It was not his parents who answered, they are too busy staring at Harry and Draco. Lucius was staring at his son as if he had never met him before, he was still hung up on his lack of decorum. Narcissa was staring at Harry and Draco both in awe. "Soulmates," Severus begins in his teacher voice that makes the teenagers sit up straighter. For a brief moment, Harry flashed back to potions class. He was tempted to pull out parchment lest there be a test.
"Soulmates are incredibly rare in the wizarding world. There has only been a handful of known cases in the past millennia. Every wizard has a soulmate. There isn't a single one that doesn't. Including muggleborns and squibs. Any being with magic has a soulmate."
"If everyone has one then how come it is rare?" Harry can't help but ask. Severus turns and glares at Harry for interrupting him. Harry raised his hands in surrender. Geez, you'd think he had insulted his mother by the way he reacted.
"As I was saying." Severus says pointedly, ignoring Harry completely. "The reason it is so rare is because soulmates connect on a deeper level. The souls are the ones connecting. Not the people themselves. Just because your soul resonates with that person does not mean your heart and your emotions will. Not to mention that soulmates aren't geographically located. The chances of you meeting your other half is slim to none. All wizards have a mate but that doesn't mean that their soulmate has to be another wizard. It could be a muggle, wizard or a magical creature. Which makes the chances of finding your soulmate rather difficult. With the world population of nearly 6 billion people and no way of narrowing down the list, it makes soulmates very rare." Harry and Draco stare at Severus in wonder.
"So take the two of you for an example. You are both incredibly lucky to have been so close to your soulmate geographically. But like I said earlier, just because your soul resonates with each other doesn't mean you as a person will. The two of you were enemies. You were drawn to each other yes, but you weren't in a position where the bond would kick in. People can meet their soulmate and never know it because they as a person just don't have an emotional connection to their other half. Your soulmate could be your best friend, your neighbor, your boss, a teacher, or a complete stranger. They might not even be born yet or have already died. Without an emotional connection, you would never know it. Wizards in general don't interact with muggles so if your soulmate happens to be one, most purebloods would never be matched. You also have to take in account of sexual preference. Neither of you have a problem with being male but say one of you just didn't fancy gentlemen, then the bond wouldn't have formed. When the two of you set aside your differences, it allowed the bond to form. If you had stayed enemies then the bond never would have had the chance to begin. Even if you had decided to be friends that wouldn't have necessarily started the bond. You both have to have an emotional connection for the bond to kick start." Severus paused to privately mourn the loss of never finding his own soulmate.
"Why don't they teach this in school? How come we never knew this?" Blaise asked quietly. He was at a loss. How could something so beautiful exist and no one know about it? He couldn't wrap his mind around the fact that he had a soulmate out there.
"Because even though you may fall in love with someone that isn't your soulmate, there will always be a small part of you that is longing for your soulmate. People were becoming desperate to find their other half. No one wanted to settle down without their soulmate. So the Ministry came to the decision in 1770 that Hogwarts would take out the section of soulmates in the History curriculum. When you know that you are missing something, it makes you want to find it. It is harder to want something if you never learned about it in the first place. After the law was passed it did help, people still longed for their other half. They just didn't know that that was what they were longing for. Only the families that go back several generations would know about the soulmate bond. It was up to the parents to teach their children if they desired to. Now a day's people will think they are longing for a change in career, a change in their daily routine or even longing for a new partner. They recognize that they are longing for something but they just don't know what it is that they are longing for. So their minds come up with something to compensate for the lack of not knowing what they are longing for." Severus explained.
Pansy and Blaise turned to stare at Harry and Draco with a new light. "We mentioned the bond to Fred and George but they seemed just as clueless as we were." Draco piped up confused.
