On Christmas Eve, the previous school year at Hogwarts came to an end.
Students and professors returned to their respective homes, except for those who had signed up to stay at the school.
At the station entrance, a chilly wind blew, and the entire world seemed shrouded in thick fog.
Lucius still wasn’t quite accustomed to this kind of London fog. She tightened her fluffy collar and cast another Warming Charm.
“Goodbye, Parvati.”
“Goodbye, Padma.”
“Lucius, wishing you an early Merry Christmas.”
“You too, happy holidays.”
Lucius smiled and bid a reluctant farewell to the Patil sisters, watching as they were picked up by a middle-aged couple with similar appearances. As their figures gradually faded into the distance, she felt an inexplicable twinge of envy.
Whether in her past life or this one, she had never experienced the warmth of being picked up by parents.
Glancing into the distance, the person she was waiting for was nowhere to be seen.
“Lucius, I’ll send you a Christmas gift.”
Draco had walked over at some point, smoothing his slicked-back hairstyle that remained perfectly unmoved by the strong wind. His expression was proud, tinged with a hint of awkwardness.
“Oh… thank you, Draco.”
Lucius was somewhat surprised. She thought she had thoroughly offended this young master at the end-of-year banquet, never expecting Draco to take the initiative to greet her.
It seemed their friendship wasn’t as fragile and easily broken as she had imagined.
Not wanting to be rude to someone offering goodwill, Lucius responded politely: “Happy holidays to you.”
Draco, the little prince living in an ivory tower, was bound to be happier than her!
After all, he had a pair of shrewd, wealthy, and doting parents—something others could only envy.
Lucius narrowed her eyes, watching as a couple approached from afar. Their similar hair colors gleamed brightly, and their haughty demeanors were strikingly alike.
The man was tall and slender, with waist-length hair, holding a silver-patterned serpent-headed cane. The woman was beautiful, with a graceful figure, clutching a tasteful bag reminiscent of a Chanel brand, exuding the elegant aura of a noblewoman.
These must be Lucius Malfoy and his wife, Narcissa.
“Draco, why did you run off here? We’ve been looking all over for you!”
Lucius stopped, his serpent-headed cane striking the ground firmly. He glanced casually at Lucius before turning a somewhat stern gaze toward Draco, as if conveying a silent reproach.
“Now, Lucius, Draco just wanted to say goodbye to his classmate.” Narcissa appeared quite haughty, but when it came to her only son, she revealed a motherly tenderness, her voice gentle and soft.
She lightly tugged at her husband’s sleeve, offering a hint of reassurance, then stepped forward slowly. Bending slightly, she straightened Draco’s collar with gentle, practiced movements.
Only then did she turn her gaze to Lucius, the stranger, with a scrutinizing and sharp intensity.
“Miss Riddle? You must be the Lucius Draco always mentions in his letters. You’re truly beautiful.” Narcissa continued with a smile, “I hear you always rank first in your year, and you’re Severus’s prized student. You’re an excellent child. Draco can be a bit mischievous and stubborn at times. Are the two of you getting along well?”
Narcissa’s voice didn’t sound harsh; it even carried a deliberate warmth meant to bridge the distance. This left Lucius feeling somewhat uneasy.
Draco felt somewhat uneasy, standing on tiptoe to tug at Narcissa’s silk robe, his face flushed as he muttered, “Mother, let’s go home as soon as possible. The wind is really strong.”
Narcissa patted his head, casting a Wind-Repelling Charm and a Warming Charm. Ignoring her son’s protesting gaze, she continued to watch Lucius intently, seemingly waiting for her response.
“Oh, apologies, Mr. Malfoy, good day. Mrs. Malfoy, good day.”
Lucius belatedly performed a lady’s curtsy, unsure if it was standard. From what she recalled of British dramas, people often greeted each other this way, or so she thought. d(д)
“I didn’t expect Draco to mention me. He… he is a very sincere friend, Madam. We get along quite well… Draco’s grades are also excellent. Compared to me, Professor Snape prefers Draco.”
Lucius smiled as politely as possible, keeping her teeth hidden.
“Oh, Lucius! There’s no need to be so modest. Clearly, you…”
Draco pursed his lips, making an exaggerated expression that seemed to say, “Could you please not be so hypocritical?” But he was quickly met with Lucius’s merciless criticism: “Draco, where are your manners?”
After reprimanding him, Lucius ruffled Draco’s lowered platinum-blond head, as if soothing a kitten. Facing Lucius’s awkwardness, he raised a perfectly polite, hypocritical aristocratic smile and said gracefully, “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Miss Riddle. If you’re willing, you may visit Malfoy Manor in the future.”
How peculiar! The sun must be rising from the west!
Lucius maintained a humble and obedient demeanor on the surface, showing no signs of her inner thoughts, but her mind was racing with ideas. Was Lucius merely being polite, or was he trying to convey some message?
The proud and arrogant head of the Malfoy family, actively inviting a Half-blood witch to his manor—was this something a Malfoy would say?
Or perhaps Lucius had already caught a whiff of the possibility of the Dark Lord’s resurgence and wanted to extend an olive branch to her, the little Riddle, while also extracting some useful information.
“It would be my honor, Mr. Malfoy, if the opportunity arises.”
It was said that Malfoy Manor was exceptionally luxurious, adorned with royal-style carvings and elegant white peacocks. Lucius was somewhat intrigued.
After exchanging pleasantries for a while, the Malfoys left with the sulking Draco in tow. As the sand and dust swirled, the family vanished without a trace, likely having used a Portkey or Apparition.
After waiting another ten minutes in the howling wind, with most of the people around having left, Lucius finally saw Mrs. Grace’s belated figure, along with her hurried and apologetic call: “Sorry, Lucius, I’m late.”
“It’s alright. I know you’re busy. You really didn’t have to come pick me up in person. I could have returned alone—I am a witch, after all.”
Lucius smiled as she walked forward, proudly lifting her head.
Although the orphanage wasn’t large, it was still short-staffed.
Matron Anna was growing older and no longer handled much of the affairs. The cook, Marian, only took care of meals and cleaning. Old Nicom, the gatekeeper, had a bit of a drinking problem, so you couldn’t expect much from him.
Miss Alice, who taught the children to read and write, was too timid to offer much assistance.
As the second-in-command of the orphanage, Ms. Grace possessed considerable management experience. Her stern expression, sharp gaze, and incisive words formed a powerful and imposing presence.
Most of the children held her in awe and dared not openly cause mischief. Even so, she was often overwhelmed with work, experiencing both joy and hardship.
“Lucius, even though you’re almost twelve, you’re still a child who needs supervision.”
Ms. Grace gave Lucius a disapproving look, but seeing her plump, rosy skin and bright, radiant smile, she knew she must be doing well at school. The worry she had been carrying finally settled.
Ever since Lucius went to Hogwarts, Ms. Grace had spent several nights terrified by nightmares of little Lucius being sold by that strange man dressed all in black to some unknown corner of the world, forced to do hard labor day and night, enduring hunger and beatings.
Snape: Are you being polite? Am I that kind of person? →_→
Feeling the care and warmth from Ms. Grace, Lucius simply smiled sweetly. If young wizards weren’t prohibited from using magic outside of school, she would have loved to show off a little and demonstrate the power of being a wizard.
She was no longer the helpless little girl she used to be. Now, she was a wizard with some ability, capable of protecting many people.