Happy Traditions, dorito2000! Title: Something Borrowed, Something Blue Author: ??? Gift For: dorito2000 Pairing(s): Harry/Draco, mention of Ron/Luna Summary: If you asked Harry Potter - which, sadly, no one did - he would have told you that all those silly wedding traditions were completely and totally unnecessary. Rating: R (barely) Warnings: Author's notes: Thank you to ??? for once again being a crazyfast beta! I hope you enjoy this, dorito2000!
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Weddings in general are all about tradition: something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue. And then there is the "you can't see the bride before the wedding" and "the father of the bride must walk her down the aisle" stuff.
And that is just the "big things" – you can't forget about the proper table placement etiquette and which wines go best with which cheeses, can you? Of course not. It would become the biggest scandal of the social season!
If you asked Harry Potter –which, sadly, no one did – he would have said that all those things were completely and totally unnecessary.
He preferred simplicity, so when his fiancé finally proposed after seven years of dating, his imagined wedding was only this: Harry, Draco, a few witnesses, the minister, and drinks afterwards. Perhaps even a day or two in the country as a little get-away afterwards.
Draco, however, had another idea, and if there was one thing Harry had learned in seven years, it was that you don't stand in front of Draco when he really, really wants something. And he really, really wanted this wedding to be the very essence of frivolity.
So Harry had caved in and agreed. His wedding was transformed from a few witnesses to over two hundred guests, drinks with some friends afterwards to a massive reception, and a few days in the country to an extravagant honeymoon touring Europe.
But Harry was okay with that. He could handle all the craziness if it meant Draco was happy – and Draco's grin now closely resembled that of the Cheshire Cat's.
Now it was finally the big day, and Harry didn't think he had ever been more scared in his life.
He was positively trembling as he knotted his tie, so much so that even Ron noticed.
"Alright, mate?"
Deciding that honesty was the better part of valor, Harry responded, "No. Not really. I am absolutely terrified."
Never one for all that girly "feelings" and "emotions "stuff, Ron just patted Harry on the back and said, "You love Draco. Draco loves you. It will be alright."
Ron was right, for once in his life, Harry knew. But that did not stop his hands from shaking.
Just then the door swung open to reveal a highly flustered Draco Malfoy, soon to be Draco Malfoy-Potter.
"Harry!" he barked, "You are an imbecile of the highest order! Do you realize what you have forgotten?!"
"Um," Harry stuttered, still reeling at the oddest insult he had probably ever received, "No."
"Something old," Draco gritted, "Something new, something borrowed, something frickin' BLUE. I do not see any blue on your person. I knew you would forget..."
Suddenly Harry remembered a conversation from about a week ago where Draco impressed upon Harry the importance of this tradition. Quite frankly, it had gone in one ear and out the other.
"Oh, well, I am sure I can find something."
"Harry! It cannot be just anything! It has to be special! That is the whole point!" Draco's face was flushed, and Harry had a hard time concentrating on the fact that he was up that one creek without a paddle, when Draco was standing there looking so damn sexy in that tuxedo.
"Draco, darling, does it really matter?"
"Yes!" Draco snarled, "It is tradition."
"Is there anything at all that is traditional about us, Draco? Arch-enemies from first glance. Ex-Death Eater… Harry Potter. MAN… MAN. I see zero semblance of tradition whatsoever in this relationship."
"I am well aware of that Harry," Draco went back to gritting his teeth, "Which is why it is so important in our wedding! We are making up for what we can't in other areas. Balancing it out."
Harry sighed, reminding himself that Draco was like a bull dog – once he sunk his teeth into something he never let go.
"Alright, then," he said, "I will Apparate home and get something. It will only take me a minute."
"Thank you, Harry," Draco said, his voice suddenly softer and much more intimate, "I know all of this makes you uncomfortable… I really appreciate everything you are doing for me." Harry raised his hand to Draco's cheek and lightly kissed his lips, hearing catcalls from Ron.
"See you soon. And you had better not be here when I get back," Harry teased, "Did you forget – I am not supposed to see you before the wedding."
Harry heard Draco's deep laugh just once before he apparated and found himself back in the bedroom of their flat.
He looked around – something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue. What on earth am I going to use?
Riffling through his bedside table, he recalled the bracelet Hermione had got him as an engagement present that he had yet to wear. He clasped it on his wrist and checked off 'something new' in his little mental list.
