Then he trapped her between himself and the sofa armrest.
"Open your mouth, Miss Study Master." Draco used a small fork to pick up a juicy piece of cantaloupe and offered it to Hermione's lips, who was still staring at the pages of her book. "Reading can't put food on the table; you need to eat first to have the energy to continue being a cultured person."
Hermione remained focused on the book, completely unaware of how intimate their position was, nor did she notice who was feeding her.
He simply opened his mouth habitually and swallowed the cool, sweet cantaloupe in one bite, his eyes never leaving the pages of the book. As he chewed, he mumbled a comment, "Hmm... that transition was brilliant..."
He looked completely oblivious and adorably dazed.
Seeing this, Draco got excited and decided to continue the feeding service, while also having some fun.
So he began to feed her spoonful by spoonful.
Meals and fruits were served in rotation.
"Oh my, this little prodigy, she's so engrossed in reading that she doesn't even want to eat. If she keeps going like this, I'll get jealous of all this poetry." Draco's mouth was never idle either.
But Hermione remained engrossed in the world of words, only occasionally interrupted by the delicious food, when she would mumble a response:
"Mmm... this strawberry is so sweet..."
Because she was already immune to Draco's performance, all she wanted to do at that moment was enjoy being fed and immerse herself in it.
"The line 'The setting sun and the lone wild goose fly together; the autumn water blends with the vast sky' is so well written... The imagery is so vivid..."
" Draco, listen to this—" The moment these words reached Draco's ears, he felt his head spin.
"Eat first! Reciting poetry is hard on your voice!" Draco deliberately pressed the strawberry against her lips, not giving her a chance to speak.
One of the most troublesome things in my past life was memorizing texts!
From first grade to high school graduation...
I've developed a psychological aversion to it!
Memorizing and understanding these ancient poems and lyrics is indeed beneficial.
Culture is thus able to be passed down and carried forward.
The problem is, Hermione's way of sharing was just too much like Professor McGonagall checking homework in class!
That look in his eyes brought back memories of his hard-working days in high school!
Therefore, before Hermione could utter the first word,
Draco, with lightning speed, forked the largest strawberry and held it to Hermione's lips as she prepared to recite poetry.
Hermione paused, looking at the tempting strawberry near her mouth, then at Draco's "concerned" gaze, before obediently opening her mouth and eating it.
The sweet juice of the strawberries spread in her mouth, and she squinted her eyes contentedly, just about to continue the previous topic:
"Let me tell you, the line 'I grow thinner and thinner, yet I have no regrets, for I am wasting away for her' is particularly poignant, it perfectly captures that kind of longing—"
"Hey, watch out, it's hot!" Draco, quick as a flash, didn't even bother to listen to what she was going to say next. He immediately scooped up a spoonful of perfectly hot porridge and "stuffed" it into her mouth without a word.
After blowing on it with great seriousness, he continued...
"Have some porridge to warm your stomach first; reciting poetry on an empty stomach is bad for your health."
"..." Hermione's mouth was stuffed with porridge, so she could only swallow it helplessly and struggled to say, "I'll just say one sentence, it's very short!"
"Here, try this." Draco ignored him and brought another piece of caramelized bacon to his lips, a perfect match.
Hermione grew a little anxious, dodging the bacon, and insisted:
Just one sentence!
"This blueberry looks the sweetest, here you go." Draco seemed to have activated an automatic blocking mode, precisely feeding her a deep blue blueberry into her mouth, which was open as she spoke.
" Draco Malfoy--!" Hermione finally got a little annoyed, raised her voice, and called him by his full name.
"Ah--" Draco immediately seized the moment she opened her mouth and shoved the last bit of fried egg into it.
Then he picked up a napkin, gently (forcefully) wiped her mouth, and said with a smile, "All done."
He made a gesture that said, "Please begin your performance."
Hermione was caught off guard by his smooth and efficient combination of gagging and feeding techniques. Her entire sentence was cut into seven or eight pieces, and she was unable to recite a single line of poetry!
With his mouth stuffed full, all he could say besides "mmm," "ah," and "delicious" was something else entirely!
Now, she finally realized what was happening!
She abruptly put down the book she was holding, glaring at him angrily.
" Draco Malfoy! You did this on purpose!"
"You just don't want to hear me recite poetry, do you?!"
She finally saw through Draco's "plot"!
Seeing Hermione's belated realization and her adorable expression of anger resembling a little pufferfish, Draco finally couldn't help but burst into laughter.
"I'm innocent, madam! I was just worried about you, so I fed you myself. How can you turn around and accuse me? You've really taken my kindness for granted!"
He shook his head as he spoke, as if he had suffered a great injustice, but the smile and smugness in his eyes were impossible to hide.
Draco's shameless, refusing to admit anything.
Hermione found it both amusing and exasperating, and finally couldn't help but burst out laughing.
That little bit of temper I was feeling just now vanished instantly.
Finally, he pounced on Draco and started harassing him.
"You're just messing with me! If you do this again, I'll... I'll recite poetry right in your ear all day! It'll drive you crazy!"
"Okay, okay, I was wrong, I won't do it again." Draco smiled and grabbed her hand that had committed the attack, earnestly admitting his mistake.
But what I was really thinking was: Next time? Next time I'll definitely find another way to shut you up, my know-it-all. After all, feeding and kissing are both very effective silence spells.
At 9:30 a. m., announcements began playing over the loudspeakers throughout the ship, broadcasting the day's activities in several languages.
One of the activities is a guided cruise, with the meeting point at the bow of the ship. A dedicated guide will lead guests to visit the cruise ship's distinctive areas, history, and some little-known secret corners.
Draco listened intently to the radio, then turned to look at Hermione, who was engrossed in reading classical Chinese poetry and music on the sofa.
"Honey, the guided tour organized on the ship sounds quite detailed; we can learn a lot about the ship's design and history."
"Want to come along for a walk?"
Draco wasn't actually very interested in guided tours, but he asked because he thought Hermione might enjoy them.
"No need," Hermione shook her head. "I just looked at the cruise ship map in the room, it's quite clear."
"And I still prefer it this way, quietly reading these ancient poems and lyrics, which is much more interesting than wandering around."
"Fine, whatever you say." Draco shrugged and tossed the guide onto the table. "Then we'll just stay in the room."
As long as I'm with Hermione, it doesn't matter where I go.
After the guided tour, according to the cruise ship's schedule, the next part is prime time for swimming and sunbathing.
The only sound in the suite Hermione occasionally turning the pages of a book. Draco, with nothing to do, was starting to get a little bored.