Chapter 40
"Here, Crabbe's gonna be joining us." Adrian Pucey said to Reece as they entered the common room. "Goyle might be thick as a board but he knows when his best mate's feeling left out – you know what I mean?"
"Yeah I get." Reece shrugged. "They're inseparable and now Goyle's got Bulstrode and he hangs around with us when we get drink, I guess Crabbe's gonna feel like a bit of a loner." He said as the two of them pulled the different shaped and coloured bottles of wizard alcohol from the pockets of their robes. "I still don't know how you got the elves to give us this like."
"They love me." Pucey said with a smirk, twisting the cork out of a long, rectangular shaped brown bottle. "Especially the girl elves – I sneak in there and they treat me as if I'm a king." As he said this Millicent came flying into the room, grinning when she noticed the collection of bottles.
"Salazar, I love this drinking club." She grinned, taking a bottle of firewhisky from Adrian as Goyle, Crabbe and Nott all appeared. Reece passed a square green bottle over to Nott for him and Crabbe to share as Goyle and Bulstrode planned on sharing again. "Cheers." She said as she clinked the bottle against the one in Nott's hand. Adrian and Reece knocked their bottles together also, giving each other a nod before taking the first swigs of the night.
"So Pucey." Reece said, taking another swig of the mystery alcohol and grimacing at the bitter taste. "Now you've shown me where the kitchens are, I'm gonna go again-"
"Oi not many people know where they are, watch it if you go in mate. You don't wanna get caught in there – Filch will drop you in deep shit if he spots you." Adrian cut in seriously. "I've heard horror stories about a Hufflepuff that got caught years ago, apparently it wasn't pretty. Detentions with Snape for the first week, the week after with McGonagall and for the third of the three – Filch himself and that stupid cat that should've stayed petrified." Reece laughed slightly, still drinking from his bottle as if it was the only thing that was keeping him afloat.
"I'm not scared of any of them." Reece chuckled. "I wouldn't care."
"You wouldn't care about having detention with McGonagall?" Pucey asked in shock. "Merlin you are a fucking madman – you're crazy Lestrange – absolutely mental."
"Yeah well I've been told it runs in the family." Reece replied bitterly. Suddenly their attention was captured by Millicent's devil cackle, and both turned to look to see Crabbe falling to the floor clumsily. "Lightweights." He muttered to Adrian as Goyle burst out laughing at his mate along with a still cackling Millicent.
"He's hammered." Nott stated with a snigger, holding up the near to empty bottle. "I said even though it tastes nice you can't down it – Crabbe didn't listen."
"Look at this," Pansy hissed as she forcefully flopped down onto one of the Slytherin benches. Reece glanced over his issue of the Prophet that he had been reading and noticed Pansy pointing at her hair, gesturing to it maniacally. "Look at the state of it!" She complained dramatically.
"The state of what?" Reece questioned in amusement, purposely trying to wind her up as he examined the wild frizz that looked slightly like Granger's on a bad day. This style was unusual for Pansy, as her hair was normally straight – or perhaps even wavy in a way that made her look like she'd just exited the front page of Witch Weekly.
"My hair!" She snapped angrily. "I don't know what happened, it's just, frizzy!" Reece chuckled as she picked at the strands, and just as he was about to go back to reading she spoke again. "Oh don't you dare sit there laughing with your perfect quiff – help me." His eyebrows rose and he chuckled once more at the humorousness of the situation. "You must know a spell for hair Lestrange – I've tried everything I know," Pansy whined. "You've got to help me, please – I can't walk around looking like that mudblood Granger all day."
"Just because you said that, I think I'm going to let you walk in her shoes." Reece muttered blatantly. "You're not gonna get anywhere in life by insulting people left, right and centre Pansy – I mean, an insult is strangely satisfying every now and again, but you can't do it twenty-four seven."
"Since when did you give life lessons?" She snidely remarked.
"Since always. I'm the next Albus Dumbledore – didn't you know?" He said satirically, watching as Pansy rolled her eyes as she tried to supress a grin. "Shit, what do you have first lesson? I've completely forgotten whether I've got a free period or not – still haven't got used to my timetable after dropping that crap class last year." Reece said suddenly as many people began rising quickly, noting that the bell would soon ring.
