Chapter 35:

Chapter 35:

.....

-December 1, 1990

The twilight bathed the Lovegood estate in a golden glow as Adam sank comfortably into an armchair in the main sitting room, letting out a relaxed sigh. The warmth of Pandora's home contrasted sharply with the cold formality of Malfoy Manor, and though he'd never admit it out loud, he much preferred spending time here than in his own house.

Ginny and Luna sat cross-legged on the floor in front of him, each holding a cup of hot chocolate. The fireplace crackled softly, filling the room with the sweet, spiced aroma of the drink.

"So tell me, Malfoy," Ginny began with an amused look, stirring her drink with a silver spoon. "Is it true that high society wizards sometimes hold gatherings just to show off how much money they have?"

Adam raised an eyebrow and smirked.

"Who told you that? Because I'm quite sure it wasn't me."

"Fred and George. They say it's common for certain families to flaunt their wealth and throw these gatherings just to make sure everyone knows how much they can afford to waste…"

"Hmm, I see. And you're asking because you assume the Malfoys belong to this particular category of families…" he said, amused, raising an eyebrow at her.

"Hey, don't blame me! You're the one who's always mentioning how disgustingly rich you are," she defended herself, though looking slightly embarrassed at being caught.

"True, because we actually are," he joked. "And it's not so much 'showing off who has the most money' as it is 'reminding everyone who actually matters'… or something like that."

Ginny scoffed.

"Same thing, just with fancier words."

"Hmm, yeah, basically," Adam admitted with a small smile. "But a lot of these gatherings you're talking about are the same ones you love hearing every little detail about."

"…" Ginny didn't reply, but the slight flush on her face was enough of an answer. After all, she was absolutely fascinated by how extravagant and incredible these events were. She truly wanted to witness one in person, even if it meant dealing with some annoying people in the process.

Luna, ever calm, tilted her head slightly as she blew gently over her chocolate.

"I wonder if most people actually enjoy those events… or if they just pretend to because it's what's expected of them..."

Adam spun the silver spoon between his fingers absently and let his head rest against the back of the chair.

"Oh, plenty of them fake it, but trust me, most of them love being in that kind of environment."

Ginny gave him a mix of disbelief and amusement.

"And you?"

Adam raised an eyebrow.

"Me what?"

"Do you fake it, or do you actually enjoy those snobbish gatherings?"

Adam let out a low chuckle.

"You already know the answer to that, but being completely honest, If there's decent food and good entertainment, I can tolerate them. But most of the time, they're a nuisance… though I have a feeling you'd enjoy them."

Ginny rolled her eyes but couldn't help the small smile that tugged at her lips. They both knew it was probably true....

Before she could respond, a familiar voice interrupted their conversation from the doorway.

"Draco, may I have a word with you?"

Pandora Lovegood was leaning against the doorframe with her usual serene expression, looking as graceful as ever.

Adam caught the tone in her voice. This wasn't just a casual request.

He straightened up in his seat and nodded, placing his cup on the table.

"Of course."

He felt Ginny's curious gaze following him as he left the room, but she didn't say anything.

.....

Pandora led him into a small room lined with shelves overflowing with parchments and books. It was her personal workspace, where she conducted research and developed new spells.... a place Adam had always found fascinating.

She took a seat in an armchair near a round window, where the golden light of the setting sun illuminated her gently.

Adam sat across from her, crossing one leg over the other with his usual poise.

"Is something important on your mind?" he asked, a hint of curiosity in his voice.

Pandora studied him for a moment before speaking.

"I've noticed you've been coming here more often, but you don't ask me nearly as many questions as you used to..."

He tilted his head slightly.

"Yeah… well, turns out I'm the one getting bombarded with questions in this house now," he joked. "Honestly, I'd love to pester you with more, but I have two leeches stuck to me every time I visit—especially the red-haired one, who won't let me escape. Luna is much calmer"

Pandora chuckled, amused by the nickname he had given them.

"I'm glad you all get along so well. Though, I imagine your parents aren't particularly thrilled about you spending so much time here..."

"Yeaaa, well, for now, they're content as long as I behave perfectly when it matters. And with my father busy making new business deals, they have other things to focus on."

"Umm, that sounds like a good thing… for now."

"Aside from the fact that I have to attend more tedious meetings of all kinds… yep, I suppose it is. And honestly, coming here and spending time with Luna and Ginny is a nice way to clear my head. I guess that's another reason I haven't been asking you as many questions lately"

"I see, Draco. Don't worry, I was just curious. I wondered if I had overwhelmed or bored you...."

"No, not at all—quite the opposite, actually. I still have plenty of questions, so I'll definitely keep bothering you in the future. Hope that's not a problem."

Pandora smiled.

"Not at all. You're always welcome here, whether it's to see Luna or to ask me anything you like. But do keep in mind that your father doesn't look kindly on you spending time with us… and certainly not as much as you have been lately."

Adam let out a small chuckle.

