That sudden embrace made Draco, who knew exactly who it was, throw both hands up and shoot a pleading look at his father, who had just shut the door behind them.
Lucius Malfoy, however, pretended not to see it at all and showed absolutely no intention of rescuing him.
More than that, the very obvious sneer on his face made it perfectly clear that he was enjoying Draco's predicament and was more than happy to see Narcissa act this way.
As for why, that was written plainly in the look Lucius gave him...
One glance was enough. Without a single word, the unspoken understanding between father and son made Draco realize the reason immediately.
So it was finally here.
That long overdue reckoning.
Draco had to admit that, after hiding all of this from everyone and doing those things on his own, he did feel somewhat guilty. Especially when he was faced with the worried eyes of people who genuinely cared about him, it was hard not to feel as though he could not quite stand straight.
He was not just Lucius and Narcissa's weak point. To Draco, his parents were his as well.
In some ways, the way the three of them got along was not all that different from an ordinary family...
Just as Draco instinctively shrank his neck a little, Narcissa seemed to remember something and abruptly let him go. Then she planted both hands firmly on her hips and glared at him, looking both heartbroken and dissatisfied.
Clearly, Narcissa, who had always doted on Draco, was genuinely angry that he had taken matters into his own hands...
How am I supposed to talk my way out of this... explain it, rather.
Noticing Draco's distracted expression, Narcissa reached out irritably and pinched his ear. "Little Dragon, are you even listening? You had better give your father and me an explanation that satisfies us!"
"I... I know. Also, do not call me that."
"Hmph."
Who would have thought that Narcissa, known at banquets and among the nobility as an icy beauty, would be doing something so thoroughly unladylike at a moment like this?
Then, for some reason, Draco suddenly shot his father a strange look.
If there had been even the slightest magical fluctuation, one might have thought there was a tiger taking shape behind Narcissa...
As Narcissa's fingers started pinching harder, Draco twitched at the corner of his mouth before quickly stepping back.
It did not hurt at all, but it was unbelievably embarrassing.
If Pansy and the others saw this, they would definitely laugh at him.
Well... Pansy might not, but Hermione definitely would not let a chance like this slip by.
And if one looked carefully, one would notice that every single portrait on the wall had turned its gaze away in unison.
As for Lucius Malfoy, who had walked into the room with them, he remained strangely silent, as though he were nothing more than a large decorative piece in the room.
Their reactions made it look as though none of them wanted to catch the attention of an angry Narcissa...
...
In truth, there was really not much to explain.
More precisely, with the Malfoy family's reach and information network, there was almost nothing in the wizarding world that could truly be called a secret to them.
Never mind something involving Draco's safety. There was no way they would not investigate it thoroughly...
So rather than wanting an explanation, what Narcissa really wanted from Draco was a guarantee.
A guarantee.
A promise that he would never act so recklessly again.
It was just that...
If he had not already accepted those followers, or if "Draco Constellation" had not truly been established yet, then perhaps Draco really could have behaved himself for a while during this period.
But now, he already carried responsibility on his back, along with the expectations of others.
It had not reached the point where he had no choice, but Draco also did not want to give up halfway through so casually.
"..."
"Little Dragon, you..."
Seeing that Draco said nothing, and understanding exactly what that silence meant, Narcissa felt both angry and pained, so much so that she did not know what to say.
Just as Narcissa was about to say more, Lucius, who had been silent for quite a while, finally interrupted the exchange.
"That is enough, Narcissa."
"But..."
"Trust our child, Narcissa."
After holding Lucius's gaze for a long moment, and seeing the firmness and certainty in his eyes, Narcissa finally seemed to let something go, her shoulders slowly drooping.
She might always act as though she had no cares in the world in front of Draco, but as the mistress of the Malfoy family, there was no way she lacked decisiveness. She was certainly not just a beautiful ornament.
Once she had calmed down, Narcissa finally put away the worry on her face and took the initiative to move behind Lucius.
The moment Draco saw that, he understood that his mother's turn was over.
And next...
It was the turn of the current head of the Malfoy family, Lucius Malfoy.
...
Narcissa stood there like a guard.
The portraits had opened their eyes again.
Those sharp gray eyes seemed almost capable of seeing straight into a person's heart.
No one had arranged all this specifically to target Draco, and this certainly was not a place for interrogating criminals, but the pressure in the room still made him instinctively reach for the cane he carried with him...
Just as Draco thought he was about to be scolded, the first to speak was the largest and most magnificent portrait, the same one that had silenced everyone earlier.
"It seems things have been progressing very smoothly."
"Mhm... that was thanks to everyone's advice."
"No. The one who made the decision was you. Right now, you are the head of the Malfoy family. Do not forget, we dead cannot interfere with the living."
That was true.
If these elders had not held firmly to that rule, a great family like this might have fallen into complete chaos long ago.
Noticing Draco's curious look, Lucius began to explain the plan concerning him.
"That is right. Just as you thought, the reason those reports are appearing all across the wizarding world is because it is part of our plan."
"I more or less understand the reason..."
Lucius waved a hand, cutting Draco off. With his hands behind his back, he narrowed his eyes. "I know you can figure out why I am doing this. If you still could not understand after all this time, then that would truly disappoint me."
Hearing that, Draco silently rolled his eyes.
The portraits, having secretly noticed that little gesture, all pressed their lips together in amusement.
In every possible way, this little troublemaker really did seem to love stirring things up, but that did not stop them from liking him...
With his back turned, Lucius did not notice Draco's small movement. "So from now on, I will not stop you from going back to school."
"So that means..."
"It means that in a few days, you will obediently return to Hogwarts and attend classes."
That was not what they had agreed on before.
Unless...
Unless Father wanted him to do something at Hogwarts.