Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or Ouron High School Host club.
Chapter Four
Harry's portkey was an occult, wooden doll in the shape of a cat. It looked creepy, but it didn't contain any enchantments besides the Portus spell. Hedwig decided that she didn't want to go with, so she would be fending for herself this weekend. Unfortunately he couldn't just alter the wards and leave, the client wanted him to be on standby while his friends were there in case anything went wrong.
He put the hood of his cloak up and activated the doll, and lost himself in the disorientation of the portal.
The portkey slammed him down on the side of a road. He groaned and stood back up, readjusting his cloak. It was a little humid, and the sun's harsh rays beamed down on him; it was a contrast to the cloudy weather he left in Tokyo.
The jungle around him was… tamed. Neatly cut back and contained around the road, it was almost like it was a landscaping feature and not a wild forest. The rush of waves rhythmically crashing into land was off in the distance, and the air smelled faintly of salt. He set the doll in the grass and walked along the road toward that sound.
He crested a hill. A large Victorian manor raised out of the ground on the horizon, surrounded by elegant landscaping, with specs of deep blue water nestled between the surrounding jungle. He soon reached the driveway and waited for the client; the wards should have alerted his arrival.
He felt a presence and turned around.
A tall teenager wearing a cloak like his own stood a few feet away; his wasn't enchanted though, and he could see the lower half of his face as well as a red wig. He was hunched over and was holding a cat-like puppet in his left hand, similar to his portkey. It was emitting a small magical aura, maybe this one was a focus of some sort.
"Nekozawa-san?" Harry asked.
"Ufufufu, I wasn't expecting the Cloaked Protector to be the one to alter my wards," the other teen said. Harry frowned, Masako told him a while ago that people were calling him that after he saved the family in the plaza. It was a stupid nickname.
"Call me Harry. Shall we get on to business?"
"Of course, right this way." The teen led him into the Victorian manor, which was as ostentatious as he expected. Despite the intentionally creepy introduction, which was obvious from the silent Apparation and laugh, Nekozawa-san seemed excited to have him here; he was practically skipping as he stalked through the halls. Harry hoped he didn't have another fanboy.
They went down into the cellar where the ward-stone was located. Most older homes, this manor included, were designed with the stone as a permanent fixture at the base, protected in a specialized room with lots of enchantments, traps, and curses. Harry could sense it up ahead. He personally preferred the newer designs of incorporating the wards throughout the entire home, which was more mutable, but the older design was solid and has persisted for centuries.
When they reached the stone door, Nekozawa released its defenses and it swung open. A large, obsidian ward-stone shaped in an icosahedron sat in the center of the granite room. Red, artificial magelight cast it in a sinister glow. Harry waved his hand and changed it to a bright white to make it easier to read the stone's runes, illuminating the entire room.
Nekozawa shrieked and changed the light back. "Sorry," his voice trembled. "I'm a half-vampire, and bright light burns my skin. It's why I wear the cloak and wig."
"Oh, umm, my bad." Harry cringed, that must be awful to live with.
"Do you mind if I watch? While you work, I mean. I'd alter the wards myself, but they are too advanced for me. I want to see how you do it."
"That's fine," Harry shuffled his feet. He wasn't used to working with an audience, but he wouldn't stop the teen from watching in his own home. "Do you know how to use magesight?"
"No, that's not covered until advanced Arithmancy class that I'll be taking next year."
"Ok, give me a moment." Harry pulled out his wand and searched his brain for the correct spell. Then he walked over and stood in front of Nekozawa, who gazed curiously down at him. Harry reached up with his wand, silently cast the spell, and tapped his wand between Nekozawa's eyes.
The boy's pupils dilated and he took a step back, gawking at the surrounding room. Harry activated his own magesight and was instantly assaulted by the bright, vibrant streams of magic that came from the ward-stone, connecting it to the house and beyond. The runes on its surface were lit up with their own magic, and previously unseen links between them were revealed.