"Oh, trust me, I'm well aware. My father never fails to remind me."

Pandora gave him a knowing look, her eyes glinting with amusement.

"And yet, you keep coming back more and more often."

Adam met her gaze with a confident smirk.

"Maybe because I'm more stubborn than he is."

Pandora let out a soft laugh and shook her head.

"Besides," he added casually, "as I said before, he has a thousand other things to worry about right now, so I'm not too concerned. He didn't even find out about that Quidditch match we went"

"Right, I remember you were quite worried he might...."

"You exaggerate. My only real concern was that it would cause trouble for any of you."

"Oh, of course, ever the gentleman, aren't you?"

"One should never doubt that I am," he said with a playful smirk, making Pandora chuckle lightly.

Then, suddenly, she spoke in a more thoughtful tone.

"You know… you remind me a lot of Sirius, your uncle."

Adam blinked in surprise at the mention. Narcissa had also brought him up some time before.

He frowned slightly.

"Sirius Black? Really? The one who betrayed the Potters to Voldemort, leading to the deaths of James and Lily Potter—as well as Peter Pettigrew and twelve Muggles?" he asked, reciting everything he had read about the man after his mother had first mentioned him.

Pandora sighed.

"That… might have sounded worse than I intended. Yes... My mistake. I meant when he was younger—before all of that. Believe me, he was very very different back then. Even your aunt, Andromeda, adored him."

Adam raised an eyebrow.

"My aunt?"

Pandora leaned forward slightly, resting her elbows on her knees.

"That's right. Your aunt, Andromeda."

"You know her?"

"Of course. She was only a year ahead of me at Hogwarts."

Adam blinked again, caught off guard.

The Black family was a delicate topic in his household. And Andromeda… well, she was practically a ghost to the Malfoys. Someone who had been erased from the family history.

He barely knew anything about her.... just that she existed, and even that he had only learned from various books and family records where she was mentioned briefly as having once been Narcissa's sister.

Pandora noticed his reaction and continued in a calm tone.

"It's been years since your mother last spoke to her, but that doesn't mean she isn't still your aunt. Andromeda is incredibly intelligent and strong… I think you'd get along well. In fact…" She paused, studying his expression before making her next suggestion. "I think you should meet her."

Adam rested his chin on his hand, deep in thought.

It was strange..... the idea of meeting someone who, to his family, didn't even exist.

But if Pandora was recommending her, then there had to be something worth knowing.

And really… what did he have to lose?

He lifted his gaze and smirked slightly.

"Sounds interesting. When do I get to meet her?"

Pandora smiled, as if she had been expecting that response.

"I could arrange something. If you're willing, of course."

Adam leaned back in his seat, feeling a faint excitement bubbling inside him.

"Oh, absolutely."

And just like that, without fully realizing it yet, he was about to meet the part of his family that the Malfoys had tried to erase completely.

...

...

If there was one thing Pandora had learned over the years, it was that the best decisions weren't always the most logical ones.

From the moment she met Draco Malfoy, she knew there was something about him that didn't quite fit the image the world had of the Malfoys. And she had a keen eye for these things.

She could tell when someone was wearing a mask.....when words and actions were careful, measured, but left behind traces of a deeper truth.

Draco Malfoy was a fascinating enigma.

At the Greengrass party, when she saw him approach Luna instead of mingling with the rest of the elite children, something in her intuition told her that he was different.

It wasn't that she didn't know who Draco Malfoy was. Everyone did. The only son of Lucius Malfoy, heir to one of the wealthiest, most powerful, and most traditionalist families in the magical world.... currently .

And yet, there he was, sitting beside Luna, completely unconcerned about the disapproving glances being thrown his way.... at least, they were obvious to her trained eyes.

That was when Pandora decided to watch him more closely.

It wasn't just his kindness towards Luna that convinced her, but the way he stood his ground against his father.

Lucius didn't need to tell him outright to stay away from her daughter; the Malfoys didn't act in such "vulgar" or direct ways unless absolutely necessary. And at first, it wasn't necessary.... after all, this was Draco, his son.

So Lucius Malfoy used the same strategy as always: indirect comments, subtle disdain, the unspoken expectation that his son would understand the message without needing to be told outright.

But Draco didn't back down.

Not because he didn't understand.... he was far sharper than he let on, and he knew perfectly well what his father was doing.

And that only made him more interesting in Pandora's eyes.

Oh, he didn't challenge him openly, of course. That would have been foolish. But he also didn't submit.

It was almost amusing to watch him respond with the same level of subtlety that Lucius employed, finding ways to make it clear that he wasn't going to obey without explicitly saying it. Just as Lucius sought a justifiable excuse to make him leave Luna's side without making a scene, the boy countered with logical, perfectly acceptable arguments that made it difficult for his father to force him away without exposing his own intentions.

And in that moment, Pandora realized that this ten-year-old boy was playing a far more complicated game than it seemed.

