Disclaimer- Well, obviously I don't own Harry Potter or any of the other original Harry Potter characters in this one-shot…not even Draco (tear), they all happily belong to the incredible J.K. Rowling. However, I do own part of the plotline, the creativity behind the one-shot and any ideas of places, people or objects that I have created.

So there!

Authoress' note- MY FIRST ONE-SHOT! I'm really looking forward to launching it and I hope that it goes down well with you guys. This one-shot is based loosely around a true story, not one of my own and not even one of somebody that I know. It comes from a story that I heard on the radio a few summers ago of a time that changed someone's life and I was so touched by it that I decided to jot down the basic outline of it, re-arrange a few things and then write it up as a HD.

I'd like to add a great 'thanks' for my beta who helped me choose the poem later on and made me realise some of the really silly mistakes that I made :D so ta!

I must make a few issues clear to you though; I don't own a restaurant and I don't know anyone who does so please bear in mind that I don't exactly know how it is run, I just a have a general idea in my mind. I have never been to Italy (another tear) so I don't really know what it's like there and the Italian words featured were found on the Internet so don't expect them to be perfect. In fact, none of the things that appear in this fic have happened to me as I'm only young and have yet to fully experience life, I'm not creating this fic from experience, but simply from the heart and I should think that that's what really counts. SO DEAL WITH IT! Lol XD.

So, now that I've put you off of reading this particular one-shot, go ahead and enjoy my wondrous little ficlet. : D, I'll be waiting for your review!

BG xXx

Perfection in the Form of you.

There is never anything quite like being in love; the ability to care deeply for someone no matter what, constantly thinking of and about them, feeling truly at home and at ease in their presence. The fact that, even after rolling around in the mud, eating garlic and gaining sunburn so severe that they are shedding skin like a lizard; they are still the most incredible being to grace the earth to you.

The sensation of sitting in perfect silence, simply staring into each other's eyes, and the notion of almost sensing how the other is feeling and thinking their exact thoughts. Just knowing that, no matter what, they'd be there for you and-

"Sir?"

Harry Potter jumped as the female shop assistant hesitantly gained his attention. He blinked slightly, glancing around the jewellery shop to check that no one had noticed that he had zoned out, before smiling sheepishly at her.

"Sorry?" He asked.

She smiled knowingly and indicated the item that he had decided upon, "will that be all, sir?" She asked again and he nodded, unwittingly sucking in a deep breath as he took a big step into making a life changing decision.

Love, wonderful as it may be; made you do crazy, stupid and spontaneous things sometimes.

'But this' Harry pondered, 'surely isn't stupid, maybe slightly crazy, but not stupid. And it isn't spontaneous either', he had toyed with the notion for quite some time, almost a year. So no, it wasn't spontaneous.

Harry firmly believed in 'the one', that special person who is perfect in every way for you, that completes you, fulfils you.

Your 'soul mate'.

Harry also believed that his soul mate was Tony, his gorgeous Italian boyfriend.

They had met in the restaurant that Harry owned, not that long after it had opened. Tony had been looking for a small job whilst he settled into a new home and they had been instantly drawn to each other. Harry had been mesmerised by the other man, with his olive skin, striking hazel eyes and silky, chocolate brown hair, and he was delighted to find that Tony also had a wonderful personality and an incredible sense of humour. Later on, sensational cooking skills, a taste for the romance and talents in the bedroom to rival a god's, were added to the ever growing mental list of what made Tony so wonderful in Harry's opinion.

The dream man for women and gay men around the globe!

Tony had been equally attracted to Harry's wild yet soft, jet-black hair and piercing, jade green eyes, his sense of creativity and endearing personality making Tony crave to get to know him better.

They had gone on their first date several weeks after meeting, moved into an apartment after a few months and had since been together for four years. It was like a dream for Harry, a dream that he didn't ever want to end; which was why he was he was buying a ring, and not just any ring.

An engagement ring.

He was going to propose to Tony over a romantic dinner that Harry was going cook- Tony's favourite- and a bottle of beautiful champagne. He had decided that he'd go for a traditional method that was used often but was still effective and heartfelt.

He would make sure that it was perfect.

