loving you isn't easy.

@ sam winchester.
Jessie smiled and nodded at Claire's words, "Sounds good. I'm going to shower as well. Have you eaten breakfast yet?" She asked curiously. It was still rather early and didn't want Claire to not eat breakfast and be hungry. She quickly picked up the pen that Claire had been using to talk to Draco and rolled up her sleeve, I'm bringing Claire by the shop today for you to meet her. Can't wait to see you! She wrote before handing the pen back to Claire and smiling.

---

Draco bit his lip lightly in thought before he wrote back with a small smile, I don't think I'm doing anything. Am I going to get to meet the famous Jessie? He questioned with a small smile. The thought made him slightly nervous, but he quickly shook away the thoughts. It was going to be fine. Everything would be fine.

Claire shook her head. "I came straight here when I woke up. Didn't want you worry any more than you already were." She said. As much as she'd wanted to take Draco up on his offer for breakfast, she'd known that Jessie would be worried about her, and she'd felt bad for not going back to the hotel the night before. She took the pen back from her friend once she had written a message out to her own soulmate and smiled when she saw the words written on her arm. I believe so, not sure what the plan is exactly yet though. We'll meet you somewhere tomorrow...not sure where somewhere is just yet...

---

Fred had just finished his breakfast and morning cup of tea and was about to get dressed and ready to head down and open the shop when he saw the writing on his arm. He grinned as he read the message from Jessie and quickly found a pen from one of the drawers in the kitchen before writing back. Brilliant! I'm looking forward to it. I'll see you both soon then. He had been thinking about Jessie all morning, silently wondering if he'd see her again before Monday, and it seem ed as though he had his answer now, and he'd be seeing her much sooner than he'd expected.

@ sam winchester.
Jessie nodded at Claire's words, "We can just stop for breakfast somewhere. I think the hotel might have breakfast available if you want it." She said before she looked down at her arm to see words being written on them. She smiled widely and then looked at Claire, "You want first crack at the shower?" She questioned. She figured that Claire probably would since she had just gotten back and everything. Jessie didn't mind waiting for the shower. Usually she could get done and ready fairly quickly.

---

Draco laughed at the words that appeared on his arm, Sounds like a plan...well half a plan. He replied with a laugh. Draco went and got dressed for the day, figuring he couldn't just sit around all morning. He knew there was something in the back of his mind he needed to do, but he simply couldn't remember for the life of him what it was.

Claire nodded. "They probably do. Most hotels offer breakfast of some sort." She said before glancing down at her arm. She smiled and shook her head at the words she saw there. I'll let you know once Jessie and I figure everything out She wrote before looking to her friend when she asked if she wanted to use the shower first. She shrugged her shoulders. "Yeah, I guess so. I shouldn't be too long anyway." She grabbed a change of clothes from her suitcase and then headed into the bathroom to take a quick shower.

[Do we want to skip to the girls getting to Diagon Alley?]

@ sam winchester.
(yeah sounds good. I'll do it)

Jessie grinned widely as they two girls walked into Diagon Alley. Jessie had already seen some of it the night before, but didn't get to fully appreciate it because of the time she went, "So this is Diagon Alley." Jessie said to Claire as they walked down the street. There were witches and wizards buzzing about in and out of stores. Jessie's eyes were instantly drawn to the joke shop and she pulled on Claire's hand, "Come on it's just down here." She said to her friend, not giving her time to look around, "We'll explore later." She added as they neared the joke shop. Jessie dropped Claire's hand as she walked inside, her eyes instantly finding George helping a customer. She scanned the store with a smile, feeling her heartbeat increase when she finally found Fred.

"This is freaking amazing!" Claire exclaimed, looking around as they walked down the street. "I wish we had designated areas like this in New York. I guess there are a few areas hidden from No-Majs, but nothing like this." She tore her eyes away from a book shop, she'd been to one No-Maj one when she was wandering around yesterday and there was one in Oxford called Blackwells that was supposedly one of the largest bookstores in the UK that she hoped to get to at some point before she and Jessie left but this one had caught her eye for sure, when Jessie started pulling on her hand. "Someone's in a bit of a rush, aren't we?" She teased her friend lightly as they neared the joke shop. "So where is this illustrious soulmate of yours?" She asked Jessie once they were inside.

---

The shop wasn't overly busy for a weekend, though it was still early on in the day and Fred was certain they'd get more customers soon enough. Personally, he was waiting for one particular brunette to walk inside, though he did help a few customers out on the floor and did a bit of restocking in the meantime. "Put those to good use, you three." He said with a wink as he finished ringing a young wizard and his two friends up for some Puking Pastelles. He stepped out from behind the register and glanced around the store, spotting George helping out a customer and a few others wandering around when he spotted Jessie and a blonde who he assumed was Claire walk inside. He grinned and was quick to make his way over towards them. "Can I help you ladies with anything? Puking Pastelles? Peruvian Instant Darkness Powder? A love potion, perhaps?" He asked before chuckling. "I'm glad you came by." He gave Jessie a quick squeeze before turning to her friend. "And you must be Claire."

