HP: She married Malfoy after becoming an exchange student.

When Draco pushed open the heavy oak door to Slytherin's bedroom, there was complete silence inside.

Elias had already returned before him.

He didn't turn on the lights, nor did he go to finish any piles of international contracts; he simply stood by the window with his back to the door. The dark blue light from the Black Lake outside seeped into the room like water, outlining his slender yet upright youthful figure.

Elias's one hand hung loosely at his sides, while the fingers of his other hand unconsciously tapped lightly on the cold glass windowpane. The movement was very light, almost silent, as if he were completely absorbed in his own thoughts, so much so that even the sound of the door opening failed to disturb him.

Draco stood by the door, watching his silent back. The vague unease he had felt at dinner now became clear and tangible in the silence, like tiny downy feathers scratching at his heart.

"Elijas," he tried to speak, his voice unusually clear in the excessively quiet space.

The figure by the window didn't move, but Draco noticed a barely perceptible slackening in his shoulder line. After a moment, a very soft voice came: "Hmm?"

"In the Great Hall..." Draco carefully chose his words, slowly taking a few steps closer. "You didn't say much afterwards." This wasn't what Draco really wanted to ask, but he needed this opening.

Elias turned around. The moonlight just happened to brush across his profile, illuminating his lowered eyelashes and pursed lips.

"I'm listening," he said, his voice steady but a notch lower than usual, "to hear about the funny things that happened at the banquet."

Draco's heart skipped a beat. He understood the unspoken meaning.

"I..." He opened his mouth, the ends of his platinum blonde hair gleaming softly in the moonlight, "I didn't mean to... I mean, those things really did..."

"It is indeed very interesting." Elias continued, his voice tinged with a very faint, almost sighing quality. "I know."

He took two steps forward and stopped in the moonlight between the two beds. A silvery halo enveloped him, and his pale silver eyes shone exceptionally bright in the dim light.

“I’m not angry, Draco,” Elias said, his tone serious. “I know about Mrs. Narcissa’s letter, and I know you have to go back. I know everything.”

"But," his voice was gentle, "during those days in Berlin, I sometimes wondered... what it would be like if you came."

Draco held his breath.

“Casper will definitely amuse you with his flamboyant manners,” Elias continued, gazing out at the deep lake as if recalling a scene. “Leopold will probably be stern, but if you’re willing to talk to him about magical machinery, he can talk for an hour straight.”

The silver-haired boy's lips curved slightly, a faint smile playing on his lips.

"I originally wanted to take you to see the Strauss family's courtyard. They grow a kind of bioluminescent moss that illuminates a path when you walk through it at night."

Elias paused, "Sparkling also said she wanted you to try her newly made raspberry tart. You said you like sweets."

He stopped; the dormitory was so quiet that the faint sound of flowing water could be heard from the depths of the Black Lake.

Draco... Draco felt a pang of regret; it was one of the few times in his life he had felt soft-hearted towards the same person.

"I'm sorry," he heard himself say, his voice more steady and sincere than on the train. "It's not because I'm going to the banquet... but because I seem to have... left you waiting there all alone."

The moment the words left his mouth, Draco himself paused for a moment. This wasn't something he usually said; it was too direct, too soft, too... unlike Malfoy. But in the moonlight, seeing Elias's slightly stunned expression, he felt he should say it.

Elias looked at him silently, the moonlight swirling in his eyes like a pebble dropped into a deep pool.

After a long silence, he finally spoke softly, "You did nothing wrong, I just..."

He paused, seemingly searching for the right word.

"I just hope that next time, if there's an appointment," Elias's voice softened, with a guiding patience, "you can remember that it's not just something on your to-do list. There's someone else thinking of you too."

"I'll remember," Draco replied. "Then... will I ever see Casper and Leopold again?"

Elias looked at Draco: "Next time, they might come to England first. Scarpa said he had to attend a 'meaningless but necessary' social event, and Leopold... is probably here to inspect Gringotts' vault."

"Hmm," Draco said, a little disappointed.

"However..." Elias looked at the somewhat dejected head and changed the subject: "If I have the honor, could I please have Young Master Malfoy taste the raspberry tart alone? Gilgamesh has improved the recipe many times."

Draco's eyes lit up, his pupils round and bright, like those of a proud Persian cat: "Okay, it's a deal."

Elias nodded without saying anything more. He walked to his bed, his fingers brushing against the dark green curtains, his movements as gentle as if he were stroking a sleeping bird.

"Go wash up." Elias's gentle, deep voice made Draco a little sleepy. "There's a Transfiguration class tomorrow, and Professor McGonagall won't like someone yawning with dark circles under their eyes."

Draco nodded and walked towards the bathroom.

Elias sat behind the curtain, listening to the faint sound of water in the bathroom, his fingertips lingering on a line in the book—a line from an old German folktale about how to plant a seed that would glow under the moonlight.

He gently closed the book and looked out the window. Deep in the Black Lake, a group of luminous jellyfish were slowly rising, like a silent celebration known only to night travelers.