After several lessons, the Defence Against the Dark Arts course, which emphasised practical work, was well-received, and Professor Lupin's patched robes were no longer the students' focus.
The only victim of this course... Professor Severus Snape... appeared unusually irritable.
His story of dressing as a woman spread like wildfire throughout Hogwarts, reaching even the most obscure portraits and rusty suits of armour in the castle.
So the victim intensified his bullying of Longbottom, the half-instigator, in Potions class, and also nitpicked at the Gryffindor students next to him.
Hermione was the first to be affected.
"You are wasting your time. Not only are you not helping him, you are making things worse and giving Professor Snape more reasons to deduct points from your grade." In the Care of Magical Creatures class, Draco caught her again as she tried to dodge him and made her his partner... he forced Longbottom behind Hagrid with his icy gaze... and tried his best to persuade her to give up the idea of being "overly helpful."
"Oh, Draco, ought we not help students who have learning difficulties?" Hermione held the flowerpot steady so Draco could pull the little hawthorn sapling out of it. "You cannot look down on other students just because you are exceptionally talented..."
It was a sunny day, and they were in a clearing on the edge of the Forbidden Forest. Hagrid had instructed them to work in pairs, choose suitable holes in the clearing, and plant the saplings that the Bowtruckles were attached to, thus giving the Bowtruckles a home at Hogwarts.
"But this is not a matter of help, nor is it a matter of talent. It is his carelessness and unwillingness to work hard. What was he thinking, adding a whole box of rat spleens? And all that leech juice... who would add so much? This is not some difficult high-grade potion to prepare, it is all clearly written in the textbook... yet he did not even follow the basic steps," Draco said mercilessly.
"I think Professor Snape's harsh criticism exacerbated Neville's fear. He is so afraid that he keeps making silly mistakes. He panicked when he saw Professor Snape walk by that day. Give him more patience, time, and space, and he can do better." Hermione paused, then said, puzzled, "Draco, sometimes I really do not understand you. Why are you always saying one thing and meaning another? I mean, you always tell me not to waste my time helping others, but when I am in trouble, you always help me. You have always been very patient with me..."
"I do not help just anyone," Draco said softly, watching the Bowtruckle hiding amongst the saplings curiously observing them.
"What?" she asked in confusion, but a gust of wind blew his words away.
"I mean, hold it," Draco gestured for her to hold onto the tree he had filled the hole around. "Watch out for that Bowtruckle."
Hermione leaned against the sapling. The Bowtruckle tentatively slithered through the branches, crawling up the back of her hand and onto her arm.
"Draco!" she exclaimed in surprise. "It has climbed on me!"
"Oh! Close your eyes!" Draco exclaimed, quickly reaching out to block its path. "It is not planning to attack you, is it?"
"No. I do not think so." She did not close her eyes, but smiled as she looked into its small brown eyes... which shone with a shy and uneasy light. "I think it might feel a little insecure because the tree keeps shaking."
Draco frowned at the Bowtruckle's long, sharp fingers, his heart filled with worry for her smooth, fair arm. He did not want a scratch to be added to that arm, giving his nightmares a new twist.
Hermione was using her free hand to tease it with her wand, trying to temporarily replace the hawthorn sapling that was being transplanted, but the little thing sniffed it and lost interest, pacing restlessly on her arm.
"Oh, use mine." Draco casually tossed her his wand. "It likes hawthorn wood, does it not?"
She caught his wand, pressed it close to her arm, and watched the little creature wriggle up towards the tip of the wand, clinging to the hawthorn wood and remaining perfectly still.
"Yes, it likes it very much. Thank you," she said with a smile.
The weather in early September was still somewhat hot and dry. The boy took off his robe and tossed it onto a low branch of a nearby oak tree. Then he began to slowly unbutton the cuffs of his white shirt, revealing a slender but strong forearm.
"You are welcome. I am glad to be liked." He said slowly, staring intently at her, then shook his head and loosened his tie, which was embroidered with a dark green Slytherin snake pattern, unbuttoning one button at the collar.
This ordinary gesture made her face burn.
She always felt that his gaze was somehow meaningful.
She suddenly recalled that gentle kiss on the cheek in the morning sun.
Come on, Hermione Granger, it was just a friendly interaction! She kept telling herself. Mum and Dad would kiss her like that too; he was just overjoyed that day!
"Yes, friend, it is not a big deal." She tried to calm herself down, trying to regain her composure despite her racing heart.
Look how nonchalant he is.
After making her feel flustered, he just smirked and impatiently went to Hagrid for a shovel. Then, he strolled back towards her, his platinum blond hair gleaming in the sunlight.
She stared blankly at him as he stood before her, smiling lazily at her, before lowering his head and wielding the shovel, working on the fertiliser and soil.
Ordinary days, ordinary partners, ordinary classes.
But for her, everything was going in an unusual direction.
Strange emotions often lingered in her heart.
Sometimes it was immense joy, sometimes it was painful palpitations. These intermittent symptoms only appeared in situations related to Draco Malfoy, and lately they seemed to be occurring more frequently, making her feel dizzy, short of breath, and disoriented.
Busy studies filled her heart and alleviated the distressing symptoms.
But the moment she had a moment of leisure, even for just a second, she would be swept away by that strange emotion again, like a small boat unable to withstand a tremendous storm, floating and sinking, unable to extricate herself.
She tried to avoid him... but that was easier said than done.
She had once hidden in a far corner of the classroom, choosing as her study partner the student who needed the most attention and care in the entire class, yet she could not control her legs. She always wanted to wander around him, like a small animal trying to mark its territory, unable to resist.
What was most despairing was that he seemed to be everywhere.
No matter when or where, she could always spot that platinum-gold hue instantly.
He was too dazzling.
Hermione blushed slightly, her gaze drawn back to the boy in front of her.
She noticed that the exercise had given his pale cheeks a healthy rosy hue.
She noticed that he would occasionally lift his rolled-up shirt sleeves to wipe the fine perspiration from his forehead.
Sometimes his eyes would peek at her through the gap in his drooping fringe... and whenever that happened, she would look away, pretending to be studying the little Bowtruckle clinging to his wand.
She could feel his gaze sweep over her, like the gentle caress of a breeze. Then he continued to work silently, filling the pit with soil.
He exuded the air of a young master unaccustomed to manual labour, and his movements while wielding the shovel were rather clumsy. However, he insisted on doing it himself, unwilling to let his female partner do the heavy work.
She protested, feeling that he underestimated her strength; but he solemnly replied that holding onto the tree was more important.
"You do not want this tree to grow crooked, do you? You have to guide it." He grinned mischievously as he assigned tasks. "I will definitely plant it crooked if you choose to use the shovel."
This unreasonable boy never directly expresses his thoughtfulness; he always beats around the bush.
"What is wrong?" Perhaps because her silence had been too long, he looked up and asked her out of the blue, completely unaware of the girl's complicated thoughts.
"It is nothing. Let us continue." Her face flushed slightly, and she quickly curved her lips into a smile, giving him a bright, triumphant laugh into his beautiful grey eyes.