"I'll tell you if you fix my hair." Pansy smiled deviously. Reece sighed, taking out his wand and pointing it at her head without a word. A quick silent spell that he used frequently did the job and she gave him a satisfied, conniving smirk. "I've got potions so you do as well."
"Bloody potions, I can't believe I forgot." He scolded himself. "And my book's in my dorm because I thought it was a free period."
"Oh well." She said, patting her straight hair and getting up from the table. "Professor Snape won't mind if you're late – because you went to get your book. Just say that you forgot it, it's not like he'd have a go at you in front of the Gryffindors and Potter, anyway."
"I can't be arsed going to get it." Reece complained as he stood up and began to walk to his lesson with Pansy. The two were only halfway to the class when the bell rang, but neither of them panicked as Snape was very lenient when Malfoy sometimes swaggered in five minutes late. Speaking of the swaggering blonde. "So what's up with you and Draco, then?"
"I haven't got any idea." Pansy replied stiffly as the two made their way through the quiet corridors. "One minute we're flirting you know, like on the train, and then the next minute he's acting like we're just mates or something. I don't know what to do Lestrange. He's so confusing and you're a guy, so – do you know something?" Reece chuckled to himself, shoving his hands in his pockets as they approached the closed classroom door.
"I don't think Malfoy would ever come to me asking for romantic advice Pansy." He muttered as Pansy cracked the door open. The two entered slowly, immediately being stared at by every student in the room as well as Snape – who appeared far from impressed with two. "Sorry we're late sir."
"Take a seat Mister Lestrange, Miss Parkinson – quickly." Professor Snape told the two snippily. Reece looked around the room and noticed two available seats: one next to Draco, and one next to Fay Dunbar. He inwardly groaned, knowing what was coming.
"You're the reason we're late." Pansy uttered under her breath smugly. "Bagsy Malfoy." Reece sighed through his nose, glaring at the snickering Slytherins as he went to sit beside a Gryffindor. Sitting down awkwardly, Reece gave Fay a nod before deciding that it would be best to completely ignore her.
"I'm not enjoying this either, you know." Fay whispered to him suddenly, hiding her mouth behind her hand as she most definitely did not want Snape calling her out in front of the whole class.
"Glad to know we've got an understanding Dunbar." He muttered cautiously. Reece had already been late and if Snape caught him talking now who knows what would happen.
"I'd rather not have any sort of understanding with you Lestrange." She said in a quiet tone of disgruntlement.
"And they say we're the prejudiced ones." Reece retorted.
"Is there any need for this talking?" Professor Snape's voice drawled through the dungeons, silencing the quills that were scribbling nosily on parchment and stopping the class from flicking through their textbooks with his tone alone. "Miss Dunbar," He said, focusing on the Gryffindor rather than his Slytherin. "Need I remind you that your last essay left a lot to be desired – therefore, I suggest that you focus more on your work; rather than chatting yourself up to Mister Lestrange." The Slytherins all burst out into a fit of snickers and giggles and even Reece had to snigger slightly as he watched Fay turn a bright shade of magenta in embarrassment.
"Don't get all embarrassed, Dunbar." Reece muttered with a smirk. "You're definitely not the first person that's tried chatting themselves up to me."
"Oh, give her a break, Lestrange." Said an exasperated voice from behind Reece. He froze for a split second when he recognised the voice, but then twisted in his seat, smirking at Hermione when the two ended up staring one another down. "Snape's already teasing Fay, don't you start."
"And who's going to stop me from talking to her Granger? You?" Reece asked arrogantly, knowing that his tone would rile her up. Hermione did that cute angry pout that she did often when Reece annoyed her and he had to do everything he could to stop himself from smiling.
"If she doesn't, I will." Reece hadn't noticed Ron sitting next to her, and now suddenly the bloody guy felt as if he had to butt in and answer the question for her. Hermione appeared slightly miffed that Ronald was trying to fight her battles for her – especially when it came to fighting with Reece Lestrange.
"I wasn't talking to you, Weasel." Reece spat.
"I know you weren't." Ron stated with a deep frown of irritation.
"Well if you knew that I wasn't talking to you, then I don't see why you had to get involved in this conversation." He said dismissively, turning back round when Snape began addressing the class.
