A/N::: This has been stuck in my head forever. This story is an AU where Voldemort never returned, meaning no war. Just living their normal lives as normal students. It's my first try at writing a fanfic, so I hope you all enjoy.

A/N::: Updated 4/19/2018 for spelling errors.

Hermione woke up to the rays of sun shining on her face. Stretching, she got out of bed, remembering it was her seventeenth birthday. She suddenly felt excited yet anxious. Excited at the thought of what the day was to bring, and anxiousness from the idea of seeing her tattoo. Those two letters that change your life. Growing up, she had heard all the stories from older students. Quite a few finding their match right here in the walls of Hogwarts with the people they had grown up with. Others finding them later in life. Students often getting into arguments with their current significant other over one being angry that they weren't meant to be. Acting like it was something that the person could change or control. Fate always knew who was the right one for you. Your soulmate.

She got out of bed and stood in front of her mirror, searching her body for the new mark. Hermione noticed it immediately once she took her t-shirt off. On her right side, directly under her collarbone, was a D.M. in cursive print. She took a moment to admire the beautiful script, happy that it was not some obnoxious font.

Once she stopped looking at the mark, the gears in her mind started turning. D.M. D... M… Hmm. D.M. Why did those initials seem so familiar? Like they were just on the tip of her tongue. Then it hit her. The only D.M. that came to her mind was Draco Malfoy.

No. No way. No no no no no. There was no way that Draco Malfoy could be her soulmate. He hated her. She hated him. They hated each other. He was her childhood bully. He thought that she was far below him. He was a pureblood, and she's a muggleborn. They were like night and day. Fire and ice. Rival houses. Like Romeo and Juliet. Perhaps if it was him, this would turn out like Romeo and Juliet where they kill themselves, but only because they can't stand to be around one and other.

But why would Fate put her with someone if it thought that they were going to kill each other? This had to be a prank. Someone must have drawn a fake one on her body and her real one is somewhere not visible to her. Fate wouldn't be this cruel, would it?

She tried to compose her thoughts. It may not even be him. Of course, there was no one else in Hogwarts with those initials but it could always be someone she meets later in life. At work, in Diagon Alley, even in a muggle coffee shop. It could be anyone. D.M. was a fairly common pair of initials.

Hermione was one of the first in her year to get the soulmate tattoo. She was sure that all of her friends would all want to see it, but she no longer wanted to show it to them. She was nervous of what her friends would think. The brunette knew that she couldn't control it, but what would they say if they figured out that her other half could be Draco Malfoy.

She felt like she was betraying her friends. Harry and Ron would be worried about her well-being. Plus, she couldn't think of what it would do to Ron. As far as she was aware, he was in love with her. Hermione loved him, but like a brother rather than as a lover. She was somewhat relieved to find out that her soulmate was not one of her best friends.

Hermione got ready for the day and went down to the Great Hall for breakfast. At the Gryffindor table, her friends were sitting in their usual seats, a small pile of gifts around them.

"Morning 'Mione!" Ron said, getting up to give her a hug.

"Morning everyone!" she smiled.

"Happy birthday." Harry and Ginny said together, both grinning.

"Thanks," Hermione replied, sitting down in her seat and proceeding to grab food from the plates in front of her. Once everyone was finished eating they all started to pester her to open her presents.

From Neville and Luna, she got some new books on charms and potions. From Ginny, she received some new makeup, hair products, and promised to take her shopping on their next Hogsmeade trip. Harry got her a new caldron for potions and some ingredients to mess around with. Ron took out a box from his bookbag and gave it to her. She took off the wrapping and opened the box.

"Oh, Ronald. Why would you buy something me something this nice?" Inside the long red velvet box was a gold heart shaped locket with a long chain.

"You're old now," He joked. "You deserve something nice."

"Well thank you. But really, Ron? A heart? We've been over this before. I'm sorry but I just don't -"

"Hermione, just open it before you say anything else." He protested. She opened the pendant and looked down at the picture inside it. It was a picture of Harry, Ron, and herself at the burrow this past summer. They were all laughing at something one of Ron's brothers had said. The other side was a picture of the three of them dressed in winter garb, having a snowball fight from the previous winter.

"Thank you, Ron. This is the sweetest." She kissed him on the cheek.

"Oh, it's nothing. I'm just glad you like it." He beamed, staring down at his plate.

"So, speaking of you being 17 now. Let's see that tattoo." Ginny said.

"Merlin, I totally forgot about it," Hermione lied. "I didn't notice one when I was getting dressed this morning, so I must be somewhere not very visible. I'll look when I get back to the dorms later tonight."

"Let me know when you find it, yeah? I wanna see if it could be anyone we know!" Ginny smiled.

