This was Hermione Granger's first time entering a boy's dormitory.
Draco's dormitory.
She was naturally very curious. Everything about him intrigued her, especially in such a private place.
However, Hermione could not bring herself to openly and brazenly look around the place.
After discussing the conjecture about the Basilisk, she held the steaming cup and stared blankly at a single tea leaf standing upright in it: When will the gathering outside finally end?
"I will go out and check things out," Draco said after a moment's hesitation. "Do not be afraid, I will not lock the door. Wait here for a bit, all right?"
"Will other people come in to see you?" Hermione asked. "Will they just barge into your room or something?"
"No one dares to break in without permission," he said bluntly. "However, in very rare cases, Blaise and Theodore will show up uninvited."
Seeing the faint worry on Hermione's face, he said easily, "It is all right, they are all very busy today, they probably will not come looking for me."
Draco knew that Theodore had gone home for Christmas; and Blaise, as long as he could argue with Pansy, would never bother him to kill time.
The boy went out and gently closed the door behind him.
Hermione turned her head and stared blankly at the shimmering silver fish outside the window for a while, then stared at the giant squid swaying its tentacles in the corner of the window for a moment. Finally, she could not help but turn her gaze to the interior of the spacious private dormitory.
The style here was completely different from the flamboyant and lively atmosphere of the Gryffindor dormitories. Elegant emerald green and silver filled the entire room, very Slytherin.
She was surprised to find that this colour combination was not offensive, but rather calming.
Are all Slytherin dormitories this exquisitely furnished? Hermione wondered.
If you treated this place as a corner of an antique exhibition hall, those Muggle tourists would probably believe it.
The walls were inlaid with many exquisite silver candlesticks, and the flickering candlelight reflected a mysterious and unpredictable glow throughout the room.
A large fireplace made of white marble, covered with intricate relief patterns, stood quietly. In the centre of the fireplace, within a carved black marble surround, flickering flames warmed the entire room.
On the foldable leather embossed desk at the far end of the room, there were several intricately designed silver candlesticks.
Hermione strolled over and browsed the desk, finally picking up a silver cherub-shaped candlestick with scrolling floral patterns. By the flickering light, she admired for a moment the smooth wood inlays and the French Baroque bronze sculptures on the desk.
The hand-embroidered medieval tapestry depicting Slytherin's adventures hanging on the wall had a rather intricate pattern, and the mermaid swimming outside the window looked rather ugly. The silver floral scroll bookcase, crammed full of books, was much more appealing.
Hermione perked up immediately upon seeing the books. She excitedly ran over and held up the candlestick to illuminate the titles: One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi, Magical Drafts and Potions, The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection, Forgotten Ancient Magic and Spells…
He seems no different from any other exceptionally studious young wizard—except for being somewhat obsessed with Dark magic, Hermione secretly shook her head.
Just then, a slight rattling sound came from the keyhole of the door. Was it him—or someone else?
Hermione was a little flustered.
Instinctively, she quickly placed the charming candlestick on the table, opened the wardrobe door beside her, and rushed inside in a panic. However, once inside, she realised that the wardrobe door could not be closed properly from the inside.
The awkward thing was, it was too late to find another place to hide. She heard the door open. She could not even let go, or the wardrobe door would open even wider.
She could only close the tiny crack little by little with one finger, silently praying that this inconspicuous crack would not be discovered.
The unhurried footsteps grew closer.
Her finger was pinched.
"Got you." A boy's voice, tinged with a slight smile, came from outside the wardrobe.
With a creak, the Rococo-style wardrobe door slowly opened. She peeked out from behind a long robe that smelled of boyish freshness and saw Draco standing outside, tilting his head and staring intently at her.
"What a weird quirk, hiding in the wardrobe—pretending to be a little Boggart?" He could not help but laugh, seemingly amused by her current appearance. "I would not mind if you lived in there, if you do not find it boring."
"I was not planning on staying in there. I thought someone else had come!" Hermione popped out from behind his robes, striking a proud pose, and hurriedly explained, "I do not want to be discovered—"
"Yes, that is the kind of awareness you should have." He released his grip on her fingers and naturally raised his arm so she could support him as she jumped out steadily. "If you had worked it out earlier, you would not have ended up in my hands if you ran in and 'got caught.'"
She landed lightly on the carpet in front of the wardrobe, and upon hearing this, she glared at Draco with a distressed expression.
He glanced at her face, which was flushed with anger, and asked in a softer voice, "Are you hungry? I made some Avalanche Strawberry Cake."
"I am not hungry—" she said stubbornly, ignoring the groans of her stomach that had been expressed during the argument.
"Then have some more with me," he said lazily, walking towards the coffee table in front of the fireplace—where some refreshments he had just brought in were piled up. "I did not really enjoy the feast; I did not eat enough."
Hermione followed him reluctantly.
She felt he was implying something, but she had no proof.
Moreover, the cake did look quite nice, as did the delicate little pastries next to it.
"Where did you get all this?" Hermione asked in surprise. "Did you pack up the Christmas feast table?"
What is she thinking? Draco shook his head inwardly. She actually thinks I would pack up someone else's leftovers for her?
"No. They are all freshly made, never been served," Draco said briefly. "We got them through some special channels."
"The channels for house-elves," he chuckled smugly.
"It is happening again... special channels... all mysterious." She muttered under her breath, frowning. She could not resist taking a bite of the cake, a satisfied look on her face. Then she scooped up a large piece with her spoon.
Draco smirked and gave her a knowing look. "You spent the whole night thinking about how to sneak in, did you not?"
Look how hungry this little girl is.
Hermione lowered her head guiltily, pretending to examine the strawberries in the cake, and did not answer.
Draco sat on the sofa behind the coffee table, staring at her for a while without touching the food.
"After you finish eating, go to bed and take a nap. The bathroom door is over there, and there are new toiletries and bedding in the cabinet next to the sink," he said to her with an air of importance.
Seeing Hermione nod obediently at him, he became even happier and refilled her tea. "I reckon they will be making a ruckus for a while longer; the party will not end so soon."
Hermione wanted to fight off sleepiness for a little longer.
But after she finished the cake, a feeling of fatigue and drowsiness gradually overwhelmed her. She had already experienced too many emotional ups and downs and a tense atmosphere today, and the sudden relaxation of her mindset naturally made her feel tired.
She quietly yawned and looked at Draco. "And—what about you?"
"I am going to wait in the common room outside for a while. I will come and get you when no one is around." Draco took a wool blanket from the wardrobe and placed it in Hermione's arms. "It is new."
"Wait—" Before she could finish speaking, Draco quickly left.
Of course he had to leave. Any gentleman would give the girl enough space in this situation.
Hermione stood there stunned for a few seconds, then decided to stop being coy. She went to the bathroom for a quick while, then climbed into his bed and covered herself with the blanket embroidered with silver Slytherin snakes.
Well, it is good to rest for a while. Even if I cannot sleep, it will relieve some of my fatigue, Hermione thought.
She thought she would not be used to sleeping in the unfamiliar bed and would toss and turn for a long time, just like the first few nights she had when she first arrived at Hogwarts.
But unexpectedly, she obeyed Hypnos's summons almost as soon as she touched his pillow.
She was completely unaware of her sweet and comfortable dream.