Chapter 3: The Storm Inside Harry

Harry woke up the next morning and opened the windows of his flat. The morning was crisp, not a cloud in the sky and the sun was shining beautifully. It wasn't hot, nor was it unusually cold. The weather seemed flawless.

"Perfect day for a wedding, yeah?" Ron asked walking into Harry's room.

"Yeah, let's hope so," Harry said. He immediately thought of Malfoy and wondered if the perfect weather had anything to do with him. Was he repaying Harry with an apology and the perfect weather, or was he happy himself that now he had a real boyfriend and didn't obsess over Harry?

The thoughts of Malfoy and Troy haunted Harry all morning until it was time to arrive to the Ceremonial Grounds again. Harry entered the tent and was happily informed by Hermione that everything was perfect. They didn't even have to use any temperature controlling charms because the weather was just so amazing.

Harry smiled at her and took in the view of the room, the room he'd helped Ginny design for the wedding from the curtains, to the candles, to the flower settings. Everything in the room spoke of how Harry and Ginny were together. Everything was complete. Then what was wrong?

"Hermione, I have to talk to Ginny," Harry said. He didn't know why, but he did and it had to happen now.

"Harry, you can't see the bride before the ceremony. Especially not now, when everything is going so great!" Hermione argued.

"I don't care, Hermione, I need to talk to Ginny. Right now."

Hermione was hesitant but she finally nodded. "Okay, come with me," she said and led Harry away from the main tent and to a small tent that was being guarded by George and Charlie.

"What's going on?" Charlie asked.

"Wait here," Hermione said and went into the tent. A few moments later she returned and placed a blindfold on Harry and led him to, what he thought, the inside of the tent.

"Ginny?" Harry wondered.

"Harry, what's the matter?" He heard Ginny's voice approaching him and soon they were holding hands.

"Ginny..." Harry paused. "I can't talk to you like this, Ginny. Can I please take the blindfold off?"

"Of course," Ginny said. "I don't know why Hermione insists on these silly traditions."

Ginny helped Harry untie the knot. Harry put on his glasses and took in the room and Ginny. The Bride's changing room was twice the size of the ceremonial tent. He looked at Ginny who wore a different dress than the last time they had tried to get married. Ginny's new wedding dress was sleeveless and had fabric wrapped around her neck that made it look like a necklace.

"Ginny, you look...beautiful." Harry let out a sigh. "Breath-taking, really," he said.

Harry saw Ginny blush and her gaze fell. "Thanks, Harry," she said shyly.

Everything about that moment made Harry hate himself.

"What's the matter, Harry?" she asked, concern all over her face.

"Ginny...I don't think...I mean...I don't want to get married. I don't want to marry...you." Harry didn't know what to do, how to act. He bit his lip and his eyes searched Ginny's face for a reaction. For the first time in years, Harry had managed to tell Ginny how he really felt and he was frightened beyond all reason.

SMACK!

Harry's left cheeked burned.

"Of all the fucking times I asked you, NOW? You tell me this...NOW?"

"I know I should have—"

"Stop talking, or I'll hit you again," Ginny roared. Harry immediately shut up. "This dress cost me two months of my salary!"

"I'm sorry, I'll pay you back, and all the costs—"

"Yeah, you will," she said. Harry noticed her voice didn't have as much disdain as her first statement and she in general wasn't as upset as he'd imagined her to be.

Ginny sighed and paced up and down the room. She eventually sat on a chair and held her head in her hands.

"Ginny, I—"

"How long have you felt this way?" she asked, interrupting him.

"I don't know...maybe always," he answered honestly. "I knew I was having trouble committing, I just didn't know why."

"And now you do?" Ginny asked and he nodded. "How long..." she paused to take in a breath. "When did you realise you were in love with Malfoy?"

Harry felt his stomach turn and his cheeks getting hotter. It was as though Ginny had smacked him all over again.

"It is him, isn't it?" she asked.

