Recently, there were always people from Slytherin gathered together to discuss certain matters, and even Severus Snape would occasionally mingle with them.

Avery and Lestrange were among them, but it was normal. These pure-blooded families had always been in contact, but Snape's existence made everything extremely awkward.

Vanessa was the one who was excluded, and she avoided the Lord they mentioned. The articles and reports on the theory of bloodlines in the Prophet's daily newspaper made her life even more precarious as a mixed-blood living in Slytherin.

Vanessa struggled to hold on, and when it was Halloween, she became even more nervous and focused.

Today was a special day. Many people could use prank toys to throw harmful curses on her. She had to be careful. When she had to go out, she had to be in a hurry. She chose to go to places with fewer people that she didn't usually go to.

At this time, she suddenly had a thought. If only Lucius was still in the Hogwarts. With him in Slytherin, no one would dare to bully her like this.

Vanessa was shocked when she thought of this. She stood there with a cold shiver, and her eyes were blank. She didn't continue to move forward.

At this time, she seemed to hear some movement in the abandoned classroom around the corner. She took a few steps forward and saw a group of students walking towards her. Judging from their uniforms, they were from Slytherin.

She didn't think too much and rushed into the abandoned classroom, but after she entered, she regretted her impulsiveness.

Her greatest enemy in life was impulsiveness.

Looking at Severus Snape on the ground, Lily Evans in front of him, and the four Gryffindor robbers who were the culprits, Vanessa's expression was slightly unpleasant.

She was in trouble.

She knew it when she saw them.

Snape was lying on the ground, covered in dust. He was blocked by the Gryffindor Lily Evans, and the beautiful third-year girl glared at the four boys who were holding out their wands. She gritted her teeth and said, "Potter!

Get out of my way! "

James Potter said anxiously, "Evans, it was the snot who cast the curse on us first. Why are you telling me to get out of your way?"

Evans said coldly, "There are four of you and one of him. I don't understand why he would take the initiative to cast a curse on you?!"

"You're being unreasonable. We weren't the ones who attacked first."

Cyrius Black calmly retorted, and his eyes drifted to Vanessa who had suddenly appeared.

He frowned and pointed his wand at Vanessa. He clicked his tongue and said, "Another busybody?"

Vanessa knew that she had been discovered and couldn't hide anymore. She looked again at Snape, who was lying on the ground in a sorry state with blood dripping from the corner of his mouth. She let out a long sigh and said, "Even if you weren't the ones who attacked first, I think, with your abilities, it's very possible for you to use words to force someone to attack you."

What Vanessa was about to say was exactly what Lily Evans wanted to say. She was so angry that she almost lost her mind. When she heard Vanessa's words, she cast a grateful look at her.

Some of the four people who had been exposed began to look around, but Cyrius Black was still calm, as if it wasn't worth mentioning.

He looked at her expressionlessly and said, "Is that so? It turns out that we're so capable in the eyes of a seventh grade senior. What a delightful discovery."

He didn't know why, but he seemed very unhappy as he walked towards her. It was Halloween, and there were prank traps everywhere. Even the abandoned classroom wasn't spared. Vanessa glanced outside the classroom and was about to take the opportunity to slip away when Black seemed to have stepped on some kind of trap. There was an explosion, and smoke filled the air. Vanessa only had time to cry out in surprise before she felt her whole body being pressed down. She fell heavily to the ground. Before she could understand what was going on, her mouth was hit hard, and she was instantly stunned.

“？？？”

After the thick smoke disappeared, the passersby and the people in the classroom saw the third-grade Cyrius Black on top of the seventh-grade Vanessa Albert. He … was kissing her lips.

Cyrius and Vanessa were stunned for a few seconds before they suddenly stood up. The two of them tacitly began to wipe their mouths in disgust. This shocked everyone, including Snape, who was slowly getting up. Snape reacted and laughed evilly. This laughter made Black's expression turn even uglier. He wiped his mouth vigorously and looked at Vanessa, who looked as if she had the same plague as him. His face was darker than the school uniform he was wearing.

