When James was nine he was told the story of how his parents first met. They got their letters on their seventeenth birthday,
His mother's letter read “Fleamont Potter, 17, Venezuela.”
His father’s letter read “Euphemia Singh, 17, India.”
They lived on opposite sides of the world, and when they graduated school they both travelled to find their soulmate.
They travelled the world, searching in magical villages, and going to ministries of magic to find the location of their soulmate, but they never found each other.
They both went back home with their hope lost in other countries. They searched for years, but to no use.
You aren’t supposed to search for your soulmate after all.
It wasn’t until they were twenty-eight. When Fleamont moved to London for an amazing job opportunity, they saw each other.
But sight doesn’t equal knowledge. They passed each other on the street, Fleamont heading home from work, and Euphemia walking back to the hotel she was staying at for her visit. Her sister had moved to England, to follow her dreams.
On Euphemia's last day before going back home to India, she went to St. Mungos. She was a legitimate healer in search for work. She didn’t want to leave her family, but she had to focus on her future. She handed in her resumé and was told that she would be contacted about further information, on her way out she bumped into a boy. A man . She corrected herself.
The man was hurt, and smelled strange. She couldn’t hold in the shock and exclaimed, “My Gods! Are you alright?”
He had laughed, and she noted how bright it was, “It looks worse than it feels.” he answered her.
“It looks terrible! Do you need any help?”
“No, no. I’m quite alright on my own… Although, maybe you could stay and hold my hand? For moral support, of course.”
He had a cheeky smile, flirtatious. Euphemia had blushed and grabbed his arm. They walked to the front desk together and when the healer came to get him, she followed. There was something… alluring about him.
Despite being in terrible pain from a potion accident, he kept that cheeky smile on his face the entire time the healer fixed him. And hesitantly, Euphemia held the stranger's hand.
“You look familiar- Ow! Uhm, have we met before?” he asked as the healer removed a gross piece of green flesh from his leg.
“I don’t think so… I’m not from here. I’m only visiting my sister.”
“How terribly sad,” he’d said with a frown.
“How so?”
“Well, if you’re only visiting… does it mean I’ll never see you again?”
Euphemia's heart had jumped, and a terrible sadness washed over him. She wanted to see this man again, and again, and again. “I will visit more times.”
“Will you visit me?”
She looked into his eyes and smiled, “I don’t even know your name…”
When the healer started removing another green piece of flesh the man groaned and choked out, “That can be changed.”
“Tell me then.”
“I’m Fleamont, Fleamont Potter.”
She could hear the blood flow in her ears, nothing else except that rushing sound. Her heart beat faster and faster and the hope she’d lost all those years ago started crawling back.
“Are you- are you perhaps from Venezuela?” she choked out.
The man, Fleamont, looked shocked but nodded, “Yes.”
“I’m- My name is Euphemia, Singh. I’m from India.”
Recognition flooded his eyes, hope and wonder. “Are you… perhaps, twenty-eight years old?”
Euphemia chuckled, “I am.”
“Then I must hope and ask you… Are we soulmates?”
Soft smiles were shared between them, and the hands holding each other were no longer hesitant, “I must say, I’m quite certain we are.”
James has held on to that story ever since he heard it, hoping he wouldn’t have to wait eleven years before he meets his soulmate. But knowing that even if it takes that long, the magic has a plan. And James will never give up on the promise of his other half.
Some nights he lay and wonder what they will be like, perhaps he’s already met them. Perhaps he’s lucky and it’s someone he’s already close to. Or maybe that’s not so lucky. He couldn’t imagine ever dating any of his friends.
His seventeenth birthday is tomorrow. And the anticipation was keeping him from falling asleep. He wanted a love like his parents.
James had a name in mind, a person he hoped the letter would say. But the possibility of that… was lower than zero.
When Sirius turned seventeen the year before, he’d choked on his spit and almost started crying when he read his letter. James had panicked and asked if his soulmate was one of his cousins. That had stopped the tears and his best friend had started laughing manically. Peter, having a dangerous addiction to gossip, had snatched the letter out of Sirius’ hands and read the name. The latter hadn’t protested, too occupied with freaking out.
Eventually, he calmed down, took back the letter and gave it to Remus. James who hadn’t read it yet was confused as to why all three of his friends were frozen, it was freaky. James was sure minutes passed before Remus broke the silence.
“We’re soulmates?”
The question had made James’ eyes almost pop out of his head. What was the chance that two best friends turn out to be each other's soulmates? Most soulmates didn’t even live in the same town, go to the same school and often, they never even cross paths before their letter.
The weeks after that were- chaotic, to say the least. But it all calmed down eventually, and when Remus got his letter the fear that Sirius wasn’t his soulmate disappeared.
“Remus Lupin, 16, Wales.”
“Sirius Black, 17, England.”
Now it was James’ turn. To sit at the table, not be able to eat breakfast because of the nerves, and constantly look up for any hint of the post.
“It’ll arrive, James,” Peter said, chewing on a biscuit, “You need to eat something so you don’t pass out when you read it.”
Could Peter be his soulmate? Merlin, James would probably cry. Peter was like a brother, that would- that would be horrible. Could he imagine it? Them cuddled together in bed, holding hands, kissin- no, absolutely not. That’s borderline incest.
Oh no, what would he do if that was true? If his letter said ‘Peter Pettigrew, 16, Scotland.’
James isn’t even a little bit in love with Peter, it- it would be almost as bad as if the letter would say Sirius, or- or his mother's name. NO. That can’t happen, can it?
