Draco's Hufflepuff | Emerging

Seventy-Six: Slug Club

**

Saturday, 10th May, 1997

"Do you have any plans later on this evening, Maddie?" Patrick asked, slumping down next to me on the sofa.

I had been in the common room all day, mainly by myself, because everyone was in Hogsmeade for the day. I was invited, but I politely declined. I didn't entirely mind being alone, because that meant I could wallow in my misery with no judging eyes.

"Not much, just sitting here, trying to read," I shrugged my shoulders,

"What about your friends?" Patrick cocked his head,

"Hannah will be with Seamus, Leanne is going to some party with Luke, Susan will be with Lisa, and Megan is spending time with Ernie," I told him, feeling pathetic,

"Well, that brings me on nicely to my next question. How do you feel about attending that party with me as my plus one? It's this thing Slughorn is throwing," Patrick asked, smiling at me,

"Oh, I don't know, Patrick, I don't think I'd be very good company at the moment," I said to him honestly,

"It's all a bit pretentious, but it's good fun. The Slug Club, that's what it's called. There'll be decent champagne, posh hors d'oeuvres, and interesting witches and wizards to talk to," Patrick listed, trying to persuade me to go with him,

"I've not long broke up with Draco, it would feel wrong to go out with another boy so soon," I confessed, feeling my heart pound in my chest a little faster,

"It'll cheer you up, and I promise, you'll be my platonic plus one. We'll strictly be going as friends. It would beat sitting here all evening, wouldn't it?" Patrick nudged my elbow, with a glint in his eye,

"Patrick, I'm not sure-"

"It would take your mind off Malfoy for a little while," Patrick said to me earnestly.

I sat there for a moment, picking at the skin of my finger, a beat of silence filled the air.

"How good did you say this champagne will be?" I said begrudgingly, unsure of whether I was making the right choice.

**

Patrick said he would walk down to this party with me at 8:00pm, which was only an hour away. I had been up in my dorm now for almost two hours. Leanne was getting ready, and I was supposed to be as well.

When all my friends found out I was going to this Slug Club thing as well, they were delighted, but I was secretly regretting agreeing more as time went on.

Gnawing, biting guilt was pooling in my spine and in the pit of my stomach. I couldn't get the thought out of my head of Draco finding out and getting the wrong end of the stick. What if he mistook me going with Patrick as something more?

I wanted to go down and tell him I couldn't make it any more, but I knew that would be mean of me. The promise of some expensive champagne was the only thing getting me to still go through with it. At least I could get drunk and forget about everything for a minute.

Things between Patrick and me were only just starting to go back to normal, and I didn't want to jeopardise that. I did miss having Patrick in my life, as he was a good friend to me before all that shit happened. It was nice to have something back in my life from the days where I wasn't a mess.

Megan had let me borrow one of her dresses for the evening. It was navy and covered in tiny specks of black glitter, with tulip style sleeves, a wrap design over the chest, and a pleated skirt. It was very pretty, but all it did was remind me of the dress I wore on New Year's Eve.