Written For the H/D Cliche Fest 2015.
Cliches used : Redeemed Draco, Rebuilding Hogwarts, Soul mates
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Disclaimer: These characters belong to J K Rowling and Bloomsbury/Scholastic. This is a fanwork created for fun. No profit is being made and no copyright infringement is intended.
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The war was over. Voldermort was dead...Harry knew this of course. After all he was the one responsible for Voldermort's death. But he still couldn't quite believe it. He had to keep telling himself that it was all over, that he didn't have to run anymore, that he didn't have to fight anymore. It had been three months now, three months filled with funerals, trials and painful memories.
Harry didn't know what was going on with him. He was lost and mostly he was just numb. He didn't want anything, he couldn't feel anything much and he just couldn't work out what to do with himself. Everyone else seemed to be picking themselves up and getting on with their lives. Ron and Hermione were preparing to go to Australia to find and bring her parents back, Ginny was getting ready to go back to Hogwarts which was going to open soon despite the massive rebuilding that was still going on.
Ginny...the thought of her made him sigh. Not because he regretted that they were no longer together. She was happy with Neville and Harry would have broken up with her anyway if she hadn't done it first. The last year that they had spent being apart had made him see his infatuation with Ginny for what it was. It wasn't love, it wasn't anything like the connection that Ron and Hermione had. Clearly, she had realised that too. No, he did not regret losing her. But he did envy her. He envied the fact that she got to go back to Hogwarts and get on with her life...
He wanted to get on with his life too. How long was he going to sit around Grimmauld Place with no one but a cranky old house-elf for company? The problem of course, was that he had no idea what to do with himself. He knew that he didn't want to be an Auror, though. He couldn't imagine spending the rest of his life fighting dark wizards and constantly putting his life at risk. That was what everyone expected him to do, but he was done with expectations. He was done fighting. All he wanted was a bit of peace. But he was getting a bit tired of not having anything to do.
...
It was the last week of August. Harry was sitting in the gloomy kitchen at Grimmauld Place having his breakfast when he heard a tapping on the window. It was an owl. He got up and opened the window. The owl dropped a very familiar looking letter in his hand and flew away without even waiting for a treat. Harry stared at the Hogwarts crest and his heart began to pound. He had no idea why he was getting a letter from Hogwarts, but something told him that this was important.
He went back to the table and opened the letter. It was from Professor McGonagall.
Dear Mr Potter,
It is my understanding that you no longer wish to be an Auror and that you are at present trying to decide what to do. I have an offer if you would like to take it. The rebuilding of Hogwarts has not gone as well or as quickly as we had hoped. We are going to open for the new academic year on the 15th of September. There is much to be done in the three weeks before then and I would very much appreciate your help. There is also the position of the flying instructor and Quidditch coach that is currently open. It is yours should you wish it. I sincerely hope that you will consider this offer. Hoping you are well,
Professor Minerva McGonagall.
Harry read the letter through twice and then he read it through again just to make sure that he was reading it right. Going back to Hogwarts was just about the best thing that could happen to him. Rebuilding the school was a project that he could put his heart and soul into because Hogwarts meant more to him than any other place in the world. And being a Quidditch coach would be completely awesome. Harry stared at the letter, surprised by the way it had affected him. It felt as if that stultifying fog of numbness had lifted a little and he had a purpose again.
He ran up to his bedroom and wrote a quick reply accepting the offer and informing the headmistress that he would be at Hogwarts the next day.
...
Harry stood outside Hogwarts and stared at the gates and the gardens and the castle beyond. It was every bit as magnificent as he remembered but he could see even from this distance that the castle was damaged. It was not what it used to be. He walked through the gardens which looked every bit as lush and green as they always had, clearly the gardens had healed.
He walked past the lake and up to the Quidditch pitch. He stopped for a minute as he looked around at the stands. He could almost hear the cheering of the crowds…He'd had so many injuries here and yet, this pitch held some of his favourite memories. And now he was going to get to work here.
By the time he walked up the steps and into the castle, Harry was feeling quite emotional. He stood in the hallway, outside the door to the great hall wondering if he should go in. He didn't want to. The great hall was the scene of some of his worst memories. He almost walked away, but then he decided that if he was going to be living at Hogwarts, he had to get used to facing unpleasant memories. He pushed the doors open and walked in.
He remembered what this room had looked like the last time that he'd been in it...the line of dead bodies on the floor, the grieving families...his stomach turned the way it always did in response to that particular memory. The great hall looked like it had mostly been repaired though there were patches of black on the walls here and there and there was this large crack right in the middle of the floor, at the spot where Voldemort had fallen.
