As soon as Hermione entered, Mrs. Granger, holding a glass of water, leaned against the sofa and subtly teased her:
"Oh dear, when your father and I were dating, we didn't even have that many passionate French kisses. Kids these days mature way too early."
Upon hearing this, Mr. Granger, who was standing nearby, immediately coughed heavily and pretended to cover his face with a newspaper, embarrassed to see his daughter's awkwardness.
"Mom~ What are you saying?" Hermione's blush, which had just faded a little, suddenly returned and burned all over her face, along with her neck and ears.
She wouldn't dare look her parents in the eye, and could only frantically whisper an explanation, "We were just saying goodbye..."
Seeing her blushing so deeply she was practically fuming, Mrs. Granger laughed even harder, finally adding the most lethal remark:
"Stop being stubborn, someone's lips are all swollen from kissing, and they're still pretending."
Upon hearing this, Hermione panicked completely and instinctively raised her hand to gently touch her lips.
It felt soft and slightly warm to the touch, just like Mom had said...
She could no longer bother to explain herself. With a soft moan, she covered her face and ran up the stairs.
He rushed into his room, slammed the door shut, and stared at his lips in the mirror.
In the living room, Mrs. Granger watched her daughter's panicked retreating figure and burst into laughter.
Mr. Granger quietly put down his newspaper on the sofa, shook his head helplessly, but a faint smile crept onto his lips.
Hermione burst into the bedroom, slammed the door shut, and leaned against it, panting heavily. Her heart was still pounding uncontrollably.
She rushed to the dressing mirror, got very close, stared intently at her lips with wide eyes, touched them lightly with her fingers, and looked at them several times.
Her skin was still soft, and apart from a slight pinkish tinge, there was no sign of swelling at all!
Hermione stared at her still-red face in the mirror and finally couldn't help but mutter under her breath, "It's not swollen at all... Stinky mom!"
She pouted and wrinkled her nose at herself in the mirror, gently patting her burning cheeks with her small hands, trying to suppress the blush that just wouldn't go away.
The more she thought about it, the more shy and sweet she felt, and the corners of her mouth involuntarily turned up.
Finally, he turned around and threw himself onto the bed, buried his face in the pillow, and kicked his legs a couple of times in a muffled groan.
Her mind was filled with the image of Draco kissing her, and the pearl bracelet Narcissa gently handed her at the Malfoy Manor.
Thinking of this, Hermione lifted her face from the pillow, touched the pearl on her wrist, and added softly and sweetly, "... I won't hold it against my stinky mother."
A gentle evening breeze blew in through the window, carrying a touch of the tender night air.
The girl lay on the bed, hugging her pillow, her eyes crinkling into crescent moons with laughter.
On the other side, Draco, Apparition, returned to the Malfoy Manor. As she stepped into the brightly lit foyer, a gentle smile still lingered on her face.
He went straight to Lucius, who was sitting on the sofa reading documents, then looked at Narcissa, who was arranging herbal tea. " Laodeng, Mother, thank you for today..."
Narcissa put down the porcelain pot in her hand, smiled and said to him, "Silly child, we are family, no need to thank me."
"Since you've made up your mind, treat her well. The Malfoy family never mistreat those they care about." Lucius put down the documents, his tone still indifferent.
Hearing Laodeng speak so solemnly in his coldest tone, Draco felt a warmth in his heart and nodded emphatically.
The family of three sat in the living room, the atmosphere unusually relaxed.
Draco enthusiastically chatted with his parents about the interesting things he had at Hogwarts.
It talks about how Hermione kept the professors speechless in class and how quickly her magical abilities improved.
He casually waved his wand, causing the crystal glass on the table to float into the air before precisely placing it back in its original position.
Narcissa looked at him with tender eyes and kept praising his progress; Lucius merely nodded slightly.
Just as the atmosphere was at its most harmonious, Draco suddenly stopped smiling and said seriously:
"Oh, and there's one more thing I must tell you: Voldemort's remnant soul has been completely sealed away!"
The moment those words were spoken, the air in the living room froze.
Narcissa's gentle smile froze abruptly, her fingers tightening slightly over the teacup, and a look of surprise flashed in her eyes. She instinctively glanced at Lucius:
"... What did you say? The remnant soul of the Dark Lord? Sealed?"
Lucius, who had been lounging lazily on the sofa, sat bolt upright in an instant, his indifferent mask shattering completely.
His brow furrowed deeply, his usual calm and composure vanished, and he said solemnly:
" Draco, do you know what you're saying? This is a serious matter, don't talk nonsense. When... and by whom was he sealed away?"
Over the years, the couple navigated the Ministry of Magic with ease while secretly living in constant fear.
They feared both the Dark Lord's return and the implicating of their family, and the consequences of their past alliances being settled.
Hearing this news from his son at this moment, it wasn't about being "defeated" or "disappeared," but about being completely sealed away.
This means that the shadow that had loomed over the Malfoy family for over a decade has truly and completely disappeared.
Draco didn't flinch; instead, he met his parents' utterly shocked gazes. "It was I who sealed it away."
As soon as she finished speaking, Narcissa gasped, her teacup wobbling slightly in her hand, almost slipping from her grasp.
Lucius's pupils shrank sharply, his indifferent aura completely shattered, and even his breathing became heavier.
"In the family's forbidden library, I stumbled upon a lost scroll of Soul Sealing Technique, which contained methods for suppressing and sealing dark remnant souls."
Draco slowly revealed the truth.
"After the start of the semester, I discovered that the remnant soul of the Dark Lord had been possessing Professor Quirrell, the Professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts."
"As Professor Quirrell's life force dwindled due to the draining of his energy, he could only hide in the Forbidden Forest, clinging to life by consuming Unicorn Blood."
He continued,
"I confirmed it for a long time and prepared for it for a long time. Finally, in the Forbidden Forest, I used the sealing spell from the library to completely nail and seal his remnant soul, and then handed it over to Dumbledore."
The living room was so quiet you could hear the clock ticking.
After a long while, Narcissa covered her mouth, her light-colored eyes swirling with horror and lingering fear. She reached out and gently stroked Draco's cheek, her voice trembling:
"My child... you went to do something so dangerous all by yourself? Why didn't you tell us... what would I have done if something had happened to you...?"
She never imagined that she would still feel sorry for her son who left home in first grade and worried that he would be mistreated at school.
He single-handedly defeated the demon that struck fear into the hearts of the entire Wizarding World.
Lucius remained silent for a long time. He knew better than anyone the terror of Voldemort and the dangers of Soul Magic.
But his son, Draco Malfoy, who was only eleven years old, not only did it, but also escaped unscathed.