But Lavender and Parvati couldn't completely suppress their excitement, and their voices gradually rose.
Hermione, already annoyed by Draco's approach, was forcing herself to focus all her attention on the blurry text of "Article XX of the Gringotts during the Goblin Rebellion ".
But then, a buzzing sound, like that of mosquitoes, drifted over from the back of the classroom and precisely entered her ears.
"... They're even closer now... their shoulders are almost touching..."
"... The shadows in the firelight... were overlapping..."
"... Look at Hermione's ears! They're so red they're practically bleeding!"
"... They look so good together reading books..."
These sounds were mixed in with Professor Binns's lecture and the faint snoring and turning of pages from other students who were drowsy, so they were not very clear.
But Hermione's nerves were on edge at that moment.
Any word related to "closeness," "togetherness," or "red" pierced deep into her tense consciousness.
It's Lavender and Parvati.
Hermione didn't need to look up; she could instantly pinpoint the source of the sound just by its distinctive tone and the direction from which it came.
Her body stiffened for a moment, and a surge of heat, a mixture of shame, embarrassment, and inexplicable guilt, rushed from her neck to her cheeks.
Her already reddish ears became incredibly hot, as if they could burn.
What are they talking about? Are they talking about her and... Draco Malfoy?
This realization struck Hermione like a thunderbolt, causing her heart to leap.
She didn't dare turn her head, or even glance at the two people's expressions.
She could only bury her head even lower, trying to use the shadows of the book pages and her drooping brown curls to hide her burning cheeks and ears.
But the discussions didn't stop; instead, they became even more excited because Draco would occasionally point at his textbook.
But in Hermione's view, Draco's behavior was purely deliberate interference!
"... He actually knows so many important points... even more than Hermione?"
"... It was definitely intentional! He deliberately didn't bring his book, just to get close to Hermione!"
"Oh my god, this is so sweet! I'll pretend I don't understand just so I can study with you..."
"... Look at his profile, the way he's so engrossed in his book... he's really handsome..."
The sounds continued to come in a steady stream.
Hermione felt her cheeks heat up again, almost burning up.
Intentionally? To get closer to? Sweet?
These words were like a red-hot branding iron, searing her heart and making her feel extremely uncomfortable.
She simply couldn't believe her ears!
What absurd things are Lavender and Parvati imagining?!
Couldn't they see that this was all Malfoy's scheme?
He deliberately didn't bring a book, deliberately came closer, deliberately said things that seemed plausible but were actually true, and even deliberately pointed out the key points...
He must have had some ulterior motive behind all of this!
How could it be... it couldn't be something like romantic love!
However, deep within, a faint, almost negligible voice, spurred on by Lavender and Parvati's romantic whispers, inopportunely surfaced: What if... what if he really...
No! Absolutely not!
Hermione immediately gave a stern shout in her mind, nipping the terrible thought in the bud.
How could he possibly... have any other thoughts about her?
This is absurd!
That's absolutely unbelievable!
This must be one of his new tricks, meant to tease her or to achieve some ridiculous goal, deliberately trying to distract her!
But... if he really was just teasing her, why did he say those things about the Sorting Hat and about "wanting to be like you"?
Chaos, utter chaos!
She simply couldn't concentrate on the lectures, let alone take notes.
She hated this feeling of not being able to control her emotions.
I hate this source of all the chaos around me.
I also hate myself for having my heart race, my cheeks burn, and even having such unrealistic doubts because of those absurd whispers.
Draco, however, seemed completely unaware of all this.
He seemed completely absorbed by the tedious and boring terms of the Goblin Rebellion.
He could certainly "hear" Lavender and Parvati's conversation.
With his keen hearing, even several rows of seats away, those suppressed excited voices could not escape his ears.
He could also clearly feel Hermione's suddenly rising body temperature, her increasingly stiff body, and her gradually disordered breathing.
You could even see the blush rising on her neck from embarrassment and anger.
The girls' imaginative interpretations were exactly the "catalyst" he needed.
From another perspective, they subtly eroded Hermione's strong belief that " Malfoy = the absolute enemy."
This forced Hermione to break free from her preconceived notions and re-examine his every move with a perspective that even she herself found unsettling and resistant.
The seeds of doubt need various nutrients to take root and sprout.
Romantic fantasies can sometimes loosen even the most solid ground than outright hostility.
This History of Magic class was probably the most difficult, longest, and most chaotic class of Hermione life.
Every second felt like it was stretched out infinitely, filled with indescribable torment and inner turmoil.
And all of this is just the beginning.
The bell for the end of get out of class still seems a long way off.