Dobby clutched the hem of his clothes tightly, bowing slightly, suppressing all his excitement, daring only to show the most respectful and humble demeanor.
The car door opened, Draco stepped out first.
Dobby's eyes lit up instantly, and he let out a very soft, delicate whimper—a sound of joy.
"Welcome home, young master..."
Dobby's voice was as low as a fly's buzz, and his head was lowered, not daring to look up at Lucius, only stealing glances at Draco out of the corner of his eye.
Draco immediately noticed its unease, paused, and gave Dobby a subtle Dobby imperceptible nod. "I'm back, Dobby."
These simple words made Dobby's ears twitch instantly, and he was so moved that his nose tingled and he almost burst into tears on the spot.
It quickly lowered its head, trying to suppress its excitement, and reached out to take the suitcase from Draco's hand, its movements as gentle as if afraid of damaging some precious item.
Draco and his companions had only been resting at the manor for a short time.
Dobby came to report after he had packed his suitcase.
"Master, Madam, Young Master—Miss Parkinson family has arrived, saying she has urgent business to discuss."
Draco paused, his brows immediately furrowing.
Pansy? How did she end up at our house, and at this time of year?
Lucius said calmly, "Let her in."
Narcissa gently patted Draco's arm, signaling him to calm down.
A moment later, Pansy lifted her skirt and strode into the spacious and magnificent front hall, her makeup exquisite but her face tense.
Upon seeing Draco, her eyes immediately reddened, and she looked aggrieved and anxious.
" Draco —I saw you at the station!"
Her voice was choked with sobs as soon as she opened her mouth.
"You were standing with that Muggle-born Granger, chatting and laughing with her Muggle parents... Lots of people saw it!"
"Isn't this common knowledge? What's the big deal?" Draco retorted, leaving her speechless.
Pansy's face flushed red, and she immediately turned to the Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy beside her, complaining in a sharp and urgent voice:
"Uncle Lucius, Aunt Narcissa, you must do something about Draco! He's the Malfoy heir, how can he be so close to that lowly Mudblood? It's ruining the Malfoy ' reputation! People outside are already talking about it!"
The words "Mudblood " were uttered.
Draco's last bit of patience vanished completely, his eyes suddenly turning cold, giving Pansy no further room to maneuver.
"If this is the only kind of language you can use to insult others, then please leave now."
The room fell silent upon hearing this.
Pansy's pupils contracted, and she stared at Draco in disbelief, as if she were seeing him for the first time.
Lucius's eyes darkened, his face remained expressionless, but the atmosphere around him had turned cold.
Narcissa's smile faded, and she frowned slightly, clearly dissatisfied with Pansy's choice of words.
This was also the first time Draco had publicly severed all ties with Pansy, for Hermione's sake.
Pansy was startled by him, her eyes reddening even more, and she pleaded in a tearful voice, " Draco, I'm doing this for your own good! For the good of the Malfoy family!"
Ever since Draco Gryffindor against his family's wishes, the Parkinson have quietly distanced themselves from the Malfoy, and even gossip about them behind their backs within the Pure-blood circle.
Lucius slowly raised his eyes, his gaze lightly falling on Pansy. He didn't get angry, but simply called out, " Miss Parkinson's."
Pansy immediately shut her mouth and lowered her head, waiting for the elder to uphold justice.
But what she received was not a reprimand of Draco, but rather a chillingly indifferent judgment from Lucius:
"First, the Malfoy family's affairs are none of the Parkinson family's business."
"Secondly, who Draco likes is Malfoy family matter."
"Thirdly, if you dare utter those filthy words again at my manor, you need not come back."
Upon hearing this, Pansy turned pale; she couldn't believe her ears.
She came to complain, not to be scolded!
Narcissa gently gathered her skirt, adding a clear statement that extinguished all of Pansy's hopes:
" Pansy, Draco is all grown up now, he has his own choices."
"As his parents, we support his decision. Miss Granger is a very good girl. Please don't say such rude things again."
Pansy's lips trembled as she tried to accept it, and tears finally fell. She felt wronged and resentful, but dared not say another word.
Lucius didn't bother to look at her anymore and waved his hand dismissively. " Dobby, see Miss Parkinson out."
Pansy bit her lip, turned around and ran out in a disheveled state.
The door closed.
Draco looked at his parents, his Adam's apple bobbing slightly, unsure of what to say for a moment.
Lucius glanced at him, his tone returning to its usual coldness. "See? Don't give face to those who spread rumors. No one can bully those Malfoy protects."
Narcissa smiled and stepped forward, smoothing his furrowed collar. "Alright, don't be angry. Now we just need to wait to bring Hermione over and let everyone know that she's someone we Malfoy approve of."
"Thank you, Mom and Dad!" Draco's eyes lit up.
The coldness he had shown towards Pansy vanished completely, leaving only the undisguised joy of a young man.
After thanking her, he turned and rushed out, eager to deliver the good news to Hermione.
Lucius watched his retreating figure, which seemed about to leap up, frowned, and instinctively wanted to adopt a fatherly tone and reprimand him with "Behave yourself."
But the words that came out of his mouth turned into a helpless groan.
Narcissa burst out laughing, watching her son's hurried departure. She gently took Lucius's arm and said, "See? I told you, that boy really cared."
"A bit reckless," Lucius said, glancing at his wife dismissively.
Once outside the gate, Draco used Apparition with a thought, landing steadily on the quiet street below Hermione's house.
He walked quickly to Hermione's door and subconsciously glanced up at the second-floor window.
With just one glance, his steps faltered slightly.
Hermione was propped up on her arm, leaning against the windowsill, quietly gazing into the distance, lost in thought.
Sunlight fell on her curly hair, and her usually bright face now carried a hint of sullenness.
Draco's heart softened instantly.
The coldness he displayed when dealing with Pansy at the manor melted away the moment he saw her like this.
He didn't knock, but stood under the tree and called softly, in a voice only the two of them could hear, " Hermione."
The girl suddenly snapped out of her daze and looked down at the building below.
The moment their eyes met, her previously dull eyes lit up like stars.
Before she could even think, she nervously leaned against the windowsill and asked, " Draco? What are you doing here...? What about your parents' place...?"