"It's a little overwhelming at first, but the novelty should wear off soon. It'll only last an hour, but that will be plenty of time for me to finish."
Nekozawa could only nod. Harry had reacted similarly when he first used magesight when he was twelve; it was still one of his favorite uses of magic.
Harry left him to his observation and walked closer to the ward-stone. It was much easier seeing how the protections worked together when he had the magic in front of him compared to paper.
Slowly, he used his wand to unravel the web of magic before him until all of the strands were organized and separated. It required constant supervision so the construct didn't collapse; his arms were raised high and waving around like a conductor, constantly making small adjustments.
He bundled the anti-muggle protections and tied them off with his own magical threads, disconnecting them from the manor's wards. He weaved his magic around them in a Celtic knot and bound it so tightly that they wouldn't unravel for a month. Like most energy in the universe, magic obeyed entropy and would dissipate after some time. Since his magic was an unconnected unit from the ward-stone, it was only a temporary restriction and would eventually dissolve, reactivating the previous protections.
He weaved the strands back together into the web he found them in, albeit more elegant than before. He was not impressed by the mess the previous Ward-Master left them in. They were much more coherent now, he'd be able to open them up in half the time if he ever needed to again.
Harry turned his magesight off; the project was complete. Nekozawa's pupils were still dilated, he managed to finish in under an hour after all. The teen was still captivated by the room's magical threads. Harry stood off to the side and waited for the spell to wear off, it wouldn't be long now.
He probed the room's protections to pass the time. They would be able to hold off against most magical attacks and intruders, but he found a few weak points that any competent Wardmaster would be able to exploit. Soon Nekozawa's eyes fluttered, signaling the spell wore off. He looked around aimlessly, trying to catch his bearings, before he found Harry next to him.
"That was… amazing," Nekozawa deeply bowed at Harry. "Thank you for allowing me to observe, Hari-sama."
He shuffled his feet, he couldn't remember what to do if someone bowed like that. He bowed back, "Your very welcome, Nekozawa-san."
His host stood back up and gestured for them to leave. "Let me show you where you'll be staying, and then the house is open to you during your stay. Feel free to head down to the beach or use the library at your leisure."
As they walked through the twisting corridors, Nekozawa told him a bit of the manor's history. Apparently Japan had an epidemic of magical thieves a few hundred years ago when the manor was built, so it was layout was designed to be particularly confusing for anyone not familiar with the property. He made sure to memorize the route to his room in the magical wing, and the library.
Then he was alone, with nothing to do but explore and read for the entire weekend. If he ever got lost or hungry, all he had to do was call a house elf and they would take care of whatever he needed.
He was already starting to get bored. He'd much rather be back home. To stave it off he spent the rest of the day on the beach. It was as beautiful as Masako had described, with smooth white sand and a picture-perfect view of the ocean. The section in front of the manor was nice and private, surrounded by the jungle and enclosed by rocky cliffs. He made sure to explore every inch of it… and have a nice nap under the warm sun.
He got lost when he went back to the manor and tried to find the library, but he didn't want to call for a house elf. He was sure he'd find it eventually, and he was in no rush. He trailed his hand along the antique wallpaper as he strolled; even though everything looked as new as when the manor was built, it still smelled a little musty. The preservation charms probably needed to be redone.
A small, blonde-haired girl ran down the hallway, laughing and looking over her shoulder. When she was only a few feet away she turned forward, spotted Harry, and stopped in her tracks. Her face blanched and her lips quivered, like she was about to cry.
Oh, his hood was still up, veiling his face in darkness. She was scared of him. He quickly pulled it back so she could see his face, and knelt down to her level.
"Hello," he said. The girl visibly relaxed and took a step back to examine him. Her eyes lit up in realization, and she pointed up at him.
"Uke!" she shouted. Then she turned around and ran back into the manor's labyrinth.
