Actions

Work Header

The Soulmate

Summary:

Year 5
The night of the Yule ball, the prince of Slytherin asked the princess of Gryffindor to dance. Rumor had it they hated each other. In truth, Diana barely knew him. She also didn't know he was her soulmate, and that he had been avoiding her ever since she arrived at Hogwarts.

Notes:

This is part of a series of one-shots following DC characters in the Harry Potter Settling. No chronological order. Mostly Bruce-centric. Enjoy :)
Many thanks to Jefrince for betaing this!

Chapter Text

Seven Years in Hogwarts

Year 5: The Soulmate

 

The lights of the ballroom glowed with an eerie softness. Colors from every House had been painted over the room. Most students had gathered in groups of friends, with or without a date. Diana had agreed to go with Napi because he cared little for parties, which suited her purpose. In fact, she would have skipped the whole fuss herself had she not been coaxed by her friends.

‘You should hang out more,’ they said. ‘Have a little fun.’

They missed Steve too, but they were moving on. Diana had a harder time letting go. Steve had been her first friend and her first crush. Her feelings might have grown deeper with time had he not stupidly drawn his wand. His action had ended up with him exiled from the Wizarding world, cursed to forget the three and a half years he had spent in a magical castle surrounded by friends. Hogwarts should have encouraged him to leave his old life behind. Unfortunately, he had been far too stubborn to forget his grudge and used his magic against a muggle. Ludendorff had been indirectly responsible for the death of Steve’s family, but magic shouldn’t have been the answer. Though she knew he had been in the wrong, his departure had broken her heart.

Still, Diana had to admit the décor somehow lifted her spirits. Headmistress Finch probably hired a very skilled crew to design the statues. The enchanted orchestra was playing a soft background melody unknown to her. The large tables had been pushed against the walls to free the floor and were covered with appetizers and sandwich clubs. Everyone had put on their best robes –or suits, as muggle clothing had become the trend in the past few years. Even Napi had traded the traditional wizard robes for a deep brown three-piece with golden embroidery. She had opted for a simple but elegant red dress.

Students unconsciously parted as she made her way across the Great Hall-converted-ballroom. Diana felt the looks of admiration or spite -sometimes both –and heard her nickname ‘Princess of Gryffindor’ whispered. In the middle of her third year, her peers had decided she fitted the perfect Gryffindor profile: brave and determined with old blood and talent. To this date, she still had no idea why they had set her on a pedestal and tried not to care too much.

“First dance, Diana,” Napi told her, bringing her back to the present.

He guided her onto the floor with a sure hand, assumed the position, and waited for the first notes. They easily fell into the music, the familiar pattern of the dance. Her friend led her with a gentle hand and she followed without a second thought.

“Are you alright?” Napi asked. Diana gave him a light smile.

“I’m fine.” They twirled around again. “It’s just that…”

Her voice trailed off. Her friend completed:

He wanted to take you dancing.”

Her smile dimmed. They danced in silence until the song ended. Napi accompanied her to the side while the second flock of students stepped on the floor with growing excitement. No one spared her a second glance this time. Students were proudly remembering the steps learned the past month and were showing off their dates. Charlie and a cute little redhead were giggling as the Scottish man bragged about his exploits. Sameer had vanished somewhere in the room. She spotted other friends and acquaintances having a good time, laughing and dancing.

The evening seemed to turn out well for many. She just wished it had been better for her too.

“May I have this dance?”

Diana jumped, startled, and looked up into the cold blue eyes of Bruce Wayne.

The Slytherin stood elegantly in the trendy muggle-like three-piece suit. He was entirely dressed in black, from his dark shoes to his thin gloves. His smirk was firmly set on his face, but there was no warmth in it. A strange feeling tingled in her body as he held her gaze. The faint scent of –something she couldn’t name but found very attractive –came to tickle her nose. Diana did not doubt a second that this fragrance came from Wayne and wondered if he was using a potion or a spell.

He doesn’t need a potion or a spell, a small voice teased her. He is eye-drawing in his own right.

His hand was extended, waiting patiently for her reply. Napi shifted by her side, ready to intervene. She almost refused. She was opening her mouth to refuse when-

“Fine,” she spoke, and she immediately cursed herself for not thinking this through.

His eyes flared with emotions she did not recognize. A blink later, it was gone. A spell? She wondered. It wouldn’t make sense. Not here, in plain sight. If it was a spell, she wouldn’t have seen it, right?

She took his offered hand, followed him onto the floor. Tension was building in her chest, blood drumming in her ears. Whispers roused around them and her peers paused in their conversation to watch. The Princess of Gryffindor was dancing with the Prince of Slytherin.