"They say the more visible the tattoo, the more likely you are to know the person. And even more so if you like the person." Luna claimed.

"Is that true? That must mean that Hermione hasn't met them yet." Ginny said.

"Possibly," Luna replied. "but stuff like that is all just myth. There is nothing to prove it. I'm not sure why it chooses the spot it does if I'm perfectly honest."

"Yeah. That sound fake to me." Hermione responded. Her tattoo was quite visible if she were to be wearing the right thing. If Luna's comment was correct, then that could mean that the initials truly belonged to Malfoy. The group finished their meal and went to class.

The rest of Hermione's day went by uneventfully. Class and then homework in the library. Later that night, the group was sitting in the Gryffindor common room playing a game of poker and drinking a few butterbeers. When it got too late, most people retired to their room. Not wanting to drink too much, as they had class the next morning.

Hermione was sitting on her four-poster bed when Ginny walked in.

"Hey 'Mione. I was just checking in to see how you were doing," The red-headed girl smiled. "You seemed sort of stressed out earlier."

"I'm fine," She reassured her friend. "I've just had a lot going on. With this potions essay, I've been working on and trying to keep up with my prefect duties."

"Sorry to hear," Ginny replied. "I know you probably haven't thought about it since breakfast, with how busy you've been, but how about we look for that tattoo? Maybe it will get you feeling better."

Hermione almost laughed at what the other girl had said. As if Ginny finding out about Malfoy would make her feel any better. But she figured that she wouldn't leave until she discovers the marking. "That may make me feel a bit better." She lied.

"Great," Her friend grinned. "You can change into a sports bra and some shorts or something, I'll just turn around, is that alright?" The brunette nodded, dreading what was about to come. Hermione put on a pair of pajama bottoms and a camisole, knowing that she wouldn't need to wear any less than she felt comfortable in.

Hermione took a deep breath and sat on the other side of the bed, finally told her friend to turn around. The redhead twisted and her eyes wandered over the other's body. Finally, her eyes settled near her shoulder. Ginny stood there staring at the black markings for what seemed like hours. Hermione was scared to say anything, too nervous about what her friend had to say.

"How did you not notice that earlier, 'Mione?" Ginny finally asked. Hermione shrugged her shoulders.

"I don't know. I woke up a bit later than normal this morning and didn't really notice, I was in too much of a rush." Hermione lied again. She hated lying to her friends, but she had already done it. No point in telling the truth now.

"D. M." she stated. "Like D.M. as in Draco Malfoy? Hermione, there's no way that this is true. You must be playing a prank on me right now. As if you would have anything to do with him."

"Ginny, this isn't a prank. I promise. You really think I would really do something like that for a laugh? I mean, I don't even know if it's actually even him."

"Oh please. How many people do you know with those initials?" Ginny claimed.

"Well, no one else as of now. But what if I meet someone else in my future who is D.M.?" Hermione retorted. "Like a Dylan Moore or David MacDonald?"

"Oh, please Hermione. You and I both know that that's most likely not true. And I can't imagine calling you Hermione Granger-MacDonald. Such a mouthful." Her friend joked, trying to make Hermione feel better about the situation.

"Alright fine, I guess you're right. Like Hermione, Malfoy is any better?" Ginny just shrugged. "But I'm not sure what to do! It's Malfoy. Do I tell anyone? Do I tell him? I can't tell Harry and Ron. They would be furious."

"'Mione, they know that you have no choice in the matter. It's just Fate. Don't worry about them for now. We can wait until they start pestering you about it. As for Malfoy, it's entirely up to you if you want to tell him now. Or you could wait until his birthday rolls around to see if you two are actually soul mates or not."

"But isn't his birthday at the end of the school year or something? That's so long to wait." Hermione complained.

"Well, you won't know until then either way." Ginny pointed out.

"I suppose you're right." She agreed.

"It's not like he can be that bad, yeah?" Ginny tried to lighten the mood. "The universe would have to be an arsehole if it had put the two of you together and he was truly a terrible person. Plus, you must admit, he's not too bad to look at, so that's a plus."

"I guess. But he's still an arse." Ginny nodded, agreeing with her friend. The two sat in silence for a few minutes thinking.

"But think about it, Hermione, when was the last time he was actually mean to you? The last time he threw a true insult at you? The last time he called you a… you-know-what." She offered.

Hermione pondered the idea. When was the last time he had truly insulted her? It was mostly towards Harry and Ron. Sometimes if they had bumped into each other he would spit out a "Watch it, Granger." But never had he called her a mudblood. It must have been back in 3rd year after she had punched him that she had last heard the words come from his mouth. Maybe in 4th year after the Yule Ball. She wasn't quite sure.

