For the next few days, Hermione was extremely serious and did not speak to Draco of her own accord. Draco felt somewhat regretful. Perhaps he should not have impulsively taken her flying. Now, one of his few sources of joy at Hogwarts was gone.
He had been somewhat out of control at that moment. He probably had not touched a broomstick or flown properly in a very long time. At that moment, he had felt a strange surge of excitement, a desire to fly and share that joy with her.
Moreover, he had mischievously wanted to see her show more of a less all-knowing side, to not be so composed, not so rigid, not merely living in her comfort zone and ignoring things that might be dangerous but could also be wonderful.
He always wanted to tease her.
This is not a good habit.
Clearly, this approach had been wrong. It was too simplistic and crude. And she was merely a young girl now, far from the brave and fearless Hermione Granger who could withstand his teasing.
He should have been gentler and more patient. Draco glanced at her wistfully. She was preparing potion ingredients with the round faced Longbottom, her face expressionless, lost in thought.
So Draco had no choice but to temporarily become potion making partners with the quiet but somewhat intelligent Theodore Nott.
Fortunately, he noticed that she also ignored Potter and Weasley.
In other words, it seemed she did not want to talk to anyone anymore.
Draco was quite familiar with this cold attitude. In the past, she had always been wary, defensive, and resentful toward him, often glaring at him as though he were a giant slug.
Compared to this, it was not as serious as it had been in his previous life. It was simply that she did not want to talk to him or even make eye contact. Draco comforted himself.
Hermione Granger was indeed in a foul mood. And when Harry's broomstick package landed brazenly on the Gryffindor dining table, her resentment seemed to reach its peak.
This reminded her of all the unsettling emotions caused by that wretched broomstick, whether it was the boys lining up to break school rules because of brooms, or the particular emotional turmoil caused by Draco.
Boys' fascination with broomsticks is no different, whether they are Gryffindor or Slytherin!
"Thank you, Neville!" Harry and Ron raised their pumpkin juice to Neville. Neville blushed and said shyly, "You are welcome."
"So you think this is a reward for breaking the school rules?" an angry voice came from behind them. Hermione walked past them, regarding the package in Harry's hands with disapproval.
"I thought you were not going to talk to us anymore," Harry said.
"Yes, stop talking now," Ron said. "It makes us feel very comfortable."
Hermione felt a sharp pang in her heart. She forced an arrogant air, held her head high, and strode away.
----------------------
There were as many as one hundred and forty two staircases at Hogwarts.
Draco, who had lived here for seven years, knew them intimately. Some were wide and grand, some were narrow, small and rickety. Some would mischievously shift around every Friday, attempting to suddenly lead to different places and cause trouble for the students. Some would have a step suddenly vanish halfway up, and one had to jump over it to avoid becoming stuck.
However, for those dizzy and disoriented first years, these stairs were more tricky than interesting.
Remembering their locations and characteristics was not easy. After all, everything seemed to be constantly moving.
Hermione Granger clearly had not figured out all the tricks yet.
One Friday night, after the library closed, she was exhausted by the weight of the thick book she was carrying. As she walked up a flight of stairs, her foot sank into a disappearing step simply because she was not paying attention.
"This is truly unfortunate," Hermione frowned.
She wanted to climb out on her own, but that was difficult. She needed someone to help her.
However, she was not certain if anyone would pass by.
This staircase was a shortcut she had recently discovered, hidden behind a door. The sliding panels and hanging tapestries made it exceptionally secluded, and few people used it. It was very quiet, which was why she liked this route, but now it had become a drawback.
Moreover, at this point in time, most students had already returned to their common rooms, which greatly reduced the chances of her being seen.
"Is anyone there? Please help me, will you?" She tentatively called out a few times up and down the stairs, hoping to get lucky, but there was only silence on both sides.
She could not help but notice the wall beside the stairs. Dim candlelight flickered on the wall, adding to the eerie atmosphere of the staircase.
Hermione's heart pounded. She raised her voice and tried calling out several more times, but all she received in response were small, hollow echoes coming from the surrounding walls.
She struggled on the stairs, utterly disappointed, dejectedly flipping through the book Hogwarts, A History in her hands, attempting to find some solution that could help her get off the stairs on her own.
However, the book seemed to assume that everyone could make friends at Hogwarts, and at least no one would lack a friendly hand to pull them up the disappearing steps.
The all knowing Hogwarts, A History! Hermione thought dejectedly. It could not come up with any solutions for her.
After being dejected for about half an hour, she finally heard footsteps. Someone seemed to be coming downstairs.
That was the sound of leather shoes hitting the steps, unhurried and leisurely.
At that moment, the sound was like heavenly music to Hermione's ears.
This might be one of her few chances to be rescued tonight! Who knew when the next person would come along!
"Hello, can you help me..." she looked up and said eagerly, but her words stopped abruptly when she saw who it was.
