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The first time his eyes ever laid on hers was when they were 11. It was also the first time he ever saw the glowing golden thread, floating in the air as it made its way from his chest to hers. Of course, internally, he freaked out. How was a boy to know what that golden string was at 11? He was also very sure that no one saw what he saw and he never asked anyone. He didn’t want to be taken to St Mungo’s and let everybody think he was insane.
Sometimes, their eyes would meet, and for a second, he’d think she must be able to see what he was seeing. But then, she would always look away almost immediately, and he would go back to thinking he was the only one who could see the thread between them.
They both came from very different families. Very. Different.
His family, the Malfoys, were pureblood wizards and witches. One of the sacred twenty-eight families. So they said.
Her family, the Grangers, all muggles. That was about it. Well, except her. She was a Muggle-born witch with an intense academic background at school.
She always came first. He came second. If the string did not attach them together then, their grades did. The only thing he did better than her was flying. He knew she hated flying. That she didn’t care for Quidditch. Yes. He had been observant.
He knew that she put exactly two spoons of sugar and a bit of milk in her tea. He knew that she took her tea every morning during breakfast with a copy of the Daily Prophet in her hand. He knew she’d always put her hair up in a ponytail when she needed to focus, especially in their potions class. She always put her hair up in a ponytail in potions.
He knew about her a lot more than he’d be willing to admit.
One afternoon, he spent all day in his family’s library at the manor, roaming through every book that would give him answers. What was the golden cord he kept seeing? What did it mean? Why did it connect him with her? Why her, especially? Anything that will tell him that he hasn’t lost his sanity. He came across a book about soul-binding and how the thread was a strong, cosmic link that binds two souls together. Basically, it conveyed that they shared a life together, having met, fallen in love, and promised each other that in every lifetime thereafter, they would only love one another.
“Well, fuck…” The murmur was accidental. His long fingers ran through his platinum hair, now loads messier than when he entered the library.
“Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.” A frustrated groan took over the room. It was probably this very moment that made him finally realize that he let himself unquestioningly, inescapably and inevitably fall in love with her.
He couldn’t believe he waited this long to research the meaning of it. That he stupidly waited this long as he believed that one day, it would just go away. Whatever it was. He couldn’t believe it took him five bloody years.
The sixth year was about to start and he did not know what to do with this information he had discovered. His heart was telling him to run. And he wanted to, stupidly so. His brain, however, knew he couldn’t leave his mother with them. They have invaded and taken over his home. The ceremony day was getting closer and closer
“Draco.”
He snapped back to reality when he heard his mother walk into the library. He quickly built up a wall in his mind, like he always does. As if that would fool Narcissa Malfoy.
She didn’t ask him questions. Instead, she stepped closer to the table full of opened books. She carefully looked through them as she finally came to a conclusion.
“Who is it?” She asked, her focus shifted to him entirely.
His head snapped back up, his eyes now aligned with his mother’s gaze. His brow raised as he heard her question.
“What?” He asked in a low tone, almost close to a whisper.
“Who is it, Draco? Who is the thread tied to?” Narcissa asked again with a firm tone this time.
She knew about this. Of course, she did. He thought.
“Why does it matter? It’s not like it’ll change anything.” He retorted, following with a low sarcastic laugh in his throat.
“No, Draco.” His mother shook her head and walked to him. Her hands gently covered both of his cheeks as she looked him in the eyes, “Sometimes, it changes everything.” Her eyes now filled with worries.
“So tell me, my dear. Who is the thread tied to?” She asked again, emphasizing each word.
She was right. Once he told her who it was, it would change everything. If she knew about this, she'd probably know what to do. Once he told her, it’d make it real. But it would be fine because she was always on his side, no matter what. Right?
“Promise me we won’t have to hurt her.” He started putting down the wall in his mind brick by brick. His empty, silver hues now shimmering with blue. He was dead serious when he asked.
“I promise.” Narcissa whispered it back, sincerely.
“It’s Granger. The mudblood. Potter’s mudblood.” He thought that if he tried insulting her again, it would make him feel less, that it would remind him of where he belonged and where she belonged. But instead, each time the word ‘mudblood’ came out, they tasted sour in his mouth and it made him want to throw up. He wanted to take them back immediately. Fuck. He knew he was unconditionally fucked in this situation.
“Oh, Draco…” Narcissa let out a long, devastating sigh as she gently pulled her son close and their forehead touched. He could hear her almost sob but held it in just in time. They stood there quietly for a minute. He wasn’t sure if he should start panicking since his mother hadn’t said anything else.
Finally, she took a tiny step to back away and held two of his hands, squeezing them to comfort him.
“She’s one of us now. We’ll see what we can do.” She responded with a firm tone before taking an exit.
He watched her leave, eyes blinking with shock? Confusion? ‘What in Merlin’s name is going on?!’
⧣₊˚ 𓂃 ────────────────────────── 𓂃 ✦ ⁺.
The sixth year has begun and Draco found himself spending time in the library more than he usually had. He knew he was supposed to be finding a secret passage or a way to break in the rest of the death eaters into Hogwarts but Severus insisted he didn’t need to worry about it. He suspected that his mother must have told Severus about the invisible string. So there he was, sitting in the library with a book in his hand, and her, sitting across from him on the other side of the room.
He knew that she had noticed his presence in the same room with her. Their eyes met a few times, accidentally, of course. And every single time, she looked away immediately.
He wanted to get up and go to her. But he wouldn’t know what to say. What if she didn’t see the same golden thread he saw? But that would’ve been impossible, wouldn't it? He really had to find out soon before it was all too late. Before he can no longer protect her.
