A/N: No owny the Harry Potter series.
Albus headed down the train confidently as he glanced into several compartments. There were ups and downs to being the son of Harry Potter, he thought as he continued. Girls practically fell all over him, and were reduced to puddles when he so much as winked. However, half of their feelings were false, brought on only to raise themselves up socially. Still, being able to shag a girl he wanted when he wanted could prove to be rather nice. He tried not to take advantage though, his parents had raised him better than that. He was always charming, and at least partially careful with the sometimes catatonic nature of girls his age. Merlin, girls could be confusing.
Eventually, he found the compartment Arianna Malfoy was seated in, in the company of several other Slytherins, in addition to Olivia Zabini, who the Slytherins seemed to have adopted into her house, given the absurdity of her placement in Ravenclaw. She didn't seem to mind at all though. It was just more attention. He ambled there before rushing back to his compartment and grabbing his inherited Invisibility Cloak that James had passed to him upon his graduation two years prior. He took it off the shelf, gave Hugo a smug smile, and walked back out again, it folded carefully behind his back.
The fates, it seemed, were in his favor, though, typically, he would have seen this as a bad thing. Arianna was stepping out of her compartment with a mumbled excuse, that only Olivia seemed to see through as she winked surreptitiously. Albus cocked his eyebrows as he stood in front of her.
"What do you want?" Arianna asked impatiently as he showed no sign of clearing the way. Albus tsked disapprovingly at her, only adding to her irritation, quickly mounting.
Not very friendly today, are you Malfoy?" Albus asked. Arianna clenched her teeth at the use of her surname. She hated being addressed as Malfoy.
"Will you PLEASE get out of my way?" she asked in a falsely polite voice, sneering at him all the while.
"You really are much prettier when you're not making that awful face," Albus told her.
"Yeah, well at least I can be attractive, unlike you," she quipped. "Now move."
"Why should I?" he asked.
"Because," she began slowly, wanting nothing more than to hit him, "I'm going to meet my boyfriend, and I'd rather not be late," she hissed. She didn't know why the words had left her mouth. No one knew about Micheal besides Olivia, who heartily disapproved of the relationship.
"Oh, little Miss Perfect has a boyfriend?" he asked sarcastically.
"I'm glad you've finally realized I'm perfect!" Arianna exclaimed, rolling her eyes a moment later. "And yes, I'm dating Micheal Nott. Seventh year, Slytherin," she spat.
"Does your brother know you're dating his best friend?" Albus asked, smirking now at his newly gained knowledge.
"No, he does not," Arianna said, lowering her voice.
"I should enlighten him, then," Albus mused, but was cut off as he was pulled into an empty compartment. "Kinky, Malfoy," he said.
"Get your head out of the gutter, Potter," she snapped. "I wouldn't touch you if my life depended on it. Now, listen to me," she said. "If Scorpius finds out about Micheal and I, I will know who told him. And I swear to you, Albus Potter, you will pay. If Scorpius finds out, your balls will become a permanent fixture above the Slytherin fireplace. Got it?" Albus almost flinched at the malice in her gray eyes. Almost.
"You think about my balls often?" he asked.
"Fuck off, Potter," she hissed, before storming out of the compartment. This was going to be a very difficult task. He grinned though, pulling the Cloak over him and pursuing her, curious to see just what was going on with that Micheal boy. He needed to know what his...competition, he supposed, was. It shouldn't be too hard to break them up, Albus was sure of it.
He followed her quietly as she reached a compartment, empty as well and she opened the door, going in. She sat alone for a couple minutes before a boy joined her. He was tall, a little more so than Al, with short light brown hair, and dark blue eyes. The look on Arianna's face was nearly sickening. Her whole face shone as Micheal walked in, a look that made her infinitely prettier than the scowl he always saw. She was completely infatuated with the boy, that much was sure. Albus watched through the small window as Micheal sat down beside her and a conversation ensued, though only for a few moments. It didn't take long for the heavy snogging to start, and Albus mimed gagging, though no one could see it. Micheal's intentions with Arianna were perfectly clear, as a hand began its way up her shirt. Arianna pushed on his chest, and he pulled back, looking angry for a split second.
"Not here," Arianna said to Micheal, though Al couldn't hear it. She looked flushed, but firm. Albus had to jump out of the way as Micheal left the compartment, kissing Arianna swiftly, though his expression as he turned was one of extreme irritation. Albus smirked to himself. It was quite obvious. Micheal wanted sex, and Arianna wasn't giving it to him. That sort of relationship would fall apart without his prodding, either with Arianna giving in, or Micheal giving up.
Arianna stood up, looking frustrated, and a little sad. She was so confused. She liked Micheal. A lot. But he wanted something she wasn't ready to give him. She wanted to be absolutely sure before she had sex. Absolutely sure, of what she wasn't exactly sure, but she knew she would know when the time came. And it hadn't with Micheal. She hated to see the look of irritation on his face whenever she pushed him away, and she hated to think that all he was coming back for was another chance at sex.
She took a deep breath, pushing those thoughts down and walked out of the train. Albus was unable to get out of the way in time to avoid being brushed against by her. She turned around, eyes wide a moment later.
She reached out, hand clamping around fabric and pulling. Albus looked at her as if she was the one caught spying. "That's been in the family for generations, Malfoy," he said, holding out his hand impatiently.
"You bastard!" she exclaimed quietly. "What all did you see?" she demanded.
"I saw enough," Albus shrugged.
"Enough?" she asked impatiently.
"Enough to know exactly what Micheal wants from you, and I assure you it's not your glowing personality," he said sarcastically.
"You wonder why I hate you," Arianna rolled her eyes, flicking her hair as she pushed past him, managing to keep the blush off her face.
"You don't hate me," Albus said, smirking. "And one day you'll figure that out," he told her.
"In your wet dreams, Al," she said, as she gave him one last glance. "One day you'll learn that Malfoy's always get the last word," she smirked, slipping back into her compartment full of friends, effectively ending the conversation.
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Cunning and Ambition