Soul of Love

By: Asagi Tsuki

Pairing: Harry/Draco

Summary: Draco Malfoy is rumored to be the most beautiful mortal alive with little to no luck in love life. However, a cruel prophecy is about to change the fact

Warning: OOCness (some characters might be OOC). Also, pardon my lack of language diversity, but English isn't my first language and I'm really not used to British English. I'm currently in Australia, but still none the wiser in Oz slang. Another warning, I read the books and watched the film (although only until Order of Phoenix. I didn't read or watch HBP and DH), but I have to be honest, I'm starting to forget the characters -_-;;; not all, obviously, so I won't be including those I don't really remember well

Disclaimer: obviously, Harry Potter is not written by me. If it were, it would be so lame, that this fandom would be non-existent. And I would be off writing another book instead of fanfics

A/N: this is an AU fic, set in the world of Greek myths, with the gods and goddesses and all that. Note that the gods and goddesses WILL make an appearance in this story. This story is based on the story of Psyche and Eros, and you're free to google the story if you'd like :D this is a three-shot

I've written this story months—or even years—ago, but haven't gotten around to posting it up, especially since I've moved fandom. FF net doesn't approve of posting up similar stories in different fandoms, so I decided to post it here. This was first written as a TVXQ fanfic, but I've rewritten it to fit HP characters... somewhat :3

Anyway, enjoy! And if you do, do leave a review because I'm a comment whore :P

Part One – The Prophecy

It was a calm spring day. The wind was fair and weather nice; all in all a favorable day for the sailors who had let the sails do the work instead of the rowers. In one of the boats currently sailing through the seas was a priestess of Artemis on her way to Thebes on request of Artemis herself.

Normally, gods or goddesses, especially the Olympians, couldn't care less about the lives of the mortals. They would be off partying, getting drunk on ambrosia in Olympus before they would lift a finger to help one of the mere mortals. Artemis was an exception, however, as she was a quite nosy goddess.

The priestess groaned as she remembered the mess she had gotten into regarding the couple of Troy and Sparta during the Trojan War. Artemis was the one who had gotten curious about the whole Golden Apple ordeal, and yet she was the one who got roped into solving the problem for the greater good of the people of Troy.

This time, Artemis had noticed a call for help from one of the mortals in Thebes. There was supposedly a very beautiful mortal in Thebes who had no luck at all in love life, and had required help. Not him, but his parents. Artemis, being the nosy goddess she was, didn't let this chance pass up and had sent her best priestess to see what the problem was all about.

The priestess watched her crew work the sails, and looked out at the sea. They were already past Athens, and would soon arrive at Thebes.

"Captain Granger," a sailor called as he walked up to the bow of the ship. "We're going to throw the anchor soon. Thebes port is already visible from here."

Hermione nodded approvingly. "Good," she said. "I'll go meet the parents of this Draco myself."

"Yes, Captain!" the sailors said as they saluted her and went back to work. Hermione felt a smile tugging at the corner of her lips as she watched them work.

She had always been proud of her crew. When she was first appointed to be priestess of Artemis the Huntress, a lot of sailors had signed up to be part of her crew. She didn't let just anyone be part of her team, and she was glad she had such reliable and trustworthy crew. They had been with her through hardships, when she needed to go back and forth between Gythio and Troia due to the Trojan War.

She was glad that the war was finally done with minimal damage or she would still be going back and forth and help the reparations going.

Whoever thought the work of a priestess involved only greeting visitors of the temple and lighting the candles in the temple should be condemned to an eternity of suffering.

"Throw the anchors! We're porting at Thebes!" one of the sailors called, and the crew threw the anchors into the sea bottom, securing the position of their ship at one of the port's piers.

Hermione waited as the ship was guided to the dock and tied to it. "Thank you men," she said, walking towards the wooden platform laid out to bridge the gap between the dock and their ship. "I will be off to the temple, and hopefully will be back soon. We have a long way ahead, so anyone of you go to an agora and stock up on supplies. There's a possibility we'll be sailing to Delphi."

"Yes, Captain!" the crew shouted off and Hermione walked off from the port, towards the altar in Thebes. Artemis had told her that she would find the one seeking their help there.

When Hermione arrived at the altar, she saw no one. It was quiet and very much deserted. Not many were there to give sacrifices because they would rather go to Korinth where Aphrodite was, to Delphi where Artemis was, or even to Eresos where Ares was. Thebes was close to Mount Olympus and that was why the mortals had an altar built there, but no one really took note of the altar.