"How—"

"We stopped having sex when he became your business partner. You didn't even pick up on the clues when I'd hinted—" She looked at him as though she was expecting an answer. He had no idea what to say. "When the two of you had a tiff or something, around Christmas time, you'd started coming by again and we'd resumed—" Harry was mortified. "But, even then, I knew something was off, you weren't in the room, you weren't with me. You hadn't even noticed when I'd stopped trying to have sex with you."

"Ginny—"

"At first I thought you might be sleeping with him, but then I realised, I thought, I'd hoped, I should say…that you weren't."

"Ginny, I never cheated—" Harry stopped himself. "We kissed, twice," he confessed.

"When?"

"Right before the wedding, in November, the first time. Then the night before the wedding in January..."

"And you continued to agree to try to get married again, even though you'd kissed another man. What did you think—that I'd help you keep the gay away?" Ginny laughed. It was odd, Harry thought. In the midst of a breakup, Ginny had just started laughing hysterically.

"Ginny, you're a beautiful woman and I—"

"And I couldn't keep you straight," she said, amusingly. "I'd been waiting for this," she added a few moments of silence later. Her laugh had dithered away. "I really had been waiting to break it off. I was an idiot, I suppose, I should have called it off when I knew it wasn't working. But, I see how happy Hermione and Ron are and I just hoped...I don't know."

"I know, me too," Harry said. He knelt down to her and held her hand. "I really wish, Ginny. But, today, everything is perfect and I can't go through with it. It wouldn't be fair to you, to me..."

It wasn't long after that Harry Disapparated. Ginny told him to "just leave," and that she could handle it. She didn't want him to stick around as she announced to the entire family that they had finally called it off.

George would win the betting pot. At least Harry wouldn't have to worry about George trying to murder him; he wasn't too sure about the rest of the brothers.

Later that night, Harry was resting on his sofa with a half empty bottle of Firewhisky when Malfoy contacted him via the Floo Network.

"Potter, are you there?"

"Yeah, I'm here," Harry called out as he stumbled to the fireplace from his sofa. He was more drunk than he realised. "What do you want, Malfoy?"

"I just wanted to check in and see how you're doing," Malfoy said. "I arrived at the venue today and was informed that you'd called off the wedding."

"Oh, and it took you six hours to contact me? Had a hot date with Troy?" Harry sneered.

"Um...yes and no. We went out to lunch with Jacob and then I gave him a free flying lesson—" Malfoy sounded annoyed. "Do you want me to come by? This might just be a lot easier face to face, and I can tell you everything that is none of your business."

"I just want to be alone," Harry said.

"Don't lie to me," Malfoy snapped.

Harry grudgingly sighed. "Fine, can I come by your place in a while? I need to—"

"Sober up?" Malfoy asked interrupting Harry.

"Whatever, Malfoy. I'll see you in an hour." Harry ended the call and headed to shower. He didn't know what he'd say to Malfoy.

When Harry came out of the shower, he found Malfoy waiting on the sofa. Harry was in a towel. "Malfoy?" Harry nearly shrieked.

"Now that's a sight for sore eyes," Malfoy teased.

Harry rolled his eyes and went into his bedroom. He quickly changed into a t-shirt and jeans and returned to the sitting room. "What are you doing here?"

"I came by to check on you," Malfoy answered.

"Why? I told you I'd be—"

"Stopping by, I know, I couldn't wait."

Harry raised an eyebrow. "Couldn't wait for what?"

"You know what, Potter!"

"I'm not sure your new boyfriend would approve," Harry said.

"That's funny, I don't remember getting a new boyfriend," Malfoy remarked. Harry scowled at Malfoy who only smirked triumphantly. "I told Troy that we'd best keep things professional and it probably wouldn't be a good idea to date a parent."

"Oh," Harry said. He was jumping with joy inside and did his best to not smile winningly.

Malfoy stood up from the sofa to face Harry. They were now standing on the opposite sides of the sofa. Harry had purposely kept a distance between himself and Malfoy and he was dying to know what Malfoy was thinking.

"Why did Ginny call off the wedding?" Malfoy asked. He slowly began to walk and was soon on the same side as Harry. Harry gulped, his heart beating a thousand times per second.

"I told her that I never wanted to get married, and that I was a fool to have kept leading her on," Harry answered.

