"Snap."
The crisp sound was exceptionally clear in the quiet room.
The sudden attack made Hermione's brain buzz, and her nerves, which had just relaxed, tensed up again instantly, her cheeks turning bright red!
" Draco Malfoy! You—you let me go!" Hermione cried out in shame and panic, struggling with her hands and feet.
"What's wrong with you now! Let go of me!"
Draco not only refused to release her, but instead bent down and demanded, "I was upholding justice, Miss Granger."
Then he did it again.
"Who was it downstairs just now, in front of the professors, who pinned all the blame on me?"
"I... I didn't!" Hermione buried her burning face in the soft down comforter, trying to deny it. "I... I'm telling the truth! You were the one who insisted on going!"
"A fact?" Draco said. "How come I remember that a certain know-it-all was more anxious than I was when she heard Harry might be in danger, wishing she could Apparition there immediately?"
Speechless at the question, Hermione could only bury her face even deeper and mutter softly, "Well, I didn't say anything wrong... You were the one who decided first..."
"So, you just conveniently shift all the blame onto me and pretend to be innocent?" Draco delivered another blow.
"I got glared at by Professor McGonagall for ages with that 'you're hopeless' look, and I had to pretend to be 'deeply remorseful' and apologize... Hermione Granger, you're really good at shifting the blame."
He chimed in with each sentence, making Hermione blush so much that her toes curled up.
"I... I was wrong, okay?!" Hermione finally couldn't take it anymore, turning around playfully and saying, "Let me go! Don't hit me anymore! Otherwise, otherwise I'll really get angry!"
Seeing her adorable expression of utter shame and indignation, Draco deliberately kept a straight face and pinched her burning cheek:
"You know you were wrong?"
"Will you dare to blame everything on your man next time?"
"Who, who's my man! Shameless!" Hermione's face was flushed red, but under his threatening gaze, she still whispered reluctantly, "N-no, I won't do it again... Next time... next time I'll rehearse with you beforehand..."
This made Draco laugh.
He finally took pity on her, released his grip on her, scooped her up, turned her over so she was facing him, and then held her tightly in his arms.
"That's more like it," Draco said with satisfaction. "I'll spare you this time, but while you may escape death, you won't escape punishment..."
Hermione had just breathed a sigh of relief when she heard that he was facing a harsh punishment, and her heart tightened again. She looked at him warily.
"What else do you want to do?"
Draco's gaze, carrying a hint of a smile, swept over her tense face before he slowly spoke:
"Your punishment is... to serve me as I bathe and change clothes."
"W-What?!" Hermione's cheeks flushed even more, as if all the blood in her body had rushed to her face. "You-you're dreaming! Don't even think about it! Absolutely impossible!"
He wants her to help him take a bath?!
Look, look at him naked...?!
That... that means...
Just imagining that scene made Hermione feel dizzy and her skin felt like it was on fire.
This is too embarrassing! Absolutely not!
"I... I have a sty, what should I do!" Hermione stammered, trying to find an excuse. "And... and you can use magic! Or you can wash it yourself! I... I don't want to..."
Seeing her stammering with embarrassment, Draco was secretly delighted, but deliberately put on a wronged expression:
"Sigh, but during the battle just now, I used up too much magic power to maintain that fire barrier. Now my limbs feel weak, and I can't even cast a simple Scourgify properly... Besides, I can't touch my back, so how am I supposed to rub it myself?"
As he spoke, he looked at Hermione with pitiful, vulnerable eyes, and even pretended to rub his arm.
Hermione didn't believe him at all!
This guy was incredibly strong just now...!
Moreover, given his level of magic power, even if he expends a great deal of energy, he shouldn't be unable to use a Scourgify!
He did it on purpose!
That big scoundrel!
"Don't give me that!" Hermione, her face flushed, trying to make her voice sound fierce. "You can use a brush! You can use a towel! Anyway... I'm not looking!"
"But..." Draco drawled, leaning closer to her possessively, "I want you to help me swipe."
"You!" Hermione trembled at his direct yet ambiguous request, trying to pull away but he held her firmly in his arms.
"Or..." Draco changed the subject.
His gaze immediately turned dangerous and playful, his fingers lightly tracing her waist, causing a slight shiver to run through her.
"Would you rather accept a different, more humiliating punishment?"
What kind of evil plan is this guy hatching? That murderous look in his eyes is definitely not going to be anything good, and she absolutely doesn't want it!
Between two evils, choose the lesser one...
Compared to those other things, just giving him a back rub... although I'm still incredibly embarrassed, at least... I don't have to look in the front?
Hermione was torn between two conflicting emotions, but ultimately, under the dual pressure of Draco's patient waiting and threatening gaze,
She bit her lower lip, forcing out a sentence filled with shame and indignation:
"... Just, just a back rub! And, and you have to wear pants! No, no moving around! And you're not allowed to look at me!"
Draco suppressed a triumphant smile and nodded seriously, "Okay, just a back rub."
"I promise I won't move around and I'll try not to look at you... although it's a little difficult, after all, my Miss Granger is just too adorable when she's shy."
"Shut up! Don't say another word!" Hermione covered his mouth in embarrassment and anger, not daring to look into his smiling eyes.
Draco chuckled and picked her up, carrying her to the other side of the room, where a luxurious, steaming bathtub awaited.
There were toiletries and a small stool next to it.
He placed Hermione on a small stool by the bathtub, then, with his back to her, began to remove his dusty and battle-stained wizard robes, shirt, and vest...
Hermione turned around in fright, her eyes tightly shut, her heart pounding like a drum, but her ears involuntarily perked up, listening to the rustling sound of fabric behind her.
"Splash..."
It's the sound of water.
He stepped into the bath.
"You can turn around now, my little maid."
Draco's voice, tinged with laughter, came through the phone.
Hermione took several deep breaths before mustering her courage.
She turned around slowly, her eyes fixed on the ground, not daring to look into the bathtub at all. She could feel the warm, moist steam hitting her face and hear the soft ripples of the water.
"Where are the wool, towels, and brushes?"
Hermione's voice tightened, but her eyes searched the ground.
How could you possibly find it like that?
"On the shelf to your left."
Draco seemed to enjoy her tension.