{Written for my bestie bel_luv . Happy birthday, thank you for listening to all of my story ideas 💗}
Draco had honestly tried to stay away from Potter, he truly tried. After narrowly avoiding being sentenced at his trial, Draco vowed to keep his mouth shut, his head down, and focus on his studies. That was all fine and well, but Potter seemed to have other ideas. Wherever Draco was, you could almost guarantee that Harry Potter was lurking somewhere nearby. This on top of everything else deterred people from being near Draco, so he was completely and utterly alone.
Harry wouldn't quite say it was on purpose that he kept finding himself near Draco. He didn't always actively seek the other man out. It almost felt like a pull of sorts, and it was something he had felt ever since their rivalry began in first year. They didn't even have to talk, Harry was fine just looking at him.
The lingering stares had to be what Draco hated the most. He preferred being spoken to, yelled at, hell even pushed against a wall. Something that actually held a meaningful interaction. He was getting fed up, and no matter where Draco went, Potter followed.
"Have I done something to you?," Draco seemingly asked the air one October morning, completely fed up with always being watched.
"Are you talking to me?," Harry asked in surprise after a moment's hesitation.
"Do I have another stalker I should be addressing my questions to?," came Draco's sarcastic retort.
"I'm not stalking you!"
"Yesterday when I went to the seventh floor-"
"But you didn't go to the seventh floor," Harry interrupted.
"Precisely. How else would you know that if you weren't watching me?"
"Okay, maybe I am watching you," Harry awkwardly admitted.
"Care to come out of the tree you're hiding in and actually face me? Or is that a privilege only you're privy to?"
"I'm here."
"Aren't you always?," Draco asked in frustration. "I'm not up to anything, I'm simply trying to survive so you can quit following me already!"
"I don't think you're up to anything," Harry said in confusion.
"Well, you have me fooled. Why are you always around?"
"I don't know."
"How can you possibly not know? You make an active choice to follow me around."
"I don't know why I do it. My feet just kind of follow you."
"Right... We remember how well the last time you actively followed me somewhere went. I suppose you refrain from following me into the bathrooms now."
The bitterness couldn't help but seep into Draco's tone as he pictured all of the scars crossing his chest.
"I never apologized for that, and I'm so sorry Malfoy. I didn't know what that spell did."
"And somehow that makes it even worse. The fact that you hated me so much that you would throw an unknown spell at me when I was vulnerable- it doesn't matter. You can't change it," Draco said, gathering his things and getting up.
"What if I want to?," Harry blurted out.
"Are you in possession of a time turner then?," Draco asked sarcastically.
"I can't change the past. Believe me, there's more of my life than not that I would change. But I can control the present, and I can control the future. You asked why I follow you... I feel protective of you."
"You have an odd way of showing it. Anyone who may have wanted to speak to me won't because you're always lingering, and you intimidate them. I walk alone, I dine alone, I will always be alone Potter. You'll grow out of whatever this is."
"Will I? We've been drawn to each other since first year Malfoy. It's like there's some kind of invisible string tying you to me. Don't you feel it?," Harry pleaded, grabbing Draco's hand.
Draco moved to snatch his hand back when Harry gripped it tighter.
"We have scars that align...," Harry remarked curiously.
"What are you talking about?"
"Look at our hands."
The scar on Harry's palm, cutting through his life line, perfectly lined up to a scar on Draco's palm. The difference was that Harry's scar went completely through, while Draco's only grazed his lifeline.
"I'm going to the library," Draco stuttered, rushing away from Harry immediately.
Harry wondered if he should follow Draco. He thought maybe this once, Draco should be alone. The other man looked as if he had seen a ghost. Harry of all people would know of course. Still, he hoped Draco was okay.
Harry gave Draco an hour. When the map told him that Draco was still in the library halfway through dinner, he made a plate for him and snuck it into the library. If Madam Pince knew she would surely have his head.
"I was wondering when you'd finally show up," Draco murmured, not even looking up from his books.
"You missed dinner."
Draco looked up to see a covered plate of food being placed in front of him.
"Let me check these out before you get me banned from the library. I'll meet you out front."
Once Draco was done, Harry followed him wordlessly back to the dorms, wondering what exactly was going on. Draco had experienced some sort of change, and Harry was determined to find out what had happened.
"Your room," Draco instructed, waiting outside the door.
Rolling his eyes, Harry did as told, opening the door for Draco.
"Essentially, you need to stay away from me."
"Then why are we alone in my room together?," Harry retorted.
"So that I can explain to you why without anyone overhearing. I'm not bringing you into my room, it's the one place you haven't followed me yet."
"I still haven't followed you into any more bathrooms."