"And what else?" Malfoy asked, shortening the distance between them. His right hand was mere centimetres away from Harry's left on the sofa. Harry felt a sort of heat being emitted from Malfoy's body. He was having difficulty breathing.

"She asked me if it was you," Harry said.

"If what was me?" Malfoy asked, he stepped one foot closer.

Harry gulped again. "If you were the reason I finally called off the wedding."

"Am I?" Malfoy tilted his head and looked at Harry. His hand was definitely touching Harry's now, their fingers intertwining slowly.

Harry closed his eyes and his breath hitched. Malfoy's touch was gentle and Harry stepped forward and closed the entire distance between them. "I called off the wedding because I never fully committed to her, because, I felt this then, that I know now..."

"Know what?" Malfoy asked, his words were breathing over Harry's lips.

"I'm gay...and you helped me realise that. I wanted to marry Ginny because I felt I could hide that about myself and you made it emerge in a way that I could never hide it."

"And that's it?" Malfoy asked, his tone a bit disappointed. Harry opened his eyes to look at Malfoy and stared right into his deep grey eyes.

"Merlin, you're beautiful," Harry mumbled.

"Well that's always good to hear," Malfoy answered. Harry rolled his eyes. "Are you going to kiss me, or are you going to continue staring into my eyes?" Malfoy asked.

Harry grinned and Malfoy leaned in but their lips still hadn't touched. Harry pushed up to meet Malfoy's lips and they finally kissed.

"You realise this is the first time we both kissed sober?" Harry asked and Malfoy groaned.

"Enough with the mechanics, Potter," Malfoy growled. "Now fucking kiss me."

Harry grinned and happily pulled Malfoy towards him and their lips were soon joined again. Harry was happily kissing Malfoy but he was too worried that Malfoy would change his mind. Harry had never been more scared of a heartache. It wasn't until that moment had he realised that he'd longed so desperately for Malfoy.

Harry grabbed the back of Malfoy's neck and gently massaged it as his fingers eventually trailed up and pulled on Malfoy's hair. Harry pushed, then sucked, and then licked Malfoy's bottom lip with his tongue. Malfoy moaned into Harry's mouth. Harry pushed his tongue into Malfoy's mouth, and their tongues tussled for a while as Malfoy pushed Harry against the sofa grinding his erection into Harry.

Harry moaned this time and his hands straggled down to Malfoy's trousers and began to unbuckle his belt. He didn't know if it was the right thing to do, but he just wanted to feel everything. Touch Malfoy everywhere.

Malfoy broke the kiss and whispered against Harry's lips. "Are you sure?"

"I've never been more sure of anything in my life than this moment," Harry managed to respond. Malfoy nodded and pressed their lips together again and unbuckled Harry's belt simultaneously.

It didn't take long before both of them had their erections pressed together, stroking each other gently and moaning into the other's mouth.

"Harry…" Malfoy moaned. "The amount of times I wanked off fantasising about you doesn't even compare to this moment," he confessed, and Harry began thrusting into Malfoy's hand rapidly while he got Malfoy off.

Malfoy continued whispering hot things in Harry's ear until they both came pushed up against the sofa, Harry half sitting on the edge.

"Fuck, Draco," Harry uttered before Malfoy claimed his lips again. The sound of thunder roared outside and the window in Harry's kitchen crashed open.

"Looks like we're having bad weather again," Harry said, an eyebrow raised, questioning Malfoy's intentions.

"Indeed. I might have to cancel all my Flying lessons for the rest of the week," Malfoy answered.

"You're welcome to stay here again, if you'd like," Harry said, slightly nervous that Malfoy might reject him.

"I'd like that very much, actually."

Malfoy kissed Harry and Harry, quick on his feet, grabbed his wand and closed the Floo Network. Eventually, he dragged Malfoy to his bedroom and locked the door behind them.

The storm inside Harry had just begun to rile up.

The End

Thanks for reading! Hoping you liked it!

Just wanted to say, I had to disable P Ms due to some trolls but I would like all the readers to know that I appreciate all your words, the good and the bad and I thank you for taking the time to let me know what you thought of my story(ies)!