"Did you see what I did?" Charlie's excited smile as he spoke those words for what felt like the thousandth time brought out Draco's laugh lines as he could not resist smiling in return. They were rushing through crowded streets hand in hand, carelessly weaving in and out of patrons. Having just darted out of the cathedral, they moved at a hurried pace trying to out fox anyone that might possibly be on their tracks. It would not surprise either of them if one of the guests made an attempt to follow them from where Draco had left his fiance at the altar.

Draco brought the fingers that were so perfectly entwined with his own to his lips, "Charlie." Those brilliant swirling charcoal eyes that he had fallen so hard for met his, glistening with the same relief that he felt. An autumn semester abroad to Romania had graced him with a whirlwind romance unlike any that he had experienced before. In those very short months, he had found something that made him feel like he existed; someone who made him feel real. Charlie had taken every last one of his expectations and had blown them to the wind.

It was all too soon that Draco had to return to her; too soon for all of those realizations to be pushed aside. He had only just realized what he wanted for his future and quite suddenly it became clear that Astoria was not part of that picture. However, there were still responsibilities to be kept and expectations to meet. To marry a nice enough pure-blood witch and have an heir to the Malfoy name. That was what his parents expected; that was what pure-blood society expected. Those expectations were to be met with no resistance. His mother had not loved his father, yet she did what was demanded of her; and now he was demanded to do the same.

With a hesitance solely from his heart, he put his mind to forgetting about everything they had shared. He moved forward, one step at a time until finally it was the night before his wedding day. A pile of unopened letters were locked away in a drawer and his feelings locked up in a heart-shaped box. This was nothing of what he wanted, but it was what he was expected to do. He would stand at the end of that aisle tomorrow, watching with guarded eyes as Astoria simply waltzed in between the rows of guests. They would speak their vows and they would be wed. Together they would raise a family and his name would be carried on.

Everything would fall into place, just the way it was supposed to be; or else it would have if not for one man who stood in the middle of a church. Familiar words of promise and redemption flowed from his lips. His eyes shone with such passion that Draco was lost to a tide of acceptance as he stepped down from the altar. "You, Draconis Malfoy, are the sun and for anyone to lock you away so that you would no longer shine is a crime above all else..." His steps mirrored Draco's own until they stood in front of the other, his hand finding Draco's cheek, "Please do me the honor of choosing to shine."

Amid the stares and critical eyes, with one lone tear wiped from his lashes, Draco gave a shuttering nod as Charlie's lips fervently found his own. Cries of anger and unrest echoed off the steeped ceilings as Charlie gripped slender fingers with his own, turning with a smile and running for the cathedral doors. They burst open and together they nearly flew down the stairs, basked in the brilliant warmth of the sun. With a rush of exhilaration and excitement, allowing that handsome man to lead him, he knew that he would light their way to whatever end. His smile shone as he spoke softly, "Did you see what I did?"

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Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed!