A/N: Written for Laura for February's GGE - I hope you enjoy it! Prompts and challenges listed at the bottom, so as not to give anything away.

Word Count: 4,096

I won't always catch you, but I will give you wings to fly.

Draco stood with his mother. As they both looked out of the window into the garden, lit by the setting sun, he felt as though they were about to leap off a cliff's edge. It was a warm day in the final week of June, the taste of strawberries still lingered in his mouth from the desert that evening. By all rights, he should be listening to the wireless, reading, perhaps even taking a flight at dusk.

Instead, he and his mother were about to attempt the impossible.

"Are you ready Draco? Do you have everything you need?"

He wanted to say no. He had barely any of his clothes or belonging; he only had the bare essentials, which she had then examined and stripped down even further. Then Draco met her blue eyes, a fiery ferocity there that he hadn't seen before and he nodded, taking her offered hand.

"You don't have to do this Mum," he said suddenly. "It's me that they're after. You could just stay in the shadows and…"

"I will always be by your side, my little drakling. I want to escape from the monsters which now reside under this roof too. Come. You and I are survivors; we shall survive this next adventure too."

The monsters she was referring too were all too easy to work out. Not only was the Dark Lord back and now residing at Malfoy Manor along with multiple other Death Eaters, but Lucius too had changed. Draco had refused to call him Father ever since he was made to watch as Lucius tortured his mother, for daring to suggest he was being too frivolous with his hospitality and open door policy.

Draco knew that he would be next. He had seen how Lucius' gaze had lingered on him. He had been made to practice spells, dark magic that Draco once would have been overjoyed to cast at Lucius' side, but now maiming and hurting the animals he was made to test on made him want to throw up. Watching how much Lucius enjoyed it made it infinitely worse. Once, the Dark Lord had attended their training session. The following evening was when his mother, with fear in her eyes, had told him to get ready — they were going to escape. He suspected it was because she knew he was being groomed to be marked.

He was only fifteen, about to enter his OWL year but over the first few weeks of the summer holidays, all of that had started to feel juvenile. Draco hadn't needed any convincing but had readily accepted an opportunity to escape. He had no wish to become anyone's puppet. Whatever his opinions about Muggles or the state of the magical world, it was not worth twisting his soul to become a monster, as his mother called them.

They Apparated five times exactly.

Draco fell to his knees on the last time, gasping for breath. He was familiar with side along apparition, but that had been excessive.

"Come, Draco. We need to get inside," his mother urged and he forced himself up to his feet, drawing his wand. There were nerves and fear in her voice, emotions he could barely recognise. His mother had always been the strongest person he had ever known. Now he wanted to be able to protect her, just like she always had protected him.

"Where are we?"

"My childhood home."

It had not been what he'd expected and Draco wrinkled his nose as she opened the large front door of a fairly sizeable stately home, the smell of stale air and dust motes hitting them immediately.

"There was no male heir to this line of the Black family and so the house has gone into disuse," she explained, casting a few charms which lit a light and banished some of the dirt. "However, anyone with Black blood should feel when I crossed the wards. That is to say, my cousin Sirius and my sister Andromeda. I have to hope that Azkaban will shield us from Bellatrix."

They were all names that Draco knew but not ones he'd ever really thought about or considered family. Indeed, when Sirius Black had escaped Azkaban, Draco had taken great pride in tormenting Potter about it, but it had never truly dawned on him that Sirius was his cousin.

"They're who you want to get in touch with?"

"Ideally… Sirius," she said slowly and Draco narrowed his eyes at the uncertainty in her voice.

"Not your sister?"

"Our relationship ended on rather bad terms, given what you know Draco I'm sure you can surmise why. Sirius was always saner than he wanted people to assume. I got along with my cousins quite well."

He nearly said the term 'mudblood'. That was why the Aunt that he had never been allowed to speak about had abandoned her family, yet Draco held his tongue. If he was going to shake his father's influence, that meant his ideals as well. He would have to force himself to be neutral, learn to adapt.

