Chapter 9: He and She Fly Together
Draco's eagle owl was probably the most frequent visitor to the entire Slytherin table.
Almost every few days, he would receive something from Eagle Owl that his mother had brought back from home - candy, chocolate, or some new and fashionable gadget that Narcissa thought her beloved son could use.
But today, Draco, who usually had a calm expression, showed an unusual hint of joy after kneading the exquisite silver package. Inside was something he had long awaited—the invisibility cloak.
After returning from Madam Malkin's clothing store last time, he imitated his mother's handwriting and ordered this thing from the clothing store, paying a large sum of gold galleons for it.
Draco didn't intend to use the invisibility cloak every day, but rather as a precaution. Commercially available invisibility cloaks require a lot of rare materials to make, and they also have a significant drawback—they have a limited use limit. After long-term use, they gradually lose their invisibility and become just an ordinary cloak.
It wasn't that Draco couldn't use the Disillusionment Charm. In his previous life, Draco had already mastered it, but it was sometimes ineffective and not very proficient; not to mention that the spell had a time limit.
Until you fully master the Disillusionment Charm, an invisibility cloak can save you a lot of trouble.
Draco didn't want to be docked 50 points again for wandering around the school at night. And some places were safer to go to late at night when there were no people around.
For example, the Room of Requirement on the eighth floor; for another example, going to the high tower at night to ask questions to the ghosts.
At that moment, at the Gryffindor table across from him, the dazed Longbottom had indeed received another Remembrall from his grandmother, attracting a crowd of Gryffindor brats to watch. Draco had lost all interest in this and didn't want to embarrass the clumsy boy.
But Merlin's will seemed very powerful. Even without Draco's interference, the reckless Potter still ignored Madam Hooch's instructions because the Memory Ball was hurriedly taken away by Professor McGonagall.
That stupid Remembrall! When Longbottom's broom misbehaved and sent him plummeting from the sky, the Remembrall fell from his pocket and got stuck on the roof; Potter, in a fit of madness, flew over to retrieve it, then dove fifty feet as it rolled off the roof and snatched it from the ground a foot above.
All the first-year students were stunned. Then they began to chatter about the farce. Draco stood at the back of the crowd, silently watching Potter's small figure, led by Professor McGonagall, flash through the Hogwarts entrance hall.
"Harry won't be expelled?" Hermione appeared beside Draco and asked worriedly. Harry had broken the rules in an irrefutable way; and he had been caught red-handed by the strictest professor.
Ever since taking Draco's flying lessons, Hermione would subconsciously go to him for advice whenever she encountered something she was unsure about.
If you think about it objectively, what does it matter whether he is a Slytherin or not?
Draco knew a lot of spells and was always at ease in class. He was calm and composed in the face of many new things in school, standing out from the "ignorant and shocked faces" of boys his age. Most importantly, he could always give some reliable answers and suggestions, the most notable example being what he said to her before the sorting ceremony.
The other boys always looked silly next to him. It had nothing to do with "which house" at all, Hermione couldn't help but think.
"I bet he won't be punished. Hogwarts is more flexible than you think when it comes to school rules," Draco said mysteriously. "Think about it from another perspective. Professor McGonagall is a Quidditch enthusiast. And from what I hear, the Gryffindor team lacks a decent Seeker."
"Draco, I don't think you are right this time! This is impossible, he is too young! Besides, how can he not be punished for doing something wrong?" Hermione looked like she disagreed - how could even Draco say such unreliable things?
By dinner time, the news that Potter had become the "new Seeker of Gryffindor" had spread throughout Hogwarts, and even the portraits on the wall were discussing it with great interest.
"I told you so a long time ago." Draco whispered to Hermione, who was open-mouthed in disbelief, as they passed by her. A faint smile appeared at the corner of his mouth - he felt happy because of the silly look on Miss Know-It-All's face.
Although his smile was rare and kind of pretty, she always felt that there was a hint of sarcasm in it.
Hermione sat down at the table, furious, angry for the first time because "Draco was right," and sat down sullenly across from the delighted Harry and Ron.
Human nature is often so strange and unpredictable. When her friends are in danger, she will worry and worry; but when her friends break the rules and are not punished at all, she feels it is unfair.
