After most of the students had vanished into the fireplace, it was finally Draco and the other Prefects' turn, the ones responsible for keeping order.
Before long, Draco stepped up to the fireplace and sprinkled the Floo powder in his hand into the flames.
Notably, in the instant he stepped into the fireplace, he seemed to catch sight of Harry Potter, who had been taken away by Professor McGonagall, along with his little group of friends.
It looked like they had no intention of leaving the school just yet.
Apparently, Dumbledore had other arrangements for whatever Harry Potter was going to do next...
Spin.
Weightlessness.
Once that familiar sensation spread through his body, Draco arrived in a small cottage thousands of miles away. One quick look around was enough to tell that this place was used often.
This was not a room in Malfoy Manor, but a hidden safe house.
In truth, they could not travel directly into Malfoy Manor by Floo powder unless they wanted to break the Fidelius Charm placed over the estate, and Malfoy Manor itself had no fireplace connected to the Floo Network.
That was also why the Dark Lord and the Death Eaters under him had never managed to find a chance to take revenge on Lucius, the traitor.
Just as Draco was steadying himself from the dizziness of the trip, the fireplace in front of him stirred again.
"So, you made it."
Thud.
After silently reciting the destination, Hermione followed Draco out through the cottage fireplace.
The moment she appeared, Hermione forced herself to endure the dizziness and immediately checked her surroundings. Only after spotting Draco did she finally let out a breath of relief.
What caught Draco's attention, though, was that after looking at him once, Hermione quickly looked away, as if she were trying to avoid something.
By now, Draco could already tell that something was off with her.
...
Using Floo powder and the experience of traveling by it were nothing new to Hermione.
What truly made her uneasy was how she was supposed to face Draco's parents later, how she was supposed to get along with them.
What would Draco's parents think when they saw her, a witch who was not pure-blood?
Would they be like the parents in those romance novels and demand that she leave Draco at once?
Identity, status, upbringing.
They were so different in every way. Could the two of them really...
Pinch.
"Ah! What are you doing, Draco?!"
Startled when he suddenly pinched her cheek, Hermione slapped his hand away, embarrassed and annoyed.
What she did not realize was that the troubled, gloomy expression she had been wearing had been completely ruined by Draco's unexpected move, and that seemed to be exactly what he had intended.
"I don't know what you've been thinking about, but that expression doesn't suit you."
"My... my expression? What's wrong with it?"
"What's wrong with it? How should I put this..."
Hermione had been glaring at Draco, but under the steady gaze of those gray eyes, her expression gradually turned awkward. It was as though every thought in her heart had been seen through.
And with Pansy and Astoria still nowhere to be seen, Hermione became even more aware that, right now, it was just the two of them.
"Why aren't Pansy and the others here yet? D-did something happen to them?"
"A clumsy change of subject."
"...."
That familiar line made Hermione puff out her cheeks in irritation.
Pansy had said the exact same thing not long ago.
Just as Hermione was about to argue back, Draco suddenly stepped closer. Or rather, it seemed he had already understood why Pansy had not shown up yet.
She was deliberately leaving them time alone...
"What are you worried about, Hermione Granger?"
"I... I don't know what you're talking about. And you're way too close."
Faced with Draco's approach, Hermione, who had been acting bold just moments earlier, instantly turned into a small animal driven into a corner, even her reply coming out in a stammer.
She did not even realize how unconvincing she sounded.
But Draco gave her no chance to escape and took another few steps forward.
He stepped forward.
She stepped back.
In that cramped little space, Draco and Hermione said nothing, yet somehow showed exactly what real chemistry looked like.
"Don't push it! What if Pansy and the others see us? How are you going to explain this?"
For some reason, the situation reminded Hermione of what had happened in that corridor before, and the frantic pounding in her chest sent all her earlier worries flying clean out of her mind.
Her reaction only seemed to amuse Draco. Far from stopping, he became even more relentless.
Only then did Hermione realize she had nowhere left to retreat. The cold touch against her back told her plainly that she had been forced up against the wall.
As Hermione nervously darted her gaze between Draco and the fireplace, Draco lowered his head.
"What are you worried about, Hermione Granger?"
"...."
What was she worried about?
Did that even need asking?
Under normal circumstances, Hermione might have blurted it all out on the spot.
But hearing him ask the exact same question again, word for word, made her instantly understand what Draco was really asking, and her whole body tensed. Her eyes even tried to drift away on instinct.
Draco did not allow it. He caught her chin between two fingers and forced her to lift her head and meet his eyes.
It might have looked romantic, or even a little criminal, but Draco's expression was unusually serious.
That earnest look, along with the firm pressure of his fingers beneath her chin, made Hermione give up on trying to hide.
"So overbearing, as always," Hermione muttered, glaring at him without backing down.
Seeing the girl's flimsy show of defiance, Draco narrowed his eyes.
"I know what you're worried about. But aren't you underestimating me, and underestimating yourself too?"
"...."
"As for my parents, they might not like it, but they won't say anything to your face or interfere."
"....."
"And as for the future, that's still a long way off, isn't it?"
Hearing something so blunt, Hermione rolled her eyes hard in exasperation.
Was that supposed to comfort her?
Compared to her awkward attempt to change the subject just now, his attempt at reassurance was even clumsier.
Still.
Even though what he said clearly did not sound all that encouraging, for some reason, the unease in her heart had lessened a little.