Harrison stared at his left wrist in longing it was a snake tattoo bracelet with two wands duelling. He often dreamt of meeting the one that the mark belonged to.

For as long as humanity can remember when someone found their soulmate and touched for the first time, the tattoos on their arms would link together leaving their wrists attached for a month. While This could inconvenience for some work or lifestyles, for most it was a life long blessing.

Getting up from his place on the floor in an abandoned corridor he steadied his ragged breathing. Harrison fixed his clothes and looked down with downcast eyes.

Although Harrison seemed popular and happy, he had anxiety and was often teased (and sometimes beat up) by some older Slytherins and Ravenclaws. (It pained me writing that)

He currently sported a bruise on his right cheekbone and a few near his ribs. His left arm felt sprained but he would carry on after all quidditch was a dangerous game.

~Time Skip~

He had used the link of some extra quidditch practise drills avoiding bludgers for the bruise under my eye to teachers and students. Until Professor Valentina didn't believe me and told me to wait after class.

As he was about to try to use my excuse to the bruised cheek, a Slytherin in my year opened the door with a knock. Harrison held in a slight flinch, but it seemed that both the professor and Slytherin notice his tenser posture. Taking a deep breath, Harison closed his eyes and relaxed his posture as much as possible.

"Dolan, what can I help you with?" Professor Valentina said, voice seemingly echoing in the classroom.

"Professor Kaine needs your help with a potions problem" The cute Slytherin boy- Dolan said.

With a swish and a sigh Professor Valentina started to leave with a pause she looked at us, "Stay here".

An awkward silence filled the classroom, was the classroom always this small? How long did they stand there? Why was Dolan looking at him like that?

Suddenly, a hand grabbed his chin, Harrison flinched back. Why was his left wrist aching? Why was Dolan softly touching his cheek? Why did he care?

Feeling an unending need for it, Harrison grabs hold of the hand not holding his chin. A satisfaction filled Harrison. How could he place this feeling, this need to touch, and listen, and talk to Dolan? Why did Harrison feel the want to confess to Dolan everything that happened in his life, good and bad? The desire for connection overwhelmed Harrison.

He felt his breath cut short, as his eyes widened. Trying to pull back from Dolan, Harrison finally understood why he felt those things.

Beginning to panic, Harrison slumped to the floor His breathing became unsteady. What would they do now? Would Dolan like him? What if he hated him and never wanted to talk or hang out or-

Everything froze, as Dolan gathered the shaking Harrison close in his arms. Dolan said nothing as he held the other boy close to him, careful of their clasped hands.

Dolan had felt itching around his soul mark all the lions and stars entwined to a broom and snitch could mean many people. Dolan didn't pay much attention to soul marks, it wasn't something he wanted to define him as a person. Taking a deep, Dolan walked into his Potions class for today we were making the crepusculum creaturae immortuorum augentes (cookies to whoever translates that first). It was a vampire based potion that we would make then turn in. It was one of the few potions they were banned from trying, period.

Once Dolan entered the classroom he saw the Ravenclaws and Slytherins separated, yet talking. He walked into the room and sat down as Professor Kaine walked in not far behind.

They had spent the past three lessons going over safety features and protections for this potion, so Professor Kaine allowed us to begin once we were all seated. My potions partner, Rowan, and he began work. Near the end of the first half of potions (they had a double block), Maximillian's (random name) potion exploded drenching half the classroom in a goop. As the dead ingredients began to grow roots and students complained about aching gums and too much light. Professor Kaine sent him to find Professor Valentina.

Dolan was one of the few uninjured in the potions accident, but Rowan wasn't so lucky. WIth as much haste as possible Dolan ran down two corridors to Professor Valentina's room.

After she had left Dolan watched the loin, who he was pretty sure he shared Transfiguration with, shift uneasily and glance towards Dolan multiple times. Having noticed the boy tense when he first came in, Dolan also noticed the large, and dark, bruise on the boy's cheek.

Lifting up the boy's chin to see it better, they froze. The boy reached for his hand after a pause, the one holding his soul mark. Suddenly, though he panicked. The boy tried to shoot away, but their hands seemed stuck. The panicking boy ducked his head and shifted. Was he tearing up?

Dolan reached out and held the boy close, careful of their interlocked hands. He would want him, right? What was his name? Would he like Dolan? Would he care about Dolan's dreams and hopes for the future? Would he-

'No! focus on him right now,' Dolan thought 'Why wouldn't he care, he is your'

Soulmate, Harrison thought glancing up to Dolan, this was his soulmate. The tight, yet gentle and warm embrace made him smile. Why would someone so perfect be a match for him?

'I'm falling, aren't I?' Harrison thought, staring at his soulmate with wide eyes.

"Harrison"

"what?" Dolan replied as breathless as Harrison.

"My name, it's-"

"Harrison" Dolan said with a soft smile. Slowly getting up, Dolan continued to hold Harrison close.

"I don't want to let go"

"Then don't"

The smiles returned with the response Dolan gave. Harison's arm had wrapped around Dolan as they had gotten up. Harrison's left hand held Dolan's righthand in a comfortable grasp.

The sweet moment was interrupted by the doors banging open, and they were back. Back to being soulmates in rival houses, back to Harrison's cheek aching from the fist that slammed it earlier, and back to the other students outside.

Professor Valentina looked at the two boys, they had gone from being on the opposite sides of the room to next to each other, hands entwined with a soft glow between them.

"Go see your heads of houses to figure out what to do, I need to deal with students turning themselves into partial, fictional vampires. Run along, and Harrison and Dolan, see me tomorrow after classes about how Harrison got that bruise." She said with glowing, red, narrowed eyes.

"Will do professor," Dolan said as he dragged Harrison from the room before another protest could be made. They paused halfway to the teacher's lounge, where the heads of houses would be having a meeting. Dolan grabbed Harrison's chin with his left hand and used his right to pull the other boy closer and kissed him in the empty hallway.