Venom & Virtue

chapter 20

I tapped my foot impatiently against the floor as I awaited Draco's arrival.

He'd arranged for us to meet at 1pm, but so far, 10 minutes had gone by with no appearance from his lithe figure.

It wasn't like him to be late, he was typically the opposite, waiting for me rather than the other way around.

He genuinely seemed to enjoy punctuality, as if it were a moral obligation.

For a moment I wondered if I should be worried; perhaps he had been hurt or detained, physically incapable of attending our tutoring session.

And then I remembered it was Draco, harsh and cruel, and I knew that the possibility was improbable.

If anything, he was likely to have hexed a few innocents whilst he made his way through the halls, rather than the other way around.

I glanced at the large grandfather clock again, watching the pendulum swing back and forth for the millionth time, teasing me with its obnoxious tick.

1:15.

A wave of anger washed over me as I recalled the time he'd chastised me for my lateness, even despite the fact that he'd had the wrong time, rather than the other way around.

I stood up, gathering my things carelessly and marching out the door in search of him.

The halls were quiet as I went, most students holed up in their afternoon lessons or tucked away in the common rooms.

I was closest to the great hall, so I decided to check there first, knowing it was a popular spot for those on their free study periods.

My legs carried me along the corridors and down the stairs until I reached it, each step growing more frustrated.

Once I arrived, my eyes scanned the Slytherin table, spotting my target with ease.

He was resting in his usual place on the bench, flicking carelessly through a book as Pansy hung onto his arm, chatting away like she always did.

I ignored the boil of my blood as I stormed over to them, slamming my hand onto the table to draw their attention.

The witch glanced up at me quickly, frowning in distaste, but Draco took his time, only briefly giving me his attention before turning back to his book.

"Can we help you?" She sneered.

I ignored her censure, talking only to him instead, "why are you not in the library?"

"Because I'm here. You realise we are standing in the great hall, yes?" He didn't look up, his voice a bored monotone.

I felt furious magic ripple through my bones, and for a moment, I considered killing the careless prick just for being so frustrating.

"I'm aware of that Draco."

He glanced up then, smirking in a way that would've been charming under different circumstances.

"Oh how I love it when you say my name."

"Why didn't you come to our tutoring session?" I sidestepped his perverted comment, ignoring Pansy as she bristled in her seat.

"Ahh, so that's what this is about. Well, I just decided not to," he shrugged, turning his attention back to the book.

"Is my time a joke to you?"

"No, but your anger is certainly amusing."

"You were the one who gave me all that shit about being a few minutes late. And now you've decided just not to turn up to a meeting that you arranged?"