Title: SEMI-CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM.
Lucius Malfoy - September 26, 2007 06:15 PM (GMT)
Wrong?
Blonde brows furrowed in a display of vehement indignation, Lucius scanned the parchment up and down several times. All of it, every last calculation had been correct - every last one, excepting this one. But how could that be? Discouraged and otherwise frustrated, he yanked the appropriate text mercilessly from the depths of the over-stuffed bookbag nestled at his feet. He couldn't believe this. If he was wrong, then by all rights, the entire assignment should be incorrect. The very same formula had been the basis for the entirety of those two pages. It didn't make sense!
But Lucius knew better than to contradict his professor without visable proof of his conviction. He would not willingly make a spectacle, or a fool of himself without just cause - and thus he sat, in the over-pleasant warmth of the courtyard preceeding his afternoon classes. Double arithmancy. A heavy sigh escaped his lips, fingertips massaging wide, gentle circles against his temple - gaze boring hatefully into the text of the page with its numbers, formulas and solutions - all of it stupid. Utterly stupid.
It was at times like these when he wondered as to why he bothered. However, at times like these his hard-headedness would kick in, and he would mull over the topic for days until he came to the correct conclusion, forumlated the correct answer in his head. Standing in the wrong drove him to the precipice of insanity. A Malfoy was never wrong. It simply wasn't possible - wasn't allowed to remain as such. Either he would correct the err, or he would make his opponent believe they his or her response had been misconstrued. It was difficult though, when dealing with figures of authority. Perhaps difficult was the incorrect term - it was tricky, but not difficult - a challenge if you will.
Another more pressing challenge? - no matter how many attempts he made at the question, no matter how many formulas he substituted, no matter how many numbers he crunched - he inevitably came to the exact... same... response. Irritated, he sat back on the bench, lashes fanning against the rise of his cheeks betwen deep, soothing breaths. Ridiculous.
Turbulent eyes settling blankly over his surroundings, he watched a stray student or two trudge back and forth between the Great Hall and the student facilities - enjoying the final half of their lunch hour. With all due non-chalance, the Slytherin heir crossed one leg over the other at the ankle, adjusting the text over his lap and a practical, black quill between pale, slender fingers though he found himself unable to focus. What he wouldn't give for a suitable distraction. The thought quirked the corner of his mouth in a wry, self-mocking smile, head lolling back momentarily against one shoulder.
Narcissa Black - September 26, 2007 09:28 PM (GMT)
Cissy had spent the majority of her lunch in the library of all places, and she emerged from the controlled darkness of the indoors to a beautiful sunny day outside. The change in the intensity of light was enough to cause her to squint behind her glasses. However, regardless of the effect the outdoors had on her eyes, she enjoyed the emergence of nice weather. Walking across the vast sloping lawns behind the castle, Cissy relished the feeling of the gentle breeze ruffling her long mane of white-blonde hair. She took a deep breath of the fresh air, letting it fill her lungs and expel the musty smell of old books.
She was known to frequent that part of the school as often as any Ravenclaw, and everyone knew that Narcissa Black was dedicated to her studies. It was written in stone that Cissy would never be as clever as Andromeda or as naturally skilled with magic as Bellatrix, so the youngest Black sister had to work three times as hard to make up for her natural disinclination towards learning. She had done well thus far to stretch every last bit of her intellect to capacity; she could hold an intelligent conversation, could speak fluently in three languages, and frequently offered answers during classes. Still, that lack of natural aptitude was something that bothered Narcissa more than anyone actually knew.
At the current moment, though, Cissy was particularly happy with herself. She had finished the remainder of her Herbology assignments. She had to admit that Herbology was a class that she secretly enjoyed, knowing full well that caring for plants was something at which swotty Hufflepuffs usually excelled, and not a suitable subject for a pureblood Slytherin such as herself to relish as much as she did. But like it she did...Cissy just chose not to tell anyone about it.
As she walked ever closer towards the bench where she often chose to sit, she did her best to clear her mind of plants and books and similar rubbish and enjoy the simple pleasure of sun on her back and wind on her face. That is, until she noticed that someone, a particularly blonde someone, was sitting on the bench where Narcissa preferred to sit herself. She hadn't been too pleased with Lucius Malfoy as of late...they had just gotten over a particularly scathing row about a week ago, and since then she had been doing her best to avoid him. It had been working up until now; but she wasn't about to walk away from him when she was positive that he had already seen her approaching.
