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Damian returned home after the long train ride to King's Cross, feeling both exhausted and exhilarated from his first year at Hogwarts. As he stepped onto the bustling platform, he exchanged farewells with his friends, each of them promising to keep in touch with letters over the summer. He glanced around, spotting Narcissa waiting for him amidst the throng of families.

"Damian!" she called, her voice warm and welcoming, as he made his way over, smiling softly.

"Hello, Aunt Cissa," he replied, a smile spreading across his face. "I'll be happy to stay with you in August, as said earlier. Till then I'll keep in touch with letters until then."

"Of course, dear. We're looking forward to having you," she said, her eyes sparkling with kindness.

—

Just as he was finishing his sentence, he heard a familiar voice calling out over the din of the platform. "Damian!" 

He turned to see Daphne Greengrass making her way through the crowd, her bright smile standing out among the many students. Her blonde hair caught the light, and she waved as she hurried toward him. Walking closely behind her were her parents, their dignified posture immediately marking them as pure-bloods.

"Damian!" Daphne called again as she reached them, coming to a stop just beside him. "It's so good to see you. I wanted you to meet my parents."

Damian smiled warmly. "Good to see you too, Daphne," he replied, nodding in greeting before his gaze shifted to the tall, serious-looking man and elegant woman standing beside her.

Daphne gestured toward her father first. "This is my father, Cyrus Greengrass," she said, introducing the strong-jawed man with a stern expression and eyes that missed nothing. "And my mother, Selene Greengrass."

Cyrus inclined his head slightly. "Mr. Black, a pleasure to meet you," he said in a deep, authoritative tone. His eyes briefly flicked to Lucius in recognition before returning to Damian. "I hear my daughter has had quite the academic rival in you."

Damian dipped his head respectfully. "It's been a pleasure having Daphne as a friend and competitor. She's brilliant."

Selene offered a more delicate smile, her eyes studying Damian with polite curiosity. "Daphne speaks highly of you, young Mr. Black. It's nice to put a face to the name."

Before Damian could respond, a small whirlwind of energy burst through the crowd and collided with Daphne. It was her younger sister, Astoria, her face beaming with excitement. 

"Daphne!" Astoria squealed, throwing her arms around her older sister in an big hug. "I missed you so much!"

Daphne smiled, hugging her back tightly. "I missed you too, Tori."

Astoria pulled back slightly, her wide eyes catching sight of Damian. She blinked up at him curiously. "Who's this?" she asked, half-hiding behind Daphne's robes.

Daphne smiled warmly. "This is Damian, one of my best friends from school."

Astoria peeked out from behind Daphne, her eyes widening as she whispered, "Hello."

Damian gave a soft smile, lowering his tone to match her shyness. "Hello, Astoria. Daphne's told me a lot about you."

Astoria's cheeks flushed as she giggled, stepping fully out from behind Daphne now that her curiosity had been satisfied. 

Cyrus, who had been observing the interaction, cleared his throat. "It seems our daughters are in good company," he remarked, his gaze flicking toward Lucius.

Lucius nodded, offering a rare, tight smile. "Indeed. The Greengrass and Black families have always shared mutual respect."

Damian, sensing the unspoken weight of tradition in the air, turned back to Daphne. "So, what are your plans for the summer?"

"We're heading to France for a few weeks," Daphne said, a hint of excitement in her voice. "Astoria's been begging to go back ever since we visited last year."

Astoria nodded eagerly. "I can't wait to go!"

Damian chuckled. "That sounds wonderful. I'll be visiting the Manor, but I'm sure we'll keep in touch."

"Definitely," Daphne replied, her smile softening as she glanced between their families. 

As the Greengrass family began preparing to leave, Daphne gave Damian one last glance. "I'll write as soon as we're settled in," she promised.

"I'll be looking forward to it," Damian replied with a nod.

With a final wave, Daphne and Astoria were ushered away by their parents, leaving Damian standing once again beside the Malfoys.

Once again they said their goodbyes as they parted. He reached a wall side and summoned Kreacher, who appeared with a soft pop. "Master Damian, how may Kreacher serve you?"

"Take me home, Kreacher," he instructed.

With a crack, we disappeared from the station and reappeared in the dimly lit foyer of Black Manor. He quickly freshened up, the weariness of the journey weighing on him, and soon found his way to bed.