The Noctis Codex | DRARRY

FORTY-FIVE

The atmosphere hung heavy with stunned silence as Harry's words echoed in the open air, seeming to ring out over the crowd with undeniable clarity. All eyes were locked on him, their expressions caught somewhere between shock and curiosity, each guest awaiting his next move. From where he stood, Harry could feel the heat of Draco's gaze and how he focused entirely on him.

Then, from the corner of his eye, he saw Lucius rising from his seat with fury etched into every line of his face. Lucius took one threatening step forward, his voice low but deadly as he demanded, "What do you think you're doing here, Potter?" But before he could approach any further, Narcissa's hand shot out, resting gently but firmly on her husband's arm. Her eyes, intense yet oddly calm, met Harry's. With a quiet authority, she held Lucius back while her silence granted Harry permission to speak.

The dark-haired swallowed, his throat dry, but he forced himself to meet Draco's gaze. In the face of the crowd's murmurs, he hesitated, then took a deep breath and spoke, his voice softer but filled with a raw honesty he couldn't restrain. "I'm not sure if you really wanted this, Draco... or if you had any choice in it," he began, his words faltering for just a moment before he pushed forward. "But I can't... I can't just stay silent and watch you walk away without saying what I need to."

Draco's expression was unreadable, but Harry pressed on, ignoring the increasing tension. "I know it's been months, but not a day has gone by that I haven't thought about you. About... us. About everything we went through together." His voice broke slightly but he quickly steadied himself.

The crowd shifted uncomfortably, whispers and murmurs threading through the air, but Harry barely noticed. His focus was only on the blond. "If this is really what you want, Draco... if this life, this marriage, is something you truly chose... then I'll step aside. I'll walk away, and I'll wish you the best, and I'll hope you find happiness in it." He swallowed hard, feeling his heart pound painfully in his chest. "But if there's any part of you that doesn't want this, that wants something different... if you want to be with me, then come with me now."

While reaching out his hand toward Draco, his heart hung on the edge with a plea held in his eyes. "We could be free, Draco. You and me, together, far away from all of this. Free to live the life we choose, not one that's forced on us."

Murmurs rippled across the crowd, their shock and disbelief evident in every whispered word, every astonished glance. Draco stood motionless, his eyes wide with conflicted emotion, his gaze darting between Harry, the guests, and the expectant figure of Astoria standing quietly beside him. His mouth opened as if he wanted to say something, but no sound came out. His expression was a swirl of longing, confusion, and an unmistakable sadness.

And then Lucius's voice cut through the silence, laced with a cold fury. "Don't you dare, Draco," he warned, his eyes burning with a barely contained anger. The threat in his tone was palpable, his firm stance a silent promise of the consequences should Draco choose to follow Harry.

But as the silence stretched on, Narcissa reached out, her eyes softening with a motherly gentleness as she placed her hand on Draco's shoulder. Her voice was little more than a whisper, but it carried with it a weight of understanding. "Go," she murmured, the smallest smile touching her lips, a faint encouragement only he could hear.

And with that, Draco's expression faltered, a flicker of hope passing over his face as he took a single step forward. Lucius's jaw clenched and his fists tightened as he prepared to rise, but Draco's movements only grew more resolute. Another step, and then another, his gaze never leaving Harry's. There was an undeniable purpose in each stride as he walked away from the life laid out before him, away from the expectations and pressures his family had placed upon him.