Chapter Text
From the day you were born you had a last name printed on the inside of your arm. It was something that everyone was born with. The last name would act as an indicator of who your soulmate would be. Ever since you were old enough to understand the meaning behind the word scrawled on your skin you fantasized about meeting your soulmate. You pictured meeting them going hundreds of ways and none of them had ever been close to what actually happened.
You had just moved from America so you were eager to explore all the new wizarding shops. You had been told that going to Diagon Alley would be a good place to start and get used to the way they did things here. You walked down the streets taking in each storefront and mentally logging which you wanted to go back to. Making your way down you noticed a large orange store.
The sign said Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes and you stopped in shock. Pulling at the sleeve of your shirt you looked down at your arm and then back up at the sign. The word Weasley was inked into your skin. The last name of your soulmate was on a sign outside of the shop.
Rushing towards the store you ran inside, excited to possibly get to meet the person you were destined to spend the rest of your life with. Your hands came down on the counter with a loud slam. Catching your breath you looked up at the red-haired man behind the counter.
“What’s your name?” you demand.
“Not from around here I see,” he replies with a smirk.
“Answer the question,” you tell him, your eyes sparkling with eagerness.
“I’m Fred Weasley.” He tips his hat causing you to laugh at how he was playing it up.
You checked your arm once more before turning to look at him. Without asking you reached for his arm. He tried to pull it away but the need to know seemed to take control and you successfully pushed his jacket sleeve up his arm. The name inked on his inner arm wasn’t your last name and you let all the excitement that was brewing fade away.
“What’s going on?” he asks watching as your expression does a complete flip.
“I saw the sign outside and got excited. My soulmate is supposed to have your last name.” You trace the delicate lines of the word as your eyes well with tears.
“Cheer up, there’s quite a few of us Weasley’s. Mum and dad just didn’t know how to stop.”
“Wait really?” you ask, the prospect of being so close to finding your special someone making you giddy once more.
“Yeah, why don’t you go meet my brother George, he hasn’t found his soulmate yet either. Matter of fact most of my family hasn’t.”
He tells you to go towards the back of the store and you will find someone who looks just like him. He tells you something about being the better-looking twin and you roll your eyes at him before heading towards the back wall. Just like Fred said there’s an identical red head rummaging through boxes.
“George?” you ask.
“Um yeah, who are you?” he asks while standing from the box.
“Fred told me to find you back here. I’m looking for my soulmate.” You hold up your arm so he can see his last name. He looks at it for a minute before rolling his shirt up. You take in the name and sigh again.
“Nope, not me,” you tell him while leaning against the wall, “and to think I was this close.”
“Hey, why don’t you come with Freddie and I back to the burrow once we close. We have a whole bunch of siblings. It might be one of them. Plus your small enough that I think we can stop you if you try and murder us.”
You let the last part slide as you thank him for helping you out. You spend the rest of the afternoon getting to know the twins and joking around with them. You ask them questions about what it’s like to own a joke shop and they ask you questions about what it’s like living in America. The time passes quickly and before you know it you’re walking up to the front door of a towering home.
“Are you sure this is a good idea?” you ask, worried that their mum will be upset with having an uninvited guest.
“Trust me it’s fine,” George reassures.
“Can’t be worse than that time Charlie brought home a dragon and it almost burnt the house down,” Fred jokes causing you to laugh. Feeling slightly better you follow them into the house.
You’re quickly introduced to Molly who seems excited at the thought of one of her children finding their soulmate. She welcomes you easily and you feel yourself loosen up. Fred and George guide you into the living room where you quickly meet Ron and Ginny. Both of which have different names inked into their skin.
Your heart sinks a bit more concerned that you won’t find your soulmate here. You worry about intruding on a family and wasting their time when it isn’t the right one. A man walks in with a beautiful blonde woman hanging off his arm and your heart drops even more.
“Hey don’t be sad. That’s Bill he doesn’t believe in soulmates so he dating someone different. I doubt it would’ve been him anyway.” George moves towards his brother anyway.
Just to check he tells you over his shoulder as he struggles to get Bill to show him the mark. Finally wrestling the fabric up his arm he stops. Looking between you and the mark on his older brother’s arm George’s smile fades.
“Come here.” Both you and Fred move to take a look at Bill’s arm. Upon seeing your last name on his arm you let a tear slip down your cheek.
While he was supposed to be your soulmate you saw the way he looked at the other woman. He genuinely loved her and you know that some stupid mark wouldn’t change that. Brushing your hair back out of your face you turn to make your way to the door.
“Thank you for helping me but I need to go,” you tell the twins as a few more tears escape.
“There’s still time he might change his mind darling,” Molly tells you while squeezing your shoulder. You force a smile before walking out the front door.
You had finally found your soulmate, the person you had been dreaming about meeting for years and he was with someone else. He didn’t believe in the marking that you had been born with. It didn’t matter, you knew he loved her and you weren’t going to stand in their way. If he could find someone else so could you. Steeling your resolve you made your way home trying not to look down at the mark on your arm that felt like a stab in the heart.