Disclaimer - I own nothing you recognise.
Challenges listed at the bottom.
Hogwarts Assignment 12 - Philosophy, Task 2 - Write about being freed from something (figuratively or literally).
Word Count - 4476
Beta'd by the lovely Sam and Liza
Written for Lo, who is at least partially to blame for my new Tony Stark obsession.
Winter Is Coming
Draco had spent time when he was younger, wondering about his soulmate. The black snowflake on his left wrist was the subject of many hours of contemplation. What would his soulmate be like? Would he or she like Draco? Would they fall in love immediately? Would they be happy together forever?
It was his destiny to meet this person, and he knew absolutely nothing about them. It was frustrating. Draco wondered if other people felt that way about their soulmarks.
The pondering was done in secret of course, his father wouldn't have accepted anything but Draco's full focus on the family business; success in business was his father's only concern, anything else was for other people.
It was at his Father's behest that Draco learnt that not trusting people was safer. That even if he found his soulmate, whoever it was would probably be overcome with greed when realising that Draco came from old money, and that he was still earning lots of it too.
Draco tried not to listen to his Father's propaganda, but it was difficult.
When years passed, when his parents died in a car crash, when he took over the family business, and his soulmate didn't show up, Draco lost hope. He immersed himself in his job, in an unhealthy lifestyle of drinking and partying and one night stands.
He wore long shirts or jumpers so he didn't have to look at the unique mark tattooed on his skin, and he pushed the matter to the back of his mind.
He'd travelled the world.
He'd met thousands of people.
Not a single one of them had given his mark a shot of colour.
So he gave up.
And then he was kidnapped, and his life spiralled completely out of control.
…
Four Years Later
...
Malfoy Tower stood proudly above the surrounding buildings, higher and infinitely more beautiful than all others. On every level there were new and innovative things happening.
Schools took tours around the lower levels, it was practically a tourist attraction.
But the real action, the things that most of the world didn't know about, happened higher up.
Draco's office, his lab, and his living quarters were on the highest floor. On the next floor down, was the Phoenix' headquarters.
Draco hadn't been at all sure about joining Phoenix at first. Why on earth would he want to be a superhero? What was in it for him?
It wasn't like he needed fame or money; his name was known across the world, and his bank account held enough money to fund a small country.
And yet… and yet his suit, body armour that had been borne from necessity to save his life when he was kidnapped called to him constantly.
Since that first suit, he'd built over fifty of them, each time getting better and better and better. More weapons, more safety features, more everything.
And he lived for the fight. He enjoyed fighting, defending his life against the so called bad guys of the world. While they tried, they couldn't often match Phoenix for very long.
Of course, signing on to be a member of Phoenix meant dealing with the other super powers.
Captain, the shield throwing, green eyed, boy next door that the world adored, Harry Potter was their leader.
He and Draco had gotten off on the wrong foot and had never really righted themselves since. Sure, they could work together - effectively at that, but they were so much chalk and cheese that they rubbed each other the wrong way without actually trying.
Along with Captain, there was Hawkeye; the man with the best aim Draco had ever seen. Theodore Nott could shoot his arrow into a certain dot on a wall of dots with his eyes closed.
Black Widow, a woman who could never be described as demure, who could fight better than most men, Parvati Patil was a force to be reckoned with.
Seamus Finnegan rounded out their merry band of misfits. He'd been a pilot in the air force when he'd been recommended for Phoenix. He'd been provided with large metal wings that had immediately led to him being dubbed The Falcon.
Thankfully, as much as he was perfectly content to house Phoenix in his tower, Draco was very happy that his AI System, fondly dubbed Dobby, kept the others from annoying him too much when he wanted peace.
What Draco didn't know, was that his life was about to be turned upside down again. If he had known, he might've decided that it was time to take an extended holiday… to the moon.
…
"Captain has called a Phoenix Meeting, Sir," Dobby told him, cutting the music in the lab.