"Hmm," Narcissa breathed as she took up the remaining space on the bench, paying no mind to whether or not Lucius had actually wanted her to sit there. "you seem awfully distressed, Lucius..." she spoke as nonchalantly as ever, setting her pile of books on the grass beside them, speaking to Lucius as if he were a simple acquaintance, which she assumed would irk him a bit.
Lucius Malfoy - September 26, 2007 10:02 PM (GMT)
And irk him it did.
In fact, everything pertaining to Narcissa Black irked him for the time being. And of all days, of all places, why must she show up here and now? Immediately he revoked his previous yearnings for an alternate point of focus. This was certainly not what he had meant. After all, he had clearly implored the powers that were for a distraction - not a nuisance. But he would maintain his civil, if distant airs, just as he always did - as was his moral responsibility. His parents would not be pleased should they discover him breeding chasms between two such prestigous names as Black and Malfoy.
Turning a blind eye to his trespassing companion, he turned his attentions to the text once more as she commented on the state of his appearance. Lips pursed, he waved the remark with a casual hand, brushing waylaid platinum locks from his vision. "Distressed, no. Cross, yes." He said little more for a long moment, allowing the pause to brim with an awkward silence and the sense of exasperation his aura presently exuded in abundance. At length, with a final shake of his head, the textbook closed with a terse 'snap'.
Without looking up, he dated his work, quickly and neatly - top right corner in his spidery, signature scrawl - before adjusting the ledger to more comfortably reach the bottom portion. The sharp, violent gestures of his pen were the only movements he made, wrist jerking this way and that, the harsh scratch of quill on parchment carving deep wounds in the quiet of the courtyard. "Enjoying the sunshine, are we?" His tone was mocking, dripping with sarcasm as he chanced the young woman a glance via the corner of his eye. It was a well known fact that Lucius had little pension for 'nice' weather - particularly sunlight.
Narcissa Black - September 26, 2007 10:27 PM (GMT)
Please. If anyone knew how Lucius' mind worked, it was Narcissa. As dim as Miss Black could seem at times, there was nothing she couldn't pick up with enough time and effort dedicated to its study. Therefore, it was no surprise that she knew how to best toy with Lucius' mind. It was a game she loved to play. However, she wasn't sure if it were too early to exercise what power she knew she could have...she was still cross with him, after all; and as tempted as she was to put herself back in his good graces, she also wanted to let their little feud run its course.
But she couldn't help but want to satiate her curiosity...
Cross was he? She raised a single eyebrow; however still utterly refusing to arrange her body so they were face to face, contenting herself for now with staring off at the edge of the Forbidden Forest instead at his admittedly handsome features.
"Enjoying the sunshine, are we?"
"Why yes I am, now that you've mentioned it," she said, choosing to answer in the most saccharine way possible, a grin spreading over her face somewhere between a smirk and something less sinister, "although, it is rather warm..." Her delicate fingers made their way up to her collar, where her silver and green silk tie was perfectly arranged in a windsor knot, making quick work of loosening the hold it had around her neck. "Hopefully some prat like that mudblood Evans doesn't walk by and write me up for simply bending the dress code," she mused absently, as if she were speaking to herself.
But she eventually returned her attention to him, she couldn't help herself.
"Cross, then..." she spoke slowly, as if she were trying out the taste of every word before allowing it to pass through her lips, "whatever could be the problem? What could someone like Lucius Malfoy have to be cross about?" She proceeded to make herself more comfortable on the bench, untucking the bottom of her white blouse from the top of her wool skirt, extending her bare legs out in front of her. Though, her legs remained crossed at the ankles...heaven forbid she ever stray from mummy's lessons.
Lucius Malfoy - September 27, 2007 12:19 AM (GMT)
Lucius was doing his best not to pay her an ounce of attention.
She was doing it... that thing she did when she wanted to play with him, and gods, how he loathed her for it. Likewise, after spending so much time, sharing so many intimate moments with the girl, it was difficult to ignore the obvious patterns in her behavior. Everything meant something - that particular angle in which she cocked her head, the way she positioned herself next to him, it was all significant, he knew, and hence - it was best that he avoided her all together.
And he was making a valiant attempt, mind you, eyes trained fiercely upon his paper. He figured that as long as he put his arguements to paper, his Professor would, at the very least, be obliged to stop and contemplate - if not admit that he was wrong from the start. That was precisely what the blonde was aiming for, though, it was admittedly more difficult to do with his on and off counterpart sitting not a foot to his right.
