During festive seasons, Narcissa had just as many concerns as Lucius: managing the Malfoy family's social connections through the exchange of gifts.
After dinner that day, she sat on the sofa, casually flipping through a thick stack of gift catalogues, filled with pictures of jewelry, porcelain, ornaments, magical tools, and potion ingredients, and making a final check with the house-elf standing respectfully beside her. "Change Aunt Rosier's gift. Replace the lily patterned silver cutlery with that silver rose cutlery set..."
The house-elf nodded obediently and marked the gift list with a quill.
"Mother, does she not already have a considerable amount of rose themed tableware?" Draco, who was reading a book with one hand on the sofa beside her, turned his head and asked casually.
"Draco, there is a great deal to learn about gift giving. It is not about the gift itself, but the deeper meaning behind it," Narcissa said. "For elderly ladies who have everything and are particular, the meaning is more important than the object itself. The lily set is prettier, but some people might think it symbolizes death. I would rather be conservative, even if it is not as eye catching, than make a mistake and offend someone."
"That makes sense." Draco asked curiously, "So, what would be the most pleasing gift for these well off relatives?"
"Draco, I did not expect you to be interested in preparing gifts," Narcissa said in surprise.
She suddenly realized that her son seemed interested in more than just sweets and chocolate. After only three or four months at Hogwarts, his focus had already begun to shift.
However, since my son wishes to know, there is nothing I cannot tell him.
"Understanding the recipient's preferences is key to giving the right gift," Narcissa said with a smile, looking at her son's focused gaze. "Generally speaking, it is about catering to their tastes. If you know the recipient well enough, give them something they are interested in. You should be familiar with these basic rules, correct? Did you follow them when you gave gifts this year?"
"I gave Crabbe and Goyle a considerable amount of sweets, and I expect they were happy," Draco said.
"That is correct. But if you want to make a lasting impression with your gift, simply catering to the recipient's tastes is not enough. You need to give them something they cannot afford or even obtain, something that demonstrates your power, wealth, or status. Understand?" Narcissa said softly.
"Before I returned home, Professor Snape gave me an early Christmas present. It was some of his Potions class notes from his student days, filled with brilliant annotations and ideas about potions... In a way, it is a symbol of his expertise, is it not?" Draco asked.
"That is correct. Severus has always been very aware of his own worth. It seems I should send him some more rare potion ingredients. How about some Boomslang skin?" Narcissa said in a relaxed tone.
"I believe he will probably like it very much," Draco said with a half-smile.
For most wizards, Boomslang skin was indeed rare, and even gold could not guarantee one could purchase it. However, for a family like the Malfoys who were involved in the potion-making business, it was easily obtained.
She beckoned to her house-elf, who quickly scribbled on the gift list, recording Narcissa's flash of inspiration.
She asked with great interest, "Did you understand? In the back and forth, the mutual goodwill deepens. There is an art to gift giving, and the most important thing is scarcity. Give what the recipient lacks. For the poor, give expensive gifts. For the wealthy, give heartfelt sentiments. People with great wealth do not lack material things, but sincerity. People who live in luxury do not crave delicacies. Simple meals are more appealing to them. For those who are lonely and isolated, spiritual care and consideration are far more touching than cold material gifts."
"So you do not care which set of tableware you give, but only the meaning behind it, because the recipient will care?" Draco asked.
"No elderly person dislikes longevity," Narcissa said proudly. "The rose variety on that tableware set symbolizes longevity."
"You spend considerable time and energy on these social obligations every year," Draco asked. "Do you not get tired?"
"It is quite troublesome. Of course, I could simply stop and ignore everyone. Nobody would dare say anything to us. In fact, even if we do not reciprocate, some people will still give gifts, or even double the amount. But in the long run, does the Malfoy family want to live like an isolated island? Although we are at the top, none of us should forget that what supports the top is a large number of people. A single tree cannot make a forest. No matter how powerful the Malfoy family is, we do not have three heads and six arms. We need allies. We need helpers who can speak for us in various places. We also need supporters, even those whose status is far lower than ours, who can assist when it matters. These relationships all need to be maintained." Narcissa said casually, "There is a great deal to learn about it. Gifts for asking favors are different from everyday gifts... The value of gifts varies depending on the status of the person... Returning gifts is even more troublesome... You understand, a gift is not merely a gift, but also an unspoken understanding to maintain mutual benefit..."
Draco had never properly learned about these rules of gift giving in his previous life.
I never thought I needed to cultivate any connections. Was not invoking the Malfoy family name convincing enough?
In reality, it had been his mother who had been managing these connections, and he had never paid any attention to them.
He had never even paid attention to what gifts his mother received. In his past life, Draco seemed to always receive gifts from his mother, but never give her anything in return.
In my past life, I only knew how to take, never thought of giving. Was I not an overindulged son?
"Mother, what do you like?" Draco suddenly asked. "If I wanted to give you a gift, what should I get you?"
"I love you the most, Draco darling," Narcissa said with a smile. "The rules we are discussing only apply to people outside the family. For parents, they will be happy no matter what their child gives them."
"Oh, you silly child, what can you possibly give us? We do not need anything!" Lucius, who had been pacing back and forth, finally could not restrain himself any longer and walked over with a stern face. "Go to bed early! That is the best Christmas present you could give us!"
Draco bowed to his father and left silently.
The best gift is not to disturb your time together? He walked through the long, candlelit corridor, sighed, and shook his head.
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