𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐟 '𝟗𝟔 ; 𝐝. 𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐟𝐨𝐲 ✓

𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐞𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐞𝐞𝐧

The most rewarding and happy feeling ever was knowing that I had earned my love back. Heart-wrenching, it was. Hearing Draco's voice breaking as he shouted at me, unfiltered. My heart broke itself for hurting him, for he was everything. Nothing I could ever do will ever cause me to forgive myself for hurting him in the terrible way that I did. But at the end of the day, I was just so overjoyed to finally feel his lips against mine once again when I thought they would never touch again.

After we had kissed and made up, our routine that we had set in place resumed. 12:00 sharp every night, running through the woods freely, hand in hand, under the falling sky above. Bound to who knows where. If we saw it, we did it, because life's too short to miss anything, right? But now, after we would sneak out, we either fled to his or my house to sleep. Completely bare and entangled in each other's grasp, finding comfort and security in just laying together. The best part about sleeping with him was the golden sun leaking through the windows in the morning. Something about that golden sun made everything feel more alive. Either it was the way it warmed my skin as I laid against Draco's bare, cold chest, or the astounding print it would create on the walls, shadowing the window frame.

Now that I had time to ponder, I was sad really, to know that this summer had progressed much too rapidly. There's not enough time ever, because once you're having a blast, everything goes by much quicker. It felt like yesterday I was eating that awkward dinner at the Malfoys. So much had changed since then. The way he looked at me, his timid expression as he hesitantly sat next to me, which is now a bittersweet smile, his eyes softening with every glance. A lot changed about how I felt for him, too. At the beginning of the summer, I viewed Draco as a handsome, but emotionless dick whom in which I used to hold memories with. Now that we were nearing the end of the glory days, Draco had become the love of my life.

6:37 am
August 26, 1996
One Month Later...

I felt Draco's cold presence arise from his secure grasp on me. His soft fingers gently pushed my hair out of my face that it was tangled across and planted a bittersweet kiss onto my cheek. At first, I had wondered where he was going. I peered hazily in his mirror which had a ricocheting reflection of the sky, painted with all divine pastel colors.

"Wow." I could her him whisper in utter fascination from across the room.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" I inquired, approaching him, wrapping my arms around his shirtless torso.

We stood there in complete silence, our arms wrapped around each other while we stared into the many colors of the sky above. Nothing needed to be said. For just his embrace spoke enough words to me to believe the truth in his voice when he told me he loved me.

"Almost as beautiful as you." He murmured back while softly kissing the top of my head.

I buried my face into his chest and beamed. "I don't want summer to end just yet, I want another week with you. Waking up in the golden sun, and taking peaceful walks through the woods at dawn, and racing through them boundlessly at dusk."

"It will be all right, my darling. Summer isn't a limited thing, for next year I will still be right next door, and we'll race through these woods like we always used to."

Draco grasped my hand that rested against his chest into his. He rested his chin above my head as we began to slowly sway to the sound of nature— the rushing water, trees rustling in the wind, and even sounds of animals in the woods. For I had all I needed under the sky. My love, my family, and a beautiful sunrise ahead.

"Draco..." I mumbled, keeping my gaze locked onto the colors of the sky.

"Yes, darling?" He answered.

"Will you forget about me when we return to school? Are we just going to be complete strangers who shared an amazing summer together? Strangers with memories?"

"I will absolutely not forget about you, Estelle. This summer has meant as much to me as you do, my darling. Summer of 1996, the one I spent with the girl next door." His grey eyes peered into mine, a slight grin forming on his face while he leaned down to kiss me as we remained swaying calmly.

The next day, Draco and I were headed right back to London, to retrieve our school essentials from Diagon Alley. This felt like the last, and final goodbye to summer. However, after the lengthy 3 months, I was overjoyed to finally be able to see most of my friends once again.

While Draco and I purchased our textbooks from Flourish and Blotts, a familiar face walked in— with Hermione. She clutched the redhead's hand even tighter after she noticed that I was there, which perplexed me really, since I was with Draco anyways. All of a sudden, Ronald violently knocked Draco's books out of his hands.

"Fun summer? Huh, Malfoy? How many times did you hook up? Probably religiously, that's all Malfoy's good for."  Ronald boomed viciously.

My fist plummeted right into Ron's kisser, making it immediately drip with blood. Hermione and Draco both instantly gasped, backing away from Ron and I.

"Bloody hell! What was that for?" He wailed, cupping his hands underneath his chin to catch the dripping blood.

"Fuck off you insecure twat!" I shrieked, clutching onto Ron's shirt and pulling my fist back once again. "Say another word about Draco, and you'll be fed right to the crows, Ronald Weasley."

Draco stood near the counter with an expression of utter perplexity and shock.

"Why are you so invested in my relationship when you clearly have your own?" I shouted back between gritted teeth.

For it was the absolutely most gut-wrenching feeling to hear someone you loved being talked down on. No matter how long I could ever convince myself that it wasn't a big deal, the outcome always came to be me firing right back.

Draco leaned his head down next to my ear and whispered:

"That's my girl."

Draco and I concluded our day of shopping at a small tea shop, where we both silently sat in the booth and drank the cheap tea. It didn't matter where I was or what him and I were doing, but just his presence alone made me fall even deeper in love with him than I already had been, and trust me, it was already a lot.

When I returned home with Draco, I laid in his bed, between his legs as he stroked his fingers through my long hair, with the faint smell of old books still resting on our clothes from Flourish and Blotts.

"I'll tell you what, Estelle. Tomorrow, we're going to do all of the fun things we did this summer in one day, just for the hell of it. And the next day, the last day of summer, we'll spend the whole day together once again. Kapeesh?" He explained.

"Kapeesh." I giggled, watching a smile form on his handsome face.

I nuzzled my face into the crook of his neck and dozed off as he gently rubbed my back to give me a secure feeling.

I began to grow a small heartache with a dose of nostalgia as I realized that the last two days of summer were nearing extremely soon. God, it was such a perfect summer. If every summer that follows this isn't somewhat like this one, I don't want it.