Narcissa tilted her head to the side. "That is interesting. The Weasley family goes back just as far as the Malfoy and the Blacks. They would know about soulmates. It is up the parents to decide what they teach the next generation. They could have decided not to tell their children. Just as we decided to wait until you were older to tell you." Narcissa said with a slight apology in her voice. She looked to Pansy and Blaise. "I know from personal talks with both of your parents that they were not intending to tell you. So if you decide to discuss this with them, I would appreciate it if you told them you found out from another source and not mention us." Pansy and Blaise nodded quickly, neither one actually wanting to talk to their parents about this. It would raise too many questions.
"Even to purebloods soulmates are revered. Arranged marriages in pureblood families first came about because heirs wanted to wait till they found their soulmate to settle down. Lines were dying out. So arranged marriages were born. But in every single contract there is a clause that will absolve the marriage if either party was to find their soulmate." Lucius continued on.
"If you found your soulmate would you…" Pansy lead off not sure how to ask if they would get divorced. Not the most pleasant question.
"In a heartbeat." Lucius and Narcissa said at the same time. They shared a fond look. Draco jerked in shock. "You would?"
Narcissa sighed. "Draco, you don't know what it is like. You are too young. I love your father with all that I am. Don't doubt that." Lucius reached over and took her hand gently. "But to live knowing that your other half is out there is very hard. There is a part of me that yearns for my soulmate. The longing is hard to ignore. Over time it becomes easier. The love I get from you and your father fills the gap but there is still a tiny piece of me that mourns the loss of my missing soulmate. Your father feels the same way. If either one of us ever managed to find and resonate with our other half, we would divorce. And we would do so with no bitterness or regret."
"I envy the families that don't teach their children about soulmates. Ignorance can be a blessing in disguise. Knowing only brings the sorrow of longing." Lucius added while Severus and Narcissa nodded.
"You said there were a handful of soulmates recorded. Who were the last?" Harry asked curiously. He was wondering if there had been any recent soulmates discovered.
"In England, the last recorded soulmates were Nicolas Flamel and his wife Perenelle." Severus replied. Harry's eyes widened. "But they are what 700? You are telling me the last recorded soulmates was 700 years ago?" Harry asked in disbelief. Lucius seemed impressed that Harry knew who the Flamels were, considering his son and his friends seemed confused.
Severus sneered. "I said last recorded in England Potter. There are soulmates from other countries that have been recorded as well." Harry sighed. Would it kill the man to be nice? Draco narrowed his eyes at his godfather.
"Before the Flamels there was Lancelot du Lac and Guinevere Pendragon." Harry's mouth dropped open. He had known Merlin really was a wizard but he hadn't thought to think about any others.
"But wasn't Guinevere married to King Arthur?" Harry questioned. Severus snorted. "He was no king. That is the muggle shining through in you." Harry and Draco glared at him.
"Arthur Pendragon was a pureblood who wanted to rule. His Knights of the Round Table were essentially the current deatheaters. Just not as violent." Narcissa explained ignoring the indignant looks Severus and her husband were giving her.
"She was married to Arthur, it was an arranged marriage. Custom dictates that the marriage should have been absolved once it came to light but Arthur was obsessed with her. He refused to let her go. This caused a rift in the Knights of the Round Table, some who believed the contract should be upheld siding with their ruler. The rest siding with Lancelot who held soulmates as something to be treasured. Duels broke out. Lancelot refused to back down. Guinevere feared for her lover's life and conceded to go back to Arthur to protect Lancelot." Severus smirked at the enthralled expression Harry had on his face. Severus was used to indifference and boredom from Harry during potions class.
Harry was captivated. He had never enjoyed history before, how could he? It was taught by a ghost that put everyone to sleep. But he found all of this fascinating. He hadn't stopped to think that a lot muggle literature came from somewhere. He leaned his chin on Draco's shoulder and listened to Snape's teachings with enthusiasm. Draco shared a fond look with his mother at Harry's interest. He had heard the stories of Arthur and his Knights but no one told him about the soulmate part.
"The last recorded soulmates in Italy were Romeo Montague and Juliet Capulet. That was around the 15th century." Lucius added when Severus paused.
