Chapter 17:

Chapter 17:

...

-April 7, 1990

-Diagon Alley

Adam anxiously bit his lip as he, Narcissa, and Lucius strolled through Diagon Alley.

People were staring…

Far too much for his liking.

He was becoming increasingly aware of just how much power the Malfoys truly held in the wizarding community.

And it was unsettling.

The way people recognised them instantly, the way they treated them, the way they looked at them…

It was like getting a taste of what it was like to be famous… but without actually being famous.

Lucius walked beside him on his left, gripping his signature black cane, his hands covered in fine leather gloves. He looked as regal and arrogant as ever, giving only the slightest of nods whenever they passed someone he knew. His face was a cold, unreadable mask.

Adam, on the other hand, felt completely out of place.

He had never been treated like this before.... kinda like royalty.

From Draco's memories, he knew the previous Draco had been accustomed to this… more than that, he had enjoyed it. He thrived on attention and recognition.

But Adam…? Well, so did he actually... Butttt Adam still hadn't fully come to terms with all this that was living now.

And he doubted even celebrities in his own world were treated like this…

Oh and speaking of celebrities, in just a few months, Bogus was supposed to hit cinemas.

It had been just over a week since he had finally wrapped filming and returned home to his normal life. And he had to admit… It was dull.

He had grown too used to being the centre of attention on set…

And yup, he loved it.

So, yes, coming home had been far more boring than he had expected.

Luckily, he had the magical world to keep his spirits up.

"Lucrezia!" Narcissa suddenly exclaimed, her face lighting up with a broad smile.

"Narcissa!"

Lucius groaned. "Must you shout like that…?"

"Oh, do be quiet, Lucius," she dismissed him. "You know perfectly well we haven't seen her in ages"

Lucius merely let out a long, tired sigh.

Adam fought back a smirk.

The dynamic between Lucius and Narcissa had these rare almost endearing moments… despite some of their more unpleasant discussions and even more unpleasant opinions.

Lately, it had been harder to endure their lectures, but moments like this reminded him that... They weren't bad people. Just… umm, well, narrow-minded?

A striking woman was now approaching Narcissa, arms outstretched and a dazzling smile on her face.

"Narcissa, it has been far too long!"

The woman had long, flowing black hair, high cheekbones, dark eyes, and a fair complexion.

The two women embraced.

"Lucius!" Lucrezia greeted cheerfully. "How wonderful to see you again!"

Lucius offered a charming smile. "Likewise, Lucrezia. We are terribly sorry for your loss"

The smile on Lucrezia's face tightened.

Narcissa moved closer, discreetly taking her hand. Lucrezia gave her a sad smile.

"Thank you. I only wish you could have been there for the ceremony. His family insisted on keeping it private. I know how close you and Ephraim were. I apologise for that—I couldn't go against his family's wishes"

Lucius gave her a solemn nod.

"We understand"

"Anyway," Lucrezia said, her tone shifting as she glanced at Adam.

"By Morgana's magic, he's grown so much since the last time I saw him!"

She shot Adam a warm smile. He returned it, albeit a bit weakly.

Narcissa pulled him closer, pressing a quick kiss to his forehead.

Adam stiffened but forced himself to relax.

"Thank you. The same could be said for your son," Narcissa replied.

"Where is he, anyway?" Lucrezia asked, glancing around. After a few moments, her face lit up.

"Blaise!" she called. "Come here, darling! You remember Draco, don't you?"

A young boy—Draco's age, with dark skin—looked up at the sound of his mother's voice before stepping away from the display outside Eeylops Owl Emporium.

He flashed his mother a quick smile before turning to Draco.

"Of course, Mother," he said, rolling his eyes slightly.

Then, with an easy, confident grin, he greeted Adam.

"Alright there, Draco?"

Adam immediately recognised him.

Blaise Zabini.

From Draco's memories, he recalled that the two had gotten along reasonably well the few times they had met in the past.

They weren't friends exactly…

But they had no issues with one another either.

Though, come to think of it…

It had been a while since they had last seen each other.

On another note... Most people wouldn't believe Lucrezia was his mother. In fact, if Adam hadn't had Draco's memories confirming it, he wouldn't have believed it either. But now that he looked between them, he could see the similarities. Blaise had her eyes and facial structure. His dark skin and black hair, however, must have come from his father...

Who was notably absent.

Adam frowned, wondering where he was, before the pieces suddenly clicked.

Ephraim.

The man Lucrezia had been speaking about earlier... That had been his father.

A wave of sympathy washed over Adam. Even though his father was often away flying or travelling around the world... He was still alive. He couldn't imagine losing him. He wouldn't wish that on anyone.... Not even on the worst of his classmates. Maybe he hated a few of the bullies he had dealt with back home... But not enough to want them to lose their parents.

"Hey," he finally spoke, realising that everyone was waiting for him to respond properly.

He recovered quickly.

That was when Lucius turned to him and Blaise.

"Draco, Blaise... why don't you two go for a stroll? We shall catch up with you shortly"

Adam knew what that meant. Lucius definitely just wanted to talk business with Lucrezia... Probably about deals he had previously arranged with Ephraim and now had to handle with her.

Yup… With Lucius Malfoy, everything was business.

After that, he simply continued strolling through Diagon Alley alongside Blaise.

Even though he had memories of visiting this place countless times before as Draco Malfoy, he was still excited to see it again with his own eyes. It was fascinating how utterly magical everything was.

