Chapter 180
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At first, Malfoy thought it was Pansy grabbing his clothes. But when he turned around, he realized it wasn't her.
Clutching the corner of his shirt was a little girl who looked no older than ten.
She had silvery hair reaching her waist and bright green eyes that seemed to shimmer faintly. Her delicate appearance made her look like a finely carved doll.
"I—I'm sorry… I got separated from my family," the girl said timidly.
She seemed shy and didn't dare look directly at Malfoy's face. Her cheeks were flushed. Although she didn't know him, she still held onto his clothes tightly—the only way to avoid being swept away by the chaotic crowd.
Seeing that distinctive silver hair, Malfoy suddenly formed a guess.
That hair color wasn't common.
He had overlooked it once before, but he wouldn't make the same mistake again.
At that moment, the girl raised her head to look at him. Her lively eyes widened, and her long eyelashes trembled slightly.
"I've seen you in the newspaper! My sister also—"
Before she could finish, the crowd surged again violently. The girl had no choice but to stop speaking and grabbed Malfoy's sleeve even tighter.
"What a coincidence…" Malfoy muttered.
The moment he heard the word "sister," he had already confirmed her identity.
This girl was clearly Fleur's younger sister.
The two looked almost identical, as if carved from the same mold.
For a moment Malfoy didn't know what to say. He could only allow himself to be pushed along by the panicked crowd while trying to keep the little "burden" safe.
"Then hold on tightly."
That was all Malfoy said to Gabrielle, and she immediately obeyed, gripping his sleeve with her small hands.
After a while, Malfoy finally found a relatively stable spot where they could stand.
His guess was confirmed almost immediately.
"Where are you taking my sister?"
A melodious voice sounded behind him, but the tone carried clear suspicion and faint anger.
A tall, slender girl quickly stepped forward and pulled Gabrielle behind her.
It was Fleur Delacour.
Only then did she have time to properly look at Malfoy.
The moment she saw his face, she froze.
"Ray… Feng?" Fleur said slowly.
Her voice sounded pleasant, but her tone carried unmistakable hostility.
"Or should I call you Ray Vonn… or Draco Malfoy?"
"The rising star of the wizarding world?"
It was obvious she was still angry about the fake name Malfoy had given her before.
After returning to France, she had asked many people about "Ray Feng." Naturally, no one had ever heard of such a person.
At first she thought it was normal that she couldn't find anything.
But later she saw Malfoy's name in a newspaper report.
Only then did she realize she had been deceived.
Even now she still didn't understand why he had lied to her.
Why deceive her?
An inexplicable anger rose in her chest.
The proud Fleur could not tolerate being tricked like that.
Yet at the same time, she owed him a favor.
Without Malfoy's earlier advice, she—unfamiliar with the area and struggling with the language—would probably never have managed to meet Madame Maxime.
And now he had also helped Gabrielle during the chaos.
If Gabrielle had been lost in the crowd…
Fleur didn't even want to imagine it.
Gabrielle was the person she cherished most.
So now she waited for Malfoy to give her an explanation.
Malfoy's eyebrow twitched slightly.
As the culprit, he had almost forgotten about that incident.
At the time he hadn't expected things to become this troublesome.
"Uh…"
Malfoy thought about how to explain it.
But no matter how he thought about it, no explanation sounded convincing.
Should he say—
He used a fake name because he hated trouble?
Or that it was just a harmless prank?
Malfoy quietly shook his head.
"I'm sorry," he said finally. "But I don't really have an explanation."
"Now that your sister is safe, if there's nothing else, I should go. I have other things to deal with."
"You—!"
Fleur was momentarily speechless.
She hadn't expected Malfoy to refuse even a basic explanation.
"You're not allowed to leave!"
She blurted out the words in frustration.
"If you leave, I'll report you to the Department of International Magical Cooperation. I'll say you kidnapped my sister."
Malfoy coughed awkwardly.
Gabrielle's face instantly turned red.
"S-Sister…"
She was about to explain, but Fleur quietly pinched her arm.
Gabrielle froze immediately.
Her bright eyes filled with grievance, like they were covered by a thin layer of mist. She didn't understand why her sister wouldn't let her speak.
"If you really believe that," Malfoy said helplessly, "then it seems I'll have to go clear my name."
"You!"
Fleur's breathing quickened. She was both angry and embarrassed.
The three of them stood on a small raised platform nearby, at least giving them somewhere stable to stand without being pushed around by the crowd.
Suddenly, the mass of people in front of them split apart.
A wide path opened through the crowd as if someone had cut through it with a blade.
"Fleur! Have you found Gabrielle?"
A powerful female voice called out anxiously.
Then a tall woman with a sharp nose and olive complexion strode forward.
Madame Maxime.
"Madame Maxime!"
Gabrielle's eyes lit up like stars.
She ran toward her immediately.
Although Gabrielle didn't fully understand the tension between her sister and Malfoy, she could tell something was wrong.
Now that Madame Maxime had arrived, things should calm down.
After all, children behaved better in front of adults.
"Fleur? What happened here?" Madame Maxime asked, puzzled.
But when she saw Gabrielle safe and sound, she visibly relaxed.
"I got separated in the crowd," Gabrielle explained quickly. "But I grabbed this big brother, so I didn't get lost."
"Then you should properly thank him."
Madame Maxime turned toward Malfoy.
Then her expression suddenly became strange, as if she had remembered something.
"You are Dumbledore's student, aren't you?" she said.
"I saw you in the newspaper."
"Quite impressive for someone your age."
"You flatter me," Malfoy replied politely.
Inside, he sighed with relief.
At least he was no longer being treated like some suspicious kidnapper.
Fleur remained silent.
Even without Gabrielle's explanation, she would never actually slander Malfoy.
Her accusation had only been an excuse.
What she truly wanted was an answer.
"Draco, right?" Madame Maxime said thoughtfully.
"If I remember correctly, that is your name."
"Yes, Madam."
"Where is the nearest exit?" she asked directly.
Malfoy glanced around briefly.
"On the left. Go straight and you'll reach it."
"Thank you. We will meet again soon," Madame Maxime said pleasantly.
"At that time, I will properly thank you."
Then she added,
"Would you like to come with us?"
She had already used magic to part the crowd around them.
"My parents are still waiting for me in their box," Malfoy replied politely. "So I'll stay."
"Very well," Madame Maxime said.
"Fleur, Gabrielle, let's go."
"Goodbye, big brother!"
Gabrielle waved happily.
Compared to her lively sister, Fleur remained much colder.
She simply gave Malfoy a deep, complicated look before turning away.
Her long silver hair swayed behind her as she left with Madame Maxime.
Watching Fleur's departing figure, Malfoy sighed quietly.
He had a feeling—
The coming year was not going to be peaceful.