"Now that you mention it. I can't even recall." She said. Was he really that bad? Sure, he was still a prat, but he didn't act like a bigot from what she could remember. Maybe he wasn't so bad after all.

"It's getting late," Ginny replied. "Why don't we just mull things over for the nights. Clear our heads. We can talk about this tomorrow, okay? I'll see you later, Hermione." The other girl smiled at her then stood up and walked out of the room.

As the weeks went on, Hermione started to pay more attention to the blond boy. Ginny was right, he had grown to be quite good looking. Puberty had done him well. He was tall, about as tall as Ron. He had a lean yet muscular build from his years of playing Quidditch. His blond hair was no longer slicked back as it had been when they were younger, but instead was naturally down, his fringe falling over his forehead.

And not only was he attractive, but he was smart. She had never particularly paid attention to his marks, as she thought he wasn't a threat. Daddy was paying for everything, so why should he bother making an effort? But Hermione was surprised to discover that he was second to her in overall marks. He was top in Potions and Arithmancy in their year.

If he was smart enough to get decent grades, then maybe he would be able to have intelligent conversations with her, unlike her other love interests. That was usually one of the reasons that things didn't work out with her previous endeavors. She had gotten bored with them, none of them being able to keep up with her.

Hermione watched him in the halls and at meals. The only people that he seemed to ever throw insults at were Harry and Ron. Never had he seen him be truly rude to someone who she would have thought he considered was below him. In fact, she had even seen him helping out a younger housemate find their classroom after the stairs had moved unexpectedly.

Maybe the universe wasn't so crazy after all. Once she got to know him, there might be a change that she might actually get to like him.

Malfoy seemed to always be busy, from going to class, to studying, to leading and playing on the Quidditch team. She also never realized how popular the boy was. There seemed to constantly be people around him, whether it be his housemates, or just random girls. Hermione's guess was that most of them were attempting to flirt with him. She wouldn't say she was jealous, but she would more often than not have a pit in her stomach whenever she saw him chatting with girls.

The Gryffindor tried not to watch him constantly, but it was hard not to stare. There was an enticing aura that followed him. Walking around elegantly yet intimidating. Beautiful yet manly. She wanted to get to know him better.

She would sometimes catch him looking her way. When this happened, she would usually quickly look down, hoping he hadn't noticed her staring. Sometimes if she didn't move quick enough, he would wink at her, causing her to blush. Damn his flirtatious ways.

It was the third time this week that Harry and Ron had asked to see her tattoo. She was running out of excuses to give and places to go to. Maybe it would just be easier to tell them and get it over with, wouldn't it? She still wasn't positive if her soulmate was truly Draco Malfoy or not, but she had a feeling that it was him.

She knew that Ginny would be there for her and take her side if the boys got angry about her situation. She knew she had no control over who her soulmate was. The boys knew this too. Maybe it wouldn't be too horrible if they finally knew. One less secret to hide from them.

Hermione finally decided to tell her friends one night, mid-November. Harry had asked earlier that day about it, as Seamus' birthday had just passed, and his new mark was all Gryffindor was talking about. It was a D.T. and most people were fairly sure that it was Dean Thomas, but no one wanted to say it out loud in front of the two. They all wanted to wait until Dean turned of age to be sure.

Harry, Ron, Ginny, and Hermione were sitting in front of the fire in their common room, drinking tea. Ginny was going on about how she wouldn't be surprised if Dean and Seamus weren't already together. Hermione was sick of hearing about the gossip, so she decided to change the topic. Taking a deep breath, she said, "Do you guys want to see my tattoo?"

"Seriously 'Mione?" Ron exclaimed. "You finally want to show us?"

Hermione sighed. "I might as well. You two will find out anyway, so there's no point in me trying to keep hiding it."

"If you're not ready, you don't have to," Ginny said. "I'm sure they understand."

"No, it's fine Gin. Better they find out earlier than later," Hermione sent her a small smile. "Ready?" she asked. The boys nodded at her. With that answer, she pulled at the collar of her shirt so that the boys could see her tattoo.

The two boys stared at her collarbone with their mouths hanging open.

"You'll catch flies if you don't close your mouths." She joked.

"Draco Malfoy? Really, Hermione? The ferret?" Ron protested.

"Wel, I'm not sure if it really is him or not. But more than likely, yes Ronald, Draco Malfoy is my soulmate. It's not like I chose him to be." Hermione remarked.

"I know that you have a choice 'Mione, but still. I can't picture the two of you together. He's such a twat. He's the biggest arsehole I know. And that's including Percy." He continued to argue.

"He's only an asshole you two, if you haven't noticed." She pointed out. "I've been watching him lately. He's actually a pretty nice guy."

"Don't forget about the smart and good-looking part." Ginny chimed in. Ron huffed and threw his hands in the air.