@ sam winchester.
Jessie smiled at Claire's question and nodded her head over to where Fred was. When he approached them and asked if they needed anything, she giggled lightly and hugged him quickly, "That she is. Claire this is Fred. Fred this is my best friend Claire." Jessie introduced with a smile on her face as she stuck near Fred's side. She was beyond excited to have Claire meet Fred. She was still in her dazed state that she had finally met her soulmate. Now that she had met Fred in person and had spent some time with him, she didn't think that there could have been anybody else in the world more suitable to be Jessie's soulmate than Fred, "Claire this is Fred's joke shop that he owns with his brother, George." Jessie said and pointed over at George, who was helping another customer.

Claire smiled brightly at her friend's soulmate when Jessie introduced them to each other. "It's nice to meet you!" She said, offering him her hand. "Jessie was telling me all about you this morning." She was so happy that her best friend had finally found her soulmate. She couldn't believe that both of their soulmates were here in the UK all along. She supposed that this trip was really just meant to happy, and she probably could have wished for it to happen sooner than it had, but she liked to think that everything happened the way that it did for a reason, so she wouldn't dwell on all of that.

---

"It's great to finally put a face to the name." Fred grinned and shook Claire's hand. Jessie had told him so much about her best friend yesterday, and he was glad that he had the opportunity to meet her today. "Only good things I hope?" He asked with a slight chuckle when the blonde told him that Jessie had been telling her all about him earlier this morning. He noticed something faded and black on the blonde's pale arm when she withdrew it after they shook hands. His gaze shifted down briefly and he couldn't help visibly tensing up a bit when he saw what was there. The Dark Mark. He wasn't aware of any young American wizards or witches being in Voldemort's ranks, and it didn't really add up with what Jessie had been telling him about her best friend, but he honestly really didn't know what to think about what he was seeing. "You and your brother own this shop? That's amazing! Really impressive actually." Claire's words brought him out of his own thoughts and he managed a small smile. "Yeah we do, thank you."

@ sam winchester.
Jessie smiled widely at the exchange between Claire and Fred, "Well so far I only know good things about you, so there would be no reason for me to say bad things." She replied. Jessie was quick to notice how tense Fred got once he shook hands with Claire. Jessie wasn't going to call him out in front of Claire, though. Jessie smiled at Claire, "You should go take a look around, Claire! It's so amazing around the shop." She suggested with a smile. If she got a moment alone with Fred, she could ask him what was wrong, and hopefully clear things up.

"You're welcome. It's super impressive in here, honestly." Claire said, truthfully not even noticing that Fred had tensed up moments after they shook hands. She looked to her friend and smiled, nodding in response to Jessie's words. "I think I will actually." She said. "It was nice meeting you." She said once more to Fred before walking off to have a look around the shop. There was quite a bit to look at, so she'd probably be looking around for at least a little while she was guessing.

---

Fred hated jumping to conclusions, and he really didn't know what conclusion to jump to considering he had no idea why Jessie's best friend would have the bloody Dark Mark on her arm. He knew that Jessie had noticed him tense up, but he was thankful that Claire hadn't. "It was nice meeting you too." he said with a small smile before looking to Jessie once Claire was out of earshot. "I need to talk to you." He said, taking her hand and leading her to the stock room. He didn't really want anyone to overhear their conversation, especially Claire. "I know that you noticed me tense up before...do you know why Claire has that mark on her arm?"

@ sam winchester.
Jessie smiled at Claire's words, turning to Fred before he said he needed to talk to her and took her to the stock room. When he asked about the mark on her arm, she sighed. She really wished she knew what the damn thing meant, "She didn't choose it if that's what you're asking. Her soulmate got it and in return it ended up on her arm as well." She explained before she bit her lip in frustration, "What does it mean, Fred? Why did you tense up?" She questioned.

Claire never really gave it much thought about the mark on her arm. She never had a problem having it out in plain sight back home, and even now, knowing what it meant, the thought honestly hadn't crossed her mind. As she walked around the shop, looking at different things here and there, she had no idea what Fred and Jessie were talking about in the stock room. She paused by one of the displays for Peruvian Instant Darkness Powder. Maybe that's what Draco used yesterday? She thought to herself as she read the description for the product. It seemed pretty likely.

---

Fred frowned when Jessie told him that the mark actually belonged to Claire's soulmate. It made him wonder who her soulmate might be. Obviously a former Death Eater, but who? "Does she know what that mark means?" He asked her. "Whether she does or doesn't, it would probably be best for her if she didn't have it out on display like that. Someone might react differently than I did, and not in a better way either." He didn't want Jessie to worry, but she should probably at least know. "Do you know anything about the Wizarding War that happened a few years ago?"