"So you think breaking the rules is all right?" she said to Harry, domineeringly. "You could break your neck, didn't you?"
Harry obviously didn't know how to deal with such a question. He was still immersed in the shock and joy of becoming a Seeker.
"Oh, don't be a spoiler, what's this got to do with you?" said Ron nonchalantly.
"This could get us into trouble, couldn't it? Don't you care about Gryffindor but only about yourself? I don't want you to lose all the points I got from Professor McGonagall using the Conversion Charm!" Hermione was furious.
"But Harry wasn't expelled and became the youngest player on the house team in a century. All you care about is your scores! You don't understand what it means to join the Quidditch team!" Ron glared at her - as if looking at a madman - and pulled Harry away angrily.
Of course she didn't understand! Hermione thought angrily, and she didn't want to understand this performance art of riding a broom!
Even so, during Draco's second private flying lesson, Hermione couldn't help but complain, "I really don't understand why boys become so unreasonable when they encounter brooms and flying."
Now, she is very proficient in the preparatory movements and theoretical knowledge, but she still doesn't dare to fly.
The tragedy of Neville Longbottom falling from a high altitude during the last flying lesson seemed to have left a psychological shadow on her. Draco looked her over and asked, "Are you afraid of heights?"
Occasionally, there would be wizards who claimed to be afraid of heights, or even motion sickness, but Draco believed that most wizards' fear of heights was psychological and could be overcome with practice.
What's more, Hermione Granger, a girl who even rode Gringotts' dragon - the Ukrainian Iron Belly.
Afraid of heights? You must be kidding.
"I just think flying is boring." Hermione pretended to ride on the broom, holding her head high and looking very proud, but still had no intention of taking off.
She was just wasting her time with her whining—which made Draco a little impatient.
This is flying! Does she know what a wonderful experience she is missing out on?
"Okay." He stepped forward, stepped onto the broom in front of her, and quickly adjusted his position. "Okay. I'll show you. Hold on tight."
"What do you want to do--" Hermione had just grabbed his robes, and before she could finish her words, she felt the broom rising into the air. Before she could even prepare herself, a strong gust of wind had already swept her away.
Just like that, he took her soaring into the sky. Abruptly. Without a second thought.
Her feet left the ground and hung in the air, making her feel lost and helpless, which was extremely terrifying.
The air currents hit her face and body, and now, the only reason she hadn't fallen was because of the flying broom under her that she didn't quite trust?
And, is it really safe for two people to ride on the same broom? She couldn't help but worry and clutched his robes tightly.
If Draco knew her hesitation, he would have told her that under normal circumstances, a broom could only carry one adult wizard. But in an emergency, a broom could carry two adult wizards, not to mention the weight of two underage wizards.
However, that would have to wait until later. Hermione was too frightened to ask any questions at the moment. She concentrated on grasping his robes, lost in the tension of her first high-altitude flight, and panickedly realized that she had completely lost control of her surroundings.
She was already a feather in the air, floating in his hand, rising or falling, completely independent of her will.
Amid the roar of the wind, Draco shouted frantically from the front. He seemed to finally be truly happy: "You have to experience the joy of flying for yourself! That kind of freedom! Otherwise, you will never experience it!"
"No, Draco..." Hermione finally cried out, but the howling wind swallowed her words. She tried to look around, the thick clouds seemed very close and very far away, and the empty wind blew from all directions, and she couldn't help but shiver.
Hermione had to admit that she was completely skeptical about the flying broom. Two months ago, the broom was just a cleaning tool to her, but now she was asked to believe that it could carry people flying.
So, she could only turn to the only person in the sky who could give her a sense of security, the one who could control the flight. Her face turned pale, her heartbeat accelerated, and without thinking, she stretched out her arms and wrapped them around the boy's waist.
That's better, Hermione thought. He seemed quite familiar with the broomstick and had no fear of flying at all. Holding onto him, she probably wouldn't fall off.
"Look! Look down!" Draco shouted from the front. "You have to see how beautiful it is!"
Only after he reminded her did she dare to look down.
Oh, my God, they were flying so high! The hunting grounds of Hogwarts had become a vivid picture at her feet, a vast world different from what she could see from being in it.