She didn't know why… but it was clear that he was inclined to do the exact opposite of what his father wanted—not out of ignorance, but out of defiance.

And that was dangerous.

Pandora knew that if things continued like this, they would only get worse for the boy. So she decided to intervene.... to help him, in her own way.

After all, if he was willing to be kind to her daughter, then she could certainly return the favor and try to keep him from getting into even deeper trouble with his father.

Because she knew how difficult it must be to have a father like Lucius Malfoy.

It couldn't be easy or pleasant.

So when Luna asked if she could write to Draco after the party, Pandora decided to test something.

She sent the letter with her daughter, wondering if he would actually respond.

And he did.

But what surprised her even more was that, soon after, he started writing to her as well.

Not just letters of polite conversation, but actual questions... questions about spell creation and magical theory. And they weren't shallow questions, either.

Draco Malfoy, at just ten years old, had a brilliant mind.

But what fascinated Pandora the most was that he didn't seem to limit himself to the knowledge he was given.

Most children from pure-blood families learned only what their parents taught them and never questioned beyond that.

But Draco questioned everything.

He searched for more.

And when Pandora invited him to her home, everything fell into place.

Draco didn't just get along well with Luna.

Within hours, he had also bonded with Ginny Weasley... yes a Weasley.... a girl who, under normal circumstances, neither of them would never have spoken to the other beyond what was maybe necessary.

Watching them interact had been almost amusing.

Ginny, with her fascination for high society, trying to act indifferent but failing miserably the moment Draco mentioned extravagant galas, Quidditch, and enchanted gowns.

And Draco, realizing just how easy it was to get her to talk simply by mentioning those things.

But what truly impressed Pandora was how, because of him, Ginny and Luna finally started connecting for real.

Before, Pandora constantly had to step in to encourage them to interact.

But with Draco there.... acting as a bridge between them—it all happened naturally.

That was the moment Pandora knew she could trust him.

He wasn't an ordinary child.

He wasn't an ordinary Malfoy.

And he certainly wasn't the mirror image of his father, as everyone believed.

So that was when she made her decision.

If Draco Malfoy was truly questioning his own world… then maybe there was someone else he needed to meet.

And that person was Andromeda Tonks.

Narcissa's sister.

The aunt Draco probably didn't even know existed.

Because for both the Black family and the Malfoys, Andromeda had ceased to exist entirely.

She had been erased from their history, disowned for marrying a Muggle-born wizard.

To them, she was nothing.

But Pandora knew her.

And she knew that if there was one person who could understand what Draco was going through, it was her.

So, without hesitation, she wrote a letter.

And the very next day, Andromeda Tonks appeared at her door.

.....

....

When she received Pandora's letter, the first thing Andromeda thought was that it had to be a joke.

Draco Malfoy wanted to meet her.

Narcissa's son.

Lucius' heir.

If someone had told her that years ago, she would have laughed in their face.

But the letter was real.

And if there was one thing she knew about Pandora, it was that she didn't do things without reason. She was a brilliant woman, after all.

So, against all odds, Andromeda found herself standing in the Lovegoods' home, the fire crackling behind her as Pandora watched her with that ever-serene smile.

"Do you have any idea how ridiculous this sounds?" was the first thing Andromeda said, crossing her arms.

Pandora chuckled softly.

"Oh Merlin, I do. Believe me, I do."

Andromeda eyed her skeptically.

"He's Narcissa and Lucius' son... Lucius Malfoy. Why the hell would he want to meet me?"

Pandora tilted her head thoughtfully.

"Maybe because he's not so different from you."

Andromeda scoffed.

"Please. Don't compare what I went through to whatever a spoiled boy who's had everything handed to him has experienced."

Pandora simply shrugged.

"I won't. But tell me, what do you think it means to be Lucius Malfoy's son?"

Andromeda stared at her.

Pandora continued.

"From the moment he was born, Draco has been shaped into exactly what his family wants him to be. He's grown up under the weight of expectations he never chose, with a father who sees him more as a project than a son..."

Andromeda narrowed her eyes.

"And what makes you think he doesn't enjoy that role? That he doesn't want it?"

Pandora smiled slightly.

"Because I saw him defy his father for the first time in public… and because he's continued defying him in silence ever since. He's not what everyone assumes he is"

Andromeda didn't reply immediately.

Part of her wanted to reject the idea completely.

But another part…

Another part remembered what it was like to grow up in a family where you were expected to be something you didn't want to be.

To feel trapped in a golden cage with no choice but to run.

Could it be that her nephew was in that same cage?

She let out a deep sigh.

"If you're lying to me, Pandora..."

Pandora shook her head.

"I'm not. Why would I?"

After a long pause, Andromeda exhaled and finally relented.

"Fine"

Pandora smiled.

"Then come on Saturday. And meet your dear nephew."

Andromeda sighed once more.

"I can't believe I'm doing this."

"Oh, trust me—you two will get along just fine."