Harry gasped. "You mean they were real? I thought that was just muggle literature." He said in wonder.
Lucius snorted. "Goodness no. They were real. However, the muggles didn't know that Romeo and Juliet were wizards. So the story got twisted through their telling. Romeo and Juliet weren't quite from rival families. Romeo was a mud-muggleborn and Juliet was a pureblood. Juliet's family did not approve of a union between them. They faked their deaths. It wasn't until many years later when they had children did they come back into Italian society. Juliet had been disowned and her children not allowed to be claimed by the Capulet line. Her family would've rather her been dead than to marry a muggleborn." Harry was stunned. Partly at the fact that Lucius corrected his slipup but also at the story. He wondered if Hermione knew about this? He doubted it if the soulmate knowledge passed down from generation to generation of old wizarding families. It was a crime to hide history from the population.
"I had no idea." Harry said a little awed. "Are there any others?" Draco asked curiously.
"In France around the late 1700's early 1800's, there was Josephine de Beauharnais and Napoleon Bonaparte." Lucius smiled at the gasp Harry let out. It was endearing how expressive Harry could be, not that he would admit that.
"Napoleon was actually a squib. When he was disowned from his family he decided he would make something of himself in the muggle world." Harry let out an impressed whistle. "When he came across Josephine she had been recently made a widower. Due to their soulmate bond Napoleon was allowed back into his family's wizarding status. It is not recorded if he told his wife about wizards or not. There was one acceptation to being invited back, he must produce an heir. Just as all purebloods do. Josephine already had children and couldn't bear any more. They had tried for years, when it was obvious that she couldn't produce him an heir they divorced and he was able to conceive with his next wife. He chose being invited back into the wizarding world over the life he could have had with his soulmate." The last bit was said bitterly. Lucius never could understand that. Didn't Napoleon crave his soulmate like he did? Lucius would never have given up his other half like that. He would have told Abraxas to go to hell if their roles had been reversed. Nothing would have kept him from his soulmate. Not even them being a muggle. He cringed at the thought but the sheer longing he felt for his other half was enough to make him not care what kind of status his soulmate would have.
"What an idiot." Draco said in disgust. He wouldn't trade Harry for anything in the world. He would give up his magic in a heartbeat if he had to. Harry would always come first. Harry kissed the side of Draco's head and squeezed him a little in a hug. Draco hummed happily.
Severus couldn't look at them for long without mourning a little. He cleared his throat and continued on with where Lucius left off.
"In America during the early 1600's, there was John Rolfe and Pocahontas." Harry held his hand up interrupting as he ignored Snape's glare.
"I thought Pocahontas was involved with John Smith?" Harry asked confused. Draco startled. "Pocahontas involved with a Smith?" He said scandalized.
This confused Harry. Why would Draco care if she had been with a Smith. His eyes widened. "Are you saying Zacharias Smith is a decedent of John Smith?"
All heads were nodding around the table. Harry had never imagined that. "Did the muggles say Smith was with Pocahontas?" Draco asked wrinkling his nose. He may not have known that Rolfe and Pocahontas had been soulmates but he knew of their story and Smith being involved with her did not sit well with him.
"I can't remember much of muggle history. I remember learning about them when I was younger. I know Smith was mentioned. I don't remember Rolfe at all. Then a couple years ago, Dudley was watching a movie on the telly and it was about Pocahontas being involved with John Smith." Harry said squinting his eyes as if trying to remember the cartoon. There had been a bunch of singing and that had thrown him for a loop so he didn't bother watching it.
"I don't know what a telly is but Pocahontas was never involved with John Smith that way. They say she saved his life when his people crossed their land in a negative way but the only evidence of that tale was Smiths say so." By Lucius's tone, Harry could tell that he held serious doubt to the trustworthiness of Smiths word.