"Ginny, please, you're not helping."

"Sorry." She grinned. Knowing full well that she was just trying to be annoying.

"Harry?" Hermione asked. "How do you feel about all of this?"

"I mean, you've already pointed out that you had no control over this. I really can't be mad at you. Does he know?" Harry responded.

Hermione shook her head. "No, I was waiting until his birthday to see if it is actually him or not, but that's not until June."

"Maybe you'll luck out and it'll be some random bloke you work with in the future," Harry stated, but knowing full well that it wasn't going to happen.

"It's entirely possible." She replied. "But I also doubt it. I'm not sure. I just have this feeling in my gut whenever I look at him?"

"What? Like you're going to throw up?" Ron laughed. The other three joined in.

"No. Could you imagine though?"

"That's how I feel when I look at him." The read head joked. Ginny giggled at her brother's antics.

"Ha ha, Ron. Very funny." She mocked. "You'll know what I'm talking about one day. When you see them, you just know."

It was after the Christmas holiday, mid-January, and the students were just getting back into the swing of school work. Quite a few seventh years, mostly Ravenclaw, were starting to spend more time in the library trying to get a head start on their N.E.W.T.S. Hermione included. There was no way that she wasn't going to score an O on all of her tests.

Hermione had already seen Draco Malfoy in the library before, but after the break, he seemed to be there more often than before. At first, she just would glance at him, but after a while, she would often get distracted by him. Even though he sat at a table down quite a bit away from her, he was close enough that she could hear his conversations if he was with others.

Then, one day in late March, instead of sitting down at his normal table, he came and sat down across from her. He gracefully plopped himself down in the chair, pulled his books and parchment and ink out of his bag, and started to read as if was a normal thing.

Hermione glanced over at his normal table and noticed that it was empty. "Malfoy. What are you doing?"

"My homework, Granger. Is there a problem?" He raised an eyebrow.

"Not particularly, I suppose, but don't you usually sit at that table over there?" she asked, motioning over to the table in question.

"I needed a change of scenery." He stated nonchalantly.

"I see. And you chose my table out of all of them?"

"Exactly." He smirked. "I'm glad you understand. Now if you don't mind, I have an essay to write." To prove his point, he started writing on his parchment then looking to his book, going back and forth between the two.

Hermione huffed and went back to reading her book. She almost forgot that the Slytherin was sitting across the table from her until he spoke up. "Granger?"

"What, Malfoy?" She sighed looking up from her text.

"Sorry to bother you, but I have a question." She couldn't tell, but she was sure that there was a slight tint to his cheeks.

"And what would that be?"

"Do you know how to use a mobile telephone?" he asked. She was taken back. Why would he want to know something about a muggle device?

"Why?"

"I need to write an essay about them for Muggle Studies. And with you being a muggle-born and all, I thought maybe you had one and could show me how to use them. They only ever show us pictures in class." The fact that he didn't say mudblood did not go over her head.

"You're in Muggle Studies? Why would you want to take that?"

"Why should I tell you?" Draco asked.

"You don't, I was just curious. But I mean, if you want your question answered." She baited. He glared at her and went back to looking at his book, pretending to read.

Finally, he sighed and looked up at her. "At first, I was in it because Dumbledore requires all purebloods to attend. But it's actually fairly interesting if I'm being entirely honest. I've come to enjoy the class."

Hermione was impressed. A Malfoy being interested in muggle things? She knew he was different from when he was younger, but this was on a level all its own.

"I have one, but I leave it at home when I'm at school, as I can't really get any service out here to contact anyone. When I go home for Easter next week, I'm sure that I can bring it and show you." She smiled.

He smiled back at her. "Yeah, that would be nice, if you don't mind. This essay isn't due until after break anyways, just thought I would do it now so I don't have to worry about it then, but I don't mind waiting."

She stared at him as he went back to working on his essay. She realized that that was the first time she had seen him genuinely smile. And at her no less.

After that day, the pale Slytherin continued to sit at her table when he studied. They had a comfortable routine. Matting up every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday night. She often came half an hour before him, right after dinner. He would saunter into the library and sit across from her. They didn't talk very often, but the silence was comfortable. Occasionally he would ask her a question, or she would ask him, usually pertaining to school work. After answered, they went back to studying like the other had never said a thing.

"Granger? Do you have your soulmate marking yet?" He asked one night. She looked up, surprised. This wasn't like his usual questions.

"Um... Why do you ask?" Does he know? No, he couldn't. No one but Harry, Ron, and Ginny knew. They wouldn't tell anyone. She still wasn't positive it was him, but there was a high probability it was.