"Damn it!"

Black cursed and turned to leave quickly. Vanessa couldn't stay any longer and left in the opposite direction, ignoring the reactions of the people around her. She knew that she shouldn't have come out on Halloween. It was bad luck the moment she stepped out. She never wanted to meet Gryffindor again in her life!

Black actually dared to say damn it!

She was the one who wanted to say damn it!

The small incident that happened in a certain abandoned classroom on Halloween spread like wildfire. No one knew how it started, but in the end, it became a rumor that the two of them were in a relationship.

Moreover, these rumors were vividly portrayed and spread to Lucius Malfoy's ears.

After a busy day, Lucius sat on the sofa and read the letter he had just received and the words written in it. His handsome face was frighteningly pale. Jedda stood there trembling and kept blaming herself. "Jedda is a bad elf!

Jedda didn't do what Master told her to do!

Jedda is a bad elf! "

Lucius pressed his forehead and said coldly, "Disappear."

Jedda's big eyes were filled with tears. She snapped her fingers and disappeared in front of him.

Lucius looked at the letter on the table again. Not only did it say that Vanessa and Cyrius Black were in a relationship, it also described their kiss on Halloween. However, after the incident developed into a gossip, it became that they were intimate in the abandoned classroom behind people's backs.

The next day.

Lucius did not hide his exhaustion when he appeared at the gathering of the Lord. There were many Hogwarts graduates standing beside him. The Lord was showing more and more of his strength. He was young and powerful, and could bring more benefits to the pure-blood nobles. He was also more and more unwilling to accept his current achievements. He longed for more loyal servants.

Lucius touched his left arm. There was no mark on it. He hesitated and hesitated. Wolbuga and Olean Black were also wavering. They were unusual nobles. When it came to choosing a side, it was not easy for them to make a decision.

Although his father was once a loyal follower of the Lord.

Lucius's face became paler when he thought of the dark mark on his father's arm. He was about to marry into the Black House. He was the Black Devil King's most valued subordinate. He would be marked sooner or later. Before that, the Black Devil King needed his "contribution".

The so-called "contribution" was nothing more than using Lucius's identity and status to attract more "servants" for the Lord.

But in fact, the mark was equivalent to a "gift" for the Black Devil King. In the eyes of those who were still rational, it was not that tempting.

Christmas came as scheduled. After Halloween, Vanessa almost did not go out. She was now a live target in Slytherin. She even had a relationship with Gryffindor's Black. How could she not be targeted?

When she boarded the Hogwarts Express, she almost ran away.

She casually found an empty compartment and put her luggage in it. Only when she was sure that she would be home soon did she let out a sigh of relief.

But Merlin was above. She was racing against time, but she still could not avoid the thing she was most worried about.

Narcissa Black appeared in her compartment. She was probably patrolling the carriage. When she saw Vanessa, she came straight in.

"Why don't you sit with your classmates?"

Narcissa asked casually. She stood at the door. From her expression, she did not seem to be in a bad mood.

Vanessa pursed her lips and said, "… I want to find a quiet place to rest for a while."

Narcissa smiled and said pointedly, "Then why don't you sit with my brother — Cyrius? Why don't you sit with him?"

Narcissa's expression showed that she knew the truth. She should have looked for Cyrius Black, but she still joked like this. Vanessa's expression changed.

"Miss Black, you should know that the things about me and your brother are just unreliable rumors. I have nothing to do with him. We haven't even spoken much."

She explained calmly, not meeting Narcissa's eyes. Narcissa looked at her one last time and nodded. "I know. I just want to say that you don't have to be so troubled. Once you graduate, all these troubles will be gone. As for the things you've been worried about this semester, I've already warned them. No one will harass you anymore."

She used the word "harass" in a very elegant way, but she should have used the word "bully" instead.

Even if Vanessa's grades were good, and she was good at curses, she could not stop those people from playing dirty tricks behind her back. No matter how careful she was, there would always be times when she would fall for their tricks. And those people were so elusive that she did not even have a chance to fight back or show off her power. She did not even have evidence to complain to the professors.

