The corridor was quiet, save for the sound of their footsteps.
Morning light streamed through the stained glass between the columns, casting dappled patterns on the stone floor, but it couldn't warm the subtle tension in the air.
Draco suddenly turned his head, his steps unwavering, and his gaze fell on Hermione's tense profile.
His voice was like a feather, gently tickling Hermione's most sensitive nerve. " Miss Granger, why do you look so tired? Didn't you sleep well last night?"
Hermione stopped abruptly, her fingertips instantly gripping the strap of her backpack, her cheeks flushing, and even her ears burning.
She abruptly turned her head away, not daring to look him in the eye, her voice filled with barely suppressed anger. "None of your business."
Draco chuckled softly, a laugh that was gentle yet brimming with mockery.
He slowed his pace to walk beside her, his gaze falling on her flushed earlobes, his tone becoming even more teasing. "Could it be... you were thinking of me?"
These few words, though seemingly light, exploded in Hermione's mind like a thunderclap.
The chaotic scenes from last night.
The cold touch of our intertwined fingers, the panic when I fell into his arms, and the sudden surge of his ambiguous smile by the fireplace.
At that moment, shame, anger, and embarrassment overwhelmed her like a scalding tide.
Hermione's face was so red it was almost bleeding.
She abruptly raised her head, her brown eyes blazing with anger. "What nonsense are you spouting!"
The more intense her reaction, the deeper the smile in Draco's eyes became.
He shrugged, feigning innocence, his tone calm yet every word piercing. "I was just asking casually. After all, there aren't many things that could keep Miss Granger up at night."
Hermione was trembling with anger, but she couldn't find a single word to refute her.
She knew he was doing it on purpose, deliberately using such flippant words to provoke her tense nerves and see her lose her composure.
She bit her lower lip, glaring at him intently, wishing she could poke two holes in him, but could only manage to squeeze out through gritted teeth, "Boring!"
After saying that, she quickened her pace, almost running, wanting to get as far away from this guy who could always easily make her lose her composure.
Draco watched her flee, the corners of his mouth slowly widening into a smile.
He watched Hermione's angry figure rushing forward, and followed behind at a leisurely pace. Suddenly, he reached into the inner pocket of his school robe and pulled out two small glass bottles.
The bottles gleamed with a faint silver light; one was as clear as water, while the other shimmered with a warm yellow glow, shimmering with tiny, shimmering lights in the morning light.
He strode forward, stopped Hermione who was about to flee, and handed her two vials of potion.
" Miss Granger, look what this is!"
Hermione stopped abruptly, her gaze falling on the two exquisite glass bottles, her brows furrowing unconsciously.
She took a half-step back warily, her eyes full of suspicion. "What trick are you trying to pull now?"
"A trick?" Draco chuckled softly, tapping the bottle lightly with his fingers.
"This is a solution for dark circles. It's colorless and odorless. Apply it for fifteen minutes, and the dark circles will be completely gone."
He shook another bottle of warm yellow...
"This bottle is for relieving fatigue. Just a small sip will instantly dispel the tiredness from a bad night's sleep."
After he finished speaking, he added leisurely with a sarcastic remark, "I can't exactly make my 'protector' go to class looking like she just woke up, can I? If the professor sees her like that, he'll think I'm bullying her."
Hermione's cheeks flushed again, a mixture of shame, anger, and hesitation swirling within her.
She stared intently at the two bottles of medicine, her fingers curling slightly.
She really needed this; she needed to hide the fatigue in her eyes, to dispel the drowsy weariness, and even more so, to escape the awkwardness of being controlled by him.
She bit her lower lip, looking at him with a complicated expression, wanting to reach out and take it, yet fearing it was yet another scheme.
"What? You don't dare take it?" Draco raised an eyebrow, deliberately pushing the bottle forward. "Don't worry, it's not poisonous. I'm counting on you to 'protect' me, I can't bear to see anything happen to you."
Hermione's gaze lingered on the glass bottle for a long time, her fingers curling and relaxing, but in the end, she couldn't resist the desire in her heart to escape her humiliation.
She abruptly snatched the bottle away, nearly crushing it with her bare hands, her cheeks burning, and said in a harsh voice, "Consider it something I owe you."
"It's alright," Draco chuckled, "You always have to give a bodyguard something to keep her from doing her job."
These words were like a fine needle, gently pricking Hermione's tense nerves, causing her hand, which had just received the medicine, to tremble slightly.
She bit her lower lip, didn't say anything more, and turned to rush towards the corner of the corridor, afraid that if she was even a second late, he would notice her embarrassment.
The shadow around the corner perfectly concealed her figure. Hermione unscrewed the bottle of clear eye drops, dipped her fingertip in it, and haphazardly smeared it under her eyes.
