Hogwarts Lion Girl

The next morning, Salina came to the library alone.

Salina sniffed gently. In addition to the familiar scent of old books, there seemed to be a faint scent of vanilla in the air, floating from nowhere.

She walked lightly through the rows of towering bookshelves. The sunlight shone through the colored glass, casting mottled shadows on the ground.

Salina came to a relatively secluded area in the corner. The light was a little dim here, and there was a full bookshelf of magic-related books.

These quaint books exude a mysterious attraction. Sharina has recently become very interested in this field and wants to study it in depth.

Salina stood on tiptoe and gently took down a thick sheepskin-covered book from the high bookshelf. Her fingertips touched the cold cover, and a stale breath of history came to her face. On the cover was written "Analysis of Ancient Magic Spells" in silver ink, which flashed a tiny light in the dim light.

She carefully turned the pages of the book, and the unique scent of ancient books entered her nostrils, mixing with the fragrance of ink that lingered in the library all year round.

Salina held her breath and focused her eyes on the yellowed pages. The ancient text seemed to carry a mysterious power, attracting her to continue reading.

She was immersed in the ocean of knowledge and was completely unaware of the changes in her surroundings.

Salina was so engrossed in reading that she leaned back inadvertently, and her elbow hit a rickety bookshelf next to her.

The bookshelf made a teeth-grinding creaking sound, as if protesting against her interruption.

Salina was startled, and before she could react, a large number of books poured down from above, surrounding her with dust and dampness.

Salina screamed and closed her eyes instinctively, but the expected pain did not come.

"What are you doing, Swinburne?" A familiar male voice came from above her head with a hint of subtle sarcasm. Salina felt dizzy and the sound of the book falling was deafening like thunder in her ears.

The diffuse dust made her nose itchy, and Salina couldn't help coughing twice. There was a familiar scent mixed in the dust, which was clear with a hint of vanilla.

She tried hard to open her eyes, and in her blurry vision, a warm embrace held her firmly. Salina felt a solid chest against her back.

When everything calmed down, Salina opened her eyes in shock and found herself trapped in a small space, surrounded by piles of books. Draco was standing in front of her, protecting her head with his hands and keeping her intact under his arms.

Serena tilted her head back slightly. From this angle, she could clearly see Draco's well-defined jaw and his gray-blue eyes that were now flashing with a playful light.

Draco looked down at her, a playful curve at the corner of his mouth, a few strands of platinum hair fell from his ears, shining faintly in the dim light.

"Draco? Why are you here?" Salina asked softly, putting her hand on Draco's chest, trying to keep some distance from him.

However, Draco did not move at all. His solid chest was like a solid wall, firmly imprisoning her in the small space.

"Is it not okay to just pass by?" Draco raised his eyebrows slightly, with a cunning light flashing in his gray-blue eyes.

He did not let go of Salina, but instead held her tighter.

Draco lowered his head, and Serena could feel his warm breath gently brushing her cheek, bringing a tingling sensation.

The two were so close that they could almost feel each other's heartbeats. Salina could even clearly see the fine hairs on Draco's fair neck. The crisp vanilla scent became stronger and stronger, mixed with the faint scent of books, which made her a little dazed.

Serena shifted her gaze from Draco's face to the exquisite emerald collar pin on his chest.

She put her hand against Draco's chest, trying to put some distance between them, but she felt his chest rise and fall slightly with his breathing.

The sound of the heartbeat was infinitely amplified in the small space, and Serena was not sure whether it was her own or Draco's.

She cleared her throat awkwardly and whispered, "Of course, it's just... it's crowded here, how about we go out first?"

……

Salina and Draco struggled to climb out from the crumbling pile of books, surrounded by choking dust.

The ancient bookshelf stood crookedly, as if it would collapse again at any time.

Scattered books and parchment scrolls covered the entire room, leaving little room to step.

Looking at the mess on the ground, Salina sighed helplessly.

"We have to clean this place up before Madam Pince finds out," Salina said distressedly, "otherwise we'll all be on the blacklist."

"I'll help you. It won't take long to clean up." Draco said nonchalantly, with a sly gleam in his grey-blue eyes. "As long as you don't wander into the restricted area like a troll again."

Salina couldn't help but roll her eyes at him, "I didn't trespass, I have permission... I just didn't expect it to be so chaotic here."

Salina was stunned for a moment, and suddenly asked: "Come to think of it, you are the one who doesn't have permission, right? How did you get into the restricted area?"

Draco raised his eyebrows, a smug smile appeared on the corner of his mouth. He slowly took out a piece of parchment from the inner pocket of his robe and waved it in front of Salina: "I'm so sorry, Miss Salina, I also have permission."

Salina took the permit and looked at the signature carefully. It was indeed Professor Snape's flamboyant handwriting. "Oh, okay. So what book are you looking for?"

Draco took the permit back from Serena and put it back in his pocket. "Why? Do you want to help me find it?"

Salina picked up a thick hardcover book that was scattered at her feet and dusted it off: "Okay, I'll help you."

……

Draco and Serena began to sort out the scattered books on the floor.

Draco bent down and put a fallen copy of History of Magic back on the bookshelf. Then he raised his eyes secretly, his gaze swept across the rows of book spines and fell on Salina not far away.

She was standing on tiptoes, trying to put a heavy alchemy book back on the top shelf.

Salina's movements caused a few strands of hair to fall, emitting a faint luster in the dim light.

Draco's heartbeat inexplicably quickened a few beats, and he quickly lowered his head, pretending to concentrate on organizing the books.

The windows of the restricted book area were very tall, with intricate patterns carved on the window frames. However, they were now covered with thick dust, making them appear somewhat blurry.

The afterglow of the setting sun shone obliquely through the window, casting narrow golden spots on the ground and illuminating the tiny dust particles floating in the air.

Salina noticed that the light gradually became softer. The originally golden sunlight was now tinted with a light orange-red, like honey melting in amber.

Serena pushed the last Potions book back onto the shelf and clapped her hands, raising a cloud of fine dust.

She let out a long sigh, and the stale and musty smell in the restricted area seemed to dissipate a little with this breath.

Draco flipped through the Potions book that Professor Snape needed. The pages made a dry sound, as if no one had read it for a long time.

He closed the book carelessly and leaned against the bookshelf. His gray-blue eyes were reflected with orange light, making them look particularly bright.

Salina turned and walked towards the entrance of the restricted area, saying as she walked, "Let's go. If we're any later, Madam Pince will come to patrol."

Her eyes swept over the rows of ancient books on the bookshelf, and she secretly felt relieved that she had finally finished sorting them.

Draco hurried to catch up with her, and the two walked side by side in the empty corridor. The sound of her footsteps echoed in the silent air, and every step seemed to be stepping on his heartbeat.