Prompt by myotpisKlance

Huge thanks to starwars_rey and mauuve for being my French translators for this oneshot!

Pizza.

Dogs.

The stars.

So many things have been invisible to Draco his whole life, just because his soulmate decided to love everything good in the world.

Draco has spent so much of his life maneuvering around invisible dogs, eating invisible food, staring at a black sky with none of the lights other people apparently see.

He feels like he's been blind his whole life, unable to see the things his soulmate loves so much.

He can't wait to meet his soulmate, just so he can tell her off for taking so many things from him.

But for now, he settles for living in a world he can't see.

"Mon cher, we're having spaghetti tonight, would you like some?" Narcissa asks quietly, as if afraid of upsetting him.

"Oui. Can I watch?" Draco has always had a fascination with watching things be made. Cookies don't disappear until they're cooked.  Smoothies vanish halfway through being blended. It's weird to see the second something is considered whole.

"Bien sûr." Draco follows his mom into the kitchen, where she's boiling water and making the spaghetti sauce. He quickly dips his finger in it, ignoring the burning, and tastes the sauce.

"Délicieuse," he murmurs.

"Thank you, mon cher," is her sweet response, and Draco hears the door open. 

"Bonjour, Papa," Draco says as his father steps into the kitchen, kissing his mother's cheek.

"Bonjour. Did you do your homework?"

"I will, Papa."

"Better do it right after dinner."

"I will, Papa."

"Good. What are we having, mon amour?"

"Spaghetti."

"Wonderful. I'll be upstairs, let me know when it's done."

"Bien sûr." 

Draco watches as his mother pours the noodles into the boiling pot, stirring them.

"Maman, will you tell me about les étoiles again?"

"Draco, I've told you a million times."

"Will you tell me a million and one?"

She laughs, tapping the spoon against the pot before turning to him.

"The sky is black, so dark and so deep that anyone could be terrified of it. It is a shelter over the world, hours of nothingness in the sky before le soleil rises and we are given daylight again. So to brighten it, to make it beautiful, Dieu places a million little lights in the sky, dozens and dozens and dozens of tiny lights that are sprinkled across.  They look like fireflies, only they burn brighter against the glowing black satin behind layers and layers of serene clouds above our heads. Sometimes, when it is especially dark, étoiles light up so much their brilliance is mirrored from our eyes. It's so surreal and it makes anyone wants to reach up for one, keep it in our hands for warmth and pocket it to bring home and keep them in a jar. We aspire to reach les étoiles, and although it isn't possible, we'll never stop trying."

"Wow," Draco breathes. "That was beautiful, Maman."

"Merci, mon cher." She turns back to the pot and turns off her timer. "Ready?"

He nods. She strains the noodles before dumping them into the sauce. Nothing happens yet.

"Can you still see it?"

"Oui."

She begins to stir, and after about two seconds, the contents of the pot vanish. Draco jumps at the suddenness of it, and his mother pauses.

"Did it disappear?"

"Oui." Draco sighs. "One day, when I meet mon âme sœur, I'm gonna tell her about all the stupid things I couldn't see because of her."

"Don't be bitter, mon cher, it doesn't suit you. Things are the way they are for a reason. It makes us appreciate nos amês sœurs so much more when we're given more sights upon meeting them."

"I know, I just want to hurry up and meet her. I'm tired of eating invisible food."

"Well, for now, let's just eat."

******************************

Draco is walking down the street when he hits an invisible wall and stumbles backward.

"Excuse me! Watch where you're going!"

"I'm- um- I'm sorry- I can't- um- je ne- je ne peux pas te voir," Draco stutters, reverting to his natural French in his surprise at running into an invisible person.

"What?"

"I- I can't see you," Draco finally says, still trying to recover from his shock. "You're- um- you're invisible."

"You're- you're serious?"

"Um, yeah." Draco frowns. "This is weird. I don't know where to look, I don't know where you are."

Something suddenly touches his hand, and Draco tenses.

"That's um... that's me. I'm like... six inches away from you and touching your hand with my index finger. Sorry, this is really weird. You're like... staring through me."

"You're telling me," he mutters. "So... you're not my soulmate, because I can't see you."

"I suppose not. But someone loves me, and that someone is your soulmate."

"Yikes. Do you... wow, this is weird. Do you have, like, a girlfriend or something?"

"Nope. But I have friends. Maybe one of them is your soulmate. I'm like, thirty percent sure they love me."

Draco laughs. "Jesus. What's your name anyway?"

"Ginny. Yours?"

