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Harry was stalling.
There was no other way to put it. All the confidence he had built up over the day evaporated as he lingered outside the doors to the Hospital Ward, shuffling under his Invisibility Cloak.
He knew Malfoy was still under Madam Pomfrey's care as the Slytherin was missing from all his classes and had skipped dinner too.
Harry just couldn't muster up the courage to slip inside because he knew everything would change after this.
What would he do if Malfoy told him to piss off? What if Malfoy had lost interest and wanted another soulmate now?
What if Malfoy went back on his resolve to re-examine his principles and didn't get along with Ron and Hermione? What if Lucius Malfoy had intervened and told his son to reject Harry?
Stifling a groan, in case some Professor caught him out and about after curfew, he summoned all the courage he required.
He was a Gryffindor damn it! He wasn't scared of what Malfoy would say!
He wasn't!
Harry slowly crept into the Hospital Ward, sending up a prayer so that the door wouldn't creak too loudly.
He slipped inside as soon as there was a manageable crack and looked around. There was only one occupied bed, with it being just the beginning of classes and no Quidditch or flying lessons starting, there weren't many injured students and any homesick First years wouldn't have been kept overnight anyway.
The curtains were drawn around Malfoy's bed, so Harry silently made his way over. Taking a deep breath, he slid open the curtains and slipped inside.
Harry stood still for a moment, still under his Cloak and observed the blond.
Draco was lying on his back, his left arm bandaged up to the shoulder resting on his stomach.
His fine blond hair fanned around his head like a halo, and his long eyelashes cast shadows on the apples of his flushed cheeks.
His thin, aristocratic fingers drummed an imaginary beat where they rested on his torso. His pale silver eyes were glazed as he stared into the night, heavy with sleep but still clinging to wakefulness.
He was illuminated only by the dim moonlight streaming in through the windows. He looked unreal.
Harry had looked at Malfoy's face more times than he could count. He had seen it sneering as he taunted someone, twisted in anger when they argued, smirking when he came up with an insult, laughing at some cruel joke, even hopeful and trying to impress, all the way back in Madam Malkins.
But he had never seen Malfoy looked so serene, so mundane. Just lying about waiting for sleep to come to him. Something about the sight caused his breath to still in his chest.
He figured he could stand here all night and simply watch Draco Malfoy breathe and never get bored.
What a thought.
Before Malfoy could fall asleep, Harry shuffled off his invisibility cloak and cleared his throat softly, hoping not to startle the other boy too badly.
Still, his efforts seemed in vain as Malfoy jumped up, spooked and turned to him as if he was a ghost.
"Potter!" Malfoy hissed.
"Malfoy," Harry replied.
Malfoy frowned, confusion evident although his drowsiness seemed to be diluting his ire at Harry, "What on earth are you doing sneaking up on me? How did you even get in here? Come to have a laugh?"
Harry spluttered at the insinuation, "No, I didn't come to laugh! Merlin Malfoy! I came to see if you were okay."
Malfoy scoffed at him, his disbelief toward Harry's intentions evident as a sleek pale brow rose high on his forehead.
"Okay, fine, and to talk about us being... Y'know.." Harry trailed off, feeling his cheeks flaming with embarrassment.
Malfoy sat up properly and sneered at him. "Can't even say the words, Potter? Soulmates, it won't kill you."
"No, I know, I know!" Harry replied, exasperated and a little amused at the blond's prickly personality, "We are soulmates, and you were hurt, so I wanted to come see if you're okay. And hopefully, talk."
Malfoy stared at him in silence for a moment, his eyes seeming to glow in the dark.
Finally, he turned his head dismissively. "There is nothing to talk about, Potter. I got your rejection loud and clear. Best believe I'll remember it."
Harry winced. Right. Might as well get it over with.
"Listen, Malfoy." Harry paused as he took in the sight of Malfoy still turned away from him. The blond's jaw was clenched tight with tension.
He was still upset at Harry (as anyone would be). He didn't know what thought process had led the blond to be willing to apologize to Ron and Hermione, but they were surely not on the same wavelength here.
Like always, Harry lacked a crucial understanding of a situation that had the potential to change his life as he knew it. But if Harry was going to commit to having Malfoy as his soulmate, he would go all in. He practiced it in his head a few times.
Draco. Draco. Draco. Draco.
That felt good. That felt right.