Harry stood back up; it would have been nice to ask for directions, and what that word meant. It wasn't included in his potion's vocabulary.
Eventually he found his way back to his room, and from there the library. He spent the rest of the night perusing the shelves and making a shortlist of what he might want to choose. He spent a restless night in his room's wide, unfamiliar four-poster bed.
At least running on the beach in the morning was a nice change. He secluded himself in the manor as Nekozawa's classmates flocked onto the beach, content to have the library to himself. He wished Hedwig was with him, but at least his day would be spent the same as it would have been back home.
Honey walked into Nekozawa's manor with the other hosts, carrying a large basket full of lobster.
An angry silence hung over their group; Haruhi and Tamaki weren't speaking because of their argument over how she should have handled the thugs, and their mood ambiance spread to the rest of them. He was on Tamaki's side. Why couldn't she understand that they just wanted her to be safe? It had nothing to do with her gender; she had zero training in physical defense and was one against three. There were much better ways to handle that confrontation.
Maybe he should offer her self-defense lessons.
Their dinner was awkward, and all his peacekeeping attempts were in vain. The group split up, and he and Takashi went with Nekozawa-chan for a tour of the manor. It was interesting seeing the differences compared to his family's traditional Japanese estate. They passed by the kitchens where the elves were making some cakes for later that night. Out of habit from the last few weeks of his unsuccessful search, he channeled magic into his nose and breathed in the delicious aroma.
He froze. A hint of his soulmate's scent clung to the walls. He breathed in again. It wasn't a mistake; he could clearly smell the distinct combination of green tea and chocolate.
He sprang in front of Nekozawa and grabbed his shirt. "Who else is in the manor besides your sister and the hosts?"
Nekozawa faltered, and tried to free his shirt. Honey reluctantly let go, but kept his gaze focused on the teen.
"The only other occupant is the Wardmaster who altered the manor's protections for your friends," he patted his shirt down. "Why are you so interested?"
Honey smirked. "He's my soulmate. Where is he?"
"How interesting," Nekozawa chuckled. "Try the library."
Honey nodded in thanks, and sent magic back into his nose and sprinted down the hallway, following the delectable scent.
He wasn't going to give them any chance to get away this time.
Harry held back a sneeze as he reached up to the highest shelf, the library was filled with the smell of old parchment and the dust that accompanied it. The book was just out of his reach. He recognized that purple leather binding from Dumbledore's personal collection: it was the by Perenelle Flamel. She was a legend among spellcrafters and enchanters, while her husband dominated alchemy. He wanted it, but he couldn't levitate it down in case it was magically sensitive. Some old books were tricky like that.
He leaned forward on his toes and stretched his arm out farther. It was just a few inches away. Maybe if he jumped he could get it.
A body slammed into him and tackled him to the floor. His first reaction was to shove the person away and attack.
But his magic. It was purring. He raised his head to find himself in Honey-san's lap. He was wearing a light blue hoodie with the sleeves cut off, and had grown since their first meeting. He was at least as tall as Harry now, but wasn't lanky like after most growth spurts.
Honey's arms squeezed around him. "I can't believe I finally found you, here of all places," he grinned. His voice was deeper too, but still smooth like velvet. "I've been dreaming of this moment for years."
Harry couldn't move. Regardless of Honey's tight hold, he felt more content in those arms than ever before. It was worse than the Imperious curse. He would stay three forever if he could.
"Now, let's find out who you are," Honey's fingers reached up and grabbed the edges of his hood, and with a sharp twist of his wrists he pulled it back. Harry could only stare as the light hit him and the other boy smiled even wider.
"Harii-chan," he whispered. "I'm so lucky, you're even more beautiful than the last time we met. I didn't even realize you were a wizard."
Honey held him close. Too close. His face leaned down over his, and slowly got closer. His lips puckered, and he closed his eyes. He was about to kiss him.