He stayed in the great hall for a few minutes and then he turned to leave. He was still so absorbed in his thoughts that he wasn't looking where he was going and ran into the person who was walking past the door.
"Potter..."
"Malfoy..."
Now wasn't that familiar.
It was, of course, Draco Malfoy. Harry was more surprised than he should perhaps have been. After all, he did know that Malfoy had been at Hogwarts since his trial helping with the rebuilding. That had been his sentence. The wizengamot had wanted to send him to Azkaban, but Harry had argued vehemently against it and so had Professor McGonagall.
He had testified in Malfoy's favour and in the end he had convinced the wizengamot that Malfoy deserved a chance to make up for his mistakes. The last time they'd met had been after the trial when Malfoy had thanked him awkwardly and delivered a stiff but honest apology.
He looked at Malfoy a bit curiously now. He'd been wondering how his former rival was getting on. He looked okay, less gaunt and pale than he had been at the trial, but he still looked very much unlike the Malfoy that he remembered from school. There was none of that confidence and cockiness that Harry associated with him. He looked subdued and thoughtful instead.
"So...um," Harry said, "how have you been?"
Malfoy seemed surprised by that question. "Good, I guess. Thanks to you..."
Harry shifted a bit uncomfortably at that. He still didn't know how to deal with gratitude, particularly when it was coming from Draco Malfoy of all people.
"So...uh, Professor McGonagall told me that you're going to be the new Qudditch coach," Malfoy said.
"Yeah. And try to help with the rebuilding...How is that going by the way?"
Malfoy sighed. "We've been working on it for the last two months and we've restored quite a bit of the castle to its former state, but there are some places that just refuse to heal."
"Like the great hall?"
"Yeah. There's quite a lot of dark magic that seems to have been absorbed into the very core of Hogwarts, at least that's what Professor Dumbledore says and we just haven't been able to get rid of it."
Harry raised his eyebrows at that. Hogwarts had lot of ancient magic woven into it. Surely it should be able to repel a bit of dark magic, no matter how powerful.
"I don't understand it either," Malfoy said as if he'd read Harry's thoughts. And maybe he had. Harry knew that he was pretty transparent. "Whatever it is, Professor Dumbledore is convinced that you can help with it."
Harry was intrigued. He'd been eager to help with the rebuilding anyway, but now his curiosity was aroused. It was clear from Malfoy's words that Dumbledore was somewhat responsible for bringing him back to Hogwarts and Harry was keen to know why.
"Are you going to McGonagall's office?" Malfoy asked as they moved towards the stairs. It turned out that he was headed there as well.
They talked some more on the way there. Neither of them said anything particularly significant, but it was good to know that they had put the past behind them enough to be polite to each other, at least. They reached the gargoyle that guarded the entrance to the headmistress' office and Malfoy gave the password.
"Sherbet lemons."
"She's still using that password?" Harry was surprised.
"She changes it every couple of weeks, but it is always the name of one of those treats that Dumbledore used to like. She hasn't changed anything in the office either," Malfoy said as they walked up the winding staircase. "She misses him, I guess."
Harry looked at Malfoy curiously. He sounded almost affectionate in the way he spoke about Professor McGonagall.
"You've been talking to her," he said.
Malfoy looked away. "She...uh, she's been making me talk to her. It seems all Gryffindors have a people saving thing," He shifted uncomfortably as he raised his hand to knock.
Harry was very surprised. This wasn't at all the Malfoy that he knew...he found himself feeling very curious about his former rival. Malfoy had to knock twice before they heard McGonagall tell them to come in. They pushed the door open and entered the room which was exactly as Harry remembered it.
Professor McGonagall was at her desk, quill in hand, going through some documents. She was surrounded by portraits of past headmasters and headmistresses, all of them sitting up in their chairs and looking curiously at the visitors. Dumbledore and Snape, though, were nowhere to be seen. McGonagall greeted them and asked them to sit down.
"It is good to see you again, Harry," she said.
"You too, professor."
"How is the work going today?" she asked Malfoy.
"I'm done with the clean-up of owlery and the south tower. Professor Flitwick is repairing and replacing all the broken windows. Professor Sprout is helping him with that."
"And the third floor corridor?"
"Still no luck with that, sorry."
Mcgonagall sighed.
"What's the problem with the third floor corridor? Harry asked.