Rumors had them hate each other, when in fact, she had barely ever spoken to him. They never had a reason to exchange at all: he was a year older, neither of them played Quidditch and outside of school, her mother didn’t let her attend official parties. Truthfully, she didn’t know him. That didn’t mean she didn’t know some things about him. Everyone in the Wizarding world had heard about the tragic tale of his parents murdered by a hit-wizard in the muggle streets of London. Everyone whispered about how he appeared much more interested in skirts than in studies; and how he could have likely ended in Gryffindor had he not possessed a ruthless side. No one dared to go against the Wayne Heir. His magical powers might be average, but he could cast very nasty spells if provoked. Even Luthor, everyone’s most hated Slytherin, stayed clear from him.

Perhaps he had cast something upon her. Diana had never found herself so caught up before.

He paused in his steps, allowing her to stand in position. His hand moved on her waist. She kept her head high, never leaving his eyes. Silence reigned for a while and then…

The music started. Violins jumped into action with the melody of a waltz. He was a good dancer, she had to give it to him –the hold was strong, he led firmly but not overwhelmingly. If not for the suspicion that she had just been spellbound, Diana might have enjoyed the moment.

“Are we not going to speak a word this whole time?” she asked eventually, annoyed by his silence. An amused twinkle appeared in his eyes. Finally a response.

“You just did, princess.”

Diana rolled her eyes, briefly breaking contact.

“Don’t call me like that,” she muttered.

“Why shouldn’t I?” he retorted. His voice sounded suave and smug. Not in a way she liked.

“I am not royalty,” she shot back, perhaps harsher than she should.

“If you say so.” She glared at him, suddenly wishing she could find a way to smack that smirk off his face. “Did I mention you look beautiful tonight? The color of your dress suits your complexion fairly well.”

Diana’s warning instincts skyrocketed. He flirted with every girl, but had not approached her so far, not even when she had hit puberty and gained a crowd of new admirers. Why make his move now? And here of all places?

“What do you want?” she asked suspiciously.

His smirk grew slightly.

“I’m just enjoying a dance with a lovely girl.” His hand tightened slightly on her waist as he added on a lower tone: “You are a mystery I love to contemplate.”

Diana wouldn’t have felt differently if he’d just announced he had decided to live on the moon. She discreetly sniffed him, smelt nothing odd aside from that distracting fragrance.

“Are you drunk?” she asked anyway.

He tss-ed with mock disappointment.

“Really, princess? That’s the best you can do?”

Diana huffed, annoyed now. If he was using a spell, it wasn’t very effective.

“Don’t treat me like I will end up heartbroken from your neglect, Wayne.”

“My, my, who would ever think your mind jumped so quickly to the dating scene?” he leaned forward, his face inches away from hers.

She glared at him again and refused to escape, not even when she could almost feel his breath on her skin. She had never realized how deep and blue his eyes were, piercing through her mind as if searching through her soul. A shiver ran through her body, not due to the cold. Something was wrong with Wayne –skirt chaser he might be, such a bold move was not like him. Not here, in the open, where everyone would see. His girlfriends flaunted his exploits in his name, but he barely touched others in public. She couldn’t remember if anyone had caught him kissing or necking –or doing more –in the corridors. Why would she even know that? she wondered before focusing on the present –and more accurately, on Bruce Wayne clearly leaning closer.

“What is wrong with you?” she blurted, dug her fingers in his shoulder and gave him a firm shake.

The Slytherin blinked. He did not lose his smirk, but kept silent and pulled back. He gave no answer for his behavior and before she could ask for further information, the music came to an end. Like an old-fashioned gentleman, he walked her back to Napi and brought her hand to his mouth.

“It was a pleasure, princess,” he said briskly and left at that.

Diana watched as he headed towards the back of the room and was interrupted by Lois Lane, the Ravenclaw Head Girl. They exchanged a few words in low tones, his expression far too serious while hers seemed concerned. Apparently, she wasn’t the only one who had noticed his odd behavior. Arthur Curry, the black sheep of Gryffindor, and the Slytherin Prefect Mera Xebel joined them next. Wayne’s face darkened. His words turned short and angry. Curry shook his head, Xebel frowned and Lane looked frustrated. Soon enough, Clark Kent, the Hufflepuff Prefect approached in turn. The argument broke down as Lane followed Kent, Curry and Xebel left to the floor for the next dance and Wayne was approached by Vicky Vale, the exchange student from Ilvermorny. Wayne snubbed her and departed, an action that surprised Diana. As far as she knew, he never declined an obvious invitation. She was still watching when he turned around, looked straight at her, and smirked again.

