Black Blood

01 - Churlish Antics

Moved from @arianagendary

She sat off to the side atop a stone bench, her legs curled and crossed beneath her, as she watched the confrontation unfold, her dear cousin taking the lead once introduced, showing up, quite foolishly, in her opinion, the Gryffindor quidditch team with a set of fancy new brooms.

'What a child,' she ruefully thought to herself, gazing at her kin's arrogant grin.

Words continued to be spoken, insults continued to freely fly, and then, as though it were any of their business, Weasley and Granger, who'd been mostly on the sideline, joined the fray, the latter insulting the girl's cousin for having his father buy his place onto the team, which, despite the muggleborn's likely poor upbringing playing a large part in her biting words, the bystanding girl quietly agreed that it was, in fact, poor sportsmanship on her cousin's part.

"No one asked your opinion, you filthy little mudblood!" her cousin quietly spat, venom lining each and every syllable.

'Truly, what a child,' she mirthfully thought, intent on giving him a good scolding later for speaking when only thinking should've been applied.

"You'll pay for that one, Malfoy!" Weasley angrily, as well as rightfully, in her opinion, shouted, pulling out his busted wand and sending alarm and terror throughout the girl's suddenly cold veins.

'He wouldn't...' she thought in horror, knowing if the spell he intended to use didn't somehow backfire, then it may do any number of random, chaotic things to her cousin instead of the intended effect.

Before she could stand to intervene, and before anyone else could stop him, he pointed his wand at her cousin and invoked his spell.

"Eat slugs!"

And promptly flew back onto his rump, looking quite dazed and utterly ill.

'Oh, thank Merlin,' the girl silently thought, feeling not quite amused like her cousin and the Slytherin team, but not bad for the redheaded boy who'd attempted to jinx, rather stupidly, her beloved kin.

Finally standing, and shutting the book on Alchemy she'd been perusing before the confrontation had occurred, she made her way over to her blonde cousin and gently grasped the hem of his green silk robe, giving it a small tug, forcing his eyes to avert from the image of Weasley puking up vile, brown slugs.

"Did you see what Weasley just did, Cass?" he asked with a grin, only for it to drop at the solemn look she sent his way. "What?"

"Come with me," she quietly demanded, a chide on the tip of her tongue.

He groaned, but followed, likely knowing what was in store for him. A scant few minutes later, within an empty hallway, her cousin had apparently had enough of the impending lecture, and he decided to employ his usual strategy, attack first.

"It's his fault!" he snapped, yanking at his sleeve, pulling it from her grasp and causing her to turn about.

"He could've seriously hurt you, Draco, what with that poor excuse for a wand of his," she murmured, sending her cousin a look that caused him to immediately deflate, all fight leaving him as though it had never been.

"Cass, I'm not hurt-" he began, but she didn't allow him to finish.

"But it could've happened, Draco, and all because you spoke when you should've only thought," she scolded, her tone becoming both worried and exasperated.

"Don't chide me, Cass," he growled, wrinkling his nose in obvious disgruntlement. "I'm not five anymore."

"Then act like it," she replied, placing her hands upon her hips. "You should apologize to Granger. That was very rude of you, and Weasley was right to come to her defence."

"I'm not apologizing to that mudblood!" he snapped, baring his teeth in rage and disgust at the mere idea. "She should've kept her filthy mouth shut and her ugly little nose out of my business!"

"Perhaps," the girl said, adopting a softer expression, feeling very much the same as her cousin. "But you shouldn't have responded to her. I doubt she knows better."

He snorted at that, his enraged sneer morphing into a malicious grin.

"Yeah, you're probably right," he said, sending the empty hallway behind him a falsely pitiful glance. "I doubt the animals who raised her taught her anything of etiquette."

The girl grinned as well, although she felt certain animals had nothing to do with Granger's upbringing. She was far too smart and well-spoken, muggleborn or otherwise, for that to be the case.

"Regardless, you should apologize to her," the girl continued, sending the side of his head an imploring look. "It was rude of you. And besides...the way you sometimes talk, it makes one wonder if, in fact, you're the one who has been raised by an animal or some such."

He once more snorted as he turned back, giving his head an amused but negative shake.

"I'm not apologizing to her, but I'll watch my words a little more carefully from now on. I wouldn't want to embarrass myself further, after all," he snidely said, raising a single fine eyebrow.

"Very well, Draco. But if you don't, I will," she threatened, her grin growing a little more as his face screwed up in disgust once more.

"Whatever," he grunted out, turning on his heel and marching back the way they'd come, confirming that he would, in fact, not budge on the subject.

"Whatever," the girl indifferently replied, raising one of her own fine eyebrows and lazily flipping her straight, glossy, raven hair aside with a delicate, pedicured hand, intent on doing exactly as she'd said.