"Don't move." Draco looked at Hermione, who was frowning and whose fingertips were trembling slightly.
Before she could react, he reached out and gently grasped her wrist.
Hermione's wrists were slender, her skin slightly cool from exertion, and her fingers were faintly red from prolonged tension.
The texture is delicate to the touch, yet you can clearly feel her momentary stiffness.
As if burned, Hermione instinctively tried to shrink back, her eyes instantly filled with wariness and distance. She looked up coldly at Draco: " Draco, what are you doing?"
"Don't move," Draco, not letting go but instead tightening his grip on her wrist, his tone calm yet brooking no argument.
"If you maintain one posture for a long time, your muscles will stiffen, and rubbing them too hard will only make them hurt more."
Her brow furrowed even more, and she struggled less, but remained wary. "It's none of your business. I can handle it myself."
"Don't push yourself," Draco said, ignoring her resistance, as he slowly took her hand and gently stretched it back and forth.
"This will promote blood circulation." Draco could feel the tension in her muscles, and her breathing became slightly more rapid.
After stretching a few times, Draco released her, gesturing for her to "move around in circles a bit more, like stirring a big pot of soup, but don't go too far."
Hermione stared at Draco's hand for two seconds, but ultimately didn't object and did as she was told to rotate her wrist.
His movements were noticeably stiff, and his gaze remained indifferent, but he made no further attempt to dodge.
"Oh! That's wonderful, Mr. Malfoy!" Professor Flitwick's voice suddenly rang out as he stood atop the stack of books, clapping his hands excitedly.
"Everyone, look this way! Just like Mr. Malfoy helped Miss Granger, what he did demonstrated the qualities of a true wizard: in pursuing the advancement of magical skills, he did not forget the plight of his companions!"
Professor Flitwick then announced loudly, " Gryffindor adds ten points to your timely concern and exceptional observation!"
Draco thought to himself: This works?
But he maintained a calm expression on his face.
Neville immediately started clapping wildly, the crisp applause standing out starkly in the brief silence.
He clapped a few times before realizing he was the only one applauding, and instantly lowered his head in embarrassment, his ears turning red.
Seeing this, Professor Flitwick immediately joined in with applause, coming to his rescue. "Well said, Mr. Longbottom, this spirit of mutual assistance deserves encouragement!"
The students in the classroom then joined in with applause, which was sparse but still quite enthusiastic.
Ron saw it clearly and immediately followed suit, pulling Harry's arm to stretch it while muttering, "If I'd known this would work, I would have helped you a long time ago; it would have even earned you extra points in Gryffindor!"
Harry helplessly let him do as he pleased, thinking to himself: You probably aren't just doing this for extra points.
Draco glanced at Ron, then turned to Neville, who looked on with curiosity, and said, "That's not quite enough; it's only treating the symptoms, not the root cause."
Neville's eyes lit up, and he leaned closer to ask, "Then what should we do? Is there a better way?"
Draco had a sudden thought and redeemed that obscure healing spell from the system.
Looking up at Hermione, who was still fidgeting with her wrists, her brows were not completely relaxed either.
"That's how it should be," Draco said, raising his wand to her arm and whispering, " Muscle Relaxation!"
As the spell was cast, Draco gently drew a series of small, overlapping spirals on Hermione's arm with the tip of his wand.
It feels like gently massaging your skin in circular motions with an invisible feather.
Immediately afterwards, the tip of the wand emitted a soft, warm golden light, like sunlight.
The light slowly detached from the wand, coalescing in the air into the shape of a translucent hand made of warm light, gently covering her aching arm.
Hermione froze instantly, instinctively trying to pull her hand back, her eyes filled with astonishment. "What... kind of spell is that?"
"Don't worry, it won't hurt," Draco replied calmly, manipulating the Hand of Light to gently press. "It's just a simple healing spell, specifically for relieving muscle soreness."
As soon as she finished speaking, the surprise and doubt in Hermione's eyes gradually faded, replaced by an undisguised astonishment.
She could clearly feel a pleasant, deep warmth seeping into her muscles.
This is followed by a rhythmic pressing sensation, as if a highly skilled therapist is giving a deep massage with their thumb and palm, precisely locating and dissolving every sore nodule.
The tight, aching sensation dissipated at a visible speed, replaced by an unprecedented sense of relaxation.
She widened her eyes slightly, staring down at her arm covered by the hand of light, her eyes filled with disbelief.
As the light gradually faded, a warm golden glow seeped into her skin.
Hermione tentatively moved her wrist, then shook her arm vigorously, her face showing obvious surprise. "It's okay! It doesn't hurt at all, and it's not stiff anymore!"
" Merlin's beard!" Professor Flitwick exclaimed excitedly, jumping lightly on the pile of books, his small figure swaying slightly with excitement.
"That's fantastic, Mr. Malfoy! Absolutely fantastic!"
He approached Draco, his face filled with surprise and delight. "That's the ' Soft Light Healing Charm '! An extremely obscure support spell, one that even many upperclassmen don't know, and you actually thought of it and can use it so skillfully!"
He patted Draco on the shoulder and announced again, "For this, I'm adding another twenty points to your Gryffindor House!"
" Mr. Malfoy, you have not only demonstrated a spirit of mutual assistance, but also a profound knowledge of magic. It is truly a wonderful surprise!"
The classroom erupted in enthusiastic applause once again, this time much louder than before.
Hermione looked up at Draco, her eyes filled with a complex mix of surprise and gratitude, yet still carrying a hint of aloofness.
She pursed her lips and whispered, "... Thank you."
Draco looked at her unusually gentle expression, and his smile deepened. "It's nothing. After all, Draco's 'bodyguard' can't let muscle soreness affect his subsequent 'work,' can he?"
Her cheeks flushed slightly, and she immediately turned her face away, reverting to her usual indifferent demeanor, but she did not refute him further.
Ron listened dumbfounded, muttering, "What the hell? I got points again?"
Draco nodded slightly and said calmly to Professor Flitwick, "You flatter me, Mr. Flitwick."
As he spoke, Draco glanced at Harry and the other wizards who had held on until the very end, and then cast Muscle Relaxation Charm on their arms one by one.
When the golden hand of light landed on their sore spots, they all froze, looking at Draco with complex expressions, a mixture of surprise and a hint of inexplicable admiration.
Professor Flitwick's eyes lit up even more, and he leaned closer to ask, " Mr. Malfoy, besides the Muscle Relaxation Charm, what other magic have you learned?"
"There are still some," Draco replied.
"Huh?" Upon hearing this, the surrounding Gryffindor students all jumped, perked up their ears, and looked at Draco with expectant eyes.