Unbidden, the smell of wood smoke wrapped around him and as he closed his eyes he could see red hair, blue eyes and as many freckles as there were stars in the sky. Now was not the right time to be yearning for his soulmate, and so with practised ease, Draco pushed the image away, as he had been doing for over six months. It was not the right time.

It was never the right time, for a Malfoy to admit he was star-crossed to be with a Weasley.

Except was he even a Malfoy now?

Draco shook his head, trying to focus on the moment. They had been waiting in the entrance hall of the house for too long. His mother seemed quite calm, back to gazing out of the window but Draco was bored. It felt childish to admit, so he kept his mouth shut but his mind kept wandering. As he scuffed his toe on the floor and debated going to explore the other floors, he froze at the sight of a man at the top of the stairs.

The first two spells Draco fired were silent, the third a shield spell which he had to do verbally as they were not his forte, aimed at his mother to protect her.

"Draco! It's alright!"

"Cissy. What a pleasant surprise." Apparently utterly unphased, the man came down the stairs. Draco stood up and moved back, not lowering his wand despite his mother's warning look.

"Sirius. I see your flair for the dramatic has not faded in the slightest."

"As the only male in the family, it comes with some perks, like the Floo." As he spoke, Sirius and Draco stared at each other and then Sirius very obviously put his wand in his pocket, Draco slowly doing the same. Despite his mother's apparent ease, Draco couldn't forget that this was a man who'd spent 12 years in Azkaban. There was a tense moment of silence as all three looked at each other until his mother sighed.

"I came here to speak with Andromeda, Sirius."

"Wonderful. Surely you must remember how much I love family reunions."

What if the right time never came?

Draco knew he shouldn't have a Weasley as a soulmate. He shouldn't even be so willing to go into exile… and yet, everything that shouldn't be, was happening.

"Cousin Sirius, can I see your forearms?" Draco asked, using the title hoping to rattle the man. He did enjoy acting pretentious.

He could feel his mother's stare as Sirius gave him an assessing look, shrugged and pushed his robe sleeves up to expose bare skin. There was no Dark Mark, and given how relaxed his mother was, she didn't think that Black posed any kind of threat.

"I've got information that will be of interest to Dumbledore if you know a way of getting in touch with him. I assume he helped to facilitate your escape a year and a half ago," Draco said, trying to sound more confident than he felt.

"He didn't."

"Potter… of course." Draco rolled his eyes habitually.

Sirius neither confirmed nor denied but kept his grey eyes fixed on Draco, who forced himself not to look away. He was used to power plays, particularly after he'd returned back home to find it overrun with Death Eaters and the Dark Lord himself.

"Your thoughts, Cissy?" he said finally and Draco braced himself for his mother's disapproval. This was not part of the plan. She had only wanted to meet with Aunt Andromeda and ensure they could leave the country without being followed. No involvement with the war had been an unspoken agreement between them. What he was now proposing was precisely the opposite.

"What Draco chooses to do is up to him and I fully support him."

Black might have been family but he was still a stranger, so Draco did his best to keep his expression neutral despite his surprise and overwhelming love for his mother.

"In that case, Cousin Draco," Sirius parroted with a sardonic smile, "what information do you have to give?"

Draco shook his head immediately.

"I'll only talk to one person."

Draco paced nervously, checking his watch. It had been five days since he and his mother had gone into hiding. True to his word, Draco didn't divulge any information when Dumbledore had appeared on Aunt Andromeda's doorstep.

Everyone had assumed Draco would want to talk to the Chosen One himself. He hadn't even told his Mum who he'd asked to see and whilst Sirius had looked extremely curious, he hadn't asked. If it all went wrong, Draco didn't want anyone to know. It would be too easy to blackmail him should someone realise he was soul bonded to someone.

Nevermind the abject humiliation that rejection would bring.

They had been provided with a 'safe house', a term which still made Draco roll his eyes because, really, nowhere was currently safe for them now. At his request, the house was empty and no one would be returning for several hours.

Draco continued to pace, pivoting on his heel as he reached one end of the room to stride back across it.