Harry snapped his magic back to normal and blasted Honey away from him. The boy tumbled through the air and deftly landed on his feet with a flip. Harry backed away from him and shakily stood up, keeping himself flush with the bookshelf as far away as he could get.
"Stop, just stop whatever this is!" he shouted. "I don't understand. Why was my magic out of control? Why were you allowed to get so close, and why were you about to kiss me!"
Honey was unfazed by his panic and looked at him adoringly. It didn't make sense. "Harii-chan, can't you feel it? It's just like the legends describe. We're soulmates!"
His breath hitched. "No, that's bullshit. I've never heard of this before, tell me what's really happening!"
Honey's face turned serious. "It's true. Soulmates are real, everyone in the magical world knows, they're just rare. Were your parent's non-magical? Everyone grows up with the stories, hoping it'll happen to them someday." His face broke into a grin again. "And it just happened to us!"
"N-, No, my parents were magical, but I was raised by muggles." This couldn't be happening. Everything was going so well in Japan. And now right before his eyes, his life was being thrown into chaos again.
"That's okay, we've got our whole lives together for me to tell you the stories," Honey swooned. "And play together, kiss each other, get married, have kids…" he walked toward him with his arms outreached for another embrace.
Kids? Get married? They'd just met! Harry ducked under the arms and backed away again. Honey's brown eyes showed only confusion. "I'm sorry," Harry said. "I can't be your soulmate, you've made a mistake. Go find someone else."
Then he ran from the room.
Harry raced through the hallway to his quarters, startling Mori-san who was guarding the door. What were the odds that the Host club were the friends that Umehito-kun was talking about, and that one of them thought they were soulmates.
He finally found his room after navigating the manor's labyrinth. He locked the door behind him and warded it for good measure. He didn't want to see anyone, especially Honey-san. Rain pelted the room's large windows, he didn't know it was supposed to storm tonight.
The whole idea was completely ridiculous. Sure, he grew up muggle and had his education and social life hijacked to train for a war, but he should've come across the soulmate phenomena somewhere in that time. He'd make a terrible soulmate anyway; he was barely functioning in society as is, no one would want to deal with his baggage.
He started packing his clothes. He was originally planning on staying one more night, but the best course of action was to leave and nip the 'soulmates' idea in the bud. He'd say goodbye to Nekozawa, and then he'd be off. He could pick out his books another time.
A crack of lightning flashed through the windows, and deafening thunder followed. Haruhi. Haruhi was terrified of thunder. If the host club was here, then she was too. He couldn't leave her to deal with the storm alone. He needed to find her.
Harry ran back out of his room with his cloak billowing behind him. He headed towards where he thought Nekozawa's quarters were, maybe he could pinpoint her location with his wards. It would be impossible to find her in the manor without help; he didn't know which wing she was staying in or if she was even in the building.
He rounded a corner and nearly smacked into someone. "Harii-chan! I've been looking for you," Honey said. "I know I came on too strong back there, but I was just so excited and didn't realize you were confused and-"
"Sorry," Harry interjected," but can we do this later? I need to find Haruhi, she's scared of thunder."
Honey froze. "I'll help, she went up to her room to change after dinner, I think it's this way," he pointed to the hallway he came from. "Let's go."
Harry followed him as they raced through the house. They entered the wing that the Hosts were staying in, and Honey started dashing from door to door, opening them and checking for Haruhi at a speed even his eyes found hard to track. He must have been enhancing his body somehow, he would have to ask about it later.
At least the other boy was focused on something other than him now. Even without him thinking they were soulmates, the way that the blonde had watched him back in the library had been uncomfortable. It was like Honey had been trying to form an imprint of him in his mind, while also trying to see into the depths of his soul. He didn't want anyone poking around in there, and he didn't like being watched that closely.
Around the next corner the rest of the hosts were crowded around a door. "That's Haruhi's room," Honey whispered. They joined the huddle, apparently Tamaki was in the room with her. Only Mori noticed he was there.