'Something blue' was easy to find; Draco himself had been wearing a blue tie, so he could not get mad at Harry for going that, too. Harry searched for the one he had worn on their first real date and tied it up with a fond smile.
For 'something old,' Harry twisted his father's Gryffindor ring onto his pinky finger (the only place it would fit) with a grin, knowing it would incense Draco.
The 'something borrowed' was really giving him a hard time, and he considered going back and finding Draco to ask for help when he finally figured out what to use.
Harry could not help but laugh as he apparated back to the church.
*****
The ceremony went flawlessly, and the reception was a complete success.
And for once, Harry was completely and absolutely content.
Here he was, twenty years after he made one choice at a place looking suspiciously like King's Cross, holding the love of his life tightly in his arms.
"Are you ready to go?" he whispered into Draco's ear, "I think the portkey's leaving in about a minute."
Draco nodded and together they grasped an old soda can and called out one last round of goodbyes to all the guests still chugging the finest champagne money could buy and packing away food made by the best caterers in the business.
Then Harry felt a sharp tug in his belly and the next thing he knew, he was staring at a massive king bed in the Penthouse Suite at the Hotel Ritz in Paris.
"Um, that's a pretty impressive size." He stammered, looking around wide-eyed at the spacious suite.
"You had better be talking about me," Draco grinned.
"Yes, Draco, you're pretty er… impressive, too."
"I know," Draco said, ever the modest one, and pulled Harry down by his lapels on to the bed. "But you have some explaining to do, mister."
"Oh, really?" Harry drawled, "What must I be explaining?"
"Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue," Draco whispered each word into Harry's ear with a seductive lilt that nearly sent him over the edge, "I do not see everything."
"How about you tell me first, Draco? You explain yours."
"Show me yours and I'll show you mine, eh?" Draco smiled, "That sounds alright."
His hand flew to the light blue tie on his shirt, "Something blue."
Next it was his Malfoy family ring, "Something old. Do you remember how I stole this from the Manor while the Ministry was torching it? God, what a night that was."
Yes, Harry remembered that night vividly; it was the first time Harry saw Draco as something more than just a childhood rival. Seeing someone, even your worst enemy, dissolve into tears as their childhood home burned to the ground behind them could do that.
"Something borrowed," now he showed Harry the elegant cufflinks adorning his tuxedo, "And you'll never believe who I borrowed them from… Ron. He wore them when he married Luna. I thought you might like that."
Harry nearly dissolved into tears himself with that; Draco and Ron had never particularly got on, and that was putting it lightly. The fact that they might just be nearing friendship – for his sake –was incredible.
"And something new," Draco said and held out his shiny shoes for Harry to see. He grinned and said, "I just could not resist."
Harry laughed and gave Draco a quick kiss, "Alright, then. I guess that means I get to show you mine now…"
Waggling his Gryffindor ring in Draco's face (making Draco squirm away) he sing-songed, "Something old."
"Ugh, get that repulsive thing away from me, Potter!"
"Potter-Malfoy," Harry corrected, his smile so wide he thought his face would split. "It's Potter-Malfoy, now."
"Well, yes," Draco said, his voice husky, "You are correct, Mr. Potter-Malfoy."
He let his gaze linger on Draco's, and the energy and lust that crackled between them nearly made Harry snap.
"Something new," he held out his hand to show him the bracelet there, "Got this from Hermione as an engagement present. Just never got around to wearing it."
"Thank Merlin," Draco sniffed, "It is a good thing your jacket covered it up. It is hideous! Why you would take fashion advice from Hermione of all people is beyond me."
"Heyyy," Harry punched Draco lightly on the shoulder, "I thought it looked pretty good!"
"You thought wrong. Anyway, continue."
Harry now flipped his tie at Draco's face and said, "Something blue. Remember when I wore this?"
Draco's eyes were fixed on the tie and his voice became husky again, "Our first date. Another fabulous night."
Harry laughed, "I would not call it fabulous! The food was horrible, if you recall. And the wait staff was even worse!"
"Yes," Draco conceded, "But the company was amazing, don't you think?"
Harry smiled, "Yes. And if it somehow led to this, I do not think it could have been all bad…"
The unbearable energy was back again and it was only thanks to some incredible will-power that Harry restrained from tearing Draco's clothes off his body.
