Draco paused at his uncle's comment. Not long ago, Draco wanted nothing more than to follow in Lucius' footsteps. Even when the man hurt him, Draco thought it was for his own good. Lucius was hard on him because he loved him, right? He wanted Draco to be the best Malfoy he could be, right? Draco had no idea some fathers showered their children with praise and compelled them with kindness. He had no idea that it wasn't normal to have every defeat, no matter how hard he worked, thrown in his face. Now? Draco knew better. He still loved Lucius. He knew Lucius did the best he could in his own way. He simply did not want to be that type of man or father. Yet, he wasn't sure how to take it from Rodolphus. Was it a compliment? A slight? And why did it matter to Draco? Would he ever escape the need to please his family?
"I suppose I'm not," he said calmly. He made sure to keep his expression blank. He didn't want his uncle knowing how conflicted he felt over it. "Would you like to join me?" He gestured to the empty seat.