One of the twins opened the door to reveal Tamaki putting earmuffs and a blindfold on Haruhi. Harry sighed in relief, Haruhi was getting help after all. But all the Hosts, even Honey, looked disgusted.
"What kind of 'play' is that, senpai?" Hikaru asked.
He didn't even try to comprehend the string of denials that followed.
After making sure Haruhi was alright and giving a brief explanation that he was a guest of Nekozawa, Harry tried to leave to go back to his room. She didn't need another person hanging around to distract her from the storm, the other Hosts had that covered. But Honey grabbed his hand and stopped him before he could get away.
"Can we talk now, please?"
"I guess," Harry said. He was hoping to get away before the boy remembered. Honey kept hold of his hand and led him to his room. He tried to ignore how warm the boy's calloused hands felt around his, and the dejected look he received when he extracted his arm to sit in the chair instead of the couch.
Honey looked at him as if he were a treasure just out of reach. Harry couldn't take it and examined the fabric of his chair instead; it was nice, very high quality. He was used to people wanting him, but only for his skills, or as a tool. Not for something as personal as the relationship the other boy desired.
The silence between them was dense. Honey seemed to be struggling with what he wanted to say now that he had Harry alone. He kept opening and closing his mouth like a fish. Harry would have laughed if it wasn't apparent how serious he was.
"You know, I didn't have the body of a child when we first met because I'm naturally short," Honey finally began. "I was cursed to stay that way by the spirits, because my parents were too proud and bragged about me at a shrine. They made me fight one of my ancestors, and when I lost I was cursed to never grow as a reminder of their pride." He took a deep breath. "Even as I grew older, my body wouldn't change… until I met my soulmate."
Honey's brown eyes drilled into him from across the room.
"Shortly after our first meeting, Takashi noticed I grew an inch, and ever since then I've been trying to find whoever it was. To find you. I only knew that my soulmate smelled like chocolate and green tea, and that when we touched it'd feel like fireworks!"
Harry blushed, maybe he should cut back on green tea… and chocolate cake. He'd definitely felt something when Honey tackled him in the library though, even if he would like to deny it. His magic had never been so happy than when he was in Honey's arms.
It had felt good. Like it was meant to be. But maybe it was coincidence, his magic might have just liked being surrounded by all the books.
"You're probably just confused," Harry whispered. "Trust me, you don't want me as your soulmate. I've done many bad things, you deserve someone better."
"I've never been more certain," Honey said. "Just give this a shot, I won't touch you again, I see now how uncomfortable you were with it, but at least smell me. I know you'll understand then."
He let out a shaky breath. "Fine." His voice didn't sound nearly as unconcerned as he'd wanted. It was time to put this all to rest.
Harry closed his eyes and channeled magic into his nose, magnifying its strength. Honey must have done something similar to move so fast earlier, although orders of magnitudes harder from all the different muscles involved. His breathed in a long drought of air through his nose, ready to get on with his life.
Lavender. Vanilla. The forest and… Birthday cake.
He'd never smelled any of those things before and given them a second thought. But together, right now emanating from the boy sitting across from him, was the most enchanting scent he'd ever encountered. Just smelling it was bliss, even better than sugar in the middle of a craving.
He could bask in it all day.
He cut the flow of magic and opened his eyes. Honey was grinning and nearly jumping off the couch. Harry didn't even want to know what kind of face he was making while enhanced his nose.
The other boy was right. He didn't know if they were soulmates or had some other connection that made him want to keep that thrilled look on his face for as long as possible. To say nothing of irrationally dropping his boundaries and running into his arms.
"I… I…" Harry couldn't form any words. His hands trembled, and his heart wouldn't slow down no matter how much he tried to control it. Honey's eyes were warm, he knew the boy would comfort him if he let him.
"I need to make a phone call!" Harry shot out of his chair, knocking it over.
And, just like their first encounter, ran from the room.
