Starts out in Hogwarts, and goes to after the war later.

Harry was in an odd detention with Snape. An extremely strange detention with Snape. Instead of the usual manual labor handed to him, he was led to Snape's office and told to make a potion.

Any time Harry messed up, Snape would dump it and tell Harry to start over. Usually without an explanation on what he did wrong.

The book that contained the instructions was dusty, torn, and wrinkled. Despite that, it was still legible, well most of it anyway. The title was covered by an ink blot, the outline of an S or a C showed at the beginning before the ink started.

On the page the instructions were written out by hand. This, plus the age of the book suggested it was written before the printing press was invented.

Looking at the ingredients, Harry realized none of them were potent, and very few could harm. From what Harry remembered in Snape's class, this meant that the potion was not for any useful or important potions. Even with the simple ingredients, the instructions were complicated and hard to follow. Those complicated instructions suggested the potion was difficult to control. This made Harry curious as to what it did.

The potion was supposed to take three hours to make. With all the mistakes Harry made it turned into eight. Luckily his detention started on a saturday morning, so when he finished it was nearing supper. Lunch had been brought by elves, so Harry could stay focused.

When Harry was making the potion it had turned every single colour of the rainbow, but with the very last ingredient it had became clear.

"Professor, I believe I'm finished," Harry motioned to the potion.

"Indeed Potter." After his words were said, he grabbed a bezoar. "As you could see from the ingredients," Snape paused, "it is clearly harmless," another dramatic pause, "I am unsure of what it does, and am willing to let go the months worth of detentions you managed to get yourself, if," Snape went for a pause to once again be dramatic, but Harry interrupted.

"If I test the potion?"

"Yes. If you are unwilling, you could do the usual detentions for the rest of the month."

So now it was up to Harry. He could take a month of gruelling detentions that would tire him to the point of falling asleep even in his favourite classes, losing sleep to finish homework and possibly falling asleep on his broom like last time... Then there was the other possibility. Taking the potion. Who knows what that could cause. He was leaning towards taking the potion, but he felt it would be a decision better made when he was well rested.

"May I consider it over night Professor? I could meet you same time tomorrow."

The answer seemed to startle Snape, but he nodded nonetheless. Apparently Snape hadn't expected such an answer from a Gryffindor. A Ravenclaw, a Hufflepuff, or especially a Slytherin would have given that answer, a Gryffindor would be far less likely. Let alone the Gryffindor leader. Was Harry Potter truly different from his father? Snape had assumed, but never looked for evidence. Snape thought it over until he fell asleep in his chambers. Who was Harry Potter?

........

Now Harry was back in front of Snape's office. Knocking, he could feel his stomach twist with anxiousness. There was a snide "Come in." How did Snape make everything sound so menacing?

He'd had a nice long conversation with Ron about what he should do. Well it lasted about three minutes which was longer than usual. Surprisingly enough, Ron had told him to take a months worth detentions over taking a mysterious potion from Snape. It seemed Ron hated Snape more than Harry.
Not wanting a rant on how dangerous this was, he'd avoided bringing up his detention around Hermione.

Coming in, Harry found Snape sat comfortably at his desk, reading over a scroll. Most likely a project some kid had worked on. In fact there was a large stack. Most likely what Harry would be doing if he chose a month of detentions.

"So, Potter, have you made your decision?" Snape's voice was missing it's usual bite. 

"I believe I have professor. May I ask one question first?" Snape nodded. His blank expression didn't seem as threatening as it used to. It was simply a mask after all. "What do you think the potion will do?"

"Sir," Snape corrected. Harry had to resist responding with, 'There's no need to call me sir Professor,' like he had in class one time.

"From what I have researched, it will give you a mark, I'm not sure what kind, but I believe it has something to do with your soulmate. There's also an indication that you will see an image of something, which I believe will be your soulmate. Once again, I am unsure and have taken safety precautions to avoid incidents."

Thinking his words over, he felt as if he could truly trust Snape. As soon as that thought came up, he questioned it.

"So, Potter, what is your decision?"

"I'm willing to test the potion."

Snape got out a bezoar again with a vial of the clear potion. Snape had Mark it with a large 'S'.

Harry was handed the potion and given a chair. Snape sat himself in front of Harry and muttered, "when you're ready Potter."

Looking down, he felt a sense of dread begin to fill his stomache in place of the anxiousness.

"Professor, one last question. You wouldn't allow me to die due to my father's past... animosity towards you... would you?"

The vulnerability and fear shown on Harry's face truly shook Snape. This was not James Potter. This was a boy who had grown way too fast and knew what the world could be like. In this moment, Snape saw a piece of his younger self showing.

"Of course not." The words were kind. The mask fell slightly and warmth began to show.

By now Harry could tell when people were lying. Often times his life depended on that skill. So he could tell Snape was telling the truth.

