I spend most of my time with Draco. It’s kind of surreal — the guy I idolized is now a baby! He’s all chubby and squishy, without any of the swagger he has in the books. He’s just an adorable little mochi.

"Draco takes after Luke, and Aurora looks just like Cissy," Abraxas chuckles as he pulls out an old Malfoy family photo to show me and Draco. "Here they are when they were little..."

They have a tradition of taking a photo together on their birthdays every year, capturing their growth from babies to adults. The magical photos are like live-action clips, always moving.

Lucius has always been super possessive of Narcissa, even when they were kids. Is this what they call childhood sweethearts? The Blacks and Malfoys, they're really close, aren’t they? Celebrating birthdays together and all.

Maybe I’m still too new to fully get the wizarding world. From the moment I was born here, I knew I shouldn’t rely too much on the original story. Everything’s interconnected, and just by being here, I might change the entire plot.

Draco is completely absorbed by a photo of Lucius playing Quidditch. Young Lucius, broom in hand and capturing the Golden Snitch, kneels before Narcissa, surrounded by his teammates. There’s this legend that if a Seeker gifts the Snitch to someone they love, they’ll receive Merlin’s blessing. Narcissa’s cheeks are flushed, shy and coy, her platinum curls blowing in the breeze. It’s straight out of a romance novel...

I didn’t realize Draco was taking all of this to heart as well.

Time seems to fly by, and it looks like my presence hasn’t really changed the story. Abraxas and Lucius have been away from Malfoy Manor more and more. “Draco, Aurora, are you missing Dad and Grandpa?” Narcissa holds us tight, her voice comforting.

“Where are they, Mommy?” Draco and I ask, our words still a bit choppy.

“Don’t they want to be with us?” Draco’s eyes well up with tears.

“They’re staying away because they love you very much—they need to protect you,” Narcissa explains in words we can understand.

“Are Dad and Grandpa fighting a war?” Draco suddenly perks up, curiosity sparked.

Yes, that competitive spirit is definitely in his blood.

“It’s kind of like that, but not really,” Narcissa’s eyes lose a bit of their sparkle as she forces a smile. She’s strong for us, her kids. She can’t let her guard down and show her worries.

But she’s really not much older than me. Worrying about her husband, the family’s standing, and the dangers they face...

Voldemort’s becoming more unstable and dangerous by the day. A single misstep could lead to unbearable pain. The Malfoys, despite their influence among the Death Eaters due to their wealth, are still walking on eggshells, always wary of those above them.

Whenever she’s worried, Narcissa often touches the "L"-shaped pendant around her neck. "L" for Lucius, obviously.

“Mommy...” I reach up and gently touch her face, wiping away a stray tear.

“Daddy said we shouldn’t cry…”

"Are you watching me? Sorry, our little Malfoy overseer..." Narcissa chuckles as she playfully pinches my nose, her tears turning into a smile.

"Don’t cry, or you’ll turn into an ugly little fox..." I echo Lucius's words.

Narcissa blushes deep red. "Aurora... why do you listen to him so much?" she whispers in a playful, flirtatious tone.

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They've been together for ages, yet their love still feels like that of a couple freshly in love. "Is 'little fox' a pet name for mom?" I ask, deliberately acting confused and widening my eyes to appear more innocent.

I know this tactic is deceitfully effective. "Um..." Her cheeks flush even more.

"Mom, are you feeling okay? Your face is so red..." Draco joins in, touching her cheek. "It's really hot..."

"Thanks for your concern, kids, but I've got this," Lucius suddenly appears and swiftly ushers Draco and me out of their bedroom.

We're used to it by now. With Dad around, we're never the priority. "Let's go, Aurora," Draco prompts me as we leave. "Poor Mom, she was just crying, and it looks like she might start again soon..."

"Why?" I ask.

"Dad always ends up making Mom cry, haven’t you noticed?" he asks, slightly confused.

Then something seems to click for him. "Oh right, you always sleep so deeply... Mom doesn't come out of her room for a day or two..."

"You have memories from when you were little?" I ask, surprised.

"Of course, don’t you?" he replies as if it’s obvious.