" Draco," Harry began again and could see the tension in Malfoy's shoulders give way to shock at the use of his given name as he let out a sharp gasp. Harry smiled softly.
"Draco, I'm really sorry for what I said on the train. You wanted to talk, and hell, even apologize, and I threw it in your face."
He watched Draco watch him from the corner of his eye before the blond curled up into himself, hiding his face between his knees.
Harry took the moment to drag a chair near his hospital bed and sat himself down.
"You didn't just throw it in my face, Potter. You rejected me, said I was rotten and evil and said you'd rather die than be my soulmate!" Harry could hear the pout in the blond's voice as he overdramatized Harry's admittedly thoughtless words.
Harry rolled his eyes. "I did not say I would rather die than be your soulmate."
"That's what it felt like!" Draco proclaimed, lifting his head and turning towards him.
"That's why I'm sorry, Draco," Harry smiled again. When Draco continued to glower at him, Harry knew the blond wanted more than a simple apology; he wanted an explanation.
"Listen, I didn't even know soulmates were a thing until the day before, and I hadn't come to terms with it yet. And then you showed up acting completely different, and I was even more confused. So, I lashed out at you. I'm sorry."
"What do you mean you didn't know soulmates existed?" Malfoy asked, confused.
Harry sighed. There was no getting out of this. He had to explain his ignorance and hope the blond wouldn't laugh at him too hard.
"Exactly what it means. I had no idea soulmates were a real thing and not simply a Muggle fantasy. I thought you were having me on, honestly"
Instead of laughing, Draco looked beyond horrified at this revelation, as if Harry told him Christmas was cancelled.
"How could nobody tell you about soulmates! About their significance! You had a right to know about something so monumentally important! No wonder you were a rude twat!" the blond was fuming.
"Hey!" Harry couldn't help but protest, but his chest warmed at seeing how upset Draco was on his behalf. The Slytherin's outrage validated the upset Harry had felt since he had learned he was kept ignorant of something so important.
"I'm being serious, Potter," Draco continued, a frown marring his features. "Dumbledore never told you to expect a soulmate mark? He didn't explain the importance of a soulmate bond ever?"
Just from the way the blond was stressing those words, Harry figured there was still quite a bit he had to learn about Soulmate Magic, but he let the blond know that Dumbledore had never even mentioned the word soulmates to him.
Let alone divulge any details on how a soulmate bond worked. This triggered a round of angry muttering from Draco, who crossed his arms and whispered something about 'my Father will hear about this.'
Clearing his throat, Harry brought the blond out of his rage-induced planning.
It kind of felt like he was walking into a viper's den, but he wasn't in Gryffindor for nothing, and he didn't want to beat around the bush the whole night, something he had no doubt Draco was perfectly willing to do. "Can we talk about it then? Us being soulmates?"
"What do you want to talk about Potter?" the Slytherin replied, expression pensieve once more.
"You said you wanted to apologize," Harry had to know. This was important. He thought he knew the blond. Knew how he thought, how he behaved, how he operated.
If their soulmate mark was important enough for Draco to shift his views, Harry needed to know why. He needed to know what these new views were.
"I do," Draco said, turning his gaze away from Harry's.
"Why?"
Draco heaved a sigh. The thin hospital pajamas he was wearing stretched across his shoulders as he hung his head for a moment before he turned to stare straight into Harry's eyes. His silver eyes gleamed.
"Because you're my soulmate, and Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger are important to you. Because your mother is important to you, your father is important to you." He said, his voice steely with determination.
"I don't understand. You hated muggleborns and blood traitors!"
"It's tough to explain." Draco hesitated but continued after taking a moment to seemingly reorganize his thoughts. "It's not as if muggles or muggleborns did anything to me personally; that is simply the ideology my Father raised me with.
He has his reasons for it, but I have only ever mingled with the children of my father's associates. Anyone not born of pureblood parents was below us, and anyone sympathizing with muggles or friendly to muggleborns was a blood traitor."
Harry frowned; none of this was surprising or new to him. Merlin knew Lucius Malfoy wouldn't spit on a muggleborn if they were on fire. He urged Draco to continue when he paused again.
"Then, at the end of July, I woke up in the middle of the night to see your shoddy handwriting ink itself onto my skin." With this, Draco rolled up his sleeves and bared his left arm to Harry. There, written plainly in the same dark ink, in his handwriting, was his name: Harry Potter.