Harry gulped down every last drop of the potion before he could change his mind or doubt himself.

Shock lined Snape's face for a moment before he masked it.

Then Harry's world went black. For some strange reason, he thought he saw a bright white Ferret.

.......

Opening his eyes, he expected to be in the hospital wing or in his own bed. Instead he found himself in a rather dark room without windows. The walls were stone, and there were torches lighting the room. He assumed he was somewhere in the lower part of the castle.

Along with the bed he lay on, there was one on his right and one to his left. One looked like it was supposed to be there, it was king sized and decorated to match the room. The one nearer to him oh his left was the same as the one he lay on. It looked like a hospital bed in the muggle world. There seemed to be a patient taking the bed nearest him. The person was covered in blankets so Harry couldn't tell who it was.

Sitting up, he felt a tickle in his upper left chest. There was what seemed to be a small flame dancing just below his collar bone. It seemed to be a magical tattoo.

"Potter?"

Standing in the doorway was Snape.

"How are you feeling?" Weirdly enough, there was concern lacing Snape's voice.

Harry shrugged his shoulders in response.

"Are you aware of what happened?" Harry shook his head. "Well you along with the person next to you fainted at the same time, and got those marks on your chests. Each of your vitals were normal, so I took you back here to keep an eye on you two."

Once again Harry nodded. Still feeling the lull of sleep, his thoughts weren't as quick as usual.

"Ow long were we out?" Harry's voice cracked when he first attempted to use it. This brought a pained smile to Snape's face before he sat on a stool nearby.

"The majority of the day. Supper finished a few minutes ago. Here." Snape handed Harry a sandwich, which he gladly accepted.

When finished he looked back to the other bed, "So that's my soulmate?" Snape responded with a nod. "Who is it?"

With a strange look, Snape opens his mouth to speak. Before anything came out, a groan sounded from the other bed.

"Looks like you'll find out yourself."

Turning around Harry found the lump in the bed stir before a strand of white hair fell out of the blanket. Next came the angled features. When the boy sat up, Harry had to admit his back was extremely muscular, but he looked a lot like... The boy turned around. His abs were amazing, and the flame just below his collar bone matched his own. Looking up he saw those muscular shoulders, the finely shaven chin, and then he saw his face.

Malfoy.

Harry was in a state of shock as Draco noticed where he was, and who was there.

"Professor? What happened, why was there a deer in the common room," and noticing Harry, "and what is he doing here?" Draco's voice was laced with curiosity and filled with disgust when he spoke of Harry.

Pinching himself, Harry realized this was not a bad dream. "This is a joke right?"

"Sadly Potter, it is not."

This confused Draco quite a bit. "Could someone please explain what's going on here? Potter why do you have a tattoo?"

"You've got a matching one Malfoy." Some reason Harry felt rather protective over his flame, so when Draco insulted it, his sass came out a bit.

When told about his matching mark, Draco looked down disbelievingly, but when he saw it he fell off the bed in surprise. Harry snorted, and Snape waited patiently for him to sit back o  the bed.

"What the bloody hell? You knock me out and give me a matching tattoo Potter?" This sentence was spit out with a lot of venom. Soon Draco was off the bed and swinging his fist at Harry in a haze of fury.

Lets just say Draco was not good with his fists, which was why he usually stuck with his wand. Alas it was not in sight, so he went with the next best thing and hoped to catch Harry off gaurd.

Living with his aunt, uncle and cousin, his reflexes were fast. Harry caught Draco's arm and twisted it painfully forcing him back onto the bed.

"How about you hear what happened before you start blaming people?" Harry spoke sounding slightly annoyed.

"I think it's pretty clear what happened. You gave me a tattoo, Professor Snape found out and is trying to get you suspended."

Snape finally decided to rejoin the conversation, with a stern voice he asked, "does it hurt?"

"Wha- no? No it doesn't, but why does that matter?"

"Tattoos hurt, and throb for at least a few days. You've only been unconscious for a few hours." Dramatic pause again. "There is a reasonable explanation for this if you are willing to listen."

Huffing, he relaxed onto the couch and crossed his arms. He was given a brief explanation, and responded much the same as Harry.

"Is this a joke? It better be a joke. There is no way Potter and I can be..." Draco shuddered, "soulmates."

"As i told Potter, sadly it is not a joke, and you very much are... soulmates." Snape was not good at talking about these things and seriously wished someone else could be here to sort this issue out.

There was a brief second where Harry and Draco looked at each other before looking away. Seeing there would be no progress like this, Snape sighed and decided another course of action.

"Potter, may I touch the mark? I wish to see what the effect would be."

Hesitantly, Harry nodded. This situation was weirder than the detention had been.

Snape leaned forward to touch it. Every centimeter closer, caused more dread to fill Harry. When Snape touched it. It was as if he had been hit with the crutiatus curse. His entire body went rigid, and his entire chest felt like it was being burnt.