"I dunno. Just curious, I guess. Theo got his the other day, and it got me thinking. I just think it's crazy that the universe decides that there's this one person in the entire world who is the perfect match for you. Like it could be anyone. Your best friend, some co-worker, some random bloke you meet at the bar. You have no choice in the matter. But that random person you meet will suddenly mean the world to you, you would do anything for them."

"I suppose that Fate just wants what's best for everyone. Wants everyone to be happy." She smiled, setting down her quill.

"Fate takes away your choice. Life isn't meant to be perfect, everyone being with their soulmate. I just feel like not everyone deserves that. Let's say for example, that Weasel is your soulmate." Hermione almost laughed out loud. She couldn't imagine it. "Maybe you love him and all, but you're too good for him. You might be happy with him, but he would never be able to keep up with you. Or like, what if you want different things in life? For instance, children or work. Weasley would most likely want an army of children and a loving little housewife to look after them, having dinner ready when he got home from work every night at six. I can't imagine you like that. How would you deal with all of these things? Why would Fate force you into something like that?"

"First of all, Ron is not my soulmate, so no need to worry about all of that. Second of all, that's what a relationship is all about, making sacrifices for the one you love. Third of all, It's all a matter of perspective." She stated.

His eyebrows furrowed. "Whatever. You never answered my question. Do you have yours yet?"

"Yes, I do." She claimed, hoping that just admitting that would be good enough.

"Can I see it?"

"No. It's not in a very appropriate spot to show to you in the library." She lied. He looked around. It was late and there weren't many students around, and none were near them.

"Come on, Granger. Look around. Who will notice if you have to lift up your skirt a bit." He smirked.

She bit her lip. He was not going to let this go, was he? Damn him. "Seriously, Malfoy. I don't feel very comfortable doing that. Can we just get back to studying?" she tried to change the subject

"Please, Hermione." The blond begged. He had never called her by her first name before. The way he said it was almost seductive, with his deep voice. She was glad she had some control, otherwise, she would have shown him the tattoo right there, just to hear him say it again.

"No. I'm not going to change my mind. So please stop pestering me to see it." She returned.

"Fine. If you won't let me see it, will you at least tell me who it is?"

"To be honest, I don't know yet." She claimed. It wasn't exactly a lie. Would he still continue this further knowing that she doesn't know who it was?

"Then what are the letters?" he furthered. Damn him and his curiosity.

"I would rather not say. Nobody knows, and I would rather keep it that way." There was no way she was going to tell him that they were his initials. He sighed but nodded his head.

"It's not Potter or Weasel at least, yeah?"

She smiled at him. "No neither of them. It's no one in Gryffindor."

"Good to hear. I'll let you get back to work then."

"Wait, do you have yours yet?" She knew that he hadn't turned seventeen yet, but he didn't have to know that. But she didn't know exactly when he would get him, so maybe he would tell her.

"Nope. Sorry. My birthday isn't until June fifth. But to be honest, I wouldn't be surprised if the universe hates me enough to not even give me one." He claimed.

"Don't be like that. Even you deserve to be happy." Hermione grinned.

"Whatever helps you sleep at night, Granger."

After that night, they started to talk more. At first, it was of little things, like what their favorite food was, or their memories growing up. Then they got to talking about their dreams and aspirations. Hermione spoke of how she wanted to go into teaching after school, wanting to study at a muggle university for a few years first. Draco admitted that he wanted to pursue being a Healer, wanting to help others, but his father wanted him to take over the family business. They talked of how many kids they wanted, both agreeing they wanted small families, but more than one child as they were both alone growing up and didn't want that for theirs.

It was these conversations that she enjoyed most. Getting to know the small things about Draco Malfoy that not very many other people knew. It made him seem more human than the monster she knew him as when they were growing up.

It was at times like these when she would listen to his secrets or passions, and his eyes would light up with life. The two had just finished a conversation about how he had applied to be an apprentice at St. Mungo's, and they had just owled him back for an interview, he was very excited. He had already gotten back to reading his book, but she continued to look at the blond.

He was really something else. Truly an enigma. Almost everything she had learned about him growing up was almost the opposite of how he was now. He was smart, attractive, and had great goals for his life. She didn't think that she would find someone so perfect. It was no wonder that so many girls fancied him. No wonder that she fancied him.

Wait, no. That couldn't be right. There was no way I could fancy him, she thought. He's just a study buddy. I can't go around liking people. I have a soul mate. But there's a 99% chance he could be your soul mate, her subconscious argued. But what if he wasn't, then she wasted all of her time over a stupid crush. You're almost positive he's the one, her subconscious argued, and even if he's not, then oh well.

"Take a picture. It will last longer." Draco stated, looking up at her, interrupting her internal argument.

"Huh?" she blushed and looked down at her parchment, hoping he hadn't noticed it creep onto her face.