"There was a cave-in during the final battle. The roof is gone and there is rubble everywhere," Malfoy said. "There are huge stones blocking the corridor and we haven't been able to move them. The house-elves tried, but they're not even able to touch the stones. There's a haze of magic blocking them. So we can't move them physically. We've tried all sorts of magic, but all our spells just bounce off."
"That's so strange…"
"We've been coming up against resistance like this all over the castle," McGonagall said.
"You mean like the castle doesn't want to be repaired?"
"Something like that."
"But why?"
"We can't be sure, but there seems to be a problem with the magic of the castle itself...you see, the magic of Hogwarts comes from its four founders. They wove their magic into the castle as it was being built. So Hogwarts was endowed with a tremendous amount of magic and the ability to repair itself. But then a rift occurred when Salazar Slytherin disagreed with the other three founders and left. Though the other three founders stood together, the rift was primarily between Slytherin and Gryffindor, a rift that has unfortunately carried on in the form of a bitter rivalry between the two houses."
"So over the centuries the magic of Hogwarts has weakened, but it has happened slowly enough not to be noticed. Professor Dumbledore was the first to see what was happening and he tried to strengthen the magic of the castle and it helped, but only a little. And then of course we had the war and it was fought right here. And the final battle was between you and Voldemort, Harry..."
"Slytherin and Gryffindor again," Harry said as he began to understand.
"That combined with all the dark magic that was used here has caused the rift to intensify so that Hogwarts is now almost working against itself. So not only do we need to rebuild, we need to heal that rift forever.
"And how is that going to happen?" Harry said though he suspected that he already knew the answer.
"We have been studying this for a while, and we think that it needs the combined magic of a Slytherin and a Gryffindor to work..."
"Me and Malfoy in short."
"If you can work together, yes."
"I see no problem with that," Harry said. He glanced up at Malfoy who met his eyes only for a moment before he looked away.
"I have no problem working with Potter either, but...why me? There are other Slytherins out there, those who weren't tainted by their association with Voldermort. Wouldn't they..."
"No Draco, they wouldn't," McGonagall said gently. "You and Harry are the best and most powerful representatives of Slytherin and Gryffindor of your generation and it actually helps that you were on the opposite sides of the war."
"What? How?"
"You were on opposite sides with opposing beliefs, you were bitter rivals, barely able to stand each other. If you can reconcile and heal the years-long rift between you, then your magic can heal the castle...At least that is what Professor Dumbledore believes. We have three weeks before the school has to open. It is not a lot of time, but it will have to do. So do you think you could learn to get along?" She looked at the two of them in turn, eyebrows raised.
"I think we can," Harry said. "We're not kids anymore and there is no rivalry left, so I don't see why not."
"I still don't think I am the right person for this job, but I have no problem working with Potter. It might actually be nice to work on something together instead of being at each other's throats all the time," Malfoy said with a wry smile that rather suited him, Harry thought.
They looked at each other for a moment and then Harry impulsively stuck his hand out. He knew very well what that gesture would mean to the other man...Malfoy looked completely taken aback. He just stared at Harry for a moment. Then he reached out and clasped his hand.
"That's a start," McGonagall said. "It is getting to be time for lunch. We are not using the great hall at the moment, so you will be eating in your rooms. Since you are no longer a student, Harry, I have arranged for you to stay in one of the faculty rooms, same as Draco here. In fact, you will be staying together. I hope that is not a problem."
"Not at all, professor."
"Good. Go on then, go have your lunch and then take the day off, Draco. You've been working very hard, lately. You can help Harry settle in. I will see you both after breakfast tomorrow. We can start on that third floor corridor then. I need those classrooms freed up."
She waved them off and got back to her work. Harry followed Draco out of the room and they made their way to their shared quarters.
Their rooms were on the fourth floor. They turned into the corridor on the right and came face to face with a portrait of a kindly old witch who greeted Draco and fussed over Harry for a bit before asking for the password and letting them in. It was a long corridor with doors to the left and the right of it, eight in all, Harry noted. Malfoy led him to the door at the very end of the corridor and opened it.
Harry walked in expecting something like a dorm room and he was pleasantly surprised to find himself in a suite instead. The door opened into a spacious living room with large windows leading out onto a balcony. The room was comfortably furnished with a couch, a couple of arm-chairs, book shelves and two writing tables. The door to the right led to a kitchen and on the left was a large bedroom with two beds, closets and couple of comfortable chairs. Harry was very impressed.
"This is beautiful," he said. "And you've had it to yourself for the last couple of months. I hope I'm not intruding."
"It was nice to be here on my own for bit, but now it just feels lonely."
