Chapter One – This is the beginning of the rest of our lives

26th March 1997 7.43pm

"Harry, My Boy!" Harry knew instantly that he wasn't going to enjoy the outcome of this meeting. "why don't you come in and sit down" Dumbledore welcomed Harry as if it was a joyous occasion. Harry looked around and to his surprise saw Draco Malfoy already sitting in front of Dumbledore's desk. Even though Draco had joined the order and spent all Summer with him Hermione and the Weasley's at the Order Headquarters their feelings hadn't towards one another hadn't changed. Although Harry had to admit their fighting was more or less just bickering and the odd harmless stinging hex. "Well I guess that you're wondering why you're both here?"Harry just nodded.

"A most wonderful discovery has been made today boys. One that will bring about the end to this war I am sure."Harry swallowed hard; this was too good to be true. "A sacred bonding ritual has been rediscovered that has long since gone out of practice. If we use this ritual one you Harry your magically ability should be doubled if not tripled; if spells are cast simultaneously."

"Bonding ritual. What exactly does that mean?" His voice was thick with dread half knowing the answer from the grey tint that Draco's face had just taken.

"You will have to be bonded to someone with a similar magical ability to yourself. Someone within the order of course; that limited our choices greatly but it was decided that Draco here is the best match." Dumbledore smiled as if this was the best news in the world.

"Who decided this? Why wasn't I in on the decision making process?" He cried feeling a little sick that at sixteen matters such as this where still being kept from him.

"We were kept from the decision process to stop us from making a fuss. It's easier for them to manipulate us this way." Draco stated his was calm but Harry could hear his anger underneath.

"Tell me who the other choices where?" Defiant Green eyes met blue spared on by Draco's comment.

"Very well. We only identified three possible choices due to other bonds many of the order members had already have with their own spouse and because many members simple weren't compatible."Dumbledore coughed. "We decided that the other two choices were not appropriate and that Draco is really the only choice."

"Who. Where. They?" Harry bit out tired of Dumbledore avoided giving him an answer.

"Draco Malfoy, Severus Snape, and Hermione Granger." Harry almost stopped breathing at the thought that they had actually deliberated over bonding him with Snape.

"What about Hermione? Surely she's a better choice than Malfoy?" He noticed Draco shaking his head in dismay.

"Harry I don't think you quite understand the nature of the bond. We thought that due to the nature of your relationship with Miss Granger that you would prefer to bond with Mr. Malfoy here." Harry frowned confused.

"What our esteemed Headmaster is trying to say, Potter, is that the Order assumed that you wouldn't want to fuck your best friend who is currently fucking your other best friend and that you would rather take a more Gryffindor route and fuck me." Draco spat out his temper getting the better of him.

"That was our reasoning only we spoke about it in a more polite way, Mr. Malfoy." Dumbledore cast a disapproving gaze other Draco.

"Well I'm in no fucking mood to be polite, Headmaster." Harry stared on in horror for a moment at the petulant, arrogant, and rude Draco Malfoy and for one brief moment he nearly begged Dumbledore to bond him with Hermione instead. He knew she would do it for him. Then an image of Ron's heartbroken face came into his mind and a sobbing Hermione. No he couldn't, not to Ron and not to Hermione, and not for his own sanity.

"Your right I can't." Draco scoffed at that as if he had expected no less. "And don't I have a choice in this?"

"Of course you do, Draco. You and Harry both have a choice. You can decide not to bond and this war will rage on and on into the foreseeable future and more needless life's will be lost."

Manipulative bastard.

2nd April 1997 11.53pm

When entering Dumbledore's office Harry was greeted by a wall of awkward silence. "You ok, mate?" Ron's call pulled him to his side carefully avoiding the one person he knew he wouldn't be able to avoid again once they left this room. Ron patted him on the shoulder and gave him a small smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. Harry gave him a small nod.