However, just when Hermione was about to give up and leave, possibly return the next day, a middle-aged woman walked in through the main double doors, guiding a lamb along. She had long, bright platinum blond hair, and Hermione had to admit that she was beautiful, despite her age.

She also wasn't poor, if the flawless, fat lamb she was guiding was any indication. They met at the doors, and Hermione smiled pleasantly at her.

"Are you the one seeking help from Artemis the Huntress?" Hermione asked, smiling kindly at the woman. "I am Hermione Granger, trusted priestess of Artemis. She has sent me here to help you."

The woman looked surprised and confused. "I never specified the name of god I asked help from. I just wanted someone to help me."

Hermione nodded in understanding. "Artemis the Huntress had mercy on you and decided to help," she said, deciding not to tell the woman that Artemis had decided to help out of her nosiness. "So how may we help?"

The woman sighed as she slightly patted the head of the lamb. "You see, I have a problem. I have a son, Draco. He is the fairest person of Earth. Many men and women alike came to admire him, give him gifts, and praise his beauty."

"What exactly is the problem?" Hermione pushed. It seemed to her that her son was blessed, not cursed.

"He may be cold and sarcastic, but he does have a golden heart," the woman said. "The problem is, even though everyone admired him, praised him, no one courted him."

"Ah," Hermione said, nodding thoughtfully.

"He has no suitors. Many would come from all over to admire him, but they would go back and marry ordinary people from their hometown. No one has even tried to win him," the woman complained, her eyebrows furrowed as she recounted the events happening to her son. "Oh, how rude of me. My name is Narcissa, by the way. Narcissa Malfoy."

"Mrs. Malfoy," Hermione greeted.

Suddenly, a man walked into the altar, his cold grey eyes shining slightly in concern, although it was soon replaced with relief when he saw Narcissa, and Hermione thought this must be the son she was talking about.

She had to agree with Narcissa. It seemed that the praises she gave her son wasn't just because he was her son. He had fair, pale complexion and silky blond hair. His eyes were bright and lips pouty. He was tall and lean, and Hermione wouldn't question it if anyone told her he was beautiful like a goddess.

"Mother, there you are," Draco said, walking over and holding onto Narcissa's arm. "I told you there's no need to bring sacrifices here just to get me a suitor. It's not worth your problem."

Hermione raised her brow, and nodded to herself. She also understood what Narcissa meant by cold and sarcastic.

"Nonsense, Draco," Narcissa said, holding onto her son's wrist. "You are beautiful, we know it. You deserve the best, not to rot away without knowing true love, and Artemis the Huntress had listened to my prayers. She had sent her priestess to us."

Draco turned to look at Hermione. "Are you the priestess the Huntress sent?" he asked, his face expressionless but his eyes showed genuine joy at knowing that his mother's prayers had been heard. "I'm sorry for the trouble. Really. I don't care even if I have no suitor. That would mean I have more time to be with my family."

"Oh Draco," Narcissa said as she pulled the man into a tight hug. "That's not right, honey. I love you so much, but I want you to have someone to share your life with. Someone you can grow old together with."

"Yes, Mother, I know," Draco said, hugging Narcissa. "But it's not that urgent. Someone will come around one day, I'm sure. There's no need for you to fret."

Narcissa sighed and let go of her son, turning back to face Hermione. "Well, seems that I can't defeat my son's stubbornness. However, it's not nice to trouble you this far and send you away just like that. Would you care to come to our house and join us for dinner?"

Hermione smiled brightly at the woman. "I would be glad to."

Narcissa practically beamed and Draco smiled slightly at his mother's excitement. He nodded at Hermione and they walked out of the altar. That night, the sacrificial lamb was slaughtered to be their meal instead.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

The next morning, after saying goodbye to the Malfoy family, Hermione and her crew set sail for Delphi, behind the bay and past Gythio. They arrived a few weeks after, and Hermione went to the altar as soon as they docked.

"I see you've met them," Artemis commented when she saw Hermione walking into the altar. "Isn't he beautiful? Many people claimed that he is even more beautiful than Aphrodite. I'd have to say that's true."

"She's going to kill you if she heard that," Hermione said with a sigh, remembering the plotting goddess that had gotten the Golden Apple through blackmail. "She's way too jealous for her own good. I'm surprised those mortals who claimed that hadn't been killed by Aphrodite yet."

"But that's exactly why we're going to help him," Artemis said with a low chuckle.

Hermione shook her head. "Do you hate Aphrodite that much? You're helping everyone she doesn't like."