Wait, does this mean Draco might also be a time traveler? "You don’t want to be found out?" He nods. "Exactly, Aurora, you're a Malfoy too."

"Thanks for the recognition, Draco," I say, unable to suppress a grin.

Despite his young age, Draco tries to look stern, mimicking an adult. It's quite endearing. "Are you trying to imitate Dad?" It seems the original story might be on to something—Draco is definitely a 'daddy's boy.' It’s evident from a young age!

"No way..." he mutters, his face turning pink—a sure sign of his embarrassment.

How adorable! I poke his puffy cheeks gently. They’re soft, almost fragile.

"Aurora, I am the older brother..." he asserts, holding my hand.

"You're only older by a few seconds!" I protest.

"Still counts as the older brother!" he insists, squeezing my hand tighter.

It's only a title. The Malfoy family records don’t even acknowledge me; it’s all just pretense. But, I can't say that.

Draco looks ready to explode, like a tiny pufferfish on the verge of puffing up. "Alright, alright, I was wrong, big brother..." I quickly back down.

"Dad is also a 'big brother'..." Draco suddenly whispers.

"What do you mean?" I ask, puzzled.

"Between us... I’ve heard Mom call Dad 'big brother' too..." Draco tries to explain, his words tumbling out a bit jumbled.

Such a head-scratcher. Mom, Dad, big brother... Draco must have misunderstood!

Yet, at that moment, I completely missed the deeper implication of his words.

Poor Draco, he's been groomed by Lucius to be the "big brother" since he was little.

"Draco, you're the big brother, so you have to be considerate of Aurora!"

"Draco, you're the big brother, you need to be a role model!"

"Draco, you're the big brother..."

As the wizarding world in Britain grows more unstable, our family training quickly becomes a priority.

I thought the reduced education burden would be a relief, but crossing into this world, I'm suddenly swamped with homework!

"Dad, does Aurora have to join?" Draco picks up on my reluctance.

Lucius pauses, giving Narcissa a look that's heavy with memories.

Narcissa kneels down. "Aurora, we want to offer you both the same opportunities... Sometimes, even the ones who are protected want to arm themselves and grow stronger..."

"Cissy, I'm sorry..." Lucius says tenderly, kissing his wife's forehead.

Narcissa leans into his solid chest, their fingers interlocked, the closeness unmistakable.

Didn't my mother ever get the chance to face the family trials?

But then again... the Malfoy family trials don't really concern my mother, who was born a Black...

What are they trying to hint at?

The occasional looks of envy from Narcissa reveal the challenges women face in participating in these trials.

Especially since there's already a male heir—Draco.

"Aurora... I’m sorry, I’m not trying to take away your chance..." Draco approaches me after the session.

"You think I’m too tired... I get it..."

I take his hand.

Imitating Lucius, Draco suddenly wraps me in a hug!

Before I know it, he pecks me on the cheek!

Not everything needs to be imitated!

That’s something only couples do!

Draco’s grin is radiant. "I knew it, girls love this stuff!"

"That’s not it... It’s okay for mom and dad, but not for us..." I quickly clarify, trying not to bruise his ego.

"Why not?" Draco is utterly baffled.

Oh boy, how do I explain this to practically a child!

"We just can’t!"

I always have this nagging fear that once I've served my purpose, the Malfoy family might discard me.

Family is paramount, but how can a magical construct truly count as family?

"Why not?"

How do I even begin to explain? This is urgent!

Seeing my fumbling, Draco's smile stiffens.

"Aurora, don’t you like me?"

"Of course I do..."

In "Harry Potter," you’re my favorite character.

I’m thrilled to be growing up together, Merlin knows how much!

"It's okay, I’ll wait until you’re ready..." he vows solemnly.

Hidden under thick lashes, his grey eyes twinkle mischievously.

I have every reason to believe he’s using his charm on me.

It seems the more I talk, the deeper I dig...

Well, he’ll understand eventually.

When the time comes, he'll choose correctly for the sake of family honor.

Suddenly, Lucius's patronus, a silver nine-tailed fox, appears out of nowhere in our home.

It speaks with my father's voice: "Cissy, the Dark Lord... has vanished!"