Draco rolled his eyes, tossing his spanner onto the bench. Potter lived to irritate him, he was sure of it. They'd only had a meeting a couple of days ago, and there had been nothing pressing to deal with.
Wiping his face with a towel, he got up. He should change really, he knew, but he planned to return straight to his work whenever Potter was done with his latest rambling so he didn't really see the point.
"Tell him I'll be there in five, Dobby," Draco instructed, taking a moment to massage his temple.
"Yes, Sir."
…
Draco was the last to arrive, and after helping himself to a cold glass of water, he sat down on the comfortable couch beside Parvati, offering her a small smile in greeting. Potter was pacing back and forth, his expression shifting between fury and worry in a way that left Draco worried for the end of the world.
"What's this about, Cap?" Seamus asked after a moment, when no one else spoke.
Potter turned to face them, running a hand through his perpetually messy hair.
"Who here has heard of the Winter Soldier?"
"Assassin, one of the best in the world," Parvati replied immediately. "Nobody has ever even managed to get a proper look at his face, let alone catch him."
"I know him. We, his family and I, we thought he was dead," Potter said, rubbing a hand over his eyes. "He's not… that's not him. I have a feeling the Death Eater's have gotten to him; brainwashed him. We need to save him."
Draco frowned. "How do you know he isn't doing it of his own free will? He could be a super villain by choice. And if nobody has even so much as got a look at him, how do you even know it's your friend?"
"Dumbledore," Potter replied, as though that single word explained everything. Which… in some ways it did. "He passed along the files. If you don't want to help me save Charlie, then I'll go alone, I can't leave him there."
"Nobody has said they won't help," Theo interjected. "But you also can't expect us all to sign onto a suicide mission without more information."
Draco nodded his agreement. "Theo's right, no need to look at me as if I'll sneak into your house and strangle all your kittens. If he's been brainwashed into being an assassin, and a damn good one if Pav is correct, how are we going to save him when he's going to be trying to kill us?"
"If we can contain him and get him back to the Shack, they'll be able to help him," Harry replied.
The Shack was their Medical Bay, christened the Shrieking Shack. It was supposed to be a joke, and yet it was all to accurate that when people passed by, the likelihood of the hearing someone screaming was pretty high.
"He's… killing isn't him. When he were kids, and Aunt Molly, his mum, read us Noah's ark, Charlie was the kid arguing that Noah was rude for only taking two of each animal. He's… he's pure. And he doesn't deserve to be left for them to use like a monster when he isn't one."
Draco stared at Potter for a moment before he nodded. "Alright. I'm in."
…
Armoured up in his Iron Man suit, Draco followed Falcon towards the Death Eaters' base. Below them, Cap, Hawkeye and Widow approached from the ground.
This was a recon mission, Draco had been certain to specify to Potter. Don't engage unless absolutely necessary and if they could get Charlie out this time, bonus.
Draco held hope that Cap could hold his cool. He thought that he'd stressed it enough that they'd be able to take the time to check out the area. He had Dobby scanning constantly, the AI was wittering in his ear about the layout and -
A bang on the ground.
"Fuck it all," Draco muttered, as over the intercom, he heard Falcon say, "Harry just threw his shield, Draco. Time to get down there."
"Of course he did," Draco replied rolling his eyes. So much for recon.
…
There were a lot. More than any of them expected, and they had as much fire power as Draco did. He blasted masked person after masked person, barely managing to keep them away. He ducked and dived away from their return fire, the near misses getting closer and closer to not being misses at all.
"I've found him," Potter said over the intercom. "They've got him in some sort of statis."
"Keep him that way," Widow replied from outside, where she was fighting the swarms alongside Theo. "We'll transport him straight to the Shack in statis so he doesn't kill us all."
Draco snorted. He gestured to Falcon to follow him, and the two made their way to where Dobby confirmed Cap was.
The Winter Soldier was definitely in statis, but unfortunately, there was no way to transport the giant machine he was being kept in.
