The Half-Blood Prince | Hermione Granger x Male Reader (Book Six)

7. Slughorn's Slug Club

Y/N's POV

The return to Hogwarts was a smooth procedure, I said my goodbyes to Narcissa before me and Draco boarded to train and sat in a compartment with the usual lot of Slytherins. Me and Draco were both in our suits, disregarding the Hogwarts uniform.

"How was your summer?" asked Blaise, looking at me.

I shrugged. "Just the usual, hanging out around the Manor with Draco."

Pansy edged closer to me. "You look so handsome in that suit."

I grimaced. "Keep your affections and desires to yourself please Pansy, it's bad enough I have to watch you fawn over Draco but now that you're moving onto me..."

"What he means," Blaise smirked, "is to piss off Pansy."

Chuckling I adjusted the cuffs of my suit before leaning back into my seat.

"So, how was everyone's O.W.L scores?" Blaise asked again.

"Crabbe and Goyle, we're not asking you. It's quite obvious what you got." I laughed, looking at the two boys who were eating.

Blaise had gotten as a mix of A's and E's, Pansy had ranged from D's to E's, Draco had gotten E's and O's and as for myself, I had gotten O's in everything apart from History of Magic, where I managed to get an E.

Not long after the train departed from King's Cross, a timid first year entered our compartment and handed out letters to me and Blaise.

F/N,
I would be delighted if you would join me for a bite of lunch in compartment C.
Sincerely, Professor H. E. F. Slughorn

"What does the old man want?" I asked, peering over to Blaise who had gotten the same letter.

Blaise shrugged. "Let's go find out shall we?"

Exiting the compartment, me and Blaise made our way into compartment C and opened the door.

"Ah, my boys!" Slughorn said, waving at both me and Blaise. The two of us looked at each other hesitantly before sitting ourselves down.

There was light conversation as Slughorn kept on glancing eagerly at the compartment door. When Harry came in along with Neville, his eyes widened, he was obviously looking most forward to Harry being here.

"Harry, m'boy!" he said, "good to see you, good to see you! And you must be Mr Longbottom!"

Neville nodded and the two of them sat down opposite each other in the only two empty seats, which were nearest the door.

"Now, do you know everyone?" Slughorn asked Harry. "Blaise Zabini and F/N Malfoy are in your year," Harry looked at me and I gave him a small smile, Slughorn continued, "this is Cormac McLaggen, perhaps you've come across each other and this is Marcus Belby, I don't know whether you've met, and this charming young lady tells me she knows you!" Slughorn finished.

I saw Ginny frown at Harry and Neville from behind Slughorn's back."Well now, this is most pleasant," said Slughorn cosily, "a chance to get to know you all a little better. Here, take a napkin. I've packed my own lunch; the trolley, as I remember it, is heavy on liquorice wands, and a poor old man's digestive system isn't quite up to such things...Pheasant, Belby?"

Belby accepted what looked like half a cold pheasant. "I was just telling young Marcus here that I had the pleasure of teaching his Uncle Damocles, "Slughorn told us, now passing around a basket of rolls, "outstanding wizard, outstanding, and his Order of Merlin most well-deserved. Do you see much of your uncle, Marcus?"

"Not...not much of him, no," replied Belby.

"Well, of course, I daresay he's busy," said Slughorn, " I doubt he invented the Wolfsbane Potion without considerable hard work!"