The man behind the counter grinned cheerfully at Harry as he handed him the small bag containing the precious object and he smiled shyly back. Inside, Harry was a bundle of dancing butterflies and slithering snakes, full of hopes and nerves. He was the type of person that took commitment very seriously due to a long history of broken hearts and depression caused by his knack of falling for the wrong kind of guy. And this was why he was certain about proposing to Tony, the only man that he had felt secure with. He knew that Tony would never even consider cheating on him and breaking his heart. Tony wasn't the type to play with people's emotions or lead others on.

Harry clutched the bag in his right hand as he stepped out onto the busy sidewalk, and the wind playfully mussed up his already very messy hair, he had never felt so excited and animated, and yet so unsure and filled with ice cold dread. He knew that something big was going to happen tonight; something life changing and he hoped with all his might that it was a change for the better. Following his feet that lead him in the direction of home, Harry daydreamed of love, champagne bubbles and the glint of candle light on a ring.

Xx-xX

'This is it; this is the moment,' Harry took a deep breath as a comfortable silence fell over the dinner table after Tony's amusing story of 'the new guy at work that fell for the office prank'. He had uncorked the champagne after an exquisite meal and they were drifting into a lull of blissful relaxation.

Harry looked Tony squarely in the eye, summoned all of the courage that he could muster and opened his mouth to speak but the Italian man beat him to it.

"I have something to tell you," he broke their eye contact and looked down at his hands. Harry felt dread uncoil in the pit of his stomach as he read into the other man's body language.

"Yes?" He asked, almost breathless with momentary panic.

"Err, I'm not sure how to say it though…either way it's not going to come out well."

Harry gave a nervous laugh "just come straight out with it, it'll be much easier, I can take whatever it is." Although Harry knew that it wasn't entirely true. He felt liable to break down at any second but he tried to look strong and encouraging for his obviously uncertain and uncomfortable boyfriend.

"Okay I'll do that then" The olive-skinned man inhaled and exhaled deeply before blurting out the four words that Harry dreaded to hear- "I'm seeing someone else."

There was a deafening silence that went on for what seemed like an eternity and made Harry's eardrums throb, as a ringing grew in crescendo in his blank mind.

He had begun to feel increasingly sick and his eyes were dull as he held Tony's guilty stare.

"Who?" The word was whispered, almost as if Harry had simply exhaled sharply but Tony caught it.

"An old friend that dropped by to see how I was doing. We had a few drinks together and things got a little carried away, but it was such a good feeling being with her…it was new and exciting, yet it felt almost as if I was coming home, you know, I was somewhere familiar…somewhere that I knew. I found that I could hardly think about anything but her and how much I enjoyed that one night that we shared."

Harry nodded sadly "that was when you stumbled home at four in the morning, reeking of alcohol and guilt."

"Yes…I love you Harry" Tony paused to reach for the other man's hand but only grasped thin air as it was withdrawn sharply, he sighed "I really do love you, and I'm sorry about what has happened, but I think that this relationship has lost it's appeal, don't you?"

"So you're saying that you want to break up with me," Harry stated, knowing the answer and when Tony nodded slowly, he rose up from his seat and left the table in silence, heading towards their bedroom where he proceeded to sit and simply let the events sink in before softly crying himself into a deep sleep, full of faceless lovers that each produced knives to plunge into his shattering heart.

When Harry awoke it was to an empty apartment and a letter brimming with unwanted apologies. Tony was gone forever and the Italian had taken all of Harry's hopes for a happy future with him.

This was one heart break too many; he simply felt empty inside as if the organ had actually been removed, and he stared vacantly at the table where his life had fallen apart. He would never be able to make it to work on time, and he wouldn't be able to focus properly anyway so he called his second in command at the restaurant and settled down for a day of planning what his next step in life was.

Xx-xX

"Ron? I need help." Ron Weasley was instantly concerned for his friend and listened faithfully as Harry confessed to him over the phone about what had happened. It was a week after the fateful night and Harry hadn't come into work at all.

"I think I'm depressed again," Harry admitted and Ron was immediately on the alert, he had had to deal with the bouts of depression that Harry often sunk into, from the green-eyed man's lack of self-confidence. Fortunately, Ron knew exactly what to do in order to help his friend and had already started to plan out a way to get Harry out of his state.

"You're at home right?" He asked, ready to begin the process straight away.

Harry sighed, "Yes, are you coming over then?"