"So you're glad I'm here, then."
"Something like that," Malfoy said with a small smile that Harry found strangely endearing. "So, do you want to settle in?"
"Yeah," Harry said as he dug up his trunk which had been placed under one of the beds. He'd had Kreacher take his trunk to Hogwarts the previous day.
It didn't take him long to put away his books and his clothes. He still didn't have enough of either. Malfoy watched him curiously for a while…
"Do you not like clothes or is it that you don't have the time to shop?" he said finally.
Harry huffed in response.
"I'm not making fun of you. I'm just curious."
"I've never had the time to shop and now that I do, I don't know how to shop," Harry said sheepishly. "There are just too many choices and all those sales assistants flapping about and asking questions…it makes me nervous."
Malfoy burst out laughing. It was a surprisingly pleasant sound. "Who would've thought? The saviour of the wizarding world scared of the likes Madam Malkin…"
Harry rolled his eyes and went back to his unpacking.
"Seriously though, we need to fix this," Malfoy said waving his arm at Harry. "No offence, but you can't start teaching at Hogwarts dressed like that."
"Ugh! I know."
"So Hogsmeade this weekend?"
"You would do that for me?"
"Sure. Why not? Any excuse to shop and all that."
"Thanks."
Harry put away his trunk and they wandered into the kitchen to find that lunch had been served. They had their meal in a companionable silence and Harry found himself feeling strangely peaceful. They decided to go for a walk after a while and they roamed the grounds talking at random until they got to the Quidditch pitch. They settled down under an oak tree at one end of the pitch and sat in silence for a while.
"What made you decide to coach Quidditch? I thought you wanted to be an Auror."
"I thought so too, but the war put an end to that. I'm tired of fighting, I guess. I just want a bit of peace."
"I guess we all feel like that. But aren't you afraid you'll get bored?"
"That's what Hermione asked me too..."
"Well, Quidditch coach does seem a bit tame for you."
"Maybe. But I know I'll enjoy it. I love the game and I like flying more than anything else in the world. I love the idea of teaching kids to fly...I still remember how I felt the first time I got on a broom."
"You were a bloody natural. Never saw a broom in your life and yet you just knew what to do."
"You were jealous huh?"
"I can't tell you how much. I was an idiot."
"Hmmm...What about you? What do you plan to do after this?"
"I've applied for my Potions mastery. I'm going to be working as Professor Slughorn's apprentice. At least in name. Severus will do must of the teaching and guiding. You know what Slughorn is like."
"Yeah. And I guess Snape in a portrait is still a brilliant teacher."
"That he is. Pity I won't have his name on my degree."
"Do you speak to him often?"
Malfoy nodded. "I go to the potions lab every afternoon. He's nearly always down there…when he's not roaming the halls with Professor Dumbledore."
Harry stared out at the pitch and he realised how lucky he was to have the opportunity that McGonagall had given him…flying around all day, teaching the first-years to fly, coaching Quidditch. He couldn't imagine anything better.
"Malfoy?"
"Yeah."
"Have you gone flying lately?"
"No."
"Well, me neither. So I was wondering, what say we have a game of Quidditch tomorrow? Just you and me, seeker vs. seeker."
"That should be fun. Win or lose, it's a lot of flying, right?" And there was that barely there smile again.
They walked around some more after that and they kept talking. Harry was surprised by the number of things they were able to talk about. They got back to their rooms after a while. Malfoy settled down with a book and Harry sat down to write a letter to Hermione.
Harry finished his letter and strolled out into the balcony. He had a glorious view of the gardens and the lake which glowed and shimmered in the light of the late evening sun. He found himself soothed by the view. Malfoy came out to join him after a while and they watched the sunset in silence.
They went back in to have their dinner in a bit. Neither of them said anything much, but the silence continued to be comfortable. Harry liked the fact that he could spend so much time in near silence with someone without being badgered or being questioned about his health.
They went to bed after a while, but neither of them could get to sleep. Harry thought about the day he'd had and he was surprised by how much he'd enjoyed it. And Malfoy of all people had a lot to do with that. It was surprising how much he'd changed. Ron would probably tell him that it was all a façade, but Harry didn't think so. He shifted around in his bed, trying to get comfortable.
"Can't sleep?" Malfoy said.
"Too distracted…thinking about you, in fact."
"That's flattering. Or alarming. I can't decide which."
"No need to be alarmed. I'm just surprised by how different you are from this git I used to know."
"War does that to people," Malfoy said. "Wouldn't you say that you're different?"