There was a confident knock on the door.

"Come in," Draco called, keeping his voice cool.

Charles Weasley pushed it open, confidence in his eyes and a smirk on his lips.

"Took you long enough."

All the rehearsed lines Draco had prepared in his head faded in a rush of white noise. He was the one who was supposed to be in charge of the conversation, dictating how the reveal of their soul bond would occur. Instead, this Weasley seemed utterly unphased, even challenging. Draco forced himself to roll his eyes and thought fast.

"You know?" It was pointless to pretend otherwise, that they could have been talking about something else.

"Since I saw you at Hogwarts last year, yeah. I presume that's when you realised too? When you saw me working with the dragons and Henrietta?"

"Henrietta the Hungarian Horntail?" Draco scoffed, momentarily distracted. Charlie simply nodded, not rising to the jibe. In fact, he hadn't really reacted at all but kept surveying Malfoy with dark brown eyes. Up close, Draco took the time to truly look at the man who would apparently 'complete' him.

Compared to the Weasley that was Potter's sidekick, Charles was not particularly tall. Under six foot, his muscles were clear and Draco swallowed, embarrassed at how captivated he was by the pecs he could see and biceps he could imagine. His skin had more freckles than Draco had ever seen on someone's skin, and whilst he had the traditional bright Weasley red hair, Charles' was longer, long enough to tie back at the nape of his neck. Draco was shorter than him and slighter, although, perhaps when he was older he might fill out more.

How many years were between them?

How was this even possible?

Some of what Draco must be thinking must have been visible on his face because Charles sighed and glanced away.

"Look, this is just as confusing for me as it is you."

"I highly doubt that," Draco snapped. "I presume you haven't had to run from everything you've ever known because your life is being threatened."

"No," Charles said with a slight nod. "I'm not in that position, but my soulmate is a teenage kid who hates the world and is from a family that traditionally is against everything my family believe in. So it's not exactly a walk in the park for me either."

"Charles, I have done some research -"

"No."

Draco stopped short, his eyes narrowing at the command.

"No one calls me Charles. It's just Charlie, please, Draco."

Draco felt betrayed as his heart skipped a beat when Charles - Charlie - said his name. Pulling himself together he exhaled then continued.

"Charlie," he said, stressing the name, "I have done some research. It wasn't easy, soulmates are so incredibly rare that the literature on them is next to nonexistent, but I do think there may be a way to break the bond. Of course, there may be side effects but I'm sure that outcome would be what you'd prefer too."

"You're sure, are you?"

Draco felt distinctly unsettled. Once again, Charlie hadn't reacted the way he had planned. Before he could say anything, Charlie kept talking, his voice cool and cold in comparison to his flushed cheeks and tense body language.

"You're just so sure how this is all going to work out? You don't even want to know anything about me, you just want to end whatever this is? You're right Draco, this magic is so bloody rare that I am curious to find out why we are apparently bonded. I want to know more about you, to help you. But you're a kid so you should probably have a chaperone or something before I get arrested."

Draco hissed in anger.

"I can't afford to do that! My father, my Aunt, the Dark Lord… they want to kill me. The last thing I need to do is drag someone else down with me, I've already got my mother to protect. If you think we can just sit down and conjure each other flowers and hold hands during long walks along a beach you're just as stupid as Weasleys are renowned to be."

Charlie Apparated away.

Draco swayed, a hand going to his chest as an ache hit him immediately, blooming into a sharp pain. He dropped to his knees, gasping and jerked when hands suddenly touched his shoulders.

"Shit. Shit Draco, just breathe. I'm sorry, I was being immature and hot-headed; it's okay. I'm back. I'm not going anywhere. That wasn't a rejection, that was just me being a dick." Charlie's voice washed over him and Draco leant into the man's touch as his ears stopped ringing and breathing became easier.

"It seems we do have something in common then," he muttered, clearing his throat. "Both of us are pretentious arseholes."