Back in his room Harry dug around his bag until he found his cell phone. He hadn't felt this vulnerable since he was eleven years old. At least going into battle he'd had a plan, knowledge of the enemy, and training. Here he was blind. The only thing he knew about soulmates was the little he'd gleaned from Honey's talk. Haruhi's input would have been helpful, but she had her hands full with the rest of the hosts and didn't know about magic. There wasn't a way to explain Honey's sudden infatuation with him without it.
He needed to ask Masako about Japan's policy for revealing magic to muggles soon.
He found his phone and stepped out on his balcony. The storm had stopped, and the night sky was clear. Moonlight illuminated the ocean's waves, and the warm sea breeze buffeted his clothes.
He dialed the only person in his contacts who might be able to help him. It rang for a few moments and then picked up.
"Bonjour. Harry?" Fleur answered.
"Hello Fleur," he answered back in French. He had learned the language while preparing the move, in case Japan hadn't worked out. His backup plan was to stay with the Delacour's. "I need your help."
"What's wrong? Have finally decided to join me in France?"
He chuckled. "No, I'm happy here in Japan. I…" he hesitated, his stomach lurched at the thought of saying everything out loud. "What do you know about soulmates?"
"Oh, it's such a marvelous thing!" Fleur gushed. "Magic itself finding the person perfect for you, it's like love at first sight. I hope I find mine someday, one of the reasons I traveled was to look for my match." She sighed. "Unfortunately, finding your soulmate is pretty rare, but the couples that do are always spectacular. Like the Flamel's, or my Mama and Papa. Oh, I hope I can find mine soon! My Veela heritage gives me an advantage, but it's still unlikely."
She sighed again. "So why the sudden interest? I didn't think you were interested in love right now."
"I'm not." He took a deep breath. "But I just met mine."
Fleur gasped. "Oh Harry, that's wonderful! I'm so happy for you both!"
"No, it's not wonderful!" He cringed, and took a second to calm down. "Sorry, it's just, this is one of the worst things that could happen to me right now Fleur. I'm a mess from the war, I can't handle a relationship or anything like that, and I'm sure he'd just be scared away if he found out about the things I've done."
"You are not a mess Harry. You are a beautiful person, and a few scars won't change that," Fleur scolded. "Listen, your soulmate is the one person who will accept you completely, no matter what you've done. There are stories of people, who have done much worse than you think you have, finding love with their soulmate. You need to give this a chance, you'll never find someone who will love you more than this boy."
A gust of wind shifted his hair over his eyes.
"I don't know if I can," he whispered.
"Well, you'd better," she huffed. "Not taking into account how lucky you are, haven't you noticed the effect on your magical core?"
"What's that have to do with anything?" So what if his magic felt happy when he was with Honey, it hardly made a difference with how uncomfortable the boy made him.
"Harry, your magical core is huge, and unstable. I've honestly been worried you'd get hurt, or worse, when you finally reach your magical maturity. But soulmates stabilize erratic cores, even ones as big as yours. The magic senses when it's match is near, and instinctively calms down."
That… might have something to it. Even though this day had been a roller coaster of emotions ever since Honey found him, he had never lost control of his magic. In fact, it even seemed docile; it didn't feel like it was in any danger of overflowing, and he had no urge to practice any control exercises.
"If you hadn't found your soulmate," Fleur continued, "I wouldn't have been surprised if your magic killed you eventually."
Harry trailed his finger through a rune drawn in the sand while the ocean nipped at his toes. The sand was still a little wet from the storm, but he didn't mind. It would only take a wave of his hand to clean his clothes. The beach was a comfortable place to be alone, and most importantly, away from the manor.
The rest of his conversation with Fleur had been short. She told him about the rest of her trip, and some of the interesting experiences she had, but they both knew that his heart wasn't in it. They ended with her encouraging him to pursue his soulmate, and to call her again with updates.
He was scared.
