Seeing how embarrassed Pansy and Astoria were, Narcissa didn't press them any further. Instead, she cast a satisfied glance at Draco.
That look earned her a blatant eye roll from him.
"Alright, everyone come and sit down. As for your parents, they have matters to deal with and will come to pick you up tomorrow. You'll be staying here tonight. As for the rest… we'll talk about it later."
"Go on, sit. Make yourselves at home. Vincent, why are you standing so far away? I had Nait prepare pumpkin pie this time, your favorite."
As Lucius spoke, Narcissa, as the lady of the house, immediately beckoned to Goyle and Crabbe, who were standing in the back and already swallowing hard.
Pansy and Astoria, meanwhile, had long since been pulled to either side of the table by Narcissa, who looked very much as though she were treating the two girls as her future daughters-in-law.
In short.
Not only did Lucius give Draco no chance to ask questions, he also preemptively addressed part of what might have been troubling them.
In the end, knowing just how stubborn his father could be, Draco sensibly chose not to ruin the pleasant atmosphere of the evening.
...
Speaking of which.
Compared to the school dining hall, the dining space at Malfoy Manor was nowhere near as large as Hogwarts. But in terms of design and atmosphere, it was undeniably top-tier.
The occasional crackle from the fireplace, the gently swaying candlelight floating in midair, coupled with the exquisite food and expensive tableware, elevated the entire dining experience.
This was something ordinary wizarding families simply couldn't enjoy. Especially for Draco's return, the level of care put into this meal had clearly been raised even further.
For Astoria, who also came from a noble background, this was nothing out of the ordinary. Compared to the lavish dinner itself, she was more interested in the atmosphere within the Malfoy family.
'Who would have thought that Draco, who's so commanding at school, would have absolutely no way of dealing with his own mother? And Mr. Lucius doesn't seem nearly as cold or unapproachable as people make him out to be.'
Any wizard who saw this scene would surely call it a happy family.
After dinner.
Since Pansy and the others would be staying at Malfoy Manor for the night, they needed to decide on their rooms beforehand.
So, under Nait's guidance, Draco and Pansy's group temporarily split up.
Once outside the dining hall, Draco finally had the leisure to look around properly.
The design philosophy and overall style were nearly identical to the manor he had stayed in before. Draco even noticed that many of the original furnishings and items seemed to have been brought over as well.
'So that's why it felt familiar.'
That said, it was only a surface resemblance. When it came to the finer details, the room placements, and the layout, Draco was completely unfamiliar with everything.
And since the manor itself was quite large, he needed someone to help him get acquainted with it.
Naturally, that role fell to Dobby.
"This task goes to Dobby. Dobby will explain everything properly!"
"Mm… just relax a bit."
"Waaah~ the Young Master cares about Dobby! Bad Dobby doesn't deserve the Young Master being so kind!"
"…What did you do this time?"
"Waaah~ Dobby can't say."
"...."
Alright then. Draco decided to ignore Dobby for the time being as the little elf started punishing himself again. He knew full well that the more he pressed, the more endless it would become.
Sure enough, after Dobby began repeatedly smashing his own head against the wall, Draco could only twitch at the corner of his eye as Dobby finally moved on.
"The Young Master's room is also on the second floor, deeper inside."
"The second floor?"
"Yes. Madam said the Young Master would like it."
"Mm."
Draco neither agreed nor objected. Compared to which floor his room was on, he was far more concerned with what plans his father and the others were actually making.
Still…
'Dobby wouldn't say anyway… no, he'd probably break his own arms and legs to punish himself before that.'
Glancing at the small green figure walking ahead of him, Draco quietly changed his train of thought.
'Do I really need to find a way to gain Father's approval?'
Draco's gaze grew complicated. To be honest, he didn't have much confidence about it.
Just as he understood himself, Draco also knew exactly what kind of man Lucius Malfoy was.
To outsiders, he might seem like a cold and ruthless Dark Wizard. But to his family, he was not only a responsible husband, but also a father who deeply doted on his child.
And a great father would never allow his child to be placed in danger.
…
While Draco was lost in thought, their steps came to a stop in front of a door.
It seemed this was his room.
Passing by Dobby, who stood bowed at the side, Draco paused slightly the moment he pushed the door open.
Although this wasn't the original Malfoy Manor, the instant he saw the room's interior, he was taken aback by the furnishings.
It wasn't better or worse, but almost completely identical.
From the size of the space, to the placement of every book on the shelves, even the angle at which sunlight streamed in, everything matched his memory so closely that Draco couldn't help hesitating as he stepped inside.
"What is this?"
"Dobby spent some time arranging it, because Dobby thought the Young Master would like it this way."
"It's not… ahem, never mind that. What about Pansy and the others? Their rooms should be ready too, right?"
"I'll go check."
Crack!
Eager to repay Draco in any way he could, Dobby vanished into the air the very next second.
Watching Dobby disappear, Draco rubbed his nose.
If he hadn't remembered in time that he shouldn't casually praise Dobby, he probably would've had to sit through another one of Dobby's dramatic performances.
Just as Draco was about to check whether any books were missing from the shelves, there was a knock at the door.
"Who is it?"
"It's me, Astoria."
There was nothing in the room that couldn't be seen, nothing embarrassing or improper. The next moment, Astoria saw the door pulled open by Draco.
Draco didn't even ask why she was there. It was as if he had already known that she would be the first one to come knocking.
"Just as I thought. Come in and sit."
She froze for a moment.
"You knew I'd come?"
"Mm… more or less. I also have a rough idea of what you want to talk about."
"Really?"
Since the only chair was occupied by Draco's luggage, Astoria went over and sat down on the edge of the bed.
Her beautiful eyes blinked as they settled on Draco. Along with her curiosity, there was also a faint, delicate sense of anticipation stirring in her heart…