"Draco."

"It's nice to meet you, Draco. May I hold your hand to take you to my friends?"

"Yeah, sure." A couple of seconds later, warm fingers interlock with his and a voice comes from his left side. "Let's walk."

Draco feels weird, walking with an invisible person, fingers curled around a hand he can't see.

"So, Draco, what language do you speak? Because before, that definitely wasn't English or Spanish and those are the only languages I know."

"I'm French. I moved to America when I was six, but we still speak it around my house. It's kinda mixed in with the English."

"That's really cool! Say something."

"Quelque chose."

"What does that mean?"

"Something."

Soft laughter. "Asshole. I feel bad for whoever loves me."

Draco laughs at that. "Well, your friend should be sorry, because I can't see pizza or dogs because of her."

"You can't see dogs? Jesus Christ, I'd kill myself."

Draco matches her laughter. "Yeah, it's annoying. But it's even weirder to see the night sky differently than everyone else."

"What do you mean?"

"I can't see les étoiles." 

"Once again, I only know Spanish and English. What is lez et-wal?"

"Um..." Draco frowns, thinking. "The lights in the sky."

"Stars?"

"Stars!" he cries triumphantly. "Yes, those."

"You can't see stars?" Ginny has stopped, and something in her voice has changed.

"No, why?"

"Erm... nothing. Sorry." She continues to walk, and Draco lets it go.

Eventually, they reach a park, and Ginny shouts out to someone, a greeting. Draco and her sit on a picnic blanket.

"You were supposed to come back with soda, not a boyfriend," an invisible voice says, and Draco jumps.

Ginny's invisible voice rings out in laughter. "He's not my boyfriend." Her hand slips away, and Draco finds himself alone on the blanket.

"Well?" Ginny asks. "Can you see everything now? Look at them each in turn."

"Look at who?" Draco asks desperately. "Whoever's here, I can't see them either."

"Oh, shit," Ginny says. "Um, guys, this is Draco. He can't see me. Or, apparently, you. Which means his soulmate is someone who loves us."

"Wow, I feel so loved," a laughing voice says easily. "Hi, I'm Hermione, which really means nothing because you can't see me. You're looking at my hair."

"Sorry," Draco murmurs, blushing. Ringing laughter sounds again, and Draco jumps when a hand is rested on his shoulder. 

"I'm Ron," says a male voice, and more people chime in with names Draco won't remember.

Suddenly, another voice calls out "Hey, when did we get a new person in the group?"

A boy with messy black hair sits down on the blanket, grinning at Draco.

"Um-" Draco stutters. "I-I can see you."

"I should hope so," the boy laughs easily.

"You can see him?" Ginny asks.

The boy frowns. "What the hell is happening?"

"Um... Draco here can't see us. Which means his soulmate is someone who loves us," Hermione explains.

The boy's eyebrows shoot up. "But you can see me."

"Oui," Draco says nervously, reverting to French again.

"Can you see us?" Ginny asks. Draco turns toward her, but shakes his head.

"Non."

"Gotta stop with the French. I know it means no, but that's the extent of what I got, loverboy," Ginny replies easily.

"So this girl loves us, but not Cedric," Hermione's voice says.

'Cedric' pouts. "I'm honored," he grumbles.

"What if it's not a she?" Ginny asks.

"Well, still, who could it be?" Hermione responds without missing a beat.

There's a pause, before Ginny answers.

"Draco can't see the stars."

"No," Cedric says immediately. "He loves me, it can't be him."

"It makes sense, Cedric. You two aren't soulmates, you know that."

"We've still been dating for two years! We love each other! I would be invisible if it was him!"

There's an uncomfortable silence, which Draco breaks hesitantly, turning toward the direction he thinks Ginny is in. 

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"Nothing," Cedric answers immediately.

"Est-ce que je t'ai demandé?" Draco asks, irritation changing the words in his mind to French.

"What?" Cedric stares blankly at him.

"Did I ask you?" Draco converts his words into English.

Cedric's mouth opens slightly, but Ginny's voice cuts him off. 

"Hey. Be nice, Draco. We're talking about Harry."

"You say that like I know who Harry is."

"He's.. um..."

"My boyfriend," Cedric interjects. "He's my boyfriend."

"Oh," Draco whispers.

"But other than Seamus, he's really the only other one of our friends. And... Seamus has already found his soulmate." Ginny's voice sounds apologetic.

"It's not him." Cedric is firm.

"Then let's take Draco to meet him and confirm it," Ron's voice responds.

