The Soulmate System

12. Soulmates are People: Ending Up With Them is Your, and Their, Choice

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban became the movie following dessert. Dylan, however, chose not to sit next to his now-revealed Soulmate, opting instead to sit on the floor in front of him to watch "The Boy Who Lived" struggle in finding the titular prisoner.

Bryce understood this move, but felt like Dylan was being unfair. At the same time, he felt ready to resign back into his life of pub-crawling and an endless parade of people who interested him for a short while. He was so tired of the ever-present longing he felt; he wanted it gone so Bryce could feel like he moved on with his life. But whether his Glow or Dylan caused it, Bryce wasn't entirely sure. 'Dylan's a part of your life now,' his mind told him. 'Do you want to go back to what was it was before?'

There was no direct answer. Bryce wasn't entirely sure.

Dylan was softly smiling, finding contentment in the present circumstances. This was, combined with the breakfast at Bryce's flat some time ago, the most fun he'd had in an exceedingly long time. He was around people he genuinely wanted to be around, he was out of his flat, he was probably going to sleep well, and his life felt on track.

'And concerning Bryce?' the question prodded.

The smile began to dissolve, eyes dipping to the floor and away from the silver screen. Either Dylan couldn't answer it or simply didn't; he had reveled in the idea that his future of secluded independence was still within reach, but a part of him began fumbling. 'I don't know yet,' he thought back, beginning to curl slowly into himself.

As Hermione punched Draco in the face, his phone suddenly shifted in his pocket. Withdrawing it, Dylan found a message from his Soulmate behind him, simply reading:

are you okay?

Dylan was tempted to glance back to ask why he sent something as ridiculous as that when he could've just leaned forward and asked. Bryce followed up with:

If im wrong, tell me. just getting
this weird vibe from you

or maybe i've just gotten good in
reading the back of your head?

Dylan sighed again, and shut his eyes as the trio hid behind pumpkins, watching as Dumbledore, Cornelius Fudge, and the executioner proceeded towards Hagrid's with the intent of killing Buckbeak.

He replied back after the execution.

we need to talk, yeah

okay

This time, Dylan looked back, eyebrows raised in surprise. Bryce shrugged and smiled weakly, his hand falling on top of Dylan's head and scratching him like a dog. This oddly reassured Dylan, who turned back to the television with a certain comfort that, surely, couldn't feel forced by the Soulmate Glow. And it wasn't; Dylan genuinely felt the relief Bryce gave him.

But Bryce's hand twitched against the top of Dylan's head, his fingers burying themselves in his hair like the hug hours ago. Another wave of longing washed through him; the look on his face contorting into that of slight pain or sadness. Jaw tensing, Bryce wanted to hug him again.

Such a simple action felt so complex.

The Whomping Willow with the tunnel to the Shrieking Shack. Scabbers revealed as Pettigrew. Lupin's werewolf transformation. The Time Turner. Déjà vu with a deferred path. Harry defending himself and Sirius from the Dementor's Kiss. Lupin's resignation, the Firebolt.

The movie ended.

The flatmates took their time receding back into their respective rooms, save for Theo, who went to wash the remaining dishes in the sink simply out of habit. This left Bryce and Dylan alone in the living room.