Draco closed his eyes wearily and leaned against the carriage wall. The chaotic thoughts and the heavy burden made him frown.
This was the scene Hermione Granger saw as she walked down the corridor.
Amid the rumbling sound of train wheels against the tracks, a boy with a pointed chin and dazzling platinum hair made her look twice.
The dim sunset light touched his trembling eyelashes, casting a shadow on his cheeks, making him appear strangely vulnerable.
However, his face was pale, and he leaned against the carriage wall, seeming to frown in discomfort.
Hermione had seen the boy before. In fact, she had seen him twice.
Once, in a wand shop, his platinum blond hair had been very striking. He was obviously well-educated, as could be seen from his refined clothing and the manner in his every movement. He had seemed a little aloof, but not unpleasant.
The second time, not long ago, he had helped her by accidentally shouting about the platform, otherwise she would never have been able to find Platform Nine and Three-Quarters.
Now, he looked somewhat unwell, perhaps from motion sickness or something else, so she decided to greet him and, if necessary, return the favor.
"Excuse me, are you not feeling well?" she asked carefully and softly.
Draco opened his eyes and was met with a pair of brown eyes, the color of fine chocolate. Her eyes were earnest, filled with concern.
Granger was everywhere. They finally met face to face, when he least expected it.
She had changed into the flowing black robes of Hogwarts. She did not look like a Muggle-born child at all. She looked just like any young lady raised in a pure-blood wizard family.
"I am fine," Draco straightened up, a faint flush appearing on his pale face. "Just a little stuffy. Came out for some fresh air."
Hermione was briefly captivated by his suddenly opened grey eyes. They were a striking color.
Then she suddenly realized that staring at someone was rude. She took a step back, shook her thick brown hair, and to hide her distraction, adopted a slightly formal expression. "I am glad you are all right. I was going to mention there is a Healer in the rear carriage. If you are feeling unwell, I can help you get there."
This unexpected concern made Draco feel uncomfortable. He paused for a moment and said simply, "No. But thank you very much."
Granger's concern, how rare. In the past, whenever they met, they would always be hostile, rarely was there such a peaceful state.
Now, she had suddenly transformed back into a polite stranger, even showing some concern for him. Draco was unaccustomed to it.
"Since you are all right, could you please help find Neville's toad? His toad has gone missing, and I have almost asked everyone in the carriage." Seeing that he was fine, Hermione changed the subject.
A familiar manner. The authentic Granger. Always concerned with the problems of the vulnerable, she had immediately identified the weakest student in the entire train carriage: Neville Longbottom.
"Oh, I see," Draco asked her, absently twirling his wand. "What is the toad's name?"
"Trevor."
"Accio Trevor," Draco casually cast the Summoning Charm.
The lost toad flew through the carriages like an arrow and landed in his hand. He raised his eyebrows and regarded the ugly toad with distaste. Why would anyone want to keep such a creature?
Hermione's composure instantly vanished. This boy was extraordinary!
"Oh my goodness! You are amazing. I thought I was reasonably competent. I was just demonstrating my modest little spells in the compartment earlier. They were all practiced at home during the holidays. But compared to you, I am truly far behind!" she said in astonishment.
If it had been Draco in his previous life, being praised like this by a girl, especially when she was Hermione Granger, the top student in their year, he would probably have been as smug as a peacock.
But now, he knew clearly that he had only taken advantage of a second chance and there was nothing to boast about. He quickly handed the toad, which was squirming unwillingly, to her and murmured, "Keep it a secret. I do not want anyone to know that I used magic."
"If it were me, I would probably show off enormously," Hermione said, puzzled. She shrugged, deciding to respect his wishes. "But I suppose I am willing to keep it a secret for you. By the way, my name is Hermione Granger."
She held out her hand gracefully. "You may call me Hermione. What is your name?"
"Malfoy. Draco Malfoy," Draco answered her with a hint of hesitation in his eyes. He had not expected things would develop this way.
This was not to say he was unwilling to take her hand. Like a tentative gesture, he slowly reached out and carefully grasped the soft, warm hand.
"Pleased to meet you, Draco." She shook his hand warmly and said cheerfully, "I truly do not understand why there is anything to hide. If I could perform such magic, my parents would be thrilled. Besides, this must be very advanced magic, correct? I wager it is definitely not something a first-year student should be able to do."
Hermione Granger, her mouth was like a Sneakoscope, constantly chattering and bursting with enthusiastic observations.
Draco should have been irritated, but surprisingly, being with Hermione made him forget those disturbing memories for a while. Her constant chatter pushed his chaotic thoughts into the distance.
"I mean, I have memorized all the first-year textbooks, but obviously I have not seen any spells that can summon objects. It seems that just memorizing the textbooks is not sufficient. I hope Hogwarts has a library. I must expand my knowledge..." Hermione was still talking eagerly, with a longing look in her eyes.
Draco had not worn this kind of genuine expression in ages. It was not that he could not pretend, it was simply that it would not be authentic.
His heart was like withered wood, so he occasionally envied this real, unrestrained and vibrant energy.
"Yes," Draco recalled how much Miss Know-It-All loved to frequent the library in his past life. Nine times out of ten, he would see her poring over a stack of books whenever he passed by.
"You will enjoy the Hogwarts library. There are countless books there." He looked at her expectant eyes and could not help but say more.
"It sounds like you know a great deal about Hogwarts." Hermione was happy for only a few seconds before a worried expression appeared on her face. "You must have been born into a wizarding family. I was born into a Muggle family, and I am always worried that I will not be able to keep up."
"Do not worry. You will catch up soon." Draco shook his head, feeling quite dismissive of her concern.
What do you have to worry about, you who have always been at the top of the year?
The ones who should be worried are the children from wizarding families who cannot match your marks, correct?
Are you not simply showing off your intelligence and diligence?