and I doubt Tonks will be unwilling to go through with it. Besides, there's Felicity to think of."

"I still want it. It is just the announcing it in front of everyone thing that's got me worked up." Remus laughed at himself, shaking his head. Truth be told he looked younger than he had in years. "You'll stand up there with me and Harry, yeah?"

He was definitely feeling better, that Draco could see. The blond was, himself, looking rather more like the teenager he ought to have been. He would not be the self-satisfied grown-up Malfoy heir that had been planned, but he had grown up, yes. "Yes," Draco confirmed, mouth twitching slightly. "I'm certain we'll not kill each other before the ceremony ends."

"Or, you know, never." Remus' eyes twinkled with some of the old Marauder mischief. "But I do appreciate the sentiment." He did too. Harry and Draco might never become friends, but they were both important to Remus.

"Well. If we killed one another on the Quidditch field and not literally, would that appease you?" Draco queried, shooting him a smirk. "Of course, this time I'll win, which means that he'll want to kill me..."

Remus faked a deep sigh. "Oy, you two will be the death of me, you know that?"

"You'll live," Draco said dryly.

"Apparently if I have this long. But you two DO share a little niece to take care of, you know."

"Felicity will be fine, I can assure you." Though Draco did not much have an affinity for children, he was loathe to put one in the middle of a battle, to say nothing of what he suspected Harry's feelings on the subject would be.

"Good." Remus beamed as he thought about his precious little girl. She looked beautiful in her perfect little party dress. "I expect you'll still visit us often?"

"Yes," Draco confirmed. "Though perhaps... after I get back from a tour of the properties we have left." He knew that the news was not going to necessarily be a shock. He wanted to get away from the chaos of all of it, and taking stock in their holdings was a perfect excuse.

Remus nodded. He understood that need better than most. "You'll write then?"

Draco nodded shortly in return. "At least, I'll try. I can't guarantee eloquence, you know." He wanted space to grieve, too, for Severus Snape; doing that in front of everyone else just didn't cut it. Not for him. He cleared his throat, however, and pushed it aside, trying to be more cheerful. "And if you can't read it, you might as well have Teddy try, he's always been better at reading my scrawl."

Remus chuckled. "I'll keep that in mind. If I can tear him away from Hermione that is." Instinctively, he reached out to envelope Draco closely. "We should go now, but…" He sniffed. "Always, now, alright?"

Draco awkwardly patted Remus on the back; he was definitely still not good at emotional exchanges. "Yes, Remus."

"You know that 'yes' thing is getting old." Remus pulled away, keeping his hands on Draco's shoulders. "But I'll take it."

There was a lightness to Draco's eyes when he looked back at the older man. "You'll live," he repeated dryly, and smiled.

"If you're lucky." Remus nodded toward the door. "Shall we then?"

"Let's." Draco gesticulated that Remus should lead, offering to follow for once. It was a rare gesture, but a sincere one.

"Alright then." Taking a deep breath, Remus smiled once more. "Let's go get me married."