"As for Mr. Lucius..." Kreacher's voice lowered, his fingertips landing on the third heavy gift box. "It is the out-of-print 'Origin of Ancient Dark Arts', a unique copy that the old master spent a great deal of effort to dig up from Knockturn Alley back then. Mr. Lucius has always been very interested in the origin of the Dark Arts, but has been troubled by not being able to find this ancient book."
Edward nodded slightly. He knew that Kreacher had served the House of Black for generations and often accompanied the old master to pure-blood family banquets, so he knew the Malfoy family's preferences like the back of his hand. These gifts were both tailored to their interests and maintained propriety, perfectly upholding the kinship between the two families. They were far more suitable than anything he could have chosen himself.
"Thank you, Kreacher." A rare hint of warmth appeared in Edward's voice.
"It is Kreacher's honor to serve you, Young Master!" The house-elf's ears twitched with excitement, tears welling up in his murky eyes. He hurriedly picked up the suitcase that had already been packed. "The carriage is already waiting at the door. It is pulled by Thestrals, and the wheels have been cast with a Silencing Charm, so it will not disturb Muggles, nor will it leave any traces."
The Black carriage pulled by Thestrals was parked at the entrance of the house. The carriage was inlaid with the silver House of Black crest - a raven spreading its wings, gleaming coldly in the mist. As the wheels rolled over the gravel road, they were silent, like a Black shadow sliding out of the range of the Black family house.
Edward sat in the carriage, watching the scenery outside the window recede. The mist dissipated, and the sunlight pierced through the clouds, spilling onto the green fields. Smoke curled from the chimneys of distant villages, revealing the mundane life of the Muggle world. He leaned against the inner wall of the carriage, his fingertips tapping his knees unconsciously, his mind involuntarily thinking of Draco.
That platinum-haired youth was always arrogant, yet at critical moments, he would clumsily express concern. In the Hogwarts hospital wing, his anxious eyes; at the House Cup awards ceremony, his ecstatic cheers; and those times between classes when he would lean in, complaining incessantly about the "idiots" in Gryffindor...
The corners of Edward's mouth curled up into an extremely faint arc, unconsciously.
Malfoy Manor was far more glamorous than the Black family house. Outside the snow-white marble walls were planted meticulously trimmed magnolias, with pink petals covering the ground like a pink velvet carpet. The fountain in the center of the manor sprayed crystal-clear water, and the golden sunlight spilled onto the water surface, shattering into shimmering waves, making the surrounding hedges appear even greener.
As soon as the carriage stopped, Draco rushed out of the manor. His platinum hair shone dazzlingly in the sunlight. He was wearing robes in the same color scheme, with the House of Malfoy crest embroidered on the collar. When he saw Edward, his grey eyes lit up instantly, like a child who had found a playmate.
"Black! You finally came!" Draco ran to the carriage in a few steps, his tone filled with uncontrollable excitement, yet he deliberately maintained a hint of arrogance. "I thought you were going to back out and stay in that moldy old house of yours, gnawing on those broken books!"
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Edward raised an eyebrow, got off the carriage carrying the tray, his tone flat but with a hint of teasing: "Malfoy, you are still as noisy as ever."
"That's called enthusiasm!" Draco snorted, but still took the initiative to reach out and take the suitcase from his hand. His fingertips inadvertently brushed the handle of the suitcase, and he quickly retracted them. "Come in quickly, my mother has already prepared tea and snacks; it's the caramel pudding you like."
Edward's footsteps paused. He remembered that time in the school hospital when he had casually mentioned that he liked caramel pudding. He didn't expect Draco to have actually remembered it.
A certain corner of his heart seemed to be lightly bumped by something, causing a slight ripple.
Entering the living room of the manor, a luxurious yet elegant atmosphere rushed towards him. A crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling, refracting brilliant light; the wool carpet was thick enough to swallow his ankles; the sofa was velvet, so soft that one wouldn't want to get up once they sank into it.
Narcissa was sitting on the sofa reading a fashion magazine. She was wearing a lotus-root pink dress, her long hair loosely pinned behind her head, revealing a graceful neck. Her temperament was as elegant as a blooming lily. Hearing footsteps, she immediately raised her head. When she saw Edward, a gentle smile appeared on her face, with genuine warmth in her eyes: "Edward, long time no see. You've grown taller again, and you're looking more and more handsome."
"Aunt Narcissa." Edward nodded slightly and handed over the tray in his hand, his tone polite and appropriate. "A small gift, please accept it."
Lucius turned away from the fireplace. He was wearing an exquisitely tailored Black robe with a snake-shaped brooch pinned to his chest. His sharp gaze swept over Edward, as if examining a piece of art. But when he saw the gift boxes on the tray, his eyes flickered slightly, and the corners of his mouth curled into a proper smile: "The Black boy is indeed a talent. Sit down, don't be restrained."
Edward stepped forward and presented the gift boxes respectively.
Narcissa took the moonstone hairpin, gently pulled out the pearl hairpin from her hair, and inserted the moonstone one. Looking in the mirror, the moonstone emitted a faint soft light in the sunlight, making her features even gentler. She looked up in surprise at Edward: "It's so beautiful, Edward, thank you. Auntie likes it very much."
Lucius took the "Origin of Ancient Dark Arts", his fingers gently stroking the gilded font on the cover, a trace of imperceptible amazement and satisfaction flashing in his eyes. He flipped through the pages, took a few glances, then closed it, and looked at Edward with a bit more approval: "I didn't expect the House of Black to still hide such a treasure. You've put in the effort."
Draco had long been impatient to open his gift box. When he saw the Unicorn horn wand core, his eyes widened, and he let out a low exclamation: "My god! This is a Unicorn horn! And it's the top-tier kind!" He carefully held the wand core, his fingertips gently sliding over the patterns on it, the excitement on his face almost overflowing. "Black, you're too kind! I love this gift!"
Watching the satisfied smiles of the Malfoy family, Edward also breathed a sigh of relief. Polite pleasantries, proper gifts - this was the social way of pure-blood families. Although he was not good at it, he could handle it with ease.
After the pleasantries, the group prepared to set off for Egypt.
Pure-blood wizards naturally wouldn't use Muggle planes or ships; that, in their view, was both troublesome and beneath them. Lucius took out four brass badges engraved with the House of Malfoy crest from his study. The snake pattern on the badges was vivid, exuding a cold texture.
"Portkey." Lucius handed a badge to Edward, his fingertips tapping on it lightly, and a faint magical power surged up. "It's more comfortable than Apparition, and it won't alert the people at the Egyptian Ministry of Magic. When pure-blood wizards travel, what matters is secrecy and efficiency."
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