**Ten Years Ago – Belling Manor**
Unable to stand the confusion clouding the little girl's eyes any longer, Mammon dipped his fluffy head and gently nuzzled her forehead.
"Good girl, don't overthink it," he whispered, voice soft and sisterly. "Everything will be alright."
He hopped down from the bed and turned, patting his broad back with one paw. "Climb on. Mammon will carry you to the dressing room and help you pick out the prettiest little dress."
Estelle only let the word "godfather" tumble around in her mind for a second before she nodded. She scrambled onto his back, tiny fingers sinking deep into the misty-blue fur, and held on as he padded smoothly toward the dressing room.
The house-elves of Belling Manor were never allowed anywhere except the kitchens and the dressing suites—strict orders from the ancestors. Pegasus and Mammon, however, had spoiled Estelle shamelessly from the day she was born. For her first three years, her bare feet had never once touched the cold stone floors of the castle; one of the two magical guardians was always carrying her. It was only when the portraits finally lost patience and lectured them about "letting children run free like nature intended" that Estelle learned to toddle, then run and jump like any other little girl.
As Mammon carried her down the long, torch-lit corridor, the portraits along the walls stirred to life.
"Oh~ Look at our precious little Estelle! Where are you off to in such a hurry?"
"She's still half-asleep, bless her. That rosy little face… exactly like Brian at that age, only ten times sweeter."
"Heavens, I swear I'll never get used to how perfect she is—I just want to reach out and pinch those cheeks!"
"The dressing room… ah, yes. Today's the day, isn't it?"
"What day?"
"Have you forgotten already? Brian sent a letter to the head of the Malfoy family before he—"
The chatter dipped the moment Grandma Shirley's portrait mentioned "Brian" and "Malfoy." By the time Mammon rounded the corner, the voices had faded to respectful whispers.
Inside the dressing room, the usual welcome rang out.
"Oh~ Beautiful little mistress! This silver-and-red gown is absolutely perfect on you!"
"Buddy is honoured—truly honoured—to serve you!"
Buddy, the wide-eyed house-elf in his neatly pressed dark-blue pillowcase, said the same thing every single time, big tears already shimmering on his lashes.
Brian had brought Buddy to the manor specifically to tend to Estelle's daily needs, but the little girl had always clung to Pegasus and Mammon instead. Once she mastered dressing herself, Buddy had happily stepped back, content to dash between the dressing room and the adjoining bathroom fetching ribbons, shoes, and anything else they needed.
In the tall mirror, Estelle looked every inch the tiny noble. The long silver-and-red dress hugged her frame with delicate embroidery that caught the light like starlight on snow. Buddy had pinned her slightly wavy silver hair up with expert care, revealing her smooth forehead, and fastened a slender ruby necklace around her throat. She shimmered like a princess stepped out of a medieval tapestry.
Mammon, never one to do things by halves, decided it still wasn't enough. He reached into a glittering jewellery box, plucked out a dainty diamond tiara, and dropped it into Buddy's waiting hands.
"Honourable Master Mammon, Buddy will place it at once!" The elf bowed so low his nose nearly touched the floor, then gently settled the tiara on Estelle's head.
If not for the faint pallor of her lips—always there because of her skin hunger—she would have looked like a living doll.
"Thank you, Buddy," Estelle said sweetly, offering him a small smile.
The house-elf froze.
Then, exactly as she had expected, he yanked a handkerchief from his pillowcase and burst into noisy tears.
"Nooo! Little mistress mustn't thank Buddy! It is Buddy's greatest honour—his only purpose! Wahhhh! Such a kind, perfect little mistress… and Buddy is a bad elf! A terrible, unworthy elf!"
Estelle tilted her head, bright blue eyes sparkling with innocent fascination. Watching Buddy cry had become her newest favourite game. She never meant to upset him; it was just… endlessly entertaining how quickly he melted.
"Meow… enough of that noise," Mammon cut in, tying a crisp red bowtie around his own neck with practised paws. "The Malfoy must already be waiting outside the gates. We're late."
But Buddy only sobbed harder. "Wah… Master Mammon, Buddy is a bad elf… Buddy can't stop crying… Today the little mistress is leaving Belling Manor to live with the Malfoy family… Wahhhhh!"
Estelle and Mammon spoke at the exact same time.
"You…"
"What?"
The cat's ears flicked. He caught the tremble in Buddy's voice, saw the fresh tears welling in Estelle's eyes, and thought, *Oh no.*
Sure enough, the little girl turned to him with a heartbreakingly small voice.
"Am I… really leaving here?"
Her bottom lip wobbled. One more word and those golden tears would spill.
Mammon took an involuntary step back, tail fluffing in panic. He shot Buddy a murderous glare—the elf immediately clapped both hands over his mouth—then stammered,
"W-well… that's the plan, yes."
He couldn't meet her eyes.
"The Belling family only has you now, Stelle. Pegasus and I… the portraits… none of us can teach you everything a real witch needs to know. At the Malfoys' you'll get proper lessons, proper friends, everything a little girl your age should have. And—and I'll stay right by your side the whole time. I promise."
*Merlin's beard, what am I even saying?* Mammon thought desperately. He couldn't bear the soft, wounded whimpers coming from the child in front of him. He glared at Buddy again, silently cursing Pegasus for vanishing into the Dense Forest at the worst possible moment.
*Worst. Comforter. Ever.*
"Don't cry, don't cry…" Mammon muttered, steeling himself. He stepped forward and awkwardly dabbed at her wet cheeks with one soft paw. "Here—look what Pegasus and I found in the Dense Forest this morning. Brand new. Tasty, I swear."
He produced an enormous black flower the size of Estelle's entire head and shoved it toward her.
To make sure she wouldn't feel shy about accepting it, he gave the bloom an encouraging little push with his paw.
That was when Estelle saw the three neat rows of razor-sharp teeth nestled inside the petals.
Her sobs instantly doubled in volume.
By the time Mammon carried her out of the castle—still sniffling—Pegasus had returned. Without a word, the winged stallion pressed a slender, elegant wand into the little girl's small hand.
They passed through the manor's shimmering protective barrier and stopped dead.
Estelle could still hear Pegasus's gentle promise echoing in her ears: "Don't worry, sweetheart. You can come home to Belling Manor anytime you like." But her tear-bright eyes had already locked onto the tall figure waiting just beyond the gates.
A head of perfect platinum hair gleamed in the sunlight.
Lucius Malfoy had arrived alone. He had been growing mildly impatient waiting for his old friend's child… until the moment he saw the silver-haired girl perched on the back of an enormous misty-blue cat.
He was struck completely speechless.
*Brian never mentioned his daughter was this beautiful,* Lucius thought, stunned. *She even has something of Cissy's look when she was small…*
At the exact same moment, Estelle stared back with wide, wondering eyes.
*Mammon never told me my godfather was a beautiful platinum gemstone!!!!*
Estelle liked him.
Estelle wanted to hug her godfather right now.