Charlie laughed and it sounded like one of the most beautiful things Draco had ever heard. Eventually, he was convinced to sit down on the floor and they sat side by side on the living room floor of a house that was supposed to keep him safe. Instead, it had felt like a cage from the moment he'd walked through the door.

"I don't want to just break whatever this is," Charlie said quietly, frowning as he spoke and clearly choosing his words deliberately. "Do you remember how it felt when we locked eyes and realised we were soulmates? I've never felt happiness or peace like it, before that, or since. I swear I saw colours that night that hadn't existed before — I just knew."

Draco nodded, his heart racing. He'd never felt so vulnerable as he did with Charlie's arms around him. He'd never felt so safe either. That was part of the soul magic. He had done some research too, even getting Professor Snape to allow him into the Restricted Section to try and find books there. In total, there were three books about soul magic in the Hogwarts library and seven that mentioned it, however briefly. The most common theory was that it was a new stage in wizarding evolution but Draco didn't believe that.

If his soulmate was a man, then they could hardly have children, so it didn't make any sense. He'd been tempted to write to the Unspeakable Department who'd published the most papers on the subject but hadn't wanted to out himself. As much as Draco knew what he and Charlie had was a soul bond, they would be the first couple in a century if not more.

"You're not of age; I don't even live in the UK. There are complications, but I don't think family should necessarily be one. I want to get to know you, Draco; your surname doesn't matter to me," Charlie continued. Draco snorted in derision at that, but he gave him a very insistent look. "I work with dragons Draco. I haven't got time to fuck around so I don't really lie. If we're going to make this work, we need to be honest and straight with each other."

"Gryffindors," Draco muttered because it was the only thing he could think to say. Then he forced himself to think logically, to ignore the panic and fear coursing through his veins.

"You truly think this could work?" he curled his fingers around the world, twisting to look up into Charlie's eyes, assessing his expression, desperate to spot any sort of lie.

"I think we can definitely try. We'll have to do some research and maybe talk if you really don't fancy holding hands as we walk along a beach but yeah. We're at war; everything's crazy and it's only going to get worse. Compared to You-Know-Who coming back to life, is a Weasley and a Malfoy being soul bonded really that shocking?"

Draco gave him a look and Charlie winced even as he smiled.

"Okay, fine. Ignoring the outside world, what do you want to happen? In a perfect world?"

Draco exhaled shakily.

"I'd like to feel safe, to not always expect a curse to hit me or my mother every second. I'd like to feel like I can make my own decisions without having them made for me — what my future's going to be, even who I'm supposed to fall in love with." Charlie was nodding in understanding as Draco spoke and that gave him the courage to continue. "I'd like to not have to be what people always expect. Can't I just be someone who likes to fly and brew potions?"

"You fly? I can't do potions at all but I love to fly."

When Draco's mother came back the sun was low in the sky and they had moved onto sofas, both talking animatedly. She took the scene in as both fell silent in shock and then got to their feet quickly, Charlie holding his hand out for her to shake.

"Charlie Weasley, Mrs Malfoy."

"Charmed, although I've changed my name to my maiden one now."

She actually shook his hand and didn't falter, which made Draco wonder if he'd woken up that morning in some alternate universe.

"He's my soulmate, Mother. We realised during the Triwizard Tournament last year."

She looked shocked and then stared at Charlie who didn't look away. Draco wondered which was more terrifying, staring down his mother or a Hungarian Horntail.

"We are just starting to get to know each other. Everything that's happening is new and daunting," Charlie said softly. "I'm not naive, Miss Black, but I've also seen amazing things in my life and to be soul bound is some of the rarest, most powerful magic I have ever heard of. It's not something to be ignored nor to be ashamed of."

She nodded, looking at them again and then let out a slow breath.

"I will write a letter for you to give to your mother Mr Weasley, I think she and I will need to talk."

When she excused herself to go to her room, Draco exhaled a breath he hadn't been aware he was holding as Charlie mimed wiping sweat from his brow.

"I'd take a dragon over her any day."

"A dragon would probably kill you quicker," Draco muttered.