The cool liquid touched my skin, carrying a light, herbal scent. In just a moment, the soreness and heaviness around my eyes felt much better.
She glanced at the smooth stone wall of the corridor pillars and, sure enough, the dark circles under her eyes had faded to almost invisible.
She gritted her teeth, unscrewed the bottle of warm yellow fatigue-relieving medicine, and tilted her head back to take a small sip.
The medicine entered my throat, turning into a warm current that flowed down my throat into my stomach.
Instantly dispelled the weariness throughout my body, and even the tension in my nerves from last night seemed to relax a bit.
Hermione breathed a sigh of relief, stuffed the empty bottle deep into her backpack, straightened her collar, and walked out with her back upright.
Just as they rounded the corner, they bumped into Draco, who was leaning against a pillar.
He put his hands in his school uniform pockets, a smile spreading to the corners of his eyes, "Tsk, at least you don't look like a little squirrel who's stayed up all night."
Hermione paused, her cheeks flushed red again, and her glare at him was tinged with annoyance, yet strangely less sharp than before.
She turned her face away and said in a muffled voice, "Let's go, we'll really be late if we keep going."
As she spoke, she took the first step forward.
Draco chuckled softly. There's no such thing as being late for breakfast.
However, he didn't expose her. He simply followed behind her at a leisurely pace, the morning light overlapping their shadows before slowly pulling them apart on the stone path.
The aroma of the cafeteria wafted down the corridor, and the laughter of students could be heard from afar.
Hermione's heart skipped a beat for no reason; she just wanted to get to the dining hall quickly so she could escape his gaze in the crowd.
The Great Hall at Hogwarts was already warm and inviting.
The long table was laden with steaming breakfasts; grilled sausages sizzled, muffins smelled of butter, and Pumpkin Juice gleamed amber in a silver pot.
Morning light streamed through the high windows, falling on the long tables of the Four Houses and making the tableware Winky.
Draco led Hermione straight to the Gryffindor table and chose a seat by the window.
He picked up a silver spoon and slowly ladled himself a bowl of oatmeal porridge.
His movements were so natural, as if the person sitting next to him was not Hermione, whom he was "forced to accompany," but an old friend of many years.
Hermione felt extremely uncomfortable as soon as she sat down.
Her fingers unconsciously traced the edge of the plate, her eyes fixed on the toast in front of her, not even daring to look up.
She could feel the sporadic glances from those around her; those curious stares felt like needles pricking her, making her restless.
"Try this," Draco suddenly pushed a golden-brown toast, smeared with honey, in front of her. " Miss Granger can't possibly 'protect' me on an empty stomach, can she?"
His voice wasn't loud, but it was just loud enough for the Gryffindor students sitting next to him to hear.
Hermione's cheeks flushed instantly, and she glared at him fiercely, afraid that he would say something else that could be misunderstood.
She had no choice but to obediently pick up the toast and start eating.
I barely slept a wink last night, and I'm absolutely starving right now.
Just then, footsteps sounded at the entrance of the Great Hall.
Harry and Ron walked in side by side, followed by Neville and Seamus, then Lavender, Parvati, and their dormitory roommate Olivia.
As soon as the group stepped into the Great Hall, their eyes all fell on the corner of the Gryffindor table.
Ron's brow furrowed instantly, and he stopped abruptly in his tracks. "Why is he still sitting with Hermione?"
Harry's gaze lingered on the two of them for a moment; Hermione lowered her head, her cheeks slightly flushed.
Draco looked up and nodded slightly in their direction.
Neville, however, looked excited and quickly stepped forward, saying to Draco:
" Draco! You're up early! I thought you'd wait for us!"
As he spoke, he naturally sat down next to Draco, completely unaware of the subtle atmosphere at the table.
Seamus sat down as well, his gaze sweeping between Hermione and Draco.
His eyes held a hint of curiosity, but Seamus didn't ask any further questions.
He simply picked up a muffin and casually said, "Good morning, Hermione. Did you sleep well last night?"
These words struck a nerve with Hermione. She paused, her cheeks flushed even more, and she mumbled a reply, "It's alright."
Lavender and Parvati sat opposite Hermione.
Lavender's eyes sparkled, and he asked with obvious gossip in his voice:
" Hermione, you look much better today! Where did you go last night? Did you really go with Malfoy...?"
" Lavender!" Hermione interrupted her hastily, her voice trembling with panic. "Don't talk nonsense, I just went to the library."
Olivia sat next to Parvati. She was a quiet person and only glanced at Draco without saying anything. She then poured herself a glass of Pumpkin Juice.
Ron sat down next to Harry, glared at Draco, picked up a grilled sausage, and took a big bite through gritted teeth, as if the sausage were Draco himself.
" Malfoy, don't think you can get away with anything just because you're in Gryffindor. Stay away from Hermione!"