"Yeah. I think I value things more now. It's like I've been given a second chance or something..."
"You thought you were going to die…"
"I was sure I was going to die and now I have this unexpected life…I had no idea what to do with myself for a while."
"I thought I was going to die in the fiendfyre and then I thought I would end up in Azkaban…strange how you keep saving me. I didn't expect a second chance, but now that I have it, I want to make good. I want a bit of redemption, if I can manage it."
Harry was surprised by how much it meant to him to hear that. This is what he had fought the wizengamot for, after all.
"I'm glad I fought for you then," he said. Harry lay awake for a long time after that, thinking thoughts that he couldn't make much sense of, until he finally fell asleep.
…
It was the morning of the next day. Harry and Malfoy made their way to the third floor corridor as planned. Harry knew that Professor McGonagall would be there, but he was hoping to see Dumbledore and Snape as well, though he suspected that Snape even in a portrait would be condescending and disdainful of him.
They made their way down the steps to the third floor to find Professor McGonagall waiting for them. She was talking to Dumbledore who along with Snape was occupying a large painting at the head of the stairs. Dumbledore was smiling. Snape looked much as he had when he was alive.
"Harry, my boy!" Dumbledore said as soon as he saw them. "It is good to see you again. You're looking well."
"Thanks professor. It is good to see you too."
Harry turned to Snape who's only response to Harry's greeting was, "Potter..."
Harry rolled his eyes. I guess some things will never change, he thought.
Dumbledore had turned to Malfoy now. "How are you boys getting along?" he said.
"Very well, professor. Surprisingly so, in fact."
"Good. Good. Shall we start work then?"
"Do you really think it will work, Professor, combining our magic?" Harry said.
"That remains to be seen, but let's try shall we?"
"Get your wands out," Snape said. "Use a simple levitation spell and try to get those stones out of there and remember to cast your spells together."
Harry and Malfoy got their wands out. The looked at each other for a moment, decided on a particularly large boulder and cast their spells. The moment their spells collided, the light turned golden and Harry felt a jolt of electricity go through him. He was so surprised that he almost dropped his wand and he probably would have, if not for Snape's warning.
Their spells hit the boulder...nothing happened for a moment, then the light around that stone shimmered and it moved and they were able to levitate it from the corner into which it was wedged and get it all the way to the top of the staircase. The spell ended, but Harry could still feel his body tingling and there was a feeling of warmth in his chest. It was unlike anything he'd ever felt.
"What the…I mean, what just happened?"
"I have no idea." Malfoy looked a bit stunned.
"Professor?"
Dumbledore was smiling in that conspiratorial, twinkly-eyed way of his.
"Harry, Draco, what you boys have just experienced is a very rare phenomenon. Magic is a part of the very core of a wizard and it is rare for two wizards to have the sort of magic that connects so well. Your magic is complementary and the two of you share very similar magical signatures which is why you were able to use Draco's wand so effectively, Harry. I suspect that if you were to give Draco your wand, he would be able to use it just as well."
Okay, that made sense, but it still didn't explain anything.
"What are you saying, professor?"
"I'm saying that you are soul mates...you and Draco have a soul bond, Harry."
The words were said quietly, but Harry felt as if he'd just been hit in the stomach. Soul mates? Him and Malfoy? How was that possible?
He looked up at the blond and found that he looked every bit as shocked as Harry felt. Harry had no idea what to say. How does one react in a situation like this? Soul mates? He had to know more.
"What exactly is a soul bond? How does it work?" he asked.
"This is not like a creature bond, Harry," Dumbledore said. "You don't need each other to survive. But the bond means that you're meant to be together. You wouldn't be happy otherwise."
"Particularly now that the bond has been initiated," McGonagall said.
"Initiated?"
"I think we triggered it just now, when we used our magic together..." Malfoy said.
"So what happens now?"
"You've initiated the bond, so you will need to complete it," Snape said.
"Complete it? How?" Harry looked at Malfoy who was clearly trying not to look at him.
"You and Draco are soul mates, Potter. You're meant to be a couple. So naturally, you will complete your bond by consummating your relationship. Do keep up," Snape said with a sneer.
He would have to do what with Malfoy? Harry couldn't believe he was having this conversation with his professors. And Snape of all people. It was mortifying.
"Is there a way out of this?"
"Why would you want a way out of a soul bond?" Snape said.
"I just want to know."
"You could ignore it, I suppose, but it is not going to be easy. The bond has been initiated, so it will try to bring you together."
"And once you bond, you will be bound for life," Dumbledore said. He sounded a little too cheery for Harry's comfort.
