Seeing Draco's smile, Hermione's cheeks immediately flushed, and she hurriedly looked away, adding in a low voice:
"Don't overthink it, it's just... just a regular wristband, to protect your wrist during training, nothing more."
Draco toyed with the wristband, his smile deepening, his voice low and tinged with a mischievous grin:
"Nothing else? HG, Hermione Granger. Does this count as asserting your dominance over me?"
"No, that's not it!" Hermione glared at him urgently, her face completely red. "I just... I just embroidered my name on it so it's easier to distinguish from others, and so I don't get confused!"
Draco chuckled softly, stopped teasing her, and steadily put the wristband on his left wrist.
Adjusting it to the most comfortable position, it partially covers the wrist bone, making it look exceptionally good.
He gently rotated his wrist, looking at the two small abbreviations, and his tone suddenly became serious.
"I will wear this wristband all the time, whether I'm in class, training, or even at home, I won't take it off."
Hermione's heart skipped a beat. She looked up and met his earnest gaze, momentarily forgetting to refute him.
The little ferret had somehow slipped back in, rubbing against the tips of their shoes and chirping softly, as if egging them on.
The baby ferrets rubbed against the tips of the two men's shoes, tilted their round little heads back, and chirped twice, speaking in their soft, childlike animal language:
"This shiny pendant is pretty! That cloth hoop is pretty too! If you two stay together forever, we'll have delicious food every day!"
The other little one was still clinging to Hermione's skirt, earnestly adding:
"Be nice to each other, and no arguing! If you do, we won't play with you anymore!"
Draco looked down at the little ferret rolling around at his feet, a smile playing on his lips, and whispered in animal language that only the two of them and the little furball could understand:
Don't worry, we won't argue. Even if we do, we'll make up quickly.
Hermione bent down, gently touching their soft backs with her fingertips, and said in a gentle voice:
"Be good, and I'll bring you butter cookies often; no one will fight over them."
The two little ferrets rubbed contentedly against their shoes, then whimpered and burrowed under their skirts.
Curious glances occasionally fell from their sides. Harry and Ron exchanged a look and stifled a laugh.
Hermione quickly lowered her head, pretending to adjust the pendant, but she couldn't suppress the smirk on her face.
Not far away, Fred and George wanted to come over and join in the commotion, but Harry and Ron quietly pulled them back.
Everyone stared at the young couple by the window, silent, their eyes filled with tender smiles.
Draco looked down again at the wristband embroidered with "HG".
The stitches were fine and neat, clearly showing that a lot of thought had been put into them. He couldn't help but look up at Hermione beside him and ask.
" Hermione, did you learn this embroidery skill specifically for me?"
Hermione turned her head away, stubbornly insisting, "No, I already knew how to do it at home, I was just doing it casually."
Draco didn't believe her, his gaze gently falling on her hands. "You're lying, let me see your hands."
Hermione instinctively hid her hands behind her back, not wanting him to see them.
Draco moved swiftly and lightly, and before she could dodge, he had already gently grasped her wrist and held her palm out in front of him.
On the inside of her fingertip, there was a tiny, shallow cut, which was quite noticeable.
"Your hand is injured." His voice turned slightly somber, the joking tone gone.
Hermione whispered an explanation, her ears already bright red. "It's just a tiny cut, it's nothing... I was lost in thought while embroidering and accidentally pricked myself."
Draco gazed at the thin line, a smile slowly spreading across his eyes, and whispered to tease her:
"Was it because you were embroidering while imagining how I would look wearing it, secretly delighted, and thus your mind wandered?"
"No way!" Hermione cried, trying to pull her hand away, her voice barely audible.
Draco didn't let go, but simply held her hand gently.
With his other hand, he calmly took out a small bottle of clear healing potion from his pocket, uncorked it, dipped his fingertip in it, and applied it very lightly and gently to her wound.
The medicine was slightly cool and melted upon contact with the skin, instantly relieving the pain.
Hermione's eyes widened, and she couldn't help but exclaim, "You even brought this? That's amazing!"
Draco bent down and gently rubbed her fingertips, saying with a hint of helplessness:
"Of course, who knows when my silly Miss Granger will clumsily hurt herself again."
Hermione was both embarrassed and annoyed. She gently pinched his arm and whispered reproachfully, " Draco Malfoy, don't call me an idiot!"
Draco, far from being annoyed by her playful complaint, softened his tone and said, "Alright, I won't call you a fool, I'll call you the clever Miss Granger."
Hermione listened to his deliberately drawn-out tone and muttered under her breath, "It's just sarcastic."
Draco couldn't help but burst out laughing.
The noise from the Great Hall still echoed in his ears when Draco suddenly turned his head and asked softly, " Miss Granger, are you going home for Christmas?"
"Hmm?" Hermione paused slightly, looking at him and asking, "What's wrong?"
"It's nothing," Draco replied casually, but a hint of calculation lurked in his eyes.
Hermione, however, became curious. "Aren't you going back to the Malfoy Manor?"
"No." Draco answered decisively, without the slightest hesitation.
Hermione was about to ask why when she heard him say clearly, word by word, "I'm going to your house!"
These words were like a small, warm flame, instantly burning onto Hermione's face.
She immediately thought of her own front door, and imagined her parents opening the door and seeing a blond boy standing behind her.
Dad will scrutinize her, and Mom will smile as she scrutinizes her from all angles.
The thought of that scene made her blush instantly.
Draco chuckled at her blushing face, leaned closer, and said in a voice only the two of them could hear:
"Scared? I'm serious. We're just sitting around at Hogwarts anyway, might as well go to the Muggle world and have a different kind of Christmas."
Hermione's heart was pounding, and she whispered, "You... you mustn't do anything rash, my parents..."
"They'll like me." Draco said with a confident yet slightly mischievous grin, raising his hand to shake the wristband embroidered with "HG."
"Besides, if I wear this when I go to their door, it will be difficult for them to pretend they don't know anything about it."
Hermione panicked and reached out to pull off his wrist guards. "No! Absolutely not! You have to take them off!"
Draco gently took her hand, his eyes sparkling with laughter, and playfully said:
"I won't pick it. I want them all to know— Hermione Granger has me in her heart, and I have you in mine."
The more openly Draco laughed, the more flustered she became, her mind filled with the image of her parents opening the door and seeing them like this, feeling both ashamed and confused.
She lowered her eyes, her long eyelashes trembling slightly, and muttered softly, "You're really... getting more and more outrageous..."