Royals II
Prince Draconian Lucius Malfoy, first and only son of the King and Queen, is running around the palace in a panic.
The ball is tonight, and he has to ensure that everything is perfect.
The visit to the royal tailor had gone wonderfully, Ollivander is the best tailor in a century, and Harry has amazing clothes to wear to the ball.
He and Harry had spent quite a bit of time together in the weeks before the ball, and Draco knows it’s true love.
His father, Lucius, does not agree.
“You’ve known him barely two months! How can you be so sure that you share a love that is enough for an inter-class marriage?”
When he had informed his father of Harry, he had said that it was alright for Draco to have dalliances, but he must be prepared to marry someone of noble stature.
Announcing his intent to marry Harry had sent his father into a laughing fit, until he realized that Draco was being serious. He then proceeded to scold him, and try to convince him to marry Prince Longbottom, or Duchess Lovegood.
Telling his father that he preferred men, all those years ago, had gone much the same way. He had simply switched from female suitors to male ones.
So now Draco is running around, making everything perfect, and ignoring his father as he scolds him for being dramatic and to just “Marry one of the dozens of nobles who have courted you!”
Draco stops and sighs, looking around the ballroom and deciding that everything is good enough. Nodding once, he heads up to his room to begin getting ready.
Don’t worry Harry, I’ll sweep you right off your feet.
~*~
Harry is running around the house, trying to get everything ready for the ball.
He’s already washed, ironed, and starched the Dursley’s clothes, polished their shoes, and made sure that Ginger is looking her best to pull the carriage.
All that’s left is to finish helping Petunia with her corset, and then helping everyone into the carriage.
“Pull tighter, boy! I need my waist nice and thin for tonight!” Petunia snaps.
“Yes ma’am,” he says, and pulls the corset as tight as he can manage.
When everything is finally done, he sprints to the well to get some water and takes a cold bath.
He then painstakingly brushes his hair, and makes sure that every single stitch in the immaculate suit he’s wearing is in place.
Just as he’s finished securing his shoes, he hears a carriage outside.
Scrambling out the door, he finds the most elaborately decorated carriage he’s ever seen.
“I presume you are Mister Potter?” The footman asked politely.
“That’s me! Thank you for the ride Mr...?”
The man raised one eyebrow, “Snape, Severus Snape.”
“Mr Snape! Thank you very much!”
He nods, “I am the prince’s personal servant, he specifically asked me to come get you and escort you to the palace.”
“Oh.” Harry stops moving towards the coach and turned towards Severus. “Well thank you, I appreciate it.”
Severus seems amused when he answers, “No, thank you. I thought that boy would never settle down.”
With that, he helps Harry into the coach and closes the door.
~*~
Draco hasn’t been able to make it to Harry, and the ball has been on for hours.
He knows Harry is here, he saw him earlier. But wasn’t able to make his way to him before he was lost in the crowd.
Sighing, he heads to the gardens to get away from the hustle and bustle of hundreds of people all taking at once.
~*~
Harry is devastated. He’s only seen Draco once all night long, and couldn’t get to him before a wave of people had herded them different directions.
Eventually he had gone outside to the gardens, found a gorgeous fountain in a secluded spot, and taken off his shoes and socks to feel the grass between his toes.
It had been foolish to think that they could find each other in a huge ballroom anyway.
He sighed. Tonight is not going as planned.
He started when he heard a commotion in some nearby bushes, until he heard a curse and a familiar head popped out.
“...Draco?”
~*~
Draco is almost at the most secluded spot in the gardens when he’s knocked off the path and into the bushes.
He gets his jacket tangled and curses, before stumbling into the small area holding the fountain.
“...Draco?”
Looking up, he spots Harry sitting on a bench.
“Harry!”
Harry stands up and Draco rushes towards him, “I’ve been looking for you all night!”
“I’ve been looking for you too!”
They stand there hugging for a few precious moments, before Draco takes a step back.
“Harry Potter,” he bows low and holds out a hand. “would you honor me with this dance?”
“Draco Malfoy,” Harry placed his hand in Draco’s. “I think I will.”
And so they dance.
Slow waltzes and fast-paced tangoes. The music from the palace ringing faint in their ears, the moon shining down and lighting everything aglow.
They swish and twirl in the mist from the fountain, the small dewdrops settling in hair and on eyelashes.
The dance long into the night, whispering love confessions and promises of a life together and full of happiness.
And when dawn breaks, it finds them side by side. Curled up under a glorious weeping willow in full blossom, using their jackets as pillows, and Harry’s head resting on Draco’s naked chest.
And if Lucious had just happened to pass by earlier that morning and cover them with a warm quilt, well, no one would believe it anyway.
THE END