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lomonaaerenTitle: Cruel to Be Kind
Disclaimer: J. K. Rowling and associates own these characters. I am writing this story for fun and not profit.
Pairing: Harry/Draco, mentions of Draco/Astoria, Harry/Ginny, and Ron/Hermione
Content Notes: Hogwarts “eighth year,” angst, deception, mention of past character death, soulmate-identifying marks
Rating: PG-13
Wordcount: 1100
Summary: In a world where some wizards and witches receive the name of their soulmate on their arm and the other member of the pair feels a pull drawing them to that person, Harry looks his soulmate, Draco Malfoy, in the face, and lies so Draco can be with the woman he loves.
Author’s Notes: This is one of my “Solstitial Shorts,” short stories being posted between Halloween and the winter solstice.
Cruel To Be Kind
“Um. Harry?”
The way that Draco spoke his name told Harry what this was in a way nothing else could have. His heart pounding hard, he turned around. He’d been about to enter the Great Hall, but Draco was standing off to the side of the doors, staring at him.
Harry managed to smile. “Yes, Malfoy?”
“I…” Draco rubbed a hand along the back of his neck and chuckled a little. It was a nervous sound. Harry wouldn’t have been able to hear that nervousness before this year. But having Draco’s name show up on his arm on his seventeenth birthday had changed a lot.
Harry nodded. “Yes?”
“This sounds stupid,” Draco sad, and took a step towards him. “But I’ve been feeling this—pull drawing me to you lately. Would you by any chance happen to be carrying my name?” His expression wavered forth, between hope and something else.
Harry smiled a little at him and pulled back his left sleeve. There on his skin were imprinted letters that spelled out the name Ginny Weasley. “Sorry, no. Hermione says sometimes the pull happens between people who’ve had intense emotions about each other in the past? Without being soulmates?”
“Oh.” Draco breathed out, blinked, and rubbed the back of his neck again. “Oh, yeah. That would—make sense. And I’m not surprised that Granger knows something like that.”
Harry nodded and let his sleeve fall back into place again. “So it’s not me. But I wish you luck in finding whoever it is.”
“I think I would rather choose my own fate,” Draco said in a low voice. “Since I haven’t been able to do much of that in my life.” The dart of his eyes towards his own left arm was too quick for most people to notice, but not someone who had been watching him as intently as Harry had since the start of this term.
Harry nodded shortly, his chest aching. “I understand that.”
“I suppose you probably would.” Draco gave him one more smile and turned away, walking into the Great Hall. Harry angled his head a little so he could watch without immediately following Draco inside, and saw him sit down next to Astoria Greengrass.
Greengrass turned to Draco with a luminous smile that Draco returned. He picked up her hand and brought it to his lips, never removing his eyes from hers. His expression was one of purest devotion.
Harry sighed and looked down at the words on his left wrist.
As he watched, they shivered and twisted, the black “ink” of the words melting back into their real self. Draco Malfoy. Harry was a powerful enough wizard since mastering the Elder Wand that his body, and his magic, did what he wanted.
Harry covered up his wrist again and slumped against the wall with his eyes closed for a moment. He had hoped, when the words originally showed up on his wrist, that maybe there would be some kind of future…
But no. He and Draco hadn’t spent enough time together, and Draco had obviously fallen in love with Astoria, either in the few months they’d been here since the war or during the war. Or even before that.
“Harry?”
Ginny was standing behind him, frowning at him. Harry straightened up and smiled at her. “Hi, Gin.”
Ginny looped her arm through his. “Malfoy?” she asked softly as they walked into the Great Hall together, glancing at the Slytherin table briefly.
Harry nodded. “He obviously felt some sort of pull to me, enough to ask about the words,” he murmured. They were sitting down the table from Ron and Hermione, who were so busy having a bickering fit that they probably wouldn’t hear, but Harry didn’t want anyone else to overhear, either. “But not strong enough for him to separate it from the kind of pull he felt towards Greengrass.”
Harry choked at the tone of his own voice and shook his head. He would not be jealous of a sixteen-year-old girl.
