Bestfriend

43

Harry and Neville shoulder through the door. Slughorn is present along with Belle Avery, Blaise Zabini, Cormac Mclaggen, and Marjorie Belby. Zabini looks a snobbish aristocrat, McLaggen is well-built and wiry, Belby pretty and fashionable. Slughorn has set out a small feast including champagne goblets on the little table in the middle.
"Harry, my boy, come in, sit down! And Mr. Longbottom, such a pleasure to meet you! The son of two such brave war heroes; you must do them proud every day."
"Well harry won't be a hero without a secret help isn't it." Belle sneered that gave Slughorn a confused look
He's really turning on the charm. He's shaking Neville's hand as Neville finds a seat. Both Neville and Harry are sitting down keeping their eyes on Slughorn, Draco is there too but they didn't notice.
"I--I don't really--well, I try, sir"
"I'm sure you do, splendid, splendid. Help yourselves; I'm sure you've met everyone? Ms. Avery, Mr. Zabini, Mr. McLaggen, Miss Belby, and of course you know Mr. Malfoy."
Harry sees Draco Malfoy seated there; Harry looks as if he could shoot lasers from his eyes. Draco, however, isn't even looking in Harry's direction. He looks as if he does not want to be there, sour-faced as usual, but for once it does not appear to do with Harry--something different than just avoiding Harry's eyes because he dislikes that Harry is here. Harry senses it and his look of hatred shifts to just a little puzzlement. Meanwhile Slughorn is still talking.
"Such a pleasure to have the cream of Hogwarts here for a little get-together! Now, Mr. McLaggen--may I call you Cormac?--how is your Uncle Tiberius? I know you went hunting nogtails with him in, I think, Norfolk?"
Slughorn is picking up his champagne and a pheasant leg as he speaks. He bites into the pheasant as McLaggen answers. McLaggen also takes a piece of something tasty from the table as he does.
"Oh, yes, that was fun. We went with Bertie Higgs and Rufus Scrimgeour--that was before Rufus became minister, of course--"
"Of course, of course."
Draco, Belle and Zabini push their way out of the compartment. They pass Harry and Neville; Zabini gives them the once-over but Draco ignores them. Harry follows Draco with his eyes. Belle smirked at harry.
"Malfoy didn't look like he was having a good time either."
"He should have been eating it up.
Neville, go back to the compartment. I'll be there soon." He is pulling something folded out of his trouser pocket.
"Train's almost there, Harry."
"Tell the others to go on ahead. I'll catch up."
Neville goes in the opposite direction from where Zabini and Draco went. The item Harry is unfolding is his Invisibility Cloak. He waits for a moment, clearly making sure no one sees him, then throws it over himself. There is the momentary glittery haze around him then he disappears; the shot follows the place he would be, falling in behind Draco and Zabini When Draco and Zabini go through their compartment door Zabini has a moment of puzzlement as he goes to close the door and feels something whisper across his hand; then he closes the door. Harry climbing up onto a momentarily empty seat and hoisting himself up to the empty back corner of the luggage rack.
"That Slughorn. My mother told me about him. "He'll try to cultivate you, darling, just like all those with connections."
"Sly old devil!"
"That's why he's Slytherin, like us."
He gives her a tweak, and she giggles
"Where's Belle?" Draco realized her girlfriend went missing
"I don't know, aren't you supposed to be with her?" Blaise asked Draco didn't answer he just seriously looked around.