title: illuminated

summary: "There's a lot in the past—good, bad and obscure—that people shut their eyes to. Yet, there comes a time when they open those eyes and illuminate that past. Because more often than not, these are the moments that help make us." A companion piece to the Simplicity & Clandestine stories. [A series of One-Shots focused on characters' history.]

disclaimer: if you recognize it, it belongs to JKR. All OCs are mine!

07. flawless

summary: 'So, she put his heart in a bag, he wouldn't ask for it back.' Perhaps he loved her before he ever realized it, but now that he did, he couldn't stop thinking about it. He loved her. He loved her. (Year 7)

main characters: Draco Malfoy & Angeline Jensen

genre: Romance

rating: T

Draco and Angeline found themselves in an empty classroom per their usual routine. Together they were curled up on a transfigured couch, Draco's fingers were absently combing through Angeline's hair as she leaned against him, her attention on another healing book. This one she had said Blaise had given her to read through. Occasionally he'd read over her shoulder.

She said reading it and practicing it would make a difference, so she read and he took her word that it would do as she claimed.

With only the sounds of her turning pages every so often, Draco's mind wandered.

Despite what he may say that she was constantly irritating, Draco had found peace and comfort in Angeline that he couldn't find elsewhere in his life and somewhere along the way he fell in love with her. He loved her more than he thought was possible to love another person he wasn't related to.

At times he thought, perhaps he loved her more than that.

The thing was that Draco could pinpoint the very moment he understood he loved her. It was during the Easter holiday, when he had been absolutely certain that he was going to die and would never be able to tell her such. That was the moment when he knew and understood that there was something more than just physical attraction he had for her.

But Draco could not pinpoint the very moment he fell in love with her. It had happened somewhere in the dark corridors, the empty common room, the isolated corners of the library, and the abandoned classrooms. Somewhere then he had unknowingly let his heart accept her. Where he had unconsciously let her take him hostage.

There was one thing Draco knew of love and that it was a phenomenon that couldn't be explained in simple terms. And he and Angeline were as complicated as they could get.

Even if he couldn't tell anyone when he fell in love, he could give a full report as to why he did.

"What's the matter?" Angeline's soft voice jolted him from his thoughts and he looked down into her inquiring green eyes.

He loved that she cared about him. Even though it confused him in the beginning. Sometimes it still did.

"What makes you think something's the matter?" he asked.

"You stopped playing with my hair," she said.

And he certainly had, "Hand grew tired," he said.

"Hm," Angeline hummed. "I want to believe that, but I don't," she shifted to look at him properly. "Are you okay?"

"Of course I am," Draco said. "Learn anything interesting?" he asked, hoping to change the subject.

Angeline's eyes searched his face and he could tell she was fighting whether she should ignore him and keep the conversation focused on him, but with a swift shutting of her book, she shrugged, "I've gone bleary eyed, I'm done with that for now," she said, setting the book to the side. Turning back to him she smiled.

That was one of the many things he loved. She would smile and he could always feel the corners of his mouth begin to lift.

Very few probably noticed this, but that mischievous glint in her eyes would border on dangerous at times. He loved that look as much as it also concerned him once in a while. But right now—right now he welcomed it.

"Hm," she hummed. "I might be done with that, but I can't say I'm done spending time with you," she straddled his lap. "Now, what were you really thinking about?" she draped her arms around his neck and lowered her face to his, her hair falling in such a way to curtain them further from the world.

Draco could feel himself smiling wider as his hands moved from her waist and down to her hips.

"You of course," he breathed.

"Ah, dare I ask what about me?"

"It was nothing bad," he responded. "You don't always stress me out."

Angeline chuckled and brought her face closer, her lips grazing his. Just enough to make his heart race. Just enough to irritate him.

Just enough for him to not wait until she was done toying with him.

He pressed his lips firmly to hers and she instantly tightened her hold on him. She wanted him closer, he could tell or perhaps it was just his own want for her to be closer. As his fingers gripped her hips and pulled her even more flush against him, he wondered if she thought like him: They were never close enough.

Draco loved kissing her. He loved the way she'd smile against his lips, the way she'd pull gently at his bottom lip with her teeth, the way she'd let out a breathless laugh as he lowered her onto the couch and began kissing down her neck.

