He's Still a Child

Bang.

The study door was suddenly opened.

Lucius immediately shut up.

Draco Malfoy's head cautiously peeked in.

He looked at the woman in the room and smiled, "Mom, when did you get back? You didn't even tell me!"

Before Narcissa could say anything, Lucius said sternly, "Draco, didn't I tell you?"

Don't come into my study without permission!

Also, remember to knock before entering someone else's room!

Where is your manners?

"You went to Hogwarts for a year and lost everything?"

Draco shrank back in fear, preparing to leave the room and knock again.

But Narcissa quickly wiped away her tears and said softly, "It's alright, darling, Draco is still a child!"

Narcissa waved, Draco ran over with a grin and sat down next to the woman.

Narcissa affectionately ruffled Draco's head, messing up his carefully styled hair.

Lucius looked at his son with a headache. Spoiling his son was definitely not a good way to educate him, especially for a family like theirs.

But Narcissa was incredibly stubborn about this.

"Mom, when did you get back?" Draco asked again.

"I've only been back for half an hour, and I didn't see you in your room."

"I took Pansy to see the goldfish in the garden, and while we were playing hide-and-seek, I just left her there," Draco said smugly.

Narcissa rebuked, "Leaving a lady there alone is not gentlemanly behavior."

"Okay, I'll go in a bit." Draco changed the subject. "Mom, what about the present you said you'd bring me?"

"Oh, I forgot." Narcissa smiled apologetically.

When she left, she only said that she was going to visit a relative, but she didn't say who it was.

The environment in Azkaban had a great impact on her, so she had no interest in buying gifts for Draco.

Draco stared at his mother, seemingly noticing she had just been crying, and suddenly his expression changed. "Mom, you didn't go to see that family, did you?!"

"What do you mean 'that family'? That's your aunt," Narcissa scolded.

Narcissa had three sisters: the eldest, Bellatrix, married Rodolphus of the Lestrange family;

The second daughter, Andromeda, married Ted Tonks, Muggle-born wizard, and was subsequently expelled from the family.

Bellatrix and Andromeda are sworn enemies; Bellatrix wishes she could kill her sister.

Although Narcissa didn't like Andromeda either, they were sisters after all, so their relationship wasn't that strained. She secretly visited her older sister several times.

Draco mistakenly believed that his mother had gone to visit his aunt.

Draco scoffed, "I saw her daughter, Tonks, at school."

"What are Tonks doing at school?" Lucius asked, frowning.

"I don't know. It seems she went to Stark as Auror to record information about Quirrell's cause of death."

Lucius stared at his son and said, "Draco, I heard... you've been hanging out with that Muggle-born Stark a lot at school lately?"

"No... no..." Draco's pale face turned bright red.

"I just saw that he had some nice alchemical items, so I spent a little money to buy them."

As you've seen, he invented that Warming Badge.

The same thing sells for more in Diagon Alley, and the quality isn't even as good... Wizards like this will only ever sell this kind of stuff; they'll never amount to much... They're not worth your time!

"Yes, you spent over three thousand Galleon this semester." Lucius stared at his son. "I don't object to you spending money, but... not this way."

"I understand." Draco lowered his head.

"By the way, what gift did you say you wanted?" Lucius asked.

"I want a good broom. Our house suffered a crushing defeat this year, and I think it's because the house doesn't have a Nimbus 2000, while the Ravenclaw Quidditch Team has two," Draco argued.

"The academy's Nimbus 1700 isn't bad either," Lucius said with dissatisfaction. "I really didn't expect Slytherin House to have fallen to this level, unable to even beat Ravenclaw."

Draco kept his head down and remained silent.

Narcissa glared at her husband, Lucius took a breath and said, "If we're going to buy something, we should buy the best! Otherwise, we'll embarrass the Malfoy family."

A friend of mine told me that the latest version of the Nimbus 2001 is about to be released. How about I buy you one when it comes out?

"But I'm not a member of the house team yet," Draco said unhappily. "Harry Potter was only a freshman last year, Dumbledore granted him permission to represent Gryffindor House in the competition."

He doesn't deserve it at all, he's only famous because of his fame... because he has that stupid scar on his forehead...

"Draco, you've only been home a few days, and you've been talking about Potter, Potter all the time... You've said that to me at least five times already." Lucius glanced at his son.

"Want to join the House team? It's simple. Your Headmaster Snape and I are good friends. When I was Prefect, he had just entered the House, and I took good care of him."

"Getting into the team is just a matter of saying one word."

Lucius said sternly, "However, if you don't perform well, if you play poorly in matches, and if you disgrace the Malfoy family..."

"No, I'm very skilled," Draco said happily. "I guarantee I can lead Slytherin to the championship."

"Your promise?" Lucius said, displeased. "You made the same promise to me at Easter, saying you'd get first place in the grade."

"It's not my fault," Draco retorted. "The teachers are all biased, and that Hermione Granger even has Stark tutoring—"

"A girl from a non-wizard family is better than you in every exam. I thought you'd be ashamed," Lucius said angrily.

Draco lowered his head again, waiting for his mother to say, "Alright, he's still a child!"

But just then, there was a knock at the door.

"Come in!"

A House-elf wobbled in, dressed like an old pillowcase with holes in his arms and legs.

The House-elf bowed deeply, his long, thin nose touching the carpet.

"Master... Master," the House-elf stammered in a high-pitched, trembling voice, "Dobby... has something to report to you..."

Lucius was furious; he drew out his words as he stared at the House-elf.

"Dobby, if you bother me again, even over something as trivial as 'the peacock at the door pecking at you a few times,' I don't mind imposing a more severe punishment on you."

For example... locking you in the oven.

Dobby shuddered, tears welling in his eyes, and said fearfully, "No, Master... there are... a lot of Ministry of Magic officials at the door."

One of them said his name was Arthur Weasley...

Lucius suddenly stood up and strode out.

As he reached the door, he suddenly kicked Dobby in a fit of rage, sending the House-elf flying and hitting its head on the corner of the table.

A cup full of coffee fell and hit Dobby on the head, spilling the liquid onto the expensive Unicorn Hair rug.

"Finish this before I get back, or you're not getting dinner!"

Lucius strode toward the door.

Dobby's head drooped humbly, coffee gathering at his feet.

There was almost no resentment in his eyes, only numbness, because... he was used to it.

(Thanks to "Novice on the Road n", "Shifang Suming", "Book Friends 20191007135339681","

Book friend 20181126080152955 (rewards from four big shots)