Inwardly he cringed. What could someone like Lucius Malfoy have to be cross about? Well, the answer was perched beside him, in a none-too-lady-like manner, might he add, catching a glimpse of long, slender legs - a stark contrast to the sombre, gray skirt which suddenly appeared to be a tad immodest. Licking his lips, he finished crossing the last of his 't's, dotted an 'i' here and there, and at long last - closed the ledger, settling it neatly atop his textbook. "Double Arithmancy," he answered curtly, chin held high so as to ignore any skin she may or may not have uncovered since joining his company. "I'll consider it a great success should I complete the course with a full head of hair."
[ OoC: Crap post. Sorry! >__<; ]
Narcissa Black - October 1, 2007 10:02 PM (GMT)
Cissy cast him a sidelong glance with those blue eyes, finally outwardly giving him the slightest ounce of attention. Really she loved to play these little games with Lucius because she knew they drove him mad. But it served him right for being so icy sometimes. Sure, Narcissa Black was by no means the nicest and most warmhearted sixteen-year-old going...but she could still be nice, and downright affectionate towards the few people she did feel that way towards. Regardless of whether or not she restricted people worthy of her affection to Bellatrix and Lucius was unimportant. She still had that capacity. And she knew that Lucius had it too...but sometimes he was so stoic that she could barely decipher what was going on in that little blonde head of his...which bothered her.
She knew that she was having at least some kind of effect on him...regardless of whether or not he chose to show it. She knew it. Surpressing the urge to giggle, she smirked a bit to herself, her delicate nose wrinkling slightly as she did this...which was something she couldn't help whenever she smiled. Returning to a more proper position on the bench, sitting in a manner that her mother would deem acceptable, at least; Cissy leaned over towards Lucius, inspecting the parchment he had on his lap, a few locks of her white blond hair falling over the boy's shoulder on which she was leaning. However, Narcissa seemed to be more intent on reading the parchment rather than pressing her weight on the Slytherin sitting next to her.
Sighing audibly, she tried to offer a few words of encouragement, "Well I'm sure it can't be that bad. Arithmancy is bollocks. Everyone knows you're very bright Lucius, dear," she said matter-of-factly, trying not to act too keen on him. She was still trying to decide whether or not she was annoyed with him today or not. The pair of them were so on and off that it was hard even for Narcissa to tell. (Although Cissy wasn't exactly known throughout the school as being clever when it came to picking up on subtle hints.) "besides," she said in a more lighthearded manner, "that would be such a shame. Your hair is so pretty."
[[ooc: Sorry it took me AGES to post! xD]]
Lucius Malfoy - October 2, 2007 07:41 PM (GMT)
On and off indeed. Lucius, for all his acclaied brilliance, couldn't even be too sure what to make of the girl's sudden change of attitude. Everything shifted, from posture to demeanor, as she became - once again - the perfect pureblooded witch with whom to share his company. A little less slyly, he turned his head toward her, only to find her much closer than expected. Stiffling his surprise, and otherwise unperturbed, the blonde sighed, readjusting his posture, though never slouching.
He decided very quickly to make the best of this. Perhaps they could put their nasty comments and snide remarks of the past week behind them and move on with their lives? One could only hope, he thought idily, unmoving as Narcissa perused the contents of his ledger. The barest hints of tranquility piqued across his handsome features, expression softening at the combined compliments. "That would be a shame, wouldn't it?" The rhetorical query left his lips in with a wry sort of smile as he draped one arm casually over the back of the bench.
"And speaking of pretty," he began in his customary drawl; by now she had his full attention whether he liked it or not. "To what do I really owe the pleasure of your company, Miss Black? Not stalking me again, are you?" The question was presented with a shocking lack of bite, subtly playful for their recently hateful feud.
[OoC: S'okay. I thought you died on me for a bit. *tear* ]
Narcissa Black - October 3, 2007 01:08 AM (GMT)
"That would be a shame, wouldn't it?"
"Why yes, I think it would. Call me vain, but I've always been partial to blondes," she said with an air of humor about her voice. She doubted there were two more perfect specimens of the gene than the two of them. God she was being so agreeable to him now. But that was just like Cissa...she preferred not to hold a grudge against people she cared about. Her temper tended to flare up at the moment, but burn with such an intensity that it could fizzle out rather quickly as well. She was quick to anger, but it never lasted long...especially not with Lucius. There was just something in the way his gray eyes looked, even when he was cross with her, that made her want to do anything and everything for him.