"That's not much better," Draco retorted.
They sat in silence for a minute, with Draco trying to gather his thoughts.
"Oh, fate has been cruel to you Harry Potter."
"Obviously, but why are you telling me that?"
"Have you heard of the phenomenon of the invisible string?"
"Well yeah, I mentioned it earlier but I didn't think it was like... a thing. I used it as a metaphor."
"Wonderful, we're truly starting at the beginning."
"Sorry I had dead parents who couldn't provide support, I'll do better next time," Harry said sarcastically.
"No, I'm sure you will actually do better next time, in your next life. It's very peculiar. Have you heard of soulmates then?"
"Well yeah, but I don't think they're real."
"You can believe that everything you've experienced is real, but you can't believe that someone out there is your other half, complementing you in all of the best ways?"
"Well, when you put it like that..."
"I digress. I'm only telling you so that you leave me alone. You don't actually like me, we know this."
"I have no issues with you?," Harry replied in confusion.
"We don't have time to unpack all of your repressed feelings. You said you feel like you've always been drawn to me?"
"Well yeah."
Draco held out his hand for Harry's. He turned his hand so that it was palm up, and he gently traced the scar cutting through his life line with one finger, back and forth.
"How does that feel?"
"I dunno, feels nice I guess?"
That was an understatement. It made Harry want to hug Draco and bury his face in his neck.
"Why does it feel like that?"
"Because of the string. It doesn't make sense though... I've been trying to wrap my head around it."
"Why aren't you affected?"
"My guess is that because you... you know, you're subconsciously looking to reaffirm the bond."
"Because I died," Harry said simply.
"I thought because you... died... that the bond would have been completely severed. Your string is trying to reattach to mine. That's why you're always seeking proximity and you look like you're going to kill someone who looks at me the wrong way."
"So what do I do?"
"We look for ways to completely sever the bond and-"
"What?! No!"
Harry snatched his hand back and cradled it as if he had been burnt.
"You're saying I have a soulmate and now you want to take them away-"
"Potter, I am your soulmate! Me! The death eater! The man who spent his whole entire school career making your life miserable! It's not like you're meant to be with Weasley or Granger or quite literally anyone else in this school, it's me! You have a chance to get out of this. Give me your hand."
"No! I'm fucking sick and tired of people making my life decisions for me! You don't get to decide this for me, for us! That's not fair to me! I know you don't care for me and I'm sorry whatever this uncontrollable force is is making me stalk you like it's sixth year again, but this is my body, and I have the choice to do with it what I please. Leave me alone," Harry spat, hugging himself.
He felt as if he had been burnt, probably due to the rejection of his soulmate. His mind jumped to first year, wondering if this was how Draco had felt. So young, not knowing why it hurt so bad.
"Potter-"
"Go. I don't want to be around you right now."
"You'll find it's for the best," Draco replied, walking towards the door with his untouched dinner.
"Who are you to make that decision for me? Dumbledore said living with my abusive relatives was for the best. Sirius said that staying with them was for the best. Snape said his hateful demeanor towards me was for the best. Dumbledore said sacrificing myself was for the best. The resurrection stone said embracing death was for the best. I walked alone, into the forest to die, because I was convinced that it was for the best.
You know what happened to everyone I just mentioned? They died. They're dead, and they're never coming back, but apparently that's for the best too. Tell me Malfoy, do I look like I'm the best?"
That light tracing of Harry's scar, their bond, had reignited something in Draco that he had thought was dormant. He thought he had gotten over Potter, but his side of the bond must have been satisfied since Potter was always around. It wouldn't remain that way anymore after making skin to skin contact.
"No. You look like you need a hug, and I'm not very good at that, but I'll try."
Draco tentatively opened his arms for Harry after putting his plate down, and the force of Harry wrapping his arms around him sent Draco sailing back into the door, hitting the back of his head.
"Ouch."
"Sorry," Harry said sheepishly, one hand coming up to caress the back of Draco's head. "Better?"
"Yes," Draco whispered.
This was a bad idea. A horrible idea really because Potter was wrapped around him and, "I know you said you're not very good at this, but your arms are supposed to wrap back around me," Harry teased gently, cutting off Draco's train of thought.
"Sorry, the last hug I got came from Voldemort."
"We'll just have to practice."
They held each other, and time felt endless.
"I think we should go over the books together?," Draco offered.
"I would like that. But, you have to eat first."
"I'll eat, you can read over where I tabbed the pages."
"You can take your shoes off if you want and get comfortable. These books are massive, it'll take awhile to go through them."
After doing so, Harry pulled Draco down to sit next to him on the bed. He leaned his head against Draco's shoulder as he began to look through the books.
