Chapter 73: "Draco and Fleur: A Tale of Masks and Mixed-Bloods"

Fleur Delacour

Habitual thinking can be harmful, as Draco realized while chatting with Fleur. If he had met her in Hogwarts in the fourth year, he would have easily identified her based on his familiarity with the plot. However, he had met her two years earlier, and she was also two years younger than when she first appeared in the story. Adolescent girls can change a lot.

"The storm stirred up by the butterfly's wings is finally starting to take effect," Draco thought. The plot had changed, and he needed to act quickly to plan. The butterfly effect was preferable to the paint effect, which involved pouring a bucket of paint into a tributary of the river of time, diluting the rich color and ultimately returning the world to its original development. This was a powerless despair.

"Why did you come to England? Are you here to travel?" Draco asked, seemingly unintentionally. Fleur replied casually, "Madam Maxim is our headmaster."

Fleur tilted her head and thought for a moment before continuing. "It seems that Dumbledore sent Madam Maxim an invitation, saying that they needed to discuss something in person. She thought that bringing me along would be a good way to train me, and I also wanted to practice my English more."

"The Goblet of Fire?" Draco thought before saying, "Then it seems that you are highly valued." However, he didn't expect this casual remark to darken Fleur' expression. "Perhaps," she said. Both Maxim and Fleur were mixed-blood, which was no longer a problem in mainstream society, especially in France. But sometimes, people had trouble overcoming their own biases. For example, Madam Maxim herself strongly denied being a mixed-blood between a giant and a normal human, which may have contributed to the negative reputation of giants.

Sometimes, Fleur was proud of her mixed-blood heritage, while other times she felt inferior. "Perhaps this is what is called empathy," Draco thought. He quickly changed the topic and told Fleur some jokes from his previous life on Weibo, which made her shift her attention back to the conversation. She wanted to laugh out loud a few times, but in order to maintain her ladylike demeanor, she held it back and kept a tight expression on her face. This made Draco, who was sitting across from her, laugh.

"What are you laughing at?" Fleur, who was already having a hard time holding back her laughter, felt that the boy in front of her was laughing at her. She asked him in embarrassment and annoyance.

"I just think it's too hard to live under a mask," Draco replied. He suddenly thought of himself and realized that he was always wearing a mask too.

The scene became awkward as both of them fell silent and mechanically scooped up the remaining ice cream with their spoons. Fleur broke the silence and said, "Whether it's hard or not, it's your choice. There's nothing to complain about. Taking off your mask might not make you happier." Draco nodded in agreement.

Just as the atmosphere eased up a little, Fleur looked out the window and noticed that the sky had darkened. She woke up from her dream and remembered that she had to meet Madam Maxim at a muggle train station. She stood up to pay the bill, but Draco had already walked over to Florin and handed over two gold coins. "I said I'll treat," he told Fleur, stopping her from speaking further.

Draco added, "If you have money in your purse to pay the bill, then I won't object to what you want to do." He shrugged his shoulders and said. Fleur then remembered that she had gone to Gringotts to withdraw money. Although her family was not lacking in food and clothing, she had some savings in England. However, after the incident at Gringotts, she had not withdrawn a single cent.

Looking at the few remaining silver coins in her purse, Fleur sighed helplessly. "Since you have something to do, I'll take my leave first. My father is very familiar with that old man earlier. Now that my mother has probably heard the news of Gringotts being attacked, I have to hurry back," Draco said, noticing that the sky had darkened and it was time to leave. He then strode out of the door without looking back.

"Ray..." Fleur wanted to call out to him, but Draco'sback had already disappeared from her sight. She started to hate her thin face and blamed herself for being too embarrassed to say it out loud. She was almost penniless now, but Madam Maxim had arranged a meeting time and place with her. Would she have to walk there? She looked at her almost empty purse in annoyance and was surprised to find a few gold coins lying quietly inside, shining with a charming golden luster. In addition, there was a small note.

The note read, "I think you can treat me to this money the next time we meet. Your best choice of transportation now is the Knight's Bus. You just have to walk out of Diagon Alley, stretch out your hand that usually holds the wand on the road, and tell the conductor your destination. If you choose Floo Powder, then I think the money in your purse should be enough. However, I'm still worried about your accent, so I don't recommend it. Finally, I wish you a safe journey."

Draco gained another good point in Fleur's heart for his considerate actions. "He's really a gentleman," she thought. However, once she learned the truth, she would not think so anymore. Which gentleman would give a lady a fake name?