Her cheeks flushed in embarrassment and she looked away. Whatever he did was none of her business. When she turned back towards her friend, Napi’s eyes were glinting in amusement.

“What?” she blurted bluntly.

“Nothing,” he replied, but she did not miss the laugher in his tone. She crossed her arms and glared at him. He relented: “Wayne seems to have an interesting effect on you.”

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“As I said, nothing,” he repeated. Diana narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms. Unfortunately, her intimidation skills didn’t work on Napi. A shame, truly, as she suspected he had sniffed out something and was holding back on her.

“I see.” The coolness of her tone did nothing to deter him. She uncrossed her arms and sighed. They hadn’t been there for over twenty minutes and she felt exhausted already. “I shouldn’t have come tonight. I’m returning to the dorm.”

“You do look tired,” he commented, and concern replaced the previous amusement. “Should I walk you back?”

Diana snorted.

“Please, as if anything will happen to me in Hogwarts.” She patted his chest and added: “Enjoy your evening, you don’t deserve a sulky date.”

She left him without another word, slipping through the crowd towards the nearest exit. The corridors were empty, safe for the armors. A prankster had decorated them with garlands and various Christmas ornaments, but they didn’t seem to mind. If anything, she thought they produced a cheery feeling. Had he still been there, she and Steve would have joked about the silliness, shared a few candies stolen from the kitchen and hidden in the dormitories for peace and quiet. Her heart clenched again and she wondered, not for the first time -why, why did he have to go after Ludendorff? Why hadn’t he told her of his plan? Diana bit her lower lip, blinked her teary eyes and forced herself to focus on the present.

Steve had forsaken the magical world, he no longer belonged with them. It had been his choice and his choice alone. Still, it hurt to think he had put his own selfish needs before the rest; his friends had to answer for his actions too, her mother had been called in by the Ministry. So many things could have gone wrong had Headmistress Finch not intervened and refused to expel them.

He never thought about us, Napi told her later. He had been allowed to speak with Steve once, just before he was obliviated. He was just angry that he couldn’t kill that guy and showed no remorse at dragging us down with him. He thought your mother’s name would protect you. Even after four years, he still knew nothing of our world.

Her feet stopped as she became distracted by something else. There was a shadow shaped like a dog further down the hall. No, she thought as she squinted further, not a shadow. There was a dog –a huge dog at that –staring right back at her. A Great Dane with big canines and a long tongue lolling out of his mouth. The dog trotted towards her, moving gracefully for such a big thing, and stopped a few feet away. It stared straight at her, panting loudly for the otherwise quiet corridor.

“Hello?” Diana said awkwardly. Did it belong to a student? Was it lost? Did the Care of Magical Creatures professor adopt another pet and failed to tell anyone? Red eyes glowed softly –a summoning then? Or an illusion? Was someone out to prank her?

The dog shook its head, huffed and turned around. After three steps, it turned its head back to her, as if saying ‘you coming?’.

“Well, it’s not like I have anything else to do,” she muttered, and followed.

The dog barked and suddenly ran off. Diana cursed and followed suit. The beast was fast and silent, crossing the halls with a firm sense of direction. It definitively knew where it was heading. If this was a prank, she promised herself to kick the prankster’s ass. The dog turned at a crossroad and when she reached the intersection, it had vanished. Instead, she spotted a student sprawled on the ground. Face down, hands over his neck and whining in pain. Diana took seconds to recognize him.

“Wayne? Wayne, are you alright?”

Silly question, he didn’t look alright. She glanced around –found no sign of the dog –crouched next to the Slytherin. The little she could see of his face seemed pale and sweaty. His eyes were closed, his mouth opened in a painful sneer. She immediately reached for his forehead.

Don’t touch me,” he growled. His voice sounded strained and shaky. His whole body trembled, as if shaken by a shiver. Diana grimaced.

“Wayne, you need help.”

“Levitation spell. Mrs. Thompkins –still in the infirmary.” 

Stupid stubborn boy, she chided inwardly, but complied and pulled her wand. ‘Windgardium Leviosa’. His body rose in the air and she directed it through the castle, crossing her fingers that no one would see them on the way. Diana would not be at the receiving end of accusations, especially after dancing with him. He had clearly drunk or ingested something –something strong enough to bring him to his knees. Was that the reason he behaved differently tonight? The uneasy feeling returned and she accelerated her pace.

