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QLFC Round: 11
Team: Ballycastle Bats
Position: Seeker
Prompt: Soulmate identifying marks: person A has a ton of soulmates ads the names are on their wrist, though only one is alive leaving the rest of the names faded. Person B never has a mark. Write NOTP
Chapter Length: 987 words.
Albus stared at the various names all over his arms. There were so many that he had a hard time seeing all of them. They just overlapped each other. Some names were written beautifully and others were written in a terrible scrawl.
Some were hidden from view, others were out in the open. Different colors spread across his skin, and all of them faded.
Almost all of them had faded. There was one left. However, it was resting on the back of his elbow, which he had a hard time seeing. Albus had to use a mirror in order to see it clearly, but because it was written in another language, he wasn't particularly certain what name it was.
There was once a 'Steven', who had faded away during Albus' childhood. Albus had been devastated until a new mark appeared, but it occupied his other wrist. And this one had said, 'Rolf'. Rolf had followed Albus for almost two years before his blue script suddenly faded, looking worn and used.
Albus had been ready to give up by then, until 'Maria' appeared once, in the early days of June. There a Maria who lived down the lane. Albus had forged a friendship with her, despite her being a Muggle, in hopes of learning whether or not she was his soulmate.
Maria was killed by her father, for associating with Albus, and the name faded from his arm.
Albus had begun to slowly resent Muggles then. As if speaking with Albus was terrible enough that the man had to murder his sweet daughter for it.
The hatred only multiplied further when his little sister, his darling Ariana, had caught the attention of a group of Muggle boys. They wanted her to do more magic. They wanted her to give them magic of their own. And when she couldn't, they beat her down and destroyed whatever light was left inside her.
And Albus had finally come to hate Muggles.
Had his father not handled the situation, Albus would have been the one in prison. But alas, Albus was never given the chance to act, because he prey had been stolen from him.
As years passed, Albus was stuck watching as name after name appeared on his arms. He'd taken to covering them up. His shame. Not wanting anyone to know about how his soulmates just seemed to die over and over. As if they were cursed.
He didn't want anyone to know.
John, Mordred, Alana, Sulpicia, Markus, Adrian, and so many more. The names that came and went so quickly. So fleeting upon his flesh.
The very last name. Out of every one he'd ever had, this was the only one to have stayed longer than two years.
Unfortunately, he did not know whom the name belonged to. He did not know where he would go in order to find the person who possessed such a name. And yet, it had been two years since the name had appeared, and he couldn't help but hope that this one would stay alive. That he might actually get to meet them at some point.
It was sometime after his mother's death, that he met him. A young man by the name of Gellert Grindelwald had come to Godric's Hollow while visiting his aunt. The young man reminded Albus heavily of himself. They seemed so much alike, and Albus could not help but get to know him.
There was something addictive about him. He had a presence that screamed power. That drew Albus in over and over.
They bonded quickly over shared intelligence. Over the desire to be better. They would sit by late into the evening, discussing plans for the future and simply enjoying one another's company.
And then they found the books. Bathilda Bagshot had old tomes filled with information that opened their eyes.
Death. They could Master Death, and not have to die! Not have to fade away into nothing! It would be perfect! They could expand their own world, and subjugate the Muggles to their rule. To teach them exactly why they should not have trifled with the wizarding world.
And it was one day, during a spar, that Gellert had caught sight of Albus' arms. The names that had been imprinted in his skin for years.
Gellert did not stare, though he did ask if Albus' soulmate was still alive. Albus, in a moment of terror, but also pride, showed his elbow.
"They are alive somewhere. Have been for nearly three years now. I have high hopes for them!"
And Gellert had nodded, though his gaze had stayed firmly on the word. "I do not have a mark."
Albus' heart reached out to his friend. He did not know what was worse. Never having a soul mate, or having your soulmate always die. In a way, he would say that Gellert had it worse, because it could be taken as no one had even been born specifically for him.
"You'll find someone," Albus encouraged, a hopeful smile on his face.
Gellert's gaze flickered back to Albus' elbow. "Perhaps."
It wasn't until years later, that Albus was finally able to understand just what the name on his elbow, said.
At the trial of one Gellert Grindelwald, Gellert's name was all over the papers, the original spelling flashing boldly across the headlines.
And Albus lamented on the separate paths they had taken, and wished that perhaps he hadn't let his desire for what was right, cloud his personal desires.
Because he had ensured that his soulmate would live the long flow of time with him, but they would be forever apart.
A/N: DONE!
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