The warm glow of floating candles cast flickering shadows across the walls of Professor Slughorn’s office, where the latest Slug Club gathering was in full swing. Laughter and chatter filled the space as well-dressed students clustered in small groups, sipping pumpkin juice and nibbling on crystallized pineapple.

Severus stood near the edge of the room, arms crossed, his black robes slightly oversized for his lanky frame. He shifted uncomfortably, dark eyes scanning the crowd with a mixture of wariness and disdain.

“I still don’t know why you insisted on coming,” he muttered to you beside him, one of the few people he considered a friend. You had convinced him that attending at least one Slug Club gathering wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world.