He loved the soft feel of her skin below his touch when he'd come in contact with it under her shirt or skirt, if she allowed him to. He was always careful to make sure she was okay with it.

When she wasn't he'd back off. He didn't want her uncomfortable.

But she typically welcomed the touch with that mischievous, yet dangerous glint sparkling at him.

He loved the way her hands would wander. One moment he'd feel her fingers at the nape of his neck or on his face, the next he'd feel her fiddling with his clothes, her hands eventually sliding under the material. He particularly liked when her nails would lightly scrape down his chest or some occasions across his shoulders.

He loved how she took his breath away when he stopped kissing her neck and returned to her mouth.

He loved being around her.

He loved how smart and witty she was, how kind she was, how strong she was, how brave she was…he even loved how stubborn she was. And Merlin, she was stubborn.

He loved her.

And perhaps he had for a very long time.

"Draco," she groaned, breaking from the kiss. "We should stop," she whispered. Her green eyes were burning bright and somehow seemed to challenge her words. "I don't want to…but we have to."

"Yeah," he breathed, moving back and pulling her up with him. As they both tried to bring themselves back to a baseline of normal, Draco glanced over at her just as she began to fix her hair.

"Angeline," he began. She looked over. "We're getting rather out of hand lately wouldn't you say?" he teased. They got like this sometimes, always dangerously close to crossing a line.

"If by 'out of hand' you mean handsy, then yes. We are most certainly getting out of hand," she smiled softly, her mischievous twinkle was gone, a memory, as it was now replaced with one of uncertainty and hesitation.

"Oi, what's the matter?" he asked, turning to her completely. He cupped her cheek and she leaned into the touch.

He loved when she let him comfort her.

Angeline bit her lip, "I just feel…" she sighed. "I feel like I might frustrate you or perhaps disappoint you…because we haven't…" she trailed off.

Draco didn't need her to finish the thought. He already knew.

Neither of them were virgins. They hadn't explicitly talked about it with each other, but other people talked and both knew that some rumors held more truth than others. Their rumors with their past respective partners were very true, indeed.

And though Draco was a seventeen year old male, he would not go any further with Angeline if she did not want to, regardless of her past or his own.

Besides…

It was a level of intimacy that he wanted them both to be ready for and if he were to be completely honest he wasn't sure he was. But he knew one thing…

He didn't need to sleep with her to know what he already knew.

That he loved her.

"We don't have to, it's okay. It'll always be okay," he told her. "I love you, Angeline," he whispered. "I'm not frustrated nor am I disappointed," he kissed her forehead. "I love you."

He loved that she always looked at him with wonder when he said those three words. He loved the way his heart would race when she said them back.

"And I love you," she whispered back softly. "So much it's a bit scary sometimes," she laughed.

Draco chuckled, he kissed her one last time before standing and offering her his hand.

Angeline smiled and took his hand, allowing him to pull her up.

He loved that at their best they understood each other without having to say a word.

Draco Malfoy may not be able to tell people when he fell in love with Angeline Jensen, but he could tell them why.

Quarantine has me feeling soft and missing them a lot, okay?

On that note, this particular one-shot I wrote about 45 percent of it almost 5 or 6 years ago, while the rest of it came from being in my house for the last two months. Again, I really miss these two so much.

This takes place approximately between the confession in Chapter 29 of Clandestine and before Angeline leaves in Chapter 30.

I've been itching to show a softer side of Draco, one not thinking about the war, but one just completely lost in being in love. Cheesy? Probably lol. Did I do it anyway? Yup lol. Because let's face it, Draco is soft with Angeline and you can't convince me otherwise lol.

I also wanted to show a bit of their relationship where the war isn't what's constantly on their minds and what it means to their relationship. It's just them. And I love it. I hope you did too.

I really hope you all are staying safe out there. If you have no choice but to be out, I hope you're taking precautions.

Big thank you for those that are reading!

Shout out to misckrista for reviewing the last one-shot!

Also! I'll be starting another series of one-shots that features offspring and life as adults lol. Are you ready to see these dweebs be adults/parents? Haha

Much love,
TR