"Harry I wish there was another way I'm so sorry it's come to this." Hermione said quietly her eyes a little more watery than usual. He didn't blame her or anyone in the room for his current predicament the only one to blame was Voldemort.

"Hermione please don't cry." Harry pleaded taking the girl into his arms. "We've all done our best and that is all I could ask for." He let go of her and gave her a smile and she smile back; it was a real smile. In fact it was the first real smile that he had seen all day and that smile gave him all the courage he needed. Harry took a deep breath he stepped forwards letting everyone else know that he was ready.

There was a steady hand on his shoulder then. "You know that your parents and Sirius would be so proud of you right now. You're sacrificing so much for this world than most would ever allow." Harry didn't need to turn around to know it was Remus who said that. He didn't turn round no matter how ever much he wanted to and beg Remus to take him away somewhere, anywhere, just away from this room. He carried on walking though. "I know" Harry whispered.

"Are you ready to proceed?" Dumbledore asked motioning for Harry to step forwards.

"As I'll ever be." Harry muttered quietly as he walked towards Dumbledore stopping into the ancient ritual circle which had taken two days to complete. Every member of the Order had been shipped into at their magic to the circle by drawing their chosen rune. The runes where meant as blessing on the bonded pair and the more runes the stronger their bond was suppose to be. The more practical order members had drawn runes which meant strength and power; though some of the woman had been deluded blessed them with more romantic runes such as love, faith and happiness. Draco was already inside the circle waiting for Harry.

"Let us begin." Dumbledore touched his wand to the circle; the golden hue from his wand spread lighting up the rest of the circle and the gifted runes. The ritual began as Harry thought about everything that he was giving up for the Wizarding world; love, children, happiness."Please could you both now place your right hands together and interlink your fingers?" Dumbledore stated clearly and firmly and they did as they were told like obedient pets. A load chime sounded through Dumbledore's office signally midnight. A jet of gold light shot from the Headmasters wand and circled their joined hands. "By the power invested in me, on the stroke of midnight, I bond these life time companions together for eternity and beyond" A bright white light filled the room disappearing just as quickly as it had appeared. That was it they were bonded Harry thought a little bitterly. No huge speeches or fancy Latin words; just a couple of spells and a circle with a few runes in. Harry and Draco dropped each other's hands and that's when Harry first felt it. Like a little niggling feeling in the back of his mind on the edge of his subconscious; the bond he shared with one Draco Lucius Malfoy. Harry noticed then Dumbledore signing a scroll with a golden feathered quill which he then passed to Harry the scroll turning around to face him too. He didn't make a fuss but quickly signed the dotted line underneath his name hardly flinch as the back of his hand opened. He passed it quietly to Malfoy and closed his eyes tiredly as Draco's blood red signature dried next to his. The scroll rolled up and disappeared along with the pen and Dumbledore clapped his hands.

"My I now present Mister Harry James Malfoy-Potter and his Husband Mister Draco Lucius Malfoy-Potter." The room applauded as Harry cringed hearing his new name made it all very real. Their hours of arguing over which order their surnames would be seemed pointless now; overshadowed by the reality of the future. A future bonded to Draco bloody fucking Malfoy.

"Well this has been pleasant and all but I think I'm going to take my leave. Thank you all for attended." Draco spat voice dripping with disdain, sarcasm, and about a million other nasty things. Harry watched him pushing past the guest, the Order really, as he fled the room.

"Are you ok? How do you feel?" Hermione whispered soothingly once the doors had slammed behind Draco.

"I'm bonded to Malfoy; how you would feel?" Harry snapped back he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Sorry I shouldn't have snapped it's just..."

"Awful, disgusting, terrifying? We understand, Mate." Ron placed an arm round his shouldered trying his best to comfort his best friend. "Do you feel any different? Can you feel the bond?"

"It's there. I can feel it... or him." Harry shuddered.

"You better go and find your husband, Potter? As you are well aware the bond is yet to be completed." Snape sneered at him.

