After the dinner, the fireplace in the Gryffindor Common Room burned warmly.
A group of people had just returned from the revelry in the Great Hall. They weren't sleepy at all. They surrounded Draco and Hermione in the center of the sofa, and their cheers and jeers echoed throughout the area like explosions.
Lavender, clinging to Parvati's shoulders, shouted to the two, "Oh my gosh—our great hero of the House Cup! Wasn't it especially sweet to be tossed up in the air in front of everyone!"
Parvati winked and said, "Exactly! Professor Dumbledore gave you two extra points, which clearly shows he approves of you!"
Olivia laughed, "I knew something was off between you two! Draco only told Hermione the secret about the grades; his favoritism is off the charts!"
Although Ron was a little slow to realize what was happening, he chuckled and said, "You guys are amazing! You managed to keep such a big thing from us!"
Neville stood to the side, smiling shyly, "That's amazing... you guys are really amazing."
Draco smiled and, taking advantage of the noise, reached out and pulled Hermione into a tight, possessive embrace.
Hermione froze instantly, her cheeks flushing crimson. She desperately pushed against his chest, trying to break free with a mixture of shame and anxiety. " Draco! What are you doing... so many people are watching!"
Draco lowered his head and reminded her in a voice only the two of them could hear, "Don't forget our bet, Miss Granger."
Those words acted like a Full Body-Bind Curse, instantly stopping Hermione's struggling movements.
Upon seeing this, the surrounding crowd erupted in cheers and jeers.
"Oh--!! I've picked him up! I've picked him up!"
Hermione, don't struggle! Draco is holding you so tightly!
" Malfoy is so good at this! Openly showing affection!"
"Give me a kiss!"
Hermione had nowhere to hide and was so ashamed that her scalp tingled.
In the end, she could only obediently give up resisting, burying her face deeply in Draco's chest, listening to his steady heartbeat, her face burning hot.
At first, she wanted to get out quickly, but being held by him felt safe and warm. After a minute, she quietly stayed put and didn't want to move at all.
They also don't have to face the ridicule of others.
Draco, feeling the docility of the person in his arms, said to the crowd, "Alright, alright, stop making a fuss."
But this group of people had long been addicted to watching the excitement and were unwilling to give up. They shook their heads and shouted, "No!" "Keep hugging!" "We won't let you leave without giving us candy!"
Draco, left with no other option, resorted to his trump card, lowering his voice and saying, "Want to try out the mysterious levels deep within the dungeon? That's where we'll score points tonight."
Upon hearing this, the common room fell silent for two seconds, before erupting into even more intense excitement.
"Really?!"
"Is it that level with the traps and puzzles?"
"We can go too?!"
"That's so cool!"
Olivia suddenly realized, "No wonder Professor Dumbledore inexplicably gave you extra points; you really did venture into such a dangerous place!"
Hermione finally lifted her head from Draco's embrace, her cheeks still flushed, and quickly restrained the impulsive group:
"Don't be impulsive! I'll tell you the precautions. The checkpoint is dangerous; you must cooperate."
Then she earnestly instructed:
"There were Troll inside, so you must be careful. Plan your coordinated tactics in advance, and never act alone. The other levels aren't particularly difficult; just be careful."
She deliberately omitted the matter of the Mirror of Erised, not mentioning it at all.
After saying that, Hermione quietly tugged at Draco's sleeve and whispered worriedly, "Then... what about the Potions fire challenge? They can't solve the logic puzzles."
Draco said casually, "Don't worry, the flames are gone. Old Dumbledore must have deactivated the deadly trap."
Ron jumped up impatiently, "So there aren't any other precautions, right? Let's go! Let's go on an adventure!"
Hermione nodded quickly. "Yes... that's about it. Please be careful."
The group had been itching to leave, and upon hearing that they could go, they cheered and released Draco and Hermione, grabbing their wands and rushing towards the door.
The group that went was complete: Neville, Ron, Harry, Lavender, Parvati, and Olivia.
"This is the real adventure!"
"Wait for me! I want to go too!"
The footsteps quickly disappeared at the end of the corridor.
Finally, after getting rid of the distractions, only the two of them remained in the common room, where the warm yellow fire flickered quietly.
Draco turned around and opened his arms wide to Hermione.
Hermione crossed her arms, took a small step back, and asked warily, "What... what are you doing?"
Draco grinned mischievously, "I noticed that Miss Granger seemed to really enjoy being in my arms just now."
"Who wants to... I had no choice!" Hermione retorted stubbornly.
Draco raised an eyebrow. "Don't like it? Then why did you stay inside for even a minute and refuse to come out?"
Hermione was speechless, her face flushed red, but she looked at his open arms.
Finally, she muttered softly, "That's because I kept my promise," and then took the initiative to reach out and wrap her arms around his waist, obediently leaning into his embrace, her cheek pressed against his chest.
It was late at night, and her roommates hadn't returned yet. Hermione sat at the small table next to the sofa, reading and reviewing, her quill pen gliding lightly across the paper.
Draco sat next to her, occasionally reaching out to touch her curly hair.
You could gently poke her cheek with your finger, quietly move her parchment aside by a centimeter, or whisper a harmless joke in her ear.
They blatantly interfered with her studies.
Hermione couldn't concentrate on him and glared at him several times, but he just laughed even more smugly and wouldn't behave.
Not long after, a series of hurried footsteps came from outside the door, and a group of people rushed in, looking disheveled.
Their clothes were wrinkled and covered in dust and grass clippings, and their hair was disheveled. Anyone who didn't know them would think they had just fought with the Acromantula in the Forbidden Forest.
As soon as they entered, everyone started excitedly discussing among themselves, their faces beaming with uncontrollable smiles.
Lavender brushed the dust off his clothes, pointed at Ron, and yelled, "You guys don't know! Ron was entangled in the Devil's Snare so tightly, the more he struggled, the tighter it got, we almost laughed ourselves to death!"
Ron immediately retorted, "You're one to talk! You were chased and bumped by the Flying Key horde, your hair's a complete mess!"
Parvati tilted his head in confusion. "Strange... We've searched for ages, where's the Troll? We haven't seen it at all!"
Hermione put down her quill and asked doubtfully, "No? Then Professor Dumbledore must have evacuated them beforehand, in case anything happened to the others."
Ron slapped his thigh, looking regretful. "No way? I was planning to be the man who defeats the Troll!"
Lavender rolled his eyes without hesitation. "You're kidding me. If we really encountered Troll, you'd be the first one to go weak in the knees, tremble, and almost wet your pants!"
Ron retorted, "You act like you're not afraid at all!"
Neville, standing to the side, raised his hand shyly and laughed self-deprecatingly, "Alright, alright, stop arguing. I'm the one who's most afraid, okay?"
One sentence made everyone burst into laughter.