"The Ministry had sent out a bunch of wizards to America. They had gotten word of a magical community that did things differently. The Native Americans didn't use wands to conduct their magic. They used the land and nature. It is a different type of magic then ours. They had magical cores but they were smaller than a normal witch or wizard. But that didn't matter because they were able to tap into the land and use natures magic. Which is beautiful. Not everyone can do that type of magic. It is unique and special. When the England settlers couldn't perform the same type of magic that the Native Americans could it started an international war that extended to muggles that had come over separately as well." Harry gasped in outrage.
"They thought that the Native Americans were refusing to teach them their ways. They weren't. It is just that type of magic could not be taught. You either can do it or you can't. Even if it could have been taught, the Native Americans would have been within their rights to deny them the teachings. You don't invade someone else's homeland and then demand things from them. The battles were awful and so destructive." Harry's heart went out to the lives of all that were lost.
"When Rolfe found out that Pocahontas was his soulmate things changed for Pocahontas's tribe. Which was her family. There was peace between Rolfe's people and the tribe. Other battles were still happening elsewhere though. Rolfe eventually brought Pocahontas back to England but she was unprepared for the different cultures. She contracted Dragonpox and it eventually killed her." Lucius finished sadly.
Harry's mind was a whirlwind of thoughts. He never knew. None of this had been mentioned in History of Magic. They could have kept out the soulmate part and still taught the rest of it. Harry felt cheated by the lack of knowledge. He hadn't even known that there were different types of magic out there. To be able to tap into nature and use magic that way? That was impressive and intriguing.
Draco could feel Harry's interest in the teachings and it excited him. He hadn't ever thought about how much the Ministry was restricting the knowledge of the families that hadn't been raised in the wizarding world. Or the families that did know and decided not to teach it to their children. History of Magic was a joke, you can't pick and choose what history you want to follow and teach. That was not the proper way to do things.
"The earliest known documented case was Cleopatra and Mark Antony." Harry's mouth dropped open, much to the delight of those around the table. "She was a pharaoh in Egypt. She ruled alongside her father. They had come from a long line of purebloods but the family was dying out. Her father couldn't find an acceptable match for her so he had her marry her brothers."
Harry stared at Severus in disgust. Pansy's nose crinkled in horror. Blaise and Draco made startled noises.
"Blimey! Why would he do that? That is so wrong. Ew. Ew. Ew." Pansy said cringing and waving her hands in the air.
"I know that marrying second cousins is usually the pureblood norm. But brothers?" Blaise said with his voice nearly shrieking at the thought. Harry nodded along. He was just as horrified. Draco shuddered. He had always wanted siblings. It would have been nice to have someone to share things with and to grow up with. But the thought of marrying a sibling was so wrong. Goodness, nightmare right there.
"I agree with you." Narcissa's mouth twitching. "But do you know how long ago this was? They did things very differently back then. It was a custom." The teens all shook their head. They could care less what the custom was, it was still wrong.
"There was a point where questions about who should rule led her to needing to make a political statement. She had a liaison with Julius Caesar with solidified her claim on the throne. They had a child together. After Julius's assassination, he had a legal heir that could have challenged the throne. His name was Gaius Octavianus. So, Cleopatra once again needed to keep grips on her throne. She married Mark Antony who turned out to be her soulmate. Their marriage made it possible for her son to co rule alongside her."
"Many years later, after Julius's legal heir grew enough military and political power he sent forces into battle. Mark Antony's forces lost. With the win, Octavianus was able to gain a title and consolidate power over Rome. Mark Antony grew despondent after such heavy loses and ended up taking his life. Cleopatra couldn't take the heartache of finding her soulmate just to lose him. She ended up asking an aspis to send her into the afterlife, so she could be with her other half." Severus finished with a sigh. It was terribly romantic in a morbid sort of way.
Harry was floored. Wow. That was not the story he had been told about Cleopatra. All of this information was a little mind boggling.
"Wait. Isn't an aspis a snake?" Harry asked bewildered.
Lucius nodded. "Egypt is where Parselmouths originated from. It was an ancient gift passed down from many generations. Historians theorize that Salazar Slytherin's ancestors may have been Egyptian. Or it is entirely possible that he just had the gift and it had nothing to do with Egypt."