She couldn't help but smile to herself as she noticed the lazy way in which his arm draped over the top of the bench and around her narrow shoulders. This was more like it. And while arguing could be strangely amusing at times, she much preferred when the two of them weren't at each other's throats. As she glanced over his Arithmancy assignment, going over the numbers in her head, she let out the briefest chuckle, enjoying his roundabout compliment. Sure, Narcissa knew she was pretty, but she loved hearing it from other people; she practically craved that kind of attention.
Flicking her eyes up to his face and away from the parchment for a moment, a wry smile spread over those full lips "...Don't flatter yourself, Malfoy. I gave up stalking you a long time ago," she said, slightly facetiously, "No," she breathed, "I just happened to be walking in this direction. Although... I didn't exactly change direction after noticing you were sitting on my favorite spot. However, if you didn't want to see me, you could have easily left as well..." now she was being deliciously coy. There was some fun in flirting so obviously with someone when they knew full well that you were obviously already interested in them that Narcissa liked.
"Also, I think you copied this wrong..." she said, tracing a delicate and perfectly manicured finger over his parchment, "...R is supposed to be nine."
[[ooc: Bleh. Yeah I have midterms and I didn't take into account how hard it would be to study when you haven't actually been to class...oops.]]
Lucius Malfoy - October 3, 2007 03:24 AM (GMT)
Finally, a smile - or at least, as close to a smile as the sole Malfoy heir would ever come to. It was more of an affectionate sneer, realistically.
It was funny though, how they could be such bitter enemies one moment, only to turn around and find such comfort in the company of one another. For all their scathing words, their loathsome glares, they seemed to share a slightly deeper connection - something Lucius would never, on his life, admit to publicly. Perhaps they were simply too alike? He recognized certain qualities in the girl, both pleasant and undesirable which he himself posessed. Somedays he felt as though he were gazing into a mirror, staring back at a version of himself bearing a particularly... well-rounded chest, and slightly longer hair.
He'd always found it incredibly difficult to maintain his anger toward her - on certain occasions he was more deft at denying this than others. What with her feminine charms, bold personality and stunning figure, how could he? How could any at least partially heterosexual wizard resist that? And as much as he heard other students call her out on her stupidity, he would refute that to the end. Stupid was one thing that Narcissa was not, no matter what he heard. She had proved this to him on more than one circumstance - including this one as he glanced down at the parchment.
Gaze transfixed, he watched the single, slender finger slide along the numbers, coming to rest on the problem he simply couldn't solve. "Nine?" Blinking in contemplation, he re-copied the problem along the bottom of the page, substituting the obviously incorrect figure for Narcissa's suggestion. It took only a moment to rearrange the numbers in his head, smirking triumphantly to himself when he - at long last - arrived at the correct answer.
"Have I told you lately how bloody brilliant you are, Narcissa?" What better to feed a woman who loved attention than more compliments? Returning the partially coy smile, he absently curled a strand of her hair in his fingers, tightening his hold on her ever so slightly. "I'd be lost without you."
[OoC: Ooh. Ouch. Yeah, that's probably not a good strategy. XD ]
Narcissa Black - October 3, 2007 06:05 AM (GMT)
"Ah well," she said, jokingly basking in the glow of his attention. She was glad to be able to help him...especially when she knew Lucius was so clever. Cleverness was always something Cissa felt she was lacking in; which resulted in her spending perhaps more hours in the library than she would have liked. But the end result was that she was well-read and intelligent, whether she could admit it to herself or not.
..."that's why I'm here. I know you'd just be utterly miserable without me," Narcissa laughed again, "but don't worry I'd be rather depressed without you to stalk all the time." she smiled warmly and watched as his hand navigated the quill over the paper, her eyes transfixed over the motion as he fixed the problem and got to the right solution. She was still being coy; but she was genuinely happy that he was pleased with her. She also couldn't help but enjoy the fact that his arm was so lazily draped over the top of the bench and around her shoulders.
She couldn't help but be so hopelessly attracted to Lucius. Her sisters teased her about it, her mother teased her about it...really everyone knew it. Even when they fought, despite her overwhelming anger with him, she secretly relished the way he would set his jaw when he found her absolutely insufferable. She loved to push his buttons, but she loved when he paid her compliments. She was just a whore for attention, Narcissa was. And she couldn't deny it either.
