The shout came at just the right time, saving Hermione from the predicament. "Let's go, don't keep everyone waiting."
Hermione didn't walk very fast, as if deliberately waiting for Draco. Draco caught up in a few steps and walked beside her. Then Hermione spoke:
"You just mentioned Malfoy Manor to Madame Maxime, you don't actually mean to invite her there, do you?"
"Of course it's true," Draco replied immediately.
" Madame Maxime is not only Headmaster Beauxbatons, but also a renowned Care of Magical Creatures with significant connections and prestige in the Europe Wizarding World. Maintaining a good relationship with her can only benefit the Malfoy family."
"I knew it. You're always thinking about the family's interests, no matter where you go," Hermione said.
"Of course, Miss Granger will get a share of all of this from now on."
Hermione's pupils contracted slightly, and a faint blush suddenly rose to her cheeks. She was about to retort when she heard Draco continue his calculations:
"Think about it, if we don't develop the Malfoy family well, when our child is born, what will happen? Milk powder, early childhood education materials, private tutors, even custom-made Hogwarts robes—all of these will require a huge investment of money and resources."
"If we solidify our family foundation, won't our children have a head start in life?"
"Compared to children from ordinary wizarding families at Hogwarts, they start far ahead, and whether they enter the Ministry of Magic, inherit the family business, or pursue their own research, they will avoid countless detours in the future."
Hermione was stunned and speechless after hearing these words.
She was completely unprepared for Draco's sudden mention of children, formula, and the starting line; the abrupt shift in his thoughts caught her off guard, and a blush instantly spread from her cheeks to her neck.
" Draco Malfoy! What nonsense are you spouting! Who wants to have children with you! Baby formula, starting line, can't you be serious for once!" She avoided Draco's gaze.
Even so, the image Draco had described involuntarily flashed through her mind, and she immediately shook her head violently, cursing herself for having wild thoughts.
Draco, seeing her like this, said with amusement, "How am I being frivolous? I'm just telling the truth. Miss Granger, you can't let our child lose because of a Hogwarts acceptance letter, can you?"
Hermione bit her lip and muttered, "If you keep talking nonsense, I'm going to stroll around the fountain by myself and I'm ignoring you."
As he spoke, he quickened his pace and walked forward.
Draco watched her retreating figure and quickly followed after her.
"No, Hermione, I was wrong, okay? But you can think about what I said carefully, after all... this concerns our future."
Hermione was walking ahead, was in a state of panic: they were still on the Beauxbatons campus, and students and staff could pass by at any moment. How could he say such things in public!
The questions about children, family, and the future came crashing down on her unexpectedly, leaving her completely defenseless and ashamed to discuss them in such a public setting.
"I understand, stop talking," Hermione said softly.
After saying that, she quickly glanced at Pheobe and Gabrielle in front of her, and only breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that they were engrossed in exploring the school.
But I was still thinking about it in my heart.
This guy has no sense of propriety in front of outsiders. It would be so embarrassing if Pheobe or Gabrielle heard him.
Draco, upon hearing her words and noticing her glancing around, instantly understood what she was thinking.
He deliberately lowered his voice and whispered in her ear, "You understand? Does that mean you understand the reasoning I'm giving you, or that you know... you have to save face for you in public?"
"No, that's not it. Hurry up and go, Gabrielle and Pheobe must be getting impatient. Don't dawdle here," Hermione urged, annoyed and embarrassed.
But her heart was still pounding; Draco's words were like pebbles thrown into a lake, creating ripples.
She was unwilling to admit it, but she could vaguely sense the seriousness in Draco's words; it wasn't just a casual remark.
But right now, on the Beauxbatons campus, it's really not the place to think about these things.
Hermione could only suppress the turmoil in her heart and just wanted to catch up with the people in front of her as quickly as possible and avoid the conversation that made her uneasy.
Hermione took a few quick steps forward, finally managing to suppress the turmoil in her heart. Draco followed slowly beside her, a smile always on his lips.
Not far ahead, Pheobe was holding Gabrielle's hand, waiting at the crossroads.
Seeing them approach, Pheobe smiled and said, "I thought you were going to chat in the corridor all afternoon. Gabrielle can't wait to see the Nicolas Flamel Fountain."
Gabrielle shook Pheobe's hand and suggested to the two of them, " Hermione, Draco, shall we go to the fountain first? It's the most famous place in Beauxbatons!"
"Okay." Hermione smiled and agreed, then walked over to Pheobe's side, avoiding Draco's gaze, secretly relieved that the previous topic had finally ended.
Draco shrugged indifferently and followed the group. The school janitor led the way, quietly introducing the scenery along the way.
The group walked out of the marble corridor and entered Beauxbatons ' magical garden.
Unlike the rugged wildness of the Hogwarts Forbidden Forest, everything here exudes French refinement and romance.
The neatly trimmed yew hedge meanders into an elegant French pattern.
Colorful magical flowers bloom scattered across the lawn, and blue-purple bellflowers tinkle crisply in the breeze.
The golden sunflowers always follow the sunlight, their petals trembling gently.
The stone path beneath our feet was also enchanted; tiny daisies peeking out from the cracks glowed with a faint magical light, and stepping on them would cause tiny golden specks to float up.
Gabrielle suddenly broke free from Pheobe's hand and skipped and hopped through the garden, reaching out to gently touch the singing flowers, her little face full of joy.
Pheobe called out helplessly, "Be careful, don't damage the flowers and plants," but she didn't actually stop her.
Beauxbatons ' garden welcomes visitors, and the magical plants will not harm anyone as long as they are not maliciously damaged.
The school janitor raised his hand to indicate, "Ladies and gentlemen, the Nicolas Flamel and Perenelle Fountain is just ahead."
Following the direction he pointed, a fountain made of pure white marble suddenly appeared before our eyes, with a statue of Nicolas Flamel and his wife, Perenelle, in the center.
The two men looked at each other and smiled, holding alchemical crucibles in their hands, from which clear spring water flowed continuously.
When the spring water falls, it doesn't scatter and splash, but instead condenses into arc-shaped water curtains, within which are reflected flowing golden runes—the marks of alchemical magic.
The fountain's base is engraved with intricate patterns and surrounded by a ring of blooming white roses. The dewdrops on the rose petals never fall and shimmer like pearls in the sunlight.
"Wow!" Gabrielle ran to the fountain, leaned on the stone railing, and stared intently. "The water's color is changing! It was blue just now, and now it's pink!"