Not expecting the pain, Harry yelped befor jerking away. The muscle below the flame mark spasmed one last time before the pain faded.

"Bloody hell that hurt," Harry muttered to himself.

"I apologize Potter, I was unaware of the pain that would cause."

Not even noticing himself, Harry had curled into a ball to avoid the contact.

"It's fine."

"Potter, would you allow Malfoy to touch it? Perhaps the mark only allows your soulmate to touch it," Snape seemed rather demanding after just giving him a mark that could inflict pain from anyone. Despite that, Harry still uncurled from the ball he had been in, and faced Draco.

Both boys were rather unsure about this, but tried it anyway. Draco reached out and placed his entire hand on the mark. The effect was instantaneous. Harry's entire body relaxed into the touch and his thoughts came to a halt. For a moment all he felt was pure relaxation.

Draco on the other hand felt a surge of control, and happiness. That came from the touch itself and not just seeing Harry relax completely at his touch.

When Draco let go, it was as if Harry woke up from a trance. While Draco had lost both the control and happiness that came with the simple touch.

At this moment, Snape could see neither of them were ready for a relationship and had them swear to secrecy so no one would ever know. For a while, that worked out. Years later, after the war, the secret would no longer be kept.

..................

"

Harry, why won't you let me touch your tattoo?" Ginny asked. They'd been dating for a month now, and she had asked to touch it multiple times.

"Because I don't like it when people touch it."

That was the end of that conversation that night.

Later Ginny had come up with a simple idea to touch the tattoo. That had become her latest goal.

She'd set up a cute picknic, brought him to his favourite place, Hogwarts to see Minerva and now they were watchting the stars on a grassy hill. As cheesy as they were, she knew Harry loved that stuff.

Harry had loved the evening, and she had fun too, but she still had a goal in mind. So she scooted closer. Now that she was closer, Ginny had access to his lips, and she took the chance when Harry looked over at her.

His lips were soft and gentle. It was almost like she expected her to break, or like he expected it to be over soon. That was how Harry always kissed.

Sometimes she wondered if that was from losing so many people in the war or something else completly. Perhaps there was someone else on his mind. Despite those thoughts, she always reassured herself it was just the war. She kissed harder trying to show she wasn't about to dissapear.

She pulled Harry to face her, and while he was distracted she brought her arm down to his neck slowly. Then quickly placed her hand under his shirt where she knew the tattoo to be.

Immediately Harry yelped, stopped kissing, and attempted to push away. Ginny had felt all of Harry's muscles go tense and knew some was wrong. She hadn't taken her hand away from Harry's chest, but she pulled back from the kiss and noticed his pained expression.

"Harry?"

His muscles had started spasming and he'd shouted out in obvious pain.

"Gin... pl- please take... yo-your hand off- off!"

Unsure of herself, she had taken the hand off, and Harry had relaxed and stopped spasming.

"Harry... what just happened?"

"You touched the mark Gin. There's a reason I didn't want you to touch it."

"Why? Why does it... do that?"

Harry sighed, "this isn't a good place to-" Ginny inyeruppted him.

"No Harry, just tell me here. What is that mark? Where did you get it?"

"I got it back in Hogwarts. I don't know exactly what it is. Snape didn't know what a potion did, so he offered me a deal. He offered to let off the months worth detention I'd gotten if I tested the potion, and-"

"Wait, he basically asked you to be his guinea pig? Did you do it?"

"Yes Gin, I ended up taking the potion, which-"

"Thats awful Harry, did he get away with it?"

Harry snorted and looked up at the stars. "Gin, he's dead. Does it really matter?"

"I guess not."

"Can I tell now without being interrupted Gin?" She nodded. "Alright, i fainted after taking the potion and woke up with this." He gestured to his chest. "I found out Malfoy had also fainted and gotten the mark even though he hadn't taken the potion. Snape explained to us that the potion had shown who our soulmate was. Malfoy is the only I who can touch the mark without it hurting."

"So Draco... is your Soulmate?" A nods from Harry. "So why are you with me instead of him?"

"Because he's Malfoy. I can't just forgive him for all he's done!" Harry exclaimed while throwing his hands into the air to show.

"You mean what he was forced into. You even went to his trial to keep him from going to Azkaban. You obviously forgave him if you've fought for him. I just went against your wishes, touched your mark, and our relationship hasn't been going the best recently."

He knew it was true. They'd been fighting a lot recently and had thought of breaking up with her. Although after the date they'd just had, he had thought that they would make it, but it seemed she had just wanted to touch his tattoo. Maybe they were better apart.

"I'm sorry to do this Harry, but I think we should break up. We aren't a good match. I hope we can still be friends. You're a really good person Harry and you deserve your soulmate. If you aren't talking with Malfoy by the end of the month, I will interfere."