Not just of his magic, though he didn't like being confronted with the catastrophe that could happen if he lost control. Mainly of his soulmate... of Honey. He was stuck between yet another catastrophe, or a new person to frighten away.
But if he didn't give this a chance, who knows what would happen when he hit his magical maturity? It was only a few months away, he turned sixteen this summer. He didn't want to turn into a human bomb. He supposed he could go somewhere remote, so no one would get hurt, but could he survive it alone?
That'd be ironic. Harry Potter, destroyer of Voldemort and savior of Britain, hero of the Second Blood War, taken out by magical puberty.
Unless he forced himself into a relationship with Honey.
He spent the night sitting in the sand and staring at the ocean, trying to come up with a course of action. He was tempted to just go along with it, but then he'd feel the cool night air cling to his skin, and no matter what spell he used he couldn't shake it off. Once again he had to either give into fate, or suffer. He was trapped between two paths, when all he wanted was to make his own.
When the sky started to lighten, and the choppy waves settled down to a soft blue, he still didn't have an answer. His feet sat in an empty sand pit, gradually hollowed out over the course of the night.
"Harii-chan, are you alright?" Honey's voice said from behind him. He tensed and looked over his shoulder to see the boy standing a few feet away, anxiously twisting his foot in the sand. He hadn't even heard him approach.
"I'm fine," Harry turned back to the ocean. Why did Honey have to find him now? He still had no idea what to do. The conversation with Fleur lingered in the back of his mind, how he would never have a greater love than his soulmate, but the very thought made him want to pack his bags and leave Japan forever.
"You were gone for a long time, I got worried and couldn't find you in the manor, even though it took me a while to take down your room's wards," Honey sat down next to him and apologetically smiled. "I finally managed it and tracked your scent down here though."
"I see." Harry automatically ran through some spells that could eliminate his odor in the future, just in case, and shifted his body a few degrees to the left, away from the other boy.
"I'm… assuming you've been thinking out here?"
Harry nodded, and drew a barrier rune in the sand between them, refusing to look at Honey. It wouldn't work even if he pushed magic into it, sand was too poor of a medium, but it made him feel better all the same.
"You… don't want this, us, do you?" Honey's voice trembled. Harry's heart clenched and he gave in, glancing up. Honey's face was scrunched, as if he was about to cry; this was like kicking a puppy. He was better off without him though, soulmates or not, and Harry wouldn't be trapped again.
"I'm sorry," he hugged his arms around his body. "It's nothing to do with you, specifically, but I can't be the soulmate you're looking for." Dead bodies flashed through his mind. "You're better off without me anyway."
"Why?" Honey's voice cracked. " My only hope for love was my soulmate, no one would be interested in someone with a ten-year old's body. This is supposed to be a beautiful thing, we're supposed to be perfect for one another! What makes you think that my life would be worse if we were together!"
Harry closed his eyes. If Honey wasn't going to let it go until he got some answers, maybe being honest was the best option left. He listened to his heart thud in his chest three times.
"I'm a murderer." He couldn't hear Honey's breathing anymore, only the ever-present murmur of the ocean. "I fought in the Blood War. I was the light's best weapon, and decimated Voldemort's army. It wasn't even fair, I slaughtered them."
"You don't want to try and love a monster like me. I can't return any feelings you give me."
They descended into a heavy silence. He'd done it, he was sure Honey wanted nothing to do with him now. He took a deep breath, preparing himself for the rejection and disgust that surely tainted Honey's face, and opened his eyes.
But Honey's eyes were soft, and full of sympathy, and sadness.
"It's not like I'm an innocent either, you know," Honey's voice, now pensive, rang in Harry's ears. "I might have looked like a child the last seven years, but I've been Japan's strongest fighter for a while now. The Ministry of Defense classified me as a weapon of mass destruction ever since I could beat my Father, and I was doing missions for them even before that."
He shuffled closer. Their faces were barely a foot apart. "I don't believe killing for your country makes you a monster. I don't know why you were even allowed to fight, but if you're a monster then so am I."