"Fuck off you greasy Bat." Harry thought to himself wishing he had the guts to say that to Snapes face.

"Potter?" Harry jumped when he heard Draco's voice in his head; Ron and Hermione turned questioning gazes on him.

"Malfoy?" He thought a little unsure.

"What's wrong, Harry?" Hermione questioned bringing the attention of the rest of the room back on to him.

"I can hear Malfoy... in my head." There was a collective gasp around the room.

"You're sure?" Snape snapped glancing quickly at Dumbledore.

"Of course I'm sure." Harry nearly shouted.

"It seems the spell has worked better than anyone could have expected!" Dumbledore announced unable to keep the glee from his voice. "Harry and Draco's minds are connected through the bond. This is more than I dared hoped for!"

"I'm glad you're happy Headmaster!" Harry muttered before shrugging off his friends and leaving the room. He slammed the door behind him and banged his fist hard against the wall before starting down the stairs. He took a deep breath once he reached the corridor and concentrated on his link with Malfoy. He built up a wall firmly blocking it the way that he had been taught in occulamancy. He'd keep the wall in place until he figured out how to close the link and only open it when it was needed... if ever. Harry knew that this was a skill that would be essential on the battle field. Logically he knew that was why Dumbledore was so happy that they could speak to each other through the link. Shaking his head he turned down the corridor in the direction of his and Draco's rooms. They'd been finished a couple of days ago as due to the nature of the bond Draco and Harry would have to share a bed. That way by morning the bond would be strong enough to let them spend time apart. Dumbledore had explained that during the first few months of the bond or when the bond had been strained they would need to spend a lot of time near each other. As the bond got stronger the more time they could spend apart and Harry hoped that in a few years they would be able to sleep in separate beds and even separate rooms. After numerous meetings with different Order members the true nature of the bond had slowly been revealed to the paired and Harry had been horrified to discover that it was unbreakable. He finally reached the portrait of a night that guarded the rooms which were located in the guest quarters of the castle. The knight nodded to him; Harry had chosen this portrait for the fact that it never spoke. No matter what you said to him or what you asked the knight never answer but only gestured and pointed to the inscription on the golden frame. He had taken a vow of silence until he had found his love that had been taken by giants in the 13th century; He hadn't uttered one word for the last 73 years of his life. Draco had scoffed at this claiming that anyone stupid enough to believe that someone could survive being kidnapped by giants had to be downright stupid.

"One fucking manipulative bastard and one fucking noseless psychopath." Harry stated clearly and the portrait swung open. Draco had assigned the password.

The rooms weren't half bad and in any over situation Harry would have been quite happy to be living in them. The room's decor was plain; stone walls with portraits of various tapestries all in a deep blue or dark green. The living area had a cream leather couch, which Draco was currently spread out on send different coloured sparks from his wand, and two extremely comfy looking chairs facing towards a huge fire place. In the corner was two oak desks each with their own bookshelf above and Harry noticed that the Houseelves had obviously unpacked his and Draco's school supplies. There were two doors on the left hand wall; one leading into the bathroom and the other into their dreaded bedroom. Harry shivered just thinking about their shared bedroom.

"Stop that, Potter!" Draco demanded with a sharp glare. Harry frown questioningly "Stop what?"

"Thinking about that" Draco emphasised gesturing madly with his hands as if that explained all. Harry knew what he was talking about though.

"I wasn't." Harry replied tersely.

"Of course you weren't. People just shiver when they look at a bedroom door because they hate going to sleep." Draco rolled his eyes.

"We should... We should talk about this." Harry collapsed into one of the chairs.

"There's nothing to talk about, Potter. We go in, consummate the bond, and never think about it again." Draco shrugged.

"Surely we should talk about the... mechanics." He knew he must have been blushing like mad but if Draco had noticed he didn't make comment on it which Harry was thankful far.

