Draco's face alternated between red and white. He opened his mouth, unsure how to defend himself.
He could hardly just say,
Oh, I only approached you for your Royal Family's ancestral manuscript.
Even a Gryffindor wouldn't be that stupid!
That would bring disgrace on the Malfoy name!
Every head of the family would die of shame!
Allen lowered his eyes, a slight crease between his brows, looking rather pitiful.
He said softly, "...Actually, you were the first young wizard I met in the magical world."
Harry's inexplicable anger quietly dissipated. He looked at Allen with sympathy, trying to comfort him. "Your Highness..."
But he couldn't think of anything else to say.
Just as meeting Hagrid first had made him deeply attached to the friendly half-giant,
he had reason to believe Allen felt the same way.
Allen continued, "Harry is free to choose his own friends, too... I simply didn't expect you and Mr. Weasley to be on such bad terms..."
"I'm very sorry that things turned out this way because of me."
"Your Highness!" Harry fidgeted in his seat. "It's not your fault!"
Ron looked at Harry, then at Allen, and gave Harry a gentle tug, not daring to speak.
Draco finally spoke, awkwardly stumbling over his words. "Of course you're different from him..."
"How am I different?" Allen gently raised his eyes, his sea-blue gaze a little dim.
Draco grew anxious. He had just accepted an ancestral manuscript as a gift, only to upset its giver immediately afterward. That was hardly gentlemanly!
He struggled to speak. "Muggles... er, I mean..."
"Merlin!"
Draco looked as though he had a toothache.
Allen asked, "Do you mean you don't dislike me? Even though I'm a Muggle-born?"
This time, Ron was the one who looked as though he had a toothache.
Merlin's stockings and suspenders!
Malfoy didn't dislike Muggle-borns? That was the funniest joke he'd heard in his entire life!
He tugged lightly on Harry and whispered, "Harry, hasn't your Crown Prince been fooled by Malfoy? Everyone knows their family hates Muggle-borns more than anything!"
Harry ought to have trusted his new friend, but he trusted Allen's judgment more. So he looked at Draco doubtfully and shook his head, unable to put his feelings into words.
Draco forced himself to produce the standard Malfoy smile, though it looked strange no matter how one viewed it.
He said, "Of course! Allen! You're my first friend, too!"
Allen gently raised his eyes and smiled, as though he had reluctantly believed that nonsense.
Draco was even more at a loss. As the heir to the Malfoy family, he had always stood above everyone else. He had never had to coax anyone before!
Allen turned to Harry. "Oh, Harry, invite your friend in to sit down."
The four of them sat in the compartment, looking at one another.
Ron insisted on sitting opposite Allen, squeezing Harry into the inner seat-he refused to sit opposite Malfoy under any circumstances.
That suited Draco perfectly, too.
Ordinarily, Draco would certainly have mocked Weasley for "knowing his place," but he wasn't in the mood now.
He maintained his haughty air, yet kept stealing seemingly casual glances at Allen from the corner of his eye.
Allen remained gentle and elegant, as though their earlier dispute hadn't affected him at all. He graciously invited Ron to try some Muggle desserts, not forgetting to offer them to Harry as well.
The sweet-and-tart flavor spread over Ron's tongue, and his eyes lit up. "What's this, Allen? It's really good!"
Draco gave a soft scoff. "Understandable, Weasley! After all..."
He fell silent under Allen's gaze, looking rather furious.
Ron immediately broke into a broad grin.
Harry watched and decided Young Malfoy wasn't quite so disagreeable after all-look, he could hold his tongue for his friend's sake!
Allen finally looked at Draco. He gave his wand a tap, and a book leaped out of his trunk.
"Draco, I know you've never had any contact with the Muggle world, so you have a few misconceptions about Muggles. That's why I'd like to give you a book."
"Great Inventions of the Twentieth Century. You deserve a copy!"
Draco stared at him in disbelief, then at the book, which was as thick as a Galleon, and muttered, "Merlin! Are you a devil?"
"Clearly not." Allen looked at him and held out the book.
Draco reluctantly accepted it, stood up with an irritated huff, tucked the book under his arm, and gave Allen a light push. "Come with me! We're going to my compartment!"