Malfoy continued to look away, so Harry had no idea what he was thinking,
"You never mentioned any of this yesterday," Harry said looking at Professor McGonagall.
"We had guessed that you might be soul mates, but we couldn't be sure until now."
Harry sighed. Bloody hell! Why was his life always so complicated?
"Perhaps you boys should take a little time to absorb this," McGonagall said. "And it might help to talk to each other."
With that she turned around and left. Dumbledore and Snape followed and Harry was left alone with Malfoy.
"What are we going to do?" Harry said, hoping he didn't sound as panicked as he felt.
"Make the best of it, I suppose.'
"How are you so calm about this?"
"I'm as surprised as you are, but I can't say that I'm upset. A soul bond is pretty special. It is a bit strange to think of the two of us as soul mates, I know, but the magic usually does know what it is doing. Though I understand why you would be upset at being stuck with me."
"And you're not upset at being stuck with me?"
"Can't say that I am, no."
"I thought you'd be disgusted...or something. I mean this is me."
Malfoy looked up at that. "A couple of years ago, yeah, I would've been upset. But having someone save your life changes your perspective somewhat...And like I told you already, a soul bond is precious. It happens very rarely, so it isn't something that you just throw away."
Harry didn't know anything about soul bonds. Maybe they were special, like Malfoy said, but that still didn't mean that he was okay with this. So much of his life had been ruled by destiny and prophesy...this felt like another thing that he had no say in, another thing that he just had to accept. It was frustrating. And it might have felt a bit better if Malfoy had been angry about this as well. But he wasn't and that was just annoying.
"Look, I'm not trying to pressure you into anything," Malfoy said. "I'm just trying to be honest. I'm sorry you're stuck in this situation. I wish you weren't. I wish I could do something about it, but I can't. This is as much a shock to me as it is to you. I'm just trying to deal with it."
"Yeah, I know. Sorry."
"It's okay. Let's just forget about it for a while and get back to work."
They went back to working on the corridor, levitating the stones and clearing out all the rubble until the corridor which had stubbornly resisted magic for two months was cleared entirely. It took them less than half an hour. But what struck Harry was not the ease with which they did the job, but the feeling of exhilaration he'd felt the moment his magic connected with Malfoy's again. Now half an hour later he was almost overwhelmed by the warmth and connectedness he felt and he knew that Malfoy felt the same. He looked absolutely awe-struck.
"Oh wow," he said, running his fingers through his hair and trying to breathe evenly. "I think we should sit down for a bit," he said as he transfigured two of the larger stones into chairs.
Harry sat down with a thud and put his head in his hands. "I feel so unsettled, like I'm ready to jump out of my skin," he said and Malfoy nodded in sympathy. "What does this mean?"
"I don't think you want to know."
"Just tell me, alright."
"It probably indicates a need for physical contact."
"Oh…"
"It's okay. We don't have to do anything about it. Just wait a bit and it will go away."
They sat in silence for a bit as a few house-elf's appeared and started clearing all the debris.
They got back to work after that. Harry wasn't ready to talk about the bond yet and Malfoy seemed to understand enough to keep quiet about it. Now that the corridor was cleared, they had to check all the classrooms in that corridor, do the repairs required and then tackle the roof.
"Let's do the classrooms today," Malfoy said. "We'll deal with the roof tomorrow. We'll need help with that anyway."
"Okay."
...
An hour had gone by and they were in the third classroom, fixing broken windows and damaged walls, all simple jobs that didn't require them to use their magic together. So they separated and worked on different ends of the room. Then they moved to the next and then to another classroom, still continuing to work separately and talk quietly in between jobs.
The sixth classroom, though, proved to be a problem. The door was jammed and neither of them could get it open. So they combined their magic again and the surge of electricity and the warmth, though expected, was more intense than before. Harry was unable to look away from Malfoy's face for a couple of minutes after that and he found himself wanting to walk over to the other man and hold him tight. It was disconcerting.
Once the door to the room was opened, they saw that it was significantly damaged and they set about fixing it, using their magic together, but not commenting on the way it was affecting them. Harry noticed the flush on Malfoy's face and concluded that he was not the only one feeling the need for physical closeness.
He almost gave in at one point. What was the harm in walking across the room, drawing Malfoy to him and kissing him until they were both breathless? It was a very tempting thought, but he knew he couldn't act on it, at least not yet, not until he was sure.