They reached the infirmary shortly after. True to Wayne’s words, Mrs. Thompkins hadn’t left yet. The nurse first welcomed her with a smile, but when she spotted Bruce floating behind her, she paled drastically.

“Move him to the bed dear,” she instructed. “I’ll be right with him.”

The nurse hurriedly returned to her office and Diana complied. Every bed was empty tonight so no one would witness the scene. Diana doubted anyone would believe her if she told it anyway. She delicately deposed the Slytherin on the nearest bed. Wayne was still shaking in pain. He looked pitiful, she thought. Vulnerable.

“It’s going to be alright,” she said and reflexively ran a hand in his hair. Her mother did this gesture when she was sick, and she felt the urge to repeat it for him.

The moment her fingers came in contact with his skin, pain exploded in her body so suddenly her legs flinched and she crumbled on the ground. She felt stabbed in the guts, burned under her skin. The sensation spread in her chest, her legs, her arms, her neck and her head. Everything felt too much –the light, the sound, the feel of the stony floor, the smell of medicine and –

And everything stopped. Just as sudden as it came, the pain vanished as if it had never existed. Diana slowly got back on her feet, her legs trembling, holding onto the bed for support. Another whimper drew her attention back to the Slytherin. Bruce Wayne met her questioning gaze unflinchingly.

“Told you not to touch me,” he muttered, before his eyes fluttered and he passed out for good.

 

SYIH

 

Voices echoed in his ears. Whispers actually, but loud enough to draw him from his sleep. Bruce faked to still be asleep and listened in the conversation.

“I just knew he looked offbeat last night!” a familiar female voice fumed. “I should have told Clark to go to hell and follow him.”

Bits and pieces returned to his memory and he nearly groaned. Whoever got him got him good –the pain in his head was formidable. Thank Merlin Prince was around to help him to the infirmary… Mrs. Thompkins was most likely still working her magic on him…he recognized the smell of the infirmary…someone had come to check on him.

The female voice belonged to Lois Lane. They had met in the Hogwarts Express and had entertained an academic rivalry ever since he beat her in Charms and she beat him in Transfiguration in first year. She would come to check on him only to ensure he was in perk condition for the next exams. Some ridiculous notion of beating him fair and square…

“He would have found a way to hide from you, which would have delayed his arrival at the infirmary,” a second female coolly informed her.

Mera Xebel, his best friend and ally in a house full of snakes. He sensed she was about to speak when he heard a curtain being pushed aside –most likely he had been isolated with enchanted curtains –and another voice popped in.

“He’s still sleeping?”

Arthur –another strong relation he had built since his first year. He was a wildcard, a brawler and a general pain in the ass, but loyal to a fault. The Gryffindor had befriended two Slytherins instead of students from his own House, and his peers never forgave him for that.

“Got your sobering potion, Art?”

“Had to steal it from Mrs. Thompkins. She wouldn’t let me have it.”

“That’s because you spiked the punch with half the alcohol you stole from the kitchen, and drank the other half yourself, stupid Gryff,” Bruce muttered.

His words sounded more like: ‘A kau u ike de punch ith alf dalco ystom om de kchen n dank ee oeer alf yooself, stup gyff’, but the message came across. Arthur barked a laugh, Bruce got scolded by the two females for speaking up while still weak. His seat was rearranged so he could face them sitting instead of lying down. Water was brought, they forcefully fed him some obscure meal and only once he was done, they condescended to reply to his question:

“So, what is Mrs. Thompkins’ diagnosis?” he began.

“Screwed up love potion,” Lois announced. “Mrs. Thompkins thoroughly purged you, by the way.”

No wonder his head felt fuzzy. His memories weren’t quite in order either, so he focused on what he could think of now.

“The leads?”

“The usual ones. Luthor, Vale, perhaps even Darkseid…Barbara sent an owl to ask her father to investigate.”

“That wasn’t necessary,” Bruce pointed out, annoyed. If Auror Gordon was told what just happened, then Giovanni Zatara would know too. And if his magical guardian came to hear that he had been nearly poisoned again, he would definitively ask him to move out of Hogwarts old enough or not. Bruce would be forced to obey him because the damn man would bring out his trump card - Zatanna, his sister in all but blood, and her puppy eyes.

“It’s the third time since September,” Mera reminded him. “Either someone wants you badly sick or dead-“

*Darkseid* Arthur coughed half-discreetly.

“-or someone really wants you to fall in love with them.”

“Since you’re both a pain in people’s ass and a heartbreaker, it’s hard to figure out which is which,” Lois remarked with a smirk. “It’s a wonder why we are still friends.”