A shame that his memories had spoiled practically everything. But he was still determined to enjoy it in person.

Adam smiled as he took in the sights with genuine awe and amusement. So many unique and extraordinary magical things to see and use. He couldn't understand how the previous Draco hadn't felt more excited or amazed by all this…

It was just magnificent.

So many incredible things that Draco had simply overlooked out of sheer boredom. As if they were the most mundane and uninteresting things in the world.

Adam swore he would never get tired of this.

He could have spent the entire day silently admiring everything and visiting every single shop. But, unfortunately, he had company.

He had almost forgotten about Blaise walking beside him.

"So, Draco, how have things been?" Blaise asked, snapping Adam out of his thoughts.

"Oh, Blaise," Adam blinked before smirking. "You were so quiet, I forgot you were there."

He meant it, of course. But naturally, he pretended it was just a joke. What better way to disguise the truth than by making it sound like a joke?

"Ha, ha. As witty as ever, I see," Blaise replied sarcastically.

"Only a little," Adam grinned. "And yeah, everything's fine."

"And you? How've you been?" He asked out of courtesy, but the moment the words left his mouth, he regretted it. Obviously, Blaise wasn't doing great.

His father had just died, for Merlin's sake…. Why the hell had he even asked?

"Can't say I've been brilliant," Blaise admitted, his tone a bit heavy. "Everything's been rather grim, even after all these days… but better"

Adam genuinely didn't know what to say to that.

He wasn't close enough to Blaise to offer anything meaningful… So, he decided to change the subject.

"Well, if you ever need anything, you can always let me know"

"Just send me an owl if you ever want to hang out or just… pass the time"

Blaise looked at him for a moment, seemingly surprised. Then, he smiled.

"Cheers, mate. Might just do that, if you don't mind"

"Not at all. It'd be nice to have someone to talk to for a change"

"I mostly just hang around Crabbe and Goyle, and… if you know them… well, you'd know what they're like. Not exactly the best company for a decent conversation"

Blaise laughed, nodding knowingly.

"Yeah, I've met them a few times. Decent lads, but not the sharpest wands in the shop, are they?"

"Exactly," Adam chuckled before glancing at Blaise curiously.

"Oh, I meant to ask… do you know Pansy Parkinson?"

"Hmm… no, not really."

Blaise tilted his head in thought.

"My father never had much of a connection with Lord Parkinson, so I've never met the family. But if you're asking, that must mean you have…"

"Let me guess… your father's got some new business dealings with him, hasn't he?"

Adam blinked in mild surprise.

Blaise was sharp.

Well, to be fair, Draco had been incredibly intelligent too—despite his arrogance. The boy loved to read... unlike Adam, who only read when it was absolutely necessary. And It was common for noble children to meet others through their parents' business or personal ties… And in Lucius' case? It was always business.

Adam had met both Blaise and Pansy because Lucius had dealings with their fathers.

In Pansy's case, it was more recent, since Lucius was constantly seeking new allies to extend his influence… And his insatiable hunger for wealth.

And what better ally than another pureblood family with similar status and influence?

"Yup… Let's just say I met their daughter recently and… well, she's complicated."

"I may not know her personally," Blaise mused, "but I've heard things from a few acquaintances."

He smirked.

"Must admit.... don't envy you, mate"

"So I'm not the only one who's been through an awkward encounter with her…" Adam sighed.

"Not at all. Plenty have had the 'pleasure' of meeting the Parkinsons' spoiled princess," Blaise joked.

"Oh? So that's what they call her?" Adam chuckled.

Then, after a moment, he narrowed his eyes at Blaise.

"Now tell me... since you seem to know so much about others from all these acquaintances of yours…"

"Is it true that people call me a bookworm?"

Blaise suddenly stopped in his tracks.

He turned to look at Adam… Then, slowly, a grin spread across his face.

A moment later, he snickered.

"Let me guess—Pansy told you, didn't she?"

Blaise smirked. "I was hoping to be the one to give you a hard time about it."

Adam raised a brow.

"So that's a yes…?"

"Oh, definitely," Blaise snorted. "I knew you liked reading…"

"But I never realised it was that much. Never thought you'd let it get to the point where people started talking about it…"

"Then again," Blaise added with an amused glint in his eyes, "you're not exactly the type to let something like that slide, are you?"

Adam sighed internally.

The previous Draco had enjoyed reading. But never to an obsessive degree. He had cared too much about his public image. To the point that he always mimicked Lucius and never skipped a noble gathering just to stay home and read.

Unlike Adam… Who, despite never being much of a reader before. Had become completely engrossed in learning about magic and all the fascinating things in this world.

And, well…

That might have led to him spending most of his time with his nose buried in books. Completely ignoring his mother, her boring gatherings, and the equally boring children of her friends.

Yeah.

Adam couldn't care less what people thought of him. And he had zero interest in strutting around like a discount Lucius Malfoy in front of Narcissa's social circle.

Besides…

It was magic.

Who wouldn't want to read about real magic and learn everything they could about it?

Exactly.

Everyone else was weird for not appreciating how incredible this world was.

After that, Adam continued chatting with Blaise as they wandered through Diagon Alley.

And to his surprise…

Talking to Blaise was… easy.

It felt natural.

Which was odd. Because he had never had particularly close friends before. But for the first time. Adam thought he might have found a real friend. One who wouldn't just be there for a short while. But for a long time to come.