R U N N I N G

H O M E - Hermione's POV

"Morning, his place
Burnt toast, Sunday
You keep his shirt
He keeps his word
And for once you let go
Of your fears and your ghosts
One step, not much, but it said enough
You kissed on sidewalks
You fight and you talk
One night he wakes, strange look on his face
Pauses, then says, you're my best friend
And you knew what it was, he is in love"

*December*

Kissing Draco, felt like finally being home after a long day. It felt like I could finally breathe for the first time. I knew at that moment, that I never wanted to let him go. I wanted to spend the rest of my days with this man and make him smile over and over again.

We were nearing the holiday break and this was the first time I was staying with him and not going home. We were excited at the prospect of spending time just the two of us, without the rest of our friends, because as much as we loved them, nothing beat alone time.

Blaise and Ginny were going to the Burrow and spending it with the Weasley's but I had convinced my parents to let me stay. Draco never wanted to go home for the holidays so it was perfect!

I looked across the library table where we had been studying for hours and stared at him. His brow was furrowed in concentration and his hair was in his eyes. He looked beautiful as he read his textbook.

I smiled as I continued to watch him, "Dray? We'll ace the test. We've been studying together for months. You know we're at the top of the class. We'll be fine love. Can we please take a break?" I asked him.

He looked up from his book and smiled back wickedly, "I suppose we could take a break. What do you want to do love?" he asked me, closing the book in his hands.

I smirked at him as I inched myself closer to him slowly, "I don't know, but it would be nice for you to finally kiss me. It's Saturday and we've been studying all day" I pouted, finally reaching him.

He chuckled as he pulled me into his lap and leaned in, placing a chaste kiss on my lips. I pouted again and pulled him closer to me, kissing him deeply as I held his face. I could feel him melting into our kiss and felt my heart flutter in my chest. It always fluttered when he kissed me. It had probably been doing that since I'd first met him. He was most definitely, the best part of my time at Hogwarts Boarding School.

Draco froze as we heard someone clear their throat, "My, my Draco. Is this why I sent you to boarding school? Do I pay as much as I do, to have you sitting around, kissing some piece of ass instead of studying and applying all your time to your classes?"

I looked over and saw what I assumed was his father. He and Draco looked almost the same, the biggest difference being that Draco's hair was shorter and a lighter blonde. It was also fuller, while his dad's fell limp on his shoulders. Almost as if it was greasy.

"F-Father! I didn't expect to see you here! Hermione and I were just taking a break from our reading. We've been studying all day nonstop for some tests we have coming up. I apologize for my behavior" Draco told him while looking down at the floor with wide eyes. He looked terrified of the man in front of us.

"Come along Draco. We need to speak. The girl stays here. Move." his father told him sternly.

"I'll collect your books and wait for you in the common room. We'll talk later" I told him quietly as I slipped off of him quickly. He nodded slightly and turned to leave. I watched his retreating figure as he walked alongside his father. He looked like the weight of the world was now on his shoulders, when only a few moments ago, he was all flirting and wicked smiles.

I organized our notes and marked the pages we had been reading. I kept thinking about Draco's face. He looked paralyzed in fear about what his father would say, or possibly do to him.

After picking everything up and ensuring that our notes were safe, I took our bags back to the common room and sat around to wait for Draco to return. I grew anxious and began to pace the length of the sofa, waiting for when he would finally be back by my side.