A happy thrill went through him at the sight, although he didn't analyze why it pleased him so. Something about seeing his name on Draco's milky skin felt right, though.
Harry hesitated but reached out to ghost over Draco's skin with his fingers. Time seemed to freeze as Harry finally touched his mark on Draco.
They both let out a sharp gasp as warmth spread from the contact, a sharp contrast from the cooling sensation he felt when he touched his own mark. It was as if molten lava was racing through his veins, his heart rate spiking. Unable to handle it, Harry let go.
This time, it took Draco a bit longer to collect himself before he continued his explanation. "At first, I was confused. I mean, out of all the people in the world, for us to be soulmates is quite the outcome, don't you think?"
They shared a small smile; after all, it was slightly ridiculous that archenemies Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy were destined to be the other half of each other's souls.
"I was freaked out, but unlike you, Potter, I grew up learning all about soulmates. So, in the middle of the night, I went to Maman."
"Your Mother?"
"Yes, she is the one I go to whenever I am truly troubled by something. When something at Hogwarts upsets me, I inform my Father.
My Father always endeavours to keep me safe, happy and healthy, his considerable sway in the Ministry ensures that, but Maman is who I go to when my heart is troubled.
Draco explained and Harry ignored the way his heart squeezed at the small iridescent smile on the other boy's face as he talked about his connection with his mother.
"There is something I need you to understand about my upbringing, Potter," Draco said earnestly, his eyes earnest. He reached out to hold Harry's hands between his own.
Harry tried not to show how his heart stuttered at that. He held back, being mindful of the boy's injuries.
"I was raised to believe my loyalty to my family is above all. Their ideals, their values, their ways of life.
Nothing is above my commitment to the Malfoy family." Draco squeezed their hands together, and Harry tried not to show his distaste at that sentiment. The Malfoy family's ideals were not good.
"Family above all, except for your soulmate," Draco said meaningfully.
Harry held his breath. This moment was significant. The knowledge he was getting was significant.
"Yes, my Maman always said, soulmates are a result of pure ancient magic, a manifestation of magic itself, similar to a Patronus. You are meant to treasure your soulmate, and the bond between the two is above anything and everything.
Your soulmate is your other half, the one magic chose for you, and nothing at all is above that." Harry couldn't help the way warmth spread through his chest as he learned how Draco viewed their bond.
"So, keeping that in mind, when I went to Maman at three in the morning, distraught at the thought of Harry Potter being my soulmate, she gave me a stern talking to."
"Did she?" Harry chuckled; somehow, he could never picture either of Draco's parents ever truly scolding him.
"Yes, she was quite cross that I dare question the soulmate magic chose for me. I asked her, 'How do you think Father will react?' You know what she told me?" Draco asked mirthfully.
Harry shook his head, a small smile on his face. "She said, 'Your Father does not know better than magic, he will make do.'"
Harry barked out a laugh at the thought of anyone dismissing Lucius Malfoy like that. Well, if anyone could, it would be his wife, Harry supposed.
"Maman told me that I must honour our bond; it was a gift that should never be disregarded.
I told her that you hated me, your best friends are Weasley and Granger, and it would never work. But then, she told me it could if only I tried. She said she wanted me to meet someone, a relative I hadn't met yet."
Harry felt his curiosity piqued. What relative of Narcissa Malfoy's would have convinced Malfoy to change his views?
"It was my Maman's older sister, Andromeda Tonks," Draco explained. "She had been disowned while she was still at Hogwarts because her soulmate was muggleborn, and she refused to leave him; Maman kept in secret contact with her all this while."
Harry tried to contain his shock at hearing Draco say muggleborns instead of the slur and then felt his heart sadden at the thought of someone being disinherited because of their soulmate.
"That's so cruel," Harry said.
Draco nodded his agreement. "Maman sent off a letter to her sister asking to meet and then sent me to bed. The next day, while Father was at the Ministry, we flooed over to the Tonks's home and for the first time in my life I met my aunt Andromeda and her husband, Ted."
Draco explained how kind the couple were, how Andromeda doted on him, remarking on his similarity to his mother and how Ted gave him a warm smile.
He explained how they sat down for lunch, cooked by Ted himself and how the man had personally, magically enhanced their home. Draco was amazed to see how proficient and skilled he truly was, something that directly contrasted with the teachings of his Father.
