Potter's Shadow (Draco Malfoy)

Chapter 54

The first Slug club dinner was currently in progress and I would rather be anywhere else. I was exhausted from all the sleepless and nightmare filled nights. I couldn't get rid of the idea that if I was a little bit earlier to the bathroom it would have been me instead of Katie. 

Ginny wasn't even here because she had told me to go ahead when I saw her in the common room with Dean. Arguing, again. Things hadn't been going very smoothly. I tried to reassure her that when Draco and I had our first fight we just came back stronger but something wasn't the same with Dean and Ginny. 

I wasn't saying the food was bad at the Slug club but I could have easily got most of it at dinner in the Great Hall or asking some of the house elves in the kitchen. It didn't help that the conversation was fairly awkward. 

Hermione and I had left a seat between us for Ginny as she sat next to Harry, while I sat next to Blaise. 

"So tell me, Cormac, do you see anything of your Uncle Tiberius these days?" Slughorn filled the silence. 

Cormac stopped his attack on his dessert to answer, "Yes, sir. In fact, I'm meant to go hunting with him and the Minister of Magic over the holidays." Cormac always did seem one to gloat and push his presence over others. 

"Well, be sure to give them both my best," Slughorn spoke, another man to always claw themselves up in the world by being a suck up. "What about your uncle, Belby? For those who don't know, Marcus' uncle invented the Wolfsbane Potion. Is he working on anything new?"

Belby was gorging on his food and barely looked up as he spoke. I cringed in on myself, at him talking while eating, I couldn't look at him for seeing the food rolling around in his mouth. "Don't know. Him and Dad don't get on. Probably because me dad says potions are rubbish. Says the only potion worth having is a stiff one at the end of the day." Poor Blaise, who was sat next to him. Blaise was originally going to sit next to Slughorn but I made him swap with two twins in Slytherin. 

Slughorn didn't acknowledge that response and comment as he moved to his next victim, Hermione. "What about you, Miss Granger? What does your family do in the Muggle world?"

"My parents are dentists," Hermione answered uncomfortably. When she was met by confused expressions she elaborated, "They tend to people's teeth." 

Slughorn leaned forwards slightly, "Fascinating. And is that considered a dangerous profession?"

"No," Hermione answered quick and bluntly. Feeling the judging air to the room, she continued, "Although, one boy, Robbie Fenwick, did bite my father once. He needed ten stitches." Hermione laughed timidly. 

To make her feel better I joined Harry in a light chuckle, elbowing Blaise to make him at least show some enjoyment and politeness to Hermione's statement. He managed to pull himself into giving a small smile. 

Thankfully, the door creaked open, gaining everyone's attention. Ginny floated into the room, her face told me everything about how her conversation had gone. 

"Ah, Miss Weasley. Come in, come in," Slughorn beckoned her to the spare chair. 

Ginny edged across the room and pulled out the chair,  "Sorry. I'm not usually late." 

I wanted to implode on myself from second hand embarrassment as Harry stood up. Sweet ground swallow me whole. Let the giant squid, from the black lake, drag me under to drown. 

"No matter. You're just in time for dessert, that is, if Belby's left you any," Slughorn joked as Ginny and Harry sunk into their seats. 

Trying to make it less suspicious, Harry bent down and pretended to pick up a napkin.