Draco landed, counting on Falcon to watch his back.
"No-go on keeping him in statis, anyone think to fetch tranquilizers?"
"On it," Widow replied, and seconds later, the window above them smashed, followed by three darts coming through, straight into Draco's hand. He passed one of them off to Potter and nodded for him to hit the switch to turn the machine off.
"Death Eaters heading back your way," Theo warned.
As the machine turned off, the Winter Soldier's eyes opened, glaring at Draco. Draco stared at the metal left arm, his eyes wide. That was certainly different.
He attacked immediately, stabbing the Soldier in the neck with the tranquilizer.
"You could have give him a chance!" Potter snapped, when the soldier swayed on his feet.
"Tranq! Now!" Draco demanded.
The Soldier reached out the metal hand to grip at Potter's neck as Draco spoke, and Draco jabbed him with the second tranquilizer in his hand, before snatching the one out of Potter's flailing hand and hit him with that one too.
The combined power of the three knocked the soldier out, and as Potter was released, gasping, Draco caught the Soldier.
"Seamus, get Cap," he ordered, as, getting a decent grip in the Soldier, Draco shot out of the building, leaving a hole in roof for Seamus to follow him through.
"Theo, Parvati, abort and get out of there," he shouted, hearing them both give him the okay. Shaking his head, Draco adjusted his hold on the Soldier as they made their way back to the jet.
Captain and his stupid bloody ideas. He'd almost gotten them murdered!
"You better be worth all this trouble," he muttered to the redhead in his arms.
Unsurprisingly, there was no reply.
…
It wasn't until later, in the blissful shower that was taking care of his aching muscles, that Draco caught sight of his soulmark.
Where the black snowflake had once sat, there was now a blue and silver one.
Draco didn't really know what to do with that.
…
"His treatment is going well," Potter was saying, leaning against one of the desk's in Draco's lab. "And with his arm, and the fact that he has a bastardised version of my super serum in it, he'll be able to join Phoenix as soon the Shack clear him."
Draco nodded absently, not really listening. He was ambivalent about Charlie joining Phoenix. On one hand, it might stop Cap annoying him at all the hours of the day and night about his friend. On the other, Draco was weary of anyone that had been used as a killing machine - willingly or not.
He was also preoccupied with the fact that he'd clearly met his soulmate while at the Death Eater base. That could only mean bad news, because if his soulmate was a Death Eater, they'd likely end up facing each other on opposite sides of a battlefield at some point and that wouldn't end well.
Would he be able to kill his soulmate?
According to the publications that Draco had read over the years, once the tattoo had changed colour to indicate finding one another, you would recognise your soulmate upon meeting their eyes.
Draco wondered how prudent it would be to start wearing a blindfold in battle.
"- and he's really coming on, I'm really proud of him. I'm going to need you to coordinate with the medics, of course, to take a better look at his arm. I'm sure you could make him something much better than that mess of metal he has now."
Draco blinked. How long had Potter just wittered without encouragement?
Shrugging internally, he nodded again. "Just have them coordinate with Dobby, and I'll take a look at it whenever he's ready."
…
Charlie had moved in. Draco thought that a bit premature, but the powers-that-be had apparently agreed with Potter that the Winter Soldier would be an asset to Phoenix, and so, he'd been given a room beside Potter's.
Draco had been avoiding it.
It wasn't that he had a problem with the Soldier as such, he just…
He couldn't even explain it to himself.
Today though, today he couldn't avoid him. Today he was going down to the Phoenix floor to get a better look at the metal arm attached to Charlie so he could get a better idea of what he was working with.
The Death Eaters weren't exactly know for their scientific finesse - at least not in the way that Draco was.
As soon as Draco entered the kitchen, he made a mistake. He met the eyes of the Soldier and felt a warmth spread through him, the knowledge that he was looking at his soulmate solidifying immediately in his mind and his wrist, where his soulmark tingled.