How an afternoon of stories and revelations about muggles and muggleborns alike had started disseminating the harmful ideas Draco harboured. Ted had shown him the muggle radio, and muggle cars and told him muggles went to the moon (although that one Draco didn't fully believe).
Ted explained that muggles created their form of magic, using technology, to help make their lives easier the way magic did for them.
He regaled Draco with stories and stories with all the ingenuity the lack of magic allowed muggles to cultivate. Meanwhile, Aunt Andromeda and Maman watched the two with knowing smiles.
Ted told Draco how difficult it was for him at Hogwarts at times. He was thrust into a new world, with little prior knowledge and was expected to immediately know all the unspoken social customs even though nobody bothered to teach them.
He told him how the snide comments made him feel small. How the term mudblood would be hurled at him, how at first he didn't even know what it meant but then he realized and he had cried.
Only in Second Year, he had curled up, far away from his family with no real way of proper communication as they were not used to owl-post, being called a slur for something out of his control. For simply being born how he was, for who his family was.
Ted told Draco that his parents may not be of magical blood, but they had taught him everything he knew.
They taught him to be kind and loyal and to persevere no matter what. He spoke of how brave they were, willing to send their only son far away to a boarding school neither of them could even locate.
Accepting all the new idiosyncrasies that came with their son being a wizard. How they did everything to keep Ted safe, happy and healthy because they were parents and they loved their child, magical or not.
Draco had cried. Then he apologized. And left with a list of book recommendations to help him better understand the perspective of the other side. He had spent the rest of the summer reading those books and had come out of it, enlightened. And deeply regretful.
Harry was astonished. He didn't think all it would take for Draco Malfoy to realize the error of his thinking was to be presented with someone who was the antithesis of all of his father's ideals.
However, Harry supposed it helped that the someone in question was a relative whom his mother supported. It gave Harry hope that the boy was able to understand the error in his ways, even if he needed external intervention for that.
Harry shouldn't blame someone if they tried to be better. To him, it was a case of Draco's nature finally being allowed to shine and break through his nurture.
"Listen, Potter," Draco finally addressed him directly, breaking away from his frankly captivating way of story-telling, "I worked to educate myself and change my viewpoints, not only because you are my soulmate and I want to have you in my life but also because of my Maman so that she will have someone she can talk to about her sister.
So that she doesn't have to pretend her beloved sister is dead only because magic gave her a muggleborn for a soulmate. I know you might think I'm being disingenuous, but-"
Harry hurriedly cut off his impassioned speech as the blond got more and more agitated, twisting and pulling at his fingers in his lap. "I don't, Draco. Not now, not after everything you told me."
They sat in silence for a while. Draco was seemingly reeling from all that he had dumped on Harry, and Harry was struggling to process the profound change that had been caused in the boy.
"So, what now?" Draco asked softly.
Harry hummed to show his confusion.
"Good enough to be your soulmate?" Draco asked with a small bitter laugh.
"Draco," Harry began frowning at the other boy, who didn't lift his head to look at him. "I don't want-" Harry cut himself off, frustrated; he couldn't properly articulate how upset it made him to hear the blond be self-deprecating.
"Listen, I want a soulmate. I want you as my soulmate. I told you I didn't understand properly. But you really have educated yourself; you want to be better, I can't tell you how happy that makes me.
Hardy said, confidence and conviction filling him now that he had some understanding of why the other boy was being different.
"Really?" Draco asked, his voice uncharacteristically timid and wavery.
"Really," Harry confirmed. "Having a soulmate sounds like everything I have ever wanted. I want this. I want you."
Seemingly over his funk from a minute ago, Draco straightened and looked at him with his signature smirk firmly in place, "Jeez, Scarhead, that's pretty embarrassing for you."
Harry spluttered, annoyed at the shift in personality. He felt like all this while he had been talking to Draco, and this was Malfoy once more.
Draco laughed merrily at his surprise, throwing his head back, and Harry felt his indignation calm.
There was something mystical about seeing Draco laugh openly. His face brightened up and his cheeks indented with deep dimples. Harry had sometimes seen them pop up faintly when the blond was talking.
"I'm just pulling your leg, Scarhead. No need to look so annoyed"
Harry tried to ignore how his cheeks warmed at the brilliant grin the blond levelled at him.
