That soft, gentle "okay?" almost melted Draco's heart; his stubbornness instantly crumbled into water.
He smiled and sighed, "Alright, alright, I'll do whatever you say."
In truth, Draco knew better than anyone that Hermione was always shy and probably wasn't ready to introduce her boyfriend directly to her parents.
Hermione breathed a sigh of relief when she saw him obediently remove his wristband, but fearing he might be disappointed, she quickly added in a low voice:
"Don't overthink it. I'm not looking down on you, nor am I unwilling to acknowledge you..."
Draco reached out and gently ruffled her hair, saying tenderly, "I know, I'm not in a hurry. I can wait for you, as long as it takes."
Hermione's heart softened suddenly; a mix of emotion—gratitude, excitement, and shyness—overwhelmed her.
The stares of others, the gossip at Hogwarts, and the barriers of social status had all been gradually taken for granted and disregarded during this semester of spending time together.
She is no longer afraid of being pointed at or gossiped about, nor does she back down because of differences in status.
But when faced with Draco's earnest and gentle confession, she still feels the same way she did the first time she fell in love—her heart races uncontrollably, her cheeks burn, and she just can't seem to learn to be calm and composed.
She hurriedly looked away, not daring to look into Draco's eyes, which were filled with tenderness.
She was afraid that if she looked at him for even a second longer, she would be unable to resist throwing herself into his arms and revealing all the feelings she was too shy to say aloud.
So she deliberately put on a slightly stern face, gently pulling Draco toward her house, urging him on to hide her panic:
"No, no, let's go inside quickly, don't keep my parents waiting too long."
Draco smiled and replied, "Okay."
In fact, Draco had already rehearsed the scene countless times in his mind before he came.
He had no idea that meeting his Muggle parents would be more nerve-wracking than facing Snape's pop quiz.
He made a point of changing into a clean and presentable outfit, understated and unpretentious, the kind of refreshing look Hermione liked.
He had just taken two steps with Hermione when he suddenly stopped, as if he had remembered something important.
"Wait a moment."
Hermione turned around in confusion. "What's wrong?"
"This is my first visit, and I haven't prepared a gift yet." Draco frowned slightly. "This isn't something you can just do on your own."
Hermione quickly waved her hand, "Oh, don't worry about such formalities. My parents are always easygoing and don't care about these things..."
"That won't do." Draco shook his head, his tone serious. "Coming empty-handed makes it seem like I don't value you or your family enough."
Hermione said helplessly, "What do we do now? Do we have to go back to Diagon Alley to buy it?"
"No need, wait a moment while I pick one out."
Hermione was taken aback at first, then suddenly realized.
This guy always had countless oddities hidden in his pockets, like a bottomless pit; she was used to it by now.
Before long, Draco looked up and smiled, "All done."
Hermione leaned closer curiously. "What exactly have you prepared?"
Draco raised his hand and, as if by magic, took out three items from his pocket one by one.
First, a Breeze Dandelion, gently supported by a soft magic, floats gently forever, never flying away or scattering, like a tender little moonlight.
Clean and elegant, it doesn't resemble a wizard's artifact at all, but rather a very sophisticated floral arrangement.
Next, she took out a small sprig of pure white spirit mint, with a refreshing scent and a simple appearance.
He specially prepared this for Hermione's father, placing it in the clinic to calm his nerves.
It makes people less nervous when going to the dentist, and it's also very gentle on the mouth, which is exactly what dentists want.
Finally, he pulled out a gift box with a solid, sturdy design that looked like it contained wine.
Hermione recognized the first two plants and couldn't help but sigh softly, "You're so thoughtful; you even picked out such a perfect gift."
Draco smiled slightly and pointed to the wine glass, "This is for my father-in-law—"
"Shut up!" Hermione instantly bristled, her face turning bright red, and she hurriedly covered his mouth. "Didn't I tell you before, you're not allowed to call me that!"
Draco chuckled and took her hand, nodding repeatedly, "Okay, okay, I'll remember, I won't call you that again."
"You'd better really remember that." Hermione glared at him, but didn't actually try to break free.
Draco then explained seriously, "This is wine for my uncle. I didn't know what his taste was like, so it's just a small token of my appreciation."
Hermione gave a soft "Mmm," feeling both warm and flustered inside. She could only urge him, "Stop talking, stop talking, hurry up and get ready, we're going in now."
The two stood in front of the door, Draco raised his hand and gently rang the doorbell.
Inside the house, Hermione's mother was busy in the kitchen, and the aroma of food filled the room—all of which were Hermione's favorites.
Hermione's father sat on the sofa reading the newspaper, quietly waiting for his daughter to return after the holiday.
Hearing the doorbell ring, Hermione's mother poked her head out of the kitchen. "Is that Minmin back? Go check on her."
Hermione's father put down his newspaper and replied, "Understood."
He had assumed it was only Hermione, but when he opened the door and saw his daughter standing before him, he was overjoyed.
But when her gaze fell on the tall, handsome blond boy behind Hermione, she was slightly taken aback.
He recognized him at a glance—it was the boy who had helped his family at King's Cross Station.
Hermione's father looked at Hermione and asked gently, "And who is this?"
Hermione's heart raced slightly, and she quickly turned to the side to introduce:
"Dad, this is Draco, Draco Malfoy, my classmate."
Draco stepped forward, his posture upright and proper, and merely nodded respectfully, offering a polite greeting:
"Uncle, hello."
Hermione's father glanced at Draco, his gaze first landing on his upright posture.
Her gaze swept lightly over the three gifts he held steadily in his hands, before finally returning to his young yet impeccably polite face.
He already remembered him; this was the boy who had helped them at King's Cross Station.
At that time, I only felt that this child had an outstanding temperament and was decisive and efficient.
When we met again today, he was dressed impeccably and appropriately, and seemed even more composed.
He didn't immediately break into a smile; he simply nodded slightly.
His expression was calm and composed, like that of an elder, neither overly enthusiastic nor aloof, striking the perfect balance.
"It's you... I remember you." He spoke slowly, his tone calm. "Come in, it's cold outside."
He didn't say much, but his eyes made it clear.
There was no rejection, no doubt, and even a degree of approval.
He calmly stepped aside to let the two into the house.
Hearing the noise at the door, Hermione's mother quickly came out of the kitchen, wiping her hands. Her apron was still on, and a smile was already plastered on her face as she muttered:
"It's Minmin back! We've been waiting for this forever..."
Before he could finish speaking, his gaze passed over Hermione and immediately fell upon Draco, who stood beside him, tall and handsome.
Her steps faltered, her smile faltered for a moment, then turned to surprise, before quickly transforming into a gentle and curious expression.