The magnificent Hogwarts Castle became an exquisite building block, the towering Gryffindor Tower was at their feet, and the dense and deep Forbidden Forest was like a large cauliflower... In the past, the corner of the scene that could only be seen in the porthole before and after the plane took off and landed now appeared in front of her eyes without any obstruction, 360 degrees in all directions without blind spots.
Then she saw further out. The rolling hills and the calm waters resembled a magnificent oil painting, with the sky and earth as the canvas and the contours of the lakes and mountains as the brushstrokes.
They were as tiny as a drop in the ocean, as effortless as a mayfly in the universe. He steered his broomstick and took her on a leisurely circle, weaving through this beautiful scenery, like two connected shooting stars streaking across the vast universe.
The sight took Hermione's breath away, her fear forgotten. She was overwhelmed by the scene, her heart pounding. At this moment, any words were pale and powerless, unable to describe even one ten-thousandth of its grandeur and beauty.
"So beautiful..." She leaned her head on his shoulder, hugged him tightly, and said in a dreamy voice. He laughed in front of her, and a few vibrations came from deep in his back.
"Draco, does this count as a violation of school rules..." Although Hermione admired it in her heart, her voice was inevitably a little nervous, "We have to go down as soon as possible -"
"Give me five minutes!" Draco shouted.
Merlin! It has been too long since he last flew freely and happily.
Flying was the only thing that could still make him feel the ups and downs of his emotions. Only the thrill and heartbeat of high altitude could make him feel that he was still truly alive; it could make him sure that everything he was experiencing was real, not false.
"Hold on to me!" he suddenly shouted. On impulse, he took Hermione and dived from a high altitude, almost vertically towards the quiet Black Lake.
Hermione let out her first little scream in the air, like a fledgling trying to fly for the first time, and she threw herself all over his back, clinging even tighter to the only sense of security she could hold onto in the air.
The sudden feeling of weightlessness awakened the fear she had just forgotten, and her heart beat like a drum. The fierce wind tore at her cheeks and hair. She didn't dare look around, and could only press her face firmly against his back and neck, avoiding the cold wind and desperately seeking his warmth.
He, however, remained steady, letting her approach without a tremor. Miraculously, a refreshing smell of watermelon wafted from his neck.
Hermione thought she must be crazy, because in this terrifying, aimless, and instantly suffocating fall, she still had the energy to think about other things - she thought the smell was delicious.
Her screams brought Draco to his senses, a little frightened, and he expertly steered his broom around, skimming across the mirror-like surface of the lake before they plunged headfirst into it.
The screams stopped abruptly, but her heart was still pounding.
The wind suddenly became gentle, and the warm sunshine made people feel a little lazy, as if the feeling of weightlessness that had just made Hermione collapse had never existed.
But the fresh breath on his neck told her that they had dived straight down before; that was not an illusion, but reality. Moreover, at this moment, all her strength had been drained away by the scream and the fall.
The Black Lake was quiet and peaceful today. It was usually deserted at this time of year, which was why Draco felt comfortable bringing her on a flight there.
The free wind caressed their cheeks. "Look at this lake, isn't it beautiful?" Draco's voice was filled with joy. The lake beneath their feet shimmered, reflecting their reflections like a bird flying across the sky.
"Yes, it's beautiful, but I'm worried..." Hermione's voice trembled as she hugged him tightly, fearing that the broom would be unstable and she would slip into the lake.
"Don't worry, I'll never let anything happen to you." He shouted from the front, noticing the nervousness conveyed in Hermione's movements, and quickly glanced back, only to see her curly brown hair blowing in the wind.
His voice was clear, carrying a different kind of joy. He seemed less aloof and proud than usual, revealing a touch of genuine childishness. This unusualness wasn't offensive. Hermione calmed down a bit, trying to listen to him and savor the wonderful feeling of flying.
But, due to the aftereffects of the dive, she was still terrified. She simply closed her eyes and clung to him like a sloth, breathing in the faint, refreshing scent, pretending she was on flat ground, sitting on the back of someone's bicycle. Her arms were still tightly wrapped around him, not daring to let go.
They had indeed flown for only five minutes, but it felt like a marathon to her.
When she got off the broom, her legs gave out and she almost tripped over herself, so Draco, the bad boy, reached out and helped her up.