She also knew that everything would be fine once she graduated. She would be able to leave the hustle and bustle behind. But she did not expect that Narcissa would be the one to talk to her and give her instructions.

"Thank you."

After thinking for a long time, she still thanked her. Narcissa said that she was welcome and turned to leave the box to continue patrolling the carriages.

Vanessa leaned back in her seat. She did not understand why Narcissa kept trying to be nice to her. She was Lucius's fiancée. Since she sensed that Lucius had an unusual relationship with her, why wasn't she angry? Instead, she seemed to be happy to defend her.

It was hard to guess the thoughts of nobles.

In the evening, Vanessa returned to her temporary residence in Wiltshire. The house was completely different from when she left at the beginning of the semester. It was not as cold as it had been for a long time. Lockhee had planted many flowers here. They were enchanted and bloomed all year round. They were very beautiful.

She stood at the door with her luggage in her hand for a long time before she slowly pushed the door open.

"Nisha?"

Lockhee saw her daughter at a glance. She was a little embarrassed, but quickly ran over and said, "You're back. I wanted to pick you up, but something came up. Are you okay?"

Vanessa said lightly, "I'm fine. I'm fine. You haven't picked me up in the past six years, and you don't need to this year either."

Lockhee was lost for a moment. She caught up with her and said, "Are you blaming me, Nisha?"

Vanessa looked at the living room, which had traces of a banquet, and felt uncomfortable.

She had never blamed her mother for being cowardly and incompetent.

She had insisted on marrying her father. After marrying him, she couldn't keep the marriage. After the divorce, she couldn't find a job to support herself and her child. Now, she was receiving help from others, but she still felt at ease. She was lying to herself. How did she become like this?

Vanessa looked at her mother with a complicated expression. Without saying anything, she went straight to the second floor.

Lockhee stood downstairs. She wanted to explain, but she couldn't. She was indeed not a good mother. Most of the time, she couldn't even take care of herself.

She was such a failure and so degenerate. But what could she do?

It was late at night.

Vanessa hadn't eaten on the train, and she hadn't eaten dinner at home. Dobbi appeared in her room, but she ignored it and chased it away. Dobbi stared at her and spun around before disappearing from her room.

Not long after, she heard the sound of Transfiguration. Vanessa opened her eyes and saw Lucius standing in her room, covered in dust.

She didn't move. She just lay on her side and looked at him. He patted the non-existent dust off his body and looked at her with a frown. "Dobbi said you haven't eaten for a long time. Why?"

He was concerned about her.

Vanessa pursed her lips and didn't say anything. Lucius might have rushed over from a banquet. He was wearing an expensive and gorgeous robe and gloves.

He walked a few steps forward with his cane and stopped in front of her bed. He asked her, "Are you angry?"

Vanessa still didn't say anything, but she tightened her grip on the quilt.

It wasn't that she didn't say anything, but that she didn't know what to say. She knew that it was unlikely that her mother would leave with her even if she found a house. Lucius had almost controlled Lockhee in this luxurious house. She was thinking about the possibility of living alone. But as long as her mother didn't leave, she couldn't completely cut ties with Lucius.

Lucius slowly sat down on the edge of Vanessa's bed. She subconsciously moved closer to him. In the darkness, his slender hand fell beside her cheek. He gently stroked it through his gloves in a comforting manner.

"Because of your mother?

Or because of someone in the Hogwarts? "

He asked in a low and hoarse voice. Vanessa's body stiffened. She realized from his words that the unreliable rumors in the school had also reached his ears.

"Cyrius Black is the helper you found to fight against me?"

Lucius's grayish-blue eyes stared at her. He said contemptuously, "He entered Gryffindor, so he's obviously not a nobleman who follows the rules. You think you can fight against me by relying on him, is that it?"

Vanessa knew that she couldn't stay silent any longer.

She bit her lip and sat up, avoiding his hand. She lowered her eyes and said, "No.

It's not like that. "

Lucius tilted his head and looked like he was all ears.