"Of course I am! Hang tight, I'll be there in fifteen minutes." Ron said and promptly put the phone down, then found and pulled on a coat. "Hermione?" He called as his bushy haired, brown-eyed girlfriend wandered in, a book in her hand and a questioning look upon her face.

"Yes, love?"

"I'm going to Harry's, he's depressed again."

Hermione shook her head sadly "I do feel for him, the poor guy…he's been through so much. Here, if you wait a second I'll come with you."

Ron nodded and she dashed off, returning minutes later with a large bag and a warm coat.

"Ready?" She nodded, "okay, let's go." They stepped out of their house and Hermione admired the colours splashed across the sky, caused by the setting, autumn sun as Ron locked the house up.

Turning to face her, he grinned, "beautiful, absolutely stunning…and the sunset's nice too." She rolled her eyes, laughing. "Right, time to beat some boyfriend blues!" They climbed into the car and set off, Hermione still smiling happily over Ron's playful antics.

They arrived at the apartment a while later and Hermione knocked gently, smiling at Harry when his green eyes and messy hair appeared in the crack of the door. Her smile faded slightly; however, as he widened the gap and revealed the state that he was in. There were dark circles under his dulled eyes, his posture was stooped and his expression was filled with despair and uncertainty.

Hermione gasped and moved as if to hug him, but froze, her gaze asking for permission- which he gave with a tiny nod- before throwing herself at him and enveloping his small frame in a comforting hug.

"Oh Harry," she sighed.

"It really is bad this time isn't it?" Ron said.

"You have no idea..." Harry replied miserably, stepping back when Hermione released him and opening the door wider to admit them.

The apartment was in complete darkness, with all of the curtains drawn with the only light in the entire place being that of the television. Magazines, plates, pieces of paper and clothes were strewn all over the floor space. Ron gingerly picked his way over to the sofa, shaking his head at the ripped photos that were spread over the coffee table. Hermione swept them onto the floor and set down her bag, producing several items such as chocolate and self-help books.

Harry, who had followed them back, smiled, feeling slightly embarrassed. "Sorry about the mess, It just got a little out of hand…really, I only intended to take one day off of work, just to clear my head and try and get back on track…but one day just kinda turned into several."

"It's a good job you called me then." Ron said, shaking his head again, blue eyes filled with sympathy.

Hermione tutted, eyeing him sternly "do you still have those pills?"

"No" Harry muttered.

"Well, it's a good job that I asked the doctor for some spare ones isn't it?" She muttered softly and pulled out the packet with a slight flourish. "Now, take these, have a shower and put on some nice clothes. We're going out." She glared as he opened his mouth to argue he promptly shut it, taking the anti-depressants with a nearby glass of water and heading into his bedroom. Harry knew better than to argue with Hermione from several years of experience, just as Hermione knew how to control the actions of her sometimes stubborn friend from several years of experience. Ron simply knew to keep out of such situations until he was called upon.

The three had been friends for ages, as they had met at collage and gone on to university together. Hermione had studied to become a scientist and Ron had worked to become a sports coach, both of them were very successful in their careers and had recently settled down in their new home.

Harry was incredibly happy for the two of them but occasionally he did feel a pang of jealousy when he saw them together; he had dreamed ever since he was a young child of finding the love of his life and moving into a nice house with them, eventually getting married and having lots of children with the same sparkling green eyes as he had. That dream had, of course, altered when he had discovered that he was gay, but he still yearned to find his soul mate.

Sitting down next to her boyfriend, Hermione spotted the ring sitting on the coffee table and let out a small gasp. Nudging the red head, she pointed it out to him, "I think that's an engagement ring!"

Ron frowned, picking it up and examining the band of platinum. "That would explain why he is in such a bad condition. How does he always get into these kinds of situations? You would think that someone as rare and wonderful as Harry would have good luck and a joy filled life wouldn't you?"

Hermione stared at the ring, her eyes downcast "that's just not how the world works I guess."

Harry had fallen apart so many times in his life and they had always been there to pick up the pieces. It was so easy for him to sink into a depression due to trauma in his childhood; his parents had died in a tragic road accident when he was young and he had been sent to live with his awful, abusive aunt and uncle. Since then, Harry had developed a habit of holding onto those that he loved, for fear of loosing them. But unfortunately it caused a lot of lovers to pry themselves away from him, feeling smothered and tied down they had fled, crushing Harry and his self esteem brutally. Leaving Ron and Hermione to help him get back onto his feet again.

