Lineage||Draco Malfoy|

1|better late than never

THE FIRST DAY OF FIFTH YEAR Quinn Allen showed up in the great hall later than everyone else. Maybe she wouldn't have been paid any mind if it wasn't for small puddles of water being left in her wake. The storm that was raging outside was overpowered by the loud chatter of students making it almost nonexistent. In fact, if it wasn't for Quinn dripping water across the otherwise pristine wooden floors, she doubted anyone would've even been aware of the rain.

"Woah, what happened to you?" Charlotte asked as Quinn slid into the seat next to her.

"Take a dip in the lake, did you?" Adam questioned, reaching for another helping of soup.

Quinn shook her head, irritation flushing her skin. "You know my parents. Punctuality isn't necessarily their strong suit."

Charlotte glanced toward the Gryffindor table, scanning faces for another soaking wet student. "Where's Harley?"

Quinn stabbed her fork in the piece of chicken she'd shoved onto her plate. "He went to his dorm to change right away. Didn't want to embarrass himself in front of everyone."

Quinn didn't have to look up from her food to know Adam and Charolette were passing each other dubious looks. "And you didn't because..."

"'Cause I don't give a damn what people think about me," Quinn answered with a little more heat than she intended. "And I was hungry."

Adam scoffed. "So you thought you'd sacrifice your glowing reputation for some food?"

A scowl rose to Quinn's face before she could stop it. "I thought I'd sacrifice yours as well since you're the jackass sitting with me."

"I'd have it no other way." Adam's grin turned wolfish, an intimidating sight if not used to it. "Don't look now, but we got some rats on our hands."

"Mudbloods really don't have any manners." Quinn didn't have to turn around to recognize the sneering voice of Draco. "I would criticize you for being out in the rain but I suppose even the most uncivilized need a way to shower."

There was a drumming in her skull and her hands grew clammy as she clenched and unclenched her fists. How she would love to swing on Malfoy, but no doubt he would run along and tattle to daddy.

"I was hoping my stench might keep you away from me," Quinn retorted, turning around to face the lean, pale boy who always had a cold bite to his features. "But it looks like uncleanliness doesn't bother you as much as you claim."

"It's something you have to get used to going to a school like this," Malfoy claimed. "Since they'll let just about anyone in."

"And yet you waste your time talking to just about anyone." Quinn scoffed, her skin tingling with pricking vexation. "Don't preach your standards to me just to disregard them at every turn."

"You can talk as big as you like," Malfoy leered, leaning a little closer. "At the end of the day, you're nothing. A dirty, filthy, Mudblood."

"You'd eat shit if your daddy told you to, Malfoy," Adam told him.

Draco hardly spared him a glance. "At least I have a father, Davies."

With that, he turned, nose in the air and strut off back towards the Slytherin table. His shock of pale hair against his black school robes was an imposing sight.

Quinn was indignant. Say anything you want to her, bully her, harass her, she didn't care. Her friends were all she had, and she'd be damned if she let some albino rat with daddy issues treat them so poorly.

Muttering a spell under her breath, a stream of light shot out and snagged Malfoy's foot, tripping him as he brought it forward. His body hit the ground, cause a lull in the chatter as people stopped to look at him.