Harry blinked and then blinked some more. Well that was unexpected. He had thought it was such a rare gift and he supposed that it was in England. He wondered if there were many Parselmouths left in Egypt. That would be a nice place to visit. He could always ask Bill about it, well if the man was still talking to him that is. Something was bugging him though about all of these soulmates.
"All of the soulmates you mentioned are heterosexual couples. Are there no known gay couples?" Harry wondered. Draco raised an eyebrow when he saw his father and Severus wince. Was it something against homosexuals? Or something else? He narrowed his eyes. They better choose their words carefully.
"There was one." Lucius said hesitantly not wanting to go into this one. Harry waved a hand as if to say 'get on with it'. Lucius sighed.
"Salazar Slytherin and Randall Ravenclaw." The teens all dropped their mouths open in shock. "What?" Draco spluttered. Lucius sighed heavily.
"Salazar was married and so was Randall. He was married to Rowena Ravenclaw. Salazar hadn't met him until after Hogwarts was built and they all brought their families to the castle. Salazar and Randall grew close and eventually realized that they were soulmates. What you must understand is that Rowena's maiden name was Rowena Gryffindor."
"No way." Pansy whispered. Blaise covered his mouth in shock.
Lucius nodded gravely. "Yes. When the affair between the two men was found out it created a lot of problems. They both had already produced heirs so that wasn't a concern. Their marriages should have been able to have been dissolved. Only, Godric was furious that Salazar had betrayed his trust by sleeping with his younger sister's husband. He didn't care that they were soulmates. The slight to the family honor meant more to him then their happiness. Now Rowena understood the reason behind it. She was hurt but she was okay with getting a divorce. Godric wouldn't hear of it. He demanded that the affair end. When they refused, a fight broke out. Salazar and Randall ended up leaving the school leaving behind two broken hearted wives. Rowena threw herself into the knowledge of books and never found another lover. Salazar's wife, Selena Slytherin grew bitter and raised her children to hate muggleborns and half-bloods."
"I can understand being bitter and heartbroken, but what does him leaving half do with non-purebloods?" Draco asked tilting his head to the side. Lucius winced and shook his head. Severus shot him an unimpressed look.
"Because Randall Ravenclaw was a muggleborn." Pansy dropped her fork and it clanged loudly against her plate. Blaise choked on his pumpkin juice, spraying it all over the poor house elf that had refilled his drink. Draco jumped in shock and was very thankful that Harry's arms had been holding him. Harry's eyes widened comically. What?
Lucius gave a jerk of his head that Harry supposed was intended to be a nod of agreement.
"If Salazar Slytherin ended up being with a muggleborn why does the history books say he left the school due to a fall out over wanting to only teach purebloods?" Harry asked.
"Because when the Ministry changed the curriculum they changed the books as well. They didn't get rid of existing copies they just banned them from Hogwarts. The next generations read the edited versions and that became the new history. While the original books withered away on shelves and only being passed down from family member to family member." Narcissa explained gently.
"Due to Selena's teachings, her children were raised to despise anyone that was not a pureblood. Her eldest son Salmond Slytherin took the teachings to heart. He was the one who had a falling out with Godric over who should be allowed to enter the school. It was never known who exactly created the chamber of secrets but my guess it was Salmond. He wanted to enact his own revenge for being driven out of the castle." Narcissa explained while her husband and Severus remained quiet.
"Why did they do that? Why change history like that? They could have just said Salazar and Godric had a falling out. They didn't have to mention the soulmate part. Why lie and say it was over muggleborn rights?" Draco asked softly.
"Your guess is as good as mine." Narcissa said with a shrug. Harry shook his head angrily. "All these generations of pureblood hate and bigotry and Salazar Slytherin didn't even buy into all of that! He had a muggleborn lover for bloody sakes! If this knowledge had been taught all along there would have been no breeding ground for a lot of the hatred that ignited the wars. If the pureblood families knew all along about the truth of Salazar Slytherin why did no one ever mention it? Why did they go along with the hatred that Salmond spewed?" Harry demanded.
