~*~*~*~*~Present Day~*~*~*~*~
"And that kids, is the story of how I met your Father."
Harry raised an eyebrow as his children exchanged confused glances.
"Wait, that's it?" James blurted finally. "Just like that?"
"Just like that," Harry agreed.
Scorpius threw his arms in the air. "We met at a wedding," he bit out. "Five words. Really, how hard is it?"
"Oh, be quiet," Lily admonished. "You enjoyed it."
Scorpius shrugged. "It wasn't the worst of Dad's stories," he conceded fairly. "Unless someone wants to revisit the Chamber of Secrets saga again."
"Merlin, no," Al grumbled. "It's bad enough we have to read about that in History of Magic."
Harry laughed and ruffled his hair. "Well, not every chapter of my life made it into a famous book. And thank Merlin for it. Some stories...well, they're too special to be shared. This one is just for you."
"But there's still so much you haven't told us," Lily insisted. "How did Grandfather Lucius come around?"
"Oh, that took a while," Harry told her. "But the first time he actually called me his son-in-law was when we went to the Manor for a visit, right after we adopted Scorpius."
"Me," Scorpius chirped smugly. "I brought him around. You're all very welcome."
"He likes me best," Lily told him primly. "He calls me his Beautiful Princess."
James grinned. "No. That's what he calls Albus." He laughed and dodged as his offended sibling threw a cushion at him.
Al halted mid assault and gave him a glare that promised future retribution before turning back to Harry. "Did you ever find out where the pineapple came from?"
"No. That remains a mystery until this day."
"Brilliant," Al groaned. "Now I'll be up all night thinking about it."
James frowned too. "Actually, now that we're talking about it...what does Uncle Blaise do for a living?"
"That information is classified," a new voice replied.
They all turned around and Harry's eyes lit up as his husband sauntered in. Draco shucked his coat and smiled at him, his grey eyes twinkling with amusement. Harry greeted him with a quick kiss, despite a round of vehement protests from his offspring. "And how long have you been eavesdropping?" he asked.
Draco smiled mischievously. "Just a while," he replied. "You were so caught up in storytelling. I didn't want to interrupt."
"More like you didn't want to get stuck too," James put in cheekily.
Draco raised an eyebrow at his son. "Watch your tone, young man. And just so you know, we need you to watch your brothers and sister tonight."
"We're not babies," Al protested.
"Oh, come on," James whined. "Why?"
Draco grinned and took Harry's arm. "Your father and I are going out. It is our anniversary, you know."
"There they are!" Ron called cheerfully, the second they entered the Leaky Cauldron. Hermione smiled and waved, pulling out an extra chair for Draco. Harry smiled. Even after all these years, she sometimes forgot that there was one more permanent member in their ever-present group now. She'd been pulling out an extra chair for Draco for years. It was practically a tradition now.
"One of these days," Draco drawled, settling beside her, "I'm going to assume you just don't want me around. Then I'll leave and start a band in Brussels, and you'll be sorry, Granger."
Just like Draco still called her 'Granger' despite her being a Weasley for over twenty years. Harry shook his head in amusement. He'd learned the hard way not to come between those two.
Hermione laughed and nudged Draco teasingly. "Thank you for sending over the drum set for Hugo's last birthday, by the way," she retorted, arching an eyebrow. "He plays it in the middle of the night. We're eternally grateful."
Draco grinned. "What can I say? The kid's a born musician. How's little Rosie?"
Ron chuckled. "Little Rosie turned fifteen last month," he replied. "And her NEWTS are driving her spare. Takes after her mum, that one."
"Good," Draco said. "Maybe she'll nag James into studying once in a while."
"I don't nag!" Hermione protested indignantly. Her glare darkened as all three men at the table burst into laughter. "Oh, shut up," she grumbled.
Harry suppressed a snicker. "Not to change the subject or anything but has anyone heard from our resident globetrotters recently? Where were they the last time we checked? Mexico?"
"Australia, you berk," a familiar voice informed him.
Harry turned and smiled as Ginny sauntered over. "You made it," he said, extending a welcoming arm.
