Legal Disclaimer: I own my stuff, but not the original source material. That belongs to whoever. Also, the opinions and interpretations I use here may not reflect the same in said whoever that owns the source material. Look, I'm just a poor college librarian. Suing me isn't going to get you anything but tears.

Warning: This work may be offensive to some readers. Feel free to back out if that's you.

Author's Note: Sometimes, things just become overwhelming. I expect that meeting your soulmate might just like that.

Submitting Info:
Stacked with: Hogwarts (Term 11); MC4A
Individual Challenges: Two Cakes! (Y); Yellow Ribbon; Yellow Ribbon Redux; In a Flash; Letter of the Day; Flags & Ribbon; Rian-Russo Inversion; Quiet Time; Neurodivergent; Themes & Things A [Love]; Themes & Things B [Protection]; Feeling So Logical [Cynical]; Old Shoes; Times to Come; Tissue Warning; Shipmas; Seeds; Sett to Destroy; Slytherin MC; Gryffindor MC; Lion's Moon & Shadow Bribery (Y)
House: Hufflepuff
Assignment No.: Term 11 – Assignment 02
Subject (Task No.): n/a
Other Hogwarts Challenges: Romance Awareness [19] (Memory Exchange at First Touch) (Surprised); Insane Prompt Challenge [343] (Sobbing); 365 [310] (Captive); Scavenger Hunt [81] (Write a fic with flashbacks); Galleon Club (Angelic)
Space Address (Prompt): Su Bingo [4A] (Storm)
Representation(s): Blaise Zabini/Harry Potter; Autistic Harry Potter
Bonus Challenges: Abandoned Ship; Second Verse (Lovely Coconuts; Unwanted Advice; Spinning Plates; Middle Name; Nontraditional); Chorus (Wind Beneath; Unicorn; Larger than Life; Tomorrow's Shade; Peddling Pots; Machismo; Wabi Sabi)
Tertiary Bonus Challenges: SN (Rail); HoSE (Schooner; Sanctuary); FR (Evolution); O3 (Olivine); T3 (Terse; Toad)
Word Count: 846

(^^)
Enough
(^^)

It came as a surprise. Actually, that was an understatement to say the least. It had been all over the papers about how Ginny Weasley was the lucky soulmate of Harry Potter. Witch Weekly had dedicated a whole ten pages to how she had relived the first time that Potter had flown on a broom. Blaise distinctly remembered how when the magazine had been delivered, Luna Lovegood had laughed until she had tears running down her cheeks right there in the middle of the Great Hall. He only vaguely remembered there being some kind of row between the so-called Golden Trio in the wake of It, that had them splitting down the middle for the second time in the same school year, with Granger joining Weasley's side of the divide.

The article on the matter published in The Quibbler was so outrageous that Blaise had saved it for days when he needed a good chuckle. Working as a curse-breaker for the Ministry was nowhere near what anyone would call entertaining, even if it was something to fill the hours between movie marathons with his little sister (who had been one of the first children born after the end of the Second Blood War).

So when Blaise had finally had the chance to formally meet Harry Potter after being assigned to assist the Auror Corps, Blaise was surprised to find himself tossed into memory upon the first brush of their skin.

At first, he didn't even realize that he was in a memory at all. It was so dark that he was almost convinced that he had passed out. The walls surrounding him were close and unfinished, like the space as an afterthought or someplace where a person wasn't meant to be at all. It also smelled sharp and astringent, like cleaning potions were badly sealed nearby. Something like pine and lemon wove through the potion smell like the fingers of an overly possessive lover and did nothing to cover up the astringency of it.

Pain pulsed along his back and from the side of his head. In fact, everything ached in a dull way, like whatever was causing it had settled into the marrow of his bones. His stomach felt like it was attempting to eat itself in lieu of having anything else. His throat was so dry that it felt like it was sticking together.

Through it all, Blaise heard the realization that Potter had come to in that dark, horrible place.

Maybe they're right. Maybe I am nothing but a good-for-nothing freak. Of course, I can't do anything right, so why would they ever think any different? I just want to be loved. Why can't I be good enough to be worth loving? Will I ever be good enough?

Blaise slammed back into the present as suddenly as he had slipped into the memory. Potter was staring at him with tears shimmering in his emerald eyes. Not daring to drop Harry's hand, Blaise reached out with his other hand to cup Harry's cheek. Gently, he stroked along the dark cheek with his thumb. Unconsciously, Harry leaned into his palm, like a flower turning towards the sun.

"What did you see?" Blaise asked softly. He suspected what it might be, since what he had seen had to be Harry's worst memory. That meant that Harry had to have seen Blaise's best memory. Blaise knew what he considered to be his best memory, but magic could be finicky about what it chose. Harry's eyes slid shut as if he was trying to hold the memory close.

"A woman had just given birth," Harry whispered, sounding for all the world like he was offering a prayer. "She was so strong, and the baby was so beautiful."

"Elenora was particularly angelic in those first few hours," Blaise agreed. He gave a soft smile, as he always did at the thought of his sister. "That impression did not last long, as I learned that siblings came with annoyances, but I still wouldn't trade my family for anything. It is small and sort of broken, but still good."

Harry let out a startled laugh, clearly picking up on the movie reference. Watching Muggle movies was a phrase that Elenora had never grown out of. As her big brother, Blaise was her favorite cuddle captive for when the urge struck.

"What did you see?" Harry finally asked. Under the tips of his fingers, Blaise could feel the growing tension running through him. Leaning in, Blaise touched his forehead against Harry's and bumping their noses together. Calming under the touch, Harry breathed with him, not moving out of the intimate embrace.

"I saw enough," Blaise whispered, exchanging the words just as they were exchanging breaths. "I saw that you have always been enough."

With a choked back sob, Harry pressed closer. Blaise just held on as the slighter man shook with silent sobs, his heart bleeding even as it hungered to make those who had hurt his soulmate pay. But for the moment, simply being there to weather the storm was enough.