The raven haired man wandered back, looking thoroughly refreshed and much better, but as he spotted the ring that Ron was still clutching, his face fell.

Hermione turned to him, her gaze questioning, "you were going to propose to him weren't you?"

"Yes" he murmured, "I thought he was the perfect man for me. I loved him so much it hurt…but he didn't feel the same way I guess."

The bushy haired girl stood up, grabbing a bar of chocolate and handing it to him. "Don't dwell on it, you've spent enough time doing that already and you know that it's time to move on, Harry. So eat as much of that as you can, grab your coat and let's go."

Ron stood up, and searched for Harry's coat as his friend worked his way through the 'happy hormone' inducing sweet.

"So where are we going?" He asked, already feeling a little better and immensely grateful to have such wonderful friends.

Hermione grinned mischievously "to a club of course!" She tugged on his arm, "come on, it'll be fun and a good way to start your recovery. Maybe you'll even find a new guy!" She nudged him playfully, her eyes twinkling.

Harry couldn't help but grin back, her excitement was incredibly infectious and he allowed her to drag him from the apartment with Ron in tow.

Things could only look up from now.

xX-Xx

The bustle of the restaurants' kitchen was deafening, but Harry found it somewhat comforting as he watched the chefs at work. Occasionally he did a small job to help out, as he found it more fun to be involved and hands-on than just owning and running. Harry had named his restaurant; 'Clash of the Ethnics', and it was so called because of all the different styles of food that were served there. Harry had searched far and wide for chefs with different cooking skills, although quite a few of them were people that he had gone to university with. It was rather large, with a relaxing décor of warm colours and comfy furniture. There were different sections for different cultures and Harry had taken pride in designing each and every one of them. The restaurant had several floors, the space in all of them well used up.

Harry smiled at Parvati Patil as she passed by him, causing her to blush slightly and grin shyly back. His life had certainly gotten a lot better since the break-up with Tony, five months ago. After the trip to the club with Hermione and Ron, Harry had decided that life was for living and proceeded to alter his lifestyle starting with his home. He had moved into somewhere new and decorated it in a completely different style to his old one. He also went out a lot more, not just with Hermione and Ron, but with Seamus as well, their crazy Irish friend who was mad on parties. He had changed his attitude towards certain things, was a lot more relaxed when it came to relationships and had become more open to try new things.

One of these new things was a trip. Harry had decided to take a break from his work and visit his stepfather, Sirius, who had recently moved to Italy. Even though it would no doubt bring up memories about Tony, he thought that it would be good to get away from his daily routine for a week and catch up with the man that he'd grown to love like a father.

He was due to leave in a few days and already the anticipation had him buzzing with excitement.

Xx-xX

The fire burned fiercely, it's warm hues reflected in Harry's eyes as it crackled cheekily and spat sparks high into the night sky. The smell of toasting marshmallows filled the air and people chatted merrily with one another as little children cavorted about, chasing fireflies that danced around. They squealed excitedly over the small 'treasures' they found.

Sirius breathed in deeply, a wide grin plastered onto his face and glanced at his godson who was lying on the grass, staring at the millions of stars.

"What are you thinking about?"

Harry moved his head slightly to look at Sirius for a moment or two "Tony," he turned back to the stars.

Sirius nodded sympathetically.

"I think I'm over it now," Harry muttered after a brief silence, "well, not over it as such…I don't think I'll ever be, but…I feel like I can move on. As if I've turned over the page and started a new chapter."

"Great!" Sirius grinned and leaned forward so that a child could reach over and scoop up the firefly that had been flitting around his head into a jar. "That's a big one!" He exclaimed in Italian, indicating the glowing bug.

The little girl smiled shyly at them, and they all leaned forward to examine the insect.

"I wish I could keep it" she murmured sadly "it's so pretty."

"Ah, but pretty things shouldn't be kept in jars should they?" Sirius said in his best 'wise old man' voice and looked pointedly at Harry who simply laughed. The girl turned to stare at Harry as well, her small face alight with the joys of youth.

"I think you're eyes are pretty, sir," Harry smiled.

"Thank you very much, yours are too you know."

She blushed and giggled happily, running off to show her friends what she had captured.

"Children are funny little things, aren't they?" Sirius stated as they switched back to English and Harry laughed again.

