Chapter 2 – Slytherins aren't always arrogant; arrogance is used as a mask when we feel threatened.
It was a snowy Sunday. Lucius could see that Narcissa was freezing, even with her heavy winter cloak on. It was already the middle of December and they had just two days left before their Christmas vacation. There was a reason Lucius had chosen this exact date - if things went wrong, they wouldn't have to see each other for nearly a month after that. It was likely not the best way of thinking to have before a date, but he'd tried to be as realistic as possible in his expectations.
They entered The Three Broomsticks in silence and Cissy chose a table.
"Here I am. In Hogsmeade. With you," she said. "Happy now?"
"Couldn't be happier," Lucius said with a cheerful smile. Narcissa sighed again; it was one of those sighs of desperation that only appeared when he was around.
"Maybe, Malfoy, if you weren't such an arrogant prat, we would get along better."
He could never tell her that it was all because of her; how was a Malfoy supposed to admit to a fourth-year that he actually fancied her? There was no way, of course. It was better for everyone to think that he just wanted her around him because of her family name and reputation rather than because of who she was. Her closest friends already suspected what the truth was, he knew; she was the only one who still couldn't figure it out. It was either that, or she preferred not to see the obvious.
"I'm not arrogant," he tried to defend himself anyway, mostly out of habit.
"Yes, you are," she argued. "You always have this air around you – you think you can have whatever or whoever you want. People do everything for you, as if you're a god. I have no idea why you even invited me to come today, when there are probably even some Gryffindor girls who would kill to sit here with you right now."
Even though she still looked at him with open dislike, there was something nervous in her voice. Was it possible? Hope slowly raised its head into Lucius's soul. Maybe, just maybe, he still had a chance with her. Only one way to find out, he thought. Time to set his natural charm free. If she actually had any feelings for him, she would react to that if not to anything else.
"Cissa?" he said hoping that his voice wasn't trembling and that it was his usual drawl that showed nothing but polite interest. That's what it sounded like to his own years, but that indicator wasn't the most reliable when it came to her. "Is there something else you want to tell me?"
"Like what?" Narcissa asked and he could see that her bright blue eyes widening in panic. He smirked and tried to answer, but then the look in her eyes turned furious once again, like the expression had just waited to make a reappearance as soon as possible.
"You're an idiot, Malfoy," Narcissa hissed. Her pale cheeks were now burning as she realized that he was trying to use his charm – that worked so well on any other girl – on her. "Here, you got the chance you wanted. Now I'm out of here. And stop chasing me, because it won't help you."
And then she just stormed out the door; her platinum blond hair billowing behind her and - along with her white coat - making her blend with the winter storm outside. Lucius's face collided with the cold table in front of him in desperation, but it was all in vain. The shock of it wouldn't chase away the memory of what an idiot he had been.
She was right after all. He was an arrogant prat, and he knew perfectly well why he was acting like that – because he felt unsure and he didn't want to show it. Not in front of her, at least, the girl he wanted to see him as her idea of strong and tough man.
"That was a bad one, mate," Nott said as he walked past his table, trying to sound as he was actually sorry for it. It wasn't very effective, but then again, the attempt wasn't all that good anyway. "Poor Narcissa. I guess that now she'll need someone else to escort her to the school now."
Lucius took a deep breath, but did not answer. That was exactly what Nott wanted; to make fun of him and, even more than that, to provoke me. No matter how sorry he felt for himself, he wasn't about to give him the pleasure.
"Fuck you," he groaned instead without even raising his head, only to change his mind a moment later. The new course of action made him look up at Nott and he tried his hardest to look amused.
"Well, you saw her. She fancies me, I knew it," He drawled as he leaned his back on his chair. "But you can try your luck with her too, if you want. At least she's pretty."
When Nott left, his lips still curled in a mocking smile despite the other boy's words, Lucius hit the table in front of him in frustration. It was himself that he wanted to hit, but it wouldn't be proper; not in public, at least.
You idiot, he thought. That's totally not how you win a girl's heart.
All right, being an arrogant prat was out the list of effective ideas already. Time to try something else.
