𝐔𝐍𝐖𝐀𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐃 𝐋𝐄𝐆𝐀𝐂𝐘, 𝘥. 𝘮𝘢𝘭𝘧𝘰𝘺

| 6 |

▬▬ six; the headquarters
⋆.｡.:* ☆:**:.

DRACO DRAGGED LAUREN THROUGH THE CASTLE. They climb the familiar small staircase hidden away while silently smiling, feeling relief to be in each other's presence again. He helped her get up the last step and then they sat down by the wall of windows and gazed out and the awakening sky. But Draco, of course, wasn't really looking out the window but admiring the girl beside him.

He couldn't help but notice the frown she tried to hide away though. He grabbed her hand in a soft grip and stroke the top of it with his thumb, "need to let something off your chest?"

Lauren thought for a moment, sorting out the mess of many weights that were bringing her down. She nodded and asked, "should I come back here?"

"If that's what you want," he said.

"I miss you, and Harry, Hermione, Ron, all of my friends. But I don't want to be here right now, I feel like there's something telling me to do something else," she sighed and wandered from the schoolyards with her eyes and looked at the beautiful nature around the school.

"If you're planning an adventure, I'd like to come with you. I don't want to wander around alone."

She turned and met his worried eyes, "you're willing to drop school for me? They'd track us, you know, and give us detention for. . . ever probably."

He silent her dry chuckle by saying, "worth it."

"Anyways," she squeezed his hand lightly, "I can't go home."

"Why?"

"Both mom and dad left, for good. They didn't want me to come with them either. I guess. . . I guess I just don't wanna be alone."

"You know, if we just run away now it'd be just you and me. We could be alone together, yeah?" He said, showing her a genuine smile, a hopeful face that longed for endless love. The girl pushed a stray of her brown hair behind her ear and blushed slightly.

"I'd love that," she said quietly, but loud enough for him to hear. "Do you think we could?"

He looked out the window, "not impossible. Might be difficult figuring out where to go, I mean, people would be looking for us—"

"I've always wanted to be on the run, the excitement, the importance of not getting seen," she smirked. Suddenly, she felt like herself again. Nothing was on her mind but Draco Malfoy, right now, with him, everything gray in her life faded away and she could enjoy the small light.

"Lauren," he said in a serious tone. He took her hands into his and kissed them both. "One day, I promise, we'll run away together. Just you and me. Get away from everything and just. . . just have fun."

"I wanna see the world, Drake," she smiled.

"Alright, then we'll travel the world. I take you everywhere you wanna go." But then the moment faded and all the gray layers returned to wrap around her sore heart like an itchy sweater.