Between Two Worlds

010

Back in the dorm, Hermione got ready to go to bed. Ginny was still giggling on about how her brother always thought he was going to win a chess game. Hermione smiled, rolling her eyes at Ginny's teasing. "You know Ron. He's stubborn."

Ginny laughed, shaking her head. "Stubborn is putting it mildly. But it's endearing, in a way."

Hermione nodded, pulling her covers up. "It is. Goodnight, Ginny."

"Goodnight, Hermione," Ginny replied, still chuckling softly as she climbed into her own bed.

Meanwhile, in the Slytherin dormitory, Blaise looked up as Draco walked in. "So, how did it go?" he asked with a smirk.

Draco rolled his eyes, tossing his bag onto his bed. "I did not enjoy it one bit," he replied curtly, the annoyance clear in his tone.

Blaise grinned, leaning back in his chair. "You were at least nice to her, or civil about it, whatever," he said, his tone dripping with teasing.

There was a moment of silence as Draco glared at Blaise before sighing in resignation. "Yeah, yeah, I was being civil," he muttered, as if the words were bitter on his tongue.

Just then, Tiberius strolled in, a nonchalant expression on his face. "Oh, how did that date go with Granger?" he asked, his tone casual but with a glint of mischief in his eyes.

Blaise burst into laughter, grabbing a nearby pillow and launching it at Tiberius. It hit him squarely in the chest, but Tiberius just shrugged it off, still smirking. Blaise had made it an inside joke between the two of them, which Draco hadn't known about until now.

Draco's irritation flared. "Oh, please, don't start with that. It wasn't a date," he scoffed, his voice sharp with annoyance.

Blaise, raising an eyebrow, said, "Come on, it was just a joke." His grin widened, clearly enjoying Draco's discomfort.

Draco sat down on his bed, running a hand through his hair in frustration. "For God's sake, there's nothing romantic between me and Granger. There never will be," he declared firmly, his voice carrying a note of finality.

Blaise and Tiberius exchanged amused glances, chuckling softly. "Alright, Draco, whatever you say," Blaise said, trying to suppress his laughter.

Tiberius added with a grin, "Yeah, sure, mate. Just make sure you don't fall for her charm."

Draco shot them both a glare before lying back on his bed, staring up at the ceiling. "Goodnight," he muttered, closing his eyes and willing himself to sleep.

As he settled in, Tiberius couldn't resist one last jab. "Sweet dreams about Granger," he called out, snickering.

Draco's eyes snapped open, and without hesitation, he grabbed a book from his nightstand and hurled it at Tiberius. "I'd rather dream about Pansy," he retorted sharply.

Blaise and Tiberius burst into laughter, dodging the book. "Alright, alright," Blaise said, still chuckling. "We get it, Draco. No Granger in your dreams."

Draco rolled his eyes again, pulling his blanket up to his chin. "Goodnight, for real this time," he said with a sigh, hoping for some peace.

Tiberius and Blaise exchanged amused glances but finally let the matter drop. "Goodnight," they chimed in unison, still grinning.

""The next morning, Harry, Ron, and Hermione strolled down the Hogwarts halls, chatting animatedly about the upcoming Transfiguration lesson. Unexpectedly, Draco joined them, cracking a witty remark that had Harry and Hermione bursting into laughter. They exchanged banter as if they had been friends for years, leaving Ron utterly bewildered.