"Don't move, you'll learn soon!" Draco tightened his arms, preventing her escape, and continued to mechanically row with her.
"See, isn't this feeling pretty good?"
I have the feeling, but it's not the feeling of learning to swim!
Hermione cried out in her heart.
With great difficulty, Draco kindly let her go.
"How's it going? Have you got it?" Draco asked.
"Got it! That's pretty much it!" Hermione nodded quickly, eager to get away from this teaching devil as soon as possible.
"Really?" Draco asked again.
"Of course!" Hermione, trying to sound calm.
"Then try swimming over there, to that railing, twenty meters away," Draco pointed to the edge of the pool not far away.
Hermione took a deep breath, recalling the feeling of being carried, and clumsily began to paddle and kick. But after only five meters, her movements completely Transfiguration, her body sank, she swallowed a mouthful of water with a "plop," and thrashed about.
"Cough! Cough cough!"
A strong arm caught Hermione just in time, easily lifting her back to the shallow end. Draco placed her in waist-deep water, then leaned against the pool wall, laughing uncontrollably.
"You say you've got it? Miss Granger, when did your learning ability become so outstanding?" Draco teased.
"It's all your fault! Teaching is teaching! Who teaches by sticking up to someone's back with such exaggerated movements and such close contact... Who can concentrate on the movements then?!" Hermione complained angrily.
"Alright!" Draco nodded in sudden realization. "Then I'll teach you in a different way, I promise I won't stick to you so tightly."
Hermione looked at him suspiciously; she could no longer believe a single word he uttered.
"Just keep splashing water up and down like this, with smaller movements and a faster frequency. Come on, try it." Draco demonstrated again.
"Okay." Hermione began to try it with some skepticism.
But as she tried, Draco moved closer to her side, occasionally reaching out to correct her leg posture or gently supporting her abdomen to help her maintain her balance.
Although he wasn't pressed against her like before, Draco's arm occasionally brushed against her waist and thigh... This fleeting contact still made Hermione feel weak all over.
That bastard! He's definitely taking advantage of us!
But compared to the almost merging intimacy we felt earlier, this kind of teaching at a safe distance... is slightly more tolerable.
"Yes, that's it, don't bend your knees too hard... Good, hold on." Draco encouraged, his gaze lingering on her curves, accentuated by the water.
"Still not changing, "Hermione thought to herself, rolling her eyes. But she had to admit that this teaching method had really helped her understand the key points of the movements more clearly.
Never mind, a little patience will calm things down...
To avoid being groped again, Hermione studied extra hard, memorizing every detail Draco corrected: keep your body level, kick powerfully yet relaxed, and push the water with a high elbow...
After a short while, Hermione found the right feeling for exerting force, and her body became much more stable in the water, allowing her to try swimming forward on her own.
"You're quick to learn. Do you want me to swim with you again and help you smooth out your movements?" Draco asked as she stopped to catch her breath, his hand reaching towards her waist as he spoke.
"No need! I can practice by myself. Don't come over, just stand there!" Hermione quickly refused.
After saying that Hermione decided to swim to the other side of the pool. Without hesitation, she plunged into the water and swam steadily forward.
Swimming all the way to the middle of the pool, Hermione continued to extend her arms and paddle across the water, kicking her legs evenly and maintaining her breathing rhythm. This time, she showed no signs of panicking or sinking.
I actually did it! Although this bastard's teaching method is sleazy, it seems to be working really well? No, I can't let him see that I'm happy, otherwise he'll take advantage of me!
Calm down, Hermione, calm down!
Thinking of this, she suppressed a smile and continued swimming calmly.
Just then, a figure caught up.
"Well, not bad, Miss Granger." Draco put his hands behind his head and casually splashed water with his legs, just enough to keep up with Hermione's clumsy pace.
"Your posture needs improvement, but it's barely passable."
What are you so arrogant about?! Hermione's newly formed sense of accomplishment vanished in anger at the stark contrast between them!
If you're going to swim, then swim! Why do you have to loiter around me like that?
"Stop being so arrogant! If it weren't for you..."
"Not because of me?" Draco teased, "Not because I taught well? Or because I 'stick' to you well? Is it because you're not used to sticking to me anymore?"
"You—!" Hermione's face flushed red with anger.
That bastard, can't he just talk properly?!
Seeing Draco's carefree and irritating demeanor, Hermione's anger flared up instantly.
This was clearly another form of provocation! On impulse, Hermione abruptly changed direction and lunged to the side!
"Let's see how arrogant you are!" She ignored everything and charged straight at Draco, who was swimming on his back. Draco was clearly not expected to launch a physical attack, and the smile on his face instantly turned into astonishment, followed by a loud crash!
The two of them sank into the water at the same time!
Water splashed everywhere, and the pool water instantly covered their heads.
Wow! That was a great move! They practically threw themselves at us!
Although he was ambushed, Draco was not panicked. Instead, he was overjoyed. He grabbed Hermione's waist in the water and used the momentum of the fall to pull her even tighter into his arms.
Underwater, the light became dim, and Hermione found herself on top of Draco. Just as she tried to struggle, Draco flipped her over and pinned her down, the two pressed tightly together.
Draco held her waist, his legs clamping around hers. The pool water made the contact even more difficult to break free from, their faces almost touching, their breaths mingling.
In that ambiguous distance, Hermione got even angrier because this guy was silently raising the corners of his mouth!
That bastard! He can still laugh even when I'm pinning him down!
So Hermione showed no mercy, and the hand that had only been lightly pressing on his side suddenly tightened, pinching him hard!
"Ugh--!"
The excruciating pain caught Draco off guard, causing him to open his mouth wide. A large mouthful of water gurgled down his throat, causing him to choke and his chest to contract sharply. He instinctively tried to surface for air.
But Hermione wouldn't let him have his way.
She wrapped her legs around his underwater legs and clung tightly to Draco's shoulders with her hands, preventing him from surfacing for air!
Draco's eyes widened in shock, but Hermione, like a stubborn little monkey, clung to him, and the feeling of oxygen deprivation spread rapidly.
At that moment, a cunning glint flashed in Draco's eyes. Taking advantage of Hermione's still-fuming anger at his violence, he suddenly sprang up and kissed her lips without a word!
"Ugh--!" Hermione's eyes widened as she tried to struggle, but Draco held her firmly in place. She needed oxygen too!
And this guy... actually stole her attention?
No, he wanted to...