Reece,
I do hope this term is going well. Any more news on Karkaroff? Has he been talking with Snape? Keep me updated.
Mr Yaxley.
Reece sighed, muttering "Accio." under his breath and summoning some parchment and one of his quills to scribble a reply while Draco lounged on the armchair across from him, waiting for Crabbe and Goyle to leave the dorm so that the four could get breakfast.
"Malfoy I'm not going to have any breakfast; you, Crabbe and Goyle can go without me – I don't want to hold you all up writing this." Reece said as he began to write a brief reply to his guardian about Karkaroff storming into potions not too long ago and asking Snape to talk to him. Draco raised his eyebrows in question as the two mentioned boys appeared dressed scruffily in their uniforms. "Letter for Yaxley." He told Draco briefly.
"Aright, then." Malfoy said, frowning when he noticed the appearance of both Crabbe and Goyle. "You two should tuck your shirts in and stuff, you know," He told the two snootily. "You're both looking like larger versions of Seamus Finnegan, and as purebloods you should know better." The two boys quickly began tucking their shirts in as Draco stood up, nodding to Reece as he set off to breakfast with a fumbling Crabbe and a bumbling Goyle in tow. Reece sighed as he resumed writing his reply – Malfoy was never someone to point out flaws sympathetically. But then again, Lucius was the same. And the younger Malfoy had always aspired to be his father.
"Alright, Reece." Blaise Zabini said politely, taking a seat where Draco had previously been sat.
"Yeah I'm alright." He replied courteously despite his rather bad mood. "What about you?"
"Well…me and Daph had another argument last night." Blaise said awkwardly as he rubbed the top of his short haired head with his palm. "I don't know what it is mate – when we were just friends we'd never argue at all but it's like, now that we're dating we always irritate each other and I don't understand what's changed. You get what I mean?"
"Kind of." Reece shrugged as he completed the letter to Yaxley, folding it before continuing the conversation with Blaise. "And I get that you're confiding in me about this, but why haven't you told Daphne how you feel about it? It's not exactly like I'm gonna be much help – being painfully single."
"You choose to be single." Blaise said knowingly. "You could get almost any girl you wanted but you've got unrealistic standards and expectations." He hadn't though, Reece mused to himself. Because Granger ticked all of his personality and looks boxes; and the only box left unticked, much to Reece's fury, was blood status. But that didn't matter to him – not when it came to her. He still wasn't a fan of muggles, no. But for Granger he'd at least try to understand them so that he could perhaps relate slightly to her muggle side. "I just, don't know how to tell Daphne what I told you." Blaise muttered, ducking his head in shame. "Like, I guess I'm scared that she'll get pissed off and suddenly start caring about the fact that I'm pretty much halfblood."
"Oh fuck off Blaise you know she doesn't care about the fact that you're not one hundred percent pureblood. If she did she wouldn't have agreed to go out with you." Reece said sternly, not giving his friend any excuse to feel sorry for himself any longer. "Right seriously you know I like you both the same – you're both really good friends of mine – but if you hurt her Zabini I swear to bloody Merlin I will find a way to set the Weasley twins on you, and that would not be pretty."
"I don't know what to do." Blaise sighed in frustration. "I'm attracted to her and we've always got along but now it's just all gone different, and I don't want to admit it because you know, I don't think guys are supposed to say stuff like this, but I'm scared one day we'll just blow up at each other so bad that she'll hate me and I'll loathe her." Reece had now had enough. He respected what Blaise was saying and kind of understood how he was feeling, but this wouldn't get the poor guy anywhere in his relationship.
"Right shut up." Reece said, sending his quill and ink back to his dorm. "Now you've let all your feelings out, do something about it and stop being a bitch. Man up Blaise – if you fight again, ask her what's up. And to stop the fighting, you both need to respect that you're not one person, because believe it or not you are still two people even when you're going out. Two people with different opinions that can sometimes clash, and it's natural to clash over differences, and you two are both hot-headed sometimes so it's bound to happen often."
"I guess you're right." Blaise mumbled. "Harsh, with what you're saying. But right."
"Of course I am." Reece said, smirking cockily at his friend. "When am I wrong?"
"Well-"
"That question was rhetorical Blaise."
"Yeah, I know."