Work Text:
Published date on AO3: 05/06/2026
Original published date on Twitter: 23/02/2025
— The Tale of His Life (Written Right on His Skin) —
Apart from the legacy, fame, and success, nowadays, when people discuss a topic regarding Harry Potter, one of the most interesting issues is about the fact that he is well-known for his tattoos.
And how much they can tell a story of him far better than any interviews or books could ever be.
Sadly, the public still doesn't know much about any them, not in full details, but those who are close to Harry and his family witness, more than once, how he smugly shows the first tattoo to them. It is made out of the bite mark Draco left on his shoulder when they were intimate for the first time, as a reminder of when Draco starts to trust him enough to give him everything. Of their beginning of forever. It's both so lewd and weirdly endearing, if they could freely express their opinions. However, Draco, the designer of the said mark, is too happy with it that it fuels Harry's idea further. Now, the mark of both possession and surrender Draco gave him evolves into something more meaningful, creating a beginning of a full picture of something far grander. It is linked, with Draco constellation tattoo, leading directly to his heart, where he has Draco’s name in Draco’s handwriting right on it, with their children’s names circling around his heart, also in their handwriting, wobbly and childlike and all.
It shows that Draco is eternally in his heart—literally on it. Their products of their love and life together shield his heart and their children's beloved papa inside of it like an impenetrable fortress, shouting to the whole world whom Harry's heart, body, and soul wish for; who are the dearest people he could give up his everything and anything for in a heartbeat.
His family.
Permanently broadcasting his dedication like this is the third best decision of his life, follows only after his decisions to pursue Draco as the love of his life and to build a perfect family with him.
He loves them so, so much that, with help from Hermione's genius research, he spells them to be more than just normal magical tattoos that can only limitedly move and twinkle gently according to his heartbeats. Now, they can even heat up and glow bright with his magic when he wants them to; they can tell him the owners of the names' current states of health, magic, and safety; and, of course, they can change—progress—in response to time and the sources’ improvement and development in lives. All for him to be able to check whether they are still safe and happy when and where Harry can't see them, yet. To show how well they bloom and prosper into someone he will love and cherish even more.
They are the best gifts of his life, ones he wants to be as close to his heart for evermore.
The childish handwritings at the beginning are so funny and endearing—Harry always points them out to the owners of the names and teases them about when they could possibly improve their skills, so their daddy wouldn’t look quite funny anymore. Their children always laugh and grin with pride and far-too-familiar brand of smugness, telling him that this way, no one will ever want to snatch their daddy away from their papa—as if Harry would ever allow the chance to happen. Not in this lifetime. Not in any.
Not in forever.
He always responds with that, without fail. And their smiles—as well as Draco's—will always brighten his day.
Apart from family, friends, acquaintances, colleagues, and subordinates—the last three are purely due to duty and obligation, of course—Harry loves his husband and children too much to recognize other insignificant people anyway. He is so, so proud of the immature handwritings around his heart, lopsided and unleveled and all. He almost wishes them to stay like that permanently; however, they gradually change when children grow bigger. All for the best.
He still loves them dearly, of course, if not more, as they could truly reflect his children and their current selves, tell him how well they progress, and notify him when they aren't at their optimum states. Harry loves it most when they move to make a place for a new name when they have a new member—Harry is forever in gratitude of Draco and his selfless sacrifice for their family—and also when the childish letters settle as elegant handwritings Draco diligently teaches them when they are all grown up.
With them close to him like this, where he can feel and make sure that they are still safe and sound, Harry's soul and sanity are also forever safe and secured.
This set of tattoos are the most private ones on his person, however, they are also the most published ones, as the Daily Prophet, when they have nothing more interesting or productive to say—which is far too frequent, in Harry's view—usually shows a picture or two of them on their front page, pointing out the changes and discussing some comprehensive interpretation behind them.
"You can't stop people from wanting to know more about the powerful, perfect, almighty Potter-Malfoy family, darling. Let them have a bit of fun, shall we?" Draco once says, placating.
"I know, my love, I know. And I know that you'd approve," Harry sighs before answering. He kisses his beloved's lips gently to calm himself down, then pointing at the moving photo of him changing out of his Head Auror uniform after a nasty, messy mission with his cheek, as his hands are busy with holding his Draco close and steady. His tattoos are clearly presented in loop on the said newspaper. "That's why I allowed them to take that. They aren't as sneaky as they think they were."