He barely managed not to groan out loud.
Charlie was staring at him, his brow furrowed in confusion, but Draco looked away as he approached.
"I'm here to look at your arm," he said flatly. "Can you take your jumper off so I can get a proper look at the fitting?"
"I… Sure."
Draco could barely hold the shiver at the rough sexy voice that came out of the lush lips on the gorgeous face of the -
Nope! Not going there.
Draco forced himself not to stare at the newly revealed skin of Charlie's chest and turned his attention to the shoulder fitting instead. It was crudely done, but workable, and Draco jotted notes down in his notebook.
"I can make this more comfortable for you," he muttered, brushing his fingers over the sore skin where the bracket sat. "And of course make the arm better. This is shoddy work."
Charlie shivered at the touch but remained silent, just watching Draco as he muttered to himself.
Finally, Draco stepped back, his eyes firmly on his notebook.
"I've got what I need for now, and I'll have Dobby let you know when I'm ready for you in the lab for a fitting check."
"Dobby?"
"The AI that runs the joint. Dobby, introduce yourself to Winter here, would ya?"
Draco walked away as Dobby nattered happily. He could feel Charlie's eyes on him until the elevator doors closed.
…
Draco did his absolute best to avoid any and all team specific things, to the point where Parvati jokingly asked him if he had decided to hibernate for the winter.
He didn't want to deal with Charlie, didn't even want to begin to decipher how the other man felt about the soulmate business, and honestly, he didn't want to watch Cap all over Charlie either. He could understand that Potter was happy his friend was alright, but the two of them were damn near inseparable, and Potter had always been one of those touchy-feely types.
Of course, what Draco wanted and what Draco got was normally two different things.
He was working on a prototype of Charlie's arm, wondering how he could fit a sword into it, that would come out only when Charlie wanted it, when Dobby announced that Cap was waiting to be allowed entrance to the lab.
He groaned quietly, but instructed Dobby to allow him in.
"We're having a party!" Potter said, practically bouncing into the lab.
Draco raised his eyebrow. "What's the occasion?"
"It's a welcome home Charlie, party, but also a birthday party for all the ones he's missed over the years."
Draco glanced at the redhead in question, snorting when he saw just how uncaring the man was about the party.
"I'm afraid I'll have to pass, Potter, but have fun."
"Draco -"
Draco shook his head. "Do you know how busy I am right now? Widow and Hawk both need new kit, I've got three improvements to your armor to try and work out, and that's not to mention the work I've been doing his arm. I don't have time for parties right now."
Harry raised his eyebrow. "You've always got time for parties."
Rolling his eyes, Draco turned back to his workstation, done with the conversation. Potter huffed behind him, and the door clicked shut quietly, leaving Draco blissfully alone once more. He let out a sigh of relief, running his hand through his hair.
"Please come," Charlie said, behind him, startling Draco. Turning on his chair, Draco glared at the man.
"I thought you'd gone! Jesus Christ, warn a bloke, would ya?!"
Charlie's lips tilted up, and he shrugged looking somewhat apologetic.
"Why do you need me there?" Draco asked, at a loss.
"I feel… I feel comfortable when you're make me feel… normal. And… I don't feel that with the others. I don't understand it but… please. If you get time. I just want to feel normal."
Draco sighed but he nodded tiredly. "If I get time."
…
Draco went to the party.
He cursed himself in the elevator, and then again when Potter crowed at him before pointing him in the direction of the catered buffet.
Draco had expected hors d'oeuvres. He'd expected champagne.
He hadn't expected an ice cream bar and a table full of fizzy drinks.
"What on earth…" Draco muttered, trailing off.
"I think he's trying to help me remember what life was like before… before. You know? My mum, she used to do things like this a lot."
Draco jumped at the rough voice.
"Do you get off on making me jump?" he asked, rolling his eyes.
"You should pay more attention to your surroundings," Charlie murmured, a ghost of a smile on his face.
