Book 2

Chapter 7

Reece had a crap summer. Mr Yaxley had been in a foul mood for most of it and when Reece asked what was wrong, Yaxley would dismiss it as work related issues. He had been owling Draco, Pansy, Daphne and Blaise all summer and had occasionally sent a letter or two to Theodore. Because of Yaxley's mood Reece spent most of his time playing Quidditch and practicing his beating skills on all sorts of things. He had spot up noticeably and his body seemed to be in even better shape due to the heavy amount of exercise that he had been doing. When he wasn't training Reece spent his time reading all that was in Yaxley's library with one goal in mind. Beating that flaming mudblood in all of their classes.

As he was supposed to be shopping for school supplies with Draco and his father, Reece chose to wear a black suit with an emerald green tie fastened around the collar of his white shirt. He spent a long time on his hair, trying to make it stick up perfectly without any hair products such as gel. Arrow had repeatedly told him that he looked just as cute with the quiff flat. But Reece didn't like it in that messy sort of way as it was long enough to hang over his eyes slightly.

Lucius took the two second year Slytherins to Diagon Alley and they got straight to purchasing items as there was no need to withdraw such a small amount of galleons from Gringots.

"Gilderoy Lockhart?" Draco spat in distain as he read the list of books that were required for the new school year. Purchasing the new DADA books was one of the first things that they decided to do. And while Gilderoy emerged from the back of the shop, Reece and Draco took up residence at the top of the stairs leaving Lucius to wade his way around a few witches at the back of the store.

"Can already tell this Lockhart is a right prick. Magical Me? What a load of rubbish." Reece snarled to Draco as they both casually flicked through the pages of books that they had randomly picked up.

"Ladies and gentlemen, Mister Gilderoy Lockhart." A voice announced as a generous applause was given by those in the shop.

"What an absolute tool." Draco added to Reece's earlier statement grumpily. They were whispering and snarling at the fact that they had to purchase anything to do with him when a certain name caught their attention.

"It can't be Harry Potter." Lockhart said in disbelief. Draco tensed up and turned up his nose at the name of his rival, whereas Reece only rolled his eyes. Only Potter would get noticed in a bookstore. "Nice big smile Harry, together you and I will make the front page." The two heard the sound of a photo being taken. "Ladies and gentlemen what an extraordinary moment this is…"

"He's so arrogant that he seems fake." Reece uttered under his breath accidentally. Draco raised a calm eyebrow at him but Lestrange only shrugged it off. Reece turned around to notice Malfoy peering over the smooth wood and down at the scene below. He knew that Draco was jealous. But Reece could also tell that Draco was not going to let this one slide. So he readied himself for a confrontation.

Draco had moved to the stairs during the end of Lockhart's speech and was watching the three older Weasley brothers in the shop subtly. Reece remained at the top of the stairs, leaning over the wooden railing casually. As Potter pushed his way out of the crowd, Draco ripped a page out of a book – pocked it – and moved quickly to intercept Harry.

"Bet you loved that, didn't you Potter?" Malfoy said with fast aggression as he moved in front of Harry. The four youngest Weasley's had moved to flank Harry, not knowing of Reece's position. "Famous Harry Potter can't even go into a bookshop without making the front page." At that moment the small ginger girl with a dirty face stepped up to Draco.

"Leave him alone." Ginny Weasley said sternly.

"Look at that Potter, you got yourself a girlfriend." Draco quickly retorted with less of a spit than his previous statements.

"Well if it isn't my favourite Gryffindors." Reece hummed as the descended the stairs with a charming elegance in his stride. "Oh with more gingers added to the mix, how fun." He reached the last step and moved between Ginny and Draco within a flowing movement. "No need to cause a scene Weaselette." He drawled, speaking down to Ginny as if she had the same amount of brain cells as Crabbe and Goyle. Making sure to keep the movements calm and suave, Reece adjusted his tie slowly while looking at the twins. "Voices crack yet?" Draco sniggered rudely until he was stopped by a sudden snake head clamping down on his shoulder.