"Quit staring, Granger. Finish your essay." The Slytherin smirked.

"Sorry." She mumbled.

"So are you ready for N.E.W.T.S.?' Hermione asked him as she was finishing reading a charms book. Their tests were only a fortnight away, and right after that would be graduation, and they would finally be done with Hogwarts.

"Yeah, it shouldn't be too bad. I'm pretty sure that I have all the information I need to be able to at least pass and get into the training program at St. Mungo's."

"Not trying to get the best marks"?

"Why should I bother? Everyone knows that you're going to get all O's on all of your tests. You're probably even taking some for classes you're not signed up for. Not worth the hassle of trying to best you." He joked.

The brunette blushed, hoping he didn't see it. He was right, she was taking some tests for courses she wasn't sitting in on. Hermione just shrugged.

"So, I heard that your birthday is coming up soon." She changed the topic.

"Yeah. It's the day after the last day of N.E.W.T.S. so we're having a big party down in the Slytherin common room the night before." He claimed.

"That sounds like fun. Are you excited to get your tattoo?"

"Like I've said, Granger. I think Fate hates me enough that I won't get one. But I suppose that I am nervous to see who I'm paired with," Hermione wanted to argue with him again, but didn't see the point. "Are you ever going to show me yours?"

"I suppose I'll show you when you get yours." She said.

"That's a long time to make a bloke wait. But fair, I suppose." He smirked at her.

She rolled her eyes. "It's three weeks, Malfoy. I'm sure you'll survive."

"One never knows," he rebutted. "I might die tonight for all we know."

"Oh please. You'll be fine. Try not to die, and you can see it, alright? I've gotta go help Ron with his essay, I'll see you later. Bye Draco." She said, putting her book in her bag and making her way out of the library.

"Night, Hermione." She heard him say as she walked past him. A smile growing on her face as she thought of the way he said her name.

Draco woke up the morning of his 17th birthday with his head pounding. He had been up late with his friends drinking in the Slytherin common room. He couldn't quite remember much of what happened the previous night. But he did faintly remember around midnight or so of there being a stinging on his left wrist. How could he have forgotten that he was going to be getting his soulmate's initials last night? Especially with everyone in their year talking about who their soulmate was. He looked down at his arm where it had stung the night before and gazed the initials. H.G. H.G. H.G. Why did that ring a bell?

He tried to think about it, but his head hurt too much to ponder further. He got out of bed and opened his trunk, grabbing a bottle filled with something to cure his hangover. He looked over at the bed beside him to see if his roommate was up yet. The young man in question appeared to not be in his bed.

Draco walked out of his room to go take a shower. As he stood in the stream of warm water, he looked down at the inside of his wrist once again. He studied it closer than when he had woken up. The lettering was in cursive. Loopy, elegant, and beautiful. H.G.… He thought again who this person could possibly be. Who does he know that's surname starts with a G? Goyle, Greengrass, Granger, and Goldstein. Those are the only ones at this school that came to mind. He immediately took Goyle and Goldstein off the list. Next on to Greengrass. Daphne and Astoria. He wouldn't be opposed to either of the two, but he then realized that neither of their given names starts with H. Which leaves Granger. Granger. Hermione Granger. H.G. Shit.

He couldn't believe it. That damn know-it-all muggle-born. The one he bullied back when he was a child. Of course, he no longer hated her. He actually came to admire her, she was smart and beautiful. He would be lying to himself if he said he didn't fancy her. He would almost consider her to be a friend at this point.

He dried off, dressed for the day, and sat on his bed, grabbing a book from his bedside table.

"Morning, Mate." He heard from the bed next to him.

"Morning Blaise. How are you feeling? Need a potion?"

"Nah I'm good. So, how was your party last night?" the dark-skinned Italian asked.

"It was fun. Although I don't remember too much if I'm entirely honest." He admitted.

"Do you at least remember Millie and Vince making out? Or Pansy being all over you, trying to give you a lap dance?" Draco shook his head. Had he really had that much to drink? He didn't think it was nearly that bad.

"The last thing I remember clearly is when Theo came in with more fire whiskey and butterbeer. I know I took a few shots of firewhiskey and that's all I can recall."

"Damn, so much happened after that. That was around midnight. Do you remember getting your tattoo?" Blaise asked.

"Sort of. I just remember the sensation of getting it. Not actually seeing it. Have you seen it?" the blond questioned.

"Yeah. I can't believe that you're soulmates with Heidi Giles. To be destined to be with a world-famous Quidditch player. You're so lucky. I wish that I was that fortunate. Damn Looney Lovegood. Well, at least I'm pretty sure. She isn't of age yet so still got a year to wait and find out for sure. But there is no one else with L.L. that I know of. And I don't know, I just have this feeling about her."