"Little daredevil, how do you feel? Want to try again?" His eyes were surprisingly bright, and the smile on his lips looked both gloating and complacent. Miss Know-It-All's messy hair seemed even more messy in the wind, like a little lunatic, which made him smile even wider from the bottom of his heart.
This was the first time Hermione had seen him smile so cheerfully. It was as bright as the sun, as brilliant as the stars. She was speechless, briefly dazzled by his bewitching smile.
A strange thought inevitably emerged in her pounding heart: He should smile more often.
Of course! Now isn't the time to talk about this! She quickly came to her senses and began to get angry in a serious tone: "You... I'm sure you're violating school rules!"
"No one saw it." Draco shrugged nonchalantly. "If you obey all the rules, you'll miss all the fun."
"Draco Malfoy, you lunatic! Boys go mad when they meet a broomstick!" She raged at him, overwhelmed by the fear of flying and the deep sense of confusion in her heart.
This crazy boy! She no longer thought he was a little gentleman! When he went crazy, he was even more crazy than Harry and Ron...
What's worse is that she couldn't describe the feeling of flying in the air.
There was no doubt that she hated flying at high altitudes, and at some points, she almost wanted to vomit; but she didn't hate the feeling of holding him in the air, nor did she hate the smell of him, nor did she hate the way he smiled at her.
He said he wanted to "do it again", and for a moment she actually considered whether she should try it again.
But she clearly hated the feeling of flying high in the sky, the fear of being out of control, the emptiness... Why would she be willing to try it again?
What a confusing and complicated feeling this is?
She stormed off with a red face, pretending to be mad at Draco or the wind, but in reality, she was probably frightened by her own chaotic emotions.
Oh my god! She hated flying! And all these messed up emotions! It all came down to the boys being way too obsessed with that stupid broomstick thing!
It's just a broom!
Who would really believe it could fly?
In the next few days, Hermione was very serious and did not talk to Draco. Draco felt a little regretful. He should not have taken her on a flight so impulsively. As a result, he had lost one of the few sources of happiness in Hogwarts.
He was a little out of control. It had been so long since he'd touched a broomstick, hadn't flown properly. At that moment, he felt an inexplicable urge to fly, to share the joy of flying with her.
Moreover, he maliciously wanted to see her show more of a side that wasn't "Miss Know-It-All," not so poised, not so well-behaved, not so stuck in her comfort zone and ignoring things that might be dangerous but equally beautiful.
He always wanted to tease her.
This is not a good habit.
Obviously, this method was not right, it was too simple and crude. And she was just a little girl now, far from being the brave and fearless Hermione Granger who could withstand his teasing.
He should be more gentle and patient. Draco glanced at her wistfully. She was sullenly preparing potion ingredients with the round-faced Longbottom, wondering what was going on in her head.
So, Draco could only temporarily become a potion partner with the boring but somewhat intelligent Theodore Nott.
Fortunately, he noticed that she also ignored Potter and Weasley.
In other words, she seemed to ignore everyone.
Draco was very familiar with this cold attitude. Back then, she had always been wary, cautious, and dissatisfied with him, often glaring at him as if he were a giant slug.
Compared to this, this time was not as serious as in his previous life. It was just that she didn't want to talk to him or even look at him - Draco thought to himself comfortingly.
Hermione Granger was in a bad mood, and her resentment seemed to reach its peak when the package of Harry's broomstick landed on the Gryffindor table.
It reminded her of all the uneasy feelings that the damned broom had caused her, whether it was the boys lining up to break school rules because of it, or the particular emotional turmoil that Draco had caused.
Boys' obsession with broomsticks is exactly the same, whether they are Gryffindor or Slytherin!
"Thank you, Neville!" Harry and Ron greeted Neville with pumpkin juice. Neville blushed and said embarrassedly, "You're welcome."
"So you think this is a reward for breaking the school rules?" an angry voice came from behind them. Hermione passed by them and looked at the package in Harry's hand with dissatisfaction.
"I thought you'd stopped talking to us," said Harry.
"Yeah, don't tell me now," said Ron, "it makes us feel pretty good."
Hermione's heart was choked. She pretended to be arrogant, raised her little face high, and strode away.