Draco giggles with pride and mischief. "You know me too well, Harry. Good work, mon amour."
And his husband rewards his forethought and insight with a loving kiss of his own.
The public can show his naked torso for a thousand times more, if every one of them gives him these sweet signs of approval every time.
Later, to always have all of his loved ones on his person, Harry adds Prongs, who merrily sports a big, gorgeous lilies on his antlers, as well as a doe for his mum's Patronus with matching lilies on her head on his chest. His parents, together with Padfoot and Moony, always dutifully guard and run around all of the tattoos of Draco and their children for protection. On his warm skin they sacrificed themselves for its continued existence, they could live and roam freely and happily together, forever.
With his chest as their playground, Harry feels like he can breathe a little bit steadier.
However, he doesn't stop with just that.
Apart from the tattoos on his torso, where all of his family members are, Harry’s right forearm is adorned with dates of the most important days of his life in a delicate, intricate chain. They are Harry’s, Draco’s, and their children’s birthdates; that fateful Halloween’s night, when he lost everything; when Hagrid told him that he is a wizard, changing his future forever; when Harry and Draco first met at Madam Malkin's shop; the day they actually fought for the first time, for the remembrall; the date of the troll incident that created the golden trio; when he was rescued to the Burrow and experienced a warm, loving family and motherly hug for the first time; when he could produce his Corporate Patronus, linking him better with his father, the same night that he knew his godfather loves and wants to take care of him, also when he saved him from the Dementor’s Kiss mere hour later; when he used Sectumsempra to mark Draco forever; the Battle of Hogwarts; when he asked Draco to be his lover; the first time Draco told him he loves him back; when they had their first kiss and sex; when he proposed to the love his life; their wedding date; the dates their children had their first word and signs of magic; and every date that represents something close to his heart. They are so prominent and ever-changing—eye-catching—that people would easily ignore the plain white scar of 'I must not tell lies' on the back of his right hand to focus on their muted but beautiful colors and quietly glimmering effects instead.
His left arm isn't left bare and meaningless; he has his own and Draco’s Patroni on it—the phoenix he has after his coming back from death, alongside Draco’s elegant albino peacock, interwoven as one. Never separate. Never apart. Always moving, flying to the bitemark that starts it all on his shoulder down to his hand, where his wedding band resides. They're the biggest tattoos he has, the brightest when they're in Patronus forms, and the liveliest when they're in their mortal forms. Always shifting, always growing with him. There is also a beautiful dragon of Draco's selection adorning his left ring finger, encircling him in three loops under his wedding band, so that when he needs to obligatorily take his ring off for safekeeping as his necklace during a mission, he has a ring on his finger still.
Of course his story will never be whole without his best friends. So, Ron's dog and Hermione's otter, representing their Patroni, live on his skin under the phoenix and peacock, cutely chasing each other around his left wrist like they were years and years before, before they got clever with age and wisdom. They always look after the birds from their place, like they were when Harry and Draco started dating in Eighth Year, constantly until now, when they are happily married with kids whom they love dearly.
His best friends are his family—the first he could ever remember—who deserve their place on his body as much as everyone else does.
Someone might say that they are a bit too much. Too plentiful to be polite. But he doesn't care.
They aren't the ones written on his skin.
And his life isn't complete. This isn't the end.
Harry aims to have more. To tattoo their children's Patroni on his left wrist as soon as they can conjure them. He plans to have them running around cheerfully with his best friends—their godparents who live in the same area as they do—so they're well-protected between their own parents and godparents. He wishes that their children can travel up to his forearm with the dog and the otter, meeting small replicas of his and his husband's marks—separated from the original, far larger ones—at his upper arm, so they all can finally visit and meet his parents and godparents on his chest, at last.
Like that, finally, his family can be together.
Until he is old and frail, when their children have their own family, when more chapters are beautifully added to his life—as names, dates, or otherwise,
Harry will add more.
More.
And more.
So the scars on his forehead, his hand, and his soul aren't mentioned anymore.
So they are completely overpowered by symbols and marks of people whom he holds closest to his heart.
So those scars are mere insignificant parts in a book of his legacy.
He is so fortunate to always have all of his beloved ones with him, like this. His body is treated like a willing canvas, with striking-colour and magical inks written on it to compose a tale of his life.
They are marks he is consent to and wishes for their existence.
Harry will keep adding more and more to complete his lifetime journey, until the very end.
With all of his beloved ones on his skin and with him,
This is a life worth living for.
— The End —