"Heidi Giles? Seeker of the Quiberon Quafflepunchers? You think that my soulmate is Heidi Giles? Oh, that's rich Blaise. As if I would ever be able to get someone like her. The world hates me too much. I may be a Malfoy, but I'm not that lucky. She's a French super model and amazing at Quidditch. Hell no. Not possible." Draco laughed.

"Okay fine. Then who do you think it is?" Blaise retorted.

"Seriously? What other H.G. is there? Think about it. Like really think."

Blaise stared at the tattoo on his friend's wrist thinking of the possibilities. "I honestly can't think of someone. Maybe it's someone we've yet to meet in life. You know, some people don't find their soulmates until their 40's or even later. Possibly at work."

"You can't really be that daft, can you?" Draco sighed and ran his hand through his hair. "Hermione Granger. Muggle-born. Gryffindor Princess. Know-it-all bookworm. One-third of the Golden Trio."

"MERLINS BALLS, DRACO! You don't actually think you're soulmates with Hermione Granger, do you? That's crazy. There's no way."

"Who else would it be then? And please don't say you truly think it's Heidi Giles." Blaise sighed and shook his head, his blond friend had a point.

"Hermione fucking Granger. No way. Would have never seen that one coming. I guess you're right. You'll just have to go ask her if she has someone yet then, I guess. What other option do you have?"

"Being alone the rest of my life," Draco replied. He would never actually want that, but if she didn't like him back, that was always a possibility.

"There's no escaping it, mate. The universe doesn't like that. It keeps bringing you and your other half together. I've heard that the longer you're not with your soulmate, the more it affects you. To some people, there's pain, to others it's emotions. So good luck staying away from her." Blaise explained.

Draco sighed, knowing his friend was right. There was no avoiding Hermione Granger.

Draco headed to the library first, thinking that the Gryffindor would be there reading as many books as she could before she left school. He checked their normal table, but she wasn't there. He then did a quick run of the expansive room, but had no luck locating the messy mass of curls he was determined to find. He then asked Madam Pince if she had seen the girl recently, but to no avail. He walked out the library and spotted a boy, probably third year, sporting Gryffindor colors.

"You. Have you seen Hermione Granger recently?"

The young boy looked up at him in fear. "Uh. I t-think I just s-s-saw her in the Great Hall a few minutes ago. I just left there." The older man simply nodded and ran off to his next destination.

He saw the youngest Weasley in the hall. Thank Merlin, someone who might actually be useful. "Weasley!" he called out.

The younger girl stopped in her tracks and whipped around. "What do you want, Malfoy?"

"Well, I was hoping you knew where Hermione was. I've been looking for her all morning."

"Why would you want to find Hermi- wait. Today is your birthday, isn't it?" Draco nodded.

"So, you know too then?" He asked. "How long?"

"Since Hermione's birthday. There's only so many people with those initials. She didn't want to say anything until your birthday, to make sure it was actually you. But, I mean let's be honest, if anyone would be able to keep up with her, it would be you. I don't think anyone would be able to deal with the constant spewing of new information, Mr. Second-In-Your-Class." Ginny joked.

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever. Back to my soulmate. Where is she?"

"I'm not sure. She told me last night that she was going to try and find you today. Haven't heard from her since then. She would probably look in places you would be at normally. So maybe the quidditch pitch or the Great Hall. I'm not sure. She's the one who watches you, not me. She's quite observant."

Hermione knew that Draco and the rest of Slytherin had thrown a big party for his birthday last night, and today was his 17th birthday. The curly haired woman was nervous to go in search of him. What would he say to her? What was she even going to say to him? Had he found the marking yet?

She went down to the Great Hall for lunch, hoping to be able to see Malfoy. She scanned the Hall for the platinum blond hair, but to no avail. But decided to stop to eat lunch while she was here, and maybe he would show up. Hermione felt as though she had waited for hours, just staring at the giant double doors of the Great Hall, hoping to see a flash of his pale skin against the black and green robes. She finally gave up hope and decided to head out. Where else could he be?

Maybe outside at the Quidditch pitch? It was a lovely day, after all, and the final match of Slytherin versus Gryffindor was coming up the weekend right after tests were taken, so in a few days time. She ran out towards the stadium, but saw no figures around, neither in the air, nor in the stands. The witch sighed. Where could he possibly be? The Slytherin common room was her next best guess, but she really didn't want to have to go down there unless absolutely necessary.

As she was thinking of all the places he could be, she got a brilliant idea. God, she could be daft sometimes, there was a much easier way to do this than searching the entirety of the castle. She ran up to the Gryffindor common room and found Harry sitting across from his best friend playing a game Wizards Chess.