The remaining two classrooms did not require any more combined magic and the repairs were minor, so they got through them quickly. It was only after they were done, that they noticed how tired they were. All that work had depleted them somewhat and they had worked through lunch, so they were hungry as well. They decided to call it quits.
They went back to their rooms and summoned a house-elf who got them tea and sandwiches. They ate the sandwiches and had the tea…Harry saw Malfoy looking at him several times and he knew that Malfoy wanted to talk to him. But Harry wasn't ready for that conversation yet.
"Just give me a little time. I need to think about this," he told Malfoy.
"It's okay. Just remember that we don't have to do anything about the bond. Neither of us is going to die because we didn't get together. We can ignore it, if that is what you want, get the work on the castle done as quickly as possible, combine our magic only when absolutely necessary and then get away from each other and let the bond weaken."
"Will it…weaken?"
"If we stop talking, spending time together, doing things together…yeah. It will take time, but it will weaken. We will feel a compulsion to bond as long as we keep using our magic together, but we can ignore it if that is what you want…" Malfoy had kept his face carefully blank through this conversation, but his words faltered towards the end and there was a brief flash of pain in his eyes that made Harry's insides squirm.
"You don't want to ignore the bond do you?"
"Not at all. But I don't want to coerce you into anything either."
…
Harry spent the next few days thinking. He read up on soul bonds and he began to understand just how special the bond was and why no one ever thought to question it. He wanted the kind of love that the bond described, he wanted the connection that he felt every time his magic mingled with Malfoy's. And yet he hesitated…he had a lot of doubts and fears born of a largely unloving childhood and he was looking for something to tip the scale, something to convince him that accepting the bond was the right thing to do.
A week went by and the bond was getting harder and harder to resist. There was a constant itch under his skin, he'd lost his appetite, he was unable to sleep and all he could think about was crawling into bed with Malfoy, having those long arms wrapped protectively around him, kissing him until he knew every inch of that gorgeous mouth, making love to him, giving himself completely and losing himself to his soul mate. He knew that Malfoy was suffering as well. He had dark circles under his eyes, he was growing thinner by the day and his magic was weakening and by the end of the week, he had stopped talking to Harry altogether.
"I'm just trying to give you a bit of space," he said when Harry questioned him about it. "The less we do together, the easier it will be to weaken the bond. We have another two day's work left at the most. Once it is done, you'll be free. You can move into your own quarters, preferably on another floor and a few months of staying away from each other will make most of the influence of the bond go away. Though really, we should stay away from each other forever to make sure the bond never takes hold again…" Malfoy's voice broke towards the end and he looked away hastily, but not before Harry saw the flash of pain in his eyes.
It was that which decided him in the end. That and the idea of staying away from Malfoy for the rest of his life. That thought hurt so much. It hurt his very soul. He knew in that instant that if he chose to walk away now, he would regret it for the rest of his life. And what was he fighting anyway? A chance at a perfect love? How many people get to have that? A soul bond which from everything he had read in the past week was a blessing given to but a few? An opportunity to truly belong to someone, something he'd craved all his life…is that what I'm fighting?
The bond was with Malfoy…that in itself would have been a reason to say no at one time. But did he still have those reasons? Malfoy is no longer the prat that he used to be. He's serious and hard-working and he's trying to redeem himself. And I actually like him very much. He's smart and funny, intelligent and interesting and he's been nothing but considerate over the last few days, always putting me before him, Harry thought.
And unlike others in the wizarding world, Malfoy didn't put him on a pedestal and treat him like a hero. He treated him like a normal human being. The very existence of the bond said that they were compatible and that they would be very happy together. So what am I doing? Why am I throwing away a chance to be happy?
Harry had no answer to that. So he reached out and took Malfoy's hands in his. That horrible itch under his skin settled and there was a warmth running through him that quieted the turmoil in his heart. Malfoy sighed and closed his eyes for a moment. Then he opened them and jerked his hands away.
"What are you doing?" he said.
"Something I should've done a week ago."
He stepped closer and put his arms around Malfoy. And there was that feeling of relief and that wonderful warmth again.
Malfoy stiffened and tried to pull away, but Harry tightened his hold. "Just hold me Draco, please," he whispered. "I'm sorry I've been so stupid."
"I need you to be sure, Harry."
"I know this seems kind of sudden, but I am sure. I cannot handle the thought of staying away from you forever. I don't like it. It makes me feel miserable."
Harry looked up and let Draco see the truth of his words in his eyes. They stared at each other for a minute. Draco's expression went from wary to hopeful. But he still had questions.
"We need to talk, Harry. I need to understand."