Both of them glanced down at their hands, intertwined. He hadn't remembered reaching for Charlie's hand, nor when Charlie's calloused and scarred fingers are interlocked with his. It had just felt natural.

Being with Charlie felt natural.

The alarm that shattered the silence wasn't necessary. Both Draco and Charlie had been awake when the call to arms had come in the form of a charmed piece of parchment stuck to their wall glowing, HOGWARTS printed across it suddenly.

It felt fitting really, for a battle to be fought there, although, Draco had always assumed it would be at the Ministry or in London. Charlie got dressed quickly as Draco ushered three owls out from the window. They had worked tirelessly getting Muggleborns and vulnerable people out of the UK, rehoming refugees all over Europe. The owls were going to certain contacts who, should Draco and Charlie not survive, would know where those people that were displaced and needing help were.

No other Order members knew where Charlie and Draco had hidden people. They had taken as many precautions as possible to keep people safe.

Draco was filling his pockets with potion vials, glad that he'd cut his hair short (longer hair would be easier to grab or could fall in his eyes) when Charlie came up behind him and wrapped his arms around him. He let himself close his eyes and indulge for a brief second. When he was in his partner's arms, the rest of the world ceased to exist.

"Now's really not the time," Draco murmured, glancing around their apartment in Romania.

"Now may be the only time. I love you Draco."

"I love you too, Charlie." The words came automatically, so easily that it made Draco want to laugh at the thought that two years ago he had been willing to give up this man who had become his whole world.

"Are you sure you want to do this? You know your father's going to be there; you know that you're going to be a target," Charlie said seriously. "You don't have anything to prove Draco. You've got a network of spies, have helped and saved so many people. Just because you're working behind the scenes doesn't make anything you're doing less invaluable."

"I know that you idiot; I'm a Slytherin. We don't do flashy and 'in your face' acts of heroism like some." Draco gave his boyfriend a pointed look "But I also have something to prove, to myself. I ran away once Charlie because it was the right thing to do. Now, the right thing to do is protect what I love. That's you, of course, but it's also well… everything else. They say that winning's only important in war and surgery, so we just better bloody win."

"You're still not over Fortescue's being destroyed in Diagon Alley, are you?"

"The man had a gift, Charlie. A gift."

It was a moment of humour which broke some of the stifling tension. As they prepared to Apparate, Draco gazed around the home they'd created for themselves in Romania. He found himself praying to Gods he didn't believe in that they would both return and grow old together.

"I love you, Charlie."

This time he said the words slowly, deliberately, and Charlie kissed him. It wasn't a kiss of desperation or longing, more like the kisses Charlie liked to give in lieu of a 'good morning'. It comforted Draco because it insinuated that he wasn't saying goodbye just yet.

"We'll make it work. We always do."

They disapparated, to the chaos of a battlefield buffeted by warm summer air, hand in hand with their heads held high. When their feet touched British soil, Draco had his wand drawn and cast a curse before he could even orientate himself. With Charlie at his side, there was no hesitation in his actions.

Years ago he had leapt off a cliff's edge into the unknown. He had painstakingly clawed his way back up, building a new life for himself. Now, with his soulmate at his side, nothing would ever knock them down again.

A/N: Prompts and challenge:

- The Gift Giving Exchange 2018: for Laura - CharlieDraco, soulmate AUs, some angst.

- Assignment #4: Care of Magical Creatures Task #3 - Write about something rare

- Lyric Alley: Cause time fades

- Liza's Loves: Black Magic - Write about someone performing dark magic

- Jenny's Jovial Quotations: "Winning is only important in war and surgery." - Al McGire

- The Forty Days Challenge: Write about someone being exiled or exiling themselves

- The Insane House Challenge: Song - "My Sacrifice" by Creed

- The 365 Prompts Challenge: 205. Plot Point - A character runs away

- Scavenger Hunt: Write a fic about another Housemate's OTP

- Conversation Starter Prompts Challenge: Write a story set in Summer.

- Serpent Day Challenge: Egg-eater - (object) watch