It was probably because he was always surrounded by two lively companions—and a little princess he doted on like a sister—that Draco rarely paid attention to people who didn't matter to him.
That is, until he walked alone down the corridor.
Only then did Draco finally realize something: his status within Slytherin House had changed quite a bit.
Especially when it came to the witches whose eyes sparkled the moment they saw him...
"Hey, hey, look over there!"
"It's the Prince!"
"Calm down, everyone! Calm down! The Prince wouldn't look twice at witches who aren't ladylike."
Draco's steps faltered for a moment.
This reaction wasn't entirely unexpected—he'd mentally prepared himself for something like this.
But what was with that cringe-worthy nickname?
"Pansy Parkinson..."
It only took a second.
Draco immediately identified the culprit.
Only a childhood friend with her head full of fairy tales would come up with a name like that.
As for how it spread so far and wide?
Draco, now wearing a slightly stiff expression, really wanted to find out.
Hmm… maybe he'd interrogate that little princess by tugging at her cheeks...
...
Draco made his way down the Slytherin corridor, keeping his usual aloof expression.
Fortunately, Slytherin witches weren't as enthusiastic as Gryffindors.
They simply smiled and held themselves with the grace expected of nobility.
Though they did go out of their way to stretch their elegant figures, hoping to catch Draco's attention.
If he hadn't known better, he would've thought he'd wandered into some noble's banquet.
Just like his father—always the center of attention at such gatherings.
Those noblewomen were never shy about making bold, intimate gestures toward him.
It's worth mentioning that, on the night of one such banquet, his father had ended up sleeping in the study...
In any case.
After passing through the stone wall that only opened with a password, the first thing Draco saw was a little witch standing quietly in the corner.
From the way she lowered her head and curled into the wall, it was clear she didn't want too many people noticing her presence.
But the messy hair, her petite frame, and the way she always clutched a book tightly to her chest...
Those details alone gave away her identity.
She was their know-it-all.
Hermione Granger...
Draco wasn't the least bit surprised.
Besides, Hermione was probably the only witch from Gryffindor he got along with.
"Is she nervous?"
Draco didn't approach right away.
Instead, he found himself unexpectedly seeing a different side of Hermione...
You could tell just by looking—her hands gripping the book were turning pale.
Whenever someone passed by, she'd glance up like a small, wary animal, tense and alert.
Only after confirming it wasn't the person she was waiting for would she drop her gaze again, retreating into the background.
Draco arched a brow slightly at the sight.
"She's actually kind of nice when she's not being bossy."
For some reason, as he rubbed his chin, that thought popped into Draco's mind...
…
Actually, there was a reason behind Hermione's behavior.
Although her view of Slytherin had softened somewhat because of Draco, it didn't change the fact that the other houses had plenty of valid reasons to dislike Slytherin...
Over time, and thanks to Draco, Hermione had come to understand that among wizards, there was still a deep-rooted divide between pure-bloods and half-bloods—a problem left behind by history.
Because nearly everyone in Slytherin came from pure-blood families, they'd been raised to believe in pure-blood supremacy, leading to their arrogant and condescending attitude toward students from other houses.
No one liked being looked down on.
Naturally, Slytherin didn't have the best reputation.
Hermione didn't even know if she technically counted as a half-blood.
Ordinarily, a confident and intelligent witch like her wouldn't have cared about something like that.
But for some reason, she had started to.
That was why she was acting so strangely...
As Hermione drifted off in thought, she suddenly heard loud, deliberate footsteps behind her.
Step. Step. Step.
A luxurious robe—one that probably cost a pile of Galleons—appeared in her line of sight.
"Who?!"
Startled, Hermione reacted like a frightened little animal. She took a step back, then hurriedly lifted her head to see who had suddenly entered her view.
Once she recognized the figure, those anxious brown eyes regained their usual spark of confidence...
"Are you a ghost or something? You walk without making a sound."
It was clear she looked far more relaxed now than she had just moments ago, when she'd seemed like an abandoned puppy.
This untamed little witch made Draco nod in satisfaction.
That strange reaction of his made Hermione want to smack him...
Too bad Draco didn't give her the chance.
"Let's go."
"Huh?"
"Didn't you have something to tell me? This isn't exactly the best place for a chat."
"Ah... right!"
Hermione looked a little surprised as she stared at his retreating back, then quickly remembered something and jogged to catch up.
'Guess I was imagining things... No way that annoying guy could actually be gentle.'
Her eyes kept drifting toward the figure walking ahead.
'Did that annoying guy notice?'
Hermione bit her lower lip gently and clutched the book in her arms more tightly.
Right now, just like Draco, she walked in silence—neither of them saying a word...
...
There was a reason for the strange tension between them.
And it had everything to do with why Draco had brought Hermione away.
The younger Slytherins who vaguely knew that Hermione and Draco had some sort of connection didn't make a fuss.
Thanks to Draco, they didn't dare do anything to Hermione.
But the upperclassmen who didn't know the situation?
Their gazes toward Hermione were a bit too unrestrained.
She wasn't even sure if it was just her imagination, but Hermione could feel it—that look of disdain in the eyes of a few Slytherins.
As if they were seeing something filthy that didn't belong here.
Draco noticed it too.
'What an insufferable arrogance.'
He slowed his pace slightly, waiting for the little kitten to catch up, and thoughtfully tugged his robe a bit tighter.
That guy just now...
Wasn't he the captain of the Slytherin Quidditch team?
...
[Upto 50 chapters ahead for now]
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