Marks

Everybody in the Wizarding world knew about Soul Marks. Even the Muggleborns had heard of it by the time they were in second year. The thing was though, that it took until you were eighteen to finally be marked with yours. Each pair of soulmates would receive a different, completely unique mark. The trouble was finding them on somebody else. They could appear anywhere on the body, and if it appears on a typically hidden area, it takes that much more work to find them.

Now that you have all of the details, on with our story.

"Oh my fucking god, you insolent idiot! What the hell were you thinking?" Draco Malfoy screamed at Harry Potter, who was taking a walk with him and had just jostled him playfully, being the physical Gryffindor he was. Draco Malfoy, though, being a "hands off the merchandise" kind of person, was not expecting it at all. So he fell in a very ungraceful manner. What's worse, it had just been raining yesterday, so he landed smack-dab in the middle of a muddy puddle.

"I didn't mean to I swear I didn't think you'd be that... unprepared." Harry struggled to think of any word other than weak. By the time he did though, Draco had caught on.

"You mean weak? Sorry I'm not a Gryffindor brute!" Draco had proceeded to take off his outer Hogwarts robe, which had taken the brunt of the mess. As he did, though, he revealed his forearms. Harry stared in shock at his left one. One of the marks on his arm, Harry realized was a Soul Mark.

What's more was that the Mark was the exact same one he had on his chest, above his heart, right where Voldemort had struck him with the Killing Curse. An infinity sign made of jagged lines, as if it was made out of lightning bolts. That couldn't be though, right? I mean, no matter how charming, hilarious and handsome Draco was, or how much Harry liked him, Draco couldn't be Harry's soulmate. Right?

Draco, not knowing what thoughts were going through Harry's head, saw his open shock at his left arm, and thought that he was staring at what he considered a disgusting scar left by the Dark Lord. He felt devastated. He had thought they were past that. In fact he thought that maybe Harry had even liked him ba-. No, that was and is a ridiculous thought.

"I thought you'd accepted that." He said, the hurt in his voice betraying what Draco had wanted to show. Or what little he did. He stared down at the Mark, the Dark one, not thinking about the Soul one, with deep disgust and self-hatred. Draco had not forgiven himself for it yet. He ran away, draping the muddy robe over his left forearm, before Harry could explain himself.

As soon as he could no longer see Draco, Harry sank to his knees and continued trying to understand what had just happened.

Draco had been avoiding Harry for the past couple of days, and had made sure to wear long-sleeves, and that was exactly the opposite of what Harry wanted. What Harry wanted was for the idiot to roll up his sleeves! He had to go apologize at once. It would make all of this easier. He spared a glance at Draco, who was working on his potion. His motions were graceful, like all of them. Harry resolved that he would go up to him. Soon. Maybe, even as soon as after class.

"Draco!" Harry called, as they all exited. "Draco!" He called again, but Draco kept ignoring him, and walked out. Harry ran to follow him, and once he caught sight of the bright blond hair turning the corner speedily, he chased after. He caught up to him, and grabbed a hold of his wrist.

His left wrist.

Draco turned around, looking furious.

"What, Potter?" Draco started, and Harry was already devastated by the last name he had been called. Draco hadn't called him that in months. "What could you possibly want? Come to gawk at the Mark again?" Harry was at a loss for words. He realized much too late that he hadn't planned this out. "Well here you fucking go, cunt!" Draco, now furious and looking like he was going to cry, pulled down his sleeve, revealing both of his Marks.

Harry, again too busy gawking at the Soul Mark, which he now was positive matched his, forgot the Mark that Draco was talking about. In all honesty, it didn't matter to him at all. It hadn't for months.

"I knew it." Draco said, much more quietly but much more filled with emotion. Harry looked up at his face, which was slightly tear-streaked. Harry was left even more stricken. "You know what? Why am I torturing myself?" Draco pushed Harry as hard as he could, and Harry fell to the floor, still in too much shock to do anything. Draco pulled down his sleeve, and walked away.

"Fuck you, Potter."

Once again, Harry was left, reeling, without Draco.

Harry was sitting alone in his bed, staring up at the canopy over his bed, as he had been doing for... Well however long he had been there. He had lost track of time by now, but all he could think about was Draco. It had only been a little more than a week since the first fight, but damn, he missed him. He didn't know how he went all those years without him. The fact that now he knew that Draco had his mark didn't help at all. Then he remembered his map. He made the first movement he had in a while, lunging for his trunk to grab it out of, and as he opened it, he saw Draco in the astronomy tower. He saw him pacing, and a little too near the ledge. Eventually he got much too near the edge for Harry's liking. It almost looked as if he was going to- NO

NO NO NO was all that Harry could think as he ran as fast as he could to the astronomy tower, to be met with the worst sight he had seen since... Well, he couldn't think of one right now, because his mind was fully on Draco, who was standing right by the ledge. It looked as if he was about to take a step out, tears streaming down his face very quickly. Harry ran over there, and pulled Draco closer in, as forcefully as he could, and Draco gasped, not expecting the pull. He turned around and faced Harry, who now saw the tears and the blood shot eyes much better now that he was up close.

"Harry, what? I just- I-" He didn't get a chance to finish, because Harry had pulled him into a forceful, if slightly salty from tears, kiss. Once they finally pulled away after a while, only for breath, Harry immediately launched into his explanation.

"That day, when I pushed you into the mud, I wasn't staring at this," he started, pointing at the Dark Mark on Draco's arm, visible by the already rolled-up sleeve, which Draco refused to look at. "I was staring at this." He continued, pointing at the Soul Mark. Draco looked at him, slightly hopeful.

"Why?" Draco asked, tentatively, thinking he might know the answer.

"Because I have the same one." Harry answered, and Draco's face lit up as Harry pulled off his shirt to show him.

"So now that I've answered that, I want you to tell me," Harry started quietly, sounding exasperated, confused and hurt all at once. "Why the hell you even considered this." He gestured at the window.

"I... I..." Draco started, and mumbled something incoherent.

"You what?" Harry probed, and grabbed Draco's hand, which seemed to resolve him.

"I thought that everybody hated me." He mumbled, and wouldn't meet Harry's eyes. Those six words deeply pained him.

"What do you mean? Why would we all hate you?" Harry asked, green eyes full of concern and sadness.

"Because I was His follower. A groupie if you will." Draco responded, laughing through the tears at his own sick, twisted joke. "Most of the students still hardly even look at me. I'm beneath all of them, and I don't think they will ever well and truly forgive me. They hate me, I was a traitor. What's more was I'm 'corrupting the Golden Boy'." He laughed again. A laugh that Harry didn't realize how cold and biting it was the first time. "The only person that really helped me all through this, was you." He continued. "My friends have been distant, trying to maintain their image rather than offer me support, and my parents, under house arrest, aren't allowed any non-ministry owls. So once I thought you had turned on me, I didn't have anybody."

Harry lifted his chin, and kissed him again. A softer, more comforting kiss, and Draco's constant sadness melted away for a moment, like it did only when he was with Harry. He loved it.

They sat down together holding hands, against the wall for hours, looking at the stars.

That's where they fell asleep.

Together.