"I don't have a boyfriend. That was a lie. I just wanted to confuse you."

Vanessa laid her cards on the table. "In fact, until now, I still don't understand why you're so insistent on … maintaining this relationship with me.

Your fiancée's attitude towards me at school is also very strange. She should hate me, but she doesn't.

I don't understand what you've done or what you're going to do. I don't dare to arrogantly think that you're doing all this because you like me — it's not because of that, is it?

You're just unwilling, aren't you? "

She threw the question back at him. Lucius sat there for a long time without speaking. He put one hand on his knee and the other hand on his cane. He stared at her expressionlessly, as if he wanted to see what excuse she could come up with.

Vanessa thought of the increasingly tense atmosphere since the beginning of the semester and the occasional attacks. She breathed a sigh of relief and spoke of the only two concerns she couldn't ignore besides her morals.

"Mr. Malfoy, I have a reason why I can't agree to this. Would you like to hear it?"

He had already graduated, so it was no longer appropriate to call him senior. She called him Mr. Malfoy, which was polite and … cold.

Lucius finally opened his mouth and said softly, "Tell me." He was still calm.

"I can't get too close to you."

She also analyzed rationally, "Because of that Lord — it's no secret that he's in Slytherin. I occasionally hear them talking about his party at Christmas. You came here directly from that party, didn't you?"

Lucius frowned and stood up directly. It seemed that he didn't want to talk to her about that Lord at all. But Vanessa didn't stop.

"My origin and bloodline will cause trouble for both of us.

That Lord's ideas are too extreme. There will be a war in the magic world sooner or later. I don't want to be a victim. I just want to stay away from it.

If you're really following him, my identity will also cause you trouble. Once someone tells him that you have a … lover like me, won't he doubt your agreement with the idea of pureblood and your loyalty to him? "

Vanessa breathed a sigh of relief. She stared at him quietly and said, "Mr. Malfoy, I didn't expect to be able to say these things to you calmly, and I didn't expect you to listen to me. But I still hope that you can think about it carefully."

If Vanessa had told him these things before she came back, when they met in the cellar, maybe Lucius would have thought about it carefully and even agreed with her and let go of this relationship.

But it was too late to say anything now.

At the party today, that Lord had shown more of his strength. He could control Soul Eaters without the need for the Guardian Spell.

He showed his power to his loyal servants. Lucius saw this with mixed feelings.

He left the meeting place, wanting to be alone and think about his future. On the way, he ran into a few Soul Eaters. He drove them away with the Protection Spell before they got close. But because of that, he was completely stunned on the spot.

His Guardian Deity had always been a silver snake, just like the snake on the master's staff.

But this time, when he summoned his Guardian Deity to drive away the Soul Eaters, he saw a beautiful butterfly.

A butterfly.

Vanessa's name, in Greek, meant butterfly.

Lucius looked at the butterfly that gradually disappeared in front of him. Vanessa's face seemed to overlap with his memory.

He looked back at her with mixed feelings. After a long silence, he said hoarsely, "What is your Guardian Deity?" As if he wanted to confirm something, he urgently asked, "Show me your Guardian Deity."

Vanessa was stunned. She didn't understand what he meant, but she still waved her wand as he asked, "Summon Guardian Deity."

A silver shadow spread out from the tip of the wand. Gradually, a beautiful butterfly appeared in the room. Vanessa admired her Guardian Deity with a smile. Lucius looked at it, but there was a hidden despair in his gray-blue eyes.

He was really glad that no one had seen his Guardian Deity at that time.

He left the place in a sorry state, just as abruptly as he had come.

The difference was that not long after he left, Dobbi quietly prepared dinner and put it on the table in Vanessa's room.

Looking at the food, Vanessa, who had voiced her worries, got up from the bed and sat in front of the table in confusion and relief.

Maybe they could be separated from each other now.

This was what she had been looking forward to, what she had been fighting for. But when she was really close to success, she couldn't feel happy at all.

Perhaps, without her being aware of it, she had already sunk into this immoral relationship because of her unsuppressable feelings.

Merlin.