Draco didn't pay attention to Hermione's blushing embarrassment.
He casually stuffed the sauce-stained handkerchief into the inside pocket of his robe.
He put away the handkerchief and turned back towards the wooden door of the History of Magic classroom.
"We should go in, we're going to be late," Draco reminded him.
After saying that, he didn't look at Hermione again, but reached out and pushed open the heavy door.
"Squeak--"
The sound of the door hinges turning pulled Hermione out of her extreme shame, anger, and confusion.
She snapped back to reality and realized with a start that she was standing at the door of the History of Magic classroom.
But her cheeks were still incredibly hot, and the cool touch of the handkerchief seemed to linger at the corners of her mouth.
And Draco.
The boy who had just touched her cheek with a handkerchief had already stepped inside.
Hermione, on the other hand, looked utterly disheveled at that moment.
Her cheeks were flushed crimson, half shy, half angry.
Her eyes were filled with panic and confusion, like a lost fawn.
The stray hairs on her forehead were a little frizzy from the shock and the moment she flinched.
What made her most ashamed was that her lips had just been wiped by a Malfoy.
" Merlin's beard..."
Hermione let out a silent wail in her heart, and almost instinctively turned and ran away.
Draco had already entered the classroom, and the noise inside seemed to quiet down briefly because of the sound of the door opening.
She could feel countless gazes peering through the crack in the door, all directed towards the entrance.
She had no way out.
With his face burning hot, he could only stiffly follow behind Draco.
As soon as she stepped into the classroom, a sea of curious gazes fell upon her.
This made her feel extremely uncomfortable, and she wished she could immediately use Disillusionment Charm to hide herself.
Draco walked ahead, his back to Hermione, his platinum blonde hair gleaming softly in the warm yellow light of the classroom.
Unbeknownst to anyone, a slight smile curved the corners of his lips.
Finally, the opportunity has arrived.
The moment the two entered, the buzzing conversation in the classroom seemed to subside considerably.
At least in the area near the entrance, all conversations temporarily ceased.
Many eyes turned to the doorway, focusing on the two people who entered side by side.
Draco, the transfer student who sparked the entire school's discussion on his very first day of school, had already made him the most watched figure at Hogwarts.
But at this moment, he was not alone.
Hermione Granger was with him.
The brown-haired girl who attracted attention on the Hogwarts Express because of her extensive magical knowledge and Muggle-born.
But now, these two central figures in the discussion have unexpectedly appeared together at the classroom door during a History of Magic class that night.
Moreover, look at their positions.
Draco was in front, with Hermione slightly behind by half a step.
Hermione looked strange, her cheeks flushed, her eyes darting around, as if she were absent-minded.
This scene is truly beyond everyone's comprehension.
The silence lasted less than two seconds before being replaced by louder whispers.
Near the entrance to the Gryffindor table, Lavender immediately covered her mouth with her hand and exclaimed:
"Look! Parvati! Look! They really came together! My goodness, Hermione's face is so red! Where did they go? What did they do? Was it... was it..."
She didn't finish her sentence, but her wild imagination had already raced off in directions like "a forbidden nighttime stroll in the garden," "a secret agreement reached after a heated argument," and even more outrageous scenarios.
Parvati was relatively calmer, but he couldn't hide the surprise on his face.
She frowned, her gaze shifting between Hermione's flustered face and Draco's composed back.
"This is so strange... Look at her, she's so distracted, she won't even look up... What did Malfoy do to her?"
The two stared intently at Hermione and Draco, their eyes filled with doubt.
They tried to decipher more "hidden stories" from their body language and micro-expressions.
The reaction at the Hufflepuff table not far away was relatively mild, but equally full of curiosity.
Hannah and Susan huddled together, whispering to each other, occasionally glancing up in confusion at the two people by the door.
Some of the Muggle-born or Half-blood badgers looked at Hermione with even more complicated expressions.
I feel sympathy for her and worry that she's being entangled with a Pure-blood families scion of the Malfoy.
Some were also curious and wanted to know the truth behind this "strange combination".
There were also those who were simply watching the spectacle, curious to see how this saga would unfold.
After all, in the Wizarding World, being associated with the Malfoy family is not considered a good thing by many.