Or maybe he would be, but he wouldn’t let that influence his own actions.
Ginny sighed and leaned her head on his shoulder. “I’m sorry, Harry. I wish for your sake that the answer could be different.”
Harry smiled down at her. Ginny hadn’t known until a certain name appeared on her wrist when she turned seventeen a few months ago that her soulmate had died in the war. She’d experienced a devastating grief that Harry had helped her through.
She hadn’t shown him the name, or anyone in her family. That was all right. She had agreed to marry him. Like Harry, she wanted a comfortable home, and children, and not to spend the rest of her life mourning someone she couldn’t have.
Harry could feel eyes on them. He glanced up, and saw both Ron and Hermione smiling at them in obvious approval, distracted from their fight by Harry and Ginny’s “sweetness.” They thought Harry and Ginny were true soulmates.
Harry had never thought, once, that he would keep secrets from his best friends and share one with Ginny. But this last year and the war were anything but normal.
It still felt as though someone were looking at him. Harry turned his head and met eyes from the Slytherin table. Greengrass was frowning slightly, as if not understanding Draco’s intense attention to the Gryffindors.
And it was Draco. His eyes were wide and fixed on Harry and Ginny, his brow wrinkled, as if something about the scene bothered him and he didn’t know what. But he must have remembered that Harry had told him Ginny was Harry’s soulmate, because after a moment, he nodded and turned back to Astoria.
Harry pushed down the stubborn flare of hope that he felt. Sometimes, hope was like a disease, he thought, infecting you and sprouting back up again even when you wished it wouldn’t.
But he and Draco had both made their choices. Draco was in love with Astoria. He didn’t want to be pushed around by fate. Harry had already lied to him about whose name Harry bore on his wrist. Ginny and Harry needed each other.
Harry couldn’t do a lot in this situation, but he could make sure that his soulmate didn’t feel torn between two people, didn’t feel the kind of regret Ginny did, didn’t feel lied to.
And he would have children, and perhaps he would come to love Ginny in time.
He turned to pick up a scone, and Ginny leaned against him, and so they began their lives together.
The End.
Disclaimer: J. K. Rowling and associates own these characters. I am writing this story for fun and not profit.
Pairing: Harry/Draco, mentions of Draco/Astoria, Harry/Ginny, and Ron/Hermione
Content Notes: Hogwarts “eighth year,” angst, deception, mention of past character death, soulmate-identifying marks
Rating: PG-13
Wordcount: 1100
Summary: In a world where some wizards and witches receive the name of their soulmate on their arm and the other member of the pair feels a pull drawing them to that person, Harry looks his soulmate, Draco Malfoy, in the face, and lies so Draco can be with the woman he loves.
Author’s Notes: This is one of my “Solstitial Shorts,” short stories being posted between Halloween and the winter solstice.
Cruel To Be Kind
“Um. Harry?”
The way that Draco spoke his name told Harry what this was in a way nothing else could have. His heart pounding hard, he turned around. He’d been about to enter the Great Hall, but Draco was standing off to the side of the doors, staring at him.
Harry managed to smile. “Yes, Malfoy?”
“I…” Draco rubbed a hand along the back of his neck and chuckled a little. It was a nervous sound. Harry wouldn’t have been able to hear that nervousness before this year. But having Draco’s name show up on his arm on his seventeenth birthday had changed a lot.
Harry nodded. “Yes?”
“This sounds stupid,” Draco sad, and took a step towards him. “But I’ve been feeling this—pull drawing me to you lately. Would you by any chance happen to be carrying my name?” His expression wavered forth, between hope and something else.
Harry smiled a little at him and pulled back his left sleeve. There on his skin were imprinted letters that spelled out the name Ginny Weasley. “Sorry, no. Hermione says sometimes the pull happens between people who’ve had intense emotions about each other in the past? Without being soulmates?”
“Oh.” Draco breathed out, blinked, and rubbed the back of his neck again. “Oh, yeah. That would—make sense. And I’m not surprised that Granger knows something like that.”
Harry nodded and let his sleeve fall back into place again. “So it’s not me. But I wish you luck in finding whoever it is.”
