Vanessa Albert was indeed a beautiful girl.

When she appeared at the sorting ceremony, she attracted everyone's attention.

She had beautiful long, curly blonde hair that almost reached her waist and was neatly combed.

She had a pair of green almond eyes. When she stared at someone with her eyes wide open, it was hard not to be attracted by her bright eyes.

Lucius, a second-year student, sat in the front seat, surrounded by classmates and friends of equal status.

Unlike the others, he didn't directly look at the girl who was sitting on the chair and slowly putting on the sorting hat. He only observed her from the corner of his eye. It seemed that he was looking elsewhere, but in fact, he was also looking at her.

Vanessa's sorting process was very fast. She was assigned to Slytherin. Everyone had no impression of the surname Albert, and the applause was also sparse and reserved. Most of them had a wait-and-see attitude.

Of course, there were still boys who showed kindness to the girl because of her outstanding appearance. This made the girls a little envious, especially the noble ladies who were sorted in the same year but didn't receive as much attention as her because of their noble status.

Lucius really noticed Vanessa when school officially started and she had a month of classes.

That day, he went to the auditorium to eat with others after class and encountered some harmless "small games" between the girls in the corridor.

Vanessa was dressed a little shabbily. She wore a second-hand but very clean school uniform, a neatly ironed white shirt with yellowish edges, and old second-hand textbooks.

Her things fell out of her schoolbag — letters that she hadn't had time to send out, textbooks with many notes fell to the ground, and she was splashed with a lot of water. She squatted there awkwardly to pick up the things.

Lucius was wearing an expensive school uniform with the Malfoy emblem embroidered in black, silver, and green on the collar. When he inadvertently moved, it revealed a snake-shaped pattern and a Latin word that meant "pure and eternal victory".

Vanessa lowered her head to pick up the things, frowning slightly with a stubborn expression.

Her skin was very white, not pale, but white with a hint of pink. She squatted there, holding a book in her beautiful hands. Even if she was only a first-year student, even if she was born in a poor family and wore shabby clothes, she didn't look humble at all.

When Lucius passed by her, he unconsciously stretched out his wand and said in a low voice, "Clean it up."

Vanessa abruptly raised her head, her green eyes filled with surprise. Her robe was clean, and the tattered book was restored to its original state. She hesitated for a few seconds, and said to the boy who was one year older than her, who raised his chin slightly and looked at her indifferently, "Thank you, Senior Malfoy."

She knew him.

Of course, who didn't know about the Malfoy, even if they were of mixed blood, even if they were poor.

Lucius ignored her and didn't say anything. He left with his surprised friends and didn't explain his actions.

From then on, whenever she was bullied or schemed against, Lucius couldn't help but help her.

Sometimes, he would deal with the aftermath without leaving a trace. Sometimes, he would lightly cough and let the first-year girls run away shyly. Most of the time, he would hurriedly cast a spell, just like the first time, and quickly leave with a cold and distant attitude.

After a long time, he was almost used to it.

He didn't know why he couldn't help but do this. He told himself that it was because of his gentlemanly demeanor and didn't want to think too much about it.

But as time passed, Vanessa learned to protect herself. She learned to hide her strength and bide her time. There were no longer so many people who could take advantage of her. He didn't need to help her anymore. He actually felt a little disappointed.

As he grew older, he gradually understood what his thoughts and actions represented. But he also knew that it was impossible for the Malfoy family to have a mixed-blood mistress. Vanessa not only had a poor family background, but the most unacceptable thing was that she was half-Muggle. With her identity, she could only be a mistress at best.

Abraxas Malfoy heard that he took special care of Vanessa in school. He tapped the snake-headed cane in his hand to remind him of this.

Yes, she could only be a mistress.

He was still engaged. When he was in his fourth year, he was engaged to the young lady of the Black House.

In the school corridor, Vanessa, who was in her first year, hugged her books and hurried past her roommate. She didn't seem to notice him walking on the other side.

His cold gaze was fixed on her. She looked back from afar and met his gaze with a confused expression. She seemed to tremble.

She was only in her third year at that time.

…

Back to this moment.

Vanessa was on summer break. When she returned home, she saw a notice for rent on the door.

She frowned and opened the door. She saw her mother sitting on the chair in a daze. She was wearing old clothes and holding an old wallet. There were very few Garen's in it.

"Mother."

Vanessa put down her luggage and walked over slowly. She stood in front of her mother.

Vanessa's mother, Lockhee, quickly came back to her senses and put away her wallet awkwardly. Vanessa pursed her lips and watched her nervous movements. She said softly, "We don't have any money, right?"

Lockhee lowered her head sadly and held her hand. She choked and said, "I'm sorry, Nisha. Mother is useless. I … I can't do anything right."

Of course she couldn't do anything right. Before she got married, although she didn't come from a big family, she was still pampered.

But ever since she married her father, that despicable and vicious muggle, everything changed.

"If, if I didn't go against my parents' wishes and leave my family to marry him, maybe … maybe …"

Lockhee often used this analogy as if she really regretted it. But Vanessa knew very well that she didn't regret it at all. If she was given another chance, she would still choose to marry that man. The only thing she could do was to hide her identity, or even suppress Vanessa's talent for magic since she was a child.

It wasn't that there was no such thing as an anti-magic potion, but the name alone was enough to know that it was a terrible and disgusting thing for wizards.

"I should go cook for you … I should go cook for you."

Lockhee muttered to herself and walked to the kitchen. Vanessa saw that the kitchen was in a mess and her mother almost fell down.

"I'm not hungry."

