This couldn't be hidden from the three of them. Lavender shook his satchel strap:
"An ordinary little shop? But the workmanship and materials look anything but ordinary to me. Could it be a gift from Draco?"
Parvati nodded in agreement, then leaned closer to stroke the soft fur. "Definitely! Otherwise, why would you treasure it so much, even keeping it by your bedside while you sleep?"
Hermione's cheeks flushed red with anxiety. She reached out to snatch it back, her voice tinged with a hint of hurried annoyance. "I bought it myself! Don't make wild guesses, give it back to me!"
The two men teased her, passing the handbag between her left and right sides. Hermione chased after it, trying to grab it twice, but failed. She then glared at them and said, "If you don't give it to me, I'm really angry!"
Seeing her anxious look, Olivia smiled, took the handbag from Lavender's hand, and handed it back to Hermione.
"Alright, alright, I'm not teasing you anymore. Hurry up and take it. Look how impatient you are."
Hermione snatched the handbag and hugged it to her chest, gently smoothing the ruffled fur with her fingertips. She buried half her face in her hands and muttered softly, "It wasn't a gift from anyone..."
Olivia then reminded her, " Hermione, you'd better hurry up. You can't keep saying one thing and meaning another."
"After you two left, Cho Chang and the others were still talking about Draco in the lounge, saying things like you two didn't seem to be officially friends yet, and that they still had a chance, etc."
Upon hearing this, the previously noisy atmosphere paused for a moment, Lavender and Parvati also stopped joking and nodded in agreement.
"Seriously! I noticed that Cho Chang's gaze towards Draco was different, and her friend Emock also needs to be watched."
Hermione's fingers tightened around the otter handbag, and she retorted stubbornly, "What does it have to do with me? I don't care."
But the way his brows and eyes unconsciously furrowed betrayed his indifference.
Seeing her like this, Lavender bluntly said, "Still saying you don't care? Your face is all droopy!"
"If you keep putting on airs, Draco really gets snatched away by someone else, then you'll be crying."
Parvati wholeheartedly agreed, "Exactly! Draco is clearly treating you differently, you should at least give him some response, you can't just let him keep taking the initiative, can you?"
Olivia gently patted the back of her hand and said sincerely, "We're not pressuring you, we just feel that when it comes to things you like, don't wait until you miss out to regret it."
" Draco's feelings are obvious, and you're not oblivious to them. Don't let your stubbornness hide your true feelings."
Hermione kept her eyes down and didn't speak. The handbag in her arms still felt warm to the touch, but her mind was a mess.
A few seconds of silence filled the dorm before she muttered softly, her voice barely audible, "I didn't say... I didn't like it."
Though the words were spoken softly, the three heard them clearly, instantly eliciting another round of low laughter. The previous seriousness returned to the room filled with playful banter.
After a burst of laughter, Lavender said, half-jokingly and half-seriously, "To be honest, if Draco weren't your roommate Hermione's boyfriend, I'd be tempted to get involved."
As soon as he finished speaking, Parvati agreed wholeheartedly:
"Count me in! Draco is not only good-looking, but he also knows how to make all sorts of novel and delicious food, and he's so patient with people. Who wouldn't be tempted?"
Hermione's cheeks flushed again at these words, but she didn't argue back.
She reached out and gently pushed Lavender, a slight smile playing on her lips as she muttered with a touch of smugness, "Of course, your taste is impeccable."
Upon hearing this, all three burst into laughter. Lavender teased her deliberately, "Oh, oh, oh, so you're protecting her now? You weren't this stubborn before."
Olivia smiled and shook her head, "Finally, you've admitted it. If you kept being stubborn, someone else would have snatched you away."
Hermione buried her face in the soft fur of the otter satchel, and the gloom she felt because of Cho Chang and the others had long since dissipated.
"You two look so good together," Olivia said enviously.
"Only you can handle his little bit of rascality; only he's willing to indulge your little bit of pride."
We're all looking forward to your wedding!
As soon as she finished speaking, Lavender clapped her hands in agreement. "Exactly! The wedding banquet must be served in double portions, and Draco must be allowed to have as many of his novel hand-pulled pancakes as he wants, or he won't be spared!"
Parvati nodded with a smile, "We want the sweetest Pumpkin Juice, after all, it's Hermione's happy occasion, we can't skimp on that."
Hermione was completely dumbfounded. What on earth was all this?!
It's only the second day of school, and they're already discussing wedding banquets.
She had to retort, "What wedding banquet? Don't be so frivolous."
Lavender leaned over and pinched her cheek. "Isn't it just a matter of time before it's too late? Everyone at Hogwarts can see through Draco's intentions, except you're pretending not to."
"When you marry into the Malfoy family, don't forget your family. You must bring back delicious food often," Parvati added.
Hermione was amused and embarrassed, and reached out to slap their hands away:
"If you keep talking nonsense, I really won't talk to you anymore! What marriage stuff? We're still just students."
Olivia chuckled softly as she looked at her, unable to hide her joy.
"Alright, alright, we won't talk about marriage. Anyway, we'll all wait. Once Draco officially wins you over, we'll definitely take advantage of him."
"Alright, alright, are you still chatting? Aren't you going to class tomorrow? Go back to your beds and get some sleep." Hermione quickly ended the conversation.
Lavender stuck out his tongue and pinched her cheek before getting up. "Okay, okay, our little Hermione needs to conserve her energy for Draco tomorrow."
Parvati smiled and tucked the blanket around her, then followed Olivia back to her own bed, winking at her before leaving.
The laughter and chatter in the dormitory gradually faded away, leaving only the soft rustling of the curtains.
Moonlight streamed through the window, casting a soft, silvery glow that fell on Hermione's bedside, giving her otter satchel a gentle, warm sheen.
Hermione lay flat on her back, holding her otter handbag to her pillow, her fingers gently hooking the strap, her mind replaying the day's events like a movie.
Draco's raised eyebrow as he handed over the scallion pancake, his confident "I promise," the smile in his eyes when he turned around, and the playful banter of his friends.
Those images intertwined, soft and sweet, even turning the little bit of awkwardness in my heart into a warm feeling.
She smiled and snuggled deeper into the pillow.
When she closed her eyes, the last thing she saw was Draco standing at the alley entrance, his white shirt warmed by the sun, his eyes crinkling as he called her name.
The moonlight streamed quietly through the window, and only the soft sounds of breathing filled the dormitory. Hermione's lips curved into a smile.
Tonight is destined to be a good dream, a dream filled with the sunlight at the alley entrance, the warm aroma of hand-pulled pancakes, and the smiling boy walking towards her.