No, absolutely not. Family can’t be soulmates. Right? Oh, no.
“James?” Sirius asked, “What kind of war is going on in your head?”
James looked up, scared, and disgusted. Oh, no. Now he was imagining kissing Sirius. Ewewewewew. STOP! Sirius already has a soulmate. It’s Remus. Sirius and Remus are soulmates. Can soulmates change? No, probably not. Maybe? WHAT IF REMUS IS HIS SOULMATE?! Sirius would be heartbroken. Nononononono. This is not good. Why is he imagining holding Remus’ hand? Stopstopstopstop. ARGH! Stop seeing Remus’ torso in your head, James. Stop! Stupid brain!
“Nothing,” he answered quietly.
“James,” don’t look at him, don’t look at him, don- shit! James looked at him. “It’ll be fine. You have nothing to worry about.”
That’s easy for you to say, Remus! You’re not the one panicking over possible incest soulmates!
But before James could answer the sounds of screeching could be heard. And owls filled the great hall. Everyone knew everyone’s birthday. People knew James turned seventeen today. And it felt like every pair of eyes in the room were on him.
James was burning up.
A large eagle owl flew over their heads and landed softly on James’ shoulder. Owls usually just dropped the letter or landed on the table, it wasn’t uncommon for them to spill food everywhere. But for them to land on your shoulder. Yeah, that’s business.
“ Hello, ” James whispered to the owl, it bit his ear and held out a leg. The letter was bound prettily. It was obvious it was a ministry letter. He lifted two shaky hands and untied the knot. James grabbed a piece of bacon and gave it to the owl, before it let out a hoot and flew away.
He couldn’t do anything but stare at the envelope. His hands hadn’t stopped shaking. He couldn’t open it.
“I can’t open it,” James stated.
“Yes, you can,” Peter said firmly, “What’s the worst thing that could happen?”
IT COULD BE INCEST!
“Peter,” he whispered, and looked at his friend with fear, “Peter, Peter you have to open it.”
His friends looked confused, “Me?”
“Yes,” James nodded quickly, “Yes, yes, yes, you have to open it! I can’t!”
“James- James you can,” Sirius said, he looked worried.
“No… No, no, no, I think I might cry! You have no idea! I can’t open it!”
“I-I- Okay?” Peter stuttered, “I’ll open it. But I won’t tell you, you’ll have to read it yourself.”
“Fine!” James pushed the letter into his friend’s hands, “Here!”
“James, you’re acting crazy,” Remus stated. Looking weirded out. The people sitting around them looked confused, staring in curiosity. Nosy bastards.
“Fine,” Peter raised his eyebrows and ripped open the envelope, he made a show of pulling out the letter, thick, almost yellow paper, folded neatly.
James stared. He stared, and stared, and stared. He could hear his heart, beating hard and fast. His eyes were glued on the letter, Peter opened it and read what it said. James looked at his face, to see his reaction. But that made everything terrible, because Peter was shocked.
Oh, no. Oh, no. It’s him. Peter’s James’ soulmate. Shit, shit, shit.
“Oh,” was the only thing he said.
“What? What, what? What do you mean ‘Oh’?” James rushed out, “Is it bad? Is it really bad? Oh, no. I knew it! It’s incest!”
“What?!” Peter exclaimed, “NO! It’s not incest!?”
“It’s not?” James whispered.
Understanding flooded his friend's face, “No, James. It’s not incest, and it’s not bad. It’s just- Shocking.”
Shocking. Shocking. Shocking. It’s shocking.
“Okay,” James mumbled, “Okay, give me the letter.”
Peter didn’t hesitate to hand it over, still open but James didn’t look. Too terrified. The crease in the paper made it fold over when he grabbed the paper. Feeling his whole body shaking how unfolded the letter and saw the black letters in the middle of it.
Shocking is was Peter had said. And he was definitely not wrong.
“Shocking.”
“What? Who is it?” Sirius demanded, “Peter knows! I also want to know!”
The mentioned boy laughed, “I actually think it’s better you don’t know.”
“Shocking.”
“Why?!”
“Sirius,” Remus muttered, “I think James is having a crisis.”
“Wha-”
“Shocking!”
“James?” Sirius asked hesitantly, “Are you alright?”
It took a minute before he responded, but to be fair James had every right to freak out, “Yes. I’m alright. I don’t think you’ll be though.”
“What? What do you mean?”
“I… I- I mean that- I’m really, very happy with this. I’m ecstatic. But I’m freaking out also, and I think I might throw up. And also, you won’t be happy about the person who’s name is on this letter.”
Sirius frowned, “I won’t be happy because you’re happy about who your soulmate is?”
James shrugged, “I… I think you’ll freak out.”
“Worse than you?” his best friend snorted.
“Yeah… Mmhmm. Yep.”
“Who is it?”
“Take a look!” James handed the letter over to his two friends on the opposite side of the table, staring out into space, thinking- How could he be this lucky?
A choked sound escaped Sirius, and Peter and Remus started loudly cackling.
“You-you-you- I- MY BROTHER!” he yelled, throwing the paper down onto the table. Showing the words to the world, and his loud voice echoed in the hall. Announcing it to the rest of the students of Hogwarts.
“Regulus Black, 15, England.”
On the other side of the hall, a loud laugh could be heard from Bartemius Crouch Junior. He was slapping his best friend's arm while looking close to tears. “This is SO good! Holy shit!”
A stunned Regulus stared at the birthday boy, their eyes met and the realisation hit them at the same time. They were soulmates.