Hearing Draco's seemingly threatening words.
Hermione abruptly stopped in her tracks.
"You--!"
She turned around, her eyes practically spitting fire.
The anger at being threatened, mixed with disdain for Draco's "childish behavior," made her cheeks flush crimson.
Even the hand holding the paper package was trembling slightly.
"You're threatening me! You're threatening me with... with food!" Hermione's voice trembled with anger.
Her chest heaved violently, and her usually clear and logical words became fragmented and disjointed.
"That's so childish! So unserious! Malfoy, we're discussing something very important—the rules and safety of Hogwarts —how can you be so frivolous!"
Draco then slowly turned his face to face Hermione.
His eyes still held little distinct emotion.
He even slowly raised his hand and took another big bite of the scallion pancake in his hand.
"I didn't threaten you, Granger."
Draco swallowed the food in his mouth and continued speaking.
I'm just stating a fact.
"I'm hungry, and luckily I have some food, so I'm 'kindly' sharing one with you."
"After all, you missed dinner, didn't you? We can take care of our physical needs while we have the 'serious conversation' you're asking for."
Draco's voice contained no hint of provocation, yet it struck Hermione precisely where it hurt.
Seeing Hermione's still tense profile, Draco said, "If you don't eat quickly, you'll be late. You're not planning to take it inside to eat, are you?"
Late again!
Draco once again pinpointed Hermione's Achilles' heel.
The little witch could not tolerate being disrespectful in class.
Hermione's chest heaved more and more violently.
She gripped the paper package tightly in her hand, then glared intently at Draco.
Those eyes burned with resentment and anger.
Hermione tried to see through the unyielding, even somewhat lazy-looking guy in front of her with her eyes.
Draco simply looked back at her calmly.
He even raised his hand, seemingly preparing to take a third bite.
That calm and collected demeanor was driving Hermione crazy.
She couldn't help but start imagining things.
This is absolutely a trick by Malfoy!
Distract yourself with food, interrupt your coherent thinking, or even put Veritaserum or other weird stuff in it!
He just wants to throw you off balance and prevent you from asking those crucial questions!
However, another small, slightly more rational group was wavering uncontrollably.
He was eating it himself, and the aroma... it was so real, so tempting.
What's more, he used it as a threat.
It was like scratching the most itchy spot in her heart, making her restless and uneasy.
She couldn't accept that the questioning would end there, and she couldn't tolerate the truth slipping away right before her eyes!
And he's right, time is indeed running out, if we delay any longer we'll really be late!
She absolutely cannot be late for class on the first day of school.
Countless emotions clashed fiercely in Hermione's mind.
Hermione glared at Draco, trying to force him to give in with her eyes.
Draco remained unmoved, even slightly raising his chin.
That gesture seemed to say, "Do as you please, I'm not in a hurry."
In the end, Hermione gave in.
"You... you'd better be telling the truth!" Hermione said through gritted teeth.
"And if there's anything wrong with this pie, I swear, I'll tell Professor McGonagall immediately, and I'll tell Headmaster Dumbledore!"
After saying these harsh words, she seemed to have made some kind of tragic decision.
Then, with a resolute expression, he suddenly lowered his head, took the pancake from his hand, and carefully took a small bite.
With just a small bite, her eyes lit up.
The taste is unique and unlike anything I've ever experienced.
tasty!
The thought, as if under Incarcerous spell, jumped uncontrollably into Hermione's mind.
This thought startled her, and she almost choked from surprise.
She subconsciously looked up, her cheeks turning even redder.
This time, it wasn't just anger, but also a barely concealed blush.
Furthermore, she was embarrassed and annoyed that she actually found the food Malfoy gave her delicious.
Draco took in her twisted expression, a mixture of intense inner resistance and honest taste.
He laughed, because no one can escape the "it smells so good" phenomenon.
He didn't urge him further, nor did he begin to speak immediately.
She took another bite of her biscuit, then turned around and continued walking unhurriedly toward the History of Magic classroom.
Hermione stood frozen in place, a small mouthful of the complex yet undeniably delicious scallion pancake still lingering in her mouth.
Now, swallowing it or spitting it out is both impossible.
Watching Draco's retreating figure, she finally steeled herself, chewed haphazardly a few times, and swallowed the food in her mouth.
Then, as if he were doing something wrong, he quickly lowered his head and took a big bite of the scallion pancake.
She quickly swallowed her food, jogged a few steps to catch up with Draco, and tried her best to maintain a serious expression.
However, the slightly puffed-out cheeks from chewing quickly diminished the deliberately serious demeanor, instead adding a touch of adorable embarrassment.
"I ate!" She struggled to swallow the last bite of food.
Her voice was still a little slurred, but she still forced herself to maintain her composure.
After wiping the sauce from the corner of his mouth, he sharply looked at Draco's profile.
"Now it's your turn! What exactly did the Sorting Hat tell you? No more excuses to delay! Otherwise—"
"Otherwise I will..."
"I just..."
Hermione couldn't think of a more threatening threat at the moment.