"You're so annoying!" Harry whined but grinned back at the blond, too.
His chest felt light. This felt right. Sitting here, laughing with the other boy, made him feel content. At peace.
Harry watched as Draco stifled a yawn. He figured the blond must be quite tired, especially with any pain-relieving potions he might be on.
"Is your arm feeling okay?" Harry asked softly.
Draco pouted. "Madam Pompfrey has me on some anti-venom, pain-relieving and immune-boosting potions, so I am far more tired than I should be.
The cuts won't scar but she has it in a sling for the foreseeable future. No strenuous activities"
Harry's eyes widened at the list of treatments the blond was undergoing. "Wait, I thought it was just a superficial cut. Why all the potions?"
Draco huffed at him in irritation, "Of course, it's not a superficial cut, Potter! Hippogriff talons are venomous, and that stupid chicken dug an inch deep into me! I don't even know if I can participate in the first Quidditch match!"
Harry's mouth dropped open. A small furl of anxiety was making itself known in his chest at the full knowledge of how much danger the other boy had come into.
Seemingly noticing his distress, the blond rushed to comfort him in his unique way, "Oh, don't look as if I'm about to keel over Potter. Madam Pompfrey is quite a competent healer. You'll just have to carry my bags like the good soulmate you are while I recuperate."
Harry shook his head in exasperation at the blond's dramatics. His expression softened as he watched Draco stifle another yawn. He didn't want to stop talking to him. Even though this was the first proper time they had conversed, something about how their conversation flowed so easily calmed Harry. Reassured him that, yes this was correct. This was his soulmate.
"Draco, rest now. You're practically falling asleep right now. I'll visit again tomorrow if you're not released by then, okay?" Harry gave him a small smile as the blond listened and gingerly lay back down, carefully positioning his injured arm. Harry turned to leave, ignoring the urge to stay and chat the whole night away. Slim fingers wrapped around his wrist, stopping him from turning away.
Harry turned back to look at him. Draco gave him a small hesitant smile and said, "Tomorrow, I want to talk to Granger and Weasley, okay?"
Harry nodded, his heart too full to speak, bade Draco goodnight and left for Gryffindor.
x.
As Harry recapped what Draco had told him to Ron and Hermione the next day at breakfast, he couldn't help but glance over at the doors to the Great Hall, but alas, the Slytherin hadn't made an appearance yet.
Hermione had seemed delighted when she heard Draco had a list of book recommendations from Ted, commenting on how she needed to read them to get a better understanding of the views of other muggleborns regarding the disparity in society as well.
Ron, ever the big mouth, loudly pointed out how she was muggleborn, so it would be a waste of time reading what other people thought. His two best friends had once again devolved into an argument over whether or not it was worth it for Hermione to hypothetically read the books that Ted had recommended to Draco.
Books that she didn't even know the name of yet. Harry eyed them wearily as they sniped at each other.
After coming back from the Infirmary yesterday, Hardy had laid awake for a while, staring up at the canopy of his bed. He had felt so comfortable talking with Draco.
It felt like he was getting to know a completely different side to the boy he was familiar with.
Although, he still had his wits about him. Harry still didn't know much about soulmates and how to interact with one, but he felt a giddy excitement rise when he thought of getting to spend time with Draco again and how he would settle in among Harry's friends.
Harry was startled out of his musings by a person tapping his shoulder. The Great Hall quietened around him, hushed whispers filling the room, as none other than Slytherin Prince Draco Malfoy himself made his way over to the Gryffindor table. The blond still had his arm in a cast, but other than that looked as perfectly put together as always.
Harry was surprised to see him approach him so boldly and publicly after he had ignored him completely. He had been running on the assumption the blond wanted to hide their recent connection.
"Potter, Weasley, Granger", Draco greeted them with a tilt of his head. "Mind if I borrow Granger for a chat?"
Harry whipped around to look at Hermione. Draco had told him he was going to talk to the both of them today, but he had expected the blond to stall a little.
He gave Hermione an encouraging smile when she looked back at him and with a determined nod, she strode off with Draco, the two of them heading out of the Great Hall.
Whispers had broken out in the Great Hall as people looked on with interest, trying to understand why Draco Malfoy and Hermione Granger would be going for a chat.
"Mate, you sure he won't curse at Hermione?" Ron asked.
Harry rolled his eyes, "No, he won't Ron, besides, Hermione can handle herself."