"Harry!" Hermione cried out. The dark-haired boy glanced over at her with wide eyes.

"What's wrong 'Mione? Is someone hurt?"

"Oh no. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you. I need to borrow the map."

"Why? Not planning on sneaking out to go meet up with someone behind our backs. Are you?" Harry teased.

"Actually, yes. It's Draco's birthday today, so I'm going to go find him and confront him."

"Oh. Well, good luck. Just be careful and all that, yeah? I know he's changed and all, but he's still Malfoy." He claimed.

"Of course, Harry. I wouldn't be anything but careful." She reassured him.

"If that git hurts you, I swear on Merlin's grave, 'Mione. He'll never be able to have kids." Ron threatened.

"Oh, please Ronald. Don't be like that. Harry, if you don't mind, the map please." Harry sighed and walked up to his room, returning a moment later with the piece of parchment. Hermione thanked her friend then ran off, bidding them a goodbye.

Hermione left the common room then slipped behind one of the tapestries that were nearby. She whispered the saying to the map and it revealed all of the occupants of the castle. She studied it for a brief moment until she found Malfoy's name. He was walking towards the area that she would usually sit at when she did her work or simply read when the weather was nice.

She could easily catch up to him if she took a shortcut behind a painting that went down to the first floor. She ran over to the painting of a young girl, and who Hermione assumed to be the girl's father sitting in a field eating a picnic and making small flower crowns. She pulled at the side of the painting and went down the spiral staircase that was behind it. As she was going down the stairs, she continued to stare at the map, hoping the boy wouldn't move too far ahead of her.

She exited the passage behind another painting and ran off to the doors to the outside. There she saw Draco walking up to her favorite tree. The one she always sat under, as it had the best coverage from the sun, and the best view of the Black Lake.

"Malfoy!" She yelled. The blond turned towards her. She ran up to him, having to wait to say anything else whilst trying to catch her breath.

"Merlin, Granger, I've been looking for you all morning." He said.

"I've been looking for you too. I went everywhere. I thought I was going to have to go down to the Slytherin common room."

"Yeah, Weaslette told me. Lucky for you that it never came to that." He joked.

"Thank Godric," Hermione laughed. "I'm not sure I would have been able to handle it." Draco chuckled.

"So, I heard that today is your birthday." Hermione proclaimed. The blond nodded. "Well then, happy birthday."

"Thanks, Granger. Well, I suppose you were looking for me for a reason?"

"I suppose so," Hermione stated. The two stood there awkwardly for a few moments, looking at the ground or their surroundings.

"Did you want to see it?" he broke the silence. Hermione was nervous, but nonetheless, she nodded. Was he truly her soulmate? She figured he wouldn't have gone looking for her if he had someone else's initials. Draco pulled back the sleeve of his shirt to reveal her initials. Hermione let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding.

She examined the two letters. The font made them look so elegant and beautiful. She used to hate the way they looked, but she could look at these all day.

"You probably want to see mine now, don't you?" Hermione asked.

"It's only fair. The whole 'I show you mine if you show me yours'," He smirked. "Plus, you promised." With that, Hermione grabbed her shirt collar and pulled it over enough so that you could see the ink on her skin. He smiled and went to touch the mark.

"You lied." He stated.

"What? When?"

"That night in the library. You said that you couldn't show me because it was somewhere inappropriate. Here I was, thinking it was on your arse or something."

"Well I couldn't very well let you see that they were your initials, now could I?"

"I'm glad it's you," she said. "Like you said before, Ron and I just wouldn't be right for each other. But I think we have similar goals in life."

"Oh yeah? Like what?"

"We both want to further our studies, wanting to wait until we're finished to get married. Want to have a small family. I think the universe doesn't hate you after all."

"But to spend my life with you. I think the universe does hate me. It's all a matter of perspective." He mocked. She smiled up at him.

"Can I be honest as well?" he continued. She nodded. "I'm glad it's you. Here I was thinking that I would be stuck with someone terrible like Pansy or some other daft bint. But instead, I'm soulmates with the most amazing, intelligent, and beautiful woman I know. How can I be so lucky?" He took a step closer to her.

"I guess it's just a matter of perspective," She smirked, moving so they were almost touching. He lent down so that their faces were millimeters apart. The brunette moved her head up to close the gap. Their lips gently pressed together. She felt a tingling sensation as their lips moved in unison, seeming like a perfect fit.

His tongue swept across her bottom lip, asking for entry, which she happily granted. Their kiss intensified as their tongues battelled for control. Finally finding a good pace, it was like they were dancing together. One of his hands moved to her back while the other tangled itself in her hair. She put both of her arms around his neck. After what seemed like forever, she finally pulled away.

"How did I get so lucky?" She whispered, grinning up at her soulmate.