The entire way there, the two of them maintained an odd silence.
This unusual pairing drew curious glances from the young wizards they passed by.
A Slytherin and a Gryffindor getting along peacefully—there was no way that wouldn't attract attention...
Hermione couldn’t see Draco’s expression, so she had no idea what he was thinking. She had also forgotten to ask where he was taking her.
At the moment, she was simply following his footsteps without thinking.
If Draco had harbored any ill intent, she might’ve been led off to some remote corner and something terrible could’ve happened.
This dazed look didn’t suit the clever girl she usually was...
But her heart was tangled in a mess of conflicting emotions.
Something like this shouldn’t have shaken her mood. What others thought of her shouldn’t have mattered.
And yet, for some reason...
She couldn’t stop thinking about the issue of identity.
She had never cared about that kind of thing before.
What frustrated her the most was that she couldn’t even figure out what exactly she was so worked up about...
...
Draco had noticed something was off with Hermione.
So, with the little witch clearly lost in thought, he led her on a quiet walk through the courtyards of Hogwarts.
This, perhaps, was Draco’s version of showing concern?
Following his lead, they arrived at a small courtyard open to the sky.
It wasn’t the central courtyard that had been designed as a relaxing space for students without classes—now turned into a popular rendezvous point for couples.
No, this was the spot Draco had discovered while returning to the dorms after being summoned to Snape’s office last time.
Probably because it was near Slytherin House, this place rarely had students around.
Just like now—other than Draco and Hermione, no one else was here.
It was indeed a good place to talk...
However.
Out of the corner of his eye, Draco glanced at the girl silently trailing behind him.
He’d lost count of how many times she’d circled the courtyard already.
Still no words.
Draco’s face showed a flicker of confusion and helplessness.
Didn’t she come here to talk?
Why had she gone quiet again...?
Step!
Draco came to an abrupt stop, and Hermione almost walked straight into him.
She managed to stop just in time, looking up at him, dazed.
Draco’s lips tugged into a slight smirk.
“I’m just saying... you didn’t forget why you came to find me, did you?”
With his head lowered, he spoke in a lightly exasperated tone.
At his words, Hermione’s cheeks flushed slightly. Then she raised her chin, determined.
“I—I didn’t forget! I was just thinking about how to tell you!”
“Oh~”
“What’s with that rude look on your face?!”
“Ahem, then why don’t you tell me—what made you come looking for me alone?”
Not giving her the chance to get angry, Draco quickly steered the conversation back to the point.
Hermione, now with no place to vent her frustration, puffed up adorably and widened her eyes in irritation.
Draco, however, figured she was just embarrassed...
“Where is this place? I didn’t know Hogwarts had somewhere like this.”
Her sudden question caught Draco off guard.
Instead of saying why she came to find him, the little witch was asking about the courtyard.
Still, Draco didn’t push her.
“It’s kind of like a Slytherin-exclusive courtyard. I’ve never seen students from other houses here... except you, of course.”
“I’m jealous. You’ve probably been to the central courtyard too, right? That place is... actually, never mind. Let’s not talk about that.”
From the scrunch on her face, it was clear Hermione understood what kind of place that central courtyard had become.
She might’ve even accidentally witnessed something indecent there...
…
Ahem!
Anyway.
After taking a moment to admire the assortment of unidentifiable flowers and plants, Hermione turned to Draco with a serious expression.
"I've heard about the duel."
"The duel? You mean the one Weasley agreed to with Goyle not long ago?"
"Yes. I want you to stop your friend from going. On my end, I'll also try to stop—"
Before she could finish, Hermione noticed Draco giving her a strange look.
"What are you thinking?!"
"I'm not doing this because I'm worried about Weasley!"
She was so flustered she felt like biting him.
As if she’d ever like someone like Weasley—lazy and clueless, only ever thinking about having fun?
What a massive misunderstanding!
For some reason, seeing that odd look on Draco’s face made Hermione genuinely angry.
And it wasn’t the kind of anger that could be soothed easily...
"I get it. I’ll talk to Goyle and stop him."
"Honestly, the duel seems pointless to me anyway."
Even though he didn’t quite understand why Hermione was so upset, Draco still agreed to do her this small favor.
And in doing so, he failed to notice the strange, fleeting emotion that surfaced—relief.
Maybe the greed of a dragon’s soul didn’t just manifest in the hunger for magical knowledge after all...