"I think that they're adorable," a wistful edge crept into his voice.

The older man gave him a knowing smile "one day, you'll have one, maybe more…don't worry about it Harry."

"Yeah" They lapsed into another silence and Harry watched the fire vacantly, daydreaming about his future and children with bright green eyes and beautiful smiles.

A flash of white abruptly captured his attention and he blinked, sitting up quickly and searching for the source, his eyes rested upon a man on the other side of the fire and instantly his breath hitched.

The man was stunning, with shocking white blond hair and porcelain skin that was dyed cream by the firelight. He seemed to be alone as the only people around him were children that seemed just as mesmerised by his looks as Harry. The raven haired man laughed slightly as the little ones delighted in sharing everything with him, placing jars of fireflies about his feet, chattering wildly and climbing upon him.

The other man seemed to sense Harry's eyes upon his form and dazzling grey, almost silver eyes locked with his own. Harry gasped as a small smile spread across the others face and he indicated the children climbing onto him with a raised eyebrow.

Sirius watched the interaction with a small smirk "go on, talk to him…you know you want to." He taunted in a singsong voice and ruffled his hair playfully.

Harry shook his head, "no, I wouldn't know what to say, and then I'd look stupid."

Sirius sighed, but his disappointment was short lived as the little girl that had caught the firefly skipped over to them and tugged on Harry's hand, babbling away in Italian with her curly hair bouncing around wildly. Harry hesitated but was soon sent off by a push from his godfather.

As he was dragged around the fire, Harry noticed that the blond man was also being tugged along by a group of other girls and they met halfway between their previous places. The children ran off, giggling madly, their eyes sparkling with mischief.

Harry took a deep breath, this moment was almost magical and he didn't want to ruin it. "Buon pomeriggio," he was immensely relieved to find that his voice sounded normal, even though his cheeks were stained pink.

The other man pulled an odd face "oh goodness…erm, buon pomeriggio to you too."

"Wonderful," Harry cried, forgetting his shyness "you're English!" The other man's posh accent was a heaven send and he found himself liking him more.

"Ah, finally, someone that I can talk to without sounding like a complete idiot. I'm really not that good at Italian," the blonde said, grinning madly "I'm Draco by the way, Draco Malfoy."

Harry grinned back, shaking the outstretched hand "Harry Potter."

"Pleased to meet you Harry, what brings you here to Italy?"

"My godfather, Sirius" Harry indicated to the other man who was watching them closely. "He lives here. Well, I'm also here to take a break from my ordinary life."

Draco nodded "ah, same here. I was driven away by my demanding job and exhausting friend Pansy." He laughed and Harry found himself enchanted by the sound. "Here," Draco sat down and patted the spot beside him, "please sit with me."

The green-eyed man did as requested, drawing his knees up and wrapping his arms around them. They watched the children playing for a while, even though they were practically strangers, they found a comfort in the other's presence.

"I love kids," Harry muttered, not feeling at all weird about sharing this information.

Draco nodded, glancing at him slyly "I bet you couldn't eat a whole one though."

Harry laughed loudly, caught off guard by the familiar joke.

"Would you like some marshmallows to toast?" The blond asked, offering a packet and a skewer that he had produced from his bag. Harry accepted them and set about impaling a few of the soft sweets and roasting them over the fire. Draco did the same and Harry found himself amused by the fact that he had slid them on in a pattern of colours.

"What kind of job do you have?"

"I'm a lawyer, and whilst the job is boring and stressful, the pay makes it worth the while…not that I really need the money, but I still like to earn it. What do you do?"

"I run a restaurant; it's my pride and joy." Harry replied grinning as he nibbled on his still warm marshmallows.

"Nice, what is it called?"

"'A Clash of Ethnics', because we serve several different styles of food."

"Sounds wonderful- uh oh." Draco pointed to the kids heading their way with determined looks upon their small faces. "It seems that they've spotted the sweets."

"Shall we run?" Harry joked, not expecting Draco to jump up. "I was only kidding," he snickered.

"Maybe it's the only way to save our lives; they're evil little things you know. They smoother you to death and then jump on you gleefully."

Harry laughed harder at the ridiculous antics of the other man, climbing to his feet and raising an eyebrow "Where do you propose we run to?"

"America." Draco promptly replied with a playful edge to his voice.

"And what then?"

