Never Have I Ever

Chapter 1: Happy Birthday

This was based on another post I saw that suggested that everyone gets tattoos of their soulmates at some point in their lives, and Harry and Draco obviously matched up. So I decided to take the idea a little further and make it link with chapters of events before the Great Hall drinking party! Hope you enjoy :)

*****

It was of a dragon.

The trials had just finished and he had turned eighteen at Grimmauld Place. Hermione and Ron came over to visit, and Ginny too. After the war and everything they had done and experienced over the last year, he and Ginny had become such different people, but he appreciated that she had come anyway.
The Weasley's were struggling after Fred. He was welcome at the Burrow anytime but Harry had enough of his own personal deaths to grieve over, let alone adding other people casualties to the list of his faults. He couldn't help feeling responsible for every death. If only Malfoy hadn't found a way into the castle through the Vanishing Cabinet.

Anyhow, it was not important now and he couldn't change the past. He was eighteen and getting his Soul Mark. He excused himself momentarily while Hermione and Ron quickly made some cookies and Ginny fixed the tea, to go back to the toilet and check on its progress. It had initially appeared as a spidery veiny sort of pattern on his skin that slowly was darkening and beginning to look inky in places. There were sharp wings and a graceful neck but he couldn't see much else.

The others still wanted to see it when he returned, they'd been discussing it for a few weeks, so he awkwardly lifted the back of his shirt. Ginny gave a 'humph' and Ron exclaimed "Blimey Harry, that's massive!"

He turned to look at Ron, who's expression was interesting in the least, and Hermione had a finger on the bridge of her nose, which meant she was thinking. He was sure she would figure it out and she'd eventually send a long excited letter by owl. Usually the poor things had to recover before they left again because sometimes Hermione used that much parchment. It didn't help since she was living with the Weasleys now that her parents had gone, having erased their memories. She wrote on behalf of all six Weasleys so it made sense when letters ended up being that long.

He blinked and Ron was helping Hermione wind her scarf around her neck, even though she really didn't need the help.

"Are you leaving?" asked Harry.

"Yeah" said Ron, "we have to pack for the confounded trip to, where is it?"

"Australia" said Hermione.

"Stralia—?" said Ron. "Anyway, we're going there. 'Mione thinks her parents are there because she's got some distant relatives living there."

"Right" nodded Harry, shoving his hands into his pockets.

He gave them both hugs, awkwardly kissed Ginny on the cheek, and watched them step into the blue Floo flames and exclaim "the Burrow!"

Harry was left alone. Their visit had hardly seemed to last seconds, but time was beginning to feel like that recently. He trooped up to his bedroom and lifted a floorboard to retrieve the bottle of fire whiskey underneath. He sat against the wall and cracked it open. If anyone decided to stop by they would just have to deal with him being a little bit drunk. He never celebrated his birthday so he didn't see how it was important. Maybe he'd try to recreate the cake this year, unless Hagrid somehow sent him the same one he made when Harry had turned eleven.

*
He must have fallen asleep because he woke up with his face pressed against the cold granite floor of the kitchen, and Kreacher disapprovingly poking around him with a grimy white cloth. Harry peeled himself off the floor, ignored Kreacher's muttered insults and apparated to the middle of Diagon Alley. He hadn't returned for ages, not since sixth year when he remembered them hunting down Ollivander in Voldemort's mind.

He walked in the direction of Fleur and Fortescue, which was thankfully still open.

Mr Fortescue remembered him and presented Harry with his best arrangement of ice cream scoops of his slow melt brand. He sat there eating his ice cream, trying to go unnoticed, but unfortunately he seemed to have created a buzz as more witches and wizards came out of stores and leaned out of windows to stare at the famous Harry Potter who had killed You-Know-Who. Everyone was still a little hesitant after a year of war in which he had been hunted down, so few people openly approached him, but he would never stop being famous.

Suddenly a large tawny owl flew overhead and swooped in, dropping a familiar looking letter from its talons. Harry stared at it for a good while, then opened it with shaky fingers.

Mr Harry Potter,
We invite you once more to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, term beginning September 1st for your eighth year. Your books and other required materials are provided. We look forward to your return.
Yours sincerely,
Minerva McGonagall
Headmistress of Hogwarts

Harry shook his head and bit down a grin. He was actually going back to Hogwarts! He had missed his home and he knew that it now held painful memories but at least he would be back - and that meant that everything hadn't been for nothing. Going to Hogwarts was exactly how it was supposed to be.

He looked up and exactly at that moment, a hand dropped on his shoulder. The fingers were pale and slender - almost feminine except for how sinewed and muscled they looked, and their size. Malfoy.

"Potter."

He looked at Malfoy as he came to stand opposite him, hands resting on the top of the chair.

"How have you been doing, Potter?" he asked.

He tried his usual drawl, but Askaban and the Death Eater trials had tired him out. There were dark shadows under his eyes and where he had once been athletically muscled, he now looked gaunt and ferrety. He was so focused that he almost twitched trying to remain as put together as possible, but Potter could definitely see through him. He could see worry and concern forming in the stupid git's mind.

"Oh shut up Potter" he snapped as those green eyes stared up at him. "I'm perfectly fine, don't you dare start pitying me or I'll—"

"I don't care what you do" Harry retorted, sighing. "But you owe me three times now for saving your arse."

"Whatever" Malfoy snapped. He took a step back to walk away - he didn't know why he stopped to speak to Potter. He supposed he owed Potter a thanks, but he hadn't really had any intentions, he'd just started walking over. He'd always had this issue. It was like he had a built in system that made him find beelining to Potter the best idea ever.

"Hey", Potter said.

Malfoy paused.

"Did you get a Hogwarts letter too?"

"Why would I?" said Malfoy, not looking at Harry.

"Because you got excused on bail, Malfoy. You're not a war criminal." Malfoy began to walk away.

"See you in September then!" Harry yelled after his receding back. He sort of hoped Malfoy would be there. After all, he'd saved his life one too many times to not give a crap about Malfoy, so he had agreed to defend for Malfoy, of which he was completely unaware. But outside of Askaban, Harry had caused a scandal in The Daily Prophet. Rita Skeeter of course. She still hadn't gone away. But now that had all passed. He had testified for Malfoy, and found himself saying plenty of things he wasn't entirely sure why he said, or where in fact they can't from. But he left the Ministry of Magic that day, happy for the first time in a while, with the knowledge that Malfoy wasn't sleeping in Askaban tonight.

He had been met face on with wizard reporters trying to subtlety crowd him as he emerged from the telephone box that connected to the Ministry (as ever, their attempts at muggle clothing were humorous). Harry immediately disapparated, to their utter surprise and annoyance.

Harry left a galleon on the table and walked up Diagon Alley. He was going to need supplies. And he knew exactly where to start - where had gone seven years before; while Hagrid had been inside, he had awkwardly stood outside, clutching his new wand.
He didn't have Hedwig anymore, and it broke his heart, but she would need to be replaced. Harry pushed open the door to the Animal Emporium, the bell jangling above him.