Once Draco was done eating, Harry had a list of questions for him.
"So, what do you think?"
"What do I think about what?," Draco asked in confusion.
"This? Us? Is this something that you want to end before it's even begun?"
"Potter, I didn't think you wanted anything to do with me. I was trying to push you away and give you an out."
"Is it that hard to believe that I might actually like you?"
"Yes. I have no redeeming qualities."
Harry held Draco's hand in his own, rubbing his thumb across the top of Draco's hand.
"I think that you're so incredibly funny. You are fiercely loyal to those that you care about. You're incredibly smart and I'm envious of how easy potions is for you. You might not think so, but I think you're brave.
Yes, you might have started off on the wrong side, but I know more than you think I do. When it truly mattered, you were on my side. I know that you knew it was me and you refused to identify me. It was your wand that won the war, and it recognized me despite its allegiance. There were so many clues that I didn't see."
"I didn't know you saw me that way," Draco replied quietly, playing with Harry's fingers.
"You're also very easy on the eyes," Harry teased, causing Draco to finally look up.
"Shut up."
"I'm just stating the obvious."
"You don't even know what you're saying. It's the string."
"The string means I want to be near you. We argued and fought for years. I never stopped wanting to push you up against a wall, but what happened after that has gotten a little more... creative in the past few years."
"I swear to Merlin Potter-"
"You can call me Harry, Draco. I would like that."
"Pot- Harry..."
"I like that a lot actually," Harry whispered, gently brushing the hair away from Draco's eyes.
"What is your end goal here?"
"Ideally? You let me take you out on a date. A proper one. I want to get to know you better. I know so much from observing you, I want you to share things that I don't know. I like holding your hand, and I love the banter that we have. Just being in your presence makes me feel better."
"I suppose we can try... You're right, you should have a say in this too. I'm sorry for overreacting, I just didn't want to hurt you anymore. I can't imagine that we're very good for each other. Nice things never last for me, and you Harry are as nice as they come."
"That wasn't so hard was it?," Harry teased. "Can we lay down? The skin to skin contact was nice. Honestly just holding your hand made me feel better than I have in months."
"Are you trying a line on me Potter?"
"I think it has something to do with the whole being dead thing. Ever since I came back, I've felt like something was missing. This, it feels like things are coming back to me now. I dunno if I can explain it."
"The book says that's the easiest way to reaffirm the bond."
"So we were fine because we hit each other so often."
"Basically," Draco replied with a snort, kicking off his socks. "Put your feet next to mine, that'll help. I'm keeping the trousers on."
"Are you staying the night?"
"Will it help you and give me some space?"
"I think so. After you held my hand I wasn't compelled to follow you. I just wanted to check up on you."
"Let me change then, I'll come back."
Harry brushed his teeth and got ready for bed, anxiously waiting for Draco to return. In a split second decision, he removed his shirt and got under the covers, keeping them firmly wrapped around himself. Turning off the light, his room was lit by the moon filtering in through the window.
The door slowly opened, and Draco padded into the room, blanket wrapped tightly around himself. He cautiously sat on the side of Harry's bed.
"I have a short sleeved shirt on. I can change if that's not okay."
"I just want you to be comfortable, Draco."
"That's why I brought my own blanket."
Harry held back the covers, and Draco's eyes fell on his bare chest, right to the scar covering his heart.
"Another time," Harry promised.
Draco laid next to Harry, and Harry pulled him into his chest.
"Okay?"
"Yes."
It took some shifting, but Draco was finally comfortable. His head rested on Harry's heart, listening to his heartbeat.
"What did you mean when you said you were sure I'll actually do better next time, in my next life?," Harry asked quietly.
"Magic cannot be created nor destroyed. It's energy. It flows through water, through the air, and through the earth. We have the power to channel it, it runs through the veins of magical folks. The wizarding world strongly believes in reincarnation."
"From looking at our lifelines, I think this is the hardest we've ever had to fight to be together. The connected scars are our strings manifesting in a way. They're not so invisible when it took this much to get us together. I almost walked out on you."
"But you didn't. You knew I was hurting, and you stayed."
"I could feel it."
"Thank you, for actually listening to me."
"Thank you for giving me a chance."
Draco was almost asleep when Harry spoke up again.
"Isn't it just so pretty to think all along there was some invisible string tying you to me?," Harry asked, burying his face in the crook of Draco's neck.
"Maybe time really can heal us."
"I'd like to find out."
"Together," they said at the same time.
A gentle gold glow shone faintly under the covers, unbeknownst to both men. With some time, love, and care, the gold glow would strengthen, much like their relationship. It would never break again.