"We'll change our names and go into hiding. How does an apartment in New York sound to you?"

Harry smiled, sensing the suggestive tone in the blonde's words. "Sounds like a plan."

Xx-xX

"Harry? HARRY?" A loud voice disturbed the raven-haired man's peace and he looked up from his book, the mildly irritated expression upon his face melting as Draco stomped in, pulling a cashmere sweater over his head and messing up his hair. "There you are! What are you doing? Why aren't you getting ready?" The blond grilled.

"We don't have to leave for another hour," Harry sighed, rolling his eyes at his lover and promptly returning to his book.

"Yes and an hour to you just so happens to be five seconds to others. Get up!" He marched out again and Harry immaturely pulled a face at the spot that Draco just vacated, choosing to ignore him and simply settle further into the sofa that he was reclining upon.

Three years had gone by and a relationship had blossomed in that time between the two men, Harry had never felt happier in his life. They had spent that night next to fire together, simply looking at the stars and talking. It had been perfect, everything about it was so right. But all good things come to an end and this particular good thing would have come to an end when the holiday did.

Would have.

They had both swapped phone numbers with promises of keeping in contact, but Harry had been through things like this before and was certain that he would never hear from Draco Malfoy again in his life. And it was with a heavy heart that made his stomach sink, that Harry had packed his things and returned to England. However he had no sooner than returned to his empty apartment, when his mobile had lit up with a text message from Draco. 'I miss you.'

They had met up again not long afterwards and things had simply gotten better and better from then on.

He now realised that the perfect man wasn't really necessary for a perfect relationship. Draco had millions of odd quirks and bad habits, he was 'always right', very bossy, an infuriating perfectionist and a manner of other things… yet all of this only made Harry like him even more. It was what made their relationship so interesting. Harry found that he didn't feel the need to make sure that Draco was committed to him, and was completely at ease with how they were.

Harry looked up as Draco stormed back in and stood before him with his hands on his hips, fixing the green-eyed man with a killer glare.

"Why aren't you up? Why aren't you properly dressed?" He snapped, raising an eyebrow. Harry simply grinned, he loved it when Draco did that; it made him look so comical. "What are you smirking at?"

"You, you're so adorable."

The blondes other eyebrow rose to meet its counterpart and he simply gaped at Harry before scowling darkly, "is that the best that you can do? 'Adorable'?"

Harry grinned again, and reached up, pulling the other man down for a quick kiss.

"Yes" he replied.

Draco looked slightly put out "couldn't you have at least managed gorgeous, sexy, inhumanely hot?"

"Aren't we modest?" Harry teased and Draco growled, pointing in the direction of their bedroom. "Oh Draco, if only you could learn to be a bit more subtle," he laughed as the blond rolled his eyes, and got up, heading off to get changed but not without a swift slap to his lovers behind that sent the blonde tumbling forward into the sofa with an outraged 'ow!'

xX-Xx

Draco tutted loudly as Harry sniffed for what seemed like the fiftieth time that night. "Can't you control yourself? Honestly!"

Harry sniffed again, biting his lip "sorry, it's just so…I don't know, I'm just feeling very emotional right now." He watched Hermione and Ron on the dance floor with a watery grin. "If this is only the engagement party, imagine what I'm going to be like at the wedding." He laughed a little before sniffing loudly.

Draco shook his head exasperatedly as people began to join the newly engaged couple on the dance floor. "I'm going to get some more drinks." He rushed off to the bar.

Harry sniffed feebly again as Ron sidled up to him, a huge grin splitting his freckly face into two.

"Are you alright, mate?" He threw his arm around the smaller man's shoulders.

"Yeah, I'm just so happy for you two."

Ron rolled his eyes in a manner similar to Draco's; Harry had noticed that they were picking up habits from each other and it caused him and Hermione no end of amusement.

"You're not one of those people that cry at weddings are you?" Ron asked, laughing slightly as Harry swiped at his eyes, blushing a pale pink.

"I thought you would have guessed that at Bill's wedding!"

Ron thought back to the day when his oldest brother had gotten married at smirked, "I thought that you just had a very bad cold."

"In the middle of summer?"

"It's possible."

"What are you two arguing about now?" Draco asked as he came up behind them, handing Harry his drink and raising his famous eyebrow at Ron.

Harry couldn't help but grin affectionately again.

