When someone suddenly jumps out right in front of you, it's a jarring sight. Even if you've got nerves of steel, it's hard not to be startled—especially when you've just been talking about something you definitely shouldn't be, and then someone appears out of nowhere. That's terrifying on a whole different level.
If this weren't the wizarding world where magic could explain everything, Harry and the others might've thought they'd run into a ghost in broad daylight.
Even so, the moment Draco revealed himself, Hagrid, Harry, Ron, and Hermione all instinctively drew their wands and pointed them toward the sound.
And even after seeing it was Draco, they didn't lower their wands. If anything, they grew even more cautious.
After all, this counted as trespassing—who knew what Draco's intentions were?
Draco narrowed his eyes at the scene. He certainly wasn't interested in being on the receiving end of a wand...
"Ah!"
"Hermione!"
"Let her go!"
"Draco, what are you trying to do to Hermione?!"
Caught off guard by the distance, Hermione didn't have time to react before Draco, appearing behind her, grabbed her hand—the one holding her wand—and pulled her into his arms.
And because of the position—Hermione in front, Draco behind—Hagrid and the others couldn't make a move.
"What exactly are you trying to do, Mr. Rubeus Hagrid?"
Draco showed no awareness—or no care—that he was using Hermione as a shield. He held her hand along with her wand in his palm, subtly angling it in the direction of the only real threat in the room—Hagrid.
Though Hagrid wasn't holding a wand but rather a strange pink umbrella, Draco didn't believe for a second that it was just an ordinary umbrella, nor did he think Hagrid's subconscious gesture was random.
Draco gave Hermione's wand a light shake. He strongly suspected that pink umbrella had a wand hidden inside.
Now that gave him an interesting idea...
But this wasn't the time to get distracted. Feeling the soft, delicate hand in his and catching a faint whiff of her scent, Draco suddenly thought—maybe being the villain wasn't such a bad deal after all.
Ahem.
"I think everyone needs to calm down a little, don't you agree, Miss Granger?"
Still holding Hermione in his arms, Draco spoke while giving her hand a subtle, taunting shake. As her wand swayed ever so slightly, Harry and the others nearly dropped their own wands out of sheer panic.
If anyone understood just how dangerous Draco could be, it was Harry and his friends—especially after recently adding both Snape and Draco to their personal watchlist...
...
After a brief moment, Harry and the others finally grasped the situation.
How had things suddenly turned into a standoff?
"Damn it! You're despicable! Let go of Hermione!"
Seeing Hermione's face flushed and her eyes welling with tears, Ron exploded in anger. Whether it was because he felt Hermione was being wronged or because jealousy was bubbling up inside him, even he couldn't tell.
If he knew any dark magic, with the way his emotions were surging now, he might've been able to cast it flawlessly.
Still, not everyone present had lost their heads—and truthfully, Draco didn't seem like he was about to attack. If anything, it looked more like he was... teasing Hermione?
"Wait a sec! Mr. Malfoy, was it? I'll put down the magi—umbrella. Just don't hurt Hermione."
Hagrid sighed. He had pulled out the umbrella out of reflex, never intending to actually confront Draco, and he quickly set the pink umbrella down in the corner.
More importantly, Draco didn't seem hostile at all, and Hermione wasn't even trying to resist...
Well... the reason Hermione wasn't resisting was simple. The moment Draco grabbed her hand, her mind went completely blank. She had no idea how to react.
In short, she froze.
By the time she came to her senses, she realized her hand was still being held, and she was practically pulled into his arms in an utterly embarrassing pose. Combined with the warm breath brushing against her ear as he whispered, the whole experience left her dazed, her small mouth slightly agape.
She was probably wondering if she was dreaming.
Not that she hadn't tried to struggle—but under Draco's hold, any resistance came across as soft and ineffective...
"You jerk! Let me go! And what are you even doing here?"
Feeling as if even her breathing had turned scorching, Hermione was overwhelmed with shame and anger, desperate to get away from Draco.
But the hand around her waist wouldn't let her.
If not for the fact that she didn't want Harry and the others to notice—and really didn't want to make the tense atmosphere worse—she might've screamed already.
Sensing Hermione's "resistance," Draco, who had instinctively slipped an arm around her waist, stiffened slightly, then awkwardly moved his hand away from her soft, slender waist.
Honestly, it wasn't intentional.
As a refined gentleman, how could he possibly take advantage of a situation like this...
He seemed to want to explain. Draco pulled back slightly to put some distance between them, then gathered his thoughts and opened his mouth.
"Why am I here? Uh... passing by?"
"..."
Who was going to believe that?
And why did it sound like even he wasn't sure?
Hermione wanted to call him out on it, but she didn't even know where to start...
She pressed her lips together and, making sure Harry and the others weren't watching, shot Draco a seething glare.
"You'd better have a good explanation. Or else..."
Though she didn't finish her threat, the fierce glint in her eyes made it clear she had no intention of letting Draco off the hook for treating her like some kind of hostage.
More importantly, when had this guy even gotten into the cabin?
How much had he heard of what they were saying?
Whether it was just Draco's imagination or not, Hermione—with that adorably fierce glare—suddenly reminded him of how she'd been when they first started talking.
Gazing at the feisty little kitten up close, Draco's eyes darkened slightly.
He realized... teasing cats might actually be kind of fun.
...
[Upto 50 chapters ahead for now]
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