Chapter 37. 2:

Chapter 37. 2:

...

-December 8, 1990

The crisp December wind whispered through the trees as Adam arrived once more at the Lovegood residence.

This time, however, he was not merely here to spend time with Luna and Ginny, to debate outlandish theories, or to listen to the endless grandiose musings of the redhead regarding magical aristocracy.

No.

This time, he was here to meet someone the Malfoys pretended had never existed.

Pandora greeted him with her usual warm smile and led him through to the main sitting room, where the fireplace crackled gently, filling the air with the faint scent of burning wood and spices.

"You're early," she remarked, setting down a pair of teacups on the coffee table.

Adam glanced around. Luna and Ginny were nowhere to be seen.

Pandora seemed to catch his momentary confusion.

"The girls are in the other room. I wanted this meeting to be a little more… private, at least while Andromeda is here."

Adam inclined his head in understanding and seated himself with a straight posture in the armchair closest to the fire.

"There's still some time before she arrives. If you like, you could pop in to say hello to Luna and Ginny and return when it's time."

"Hmm, yes, I suppose I shall do that."

"I'll be here waiting, then…"

...

...

Had someone told her a week ago that she would be sitting in the Lovegood household, awaiting a meeting with Narcissa and Lucius' son, she would have thought it a particularly cruel jest.

And yet, here she was.

The fire flickered softly, radiating a comforting warmth, and upon the table before her sat a cup of jasmine tea—left virtually untouched.

Beside her, Pandora sat at ease, as if she were not about to witness a meeting which, if discovered, could incite scandal amongst the upper echelons of magical society.

"Relax," Pandora said with a small smile. "You're not on trial."

Andromeda shot her a dry look.

"That is precisely what it feels like."

Not that she was nervous. No, she had long ceased to be easily intimidated.

But the situation was odd enough that even she could not help but feel… unsettled.

She was about to meet her nephew.

Her sister's son.

A nephew she had never seen, raised in a family that had taught him to loathe her without so much as speaking her name.

What was she expecting to find?

An arrogant boy here only out of idle curiosity?

Or something else?

The sound of approaching footsteps in the corridor pulled her from her thoughts.

Andromeda looked up just as Pandora smiled in satisfaction and rose from her seat.

And then, the door opened.

And Draco Malfoy stepped inside.

....

....

Having spent rather longer than intended conversing with the girls, Adam glanced at the time and realised that if he didn't hurry, he would end up being late despite having arrived early.

So he quickly bid them farewell and made his way toward the main sitting room, still processing everything that was about to happen.

He knew that Pandora and Andromeda were probably already inside, given that he had gotten caught up with Ginny and Luna longer than he had planned.

Then again, that was expected.

Especially because of Ginny.... she was really clingy.

Oh well, no point in overthinking it now.

His thoughts were occupied by far weightier matters.

Yes, in mere moments, he would be meeting his aunt…

When Pandora had first proposed the idea of meeting his aunt, Adam hadn't hesitated to accept.

Lucius would be furious if he ever found out.

But honestly, what didn't make Lucius furious these days?

It was a small miracle that Narcissa still permitted him to visit the Lovegoods as frequently as he did.... though that was likely because Pandora commanded enough respect that his mother did not deem her a questionable influence.

And that was without them even knowing about Ginny Weasley yet…

But Andromeda Tonks was a different story.

She was the kind of person his family had raised him to stay far away from.... to avoid at all costs.

A blood traitor.

A Black who had been erased from the family tree.

And yet, here she was, in Pandora's home, waiting to meet him.

Adam wasn't entirely sure what to expect.

And then, he stepped into the room and saw her for the first time.

Andromeda Black.

No.... Andromeda Tonks.

Pandora had told him about her. How she had been disowned, how she had chosen love over lineage. How she had refused to be molded by her family and had instead built her own path.

And now, seeing her in person… he could see the resemblance to his mother.

She had the same keen blue eyes, the same refined features.... the aristocratic beauty and noble bearing that were unmistakably Black.

Her hair, however, was different... a soft, light brown instead of the signature Black lineage dark shades.

For a moment, neither of them spoke.

They studied each other, much like duelists awaiting the other's first move.

And Adam—who loved watching magical duels—had learnt that patience was a virtue.

After all, the one who strikes first does not always emerge victorious.

But.... the one who anticipates the other's move does.

Of course, this was not a duel.

There didn't need to be a winner or a loser.

And yet, Adam was pleased to see that it was Andromeda who broke the silence first.

"So. You're Draco."

It was not a question.

Adam tilted his head slightly.

"So they say."

Andromeda raised an eyebrow.

Pandora, meanwhile, smiled in quiet amusement.

"Oh yes, you two are definitely going to get along."

Andromeda ignored her friend's remark, narrowing her eyes slightly as she scrutinised Adam with a discerning gaze.

She studied him calmly, with an expression that was neither cold nor warm—merely calculating.

"You are not at all what I expected."

Adam gave a lazy shrug, a small smirk tugging at his lips.

"And what were you expecting?"

Andromeda rested her elbow against the armrest of her chair, crossing one leg over the other with effortless grace.

"A miniature Lucius. With his same air of self-importance and fondness for empty speeches about blood purity."

Adam hummed, feigning deep thought.

"I could deliver a speech, if you like, though I doubt it would be terribly convincing… No, actually, I daresay I'd do a rather good job of it."

Pandora let out a light chuckle.

Andromeda, however, merely regarded him for a long moment before shaking her head.

"You truly are not what I expected," she repeated, more to herself than to him.

Adam merely shrugged.

"I do so enjoy keeping people on their toes. Though don't get too comfortable—I am an exceptional actor, Aunty"

Silence.

