Ineffable. [D. Malfoy]

twenty-seven.

The weeks merged into each other, the days effortlessly slipping by one another. Draco spent as much time with her until he's drawn away by work. And she keeps herself busy mindlessly going through the stacks of books he has left for her in his absence. She so calmly hides the fear-ridden behind her eyes as he apparates away each morning for missions.

His eyes remain a solid silver refusing to soften at the lightest. But when his eyes gaze upon her figure, like he does every morning before he leaves- she promises herself it's a mask. He's drawn a shield that has overlapped the person she has grown close to.

She refuses to allow him see just how weak she is becoming. And at times, it's harder to decipher the affliction of emotions he brings forth.

His mask never falls- Never showing any sign of vulnerability. Not even at the slightest, even when he slides in and out of her every night. But she should have known. Because he's Draco Malfoy, and she is Esme Smith. And together, they are the most opposing forces divided into one. She knows he's poison sweeping in her veins, but this time, for once, she's decided not to fight it. Instead, she lets the sinful feeling spread through her.

She knows he cares, but he will never trust her enough to let his complete guard down. And then she wonders who did this to him. Her mind wanders back and forth across the idea, dancing on it, each twirl like a ballerina finding meaning among completion. Or maybe it's the utter satisfaction she will feel when he drops to her mercy. That is something she isn't keen on thinking about. Because she's already openly accepted to herself that she feels for him. That the thing going on between the two of them was something that was expected to happen. There was no stopping it; it ought to occur.

But she notices each time his eyes melt into her brown ones the tenderness he allows to seep through his cracks. It's because he will enable it for a brief second that she's begun to cherish it. Inspect it, and each time his lips find hers, there is no longer a continued hesitation. Just like her, he lets it happen. And now, in a small moment, she finds herself waiting to see when he will show her who he really is.

At times her stomach clenches, and it rarely occurs- only when he's away. She sits staring up at the grey clouds, the sun falling over the horizon, the faint breeze and waft of earth erupts into her senses. As her eyes lock onto the waves crashing against the shore, the saltiness drifts up, sending wrath of familiarity through her, and it's almost comforting. It's violent but physically beautiful. She watches the birds fly over her head in arranged placement, and the entirety of the world around her slips away as she becomes one with the peace of nature battling amongst her own thoughts. It's when she's been sucked up in her own world, she takes the time pondering if her waiting is a reflection of an actual prolonging- And if she ever actually wants to know who Draco Malfoy really is.

It's odd and exhilarating all at once, and perhaps it's because, in those moments, she knows she gets him. And that seems to suffice for the time being. They are bound by the pieces in their soul- moulding the broken fragments that longed for a source of light. They were reflections of each other.

Light met darkness, colliding as one. But this time, it was essential. It was a powerful force that refused to allow too much time between them to pass by. They were a separation of the most beautiful colours—illuminating life as a whole.

Esme curls up in a ball on Draco's sofa. A black blanket is draped over her frame, sending warmth as his room remains chilly as ever. Despite the warmth from the sunny day, his room withholds from allowing the everlasting sensation of heat inside. Almost wrapping it against the corners, barricading it before it gets too close.

But then she wonders. Hot and cold, and the destruction it brings to each other. Her thoughts bend, searching for answers and wondering if they were merged as one- becoming allies of each other. She then realizes she's being extra, that the air in the room has nothing to do with her life.