"Nah," Artemis said as she shook her head. "He's a good man, dedicated and strong. You know that too, don't you? I know you're here to ask for Apollo's prophecy for him."

Hermione gave her a grin.

"I'll call Apollo," Artemis said as she walked off into the inner chamber of her altar. Soon enough, a siren-like creature descended from the sky in front of Hermione.

"Hello, Lady Granger," the woman greeted.

"Hello Miss Delacour," Hermione greeted back.

"I came on behalf of Apollo to give you the message that you are to pass on to Draco Malfoy of Thebes," Fleur said as she watched Hermione prepare a parchment to write the message on. "He is destined to be brought to a mountain near Troia, where he would be devoured by a monster. That is his fate, measured out by Atropos herself."

Hermione gasped. Atropos was one of the three death ladies, called Fates or Moirae. She was the one in charge of measuring how long someone would life for when they were born.

"I see," Hermione said after a while, rolling the parchment up. "It's a pity to know that he would have to die in the hands of a monster, but I suppose if it was what Atropos had foretold, then I have no power to go against it."

Fleur smiled sympathetically at her. "Thank you for being so understanding."

Hermione sighed. She absolutely hated being the bearer of bad news, especially to Narcissa, the good woman. She knew she loved her son more than anything, and to know her son was fated to die such ungraceful death would no doubt break her heart.

She also wasn't sure how Draco would take the news. From the dinner conversation that time, she found out that Draco was someone who believed in fate. He would do whatever a god or goddess told him to do, and if it was his fate, as foretold by Atropos, he would gladly do it.

With another heavy sigh, Hermione returned to the dock, ready to sail back to Thebes.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

"Miss Granger," Draco greeted when he saw Hermione walking through their front gate. "How nice of you to pay us a visit again. No doubt Mother would be thrilled. Would you like to join us for dinner?"

Hermione stared at him, biting her lower lip as she prepared herself to drop the bombshell. "I've come here to pass on the message Apollo gave me," she said glumly.

"Oh, Hermione," Narcissa greeted as she walked over. "I was just about to call Draco in for dinner. Would you like to come in as well?"

"Mrs. Malfoy," Hermione said, "I went back to Delphi and consulted Apollo. I knew you didn't ask, but I wanted to know just why there was no one to court your son."

Narcissa nodded, motioning at her to continue.

"I'm afraid I'm not a bearer of good tidings," Hermione said, frowning. "Apollo said that he is destined to be brought to a mountain near Troia, where he would be devoured by a monster."

The look of pure horror on Narcissa's face had made Hermione think whether telling the truth was the best course of action. She knew she would have reacted similarly if it was her son.

"Mother," Draco spoke softly, holding onto his mother, steadying her. "Calm down."

"Calm down!" Narcissa exclaimed in shock. "How could I, Draco? How could I?"

Hermione looked at them in sympathy.

"Oh, if I knew this would happen I wouldn't have asked at all!" Narcissa said, sobbing. "At least I would have my Draco until the day I die!"

"Mother," Draco spoke again, holding his mother tightly. "It's alright."

"No it's not alright!" Narcissa protested. "You don't have to go, Draco. Keep your mother company here."

Draco smiled at her. "I'd love to do that," he said, "but you know how I am. If it's my fate, I can't go against it. You know that the Fates don't like having their plans changed."

Hermione groaned. His reaction was exactly like what she had thought.

Sometimes she wished he would be more selfish than that and listened to his mother instead.

"Miss Granger," Draco said, turning to her and she nearly jumped in surprise. "I know this is incredibly selfish of us—of me. I, however, don't know anyone else who could do this for me. Would you do the honor of taking me to Troia?"

Hermione looked at Narcissa and wanted to say no. She really did. Then at least she could go on with the knowledge that she wasn't the one who caused his death, and that if he really had no means of transportation to Troia, then he would just stay quietly in Thebes until one of the Fates come for him.

"Alright," she found herself saying, and wondered if she had done the right thing.

"Thank you," Draco said as he smiled at Hermione. "We could go tomorrow morning if you don't mind. For now, why don't you come join us for dinner?"

Hermione thought he was way too calm for someone who was facing imminent death.

Later that night, as they retired to their own rooms, she wondered if any of the gods would side with the Malfoy family and help him out.

End of Part One

And that's it :D hope you enjoyed it, even in the slightest

There's a reference to another fic I wrote (but this one very much unfinished) :D it changed quite a bit from the original because of it, since the two fics were supposedly connected and the main casts shared the same name although... well, it's complicated :P