She apparated Harry home before they said their goodbyes and she was off.

...........

Harry was too stubborn to reach out to Draco, so within a month Ginny had lost her patience. She had met with Draco. Turns out he was just as stubborn. So Ginny decided it really was up to her. This time she was doing something for them, not for herself.

She'd asked to meet with Harry at his apartment. She'd made some small talk before surprising him and apparating him somewhere.

They appeared in front of Malfoy manor, and Harry had nearly fallen over in shock.

It had been a rather stressful week and he had just wanted some time to relax. Things at work were picking up, and he'd worked twice as hard as usual. Hermione had a baby which had nearly made Harry faint. He may have defeated the dark lord, but he realized he was no where near ready to have a child. Harry had also moved because a reporter had found out where he lived and that had been a rather stressful ordeal.

When he found himself alone in front of Malfoy manor because Ginny had apparated away, he looked for his wand... which he had put down when he was making Ginny coffee.

So he had two options left. Walk away from Malfoy manor and hope they had neighbors, or walk towards it. Then he remembered hearing that the Malfoy manor had no neighbors for miles, and he was left with one option.

The walk there felt long and treacherous, despite only being a few yards. At the moment he was wishing he hadn't agreed to having coffee with Ginny.

Soon he stood in front of the doorbell. The door was rather elegant. it was simple, with carvings of dragons and flames. It was polished in a dark brown colour that complimented the door knob and knocker.  They were polished and an... That was when Harry noticed he was just distracting himself so he didn't have to go in. Unfortunately, he would have to go in one way or another.

Knock knock knock.

It was a weird noise, but it worked nevertheless. Draco was at the door in twenty eight seconds. Harry counted because he needed a distraction.

"Malfoy."

"Potter."

They stood there for a moment. Just looking at how the other had changed.

Draco was not as fancy as he used to be. His hair was no longer gelled, and his clothing was now a pair of sweatpants with a baggy hoody. His chin was chiseled. Draco looked like he wasn't expecting anyone.

Harry on the other hand had a pair of jeans and a hoody that had been made to make his upper body look better. It was something his manager had asked him to do. Get designer clothing so he would look better for the public. His hair was gelled back. He'd gotten a habit of shaving and gelling his hair every morning in case reporters found him.

Draco broke the silence, "would you like to come in Potter?" Harry nodded before walking past Draco.

Unsure of what to do, he waited for Draco and then followed him. Soon they arrived in the kitchen.

"Coffee Potter?" Draco asked.

"Yes please."

Draco called in a house elf, and asked for two coffees. What really struck Harry was how nicely the house elf was dressed. He wore a white blouse, and a pair of tailored sweat pants along with a bowtie.

Seeing the confused look on Harry's face Draco explained, "I tried to free them, but they didn't want to leave. They didn't really know what to do in the real world anymore. I offered them paying jobs, and they accepted."

"That's awesome," was Harry's simple reply. Inside he was cursing himself for saying something so stupid.

"Glad you think so. My father shouted at me for a week straight when he found out." Harry smiled at his words. "So Potter, what brings you here?" Harry's smile turned upside down at those words.

"Ginny."

"Ah yes. Weaslette. She was here the other day telling me how single you are, and how I should get in touch with you."

"Sounds like Ginny alright. Have you tied the knot with anyone yet?"

"No not yet. My father tried to get me and Astoria Greengrass together, but we hated eachother, and it was not happening. Im assuming Ginny knew you weren't busy today, so would you like to have a movie day with me?"

"You know what a movie is?"

"I'm asking you if you want to watch one, so I'm going to say yes.

Harry snorted before saying, "sure."

That was how they ended up watching Storks, Marley and me, and now they were watching the fault in our stars. They weren't really watching anymore. The two just chatted about stuff that happened.

"So what happened to Pansy then?"

"She forced Blaise to find the best wizard at reversing charms, because she refused to be dark green and spotted with purple for her wedding day. She didn't seem to care too much about Blaise's broken nose though."

Harry chuckled. Then brought their attention back to the movie for a bit. Over the three movies they'd become good friends. At some point they started calling each other by their first names.

Unknowingly the two were thinking about the same thing. The soulmate situation.

"Draco?"

"Yes Harry."

"This is kind of a weird question, but can you touch my flame?"

"Yeah, sure."

Draco pulled Harry into his lap before letting Harry unzipp his sweater and sliding his hand to where he knew the flame to be. Harry immediately relaxed. He was exhausted, plus the feeling from the mark caused Harry to fall asleep.

Already liking Harry since the first time they met, Draco rather liked where they were at right now. He'd only been upset about being soulmates with Harry because he thought they could never be together. He kissed Harry's forehead softly and allowed himself to fall asleep soon after. For once they both had good dreams instead of the usual nightmares.

Thank goodness Snape wanted to know what that potion was.

.