"That she can," Ron nodded with a grin. They both knew there was nobody fiercer than Hermione in the castle. Maybe except for Professor McGonagall.
Just as curious as the rest of the hall, Fred and George made their way over and settled next to Ron. And began interrogating them in their unique coordinated way of speaking.
"Will you two please explain why Draco Malfoy-"
"And Hermione Granger has just walked out of the Great Hall-"
"Like two good old chums."
"And be sure to mention-" "
"How the mysterious wristband Harry's been wearing factors into this"
"Didn't take you for a fashion connoisseur, Harry"
Harry looked back and forth between the two, even after all this time, he was unable to perfectly tell them apart. Feeling caught that the twins had already clocked onto his new wrist accessory he stuttered excuses, making up a lie that he liked the look of it.
And he wanted to spice up his fashion, so obviously he wanted a nondescript, plain black wristband. Ron, the traitor, snickered at his poor excuses.
Harry wasn't sure if Draco wanted people to know they were soulmates. And knowing Fred and George, who are currently sniggering at his pathetic excuses, it would take them less than ten minutes to put it all together if Harry couldn't come up with a better lie.
After all, they knew what the hell soulmates are, and aren't ignorant like Harry was.
Harry is saved from further embarrassment by Hermione's return as she rushed back to her seat, her cheeks flushed and her nose slightly red, as if she had shed a few tears, but her eyes had a happy gleam in them.
"Are you okay, Hermione?" he asks.
She gives him a watery but happy smile. She opened her mouth as if to speak, but Harry gave her a look to warn her. He still wasn't sure if Draco wanted people to know, and he definitely didn't need the blond unleashing his fury on her if she accidentally spilled.
"What did the git say?" Ron asked.
"Well, he said he was sorry, firstly", Hermione replied, her smile still persistent.
"What!?" "Malfoy?" "Sorry ?" "To You?"
It seemed as if everyone at the Gryffindor table was eavesdropping on their conversation, and everyone except him and Ron was shocked. Harry looked at Ron, who was trying to contain his laughter; his best mate was having the time of his life being in the know while everyone around them floundered.
Seemingly as one, the eavesdropping Gryffindors turned to look at the Slytherin table on the other side of the Great Hall. Draco was, as usual, holding court.
And nobody had the gall to question him on what he wanted to talk to Hermione about. The other Slytherins either minding their own business or watching him reverently.
Must be nice, Harry thought bitterly.
"He had, let's say, a change of heart over the summer and wanted to clear the air between us. I quite appreciated his words, truthfully!" Bless Hermione and her ability to be a better liar than Harry.
Her words caused another round of loud exclamation and rampant skepticism, everyone seemingly wondering the same thing: What in Merlin caused Draco Malfoy, of all people, to have a 'change of heart'? However, Hermione's strict gaze quickly quelled any more gossip, and people returned to their breakfast, shooting glances at the Slytherin table the whole time.
As everyone settled, Hermione turned to Ron and Harry, excitement gleaming in her eyes.
"He said he would give me the list of recommendations Ted gave him! And then added that the books were geared towards someone like him, who grew up surrounded by Pureblood culture and politics, so he added his recommendations on books regarding Pureblood culture!"
She seemed so excited at the prospect of deepening her understanding of how the magical world worked, Harry couldn't help but match her grin.
"But couldn't Ron just tell you what you needed to know about Pureblood culture?" Harry asked, confused.
"Nah, mate," Ron replied, "Sure, my family is part of the Sacred Twenty-Eight or whatever, but they haven't been a part of proper Pureblood circles since before the last Wizarding War. Besides, even amongst Pureblood circles, the Malfoys are different."
"What do you mean different?"
This time, Hermione piped up, "The Malfoys are like wizarding royalty, Harry. They're ridiculously wealthy, and their influence is immense."
"There's plenty of Pureblood families, but the Malfoys have always been at the top of the pyramid, posh gits," Ron grumbled, stuffing another bite of eggs into his mouth.
Huh, Harry was not aware. He had always assumed the 'blood status' Draco and other Slytherins flaunted was inconsequential in the real world, but it seemed as if Pureblood families had a lot of sway in the magical world. Idly, Harry wondered how the future would play out now that the son of the most influential Pureblood family in Wizarding Britain was educating himself away from blood-purist views. Somehow, he didn't think that could be a negative.