Draco seemed oblivious to the various gazes directed at him from all directions in the classroom.
His gaze swept across the classroom, finally settling on the front row near the window.
There were two empty seats there, right next to the cold stone wall.
Outside the window, the night was deep and the stars twinkled faintly.
Bathed in warm, yellowish indoor light, the spot appeared exceptionally quiet.
Hermione has always been a thirst for knowledge and has an almost obsessive pursuit of classroom efficiency.
Regardless of who the professor is or how boring the course is, she will always prefer the front row.
Being close to the professor allows you to hear and see clearly, enabling you to capture every knowledge point to the fullest extent.
Although it was Professor Binns's class, the Ghost Professor's tone was always like a lullaby.
Once most students figure out his temperament, they will subconsciously choose to sit in the middle or back row so that they can secretly doze off in class.
But Hermione is clearly not one of them; her reverence for knowledge far outweighs her resistance to a dull atmosphere.
These two empty seats seemed to have been reserved for them, perfectly fitting Draco's plan and Hermione's preferences.
Without the slightest hesitation, he strode forward and walked straight toward the two empty seats.
The surrounding gazes instantly focused on them, and the whispers gradually grew louder.
To him, they were all as nothing.
After taking a couple of steps, just as he was about to reach the row of seats, he seemed to suddenly remember that there was someone following him.
Draco only turned slightly to the side; he didn't turn his head completely.
He glanced at the area a few steps behind him out of the corner of his eye and muttered to himself, "There are two spots over here."
The sound was just right, just enough for the distracted Hermione to hear.
There was no coercion; Draco simply pointed out the existence of empty spaces objectively.
On the surface, the choice of seating was entirely given to Hermione.
Hearing Draco's words, Hermione snapped out of her daze.
A flicker of panic and embarrassment, as if her privacy had been invaded, crossed her face, and she instinctively tightened her backpack strap.
Her first reaction was like that of a startled rabbit; she immediately looked towards the area where her roommates were.
That was her safe zone, a familiar circle where she didn't need to be on guard.
However, what I saw made my heart sink.
The seats around my roommates were already full of people.
Only a few scattered seats remained in the middle and back rows, and they were all some distance away from them.
Reason told her: It's over! It's over now!
Just find a spot close to your friends!
Stay away from Draco Malfoy!
The thought was so strong, but her feet were firmly rooted to the spot, unable to move.
It felt like two little people were arguing fiercely inside my brain, neither willing to give in.
A voice, righteous and stern: Hermione, are you insane? Sitting with a Malfoy? In the front row, no less?
This is utterly self-destructive!
Another voice weakly retorted: But... that's the front row... the best spot to listen to the lecture...
And what he just said... "I want to be like you"... and the taste of that scallion pancake... that "I'll get you some more next time"...
Besides, he only said there were empty seats over there, he didn't force you... the choice is yours...
She couldn't help but look at Draco.
He had already walked to the two empty seats, but did not sit down immediately.
He simply turned around, his back to the deep night and faint starlight outside the window, facing the classroom and also to her, who stood frozen at the door.
Draco waited calmly for her decision.
There was no urging, no signaling, and not even any unnecessary movements.
He just stood there quietly.
But Hermione felt an invisible pressure.
Time slowly passed amidst the silent standoff and Hermione's internal struggle.
The whispers in the classroom subsided.
All eyes were on Hermione standing at the door, awaiting her final choice.
Ultimately, the instinctive preference for a "good position" and the reverence for knowledge overcame the fear of public opinion and the dependence on established circles.
It could also be a subconscious wavering of self-esteem regarding Draco's words.
Hermione took a deep breath and made a difficult decision.
She abruptly lowered her head, avoiding everyone's gaze, including Draco's unsettlingly calm stare.
Then, she started walking.
It wasn't about heading towards the area where my roommates were, nor was it about heading towards the scattered empty seats in the middle and back rows.
Instead, he went straight to the two empty seats in the front row of the classroom, by the window, and walked towards Draco was waiting there.
A suppressed gasp filled the classroom.
This was followed by an even more noticeable commotion, with whispers rising again like a tidal wave, even more intense than before.