But right now she was content with the idea that the two of them weren't fighting at the moment, as strange as that seemed. Really it was terrible when they did have rows...Lucius knew too well exactly what to say to make Narcissa stop dead in her tracks. He knew her inside and out, and he could say things that only someone extremely close to her would know how to use to hurt her. For that matter, that was the reason why Cissy always tried her best to stay on Bellatrix's good side too.
Lucius Malfoy - October 3, 2007 07:33 PM (GMT)
"Ah," he mused, watching her from beneath lowered lashes, an upward herk of his head denoting his bemusement. The perfectly straight bangs tossed from one side to the other, falling haphazardly over his eyes, slighting his vision further. He didn't bother to move them, perfectly content in his current position. Instead, he tossed his head to rid himself of the minor nuisance, in turn, settling in a little closer to the blonde beneath his arm.
For a moment or two he was content to sit in silence, pleasantly warmed by their proximity as the sunlight slanted, casting the shadow of a stone archway over them inch by inch. It was hardly noticable, of course, until they had been nearly engulfed by the pale darkness - an excuse as good as any to be as close to the girl as he was now. Wonderful.
"I think," the blonde began at length, allowing for a quiet sigh as the words fell from his lips. His hand slid casually from the Slytherin's hair, gently brushing the back of his fingers along the delicate column of her throat. "That I should apologize for my behavior lately." Now, let it be known that Lucius did not make a habit of behaving in a way that meritted an apology - even when this was the case, he rarely did. "You don't deserve to be treated that way."
Leaning in close, he spoke directly to the vulnerable shell of an exposed ear, lips faintly brushing skin as he made his address. "Especially by me."
Narcissa Black - October 3, 2007 09:15 PM (GMT)
What was this? Lucius Malfoy actually admitting he had done something wrong? That was an interesting thought, seeing as she for one knew the extent that her Lucius was influenced by pride. Well, they were both proud little creatures...who could blame them...which accounted for much of the tension that accumulated between them over time. Therefore, Narcissa was intrigued to hear those very words pass through his lips.
Now while part of her wanted to take the opportunity and run with it; to rub it in his pretty face...Narcissa wasn't nearly as vengeful as one would expect. Surely she could be a shrew at times, and downright impossible to carry on a conversation with when she was flustered; but really she loved nothing more than to be in everyone's good graces. So while she could have said something really terrible to Lucius, she didn't. Truth be told, she felt a twinge of guilt for the way she had acted towards him as well.
Too much of her was wrapped up in the closeness of their two bodies, and in the way his fingers entwined themselves in her hair or the way his touch against her neck sent a shiver down her spine and a surge of pleasantness through her every fibre. She couldn't be bothered to wring out any lingering bit of anger that she had held onto from their last row. Without a moment's pause, she shook her head her gaze directed at the ground, "Don't waste your breath," she said honestly, "you don't have to apologize to me. Especially when I've been so insufferable..."
It was hard for her ignore the tantalizing feeling of hot breath against her ear, his lips brushing her skin ever so slightly. She bit down on her lower lip, surprised by how easily he could drive her completely insane. "Perhaps," she offered, her voice low and blue eyes glancing up at him large and faintly hopeful, "we should just put this little...misunderstanding...behind us?"
Lucius Malfoy - October 3, 2007 11:22 PM (GMT)
"That's what I was hoping..."
The smile broadened slightly, flourishing upon the sharp contours of a narrow face. Those wide, striking blue eyes, full lips, the innocent expression... It couldn't be argued that Narcissa Black was, in fact, one of the most drop-dead gorgeous creatures to grace Hogwarts in years - mayhap, centuries. Even more reassuring was to know that this sly beauty was putty in his hands so long as he could use just the right words - at just the right time.
"You know I can't stand it when you're angry with me," the blonde responded, his tone sincere, head lowered slightly. These words were meant for the ears of one person, and that one person only. It was true enough, the sentiments that left him in the quiet of the courtyard - he dreaded their personal rows. They always seemed to leave him feeling... He couldn't be too sure how to explain it, but the feeling was terrible.
But he relished in the way the girl all but molded herself to his posture, apologizing in turn, hoping for peace between them. Unable to help himself, he sought one of her hands, pressing a chaste, gentlemanly kiss to the back of it.
Making up was always more pleasant.