Chapter 63 - 62: Family Feud on the Platform

"Your mouth's still as filthy as ever, Malfoy—" "I'm warning you, Bedivere, keep your hands to yourself. This coat's custom-made from Twilfit and Tattings—" — Tall and imposing William Bedivere stood nose-to-nose with Lucius Malfoy, who was gripping his cane and looked like he'd been carved from the same mold as his son, Draco. The tension between them was palpable, their faces inches apart. Beside Lucius, Narcissa, draped in a deep green overcoat, wore a haughty expression. No way was she going to show weakness in front of the Bedivere family. As for Anri, sporting sunglasses and a sleek light-gray suit, she was thoroughly entertained watching two rather good-looking men bicker. Let them argue. It's not like they're going to throw punches. "Mr. Malfoy, if you're interested, I could gift you one of my latest designs. After all, I designed that coat you're wearing," Anri chimed in at just the right moment. Lucius licked his lips, momentarily at a loss for words. He briefly considered tossing out the luxurious black coat when he got home, but it was expensive, and the enchanted fur that self-cleaned was just too convenient to part with. "You'd better not let me hear you use that word again, Mal—" William started to threaten, but his eyes caught a figure in the distance. "Oh! Edward! My little knight! Over here!" He and Anri darted past the Malfoys, rushing toward the other side of the platform. Lucius turned slowly, just in time to see three kids running toward them—two boys and a girl fresh off the train. Leading the pack was Edward Bedivere, and Lucius let out a disdainful huff. Practically a carbon copy of his father! Trailing behind was Daphne, the eldest daughter of the Greengrass family. That caught Lucius off guard. The Greengrasses weren't particularly close with other families, but they shared his views, staunchly supporting pure-blood supremacy. So why was their daughter hanging out with a pure-blood traitor like Bedivere? But when he saw the other boy, Lucius—always the picture of elegant aristocracy—could no longer keep his cool. Draco! Why are you trailing behind Edward? Where were Crabbe and Goyle? Before school started, Lucius had carefully laid the groundwork, setting Draco up with the sons of former Death Eater allies to build his network. Yet, two months later, here he was palling around with a Bedivere? What would the other pure-blood families think if they saw this? Narcissa's expression was equally stunned, like she'd just seen a troll attempting ballet. They hurried toward their son. "Dad! Mum!" Edward and Draco each ran to their respective families. The Bedivere reunion was noticeably warmer. William looked ready to scoop Edward up in a bear hug, while Anri giggled beside him, teasingly checking if Edward had grown taller or put on any weight. The Malfoy side, however, was more reserved. Narcissa gently pulled Draco into an embrace, stroking his hair and asking after him softly. Lucius stood to the side, leaning on his cane, his gaze stern and conflicted. Draco caught his father's expression, and his heart leapt into his throat. How am I supposed to explain my friendship with Edward to them? "Dad, did I just hear you arguing with Mr. Malfoy?" Edward asked curiously. Draco nearly asked the same question. Their words snapped William and Lucius back to their earlier spat, and their eyes locked once more. "Draco, didn't I tell you to make worthy friends at school? Seems you've completely ignored me," Lucius said, deliberately raising his voice. "Well, Father, Mother, let me explain—" Draco started, but William's louder voice drowned him out. "You're one to talk, Malfoy. If you're so worried, why don't you enroll with your precious heir? You're a governor, after all. I'm sure Dumbledore could arrange a nice cell for you in the Slytherin dungeons." "Can't understand plain English, Bedivere? Muggle, traitor, and Mud—" "*Don't say that word!*" Lucius barely got the word out before a panicked shout cut him off, forcing him to swallow the rest. Who had spoken? Not William, who was glaring daggers at him. Not Anri, though her face suggested she was about to hex him. Not Edward, though he looked oddly relieved. Lucius realized with a start that it was Draco—standing beside him, hand over his mouth, looking horrified that he'd spoken up. "Draco, what did you just say?" Lucius asked, raising an eyebrow and drawing out his words. Draco floundered, caught off guard by his own outburst. He hadn't meant to say anything—it was pure instinct. All he knew was that if that word was said, someone was going to get hurt. Don't say it in front of Edward! But now, realizing he'd just contradicted his own father, Draco stammered, "Father, I didn't mean—um, what I meant was—" "Mr. Malfoy, Draco's point is clear. As a refined gentleman, shouldn't you hold yourself to a higher standard of language?" Edward stepped forward with a polite smile. "You wouldn't want headlines in the Daily Prophet or any other paper claiming the Malfoy family secretly despises Muggle-borns, would you?" Lucius's face twitched. He had to admit, he'd gotten a bit carried away. "Little Mr. Bedivere, is it? You've certainly inherited your mother's sharp tongue. Let's hope you use your brain to solve problems, unlike your father, who seems to think fists are the answer to everything." "Happy Christmas." Lucius cleared his throat, adjusted his tie, and motioned for Draco and Narcissa to follow. The three quickly disappeared through the platform wall. "Didn't expect to step off the train and walk into a drama," Daphne said with a smirk, finally speaking up. "See you later, Edward. My parents are over there." "Happy Christmas!" She dragged her luggage toward the Greengrass family waiting in the distance. Edward glanced over—tall and lanky, wrapped in gray coats, Mrs. Greengrass was holding the hand of a frail-looking blonde girl who stared curiously at them with wide eyes. "Edward, your friends are... unexpected, to say the least," William said as the Bedivere family wound through alleys to a quiet spot near the station. "I thought your personality would've landed you with the Weasleys. Honestly, I get along pretty well with Arthur," he added, puzzled. Edward had clearly left some details out of his letters, and William, as his father, wanted answers. "Relax, William. It sounds like Edward's handling his friendships just fine, doesn't it?" Anri said playfully. "Getting that Malfoy to act like this? Son, you've got a gift," she teased. "Mum, can you lay off the Witch Weekly serials?" Edward replied with a groan, grabbing her hand. With a whoosh, the three spun in place and vanished from the nondescript alley, leaving only a swirl of dry leaves and dust in the cold wind. Meanwhile, the same questions that plagued William swirled in Lucius and Narcissa's minds.