HP: She married Malfoy after becoming an exchange student.

Draco followed Elias to the greenhouse on the west side of the manor. Under the glass dome, magical flames burned quietly in the fireplace, casting an orange-red glow throughout the room.

Elias took a crystal bottle from the oak cabinet. The liquid inside flowed like molten gold, occasionally splashing out a few sparks.

"Have you ever had flamingo before?" he asked.

"I've only heard you say that," Draco said, staring at the sparks. "It sounds like it'll burn your throat. Are you sure it's okay?"

"Theoretically, yes, because it contains salamander essence." Elias took out two silver cups, "but I've modified the recipe, so the texture will be much smoother than before."

His movements as he poured the wine were elegant and precise. He poured it into a silver cup, then used a silver spoon to scoop half a spoonful of amber-colored nectar from a crystal bottle. The moment the two touched, they made a sound like silk tearing, and the wine instantly turned a sunset-like orange-red.

"Have a taste," Elias said, pushing the glass towards him.

Draco took the cup and tentatively took a sip. A warm current instantly slid from his throat into his chest, but there was no burning sensation. Instead, it felt like being enveloped by a warm cloud, and upon closer tasting, there was a hint of pine resin.

"How is it?" Elias asked.

Draco took a deep breath and downed the drink in his glass in one gulp. "Another one!" He was so engrossed in drinking that he didn't notice a thin blush spreading across his face.

"You can't drink too much of this, it has a very high alcohol content." Elias reached out to take the glass from Draco's hand, but couldn't budge it.

"Um?"

Looking down, he saw Draco's hand gripping the bottom of the glass tightly. "I... I haven't finished drinking yet! There's still some left in the glass!" He stared at the undissolved honey crystals at the bottom. "What's this? Honey?"

"This is cedar honey, produced by the Reinhardt family, brewed with morning dew and tender buds." Elias swirled his glass. "It's used to neutralize the potency of the salamander essence, thus achieving the effect of simply preserving the warmth of the wine. What you're drinking now is my thirty-seventh improved version."

"Oh~" Draco's fingers lightly traced the rim of his glass, his grey-blue eyes shining brightly in the gleam of the wine. He suddenly chuckled mischievously, "So you're using me as a guinea pig?"

"The thirty-sixth edition," Elias said slowly, "was scorched half a tree by the flames breathed by the house-elves who were tasting it."

"What about the previous thirty-five versions? Were those also drunk by the elves?" Draco leaned closer with a mischievous glint in his bright eyes.

"I drank it," Elias said, pushing away the platinum-gold head. "Those versions were all strong, but still acceptable." His expression was nonchalant, as if drinking dozens of failed drinks was nothing to him, though a faint blush had crept onto his ear. For some reason, Draco didn't call him out on it, only a smile unconsciously playing on his lips.

"Alright, we're almost here. Let me show you the library. It has a batch of Quidditch Almanacs and Fantastic Creatures Compendiums that I just received. Maybe you'll find something you're interested in."

Draco knew Elias was trying to change the subject, but seeing his unusual shyness, he went along with it.

The two strolled along the cobblestone paths of the manor, flanked by towering cedars with glistening icicles hanging from their branches.

"Why do you have so many cedar trees in your yard, and they're all so tall!"

"Draco's 100,000 whys are back again," Elias thought to himself, letting out a slow sigh.

"The cedars on the estate were planted three hundred years ago. If you ask why, I think it might be because they are frost-resistant?" Someone said, displaying the elegant manners of a host, and even made a lame joke.

"However, we sometimes collect these cedar buds in winter to make cedar honey. If you like, you can take some back with you."

"Great, perfect for my parents to try."

"arrive"

Elias pointed to a Gothic-style spire in the distance: "That's the family library, which houses seventy thousand magical books."

Draco narrowed his eyes: "Merlin, 70,000 copies! That's more than Malfoy Manor has?!"

"The quantity is uncertain." Elias turned to look at him, a slight smile playing on his lips. "But our copy of 'The Origins of Alchemy' is a first edition, with Nicolas Flamel's autograph on the title page."

Draco remained noncommittal. He was tired of using the word "surprise." Although alchemy was powerful, he wasn't particularly interested in it.

Elias, having received no response from his young master, turned and saw Draco's listless profile, knowing he was bored. The silver-haired boy reached out and wandered among the bookshelves, his fingertips pausing on the spine of a book with a dark green cover. With a gentle flick, "The Atlas of European Magical Creatures" obediently slid into his palm.

"The chapter on the silver fox." As he turned the page, the alchemical emblem on his cuff gleamed faintly in the candlelight. The page automatically stopped before a hand-drawn illustration: a fox, pure white, its tail tip lightly brushing across the snow, unfurling into clusters of ice flowers.

Draco leaned closer, his grey-blue eyes reflecting the glimmer of the book's pages. His fingers hovered above the illustrations, and the phantom of the silver-furred fox gently brushed against his fingertips, leaving a cool sensation.

"It's much more detailed than 'Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them'," he said in a low voice.

Elias didn't answer, but turned and took another book from the floating book ladder—"The Light Wheel Series: Technical Explanation, Latest Revised Edition." As he turned the pages, Draco saw dense German annotations filling the margins, the handwriting as neat as printed text.

"This is..." Draco's finger stopped on a page analyzing the broom's balance point, next to which was written: "Applicable to sharp turns by seekers, pending verification—EH"

He looked up abruptly: "When were these prepared?"

Elias looked down at the pages of the book, then suddenly murmured in German, "Für den Blick, der mich traf." (The first time I saw you.)

Draco frowned: "What do you mean?"

"I didn't say anything," Elias casually withdrew his hand. "It's just family magic; the bookshelves automatically sort people based on who's important to them."

Draco vaguely sensed that something was amiss, but he didn't delve into it.

"Let's go, I'll take you to see the silver fox tonight."

Draco obediently followed Elias, and the two walked away side by side, their chatter still faintly audible.

Meanwhile, high up on the bookshelf that no one paid attention to, an ancient book suddenly flipped to its last page with a rustling sound, revealing the Daily Prophet hidden in a compartment. The headline was news that young Draco had won the Junior Quidditch League championship.