"Or maybe, you should stop living up to your name and being silent as a bloody snowflake," Draco replied. "This is like a kids wonderland though. He does know that you're an adult, right?"
Charlie shrugged, casting an indulgent glance at Potter. "It makes him happy. Who am I to argue with that?"
And then he put it like that, Draco couldn't really argue either.
Charlie stayed at his side, a silent presence, for the rest of the evening.
Oddly, Draco didn't mind.
…
Charlie started appearing at the lab. After the first couple of times, where Draco questioned the motive of just sitting silently, watching Draco work, Draco allowed it without complaint.
It was kind of nice, to have company without being expected to talk constantly.
Draco turned to look at his spectator, a wide smile on his face.
"Take your shirt off, Soldier. Time to fit this arm."
Charlie swallowed hard, looking nervous, but he did as he was bid. Draco pushed his swivel chair closer, and working carefully, he changed the metal arms, replacing the Death Eater's shoddy work with his own beautifully crafted arm.
He explained about the extras he'd added onto it as he fitted it, and then sat back as Charlie moved it on his instruction.
"Good?"
"It's amazing," Charlie replied, staring at it in wonder. "Thank you, Draco."
"No problem, Snowflake," Draco replied without thinking, spinning his chair away. He cursed himself silently for the slip.
Ever since the party, he'd been referring to Charlie as Snowflake in his mind, but he'd never intended for Charlie to actually find out.
"Why Snowflake?" Charlie asked.
"Winter Soldier. Snowflake," Draco bluffed, shrugging his shoulder. "I won't call it you if you don't like it."
"No, I… I like it. But… what about the snowflake on your wrist?"
Draco looked down at where his wrist was completely on show, where he'd pulled his sleeve up earlier that day.
"I. Well. That's my soulmate mark."
Charlie blinked. Draco was surprised to see how sad he suddenly looked. As he stared at Charlie's left arm, it suddenly dawned on him that Charlie didn't have a soulmate mark anymore - he'd had his arm removed.
"Harry explained soulmates to me. I didn't… it was one of the things I didn't remember. Who is your soulmate?"
Draco sighed. "You are."
Charlie's eyes widened. "I. Erm. Really?"
Draco nodded. "Uh huh."
"I, ah, I didn't… I mean, I feel more comfortable with you than anyone else but, I didn't know that, I erm. I didn't know."
Draco nodded again. "I should've told you but…"
"But?"
Before Draco could reply, the Phoenix alarm sounded through the tower.
"Ah shit."
…
"Draco, move dammit," Charlie shouted, knocking one of the Death Eater's to the side. They'd come to collect their asset, but Draco wasn't having any of that.
"Nope," he shouted, his voice muffled by his suit. They hadn't even had time to put their intercom's in.
The fight was a blur for all of them, but when it was over, there were Death Eater's strewn around the room in various states of dead or unconscious, and Phoenix were all still on their feet, battered and bruise but okay.
All except one.
…
Charlie thought he'd been finished with the Shrieking Shack once his reprogramming had been finished. It'd taken him a while to unlearn the toxic ideology he'd been programmed with, and the resulting therapy had been draining, but he thought he'd been done.
And yet, here he sat.
At least he wasn't the one occupying the bed this time though.
Draco lay prone in the bed. He could almost look like he was sleeping peacefully, if it wasn't for the drip in his arm and the cuts and bruises that littered his skin.
"I'd fight with every bone in my body if it meant I could protect you," Charlie whispered, a tear dropping onto his face. "But you're not allowed to do the same thing for me, Draco. I'm not worth it."
"I beg to differ," Draco croaked, his eyes fluttering open.
…
Charlie was being clingy and overbearing.
Draco wasn't sure to do with that. He'd been injured, yes, but it wasn't the first time and Draco was pretty sure it wouldn't be the last.