Cedric freezes. He's been caught. But he has no other choice than to slowly nod and agree.

"Great!" Ginny's voice is suddenly higher up, and her hand slips into Draco's. "Let's stop by Harry's!"

The walk is long and awkward, as Draco feels like he's only walking with Cedric, who clearly doesn't like him.

Eventually, they reach a small blue house, and there's a knock on the door that scares Draco because he can't see who did it.

The door opens to reveal nobody there.

"I can't see them," Draco murmurs.

"Hello, Mrs. Potter. Is Harry home?" Ginny says sweetly, and Draco can feel the pit in the bottom of his stomach. Why would someone else love Harry's mom?

"He is. Is everything okay?" comes a warm voice. "Do you kids want to come inside?"

"That would be wonderful." Ginny tugs Draco inside.

"What's going on?" The voice is a bit further now. "Ginny, you didn't say you had a new boyfriend."

"I don't. I'm holding his hand because he can't see us."

"Pardon?"

"His soulmate loves us, Mrs. Potter. And he can't see you."

"You don't mean..."

"Harry might-"

She's cut off by footsteps coming down the steps, and suddenly a boy with messy black hair and bright green eyes rushes downstairs.

"What's going on?" he asks, but his eyes immediately dart to Draco when Draco gasps loudly.

He can see the freckled girl holding his hand. He can see the boy who looks similar to her but older. He can see the girl with the bushy brown hair. He can see the redheaded woman whose eyes are on him and whose arm is around the other boy's shoulders. He can see the furry animal curled up by the fireplace, which must be a dog.

He can see the world.

"Mon Dieu," he whispers in shock.

"You can see us, can't you?" Ginny asks quietly.

"Oui."

"Gotta drop the French, loverboy."

"What's going on?" Harry asks, and then frowns, pointing at a pot by the doorway. "Since when do we have that?"

"We've had hibiscus flowers by our door since we moved in," his mom murmurs.

"J'adore les fleurs d'hibiscus," Draco whispers, too shocked to speak louder or in English.

"What?" Harry asks.

"Wild guess here, but I'm going to assume Draco just said that he loves hibiscus flowers," Ginny replies.

Harry frowns. "Um... Okay?"

"Harry. Draco couldn't see dogs, or pizza, or the stars, or us. You couldn't see hibiscus flowers. Are you starting to realize where I'm going with this?" Ginny asks.

"Tu es mon âme sœur."

Harry's eyes are starting to widen in realization. He looks over at Cedric, seeming panicked.

"You never loved me?" Cedric breathes, hurt.

"I-" Harry sighs, running his fingers through his hair. "So much is happening right now."

"Je ne peux pas le croire."

"Why is he still talking in Italian!" Harry shouts in irritation.

"It's French, and I think he does it when he's panicked. It's his first language," Ginny cuts in.

"You're telling me my... my... he doesn't speak English?"

"He speaks English," Hermione says, and brushes her hand against Draco's. "Draco?"

"Je ne sais pas quoi faire."

"He doesn't know what to do," the redheaded woman says, seeming to snap out of her shock. She shrugs at the looks given to her. "I took French in high school. I have a general idea."

Harry runs his fingers through his hair again, sitting down on the edge of his couch. He takes a few deep breaths.

"Je m'excuse," Draco blurts out.

"He's sorry," Harry's mom translates.

"Why are you sorry?" Harry asks, his first actual words to Draco.

"Je m'excuse que je t'ai troublé."

"He's sorry for... upsetting you, I think."

"You haven't..." Harry seems to really look at Draco now, see how overwhelmed he is with the whole situation. "Hey. You haven't upset me. Calm down, so we can talk in the same language."

Draco nods, fast and scared and overwhelmed. He's surrounded by strangers, and he's just met his soulmate, who's apparently a boy, and not a single English word can come to his mind except beautiful, and Cedric hates him because he thinks he's trying to steal his boyfriend, and Draco didn't plan any of this when he left his house today.

Suddenly, his phone rings. He pulls it out with shaking fingers, and upon seeing his mother's name, he hits answer, turning away from the others in the room slightly.

"Maman?"

"What's wrong, mon cher? You sound scared."

"J'ai rencontré mon âme soeur."

"You met your soulmate! That's wonderful!"

"Je-Je pense qu'il me déteste."

"It's a boy? Why would he hate you?"

"Il a un petit ami."

"Why does he have a boyfriend if they're not his soulmate?"

"Je ne sais pas."

"Mon cher, why aren't you talking to him?"

"J'ai peur."

