Only Hermione and Draco remained.
Hermione's face was still burning, and she looked at Draco reproachfully. "Aren't you going to do anything about them?"
Draco laughed. "But what they said isn't wrong."
Just then, two gentle voices called out from not far away, " Hermione! Draco!"
"Honey, we're here!"
They both looked up at the same time.
The Mr. and Mrs. Granger were standing not far away, waving to them with gentle smiles.
Mom wore an elegant light-colored dress, and Dad wore a clean shirt and trousers; they looked refined and approachable.
Hermione, as if grasping at a straw, immediately pulled Draco forward, trying to hide her still-blushing face. "Daddy, Mommy—"
Draco, regaining his composed demeanor that elders would appreciate, nodded slightly. "Uncle, Aunt!"
Mrs. Granger smiled and looked him over, saying kindly, "You must be tired from your journey. You can finally have a good rest during the summer vacation."
Mr. Granger patted Draco's arm casually. "Let's talk in the car, it's parked outside."
There was no probing, no awkwardness, no awkwardness of a first meeting.
Everything felt natural, like a family gathering.
At that moment, Draco's gaze inadvertently swept to the other side of the crowd, his movements suddenly halting, and his face stiffening.
Not far away, Lucius was wearing a perfectly tailored light gray suit, his silver hair neatly combed.
Narcissa, standing beside him, was elegant and gentle.
Their eyes were fixed precisely on their son.
Draco thought to himself with trepidation:
Didn't we tell them not to come? We said we'd go back, so why did they still come...? This is bad.
He couldn't pretend he didn't see it.
Draco turned back helplessly to Hermione and her parents, and said with a rare hint of embarrassment and apology, "My parents... are here."
Hermione paused, then immediately understood his predicament. She nodded gently, "Go ahead."
Mrs. Granger smiled warmly and waved her hand, "Go on, go on, don't keep your parents waiting. There's plenty of time to see them during the summer vacation."
"Please be careful, and you're welcome to come to my home anytime during the holidays," Mr. Granger said kindly.
Draco breathed a sigh of relief. He looked at Hermione and lowered his voice, so only the two of them could hear, "I'll be back."
Hermione's ears burned, and she softly hummed in agreement, whispering, "Be careful on the road."
Draco glanced at her one last time before turning and walking toward his parents.
His heart was pounding wildly.
They must have just seen him standing with Hermione's family.
Lucius watched his son approach, frowned slightly, and gave a distant look to the Granger family not far away, without saying a word.
Narcissa, on the other hand, only had eyes for her son. She stepped forward and took Draco's wrist. "Son, are you tired? We've been waiting for you for a long time."
"I'm not tired, Father, Mother, have you been waiting long?"
Draco's voice was calm and composed; he had quickly shaken off his earlier embarrassment and returned to his standard Malfoy heir persona.
Narcissa smiled gently, "Not long ago, just arrived."
Lucius merely glanced at him indifferently, but his gaze naturally swept over the direction where Hermione and Mr. and Mrs. Granger were:
"It seems you had a rather... fulfilling year at Hogwarts."
Draco's heart skipped a beat, but he remained outwardly calm. "The course went fairly smoothly."
Lucius chuckled, not exposing him, but simply raised his chin slightly, gesturing for him to get in the car. "Let's go, everything's ready at home. We can talk about it when we get back."
Narcissa immediately smoothed things over gently, pushing Draco towards the car:
"Alright, you must be tired from your journey. Go back and rest now. Your room has been tidied up to your liking."
Draco couldn't resist turning around for a final, furtive glance.
Hermione remained standing there, watching him with her parents.
In the instant their eyes met, Hermione nodded slightly to him.
Draco's tense nerves quietly relaxed a little.
He looked away and bent down to get into the car.
The car door closed, and the black sedan drove away smoothly.
Narcissa looked at her son's slightly tense profile and said softly, "That person just now... was Miss Granger and her family, right?"
It's not a question, it's a statement.
"Yes." Draco paused for a moment, then readily admitted it.
"You two are getting very close." Lucius glanced at him in the rearview mirror, his tone unreadable.
At this moment, Draco met his father's gaze, neither looking away nor panicking.
He knew his parents would definitely find out Hermione's background.
Muggle parents, Muggle-born witch—these are major taboos in the Pure-blood Supremacy Malfoy family.
In the past, he would have covered it up.
But things are different now.
Since we've been discovered, we might as well lay it all out.
"Yes, she is Hermione Granger." Draco showed no sign of guilt.
Lucius finally turned his head, his silver-grey eyes falling on him with a scrutinizing gaze. "Do you know what her background is?"
"I know," Draco said firmly, "But I like her."
The moment those words were spoken, the carriage fell silent.
Narcissa took a soft breath, offering no reproach, but looking at her son with tender eyes.
Lucius frowned, his tone turning colder. " Draco, you are Malfoy's heir. You should know that Pure-blood— "
"I understand, Father!" Draco interrupted him, but still maintained his politeness.
"But I love her, not her bloodline. She's smarter, braver, and more determined than any Pure-blood lady I've ever met."
"You must have heard about her exploits at school. She's good enough for me, and good enough for Malfoy."
He spoke without any shame or hesitation.
This was the first time Draco had openly violated the rules that the Malfoy family had upheld for centuries, in front of his parents, for the sake of someone.
Narcissa gently took Draco's hand and said to Lucius, "Alright, Lucius. As long as the child is happy, that's good. Miss Granger is indeed excellent, that's undeniable!"
She then looked at Draco: "We all know you went to her house for Christmas, and we know you're serious!"
Draco was taken aback.
So, they already knew.
Lucius remained silent for a long time, so long that Draco was prepared to be scolded.
In the end, he merely gave a cold snort, turned his face away, and looked out the window. "Suit yourself. Just don't embarrass the Malfoy family."
There was neither agreement nor opposition.
This was already Lucius Malfoy's biggest concession.
From the moment his son chose to Gryffindor, Lucius Malfoy had long since abandoned his former obsessive Pure-blood arrogance.
He was always assessing the situation and understood the ever-changing landscape of the wizarding world better than anyone else.
The old order is on the verge of collapse, the rhetoric of Pure-blood Supremacy has become a laughing stock, and a new order is being reshuffled.
He knew better than anyone that the Malfoy family's ability to continue peacefully depended no longer on bloodline prejudice, but on vision, choices, and the hearts of the people.
Stubbornly clinging to past rules will only drag the family into an abyss.
Draco chose Gryffindor, choosing to befriend those he once looked down upon.
He even chose a Muggle-born girl, something Lucius would have absolutely never tolerated before.
But now, he sees his son becoming more mature and responsible, no longer bound by the shackles of the family, and more like an heir capable of supporting Malfoy than ever before.
He understood this better than anyone else.
Hermione Granger is not a stain on the Malfoy family, but rather Draco's weakness and his light.
This girl is intelligent, strong, and upright, and has an unshakeable reputation and ability at Hogwarts.
Her presence beside Draco will only make him better, not drag him down.
So at this moment, Lucius did not get angry or reprimand, but simply gazed at the rapidly receding street scene outside the car window, his silver-gray eyes calm.
He acquiesced.
This is not a compromise, nor a concession, but the most sober and rational judgment of a family leader.