@ sam winchester.
Jessie shook her head and shrugged, "I don't know. She hasn't told me." She replied before he continued and asked if she knew anything about the Wizarding War that happened, "Not really. I know that it was really important. My parents didn't tell me much about it." She replied with a shrug. It was something that was happening in the UK so it really wasn't much importance to Jessie when it was happening. Jessie frowned up at her soulmate, "Why? What is so bad about this mark that she has?" Jessie asked.

Claire hadn't told Jessie about the Dark Mark. Although the brunette was her best friend, she'd seen how difficult it was for Draco to tell her the truth the day before, and she was his soulmate, and just didn't feel right being the one to tell Jessie. If Draco wanted her friend to know, he'd tell her. She was only just introducing the two to each other tomorrow, that was it, and she was pretty sure that it might take a little while for him to come out and tell other people in her life about his past. She was going to respect that decision too. If he didn't want certain people knowing straight away, she wouldn't tell them.

---

Fred frowned. His mind was reeling as he tried to figure out who Claire's soulmate could possibly be. It made no sense whatsoever and was honestly pretty surprising considering what Jessie had told him about the blonde the day before. "That makes sense, they probably didn't want you worrying about what was going on over here." He said with a slight nod before sighing at her later words. "It's called the Dark Mark. Anyone who chose to take allegiance with Voldemort received one upon becoming one of his Death Eaters. Death Eaters were some of his most loyal followers, and that mark leaves me to believe that Claire's soulmate was one before Harry Potter defeated him at the Battle of Hogwarts."

@ sam winchester.
Jessie listened intently as Fred explained to her the mark on her best friend's arm. She raised her eyebrows at his words, "See Claire had told me that her soulmate had done some stuff in the past, but that he did it to protect his family." She replied. In all honesty, Jessie wasn't going to judge Draco on the things he had done in his past, even knowing the origin of the mark that her best friend and him shared on their arms. If Claire said he did it to protect his family, that was good enough for Jessie. Jessie didn't judge anyone on what they did in the past. She wasn't like that.

"So she's met her soulmate then?" Fred asked as he took in her words. If Claire had met her soulmate already, he wondered if she knew what the mark on her arm meant. Would that sort of thing have come up in conversation or not? He couldn't really be sure. "I'm only asking you and telling you all of this because there are still people today who don't react as lightly as I did when they see that mark. Many of the Death Eaters who survived the battle were prosecuted and most did time in Azkaban. I just wouldn't have it on display out in the open. The wrong person might see it."

@ sam winchester.
Jessie nodded at Fred's question, "Last night. He saved her from a group of guys harassing her." She explained. When he explained more about the Death Eaters, Jessie nodded, "I'll tell her, but I'm pretty sure she knows what it means. I think he told her last night." She stated. Jessie thought more about the Death Eaters and how Fred was saying how they're the bad guys, "Listen, Draco saved her from getting harassed and probably more than that, so I don't really think he's as evil as the other Death Eaters you're talking about. I mean he did say that he only did all that stuff for his family, so he really didn't have a choice." She defended lightly.

"I'm not saying that this bloke is bad for Claire, love, they are soulmates after all, I'm just saying what I know about Voldemort and his followers, and it's never really been the best news. It's her first time in wizarding London, she needs to be a bit more careful around here." Fred said. He was only telling her because he knew how some people might react if they saw Claire walking around with that mark on her arm. Amongst Muggles it probably seemed like a normal tattoo but anyone in the wizarding world knew what that mark meant. His eyebrows rose when she said Draco. Had he heard her properly? Was Malfoy really Claire's soulmate? "Wait, Draco? Did you just say Draco?"

@ sam winchester.
Jessie nodded at Fred's words, "I'll tell her." She replied before he asked if she had said Draco. Jessie nodded and gave him a small look of confusion, "Yeah. She said this morning his name is Draco. I didn't get much more detail besides the fact of how nice he is and it was clear that she was completely already smitten." She explained. Jessie figured that she might have been like that a little bit with Claire about Fred, but Jessie had never seen Claire like that before. It was something to take note of.

Fred didn't know of any other Draco's, and he doubted that there would be that much of a coincidence. Malfoy was really Claire's soulmate? He hadn't really gotten to know the blonde all that well yet, obviously, but she seemed like she was the complete opposite of the twat. He listened as Jessie kind of explained what she knew about Claire's soulmate and nodded. "Oh yeah? That's good, definitely good." he said. He still couldn't wrap his head around the idea of Malfoy being Claire's soulmate let alone Malfoy being nice and having anyone be smitten with him other than Parkinson. "You should get back out there, I'm sure she's looking for you now. Just warn her about having her sleeves rolled up like that while she's here."