Unlike the last time, when she'd been constantly on edge and tense, Hermione now had the space to take in the surroundings of the Slytherin common room.
It was nothing like she'd imagined or what others had described. There was no eerie atmosphere, no sense of looming evil. On the contrary, the gentle sound of flowing water gave the room a peaceful, calming quality.
She started to understand why Draco—who always had a book in hand—didn't often go to the library. If she had a space like this, she might've stayed here too, reading her favorite books.
Pulling her gaze back from the room, Hermione turned toward Draco with a look of quiet complexity...
"So this is why you're stronger than everyone else."
Watching him still holding his wand, not taking a break, Hermione finally realized just how hard Draco worked behind the scenes—how focused and serious he was about his goals.
Her eyes flicked toward the empty potion bottle on the table, and she turned away, cheeks slightly red. Beyond the embarrassment of her earlier reaction, there was now a more complicated emotion stirring inside her.
She couldn't identify the potion, but she could feel how effective it was. And being Hermione, she quickly realized how rare and valuable it must be. Yet Draco had offered it to her without hesitation, and that left her... unsure of how to respond.
That strange fluttering in her chest made her unconsciously press a hand to it...
...
As time passed, the magical fatigue from their earlier training began to ease. Hermione, who had been slumped weakly against the sofa, was finally able to move again.
And the moment she regained her strength, she reached for the book about Basilisks and began poring over it again with full focus.
Her sudden shift caught Draco's attention, and he glanced at her with mild surprise.
"Feeling better?"
"Yeah... So that's why they were only petrified, not killed?"
Draco had been about to put away his wand and escort her out of the Slytherin common room, but her words made him pause.
She wanted to stay?
It was already getting late...
"If it's not direct eye contact, maybe it doesn't kill. So the petrification must be caused by..."
Hermione's muttering clued Draco in—she was clearly thinking along the same lines he was.
"Mrs. Norris saw it in the reflection on the wet floor. Peeves is a Poltergeist, so he can't die. But what about Percy? He didn't die either, but still got petrified. Why?"
"I think this might explain it."
"Wait, is that... a Prefect badge?"
"Yeah. It was left at the scene. Probably dropped during the attack."
Hermione took the badge Draco slid over to her and immediately understood. Its reflective surface clearly caught her surprised expression.
In her memory, Percy treasured his Prefect badge—he was always polishing it, never letting it leave his side.
If that was the case...
"It's not mentioned in the book, but clearly, even if they don't meet the Basilisk's eyes directly, its powerful curse can still cause petrification."
As if a switch had flipped, Hermione began flipping through the pages while murmuring to herself.
"So... its weakness is a rooster's crow? Seriously?"
Her brows furrowed. The idea that a creature so ancient and powerful—one with a killing gaze—could be defeated by a rooster's cry seemed ridiculous. Her expression shifted into a mix of doubt and disbelief.
Still, while she didn't entirely buy it, she didn't dismiss it outright either.
"So, could imitating a rooster work? No, better to improve our Transfiguration. But... that's still risky. Using a real rooster would be safest. Besides that, the main issue is how to deal with its deadly eyes."
More than her developing magical ability, what Hermione prided herself on most was her intellect.
And without waiting for Draco to ask, she'd already decided to help him with strategy. Even though he hadn't said a word about it, Hermione still stepped in.
Too focused on figuring out how to defeat the Basilisk, Hermione didn't notice the deepening look in Draco's eyes as he watched her...
…
Listening to the girl's soft voice and watching her focused expression full of intelligence, Draco couldn't help but be drawn to Hermione Granger—there was something undeniably captivating about her.
He didn't interrupt her planning. He simply observed, quietly watching as she grew serious and thoughtful.
It wasn't until she finally stopped talking that Draco spoke.
"You're not going to try to stop me?"
"Stop you? Hmph."
At Draco's amused question, Hermione rolled her eyes in annoyance. Knowing just how stubborn he could be, she had never once thought she could actually change his mind.
So why waste time trying?
Her little huff of annoyance almost sounded like a pout, making Draco pause. He looked at her with a strange, intrigued expression—as if seeing her in a new light.
Under his gaze, Hermione's cheeks flushed awkwardly.
Unable to bear his half-smile, she abruptly stood up from the sofa and blurted out, somewhat flustered,
"As for Harry... I—I'll keep an eye on him. Even though I really don't think this has anything to do with him, so..."
"So?"
"So, whatever your plan is, don't even think about leaving me out of it."
In Hermione's eyes, Draco saw both worry and expectation. And somehow, the refusal that had been right on the tip of his tongue... never came out.
Looking at her stubborn, determined gaze, Draco frowned slightly—then exhaled and let it go.
"Alright. I'll leave The Chosen One to you. As for me..."
He stood up slowly, his gaze falling on the book with the illustration of the Basilisk.
As a Slytherin, he had no reason to fear a serpent...
...
If you'd like to support my work and unlock advanced chapters, you can follow me on P@treon.
[Upto 50 chapters ahead for now]
[email protected]/BlurryDream