"Fine." Harry let go of Draco, but he immediately grabbed his hand. That brought a flicker of a smile on Draco's face that made him want to crow.
"Why were you so reluctant to accept the bond?" Draco said. "Was it because you didn't want to be bound to me?"
"No. Not at all"
"Harry?"
"Okay. It was a bit of a shock to find out that you and I are soul mates, but I got over that part quickly because I was already starting to like you."
"Then what was the problem?"
"The lack of choice. I've never had any control over my life. With my aunt and uncle, it was always do what they said. I never had a say in anything. And then I came to Hogwarts and my life became all about prophesy and destiny and Voldermort. So I was always doing what I was expected to. There was never any choice. And I'm so tired of that. That is why I balked when I heard that you and I are soul mates… destined to be together."
"We still are."
"And it doesn't bother me anymore."
"Why?"
"Because I've realised that destiny isn't always bad."
"Are you quoting Severus?"
"Yeah. He caught me on my way to the library yesterday and he lectured me about soul bonds and talked at length about how lucky I am to have you and how foolish I was being. He was quite free with the insults, but he was right. I've been an absolute idiot letting all my stupid fears cloud my judgement."
"What fears?"
"What happens if we're not compatible? What if we fight all the time?"
"Harry, the very fact of the soul bond means that we're compatible."
"I told you, stupid fear."
"If we do fight, we'll sort it out like any other couple. And the fact that we're bound to each other means we'll try harder to make things work."
"I know. I told you I was being stupid."
"Anything else you're afraid of?"
Harry tried to say no, but he couldn't.
"Harry?" Malfoy said squeezing his fingers and making his heart flutter just a bit.
"I was afraid of getting close to you and then losing you. I've lost a lot of people in my life, Draco…they all just died."
Draco put his arms around Harry and drew him close. "You're not going to lose me, Harry. I will be bound to you forever, even in death. I promise. And haven't you noticed? Every time I get into trouble you swoop in and save me…"
Harry smiled weakly at that. He snuggled up to Draco and put his head on Draco's shoulder.
"I'm sorry I hurt you so much," he said. "I didn't realise that you thought I was rejecting you. McGonagall gave me quite a earful about it the other day."
"What did she say?"
"She told me I was being cruel and that I was destroying your self-confidence which was shaky at best…'that boy is trying to do good. You have no right to make him doubt his own worth', she said…I'm sorry."
"It's okay. You didn't mean to hurt me. You were just confused."
"So you forgive me?"
"Of course."
"So…can we kiss now? I'm kind of dying here," Harry said, putting on his best puppy dog look.
Draco chuckled. "Come here," he said.
He put his arms around Harry's waist and drew him close. Then he bent his head and kissed him. It was soft, just a gentle pressure of lips really and it made Harry feel as if his heart was doing cartwheels on his chest. He pulled back a bit, just to look at Draco's face and he saw a smile that made him go a bit weak at the knees. This was right, this was perfect and he'd been an idiot not to see it before.
He reached for Draco again and this time there was nothing gentle about the kiss. Draco tightened his hold on Harry and kissed with all the suppressed fervour of the last few days. It took Harry's breath away and it made him feel light headed and so incredibly happy. They stumbled into the bedroom after a while. They pulled each other's clothes off and tried to get as close to each other as possible.
"I feel as if I want to melt onto your skin," Draco growled and didn't that do the most wonderful things to Harry's heart.
He lost awareness of everything. He didn't know how long they were in that bed or how many times they made love. It was all a blissful daze. But through all that he was hyper aware of Draco, he saw every look and every expression on that beautiful face. He treasured every smile and every laugh. He was mesmerised by the look of ecstasy on Draco's face every time they came together...
They emerged a day or two later. Harry still had no idea how much time had gone by. McGonagall looked relieved, Dumbledore chuckled and Snape just looked incredibly smug.
Harry and Draco got back to the task of rebuilding and they found that their magic was now a lot more powerful than it used to be. They worked furiously for a couple of days and then it was all done. They had a week to themselves before Hogwarts was to open and they made good use of it. They went to Hogsmeade where Draco insisted on buying Harry a wardrobe full of clothes. They spent hours playing Quidditch.
They snuggled up in bed and talked as all new couples do, discovering more about each other every day, They made love again and again and it was new every time. It was intense and beautiful and incredibly special…
The term began. Harry started his new job and Draco began his apprenticeship. They were both working at things they loved, they were together and they were happy. Harry had come to Hogwarts hoping to give his life a new direction and he had achieved it in more ways than one.
- Fin -