Flowers

Epilogue

I've never been as scared as I am right now. Draco stands across from me, his lips twisted a happy smile. Our hands our clasped between us, mine sweaty and warm while his are as cool and steady as ever. The ceremony official talks for what feels like forever, our friends and family watching with teary eyes and happy smiles. All I can see is Draco and his eyes never stray from mine.

The official casts a spell and a gold ribbon falls softly around our clasped hands, binding them together. It's time for our vows.

Draco looks into my eyes and tears sparkle in his own. "Harry, we didn't always get along. In fact we kind of hated each other in school." A laugh ripples through the crowd. "But somehow I always knew I loved you, even when it felt like we might tear each other apart. So I promise to love you and care for you. I promise to never leave you. You've saved my life and I've saved yours in more ways than one. I've seen you at your lowest and your highest points and I've loved you through it all. And I'll love you through this life and the next, because Harry Potter, I didn't believe in soulmates until you became mine."

We're both crying at this point, and I wonder if I can even speak long enough to choke out my vows.

"Draco," I manage to sob. "I really shouldn't have let you go first because now I'm going to cry all the way through mine." We both let out a choked half-sob half-laugh. "But Draco I love you. I love you more than life, more than myself, more than I have ever loved another person before. Before we started dating, I didn't think I would live to see the end of the school year, hell I didn't think I would make it another week before I did something stupid. Then we started dating and I had a reason to live, a reason to get out of bed every morning. That didn't fix everything but it made it easier to heal. And I think I am healing. It's slow and sometimes it's painful, but you make it worth it. I love you and I want to wake up beside you every morning. I promise to comfort you when you're upset, and to celebrate with you when you're happy. I promise to love and to care for you for the rest of my life. Death has tried and failed to part us and I promise you that nothing can pull me away from the life we are going to build together."

Draco pulls me into a kiss, one that shakes me to my core. It's soft and sweet and salty from the tears that still stream onto our faces. Happiness like nothing I have ever known blossoms in my stomach, and for the first time in a very long time, pure bliss spreads through me.

I am marrying the man that has broken and fixed me with his own jagged edges and dark corners. I am marrying the man that loves me despite my own darknesses and who I love despite our past. For the longest time I didn't think that I could ever deserve a happy ending.

This is my happy ending. This is my hard earned reward, a lifetime to spend with the man I love, not the woman everyone expected me to chose. For once, I know that I deserve this. I bled and hurt and died for the people around me, to protect their right to a happy ending. And now I get to have mine.

As Draco pulls me closer, our future flashes in my eyes. All I can see is love and happiness for the rest of my life. I smile wide and pull away.

"I love you Draco Malfoy."

He beams at me with tears in his eyes, to overcome to do anything but nod.

"I love every bit of you," I whisper harshly, crashing my lips against his once more.

"And I love you," He rasps.

We pull away and turn, hand in hand, to our bright future, together as it was meant to be.