Lucius sighed. "To speak out against the Ministry at that time was not wise. The Ministry had made its decision and that was it. Even though Slytherin himself never believed in all of the things his son did, other purebloods did. Other people had the mentality that he did. So whether or not the books got the name right, the mentality was still the same."
Harry and Draco shook their heads. "I disagree father. If they had grown up with the knowledge of soulmates and the knowledge that the founder of their house had a muggleborn lover and had no ill will against muggleborns, then that would have seriously impacted their minds. I think there would still have been people who believed in Salmond's teachings but I don't think there would have been that many nor do I think it would have caused such a divide between the different status's." Draco said quietly. Harry nodded his agreement.
"Perhaps." Lucius conceded. He didn't want to get into an argument so he let the conversation go.
Harry didn't have to ask if the Malfoy's would have agreed with Salmond or not. It was obvious that Lucius still bought into the hype. Harry couldn't believe the lengths the Ministry had gone to conceal the existence of soulmates. Maybe because he had never felt the longing before, he couldn't appreciate what those who knew about soulmates went through. But to him he just couldn't wrap his mind around changing history like that. The ends didn't justify the means. At least that was his perspective.
"And how do you know we are soulmates?" Draco asked the real question that had been bothering him for a while now. His thoughts and emotions were all over the place. Could it really be possible? He had known deep down since they got together that they were meant to be together but he hadn't thought it was something like this.
Harry was still stunned at the possibilities. Soulmates. It wasn't an unknown word. He had read in many muggle stories about soulmates but it was just fiction. Make believe. It was never something he imagined could be real. The magical world was always surprising him. Every time he thought he had a handle on it, it would suddenly throw him a giant wrench in his plans. But for once, this was a very welcomed wrench. He only feared what this would mean if the knowledge of their bond got out. Would people accept their relationship more? Or would it spark another error of depression because other people would suddenly be aware that they had a soulmate that they may never meet?
"Because there is no other bond that forms on its own. Any other magical bond must require one or both parties to partake in a ritual or spell for the bond to take place. Emotional bonds are not something that is done. You can tie a person to you, you can bind someone else's mind to yours, you can enslave someone, you can bind their magic to you, the list goes on and on. But there is no emotional bond other than a soulmate bond." Lucius explained.
Draco turned a little so that he could properly look into Harry's eyes to gauge his reaction and that is when his mind blanked and the world ceased to exist for the pair.
When they made eye contact, magic crackled throughout the whole room. Harry and Draco couldn't hear the other gasps and cries of surprise. For them everyone disappeared. They were in their own world. The normally quiet bond was screaming in joy. Acknowledging that they were soulmates had sparked a new wave of connection between them. The magic was rapidly flowing in and out one another. Harry couldn't tell whose magic was whose. It was as if they had the same magical core. The feel of it reminded Harry briefly of when he used Draco's wand for the first time. The wand had responded to him just as well as his own. Olivander had said that the wands allegiance had changed but that wasn't it, not entirely. The feel of their cores combining and singing with joy was enough to make him realize why he had been able to use Draco's wand. The core and the soul were one in the same. Magic comes from within and the soul brings that out. His soul had recognized Draco's wand and allowed him to use it despite the bond not being active. Harry could hear the absolute joy of their cores joining. The noise was unlike anything he had ever heard. It was the most beautiful music, the softest melody and a hauntingly wonderful tempo that was a work of art.
Everyone else sat in their chairs gobsmacked. Not only was the feel of the magic in the room, they could see it and hear it. They could see Harry and Draco's magical cores reaching out to grab hold of each others. Both the cores were a swirling storm of magenta and sapphire. At first glance the cores looked the same, identical. But if you looked closer Draco's had a thin sheet of green lined into it, while Harry's had a thin sheet of grey mixed in. With a jolt, they all realized that the colors were their eyes. Draco's magical core was paying homage to its other half. And vice versa with Harry's. Nowhere in the book did it mention the cores being visible once the bond was recognized. Magical cores have never been witnessed before. Or if it has it was never recorded. The sound of pure joy that their cores made when connected brought tears to many of their eyes.
