Weddingringswerealwaysuniquetothepairthatweretobemarried.FortheMalfoyfamily,thismeantthatthepairwereoneofakindjeweledmasterpieesreatedoneandneveropied.Buteringswerepasseddownthroughtheheirsofthefamily.AnyonewhohadevermarriedaMalfoywouldhavewornoneoftheseringsduringtheetimeperiod.Hismotherhadwornoneofthem.
ButHarrywouldn’tbelikeher.Hewouldn’tusesomethinglikeeforhisownmeans,ofthatDraowaspositive.Itwasn’tsomethingaGryffindorwoulddo…itwasn’tsomethingHarrywoulddo.Harryhadtobedoinganotherself-sarifiingthing,hejusthadtobe.Somehow,he’dgottenitintohisheadthattheonlywayforDraotoretainhisianewastobeomelegalbywizardingstandards.ButwhatinMerlin’snamewashismotive?Hehadtohaveamotive,evenifitwasn’toneofselfgain.Butthiskindofthingwasnotsomethingyou’ddofora…well…afriend.Evenifesouldbebrokenandhadbeenmanytimesbefore,itwasstillnotsomethingdonefrivolously.Ifthatwasthease,wheneverteenagerswantedtobepereivedasadultsforanysmallreason,they’djustbeomeengagedtosomeoneandbreakitwhentheywantedto!Andnoonedidthat;itwasamokerytothemarriageritetodothat.Harrywouldknowthat,sowhywashesuggestingit?Draodoubtedthatsuhathingwouldbedoneevenbypeoplewhohadrushesoneahother…butthattookoutanymotiveHarrymighthavehad.Unless…well,unlessHarry’sfeelingsrandeeperthanthat,buttheyouldn’t.Butiftheydid…
No,hejustwouldn’tevenstartgoingdownthatdiretionofthought.HisownfeelingsforHarrywereonfusingastheywere,hewasn’tgoingtoaddthatintothemess.Sighing,helosedthesmallbox’slidandletitdropintohispoket,Harry’swordsomingbakintohismind.
“IfIweretosayanyvows,theywouldbereal.”
Real?Real,trueevowswouldholduntilthemarriagevowswhenthebondsofmatrimonyweremade.Draohadseensuhvows,eventhoseassaredasthemarriagevows,broken,eveniftheyhadbeenrealwhenmade.Hisownparentshaddonethat.Reasonsbeinggoodorbad,themarriagevowshadbeenbroken.ButwithHarry…Draoouldn’tdothatwithHarry.HarrywashisVeriaebonded.WerehetoproposeetoHarry,itwouldbemorethanreal,itwouldbebinding.pletelyandutterlybinding,nevertobebroken.
Itsaredhim,thosekindsofbonds.Itwasn’tthelossoffreedom.He’dalready“lost”thatbybeomingVeriaeboundtoHarry.No,whatsaredDraowashoweasyitwouldbetomakesuhaproposal,howlittlerestrainthehad,andhowquiklythatlittlerestraintwasrumbling.
Harrywoketethatnighttoanemptybed.Slowly,hestrethedandheadedoutofDrao’swing.HeknewwherehewouldhavegoneifhewereDrao.
ThedoortowhathadbeenLuius’sstudywaslosed,butlightreptunderthedoorwayasHarrynearedit.
Draodidn’tlookupasHarryenteredtheroomandquietlypaddedovertowherehestood,lookingatthefirepe.
“Iwasthinkingaboutremovingit,”Draowhispered.“SothatIneverhavetoseeitagain.ButIdon’tthinkIwill.”HeturnedmoltensilvereyestoHarry’sown.“Ithinkitwouldbebettertoseeitinreallifethaninnightmares.”
Harrynodded.Nowthathewashere,hewasn’treallysurewhattodo.HewathedasDraorossedtohisfather’sdesk,sittinginwhathadbeenhisfather’shair.ItremindedHarryofathrone,butDraodidn’tlookmuhlikeakingsittinginit.Morelikealostprinewhohasbeenforedtoomehomeandtakeontrolofakingdompguedbywar.
“Areyougoingtomakethisyourstudy?”Harryasked.
“Idon’tknow.It’sratherfartowalktofrommyroom.”
Harrysmiled.Draowouldmakethishisownstudy,nomatterifhehadtorosstheentiremanortogettoit,hewaspositiveofit.
“Wellthenwhydon’tyouhekitout?”Harryasked.“Lookandseewhat’sherebeforeyoudeide.”HerossedtoDraoandleanedovertheblondtoopenadrawerinthedesk.“Forinstane,what’sinthisdrawer?”
“Thatwouldbethequills,ink,andpaperdrawer.”Draodrawled,pushingtheenterdrawerbak.“Iknowthatmuh,Harry.”
“Howabouttheothers?”Harryasked,sittingonthearmofthehair.“Thereertainlyarealotofthem.”