He got up as soon as he saw her got up and walked to find more books. Honestly, how many books did she need? Draco slowly followed her and pretended to look for a book in the same aisle. She glared at him when she noticed he was there not too far from her but did not say anything.
She was so bloody good at ignoring him.
Draco got a bit closer to her, still pretending to look for a book, and couldn’t find one. He got closer and closer until they were right next to each other.
They reached out for the same book.
He could hear her sigh irritatingly, not letting her hand go of the book. Technically, he got to it first. So, she was holding his hand.
“That’s your queue to let go, Granger.” He spoke in a cold tone as he looked at her.
“But you don’t even need it.” She argued, her brows starting to grow into a knot.
His eyebrow raised, “And pray tell, how would you know what I need and don’t need?”
“Really? Malfoy?” She let out another sigh, hand still held on tight to the book. Scratch that. To his hand. “You don’t even take Magical Creatures. I need this for an assignment YOU don’t have.”
“But I happen to want to read this.” He said, finally pulling out the book off of the shelf and showing it to her face.
“You’re just trying to piss me off. Don’t you have somewhere else to be?” She said, eyeing the book without even blinking.
“I do. Here. Reading…” Draco paused, turning the book around, and read its title aloud, “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.”
He could sense her growing temper. Good. Here comes his favorite part.
“See?! You didn’t even know what book it was! Now bugger off and give that to me!” She tried snatching the book out of his hand but because she’d probably forgotten that he was Slytherin’s Quidditch Seeker, he was fast to raise the book up in the air even higher now, where she couldn’t reach.
“Malfoy!” She yelled his name with anger and jumped, still determined to get the book. So determined he wasn’t sure if he should start feeling jealous because she wanted the book so badly.
“Try a little harder, won’t you?” He teased, raising it higher until his arm was straight. She was still jumping. Merlin. He almost felt bad.
“Give. It. Up!” She jumped again. This time, her body crashed into his, sending him off balance and right onto the ground where she followed. She was now on top of him, her hand gripping tight onto the book she managed to snatch from him, pathetically so.
With no gaps between them, the golden string disappeared. For the first time in years when she was in his sight, he couldn’t see it.
As the two backed away from each other with annoyance, the thread came back. It grew by their distance. The longer they backed away from each other, the longer the string. He couldn’t help but look at it with fascination. Then, he noticed her eyes, her gaze, landed right where his were.
“You can see it.” He said quietly.
Her eyes shot up, from brownish gold turned into black, swallowed by panic. She shook her head. Repeatedly.
“See what? I didn’t see anything.” The two of them finally got up. She tried to walk away but he made sure to block her exit.
“Don’t lie to me.” He stepped closer. “I know you can see it.” He looked down at the golden thread that tied them together.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about!” She denied, still shaking her head. Her eyes shut, trying to block out reality like a child.
It made him realize that she wasn’t even shocked or surprised to find out that she wasn’t the only person who could see it. She must have known for a while that he saw it too. This bloody witch.
“You know what it is, don’t you? Please, Granger. Stop lying to me.” His tone changed completely. It was softer but almost like he was pleading. The silver cold of his eyes evaporated as the blue appeared.
Granger froze for a moment then, she seemed to have given up. She nodded, her eyes starting to water. “Yes. I knew.” Finally, she sighed. Why did it feel like she was relieved? He thought.
“Since when?” He asked.
“Third year. But I started the research when I was in first year.” She said and he could tell she was avoiding his eyes. “There isn’t much information here so I had to go to different libraries and bookshops to find answers.”
Of course, she’d found out before him. She was the smartest witch of her age, apparently. If she’d had enough resources, he bet she could even find it since their first year.
The pull felt stronger. So he stepped closer. His hand gently cupped her chin, lifting her face to get her eyes to finally meet his. And she did. Probably for the first time ever, that they really saw each other. That they had a connection, literally and metaphorically. That they belonged nowhere else except next to one another. Her. Right here. Right now. Felt just right. And he could tell she felt the same. Her eyes told him everything.
At that moment, he knew he was about to do something stupid. But Merlin, he just couldn’t hold back any longer. He closed the gap between them as he leaned close and kissed her. Granger tilted her head just right without hesitation, she kissed him back.
He felt the cosmic rush imploded as their lips touched, the warmth as he pulled her closer, letting his fingers tangle up in her hair and play with the wild curls he’d always fantasized about, and the feeling of coming home. Real home. Not like when he got to go back to the manor to his parents as a kid. But coming home where he can let loose and just be. He and her. No blood status. No sides taken. Just them.
Their lips slowly parted as they let their hot breaths linger. He didn’t want it to stop but they had to come back to reality. He needed to know if they were on the same page. That she knew that he was fully on her side. That he was hers completely and wholeheartedly.
“Wh— what are we going to do…” she whispered, her eyes fluttering closed before leaning her head on his flushed cheek.
He wrapped his arms around her in a loose embrace, his heart pounding faster and faster. He didn’t have much to offer her right now but there was one thing he could offer her for sure, “Anything. Anything but letting this go.”
Because he physically can’t. The string has tied them together and the choice of letting this go was no longer an option. Now that they have acknowledged its existence, that they’ve embraces one another, its cosmic energy grew stronger, cursing to pull even tighter. She’d become his home, his person, his everything. He gently grabbed her face to look at her once again, making sure she heard this right. Then, he said, “I’m all yours, Granger. I would do anything for you.”