Harry Potter never expected to be pulled through time, but after the final battle, his world was left with too many memories and too much sorrow. Escaping to Scotland for solitude, he’d found the ancient stone circle by accident, and before he could react, the magic had yanked him into the past.
It was 1743, and he was utterly lost.
But not for long.
Jamie Fraser found him in the woods, injured and disoriented. The Highlander had assumed Harry was just another poor soul fleeing the chaos of the Jacobite rebellion. But as the days passed and Harry’s strange habits and knowledge became apparent, Jamie couldn’t help but be drawn to the mysterious man who had saved him from the British patrols more than once.
Their bond had grown quietly, almost imperceptibly, between stolen glances and whispered conversations by the hearth. The cold Highland nights became warmer in each other’s presence, though both understood the dangers of their connection. Harry, with his strange powers, and Jamie, a Highlander sworn to his clan and country, found solace in one another even when words were unnecessary.
One snowy night, as they huddled together in a small stone cabin high in the hills, it became undeniable.
Jamie turned to Harry, his blue eyes reflecting the flickering light of the fire. “I can’t deny it any longer,” he murmured, his voice rough with emotion. “I care for ye, more than I should, more than I’m allowed.”
Harry’s heart raced. He had felt the same pull, the same unrelenting connection. He reached out, fingers brushing against Jamie’s. “I know,” he whispered. “I feel it too.”
Their lips met, a tender yet fierce declaration of everything they had been holding back. For a moment, the world outside disappeared, the rebellion, the war, the duties. There was only the warmth of Jamie’s arms around Harry, the gentle press of his forehead against his.
But that moment was fleeting.
Duty called, as it always did. Jamie was bound by his honor to fight for his people, to fight for Scotland. And Harry, with all his powers, couldn’t change that.
As the rebellion stirred, Jamie became more distant. He rode out with his men more frequently, strategizing for the inevitable battle against the British. Harry watched as the man he loved was pulled further into the cause, and he knew the moment would come when Jamie would choose Scotland over them.
One bitter evening, as the wind howled and snow began to fall in thick, swirling sheets, Harry pleaded with him. “You don’t have to do this, Jamie. We can leave, go anywhere. I have magic, I can protect us both.”
Jamie’s jaw clenched as he looked away, the struggle evident in his features. “It’s not that simple, Harry. I swore an oath. My people need me.”
“And what about us?” Harry’s voice cracked. “What about what we have?”
Jamie turned back to him, eyes full of sorrow. “I love ye, Harry. I’ve never known a love like this. But I cannae forsake my duty.”
Harry’s heart shattered in that moment. He understood Jamie’s loyalty to his country, but it didn’t make the pain any less. “So this is it, then? You’re choosing Scotland over us?”
Jamie’s hand trembled as he reached up to cup Harry’s cheek. “It’s not a choice, lad. If it were, I’d choose ye. Every time.”
The snow outside was falling faster now, swirling into a storm that mirrored the turmoil inside Harry’s chest. He turned away, wrapping his cloak tightly around himself as the cold seeped into his bones. “I can’t stay here,” he whispered, his voice barely audible. “Not like this.”
Without another word, Harry left the cabin, stepping out into the blizzard.
The snowstorm was relentless. Harry pushed through it, his vision blurred by the thick flurry of white. His magic was weakened by his heartbreak, and every step felt like a battle. The biting wind stung his face, and his fingers were numb, but he couldn’t bring himself to turn back.
He loved Jamie, but the Highlander had made his choice. And Harry couldn’t stay and watch the man he loved march off to die for a cause that he couldn’t be part of.
Hours passed, though it felt like days. The storm grew worse, and Harry’s strength faded. He stumbled, collapsing into the deep snow. His body shivered uncontrollably, and his thoughts grew sluggish. All he could think about was Jamie, his warmth, his smile, the safety Harry had felt in his arms.
But now, he was alone.
Jamie burst through the door of the cabin, his heart pounding. The storm had worsened after Harry had left, his men and him snowed in until reinforcements arrived. But when he saw the empty space where Harry should have been, his world crumbled.
He should have stopped him.
Gritting his teeth, Jamie set out into the storm without his army, his only thought being to find Harry, to bring him back, no matter the cost.
When Jamie finally found Harry, the wizard was half-buried in the snow, his face pale and his lips blue. Fear gripped Jamie’s heart as he dropped to his knees and gathered Harry into his arms.
“Stay with me, Harry,” he whispered fiercely, pressing his lips to Harry’s forehead. “I’m here. I’m not leaving ye.”
Through the fog of cold and exhaustion, Harry’s eyes fluttered open. His voice was weak, barely a breath. “Jamie...”
“Aye, lad. I’ve got ye,” Jamie murmured, his voice thick with emotion. “I’m sorry. I should have stayed with ye. I should have chosen ye.”
Harry’s fingers weakly grasped Jamie’s coat, holding on to the one thing keeping him tethered to the world. “I’m glad... you came.”
Jamie held him tighter, the storm raging around them, but it didn’t matter anymore. Duty be damned. Harry was the only thing that mattered now.
“I’ll never leave ye again,” Jamie vowed. “I swear it.”
The snow continued to fall, but in Jamie’s arms, Harry finally felt warmth once more.