The appearance of the large black dog abruptly cut off the conversation between Draco and Lockhart.
Silence filled the air—only soft breathing and an indistinct heartbeat could be heard, faint and unsettling.
Lockhart seemed to be scheming something, a subtle, knowing smile curling his lips as his gaze flicked repeatedly between Draco and Hermione.
Draco, meanwhile, was absently stroking Crookshanks, who had jumped into his lap.
Perhaps because his touch was so practiced, the cat purred contentedly, its gentle rumble conveniently masking the quickening rhythm of Hermione's heartbeat.
The silence lingered for a long while.
Only when Lockhart removed his purple top hat and brushed the snow delicately from its brim did Draco finally stir from his thoughts...
...
Drawing his gaze away from the direction the black hound had vanished, Draco turned to face Lockhart, who was smiling in that same strange, unnerving way.
"Was there nothing else important? If that's all, there was no need for this meeting—especially considering your current... situation with Dumbledore."
Draco frowned as he ran a hand through Crookshanks' fur, unable to make sense of Lockhart's motives.
What the man had said earlier hadn't been completely worthless, but it certainly didn't justify a face-to-face meeting.
Even if he was wary of owl post being intercepted, there were plenty of safer magical methods to exchange information. Draco didn't believe Lockhart lacked either the wit or the means to use them.
Instead of answering, Lockhart turned his hat again, carefully adjusting it as though ensuring every detail was perfect. His seriousness about it almost made the act seem ritualistic.
Once satisfied, he finally looked up—first at Draco, then at Hermione, whose cheeks had inexplicably turned a shade of pink.
"I just needed to see it for myself. Surely you can understand that," he said lightly.
"See it?" Draco repeated flatly.
"Of course. How could I possibly rest easy without witnessing it with my own eyes?"
Lockhart spread his arms, head tilting slightly upward.
As he spoke, his expression began to twist—his grin widening, the gleam in his eyes growing manic with excitement.
The sight was disturbingly familiar. It was the same look Draco had seen during their battle.
Draco's eyes narrowed in warning, his grip tightening around Crookshanks. The cat sensed the shift instantly, its fur bristling as it hissed sharply in Lockhart's direction.
Lockhart ignored the reaction, closing his fingers around the snowflake melting in his palm.
"Only one holiday has passed, and already your power has grown this much. You truly are the wizard I had my eye on!"
"..."
"So tell me—if I didn't see it with my own eyes, how would I know whether you're still worth anticipating?"
The implication was clear enough. If Lockhart didn't find what he was looking for, he might very well decide to eliminate Draco right here.
His heavy, uneven breathing and the smile curling at the corners of his mouth carried a madness that sent a chill down the spine.
It was obvious that if not for restraining himself, Lockhart might have already struck.
Yet seeing him like this, Draco's wariness oddly began to fade.
Having fought him before, Draco now understood what kind of man Lockhart truly was.
A battle junkie... or simply a lunatic.
Perhaps that explained it—the thrill of expectation was the only thing that kept him from acting.
Maybe Dumbledore had once been his target too, and becoming a Hogwarts professor was merely Lockhart's way of getting close to him. Then, when Draco appeared, his fixation had shifted.
As Draco watched Lockhart close his eyes, seemingly trying to steady his breath, that theory only grew stronger in his mind.
He had no idea, however, that despite the intimidating depth of his magical reserves, he was now at his weakest—unable to cast a single spell.
...
"Well then, I hope that next time we meet, you'll be able to surprise me even more."
Lockhart, now composed, gave a slight bow, his face wearing that perfectly practiced smile of his. To anyone watching, it might have looked as though he were leaving a formal party rather than ending a tense meeting.
Given that Hogsmeade Village was still under suspicion, Lockhart didn't Apparate. Instead, he walked away, gradually disappearing from Draco's sight.
Just before vanishing completely, however, his voice floated back through the snow-filled air—
"Farewell, Mr. Malfoy. And… don't give up so easily, my most dedicated student, Miss Granger~"
The implication in his tone made Hermione, still pretending to sleep, freeze for half a second.
Don't drag me into this!!
...
Lockhart's parting words reminded Draco that there was still a third person present.
Noticing his master glance toward the girl beside him, Crookshanks tilted his furry head curiously in the same direction. His blinking amber eyes seemed to ask, Why is this human's heartbeat so loud?
Unaware that Hermione was already awake, Draco's attention was caught by something else entirely.
From his angle, his gaze had fallen on Hermione's chest—no, more precisely, her neckline.
Something there glimmered faintly in the sunlight.
Hmm... a small hourglass-shaped pendant had slipped from beneath her collar.
'A magical artifact?'
It wasn't just the fine craftsmanship that caught Draco's eye, but the intricate magical runes carved along its surface—complex and precise, unlike anything ordinary. He couldn't help but lean slightly closer, drawn in by curiosity.
Too focused on the object, Draco failed to notice the pale skin below the pendant turning pink, or the rising warmth radiating from it. Nor did he see how Hermione, still pressed lightly against him, had gone completely rigid.
Through a narrow slit between her lashes, Hermione saw his hand reaching—directly toward her chest.
Her mind went blank.
Reflexively, she shoved Draco back with all her strength and shouted, her voice high with shock and embarrassment.
"Pervert!!"
Draco: ???
Crookshanks: Meow? Meow meow???
...
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