Andromeda studied him carefully.

At last, she exhaled, taking a sip of her tea before speaking again.

"I never thought I would see the day when a Malfoy would call me that."

Adam shrugged, his smirk widening.

"Well, to be fair, I'm not just any Malfoy."

Pandora chuckled from the side.

Andromeda, for her part, observed him with a raised brow.

"That much is abundantly clear. Do you have any notion of what your father would say if he knew you were here?"

Adam let out a short laugh.

"Oh, undoubtedly. He's probably already drafting my disownment papers."

Andromeda released a quiet chuckle, and for the briefest of moments, Adam saw a flicker of amusement in her gaze before she composed herself once more, returning to her prior scrutiny.

"You do not particularly resemble Lucius. Or my sister, for that matter."

Adam folded his arms across his chest, smirking.

"Thank you. I don't hear that nearly enough. And frankly, that's possibly the greatest compliment anyone could give me."

Andromeda shook her head faintly, suppressing a small smile.

But her gaze remained sharp, as though she were still attempting to decipher him.

Adam could hardly blame her.

This wasn't exactly an ordinary family reunion.

And something told him that this conversation was only just getting started.

...

....

Adam was slightly taken aback.

One might have thought that Andromeda would have been rather more pleased to meet her ten-year-old nephew.... at least, that had been Adam's initial assumption.

But now, looking at her, he could tell that she had likely been through far more than he could imagine.

And some wounds were not so easily mended… even by blood ties.

"Tell me something, Draco. Why are you here?"

It was the obvious question.

Had Adam been a typical Malfoy, he would never have agreed to this meeting in the first place.

But Adam White was far from a typical Malfoy.

He adjusted his posture slightly, crossing his arms in an easy, unbothered manner.

"Umm, well, I spend a fair amount of time here, so really, that question might be better directed at you. But I suppose that's not quite the answer you were after." He smirked. "So, the proper response would be that Pandora reckoned you were worth meeting. Oh, and that I shall very likely be disowned for this if my parents ever catch wind of it. Yep, thrilling...."

His response appeared to catch Andromeda slightly off guard.

Pandora, however, looked rather pleased with herself.

"I am, of course, joking. I'd much prefer they didn't find out—still rather too young to perish at the hands of one of Father's exceedingly long… what was it you called them? Ah yes—empty speeches."

Andromeda's sharp eyes narrowed ever so slightly.

Pandora, meanwhile, was clearly enjoying herself—her amused expression gave her away entirely.

Oh yes, she was far too entertained by this entire exchange.

"So you truly believe I am worth meeting? Even knowing the consequences?"

Adam tilted his head, considering.

"Haven't the foggiest. But I suppose I'm willing to find out."

For the first time, Andromeda seemed to relax just a bit, but it was there, as though something in his words had struck the right chord.

She took another sip of her tea with flawless etiquette, her movements as composed and graceful as one would expect from a Black, before setting the cup down with a soft clink and then looked at him with something that almost resembled approval.

"Good."

Silence.

But this time, it was not awkward/uncomfortable.

Pandora, with her endless patience, let the conversation flow at its own pace.

Andromeda was the first to break the quiet once more.

"I shan't lie to you," she said, elegantly crossing one leg over the other. "When Pandora first spoke of you, I hadn't the faintest idea what to expect. The last time I saw Narcissa, her child had yet to be born. And after so many years estranged from my family, I never imagined that a Malfoy would ever seek me out."

Adam shifted slightly, feeling the weight of the words left unsaid.

"Well, I wasn't expecting this either. In fact, I barely even knew your name," he admitted. "But… here we are."

Andromeda held his gaze for a long moment before nodding slowly.

"Yes. Here we are."

She exhaled softly, leaning forward, her elbows resting lightly on her knees.

"Being a Malfoy cannot be easy… especially being their son. My sister and Lucius, of all people. I imagine that must at the very least mean carrying a lot on your shoulders, never questioning, never straying."

Adam let out a quiet breath, running a hand through his hair before resting his elbow on the armrest.

"Well, I'm here precisely because I intend to question things. Though, if I can manage to do so without being hexed into next week, I shan't complain."

Andromeda let out a smirk... properly and genuinely this time.

"I'm beginning to suspect there's more Black in you than you realise."

Adam returned the smirk, though he said nothing.

Andromeda's expression, however, soon turned thoughtful.

"Tell me something, Draco. Do you know why I was disowned?"

Adam gave a small nod.

"You married a Muggle-born."

Andromeda let out a small, humourless chuckle.

"That is the official version, yes."

Adam raised an eyebrow.

"And the real version?"

Andromeda leaned back slightly.

"The real story, dear boy, is that I chose freedom—fully aware of what it would cost me."

There was a brief pause.

Adam did not respond immediately.

But something about those words resonated with him.

Not because his circumstances were precisely the same…

After all, he had a life that was entirely separate from the one he lived as Draco Malfoy.

But even so, he understood the feeling of wanting true freedom.

Andromeda watched him closely, as though measuring his thoughts. Then, she gently set her teacup down upon the table and folded her arms.

"I do not believe you are—nor will you ever be—like them."

Adam held her gaze.

"My parents?" He scoffed. "Well, there's certainly no doubt about that."

Pandora, who had thus far remained silent, placed her own cup upon the table with a soft clink and turned to Andromeda with a sly, knowing smile.

"I rather think it's time he met the others, don't you?"

Adam quirked an eyebrow.

"The others?"

Andromeda's lips curled ever so slightly.

"My husband. And my daughter."

Adam blinked.

Oh.

Well then.

Now things were truly about to get serious.