My Father's Only Rule {DRACO MALFOY X SNAPE'S DAUGHTER}

Chapter Nine: The Slug Club

November 1996 - Hogwarts

The slug club was all anyone could talk about when the owls got sent out on the first of November. Among those attending were myself, Harry, Hermione, Neville, Ginny, Cormac, and Blaise. Getting invited to Slughorn's dinner party meant a lot more to the people who were not invited than it did to the people who were. Before I had even begun to get ready, Harry was already dressed and ready to go. He insisted that he should get there early to spend some time with Slughorn. I had learned not to fight it. As I made my way through the corridors I ran into Blaise and Jane.

"Oh, hey guys," I said. "Where are you off to?"

"The slug club," Blaise said. "This one's escorting me."

"I didn't know we could bring someone," I said.

"Oh, you can't," Jane said. "I'm just walking with him so I can look Slughorn in the eye and he can feel bad about not inviting me."

"I love you," I laughed.

"Where's Harry?" Jane asked.

"He's already there," I said.

"He's not walking with you?"

"Don't remind me."

"Ugh," Jane groaned. "Grace, I hate to tell you this, but you can do so much better."

"Like who?" I asked. I was secretly hoping she knew something about Draco that I didn't. I was secretly hoping she'd tell me what was going on with him.

"I dunno," she said. "Anyone. Harry's a nice person but he just doesn't give you the attention you deserve."

"It's not all bad," I said, attempting to defend him.

"No, I have to agree with Jane," Blaise interrupted. "It's not my place. But I can sense something's wrong." I wanted to agree with everything they were saying but I knew I couldn't be mad at Harry. Harry was in love with someone else, so, of course, he was acting the way he was. I couldn't be mad because I was also in love with someone else.

"So tell me, Cormac," Slughorn said during dessert. "Do you see anything of your uncle Tiberius these days?" I was sitting in between Harry and Hermione.

"Yes sir," Cormac said. "In fact. I'm meant to go hunting with him and the minister over the holidays."

"Oh, well. Be sure to give them both my best. And what about your uncle, Belby? For those of you who don't know, Marcus's uncle invented the Wolfsbane Potion." Marcus Belby was shoving his mouth full of ice cream. "Is he working on anything new?"

"Don't know," Marcus said in between bites. "He and me dad don't get on. Probably because me dad thinks potions are rubbish. Says the only potion worth having is a stiff one at the end of the day."

"And what exactly does your family do in the muggle world, Miss Granger?" he asked Hermione as all eyes went to her. She came out of her shell to answer.

"My parents are dentists," she said. A moment of silence filled the room as many needed an explanation of what a dentist was. "They tend to peoples' teeth."

"Fascinating," Slughorn said. "And is that considered a dangerous profession?"

"No," Hermione said. Then as she remembered a funny story, she giggled a little. "Although, one boy, Robbie Fenwick, did bite my father once. He needed ten stitches."

When nobody laughed at Hermione's story, Ginny entered the room with a red face. Harry's head snapped in her direction.

"Ah, Miss Weasley," Slughorn said. "Come in, come in."

"Look at her eyes," Hermione said quietly to Harry and me. "They've been fighting again."

"Sorry," Ginny said, taking her seat. "I'm not usually late." For a reason I cannot explain, Harry stood up sharply and stared directly at Ginny. I looked up at him, hoping that he would look back at me. But he glanced at Hermione, who gave him a sympathetic look. 

She knew. And she didn't tell me.

"No matter," Slughorn said. "You're just in time for dessert. That is if Belby's left you any." Slughorn laughed and his own joke as sadness settled in me. Then I looked over to see Cormac, staring and Hermione and me, licking his fingers. Shivers went down our spines as we looked anywhere in the room but him.