She walked forward and pursed her lips. "I don't want to eat yet. I already ate on the train. You should go rest."

Lockhee turned around and was silent for a while. Then she slowly walked upstairs.

When Lockhee's figure was about to disappear, Vanessa suddenly said, "We're moving out, right?

When? "

Lockhee paused for a while and said, "In, in three days."

Vanessa nodded and didn't say anything. She opened her suitcase and took something out. Then she turned around and left.

She was just a student and couldn't work yet, so she couldn't earn a salary.

She originally wanted to work as a healer in Saint-Manggo after graduation. The salary was very good. Although it was a little tiring and difficult to pass the interview, she still wanted to try.

However, everything in front of her told her that she might not be able to wait until graduation.

She had to find a way to get some money to tide over the family crisis. Otherwise, with the few Gareons left in the family, she and her mother could only stay in a small hotel for a few days. They couldn't even rent a run-down house.

"How much can these be sold for?"

Vanessa found a pawnshop in Diagon Alley. She placed the birthday gifts she received from her classmates and all the simple accessories in front of the pawnshop owner.

The owner was wearing a pair of glasses. He looked at them critically and said, "Miss, forgive me for being blunt, but these things aren't worth much."

Of course, she knew that they weren't worth much, but she thought that even if it was a small amount, it was better than nothing.

Ignoring the contempt in the owner's eyes, Vanessa said in a low voice, "Sir, I'm in trouble. I hope you can help me."

The owner glanced at her and noticed her appearance. Although she was wearing a second-hand school uniform, she was very beautiful. He pushed his glasses up. People tended to have more sympathy for good-looking people, so he pondered for a moment and said, "Then, I'm willing to give you twenty gold coins for all of these things. You know, girl, these things are really useless to me."

Vanessa looked at the things on the table. There was the necklace Anji gave her. It should be the most valuable thing among them.

She didn't want to pawn a friend's gift. She had no choice. If … if there was a chance in the future, she would definitely find a way to redeem it.

"Then, since it's useless to you, please help me keep it for a while. I'll come back to redeem it later."

Vanessa said reluctantly as she stared at her things and watched them being put away.

The owner glanced at her and nodded indifferently. In the end, Vanessa took the twenty gold coins and left the pawnshop with a gloomy face.

She returned home in the evening through the air network. She had expected to see her mother sitting on the sofa in a daze, but the scene in front of her was beyond her expectations.

There were a few suitcases in the living room. Her mother, who had been pale and listless, was overjoyed. She looked at her daughter excitedly and said, "Nisha!

My dear baby, we have a place to live! "

Vanessa followed her mother to a two-story house in Wiltshire. Before entering, she seemed to see a familiar family emblem belonging to a noble family in the corner of the house.

She stood at the door and wandered. Lockhee looked at her strangely and asked, "Nisha, what are you thinking about? Why don't you come in?"

Vanessa bit her lip, walked up the steps and asked her, "Where did this house come from?"

Lockhee hesitated and said, "Don't you know?"

Vanessa frowned. "Of course I don't know. I thought you had rented a new place, but I don't think we can afford to live in such a good house with the money we have left, can we?"

Lockhee was stunned. She put down the luggage in her hand and did not speak.

After a long time, when Vanessa thought she would not get an answer, her mother said in a low voice, "It was Mr. Malfoy. Mr. Malfoy's people gave me this address and said that we can stay here temporarily until we find a new place to live."

Vanessa frowned more and more. She clenched her fists. "I don't know when you and the Malfoy family became so close."

Lockhee denied in a panic. "Of course not. I, I don't know the Malfoy. It's just …" She looked at her daughter and said disappointedly, "Aren't you classmates?

The person who sent the message said that it was out of help between classmates and that you wouldn't refuse. "

Wouldn't refuse?

It was easy to say. The premise of not refusing was that she had to be willing to be someone else's lover.

She admitted that she had been impulsive, but she soon realized that it was crazy and immoral. She could not make the same mistake again and again, and she never intended to agree to Lucius's "deal".

"We can't live here."

Vanessa said decisively. "Let's go back, mom. I'll find a new place to live. We have to leave now."

Lockhee was pulled by her daughter in a trance. Just as they were about to leave, the space in front of them twisted. With a bang, Lucius Malfoy appeared in front of them.

"It seems that I've come at the right time."

The tall man was wearing an expensive velvet robe. His platinum hair was tied to his shoulders with a silver-green hair band. He slightly raised his chin and stared at the mother and daughter in front of him. He said to the air, "Dobbi, help this lady and this lady pack their luggage."

The house elf appeared out of thin air. She looked at the stiff Vanessa and the confused Lockhee with her big eyes. She bent down, put her sharp nose on the ground, and screamed, "Yes, master."

The house elf soon disappeared in front of the three people. Vanessa could not stand still. She let go of her mother and walked forward. She looked up at Lucius and said, "You can't do this. I didn't agree."

"You will agree. You can live here while you think about it."

He said coldly and looked at her mother from the corner of his eyes. He said in a polite but superior tone, "Mrs. Albert, I hope you can get used to living here. Then, please forgive my rudeness."

As soon as he finished speaking, he disappeared and left in the same way he came.

Vanessa stood there. She was forced to do something that was beyond her ability. Dobbi quietly put the luggage in the room, and even hung the clothes.

Vanessa closed her eyes and clenched her fists. She took a deep breath and said to her mother, "Okay, we'll stay here for the time being. When I find a place to live, we'll move out immediately."

The elf would strictly follow her master's request. She did not want to quarrel with Dobbi or even fight over the luggage. She also did not want her mother to worry too much. She could only compromise for the time being.