Harry's mouth gaped, like an idiot, and he struggled to suck in a breath. He couldn't believe that Honey had killed as well. From the moment they'd met, Honey seemed so pure, and appeared to see the world with a childlike wonder. Such innocence had no business being around him. If Honey had fought, and killed, as well – just like him – how had he remained unaffected?
He shook off the shock. "You should still stay away from me. My life is a mess, and boring. Some days I can barely even leave my apartment to go for a run. Don't waste your time with me, I'm not worth it."
Honey snorted. "It's not I don't have my own problems. I'm childish, and possessive. My family wants nothing to do with me. I seek attention from all my friends because I don't get any at home. None of that means we can't try and make this work though."
He didn't understand. Even after giving him every reason not to, Honey still wanted to be in his life. Harry couldn't convince him that he wasn't worth it. His magic buzzed under his skin. Every time he thought about leaving Japan -and Honey- behind, it thrashed and fought against his iron hold. It took all of his self-control not to yield and throw himself at the other boy, letting their bond surround him in bliss and pacify the beast.
He bit his lip. Already he could feel himself being chained to his soulmate. Was he even able to run away anymore? How long could he last with his magic fighting against him before he slipped and got hurt… or hurt someone else?
Harry took a long breath and felt the sea air move down into his lungs, and released it in a shuddering breath back up through his mouth. He never really had a choice at all.
Honey's patient, expectant stare cut through him. He twisted his body to face the other boy.
"I don't want to date you, I've never even had an inkling of a desire that kind of relationship," Harry's feet dug into the walls of his hole. "I know you expected some kind of fairy tale romance, and kids, and marriage, but I don't know if I can ever give you that. I've never considered those things before, I didn't even know I'd live long enough for them to ever matter until a few months ago."
Honey frowned. "I hate that. I hate whoever led you and made a weapon. You're fifteen, you shouldn't have had to worry about anything more than friends, fun, and school."
He'd never had the chance for a normal childhood, even before the war. "Well, I agreed to it, and it's over now anyway."
Honey sighed, and nodded. His hands twisted in his lap. "I know you don't love me like I love you, and it might stay that way forever. But I'd rather be friends than not have you in my life at all."
"Don't say that," Harry turned away. "You don't love me. You don't know anything about me, we've just met. All we have is this stupid bond." The morning sun emerged over the horizon, making the crest of every wave sparkle. He rubbed slow circles into his side, hoping the familiar action would help him relax.
"You're right," Honey looked down, but then a smile appeared on the corners of his lips. "But I will, once I get to know you. I can already tell you're amazing."
Heat rushed to his cheeks; Harry looked down. He wasn't amazing, someday Honey would see that.
But being friends would be… okay. He wouldn't have to leave Japan, his magic would be satisfied from some contact with his soulmate, and his life could continue as it had been. Safe, boring, predictable. Maybe he'd even enjoy having another friend. And when his magical maturity came, he'd keep it under control, one way or another.
He sat in silence for another few minutes to think it over while Honey patiently waited. Every reason he came up with to run away was countered by the necessity of pacifying his magic, and the niggling want in the back of his mind to get to know his soulmate better. Even if he wanted to deny it, the blond boy next to him made him curious. He wanted to know what fate's perfect match for him was like.
"Fine," Harry sighed, and released the tension in his hands. "We can be friends. That's it."
Honey's face transformed into vibrant happiness, smiling so brightly it overwhelmed the rising sun that lit up the beach. Harry's lips twitched up in a smile of their own as Honey laughed. And when he tackled Harry into the sand with a hug, and his magic hummed in contentment, he didn't even mind how his personal space was being invaded.
At least until he recovered from the initial bliss, readjusted his glasses, and blasted Honey into the ocean.
Maybe this was worth a try after all.
A/N: Sorry for the longer wait than usual, I hope you're still enjoying the story! There's still a lot more to come!
