" Hermione knew what Draco was going to say and stopped him beforehand," Luna said, always with a serious expression.
Hannah covered her mouth and chuckled, " Hermione reacted so quickly, as if she was afraid Draco would say something."
Draco chuckled softly, amused by Hermione's little gesture. "Haha, alright."
He tugged at Hermione's cheek and said to the others, "Let's go, let's take a look at the textbooks. Neville can help Hannah with her references later."
Hermione slapped his hand away, her cheeks slightly flushed. "Don't touch me, look at your textbook first."
Neville nodded and whispered to Hannah, "Shall we read the book about Care of Fantastic Beasts first?"
"Okay, whatever you say." Hannah agreed with a smile.
"You should learn from Hannah," Draco said.
Neville blushed again and could only laugh sheepishly.
Hannah smiled broadly, and after a few rounds of teasing, she no longer minded being used as an example.
Hermione's eyes widened instantly, her cheeks puffed out, and she lightly pinched his arm with her other hand, her voice carrying a dangerous undertone. " Draco Malfoy! What's wrong with me?"
Draco hissed softly as he was pinched, and said, "He's good in every way, except he's easily embarrassed."
" Hermione is great too, it's just that she expresses her affection differently," Luna said.
Hermione seized the opportunity, raising her chin to look at Draco, and said, "See? Learn from Luna, how good she is at talking."
"I wish I could, but you always blush whenever I compliment you," Draco shrugged.
Upon hearing this, Neville nodded subconsciously and replied with a simple-minded smile, "That's true."
Hermione's face flushed red again. She glared at Draco, then turned to Neville and yelled, " Neville! Why are you joining in the commotion?!"
Neville panicked at her glare, waving his hands frantically and stammering, "I'm sorry, Hermione, I didn't mean it, it's just... it's just the truth."
Hannah covered her mouth and laughed, then secretly tugged at Neville's arm, telling him to stop talking.
Luna watched Hermione quietly, a faint smile in her eyes, without saying another word.
Hermione was both angry and embarrassed. She stomped her foot, pushed Draco away, turned and walked out of the bookstore, leaving behind the words, "You're all bullying me! I'm not talking to you anymore!"
Draco laughed as he watched her flee, then followed after her.
The other three followed behind, their eyes wandering casually among the bookshelves, filled with curiosity about all sorts of unusual books.
Once inside the bookstore, everyone could browse the magic textbooks.
However, different books have different points to note.
When flipping through " The Monster Book of Monsters," everyone followed the instructions to gently stroke the spine of the book, and the book obediently opened.
If it's not opened correctly, the Monster Book of Monsters will attack. The group huddled together, flipping through the descriptions of the magical creatures inside, with Neville reading with particular focus.
When Hermione picked up " Unfogging the Future," she casually flipped through a few pages, frowned when she saw the interpretations of tea leaves and the Divination a crystal ball, and then put it down.
As he put it down, he muttered, "As expected, it's useless," while Draco chuckled silently beside him.
Hermione was engrossed in reading " Easy Introduction to Ancient Runes," " Runes Dictionary," and " Numerology and Grammatica," while Draco stayed by her side, occasionally turning pages for her and discussing the key points in the books with her in hushed tones.
When the two picked up "Family Life and Social Habits of Britain Muggle," Draco glanced at it a few times and then put it down.
He said to Hermione, "You see, there's really nothing worth learning." Hermione nodded in agreement.
While flipping through the pages, Draco leaned close to Hermione's ear and teased, "Aren't you going to buy some romance novels? See how the heroines treat the hero?"
Hermione blushed and snapped, " Draco! Be serious!"
Hearing the commotion, Neville and Hannah nearby all looked over. Hermione became even more embarrassed and quickly lowered her head, pretending to flip through a book.
Finally, Draco and Hermione finalized the textbooks for their three elective courses, paid for them, and packed them in their bags.
Neville and Hannah hadn't decided on their course selections yet, so they simply bought all the textbooks for the courses they were torn about. They carried a thick stack of books, looking utterly helpless.
Luna bought her must-have copy of "Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Defense," quietly paid for it, and carefully placed it in her small cloth bag.
After buying the books, the group carried heavy bags of books. Hermione suddenly remembered something and said:
"I almost forgot, I need to bring some Honeydukes candies for my mother. Let's go check them out over there."
As soon as the group reached the street corner, Draco spotted the Florin Fosco ice cream shop. "Wait a minute, I'll go buy you some ice cream to cool you down."
As he spoke, he turned to look at Neville, who was standing there stunned, and said:
"Come on, Neville, do you expect me to buy Hannah ice cream for you?"
Neville snapped out of his daze, his face flushed, and he hurriedly replied, "Oh! Okay!" He then frantically followed Draco's footsteps toward the ice cream shop.
Watching the two figures hurry away, Hannah shook her head helplessly. "What a blockhead, not clever at all, not even as good as Draco."
Hermione was secretly pleased to hear this, and the corners of her mouth curled up slightly before she quickly suppressed it.
Despite always looking down on Draco, she felt a strange sense of pride when compared to him.
"Most boys are like that, especially Neville, who is naturally shy."
Luna gazed in the direction of the ice cream shop and explained, "He's just too nervous. He wants to do a good job but doesn't know how. He's probably not quite like Mu Tou."
"By the time he finally understands, it'll probably be like the flowers at Hogsmeade blooming and withering, blooming and withering again, going through several cycles in a row."
Hannah sighed as she spoke.
"So you still like it?" Hermione asked deliberately.
Upon hearing this, Hannah's cheeks flushed instantly. She hurriedly waved her hand, her eyes darting away, unable to look at Hermione.
"No, I didn't... I just think he's a really nice person, and his clumsiness is kind of cute."
Hermione and Luna exchanged a smile.
The three of them were standing by the roadside with nothing to do when their eyes were drawn to the Magical Menagerie next to them.
Inside the glass display case, all sorts of magical creatures chattered and scurried about, lively and energetic; stepping inside was even more fascinating.
The shop is filled with multi-tiered rattan cages and soft nests, and the air is filled with the faint aroma of hay and honey. The animals inside are diverse and interesting.
The Puffskein, with its round body nestled in its Hannah nest, would purr softly at the slightest touch, its fine fur scattering tiny golden glints.
A pair of Graphorn cubs, with soft brown fur and small spiral horns, gently nuzzled their owner's hand with their noses, their eyes as bright as black grapes.
A dozen or so Crup, with fluffy black tails and gentle temperaments, wagged their tails and whimpered softly when people approached. They looked like puppies but had tail feathers like swallows.
On the shelf in the corner of the cage, several Niffler were perched, their round black eyes darting around, their paws constantly pawing at the bronze ornaments beside them, looking like they were always looking for treasure.
In the farthest corner of the iron cage, a gaunt, ginger-colored Maine Coon cat arched its back and hissed softly at the Fantastic Beasts around it.
It has a flat face and a thick, long tail, with a wary and aloof look in its eyes, making it stand out from other docile animals.