Centurion

14: Standing Ground

Disclaimer: The rights to the Harry Potter franchise are reserved for J.K. Rowling and Warner Bros.
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After having his fill he asked the table nicely,
"May I have a hot cup of black coffee please?"
He waited a bit then one appeared before him with a saucer of sugar. He smiled it to himself. He loved a cup of coffee in the morning, but for wizards it wasn't normal. He whispered,
"Thank you"
He knew the food was taken care of by the house elves of Hogwarts. Not many students knew but they never asked. Sipping his coffee slowly he spotted Flitwick handing out papers to everyone in Ravenclaw. Hmm, he summarized those papers must be their schedules. He was correct when Flitwick handed his to him;
"Mr. Walsh your schedule. Mmm is the coffee I smell. Good choice, I may have to have a cup myself. See you this afternoon."
Lance just smiled and nodded two engrossed within reading his schedule and sipping his coffee.

Monday, Wednesday, Friday
9am-11am: Potions
1pm-2:30pm: Transfiguration
3pm-4:30pm: Charms
8pm-10pm: Flitwick Office

Tuesday, Thursday
9am-10am: History of Magic
10:30am-11:30am: Herbology
3pm-5pm: Defense Against the Dark Arts
6pm-7pm: Astronomy
8pm-10pm: Flitwick Office

Hn, guess Master Flitwick has more he wants to test me on. Hmm, today is Wednesday so Potions in,
'Tempus'
'8:35am'
So Potions in 25 minutes. He finished his coffee got up and casually headed towards the dungeons.
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Lucy received her schedule from Professor Snape he handed the out with the tag line,
"Don't be late to my class."
She looked up to where Lance was sitting and didn't see him, looking to the doors quickly she saw him walking out. She got up quickly, not finishing breakfast and ran after him. He was taller than her so he walked farther faster. She got out the doors to see him slip into the dungeons. Smiling that meant they had Potions together. She eased her pace. No sense in rushing if where heading to the same destination.
Upon reaching the classroom she found him sitting at a two person desk. It was like fate was helping her find ways to be with him more. She sat down next to him and smiled,
"Morning Lance, how are you doing today so far?"
Lance looked over to his left and saw it was Lucy. Smirking he replied,
"Good Morning Heiress Malfoy, I am doing fine this morning. Thank you for asking a commoner like myself. May I ask how you are doing the morning?"
He added a little bow and kissed her knuckles when greeting her. He was trying hard to keep a straight face from seeing her reaction.
Lucy was taken aback. Had she done something wrong, why had he talked to her like he was nothing and she was a princess in comparison. Had Draco talked to him. If he did he'd pay. She was about to go on a tangent when she heard Lance let out a giggle and see him try not to show it.
"You ass," she smacked his arm, "that wasn't funny. I thought I had done something wrong, you ass." Smacking him again.
"Sorry Lucy, to good to pass up."
She shook her head, he had gotten one over on her,
"I owe you one now"
Lance shrugged,
"You still haven't answered my question, how has your morning been? Or have you forgotten seeing my good looks?"
After he said that Lance bulked. He isn't usually this talkative or flirty. Was it something he ate or was other things at play. He had a thoughtful look about him Lucy noticed after a second.
"Lance, what's wrong? You got quite all of a sudden."
Lucy was worried. He had retreated in himself. What did he say that scared him. She felt his fear through the bond.
Lance shook himself, rubbing his chest. Things weren't adding up for him, his chest was hurting and he was more loose lipped than usual, he needed to research or maybe Master Flitwick would know. He suppressed his confusion and looked at Lucy,
"Nothing of your concern, just something I have to look it later."
Lucy had a feeling he was experiencing the bond with her but had no idea what it was. It tore her apart to see him go from happy and having fun to quiet and withdrawn. She reached across and hugged his arm. She wished to protect and provide everything for him, she want to know all his thoughts and feelings. She would take on the world for him. Sometimes she felt like a Black more than a Malfoy. Ah, hugging him like this was relaxing for her and she could feel that he liked it too even if he didn't say anything.
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That was the sight Draco and his friends walked into when entering the Potions classroom. Lucelle hugging onto a tall Ravenclaw. Draco had a suspicion it was Walsh. The Slytherins walked up to the desks around them and sat down with Draco and Pansy behind them with Tracey and Daphne in front.
"Lucelle what are you doing?"
Lucy didn't answer fast enough so Draco heard a deeper voice answer,
"She's doing whatever she wants. Is that an issue for you?"
Lance challenged Draco with a sideways glance back with a threatening tone to it. Lucy was taken back by his protectiveness of her. Draco didn't know how to answer so Pansy did,
"It is that a Heiress is hugging a filthy Ravenclaw nobody."
That raised Lucy's heckles. Lance wasn't a nobody. But before she could answer she felt Lance take offense and gain a hard tone with a straighter back while turning to look at Pansy it made her lose breath.
"I would be careful whom you slander Parkinson. You might offend someone you'll regret or your family."
Lance left the threat open. He unconsciously channeled his family magic which made his Lords ring appear. Lucy looked at him and say he had a Lordship ring on his right hand, it wasn't there before was he hiding it. It made her realize she had no idea if Lance was actually a muggleborn or halfblood or not. She needed to remember to ask him later, but it pushed her to glare a Pansy. If Lance was of a higher standing that Pansy she'd make her regret it.
The Slytherin's realized they might be going about this the wrong way. Possibly trying to strong arm and unknown entity might not be good in the long run.
Lance turned around and settled down a bit waiting for Potions to start. It was just the first day and he already wanted to shove his status down these purebloods throats. He felt Lucy hug his arm again and smiled. He liked this feeling.
Lucy glared at Pansy and Draco till they looked away. She'd have words later in the commons. For now Potions was about to start and she had Lance. Speaking of, she went back to hugging his arm and smiled contently. He was protective of her so she'd protect him.