At Peaceful Manor Robetta, there lived a family of three.
There was a kind father and mother, and their daughter, who had just returned home from a magical school. That day, as rain fell outside, the mother and daughter were growing impatient while waiting for the father, who had been delayed by urgent business.
"I'm home."
The father entered through the front door, soaked from the rain. The moment he caught the smell of the food that had been prepared, his stomach let out an endearing growl.
It was obvious that work had kept him so busy that he had barely eaten lunch, and the mother gave a wry smile as she gently spoke to him.
"Welcome home, dear. Would you like a bath or dinner first?"
"Hmm, it's hard to choose…"
"Then shall we compromise and choose me instead?"
I was probably born from something like that.
And then, the next day, just like last year, I came to Diagon Alley with my mother.
"Come to think of it, I haven't seen Dad since this morning. What happened to him?"
"He threw his back out and went to St. Mungo's for an examination."
As she said this, my mother placed a hand against her cheek and let out a small sigh.
"That man, honestly. I told him he didn't need to push himself, but he wouldn't listen and insisted on carrying me to the bed like a princess. He's not young anymore."
"Or maybe Mom just got hea—"
The next instant, my firm, glossy cheeks were pulled hard to both sides, as if caught in a vise.
"Ih hurrts, ih hurrts!"
"Oh my? I can't quite hear what you're saying, you know?"
Down with violence…
After walking for a while, my mother stopped in front of Flourish and Blotts. When I followed her gaze, I saw two middle-aged men glaring at each other inside the shop. Both of them had children with them.
"Oh my, that is…"
The two boys they had brought along were Draco Malfoy and Ron Weasley, both of whom were my classmates.
Which meant…
"Well, well, Arthur Weasley."
The platinum-blond man, whose hairline looked like it would soon start retreating and who seemed as though he had plenty of money, was most likely Mr. Malfoy.
"It seems the Ministry keeps you quite busy. I hear you've been conducting repeated surprise inspections, even going so far as to disgrace wizardkind. Naturally, I assumed you were at least being paid overtime, but it appears that's not the case."
"We clearly have different views on what constitutes a disgrace to wizardkind."
The red-haired man retorting angrily, nearly bald from the crown of his head, was probably Mr. Weasley.
"Indeed, Weasley. Associating with Muggles made me think your family had already sunk as low as it possibly could…"
The very next moment, Mr. Weasley lunged at Mr. Malfoy and slammed him back against a bookshelf. Dozens of thick spellbooks came crashing down onto the heads of the surrounding customers.
"Get him, Dad!"
"Arthur, no, stop it!"
"Sir, please stop! Please!"
As shouts rang out and the shop staff screamed, the two fathers wrestled with each other right there in the bookstore.
In a situation bad enough that the bookshop, the greatest victim of all, could reasonably have called the Magical Law Enforcement Patrol and demanded compensation, an unexpectedly bright female voice rang out.
"My! Lucius, and Arthur too! I'm so happy to see you both!"
As the woman approached, pushing aside the piles of books, the two men who had been grappling with each other froze in place.
"V-Victorica…"
"It's been a while, but I'm glad to see you're both doing well. Ufufu."
Possessing such beauty and proportions that anyone present would have been compelled to turn and look, the woman stood there effortlessly leaving the two men petrified.
Yes, she was my mother.
**
One hour later.
I, my mother, Draco, and Lucius Malfoy were seated on the terrace of Florian Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour.
Naturally, it was Lucius's treat.
"I showed you a rather unsightly scene, Victorica."
Having fixed his disheveled clothes and hair from the scuffle, Lucius shook his head from side to side with a weary gesture. Even that exasperated motion carried a certain aristocratic elegance, befitting the current head of the distinguished Malfoy family.
From the way he spoke, it was clear that Lucius was acquainted with my mother, and his tone carried a subtle calmness.
My mother, for her part, wore a cheerful smile the entire time, as if she were genuinely enjoying herself.
"It's a good thing Narcissa wasn't watching. Two grown men getting into a brawl like that would really earn her scorn, you know?"
"And you're one to talk. I don't see your husband anywhere. Has he finally run away from you?"
"Unfortunately for you, I'm the one who ran away. Right now, I'm on the run with my daughter."
When my mother let out a refined little laugh, Lucius raised his eyebrows slightly in interest.
"For a witch of your caliber to run away, I imagine there must be quite a reason."
"Then how about the reason being an illicit date between me and you, Lucius?"
"I'm afraid my heart belongs solely to Narcissa."
"Alright, I've had my fill of your lovey-dovey talk. Thank you very much."
When my mother flashed a broad grin, Lucius shrugged in response. It seemed that their probing back-and-forth ended there, at least for the moment.
"So then, Lucius, this beautiful young lady is my daughter. Elaina, say hello."
I rose slowly to my feet, put on the most flawless smile I could manage, and offered a graceful bow befitting a noblewoman. I bent one leg slightly and lightly lifted the edges of my skirt in a gentle flourish.
"It is a pleasure to meet you. My name is Elaina Celestieria. I have been on friendly terms with your son Draco in Slytherin. It is an honor to meet you as well, sir, the esteemed head of the illustrious Malfoy family."
"I've heard quite a lot about you from Draco. He says you're an exceptionally capable student."
Lucius smiled smoothly and extended his hand for a handshake.
"I am Lucius Malfoy. I was in the same year as your mother at Hogwarts."
As he said this, Lucius cast a glance toward Draco.
Draco, too, lived up to his status as the heir of a noble family. Without a trace of his usual affected attitude, he offered a perfectly respectful bow.
"I am Draco, the son of Lucius and Narcissa. Miss Elaina has been very kind to me, and it is an honor to meet her mother as well."
"Hehe, you're very welcome. Please continue to look after Elaina, Draco."
My mother smiled warmly at him.
After that, she handed us some money and told us to go buy whatever ice cream we liked. Leaving the adults to continue their conversation, we headed for the display window.
As we walked away, I could hear Lucius apologizing to my mother for not having been able to invite her to a Malfoy-hosted party he had planned for the summer holidays.
"Weasley has been relentlessly persistent. Even to host a single party for the noble families, he insists on official applications and Ministry oversight by curse-breakers and aurors. It's utterly ridiculous. Dumbledore must be pulling the strings behind the scenes…"
**
Standing with Draco in front of the display window lined with colorful ice creams, I suddenly felt all the tension drain from my body.
"That was strangely exhausting…"
"Yeah. It's the first time I've ever introduced my parents after becoming friends with someone…"
When someone you usually speak to casually suddenly switches to formal speech and puts on a clearly forced businesslike smile, it feels awkward in a way that's hard to describe, whether you're the one being watched or the one watching.
"This is definitely one of those moments you remember in the middle of the night and cringe about five times over."
"Absolutely. I never thought the day would come when I'd create a dark chapter of my life at an ice cream shop."
"'I am Draco, the son of Lucius and Narcissa,'" I said sharply.
"Stop it, Elaina. Please."
To ease the awkwardness, I mimicked his earlier voice and bow. Draco's pale cheeks flushed red, and he closed one eye with an expression that clearly said, "I really messed up."
It had been a while since we'd seen each other, but thankfully, he didn't seem to have changed much at all.
(End of chapter)
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