"Well, of course we did. Happy Anniversary, you two," she added, giving him and Draco a hug each. "Sorry, we're late," she added. "There were two eighteen year old girls at the bar and Blaise stopped by …"
"Call me crazy, but I thought he'd stop doing that after marrying you," Ron cut in.
"Oh, you didn't let me finish," Ginny replied, rolling her eyes. "He stopped by to lecture those poor girls on how to make good life decisions. Step one, don't show up at a bar in a tank top." She sighed and took a look at her watch. "Actually, he should be done just about…"
"And call your parents, young lady! They're probably worried sick about you!"
"Now," Ginny finished dryly.
"I'm telling you, it's awful!" Blaise ranted, making his customary entrance. "The things kids are wearing these days. If Dani starts dressing like that, I'm going to hex myself. Oh, hey guys. Happy Anniversary." He grinned and nudged Ginny over, sitting beside her. "Okay, what are we drinking?"
"It's nice to see you too," Draco drawled.
Blaise grinned brightly and slung an arm around his wife. Harry summoned the glasses. It was as good a time for a toast as any, he supposed.
"Ooh, Glen McKenna," Ginny chirped gleefully, as he poured the scotch out. "We go big tonight!"
"We go big tonight," Harry agreed. He smiled at the most important people in his life and raised a glass. "To all you tossers," he intoned solemnly. "Thank you for being here, for being a part of my life. Thank you for some of the best and worst memories of my life. That's right, Blaise. Theworst. That's you, right there."
"Oh, come on," Blaise grumbled. "I was awesome."
"You're still awesome," Ginny said, smiling and kissing his cheek.
Hermione laughed and stepped in to follow up his fine speech. "To always being there for the big things," she said. "And the little ones—especially the little ones."
"To finding home," Draco added. He smiled and his soft grey eyes glinted with affection as he regarded Harry. "And something worth sticking around for."
Harry smiled and traced his husband's jaw with his thumb, leaning in for a sweet, unhurried kiss. Draco's lips parted and Harry pulled him closer...
"Fifteen years," Ginny drawled. "Fifteen years, and they still act like it's their first kiss ever."
"I know," Blaise added. "It's disgusting."
"Personally, I'm all for it," Ron added. "Do you remember what Harry was like before Malfoy showed up?"
"I'll never find The One. Oh, how will I ever find The One?" Ginny piped up, affecting a shrill whinging voice. "Gods, it was endless."
Draco snickered and Harry rolled his eyes, breaking away. "Very amusing," he told them flatly. "That scotch you're guzzling costs four hundred Galleons, by the way."
"To Harry and Draco!" Ginny blurted immediately. The others followed suit with their own cheers and soon, that old booth tucked away in a corner of The Leaky Cauldron echoed with laughter and clinking glasses. Just like it always had. Just like it always will. Harry looked around at the people in his life — Ron sneaking a few fries when Hermione wasn't looking, Ginny and Blaise making plans to see Dani's match next week and Draco...Draco with his grey eyes and his soft, affectionate smile, Draco who had shown up in his life one day and made it complete. The only man, the only person he had ever loved— so much that he would sit his children down and have them listen to the story of how they met, whether they liked it or not.
Because after all these years and all the years that might go by after tonight, one thing was clear as day to him.
He had finally found The One.
"I love you," Harry whispered.
And Draco smiled that beautiful smile just for him. "I love you too," he whispered back. "Happy Anniversary, Harry."
"Happy Anniversary," Harry murmured. Somewhere in the background, he was vaguely aware of Ron and Blaise arguing about the Cannons' chances at the Cup this year, of Hermione groaning as they made another Slap Bet. Ginny laughed and her glass tinkled as she raised it in a mock toast.
It made him want to burst out laughing because really, this was his life.
His inexplicable, crazy, wonderful life.
And when he kissed Draco again, he knew he'd do it again in a heartbeat.
Just so long as he ended up right back here in this very booth in this very bar, with these wonderful, mad people again.
He would do it all over in a heartbeat.
THE END