"Please tell me you know how sex between two men works? The birds and the bees talk isn't something I should have to worry about explaining to my Husband on our wedding night. Surely..." Draco stopped then and Harry was sure his was going to say something along the lines of 'surely you've had the talk from your parents.' Harry was grateful that Draco wasn't making the situation any harder that it had to be by starting fights but he wasn't exactly making things easy either.

"I know how it works! I was just wondering... Merlin, how can I say this?" He frowned.

"You want to know whose going to top and who's going to bottom?" Draco said deadpanned.

"Well... yes." Draco didn't say anything after that and he began shooting sparks from his wand. "Well?"

"Well what, Potter?" Harry was sure he was baiting him.

"You know damn we what, Malfoy." Harry stood up frustrated at Draco utter lack of helpfulness in the situation. He signed and took in a calming breath. "Draco, please, help me out here."

Draco rolled his eyes but put his wand away and sat up, Harry took that as a cue to sit down himself. "I'm trying my best to avoid an argument here, Harry, as I know that will do us no favours. I'll put this bluntly shall I? I would prefer to top and if I know you at all I'm willing to bet that you would also prefer to top." Harry just nodded. "That makes this difficult but I did think about this before tonight unlike you." Harry scoffed at that but Draco silenced him with his hand. "I've made a potion; a lust potion. There are stronger versions out there that would make us so crazed with passion that we would probably forget the whole thing but the ingredients are hard to come by and I didn't want to ask Uncle Sev for them." Harry grimaced at the thought of asking Snape for ingredients for any potion never mind a lust potion. "Exactly!" Draco said noticing Harry's grimace.

"So what will happen if we took this potion?" Harry asked hesitantly.

"We wouldn't be able to control our own urges and we'd have sex. This way there will be no arguments over who tops or bottoms who because we'd be so caught up in the passion that we probably wouldn't care. That's my theory anyway." Draco reached into his robe pocket and brought out two phials of a rose red potion.

"And the downside?" Harry asked sensing that there was most certainly an downside.

"We'll most likely collapse from exhaustion afterwards in the most undignified positions and the fact that we will both be able to remember the whole glorious event which we had no control over will be highly embarrassing. I hate to lose control." Harry nodded understanding.

"I want the potion." Harry said finally. "I can't see myself doing this without it." Draco closed his eyes taking a deep breath but then finally nodded and passed Harry one of the vials.

"Down it all." Draco instructed and Harry did just that.

3rd April 1997 8.32pm

Harry slowly swam back to consciousness frowning a little at all the aches he felt, frowning even more at the warm, naked, and sticky body he felt pressed up behind. It was then that it all came back to him; Oh Merlin! The noises he had made, the noises Draco had made, and the way he had begged...! Harry jumped away from Draco then not willing to think anymore about what had happed. He scrambled around the room finally locating his boxers and dragging them quickly on falling over in the process. When he got back up his eyes locked with the grey eyes of Draco Malfoy-Potter. He felt his face grew hot in embarrassment and he could plainly see Draco's own humiliation in those eyes. Draco shook his head turning his gaze to the ceiling.

"I did warn you." Draco said emotionlessly.

"At least it's done and we don't have to do it again...ever." There was a slight hitch in his voice and Draco snorted. "What's so funny?"

"Too think that I had sex for the last time last night. The last time I will ever have sex and it was taking Harry potter's virginity." Harry looked away; hurt by the fact Draco could throw that in his face now as if he wasn't embarrassed enough.

"I'm going to shower." Harry informed him grabbing a change of clothes as he left the bedroom.

"Don't worry, Dear. I'll be in here burning the sheets." Draco shouted after him. Harry slammed the bathroom door and wiped away angry tears. He knew Draco was only acting like this because he couldn't handle his own humiliation but that didn't mean that it didn't fucking hurt.

After I long shower where Harry scrubbed himself almost raw he dressed and braved the bedroom. He breathed a sigh of relief realising that Draco had left; most likely to shower elsewhere. Harry shook his head realising that Draco had in fact burnt the sheets and with them the mattress.