Allen only had time to leave Harry with, "Harry, take good care of your friend!" before he was pushed out of the compartment.
Draco couldn't be bothered with the Chosen One or that stupid Weasley. He took Allen by the wrist and led him into the Malfoy family's private compartment.
He tossed the book into his trunk and muttered, "I really hope you don't get sorted into that bookworm house! Oh, never mind!"
The little peacock sized Allen up with an indescribable look. "With all that excessive 'kindness' of yours, just don't end up in Hufflepuff!"
After a pause, he added, "Gryffindor is out, too!"
Allen suppressed a laugh. "Then that only leaves Slytherin!"
Draco raised his chin and smiled. "That's more like it!"
"But I can't decide that," Allen said. "You know, the sorting is up to them!"
Draco gave a soft huff and caught his hand, a hint of anticipation in his voice. "Allen, was that a Summoning Charm just now?"
"What?" Allen didn't immediately follow.
"The spell you used to make the book jump!" The little peacock did his best to tolerate Allen's slow reactions.
"Oh!" Allen understood, but hesitated.
He had spent these past few days reading history books. When it came to spells, he had only read the first-year textbook. He said uncertainly,
"Actually, Draco, I've discovered a rule about spellcasting-as long as you're calm enough, focused, and determined, you can naturally perform magic with your wand!"
He offered him a piece of chocolate.
Draco put it into his mouth with a blank expression. For Merlin's sake! For the sake of that ancestral manuscript! He would put up with this Muggle-born for one more minute!
"You freak!" he said through gritted teeth, biting through the chocolate's walnut filling.
Allen smiled at him. "A freak's friend is a freak, too!"
Draco gave a soft huff. At last, a trace of a smile appeared at the corner of his mouth, and his expression relaxed.
He lifted his chin slightly, looking proud. "A Malfoy's friends must be noble by birth, too!"
Harmony returned to the compartment.
Later, two enormously built boys-well, two fat boys-arrived, only for Draco to send them off to another compartment.
Draco explained some basic facts about the wizarding world to Allen, while Allen told Draco about some newly developed technological products and weapons in the Muggle world.
Each astonished the other, and they agreed they had to find time to visit each other's homes-Draco was rather eager to see the Muggle world's wondrous weapons.
(Ever since Draco had thrown caution to the wind and comforted Allen, his tolerance for Muggle things seemed to have increased a little.)
Suddenly, the compartment door slid open, and a somewhat haughty girl's voice rang out. "Have any of you seen a toad? Neville Longbottom has lost a toad!"
Draco frowned. "Who gave you permission to come in?"
Allen laid a hand on Draco's arm, signaling him to calm down, then turned to the young lady. "Miss, we haven't seen a toad. Perhaps you could try looking in the other compartments."
When the girl got a clear look at Allen, her eyes widened involuntarily. "Prince Allen?!"
She instantly softened her voice and restrained her movements, clasping her hands behind her back and twisting her fingers. Looking a little stiff and flushed, she said, "Thank you for the suggestion, Your Highness. Sorry for disturbing you!"
Allen reassured her gently. "It's all right."
The girl nodded shyly, stepped back, and closed the compartment door.
Draco looked utterly baffled. He was just about to complain to Allen when the girl slid the door open again.
Her face was bright red, and she kept her head lowered. "Your Highness, I forgot to say-the train will arrive soon. Please remember to change into your robes."
Draco said impatiently, "We know. I'll remind him!"
The girl raised her head and glared at Draco, looking just like a lion.
Allen had no choice but to play peacemaker. "All right, miss, I understand. Thank you very much for coming specifically to remind me!"
The corners of the girl's mouth lifted. In a very gentle voice, she said, "Goodbye, Your Highness," then stepped out and closed the door.
Draco wore an indescribable expression. This Muggle-born girl actually had two different faces!
And in all his life, who had ever dared give the heir to the Malfoy family such a look?
Draco was absolutely furious, so Allen could only push a Chocolate Frog toward him.
Draco glared at him and viciously bit off half the Chocolate Frog's head.
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