"Now, now Draco. Play nicely." Lucius said as Draco stepped aside; leaving Reece standing between the opposing sides. "Mister Potter," He said with a knowing smile. "Lucius Malfoy, we meet at last." Harry accepted the gloved hand as he had no other choice, and Lucius pulled him forward – moving Harry's hair and revealing the famous scar. "Your scar has legend. As well as the wizard who gave it to you." Hermione Granger was now approaching the group with a book under her arm.

"Voldemort killed my parents." Harry said courageously, standing up to the former death eater and saying the name of the Dark Lord. "He was nothing more than a murderer."

"You must be very brave, to mention his name." Lucius pushed Harry backwards slightly as he spoke. "Or foolish."

"Fear of the name only increases fear of the thing itself." Hermione said boldly as Lucius turned to face her.

"When are you going to learn to keep your gob shut Granger?" Reece mumbled heatedly to the girl beside him. She was one of the most annoying people that he had ever come across. The older Malfoy shot Reece a tiny glare that didn't go unnoticed by Hermione, and Reece bowed his head to break eye contact.

"And you must be Miss Granger." Hermione glared at Lucius but it by no means fazed him. "Yes, Draco's told me all about you. And your parents." Of course he would have. She was the one that beat Reece and Draco in every subject. Reece had managed to snag the second place spot and Draco squeezed third much to Narcissa's disappointment. "Muggles aren't they?" Lucius turned to look at the others again. "Let me see; red hair, vacant expressions," He took Ginny's book out of her cauldron. "Tatted, second-hand books. You must be the Weasleys." Arthur had now made his way over to the group and didn't seem overly happy about who was speaking to his children.

"Children, do you mind heading outside?" Arthur asked in a hasty rush.

"Well, well, well, Weasley senior."

"Lucius." Arthur replied cautiously.

"Must be tiring at the Ministry Arthur, all those extra raids. I do hope they're paying you overtime. But judging by the state of this," Lucius looked down at the used schoolbook in his hand. "I'd say not. Why make a disgrace to the name wizard if they don't even pay you well for it?"

"We have a very different idea about what disgraces the name of wizard Malfoy."

"Clearly." Lucius' sudden vague comment made Mr Weasley glare at him, confused. "Associating with muggles," He stepped forward and sneakily placed a second book back in the cauldron with the one he had taken out earlier. Reece noticed the cheeky mind game that was being played, and he really wanted to ask Malfoy what the book was later. "And I thought your family could sink no lower. I'll see you at work." Lucius drawled as he turned to leave, Draco swiftly moving and Reece standing casually with his hands in his pockets.

"See you at school." Draco said with a quick raise of the eyebrows as he followed his father. Reece strolled forward casually and stopped in front of a raging Arthur. He smirked with fake manners as he stuck out his left hand to Mr Weasley. Arthur glared down at the hand and Reece put it back in his trouser pocket slowly.

"You lot are no fun." He grinned at Ron. "See you at school. I look forward to pissing you all off as much as I did last year."

"And I look forward to watching someone wash your mouth out with soap, Lestrange." Hermione piped up from the end of the line. Reece moved once again and stopped just in front of her. He looked down at her (as he was around the same height as Malfoy) and snarled silently.

"Granger, your compliments make me all warm and fuzzy inside." Reece whispered satirically, not allowing the others to hear what he was saying to her. "You have a way with words. But tell me, how does it feel having all that anger bottled up inside you? Don't you just want to let it all out by taking a swipe at me?" He coaxed, daring her to attack him in public.

"Tell me how it feels to be poisoned by hatred." Hermione shot back, her tone the same level as his. The shop was simply too noisy for Harry and Ron to hear what was being said.

"Touché." Reece smiled. Hermione's eyebrow flinched slightly as he drawled the single word and before she could say something else, Reece turned to leave. He didn't look back at the group, and met up with Draco and Lucius outside. Hermione was left in confusion. How could they have just traded metaphors so quickly and allowed it to be ended like it did?

Reece grimaced at Granger's words once Arrow had left him alone in his room. Poisoned by hatred? He wasn't poisoned by hatred. If people did him wrong, he loved to make their lives a misery. If anyone was poisoned it was the Gryffindors. And the Hufflepuffs. And most of the Ravenclaws. Reece believed that Slytherin was the target of hatred, not those he chose to anger and tease.