When breakfast ended and the rush of students heading to their first class began, Harry desperately searched for the blond Slytherin. He needed to talk.
He needed to clarify whether they would be telling people about their soulmate marks, and he needed to know exactly what he said to Hermione since she was being annoyingly tight-lipped about the details of her discussion.
he needed to ask what his schedule was like, whether they would be spending time together. Mostly, he wanted to talk to the blond again, wanted to feel that soothing comfort he had felt the night before in his presence.
Eventually, he caught the blond separating from his entourage in the corridor. Crabbe, Goyle, Parkinson and the others headed towards the Divination classroom while Malfoy turned right. Harry rushed to catch up with him, Ron following along while Hermione had mysteriously disappeared. Where did she go? She was just here?
"Draco! Wait up," Harry called out, ignoring Ron's skeptical 'Draco? '
Draco turned on his heel in an elegant move that billowed his robes around his frame, his injured arm tucked in against his chest, "Potter, come to carry my bags?"
"What, no! I mean, unless you need me to? Does your arm hurt?"
Both Draco and Ron gave him looks for his rambling, one amused, one concerned. Harry felt his cheeks warm as the Slytherin smirked at him.
"I was joking about you carrying my blond Potter; however, if you are offering, I won't deny it."
Harry perked up and reached out to take his bags when Ron pulled him back with an exclamation of his name, and Draco started laughing at him.
"Quit it, Malfoy!" Ron sniped.
"Well, I haven't got all day Potter, I do have class you know, what did you need?" Draco mentioned behind him, further up the corridor where Nott was lingering, out of earshot but clearly waiting for him.
"That's what I wanted to ask! What's your schedule?" Harry asked.
Draco raised an eyebrow at him, "My schedule is the first thing you ask, really? I'm taking Arithmancy, Ancient Runes and Care. I assume neither of you are."
Ron huffed, "Blimey, you're just like Hermione, that sounds like torture! Harry and I are just taking Care and Divination, we don't wanna live in the library!"
Draco rolled his eyes. "Well, Granger always was the only sensible one among you lot."
"Now, listen!" Ron protested.
"Stop!" Harry intervened before the two escalated from bickering to a full-blown argument.
"There's one more thing I wanted to ask you, Draco", Harry said.
Draco inclined his head to indicate he was listening, but Harry could tell the blond was getting annoyed as the minutes ticked by. They had Divination now and Harry knew Ancient Runes took place at the same time, which was all the way in Ravenclaw tower.
He lowered his voice and asked, "Do you want me to tell people we are soulmates? People are pretty confused about why you're being... Y'know... civil with us."
Draco blinked for a bit; oddly, he and Ron shared a bemused look. Now that's something you don't see every day.
"Potter, if you want to share it, you can. I have written a letter to inform my Father as well, informing him of our marks. My friends are all aware. A soulmark is nothing to hide."
Harry was pleasantly surprised to know that all of Draco's friends knew about their soulmate marks; he didn't think the blond would have told the others. Before Harry could respond, he watched Draco's expression change, becoming a little more closed off.
"I know you've been hiding your mark if you don't want to talk about it because you're ashamed or something. I can hide mine too." Draco said, a troubled look on his face.
"No!" Harry protested. The thought of Draco covering up his soulmate mark, Harry's name, made his chest burn. It made him want to tear something up.
"I want to tell people. I just wanted to be sure you were okay with that," Harry explained hurriedly.
"Mate, getting your soulmark this young is a thing of pride, nothing to be ashamed about," Ron said.
"I'm not ashamed." Harry insisted.
"Good," Draco smiled at him, and Harry felt his heart seize in his throat, "if that's all, Potter, I really need to head to Arithmancy now."
Harry gave him a nod goodbye and watched as Draco started making his way to where Nott was waiting. He stilled and then turned back to look at Ron.
"Weasley, play a game of chess with me at dinner, will you?" Draco asked.
Ron nodded, a little startled by the odd request, but Harry figured Draco wanted to talk to Ron over a game of chess. He felt happiness fill his chest at Draco's commitment to making things right with his friends. Although he wondered why Draco wasn't asking Harry to make nice with his friends. However, as he watched Nott shoot Harry the nastiest glare he could manage, he figured those introductions could wait.
With one last look, Harry and Ron headed off to their first Divinations class.