Draco and Harry were vaguely aware of the swirling colors, it wasn't important. Draco couldn't tell where he began and Harry ended. He could feel Harry's heartbeat run parallel with his own. He could feel Harry breathing as if it was coming out of his own lungs. The twitching of Harry's muscles felt as if they were his own. Every part of Harry felt like himself. Like an extension of his own being. For a brief moment, they weren't two people. As their magical cores combined, so did they. They weren't two separate beings. They were one. United.
Draco knew what it felt like to be short like Harry. Knew what it felt like to see through Harry's eyes, knew what poor vision was like. How did Harry put up with that? Draco knew what it was like to have unmanageable hair. He cringed slightly at that. Draco knew what it felt like to be Harry.
As they connected, Harry was blown away. He no longer felt like Harry Potter. He felt like an odd combination of the both of them. He could feel two heartbeats. He could feel two intakes of breath. He could feel extra hands and feet. Harry could feel every single part of Draco as they combined.
Harry knew what it felt like to see through Draco's eyes, to actually be able to see! Draco was so lucky. He knew what it felt like to be taller. He knew what manicured nails felt like. Why did Draco need that? He knew what Draco felt like.
The onlookers had to fight the urge to look away as the cores grew brighter. The magic thrummed louder. The atmosphere surrounding the pair was surreal. It was beautiful to watch the bond take root. It was a once in a lifetime experience. They knew they would never be given another opportunity to see the joining of two souls again.
As the colors started to slowly dissipate, Harry and Draco's awareness began to appear. They remembered that they were in the manor but they couldn't bring themselves to care. All that mattered was each other. When Harry raised his hand it also raised Draco's. They were still connected, still one being.
It wasn't until their cores stopped reaching out for the other that more mental awareness came snapping back. Draco shook his head a couple of times and stared at Harry in wonder. Harry watched Draco's movements with fascination. He knew what it felt like to shake that same head. Knew what the soft blonde hair felt like atop of his head. He knew what it felt like to be Draco. It was unnerving and yet… so breathtaking. Harry could honestly say that he knew Draco inside and out. No one else would ever be able to say the same.
"Wow." They breathed in unison, still staring into each other's eyes. The bond was louder and stronger than it was before. It was nearly distracting. It was so hard to concentrate on anything beyond each other. They heard someone clear their throat and had to physically force themselves to tear their eyes away. But not for long. Soon hands were roaming and eyes were connecting again. What did matter what these people had to say? Who were they again?
Narcissa and Pansy had tears in their eyes. Blaise was sniffing quietly. "That was beautiful." Narcissa whispered. Watching them had nearly broke her heart with the knowledge that she could have that, if she just found the other piece that completed her. But at the same time, watching her son find something so amazing and so beautiful, filled her with so much happiness. She envied her son just as much as she was thrilled for him. She would make sure Draco realized how rare and sacred this was, she would ensure that he treasured the bond he held with Harry.
Lucius was silently awed. He may have appeared indifferent on the outside but that was so far from the truth on the inside. On the inside, he was a wreck. Never in his entire life had he witnessed something as wondrous as that. When Draco was born, he thought that had been the most beautiful thing he would ever witness. And it was… until now. That… had been mind blowing. For a lack of a better term. As he sat and watched his son's magical core find its partner he was filled with such pride. His son found happiness that many would give their right hand for. His son was incredibly blessed and lucky. He wanted to be envious, he really did. He wanted to rage at the injustice of never finding his other half. He wanted to weep at the longing his own soul was emitting. But he couldn't. Knowing that his son would never feel the utter despair that the longing of your other half could bring was enough for him. Knowing that his son would never have to wake up in the middle of the night and weep for the part of him he couldn't have was enough for him. He wouldn't wish that on his child. He had debated with Narcissa for years about telling Draco about soulmates. He never wanted his son to go through what they did. Narcissa had won the war but Lucius won the battle of when it came time to tell their son.
