&& Simple Things

Winifred nodded in approval, her nose scrunching up at the thought of the other teachers roaming around Hogwarts, spreading their anti-blood purity propaganda. “ See, that’s why I keep you around, Malfoy. You have a good grasp of things, you’re not…blinded, like some people. ” Though, at his remark about not speaking up, she had to roll her eyes. That was one of the factors why Winifred sometimes kept Lucius at an arms length, his inability to stand up for their cause. And his rather friendly attitude to people like Mary. “ Alright then. I suppose they’d be closed by now. Are you heading back to the common room, or do you have somewhere else to be ? ”

Just arching his eyebrow as he looked at her, he shook his head. Frankly, he couldn’t give less of a fuck if someone liked him or not. The only thing that mattered to him was to stay low and when the time was right strike. To walk around and try and act all tough like half the Slytherin’s, well it didn’t really work now did it? People fought back and that was why he always stayed in the shadows only to strike when they least expect it. “I am going to my room” he mumbled and shrugged. “Why you asking?”

            theirs  was  an  odd  friendship  but  his  respect ,   anyone’s  respect  really  ,  brought  a  sliver  of  a  smile  to  her  face .  “  ye  can  say  it’s  the  hair  lucy ,  i  won’t  take  offence ,  ”  she’d  built  herself  a  reputation ,  a  notoriety ,  had  it  torn  from  her  and  reclaimed  it ;  and  as  much  as  it  stemmed  from  her  parentage  very  little  of  it  had  to  do  with  her  actual  parents .  the  stakes  of  life  and  death  were  real  to  her  but  that  of  public  opinion ?  it  was  less  than  an  afterthought .  “  then  tell  me ;  who’s  got  it  better ?  ” 

“Oh but why should I say something you already expect to hear?” he asked as he shook his head. Gaining friends was something Lucius didn’t care much about. He didn’t give a damn if he had people on his side. He only cared about making his name stand out from the rest. All he cared about was being a good Slytherin boy. And if that meant hurting people to get what he wanted, so be it. Mary was one of the few people who he actually cared about. Which was strange.

            “  so  do  i ,  ”  mary  shrugged ,  thinking  back  on  the  many  times  she’d  been  chided  with  those  words .  “  but  i  just  pick  all  of  them ,  ”  it  was  as  much  a  clever  comeback  as  it  was  the  truth ,  she’d  never  backed  down  from  a  fight .  well  not  till  recently ,  but  she  was  over  that .   or  at  least  she  was  trying  to  be .   “  eh ?  you’ve  got  it  better  than  most ,  ”  her  unspoken  meaning  —  you’ve  got  it  better  than  me .  

A genuine chuckle left him when he heard her words, shrugging as he sighed. “And that is why I tolerate you. Because you have a fire inside that most people around here lack. Which is why I never feed into negativity. If people want to fight me, it’s on them. I don’t have the time to get into trouble with the teachers” he said. Always the golden boy, he tried so hard to be good. To make his parents proud. “Hmm depends”

            “  wha‘  was  it  this  time ? ”  she  drawls ,  eyebrow  raised  as  she  flops  down  into  a  seat  opposite  him .   “  some  first  year  no  bow  when  they  tried  to  speak  to  ye ?  or  did  the  third  years  no  gie  ye  enough  space  in  the  halls ?  ”  mary  teased ,  grinning  all  the  while .  “  or  is  it  a  touch  mare  serious ?  ”

“More like people trying to rile me up. But I pick my battles. I don’t just walk around and try to have a fight with anyone. No no. I only pick the people I feel can match me” he mused as he looked at Mary. “I would prefer that kind of treatment over the shit I have received as of late” he added, rolling his eyes.