After I calmed down a bit, Lucius continued the conversation.

"Severus is trying to get custody of Harry Potter. He hopes we can help him…" He looked at our mother and added, "Harry Potter's grandmother was from the Black family. Strictly speaking, he's your cousin, Cissy."

"Father, are you planning to bring him here to live with us?" Draco asked, frowning in disbelief.

"Harry Potter is the only one who defeated the Dark Lord. He's Dumbledore’s ace in the hole. Having him with us can only benefit us," Lucius explained patiently.

It was all about the family’s interests. Every heir of a pureblood family was taught this from a young age. But it went against a child's nature. What child wants to share their parents' love with a stranger?

Reluctantly, Draco said, "I understand, Father."

No more calling him "Daddy"…

I sensed the distance growing between them. I quickly held Draco's hand and said, "Brother, we’re family, and that will never change."

He blushed, his face turning a lovely shade of pink. "Of course, that’s obvious, Aurora."

Hmph, stubborn little guy.

"Father, Mother, may we leave the table early?" Draco asked politely.

Lucius pointed to the corner of his mouth. Draco realized a bit late that there were food crumbs left on his lips and quickly picked up his napkin, the mature demeanor he had tried to maintain completely shattered.

I noticed Narcissa gently pinching Lucius's arm.

"One must always mind their manners from a young age, Cissy. I’m leading by example."

Draco didn’t argue, pulling me up and escaping from the lavish Malfoy dining room. The tips of his ears were bright red, showing how embarrassed he felt.

I gently scratched his palm.

"Aurora, I get what you mean… it’s just…"

"Having a stranger invade our space… Draco, I’m not thrilled about it either."

It’s like sharing an apartment with a stranger; there are always habits that need adjusting.

Draco's gray eyes brightened. "Then let’s persuade Father not to let Potter move in!"

"Father’s decisions are rarely changed by anyone."

"Not even Mother?" Draco asked, still hopeful.

"Have you noticed? All major decisions are made after they discuss them together."

"So, you’re saying Mom agrees with having Potter move in too?" Draco’s expression turned to one of sadness. He thought at least our mother would be on our side.

"Potter will always just be Potter. Only we share the Malfoy name and blood." I hugged him tightly.

He hugged me back just as firmly. It felt like, in this world, only the two of us truly understood each other.

The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

A child's world is small, only big enough for their parents and family. But a child's world is also vast, where the absence and shadows of childhood require a lifetime to heal.

"I only have you, Aurora."

I couldn't bring myself to say something like "Don't be pessimistic." At this moment, Draco's feelings were genuine, and no empty words could soothe his fragility.

Years later, in the original story, Lucius was imprisoned in Azkaban, and Narcissa struggled to keep the Malfoy family running. Without a strong figure to protect him, he was alone again.

Cutting the umbilical cord doesn't truly mean leaving the mother's body. One must mentally and physically recognize their independence.

From the day I became Aurora Malfoy, we became a community of shared interests, bound by honor and disgrace.

Draco, I won't force you. But I will grow with you. The honor of the Malfoy family will continue in our hands.

…

"They're sleeping together again," I vaguely heard Lucius complain.

"Speak for yourself; back then, you also tricked me into sleeping together all the time…"

"Who was the little fox who cried their eyes out because we slept in separate beds?"

"You're too strict with Draco…" Narcissa, realizing she was losing the argument, quickly changed the subject.

"But he has a mother and sister who spoil him…"

"Are you jealous, you big cat?" Narcissa's voice reached my ears, soft and alluring like a little hook.

Soon, I heard her trying to stifle her giggles.

"I was wrong, Luke… Stop tickling me… Aurora and Draco are still sleeping…"

"They're sleeping soundly… It's fine… Draco is a boy; he needs to develop resilience from a young age…

Narcissa let out a short scream, followed by the rustling of clothes.

…

Not long after, Narcissa, being Harry's cousin and only capable relative, went to the Ministry of Magic to handle the adoption paperwork.

"Harry initially had another godfather on paper, but that dumb mutt would rather rot in Azkaban than face his godson, who's now an orphan after the war!" Lucius sneered.

"Sirius just needs time to process everything…" Narcissa softly stroked Harry Porter's hair.

The boy's condition shocked her. He was in worse shape than she had imagined.

He was severely malnourished, significantly shorter than Aurora and Draco. His face was pale and thin, with hardly any flesh on his bones, and his big green eyes looked enormous and scared.

Lucius had a doctor from St. Mungo's do a full check-up on Harry Porter, revealing multiple soft tissue injuries and horrifying scars on his back.

"The Dursleys should pay for this!" Narcissa suggested.

"Harry, is that okay?" Lucius knelt to make eye contact with the black-haired boy, needing his consent.

"Thank you, Mr. Malfoy," Harry said, his lips pressed together, showing a maturity beyond his years.

Lucius and Narcissa exchanged a glance, then took Harry and Disapparated.

"Welcome, Mr. Porter."

Draco and I were already waiting in the living room. Our house-elf, Dobby, was even more enthusiastic than we were.

"Harry Porter!" he shouted, his ears flapping like crazy, his eyes wide as saucers.

"Dobby, don't scare our guest…" It was really embarrassing.

Having grown up in the Muggle world, Harry Porter had never seen magical creatures before. He took a step back in fear but quickly stood still again.

Dobby tried to apologize but ended up banging his head against the wall, making a loud noise.

Lucius waved his wand lightly, making Dobby disappear. "Mr. Porter, don't worry. We'll help you get to know everything about the magical world."

"My two children, Draco and Aurora, are the same age as you."

"Hello, Mr. Porter. I'm Malfoy. Draco Malfoy." Draco extended his hand.

Harry, in his ill-fitting clothes with worn cuffs and hem, awkwardly extended his hand. "Hi, Draco. You can call me Harry."

For some reason, I felt a lump in my throat. Draco and Harry could finally stand together peacefully.

In the original story, their frequent conflicts stemmed from a poor first impression of each other. Plus, Ron Weasley fanned the flames, mocking our family name—Malfoy (which implies unfaithfulness and dishonesty). Sensitive Draco had never faced such treatment before.

Reacting out of stress, Draco attacked Weasley's family. Harry, defending his friend, rejected Draco's offer of friendship, embarrassing him in front of everyone.

But this time, without those "distractions," they could get along peacefully.

"Harry, let me show you around the house."

Harry, still a bit nervous, followed Draco. I walked beside him, trying to find common topics to discuss.

"This is your room."

The guest room had already been prepared by Narcissa. It had a typical Slytherin style, with green and silver intertwining.

A set of new loungewear was draped over the bed, with a note in Narcissa’s elegant handwriting: For Harry.