Severus was visibly shaken. Which is not something that happens often. He couldn't wrap his mind around what he just witnessed. He watched his godson find something that he has dreamed about for years. During the day you can fight off silly notions of romance and physical contact but during the dead of night as you lay there, your mind can't help but think of all that you don't have. No matter how much you wish to ignore it, you can't. During the dead of night was the only time Severus would give in to his thoughts and yearn for the other half of him. He longed for the person that could possibly understand him. Severus feared that he already had met them and pushed them away like he did with everyone else. Severus liked to appear as if nothing bothered him and that he was perfectly happy being alone. But you can only kid yourself for so long. You can be alone only so long before you dream of the day where you can just be yourself, happy and in love. He sighed as he watched Draco get the one thing he would do anything for. He wanted to be happy for them. He really really did. But it was just so hard to be happy when a piece of himself felt like crying. Perhaps in time he would be okay with this.
"What was that?" Blaise asked thickly, he still hadn't quite recovered. Pansy reached out and rubbed his hand.
"That was their magical cores combining. Now that they acknowledged the truth of their bond it was able to fully combine." Lucius explained with a choked voice. He also had not recovered from witnessing them.
Harry wanted to say something important but he couldn't form the words. All he could think about was Draco and the bond. He couldn't focus on anything else. His mind was filled with the essence of Draco and only him. He nuzzled the side of Draco's neck thrilled with the mewling noise his actions caused the man in his lap. Draco felt like he should say something. What were they talking about? What were they doing? The only thing he could think about was the feel and smell of Harry. Suddenly he didn't care what anyone else was saying. They weren't Harry so they didn't matter. Draco pushed back against Harry's face in his neck, loving the feel of his hot breath near his ear.
"What's wrong with them?" Pansy asked hysterically as she noticed the duo losing themselves in one another. It was like they forgot where they were. They were so enamored with the each other that no one else mattered.
"They need to consummate the bond." Severus said wincing at the mental image that brought. Gross. He didn't want to think about his godson doing anything of that nature. Pansy blushed all over while Blaise snickered. Lucius shuddered as his mouth curled. He had forgotten about that part.
Narcissa chuckled at their reactions. "It's a natural reaction to the bond forming. They have all this excess mental and physical energy. It needs to be released and intimate relations would be the best productive way to do that." Lucius whimpered in disgust at the casual way his wife could talk about their son's sex life. At the dinner table no less! He could have gone his whole life without that mental image.
"Oh, stop it you." She chided her husband. "Harry, Draco, why don't you boys go home." Narcissa said loudly and gently, hoping they could concentrate enough to hear that.
Home. The word barely registered into Harry's mind. Home. What was that? Something was niggling in the back of his mind. Home. Is that where he could be with Draco without the distractions of these people. Who were they again? "Home." Draco said as if he was testing the word out. Home. Harry nodded. Yes. That is where they would go. Harry tightened his hold on Draco and desperately thought of home. Whatever that was.
The crack of apparation reverberated throughout the room. Narcissa and Lucius gaped. "The wards around the house are preventing apparation directly into the home." Lucius explained to the rest of them. Severus raised in eyebrow. Interesting. Perhaps the joining granted them extra magical strength? Or maybe it was a combined magical apparation? Maybe they could tap into each other's magic? His analytical brain was going haywire with all the possibilities.
The rest of the evening was pretty subdued. No one talked. Everyone's thoughts were a mix between wondering what the two soulmates were doing and thinking about the possibilities of their own soulmate. Or in Lucius's case, he was imagining what kind of magical cleaner would scrub the horrid mental thought of his son 'consummating' his bond. He shuddered. Damn Severus for bringing that up.