Ron sighed, "Harry crying at weddings."

Draco shook his head "it's almost embarrassing, I'm not sure I want to be seen with him. Is there anyway that you could arrange the seating so that I don't have to be anywhere near Harry?"

"I'll see if it can be arranged."

Harry elbowed the two laughing men, grinning despite himself, "shut up!" He turned to Draco "dance with me?"

"Oh, do I have to?" The blonde mock complained as he allowed Harry to lead him away from their smirking red headed friend and towards the other couples.

They spent a while dancing, until suddenly the lights dimmed along with the music. Harry raised his head from its comfortable position on Draco's shoulder to look around in confusion just as the other people around them were.

"What's going on?"

He glanced up to find Draco grinning down at him with a mischievous glint in his eyes, and he was about to ask him about it when a spotlight appeared on the two of them. All Harry could do was gape as Draco dropped down on one knee and held his hand.

'There is a time when freedom must be bound

By what we freely choose to call our own.

For if not, someday we will have found

That we have made the choice to be alone.

I cannot call my love for you a choice:

I simply made a turn and you were there;

And all I was came singing with one voice

To lift my soul ten feet into the air.

But lightning bolts do not outlast the storm:

The years demand not ecstasy but will.

My love for you must take a different form,

One that lasts a lifetime, deep and still.

And so I make my choice, if you'll agree,

And seek your answer: Will you marry me?'

Harry vaguely noticed that his mouth was hanging open and closed it, feeling his eyes well up.

"Oh Draco, of course!" He tugged on Draco's hand, bringing him up for a fierce kiss as hot tears streamed down his face.

The people around them cheered, clapping wildly for them. Harry could vaguely make out the sound of Ron's whistling and hooting as he drew back and beamed at the blonde.

"That was beautiful!"

Draco grinned cheekily "wasn't it? I got it off the internet." Harry just laughed and shook his head. Finding that he didn't mind that Draco hadn't spent hours agonising over the perfect words to say, at all. He loved the fact that Draco had proposed to him at his best friends' engagement party. He adored the way that it had been planned; pretending to grudgingly accept Harry's offer to dance, the spotlight and the dimmed music adding to the atmosphere, the beautiful ring that Draco had produced and was currently sliding over Harry's finger, brimming with felicity and grinning like a buffoon.

Everything was perfect in Harry's opinion. He beamed at Ron and Hermione who had joined them the offer their congratulations', and laughed as Ron sidled over to Draco and loudly muttered 'glad you didn't screw it up, mate' to which Draco had replied in the loudest stage whisper that he could muster 'me too!'

Perfect wasn't the man who constantly showered you with affection and attention. Perfect wasn't someone that constantly preened and adored themselves (although this was something that Draco did, a lot), perfect wasn't the lover that was constantly there, agreeing with everything you say and sharing the exact opinion as you in everything.

Perfect is the person that you wake up next every morning, who is ruffled up and dazed from sleep in a way that endears them even more, in your mind. Perfect is someone who would argue with you, and then try to make up within a matter of seconds. Perfect is the lover that isn't afraid to speak their mind, to stand up and disagree with you, and yet, completely understand and accept where you're coming from and why you feel the way that you do. Perfect is someone that is romantic when necessary, when the mood strikes them and then they proceed to blow you away.

Perfect for Harry, was and is, in every way, Draco Malfoy. Who is slightly over zealous, sarcastic, quick witted, rather bossy and yet completely charming. The very Draco Malfoy who would snap at you and then shower you with apologies and roses. The blond haired, silver eyed, arrogant, hard working perfectionist that would sooner castrate himself than let you walk through the apartment with your shoes on. Draco who had to set out his entire outfit for the next morning every single night, who religiously spends an hour getting ready and then complains continuously at Harry for looking scruffy.

Not many other people could understand why they were together at all. Others passing by often gave the two of them odd looks as they walked along the pavement, which was understandable considering the picture that they created; Draco striding along in an expensive suit, ranting on about something or other, with a deep scowl on his face and madly fluttering hands that uncontrollably gestured, and Harry drifting next to him in his most comfortable clothes, smiling fondly at him as he offered the occasional nod and just generally looking dreamy. Unaccountable love that left the two of them on a constant high despite the lows that it created.

Perfect.

xX-Xx

BG: The only thing that I'm going to add here is...yes...the poem is from the internet lol!