“I think I would rather choose my own fate,” Draco said in a low voice. “Since I haven’t been able to do much of that in my life.” The dart of his eyes towards his own left arm was too quick for most people to notice, but not someone who had been watching him as intently as Harry had since the start of this term.
Harry nodded shortly, his chest aching. “I understand that.”
“I suppose you probably would.” Draco gave him one more smile and turned away, walking into the Great Hall. Harry angled his head a little so he could watch without immediately following Draco inside, and saw him sit down next to Astoria Greengrass.
Greengrass turned to Draco with a luminous smile that Draco returned. He picked up her hand and brought it to his lips, never removing his eyes from hers. His expression was one of purest devotion.
Harry sighed and looked down at the words on his left wrist.
As he watched, they shivered and twisted, the black “ink” of the words melting back into their real self. Draco Malfoy. Harry was a powerful enough wizard since mastering the Elder Wand that his body, and his magic, did what he wanted.
Harry covered up his wrist again and slumped against the wall with his eyes closed for a moment. He had hoped, when the words originally showed up on his wrist, that maybe there would be some kind of future…
But no. He and Draco hadn’t spent enough time together, and Draco had obviously fallen in love with Astoria, either in the few months they’d been here since the war or during the war. Or even before that.
“Harry?”
Ginny was standing behind him, frowning at him. Harry straightened up and smiled at her. “Hi, Gin.”
Ginny looped her arm through his. “Malfoy?” she asked softly as they walked into the Great Hall together, glancing at the Slytherin table briefly.
Harry nodded. “He obviously felt some sort of pull to me, enough to ask about the words,” he murmured. They were sitting down the table from Ron and Hermione, who were so busy having a bickering fit that they probably wouldn’t hear, but Harry didn’t want anyone else to overhear, either. “But not strong enough for him to separate it from the kind of pull he felt towards Greengrass.”
Harry choked at the tone of his own voice and shook his head. He would not be jealous of a sixteen-year-old girl.
Or maybe he would be, but he wouldn’t let that influence his own actions.
Ginny sighed and leaned her head on his shoulder. “I’m sorry, Harry. I wish for your sake that the answer could be different.”
Harry smiled down at her. Ginny hadn’t known until a certain name appeared on her wrist when she turned seventeen a few months ago that her soulmate had died in the war. She’d experienced a devastating grief that Harry had helped her through.
She hadn’t shown him the name, or anyone in her family. That was all right. She had agreed to marry him. Like Harry, she wanted a comfortable home, and children, and not to spend the rest of her life mourning someone she couldn’t have.
Harry could feel eyes on them. He glanced up, and saw both Ron and Hermione smiling at them in obvious approval, distracted from their fight by Harry and Ginny’s “sweetness.” They thought Harry and Ginny were true soulmates.
Harry had never thought, once, that he would keep secrets from his best friends and share one with Ginny. But this last year and the war were anything but normal.
It still felt as though someone were looking at him. Harry turned his head and met eyes from the Slytherin table. Greengrass was frowning slightly, as if not understanding Draco’s intense attention to the Gryffindors.
And it was Draco. His eyes were wide and fixed on Harry and Ginny, his brow wrinkled, as if something about the scene bothered him and he didn’t know what. But he must have remembered that Harry had told him Ginny was Harry’s soulmate, because after a moment, he nodded and turned back to Astoria.
Harry pushed down the stubborn flare of hope that he felt. Sometimes, hope was like a disease, he thought, infecting you and sprouting back up again even when you wished it wouldn’t.
But he and Draco had both made their choices. Draco was in love with Astoria. He didn’t want to be pushed around by fate. Harry had already lied to him about whose name Harry bore on his wrist. Ginny and Harry needed each other.
Harry couldn’t do a lot in this situation, but he could make sure that his soulmate didn’t feel torn between two people, didn’t feel the kind of regret Ginny did, didn’t feel lied to.
And he would have children, and perhaps he would come to love Ginny in time.
He turned to pick up a scone, and Ginny leaned against him, and so they began their lives together.
The End.