Bruce often wondered the same. Mera continued her report:

“Dick and Barbara are teaming up to corner and interrogate Marcy. She’s always followed Luthor’s orders like a freaking lapdog.” The redhead crossed her arms. “I told you that humiliating him in Dueling was a bad idea, no matter if he sucks at Defense.”

“Barry has gone to infiltrate the girls’ dorm and check Vale’s belongings,” Lois went on. “Clark is helping, even though he’s still very uncomfortable about the whole thing.”

“Uncomfortable going through ladies’ undies or helping out with Bruce?”

“Hard to say,” the Ravenclaw muttered and crossed her arms in turn. “I love that goofball, but he’s so uptight on some things –still hasn’t forgiven you for that kiss by the way.”

“I was three sheets to the wind,” Bruce protested. “I didn’t realize what I was doing!”

“You mean who you were doing it with,” Mera slipped in with mirth.

“Moving on,” Arthur imputed. “I got a much more interesting question to ask. Why is it the princess of Gryffindor that brought you to the infirmary?”

Both Mera and Lois stared at Arthur in confusion as Bruce narrowed his eyes. Mrs. Thompkins never would have told them that Diana Prince had carried him there. So how…

“And you know that because-?”

“Overheard her talking to Napi. She looked shaken; you didn’t do anything stupid, did ya?”

Bruce groaned as he suddenly remembered what exactly happened before he passed out. Three full years of keeping out of the girl’s way, and one fucked up love potion came to ruin his efforts. Prince had touched him, briefly, but long enough for his magic to react. And during those few seconds, she had been privy to his thoughts, his pain, and the tie he had desperately worked to avoid had been created. He wondered if Fate was laughing at him.

As if reading his thoughts, Arthur threw his head back and cackled.

“You finally got yourself that soulmate? After everything you did not to –you gotta admit Bruce, it’s really ironic.”

“What are you talking about?” Mera asked with a raised eyebrow.

Bruce really wanted to punch Arthur in the face right now.

“Something that was told in confidence!” he snarled. The Gryffindor merely smirked:

“That confidence flew out of the window when you tattled to Mera.”

“I only hinted that you were interested in her!” Really, those two pinning for each other for over a year had been a painful sight. “And it ended up great for both of you!”

“Wait!” Lois intervened. “You’re telling me Diana Prince is Bruce’s soulmate?” she turned towards Bruce. “And you never told me?”

Sometimes, Bruce hated that his friends could be so sharp.

“She’s not my –“ he started to protest.

“Wayne tradition,” Arthur said. “Every blood Wayne is born with a soulmark. Bruce and the princess share one-“ he rolled up his sleeve and showed his elbow, “-right here.”

The two girls stared at him. He somehow managed not to flinch under their expecting gaze.

“And you know that because-“ Mera started, paused and rolled her eyes in realization. “Queen’s boys night.”

“Queen’s boys night,” Arthur acknowledged with that same bullshitting smirk. “So many confessions happened then-”

“Once again, we were drunk,” Bruce reminded him, desperate to silence him before he said more. The next time Queen brought muggle drinks to one of his ‘boy’s night’, he would definitively check if the drink contained alcohol or not. “Oliver spoke of his granny’s magical underpants right before you spoke of Bernie the blankie.”

Mera immediately looked interested. Lois looked like she had just found the scoop of the century. 

“The mighty Arthur Curry had a blanket as a child?”

“His dad has pictures,” the Slytherin added helpfully.

“That was low.” The Gryffindor was bulky for his age, and the thought of him hugging a child’s cloth would destroy his image. He pointed accusingly at the Ravenclaw. “If I read one work in the gossip column of your goddamn gazette-“

Lois grinned.

“No mention of soulmates or baby blankets,” she promised, but both boys knew she would commit that information to memory.

“You better,” Bruce growled in one of his rare moments of seriousness.

The others saw a life-bound romance while he saw an endless challenge. Being a Wayne’s soulmate meant sharing his thoughts, his pains, and his burdens in the most intimate way. Whatever he felt, she would feel. The Wayne Curse had nearly driven him mad the first few months –Zana witnessing his pain had been enough –and the last thing he wanted was to drag Diana into his world. He would have to do some research over the year and use every damn trick in his sleeve to stay clear of her. They hadn’t gone through the final ritual yet, so he still had time.

“Still, Diana Prince is your soulmate? No wonder why you’ve been avoiding her ever since she came to Hogwarts.”

Someone gasped loudly. It seemed the curtains surrounding Bruce’s bed hadn’t been as soundproof as he thought. Lois immediately pulled the curtain aside and revealed the shocked face of none other than Diana Prince.