Seeing Hermione's delighted expression, Draco seized the opportunity to make his demands.
He gently poked the otter-shaped head of the satchel with his finger and said, "You like it, right? It wasn't given away for free."
Hermione, who was stroking the fuzz of her handbag, paused upon hearing this, then slapped away Draco's mischievous hand, and retorted defiantly:
"Who likes it? They just find it practical."
But as soon as she finished speaking, she couldn't help but pull her handbag closer to her side, as if afraid that Draco really wanted to go back.
"What do you want? You're not going to make another bet with me, and if I lose, I'll have to work for you, are you?" Hermione asked warily.
Seeing the hint of wariness in her eyes, Draco's lips curled into a mischievous smile. He leaned down and whispered in her ear, "You have to kiss me on the cheek. How about that? Not too much to ask, right?"
These words were like a spark, instantly turning Hermione's entire face red, and she almost dropped the otter handbag in her hand.
"You, you can forget about it... I will never agree to such an unreasonable request!"
"Alright then," Draco shrugged, feigning regret.
Hermione loosened her grip on the otter handbag, her tense shoulders relaxed, and she quietly breathed a sigh of relief.
He muttered under his breath, "That's more like it."
Before she could even exhale properly, Draco leaned closer, gently cupping the back of her neck. "I'll do it myself then. Can I at least give you a kiss?"
When Draco kissed her, Hermione was so embarrassed that she quickly closed her eyes, her hands gripping the otter satchel tightly.
With a soft pop, Draco's lips lightly touched her collagen-rich face, the soft, warm touch dissipating in an instant.
Hermione then opened her eyes, her eyelashes trembling.
She was completely stunned, her cheeks burning red at a visible speed, and even the top of her head seemed to be steaming. She stood there motionless for a long time.
After a while, she raised her hand and gently wiped her cheek that had been kissed, her fingers tracing the warmth as she playfully scolded:
" Draco, you're a scoundrel! You clearly said you were going to give it to me!"
She bit her lip again, said, "I'm not talking to you anymore," and then grabbed her otter-shaped handbag and ran away quickly.
A light brown, fluffy handbag swayed beside her, like a small animal fleeing in panic with its owner.
Draco smiled and quickly caught up with her, following her all the way to the entrance of the Gryffindor Common Room on the Seventh Floor.
She was standing motionless against the wall, as if reflecting on her mistakes, perhaps still recovering from her earlier embarrassment.
Draco walked over slowly and gently placed his hand on her tense shoulder, feigning innocence, "What's wrong? Why are you slumping your shoulders? Who bullied our Hermione?"
Draco's fingers had barely touched her shoulder when it trembled slightly.
Hermione remained with her back to him, her voice muffled, tinged with lingering embarrassment, as she uttered, "You know perfectly well what I mean."
The Fat Lady, not far away, peeked out from the portrait, her round face full of curiosity, staring at the two people standing there with a puzzled look.
Draco Mo patted her shoulder and said, "It was my fault, I apologize, can you kiss me back?"
Hermione's shoulders trembled again. "Who wants to kiss you... you shameless bastard."
The Fat Lady was engrossed in looking at the portrait, and couldn't help but cough lightly, deliberately raising her voice to tease the two of them:
"It's so nice to be young. Why are you dawdling like this? Should I open the portrait first...?"
Hermione's face turned even redder at these words, and she whirled around to glare at Draco: "It's all your fault! We've made a fool of ourselves!"
She bit her lip and muttered softly, "If you dare to act like a scoundrel again, I really won't talk to you anymore."
You definitely wouldn't want to.
These words struck a nerve with Hermione, but she refused to admit it. "Who wouldn't want to! If you keep doing this, I really... I really won't talk to you anymore!"
After she finished speaking, she turned her face away and glanced at the Fat Lady watching the commotion in the portrait. Unexpectedly, she met the Fat Lady's gaze.
Hermione turned back hastily, embarrassed and annoyed, and said urgently, "Get out of here! I need to go into the lounge, or someone will come!"
After saying that, Hermione walked towards the door, with Draco following.
The two arrived at the door, where the Fat Lady in the portrait smiled, her eyes narrowing into slits. "Don't worry, my mouth is as tight as it was yesterday~"
After hearing the Fat Lady's words, Hermione's face flushed even more, and she glared at Draco fiercely. "It's all your fault!"
The Fat Lady laughed and said, "You two move aside, I'll open the door for you!"
After stepping aside, Draco used the system to redeem a beautifully packaged bottle of red wine, handed it to the portrait, and asked, "Madam, can you drink? It's red wine, not very strong."
The Fat Lady's eyes lit up instantly, and her smile widened even more.
As she opened the door, she waved her hand dismissively, feigning annoyance. "Oh, you don't need to bring me gifts every time, my dear Young Malfoy ~"
Draco swirled his wine and chuckled, "Just a small favor, madam."
"That won't do either!" The Fat Lady put on a stern face, but couldn't hide the smile in her eyes.
At that moment, the door hinges creaked open completely, letting in the warm light of the lounge.
"If you bring them again next time, I really won't open the door for you!"
"Alright, just let me know if you need anything," Draco said.
"Don't worry, I promise I won't stand on ceremony with you! Go inside with your sweetheart."
Hermione blushed again, and shyly went inside first.
"The usual way, I've opened it and put it down for you."
The Fat Lady smiled and nodded hurriedly, "Yes, yes, you're so thoughtful!"
Draco deftly unscrewed the cork, placed the wine bottle on the ground, and glanced up to see the Fat Lady staring at the bottle with shining eyes, which made him chuckle.
"Thanks, kid!" the Fat Lady said happily, then lowered her voice and teased, "I told you, you two are a perfect match!"
"You have excellent taste, Madam."
No sooner had she finished speaking than a very soft sound came from behind the door, which Hermione heard perfectly from the hallway.
The sharp-eyed and sharp-eared Fat Lady heard the noise and immediately covered her mouth to laugh, winking at Draco and deliberately calling out towards the door:
"Young lady, did you hear that? My judgment is spot on, so don't let me down!"
Draco chuckled and called out towards the direction behind the portrait door, "I promise."
Upon hearing this, Hermione instinctively wanted to leave, but was afraid of missing something.
She didn't dare move a finger, afraid of making the slightest sound and revealing that she was still guarding behind the door.
Before the Fat Lady could react, Draco stepped into the Gryffindor Common Room.
The Fat Lady in the portrait shook her head with a smile, "Look at this lad, he's even more impatient than me!"
The moment those words left her lips, Hermione stumbled in embarrassment and hurriedly grabbed her otter handbag, walking quickly forward.
Draco caught up with him in a few steps and asked, "Why are you running? Why are you standing here in the aisle instead of sitting inside?"
With a snap, Hermione's face instantly turned bright red. She said, embarrassed and annoyed, "Mind your own business... I was just standing there."