It was Draco.
Oh dear, this was so embarrassing.
She had been cold and indifferent to him during the day, ignoring his friendly greetings. Little did she expect that fate's retribution would come so quickly, not even lasting a night!
This Slytherin boy would surely take this opportunity to humiliate her!
Hermione quickly lowered her head and continued flipping through the book, determined to pretend she had not seen Draco.
If I am stuck, so be it. Even if I am stuck all night, I am too ashamed to ask him for help...
Draco had already seen her. He had just been given the cold shoulder by the Grey Lady and was walking downstairs in low spirits when he unexpectedly encountered Miss Know It All, who was stuck in the middle of the stairs.
Little daredevil!
Typical Hermione Granger recklessness... getting stuck on the steps or something... Draco's lips twitched.
Look at her! Gone is her arrogant demeanor from the daytime. Instead, she is like a cat that has accidentally stepped on a sticky trap, holding the book up to her face, looking guilty and ashamed.
His mood immediately improved. He calmly walked to her side, stopped, and tilted his head to look at her. "Need any help?"
"No," she said curtly, glancing at the pages of the book.
"What are you doing here?" He asked, a slight smile playing on his lips.
"Reading," she waved the thick book in her hand.
"Does reading while stuck on a step make your mind particularly sharp?" He raised an eyebrow.
"It is none of your business," she said firmly, her face flushed.
Her guilty expression is rather... endearing.
"I can help, if you ask," Draco said good naturedly, a hint of amusement in his voice that he himself did not realize.
"I do not accept help from people who do not follow the rules," Hermione did not look him in the eye, but she could hear the laughter in his voice.
He is definitely laughing at me, she thought angrily.
"Oh, still worrying about that? Nobody even noticed. You need to be flexible," he spoke casually, as though he did not care about it at all.
"I have nothing to say to you," she held her head high with pride.
Suddenly, the tricky staircase began to shake.
It moved swiftly, seemingly bored with the conversation between the two people on its back. In an instant, it mischievously shook them, making them stagger.
No one could remain arrogant on such stairs. Disheveled would be a more fitting description.
Hermione's book fell to the bottom of the steps and tumbled down the stairs.
However, this was not the worst of it.
Worst of all, she fell onto the boy due to the sudden movement of the stairs. She had not intended to pay him any attention, but he actually caught her shoulder with lightning speed to prevent her from getting hurt further. That was just too much!
Would I have to thank him tonight, feeling ashamed? Hermione wondered, clutching his robes, as the terrifying stairs spun around them.
The staircase, which had been spinning with great enthusiasm for a while, finally came to a lazy stop. Once everything returned to calm, the places on either side of the staircase were no longer the original destinations.
They both breathed a sigh of relief, exchanged a glance, and then, in a flash of understanding, exclaimed in unison, "Friday!"
On Fridays, some staircases moved erratically, attempting to lead to different places and causing some trouble for the students...
This unspoken understanding made Hermione feel less awkward and instead brought a knowing smile to her face. Draco seemed to think the same way, as a fleeting smile also appeared on his face.
"Let me help you," he looked around at the direction the stairs led, his smile fading as he frowned and said, "These stairs are not safe."
This staircase seems to lead to the fourth floor restricted corridor... if I remember correctly... this is not a peaceful place.
"Yes. Thank you," Hermione said, a slight blush creeping onto her face. "If it is not too much trouble for you."
"No trouble at all," Draco said curtly. He tilted his head, examining Hermione's feet sinking deep into the steps, and casually suggested, "I think you should put your hands around my neck and hold on as tightly as possible..."
Hermione, somewhat bewildered, did as he instructed. She wrapped her arms around his neck, rested her head on his shoulder, and then he pulled her into a full embrace, freeing her from the treacherous steps.
Draco now placed her safely on a normal step, a smug glint in his eyes as he looked her over. "Much better? Still have nothing to say to me?"
His smug look made Hermione feel somewhat unconvinced.
She was about to retort when a cat's meow from below the stairs interrupted her thoughts. Then came Mr Filch's excited voice. "I heard someone talking! Someone is definitely trying to cause trouble on the fourth floor! I am catching those students tonight, no amount of talking will work! I will try those chains in the office!"
"We must leave. This staircase leads to the corridor in the restricted area on the fourth floor," Draco's expression changed. "If Filch catches us, it will be hard to explain..."
"But my book..." Hermione stammered.
"It fell on the second floor. We can retrieve it later," he grabbed Hermione's sleeve and ran upstairs.
"But it is the fourth floor! We should go down..." she tried to remind him.
"Go down to the third floor and run into Filch? You are so naive! He is just looking for a few students to punish!" Draco rolled his eyes and continued pulling her upstairs.
"But we have nowhere to hide if we go up there..." Before she could react, he inexplicably pulled her to the right hand corridor on the fourth floor.