[Using the Enlightenment, Hermione's abilities to Beast Taming and Beast Language Comprehension are transferred, deducting the corresponding Fortune Points.]
The moment Draco gave the order, the system responded instantly, and a faint, warm golden light flowed from Draco's palm to her wrist.
Then it gently enveloped her entire body; there was no pain, only a warm sensation.
In just three seconds, the faint light dissipated.
Hermione blinked sharply, as if she had suddenly opened a new sensory door, and her ears were instantly flooded with countless subtle yet clear sounds.
The chirping of crickets in the cracks of the wall, the murmurs of night birds outside the window, the whispering of a small spider crawling in the corner of the fireplace...
She froze on the spot, her face filled with shock and disbelief.
"Did you hear that?" Draco asked with a smile.
Hermione snapped back to reality, unable to suppress the ecstasy in her eyes, and said to Draco:
"I... I heard it! So many voices! They're talking! They're communicating! It's not a vague feeling, I can really understand them!"
She instinctively crouched down and whispered to a small beetle crawling past the fireplace, "Can... can you hear me?"
The next second, a straightforward thought clearly entered Hermione's mind.
Why can I understand what you're saying?
Hermione froze, squatting there motionless for a long time.
She had anticipated being able to communicate with animals, but she hadn't expected that her first conversation would be met with a question from a small beetle that left her completely bewildered.
Draco, standing to the side, almost burst out laughing.
Hermione snapped out of her daze, her cheeks slightly flushed, feeling a mix of surprise, delight, and a little bewilderment.
She whispered to the beetles, "Because... because I can talk to you now too."
The little beetle paused, its antennae twitching slightly, and said with a hint of bewildered confusion, "Strange... the humans before couldn't understand me, but you're different!"
This sentence, like the final fuse igniting a firework, instantly shattered Hermione's restraint and composure.
The next second, without even thinking, she jumped up from the ground, stretched out her arms, and pounced on Draco, grabbing him tightly around the neck.
She was pressed against his chest, light and soft, slightly panting from squatting for so long, and filled with uncontrollable joy.
Her cheek was pressed against Draco's neck, her voice trembling with emotion, almost on the verge of tears:
"I did it! Draco, I really did it! I can understand them! I really can!"
Warm breath swept over his skin, and the embrace was soft yet firm, causing Draco to freeze for a moment.
He then reached out and firmly supported her waist, gently pulling her closer.
This was the first time she had ever so proactively and unreservedly thrown herself into Draco's arms.
It wasn't fear, nor dependence, but a pure, radiant joy, born from the ability I gave her, and from the unique secret between us.
Draco felt like he'd really hit the jackpot this time.
He lowered his head, gently resting his chin on Hermione's head, and said softly, "Yes, I know, our Miss Granger is the best."
The person in his arms nuzzled Draco's neck.
The two held each other quietly, slowly calming their excited emotions.
No one noticed that the little beetle had already slowly turned around and crawled towards the corner of the fireplace.
After crawling a few steps, its antennae drooped slightly, and it muttered something under its breath:
"Sigh... this single bug is tormenting me again..."
Draco: "..."
Hermione: "..."
Both of them fell silent.
The next second, Hermione froze in Draco's arms.
Realizing what the little beetle was saying, her entire face flushed bright red.
She immediately let go, took half a step back, feeling both ashamed and embarrassed.
Draco gritted his teeth inwardly: Damn beetle, not only is he talkative, but he also has to sabotage things at times like this.
What was clearly a heartfelt embrace was mocked by a passing beetle as "torturing single people." Anyone would be speechless with embarrassment in that situation.
He forced a laugh, feeling utterly helpless as he watched Hermione practically bury her head in her chest.
This girl, who usually speaks eloquently, became so embarrassed by a few teasing remarks from an insect that she couldn't even speak.
Draco couldn't help but burst out laughing.
Hermione was both embarrassed and angry. She lightly punched Draco and whispered reproachfully, "You're still laughing! It's all... it's all your fault!"
"I'm not laughing, I just didn't expect that even a beetle would understand that our relationship is special."
She turned her face away, but couldn't help but smile.
Hermione gently rubbed her temples and said, "I'm suddenly feeling a little sleepy... I wonder if it's because I'm still getting used to using my Beast Taming abilities."
Seeing her drowsy look, Draco earnestly reminded her, "Then you need to learn how to control your abilities as soon as possible, so you can turn them on and off at will."
"Otherwise, you'll hear noise from all over the world—insects crawling, mice running, bats flying, every animal in the castle talking. You won't be able to sleep, you won't even have a minute of peace and quiet."
Hermione paused for a moment, then imagined the scene, and shuddered slightly. "... Wouldn't that be incredibly noisy?" she said.
"That's right," Draco couldn't help but laugh, "So I usually keep it off, only turning it on when needed."
"Otherwise, with so many magical creatures and ordinary animals at Hogwarts, you won't be able to sleep a wink all night."
She nodded gently, her eyes still a little sleepy, but she still forced herself to listen attentively.
Draco was delighted with her obedient appearance.
"I'll teach you how to shut it off," Draco said softly.
"It's very simple. Just focus your attention and think 'I can't hear it, I can't hear it,' pushing those external sounds outwards, like closing a door."
Hermione obediently did as she was told, closing her eyes, gently furrowing her brow, and focusing intently on trying.
A few seconds later, she let out a soft sigh of relief, opened her eyes, and said with some surprise, "... It's really quiet now."
"Impressive, isn't it?" Draco laughed.
Hermione yawned slightly, a hint of moisture welling in her eyes, her voice softening, "Um... I'm really sleepy now."
Draco reached out and gently cupped her face in his hands, rubbing her slightly tired cheeks, and said helplessly:
"Then why are you out so late? You're just a curious little cat who can't change his nature. Come on, if you're sleepy, go back to sleep."
Draco's rubbing made her squint slightly, like a kitten being stroked, her cheeks slightly flushed, but she didn't pull away.
He muttered under his breath, "I just... wanted to ask clearly."
"I know you're eager to learn," Draco chuckled, withdrawing his hand and naturally taking her gradually cooling hand in his.
"If we don't leave now, by daybreak the whole of Gryffindor will know that our model student went out with someone in the middle of the night."
Hermione gave a soft "Mmm" and obediently let Draco lead her, following him with light, soft steps.
The door to the Room of Requirement slowly closed behind me, quietly hiding all the secrets and excitement of the night into the deepest part of Hogwarts.
Back in the common room, at the entrance to the girls' dormitory stairwell, she stopped and looked at Draco.
His eyes still held a hint of lingering excitement, mixed with a deep sense of drowsiness.
"I'm going up," Hermione whispered.
"Mmm," Draco responded, his gaze falling on her reddened earlobes, and he couldn't help but whisper a word of advice.
"Don't get too excited. Remember to turn off the Beast Taming feature; don't let the noise keep you awake."
"I understand." Hermione smiled gently, a smile as captivating as ever.
Suddenly, as if she had just remembered something, she lowered her voice even further and said:
" Draco... thank you. Tonight... is the happiest day of my life."
Before Draco could even process what she was thinking, she had already turned around quickly and run up the stairs.
As he reached the corner, he turned back and waved gently at Draco before disappearing at the end of the stairs.
Draco stood there, staring at the empty stairwell, and couldn't help but chuckle.
Watching her departing figure, Draco felt a gentle warmth welling up inside him.
Miss Granger is still so adorable, always so flustered.
But tonight will definitely not be your happiest night.
There are many, many more days and nights to come!