Lineage||Draco Malfoy|

8|off the hook

"Weren't you ever taught that it's rude to comment of other people's appearances?" He said the words like they were rehearsed and had no true meaning behind them.

Draco Malfoy had never been anything but rude to Quinn, some might even call him a bully, yet concern danced on the edges of her mind.

"Remind me again how this conversation started?"

"With the observation that you look like a slug."

Quinn turned back, no longer able to stand the sight of him when he looked so... unusual. "So you have morals and standards but it appears that you have no qualms regarding hypocrisy."

She could feel him scowling at her back. How was it possible that he irritated her so much more when he seemed human? Was it because in some sick way she could relate? That she looked at him, exhausted and crass, and saw bits of herself staring back?

"It's not hypocrisy when mine was an observation and yours was said with mal intent."

They both knew that was bullshit.

"Quiet, all of you." Snape never had any trouble silencing a classroom, not with a drawl that was reminiscent of the rumble of an oncoming train. "Open your textbooks to page 394."

Class dragged on, moving slowly enough when the end came Quinn had already packed up her items ten minutes ago.

Slinging her bag over her shoulder, she was prepared to make her escape when a hand came down on her desk. She looked up, meeting Malfoy's cool gaze which was weighed down by the darkness under his eyes.

"What do you care about how I look?" he asked.

Quinn grinned, forgetting her initial irritation and allowing herself to instead by entertained by his agitation. "Why do you care that I asked?"

He scowled, eyes darting around the bustling room as their peers got their items together and left the chilly dungeon. Nevaeh had left almost immediately, leaving Quinn to hash out this disagreement alone. 

"It's never good when a low life like you comes sniffing around my business," he reasoned.

Quinn quirked a brow, unsure of what to make of his behavior. "Yeah? What're worried I'll do?"

Pale blue eyes bore into her, the iciness of them rattled her more than she'd like to admit. Draco Malfoy had a natural sharpness, both in appearance and attitude. He knew how to carry himself from years of practiced arrogance along with a wealthy family, he held his shoulders square and chin up, so he was looking down without hardly angling his head, like she was shit he had the misfortune of stepping in.

"Like you could do anything," he sneered. She hadn't noticed him taking out his wand, but he tapped it against the collar of her shirt, his eyes remaining trained on her's. "Wouldn't want a repeat of a few weeks ago."

"When you hexed me because you ran out of retorts?"

"When you insulted my family."

Quinn remembered. She remembered ridiculing his father for being a Death Eater and dangling Draco's fate in front of in the form of a taunt.

"Well, remember when I beat the shit out of you for it?"

He glanced away, only for a moment though. "Excuse me for not being prepared to fight a witch who duels with her fists and not a wand. I would too if I came from a muggle family, I bet your magic is exceptionally weak."

"Is that what you came over to talk about?" Quinn demanded. "Didn't meet your quota of 'Mudbloods' for the day so you came to use them all on me?"