Seven Steps || Drarry

Part 28

Kipper led Draco and Harry to a dining room that they hadn't used since, forever, as far as Draco could remember. It was the largest dining room in the finished east wing, but Draco only remembered it as a place to be wandered in and out of when he was avoiding his lessons. The white plaster walls had been painted a soft mossy green, and the marble tiles were muted by a large rug Draco had never seen before. Some of the old paintings had even been hung back up around the walls, paintings of landscapes, fields and forests moved by wind and traversed by animals in silence.

Mother had only painted and finished a few of the renovated rooms in her drive to smother all the dark magic in the house, and Draco wondered why she had gone to the trouble for such a pointless place. Draco knew she loved throwing dinner parties, but there weren't going to be any more dinner parties.

Mother stood up from the table and came to greet them, "Good evening, Draco, Mr Potter," she kissed the air beside Harry's cheek before hugging Draco, "I'm pleased you weren't held up too long."

"I'm sorry we kept you waiting," Draco said. He looked his mother over, with her lilac silk dress robes and curled hair, "You look lovely."

Mother smiled, "I wanted tonight to be special. Come, let's sit," she waved them to the end of the table where three places had been laid, looking small and out of place on the long grand table.

Mother sat at the head of the table with an empty seat on either side.

Draco sat across from Harry as dinner appeared, their soup bowls filling in front of them as the rest of the dishes appeared in the space between, a roast in the centre of it all. It was quite a bit more than three or four courses, but after the morning's breakfast, Draco wasn't surprised.

Mother sighed, "Suppy is being overexcitable again."

"She'll calm down once Harry's gone," Draco said.

Harry was looking stiff as a board with nerves, so Draco kicked him.

Harry jumped and glared at him.

Mother cleared her throat before Harry could retaliate. Draco grinned smugly as Mother asked Harry, "How is school going for you, Mr Potter?"

"Err, It's fine. I still feel like I'm catching up with everyone," Harry said.

Draco picked up his soup spoon, nudging Harry under the table to copy him, and said, "The real work of revisions starts when we get back."

"Have you decided which subjects you're going to focus on?" Mother asked, glancing at both of them.

"Potions, of course," Draco said, "Runes and Arithmancy are also very strong subjects for me. I've recently decided I'd like O's in Herbology and History as well."

"What about Charms and Transfiguration?" Mother asked, her brow creasing faintly in concern.

Draco fished around his soup for more barley, "I think I'd be fine having an A or an E in those subjects. They're useful but not as important to me."

"I see," Mother said and asked Harry, "What about you, Mr Potter?"

Harry nearly dropped his spoon, "Could- ah, you call me Harry? Mr Potter is a bit..."

"Harry then."

Harry took a deep breath, "Well, I don't know if I'll try out for the auror's after school but I figured I'd do my best to get O's in all the required subjects just in case."

"That's very sensible," Mother said. She tapped her soup bowl with her wand, sending it back to the kitchen and tapped the plate beneath it to fill it with the next course. "How has school been for the returning Slytherin class?"