"You have no reason to be scared, mon cher. You will be okay."

"Merci, Maman."

"J'taime."

"J'taime."

Draco hangs up the phone with shaking fingers. He is met with the stares of the others.

"You don't have to be scared," Harry's mom says sweetly. "He doesn't hate you."

Draco bites his lip worriedly. "Merci."

"English, Draco," Ginny whispers. 

Draco's fingers tap nervously against his thigh as he whispers the only English word he can remember right now.

"Beautiful."

"What?" Harry asks, his voice soft.

"Vous êtes beau."

Harry looks to his mom for a translation, but she's just smiling at Draco with a soft look in her eyes.

"That's so sweet, Draco."

Draco feels a million times more nervous now, hands shaking and eyes darting.

"What did he say?" Harry asks, eyes trained on Draco.

"He told you you're beautiful."

"Beautiful," Draco repeats softly.

Harry's lips part in surprise and his green eyes widen.

"Thank you," he whispers breathlessly.

"Boys aren't beautiful," Cedric responds snarkily. "What kinda cliché French person are you?"

The nervousness in Draco's stomach replaced itself with irritation.

"Les gars sont beaux, sauf toi," he replies coldly.

Harry's mom coughs, eyes wide and hand over her mouth to cover what looks a lot like a smile.

"What did he say?" Cedric asks angrily.

"He said that boys are beautiful, except you," she murmurs.

Cedric turns toward Draco with anger written all over his face.

"Well I got Harry, didn't I? You didn't. So you can fuck off and die, Frenchie."

Draco takes a step back, hurt, and turns around, storming out the door.

"Draco!" someone calls, but he's too far away to care.

************************

He doesn't stray too far, to be honest. He goes back to the park where the others had been and stays there until he starts watching the beautiful colors of the sunset spread across the sky.

He had never realized he couldn't see sunsets before. 

"Beautiful, aren't they?" a soft voice murmurs, and Harry is next to him.

Draco pauses for a minute, gathering the correct English words to say. 

"I couldn't see it before. You love them."

"This is your first sunset?"

"Oui."

"That's the only French word I know."

"Everyone knows oui, and non, and j'taime, and bonjour."

"Fair. So, what else haven't you been able to see?"

"Many foods, dogs, les étoiles, roses, rainbows, butterflies, and probably more that I've never realized."

"Les étoiles?"

"Ummm..." Draco pauses. "The... the stars!"

"Oh, yeah. Ginny said that. That's so sad, stars are so beautiful."

"Your fault," Draco jokes. Harry laughs softly.

"Hey, I'm sorry about Cedric. He was going through a lot. We've been together for two years and he thought I loved him, and then all that with you... but he was still out of line."

"It's okay. He's your petit ami, he has a right to be upset."

"Was."

"What?"

"Was my... petit ami."

Draco laughs softly at Harry's attempt to replicate his French, but pauses when Harry's words register.

"You broke up with him?" he asks, a pit in his stomach.

"I didn't love him, Draco," Harry quickly says, noticing the panic in Draco's voice. "He was something of a... replacement until I found my soulmate. Until I found you."

Draco nods quietly, watching the sky grow darker and darker.

"Close your eyes."

"What?"

"Close your eyes and lay back. I'll tell you when to open them. Stars aren't as cool when there's only a couple. I'll wait until there's a bunch."

Draco lays back against the cool grass, closing his eyes and relaxing. He feels Harry lay down next to him.

"Draco?"

"Yes?"

"Can I hold your hand?"

Draco's heart jumps, but instead of responding, he just moves his hand off of his stomach, resting it on the grass with the palm facing up. After a couple of seconds, warm fingers interlock with his.

"How do you say soulmate in French?"

"Âme soeur."

"So you're my... am sir?"

"More accent. Âme soeur."

"Âme soeur."

"Perfect."

Draco doesn't have to have his eyes open to know Harry's smiling.

They lay there in silence for a while, before Harry whispers "open your eyes."

Draco does, and he's welcomed with one of the most beautiful sights he's ever seen.

The sky used to be black, empty, blank. Now it has a million glittering lights throughout it, and Draco can't help but think that no matter how beautiful his mother's descriptions were, they didn't come close to the real thing.

"It's... incroyable," he whispers, unable to find the English word for it.

"Yes it is," Harry murmurs in response.

"Mon amour, can I kiss you?" Draco asks quietly.

"Oui."

Draco rolls onto his side, smiling brightly at the beautiful boy before him, and watches the stars sparkle in his eyes before he kisses him.