Snapping back into focus, Draco prompted, "Something borrowed? I do not see that anywhere."
"Oh, that can't be seen by the naked eye." Harry stated mysteriously.
"Oh?" Draco raised one elegantly arched eyebrow.
"Well, it all really depends on how one interprets 'naked'…"
"This is getting more and more interesting with every item, Mr. Potter-Malfoy. Please do continue."
Slowly, Harry peeled off his jacket. His tie came off next, flying off into some corner of the immense room. The shirt was after that, helped along by Draco's nimble fingers.
Socks were then pulled off, and now Harry stood up from where he had been lying down on the bed.
One at a time, he undid the button on his pants. The zipper came down at an almost painful pace before he stepped out of the slacks.
Draco, who had been practically drooling the whole time, now started to laugh uncontrollably.
"That is your something borrowed?! Good Merlin, Harry, I don't think anyone has ever done that before!"
Harry had snuck into Draco's closet and picked out the most interesting boxers Draco owned.
This particular pair was one given to him as a gag gift from Theodore Nott in sixth year. Draco thought he had tossed them out, but apparently not….
Light purple with rainbows and hearts everywhere, little unicorns danced across the pants, proudly proclaiming, "I'm horny!"
"Those…" Draco gasped for air, "Those are ridiculous! I did not know anyone else knew about them!"
"I have my ways," Harry said mysteriously. "Well, actually, I just snuck into your closet. I was looking for those silky green ones, actually. They are my favorite, and they just look so damn soft! I was really looking forwards to wearing them, but when I saw these hidden away, I could not resist. I'm horny! Honestly, why on Earth did you get these boxers?"
"Gag gift from Theodore. Thought it would be amusing after I accused him of being as horny as a unicorn."
"A unicorn? You actually said that to him? You actually said that somebody was as horny as a unicorn?"
"Yes," Draco was flushed, "Okay, so it's not one of my better comebacks, I will admit."
"One of your best? No, I would say it is probably closer to 'worst ever.'"
"It did shut him up though," Draco interrupted, "So it got the job done."
"Yes, I suppose it did. But my main concern here is not unicorns or comebacks."
"Indeed?" Draco smiled, looking coy, "And what is?"
"You," Harry accused, "Have far too much clothing on. I would like to request that you remove it immediately." "I think I might be able to handle that… with a little assistance, of course."
Harry was more than eager to help; he ran his hands across Draco's broad shoulders and lightly tugged the lapels of the jacket to the sides. He slipped the jacket off and tossed it over his shoulders.
"Oi! That's Armani, Harry. Show a little respect for designer wear!"
Harry just grinned and twirled Draco's tie around his finger, "Of course, Mr. Malfoy-Potter. I aim to please."
Now he unknotted the tie and with exaggerated care made a show of folding it up on the bedside table. Draco groaned and shifted his hips against Harry's in impatience.
Harry laughed and said, "Tut, tut. You asked for respect, I am merely abiding by your wishes."
"I would rather be completely naked and writing underneath you right now."
Those words struck Harry and he moaned softly at the thought.
"Well, when you put it that way…"
He now made short work of Draco's shirt, actually tearing the seams a bit with the rush. His pants practically flew off next.
Now they were both clad only in their boxers, lying next to each other on the huge, king-sized bed.
Harry's mouth covered Draco's as they moved together, their bodies so close they were practically one.
His hands were running down Draco's sides, trying to feel every inch. Trying to soak it all in, to become just one heart and one soul, instead of two separate ones.
"Why don't we take these off," Draco whispered, fingering the elastic band of Harry's – or Draco's, rather – boxers.
Harry slid Draco's off his slim hips, and then was helped by Draco to wriggle out of his own.
They moved in unison, each touch more gloriously painful than the last. He was getting so close to the edge, so close to falling into the oblivion.
One more touch. One more thrust.
Then he saw stars, and knew no more.
A few hours later they were still lying in bed together, not moving, not speaking. Just… being.
It was wonderful to know that they were now joined completely – mind, body, soul and future. Together.
"Shall we go another round, Mr. Potter-Malfoy?"
"Oh, I don't know, new husband of mine… I do not quite believe that is tradition!"
Draco was silent for a long moment.
"Screw tradition. Nobody likes it anyway. It is lame. So last season. So passé!"
"I could not have said it better myself, Mr. Malfoy-Potter…"