And Charlie was being mean and not letting him have any fun. His bruises had almost fully healed when the others decided they were going ice skating, and Charlie hadn't let him go. Draco had sulked for hours.
Now that he was fully healed, he was looking forward to an actual date with his soulmate. Checking his tuxedo in the mirror, he smiled at himself.
He looked good.
That their first date was on New Year's Eve was a bit much, but Draco enjoyed the chance to dress up, and more importantly, seeing Charlie dressed up with right up there on his priority list.
He took the elevator down to the Phoenix floor, where the gang had arranged to meet before they all headed out to the Gala they'd been invited to.
Parvati was already there when he arrived, and he pretended to bow to her.
"You are a queen amongst mortals," he told her as she spun, showing off her form fitting amber coloured dress. "You look stunning."
"You clean up very well," she replied, kissing his cheek.
They awaited the others, who arrived moments after Draco. Theo, Seamus and Potter all looked good in their tuxedo's, but Draco was only interested in the man that entered the room last.
When he finally laid eyes on Charlie, he had to discreetly check himself for drool. The black and white tuxedo set off his hair, making it look even brighter than usual. His eyes sparkled, and he stared at Draco appreciatively as he approached.
"You look incredible," he murmured, gripping Draco's hand in his own.
Draco smiled. "So do you, Snowflake."
"Are we ready?" Parvati asked, already sashaying her way towards the doors to the lift. The men could only follow her, Draco chuckling at the look on Seamus' face as he watched her go.
…
Fireworks exploded overhead as their lips met in a kiss that set off fireworks in Draco's chest. It was chaste, a promise of more to follow, before they pulled apart. Draco leant into Charlie's side, and the taller man pressed a kiss to his temple before they turned their attention to the fireworks in the distance.
...
"You look nervous. What did you do, Snowflake?" Draco asked, eyeing Charlie curiously when the man joined him in his lab.
It had been a long day, and Draco was ready for his soldier to sweep him up in his arms and treat him to a movie night on the sofa.
Instead, Charlie was approaching him, biting his lip, his puppy eyes already in force.
"I, erm, know I wished that I had a mark? Like yours?"
Draco pulled him to sit beside him, pressing a soft kiss to his cheek in greeting. "Tell me what you did."
"I wanted to match you."
Draco's brow furrowed. "What do you mean?"
Charlie pulled up the sleeve on his right arm, and Draco gasped. On Charlie's wrist was a blue tattoo, a mirror image to the one on Draco's left wrist.
"I don't have my mark anymore, but… I wanted to match you so -"
Draco cut him off, pressing their lips together in a hard kiss. "I love it. I love you."
Charlie's eyes glowed with happiness. It was the first time Draco had said those words to him.
"I love you too."
Writing Club
Character Appreciation - 6. Greed
Creature Feature - Dementor - Soulmate!AU / Qitou - Shrieking Shack
Book Club - Master Legend - Villain / Wish / "No need to look at me as if I'll sneak into your house and strangle all your kittens."
Showtime - 9. Destiny
Amber's Attic - 20. Someone who wants to be normal
Buttons - O1. Sword / C2. Harry Potter / W3. Encouragement
Ami's Audio - 11. Someone loving someone
Em's Emporium - P2. Unlearning toxic ideology
Seasonal Prompts
Days of the Month - Best Friends Day - A fic for one of your best fanfiction friends
Summer - Travel
Colour - Amber
Birthstone - Turquoise - "I would fight with every bone in my body if it meant I could protect you."
Flower - Hydrangea - Old Money
Fire Element - Glow
Gryffindor - Charlie Weasley
Astronomy - Delta Aquarids - Watching fireworks
Other
Hot Air Balloon - 3. Soulmate!AU
Eagle - 15. Party / Ice cream
Film Festival - 14. Tuxedo / 16. Jumper
Debate - Team Slash - Chaco
Faeries - Snowflake / Unique / Winter / Wonderland / Ice Skating / Hibernate
Insane House Challenge - 374. Demure