| Details for Return of the King |
| Summary: | Medusa needs another piece for the endgame and she knows just where to go. |
| Date: | 4 October 1938 |
| Location: | Slytherin Common Room |
| Related: | Skillful Manouvers |
| Characters |
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Medusa comes into the common room from the girl's dormitory. She has a clear mission in mind, which is obvious by the way she is looking around. Rumours of her blowing up Gryffindors have seemed to only add to her reputation as someone to be avoided and a few students rethink their studies and opt for going to bed to get away from her. She trails her fingers along the back of one of the low-backed sofas and then walks around it to sit down and wait if necessary. Just to be certain she gets her prey she tells one of the fleeing boys, "Tell Lucian Proudmore that Medusa Malfoy would like to speak to him." There is no please, it is not request but a command.
It doesn't take but a few minutes for her poor victim to return from the boy's dormitory, looking just as shaken as when he went in. Moments later, golden-maned Lucian Proudmore emerges, buttoning up his shirt and arching an eyebrow at Medusa. "What did you say to that poor kid? I think he's permanently a shade whiter now."
"Nothing," says Medusa defensively. She drapes her elbow on the arm of the couch. "Honestly. All I did was tell him to tell you I wanted to speak to you. All these idiots really think I killed Douglas." She snorts. "If he didn't skip classes so often someone would have seen him by now and I wouldn't be getting all these dirty looks." Because of course she never gets dirty looks. Ever.
Lucian chuckles, and flops down onto one of the dark green sofas, draping his arms over the back. "This is a good thing," he smirks. "This way, when you really do kill him, nobody will suspect you."
She shifts on the sofa, not even bothering to deny that she wants to kill the Gryffindor. There is no point. She does want to. There is a red bump on her forehead, right in the centre of it for some reason. Medusa rises to her feet and crosses over to sit on the same sofa, but she doesn't cozy up to him. That would be going too far. "Lucian," she begins, "I want to ask you a favour. I know you know how much I hate having debts that I owe but I also know you won't be cruel to me."
Lucian's brow loft in muted surprise. "Of course I won't be cruel to you. But a favour? Look, I don't hate you. But you've made it pretty clear that I rate beneath your family's silly notions." He drops his arms and turns to face her more. "What kind of favour?" he inquires skeptically.
"Yes, well…" Medusa shifts a little uncomfortably. "I am not wanting to date you Lucian. I want you to tutor me. I need help." And she hates admitting that to anyone. "I cannot be the Malfoy that fails transfiguration. I need help. I'm running out of people." Which is why she has been manipulating poor little Alphard Black. "I have had to cut ties with the crowd I ran with last year and not all of them have taken it well. Which is understandable, I was clearly important to them but I cannot condone their extra curricular activities." Her sharp chin juts forward. "Will you help me or not?"
Lucian's eyes narrow curiously, the corner of his mouth turning up with a hint of impishness. "What sort of extracurricular activities? I haven't exactly been following who was in your social circle."
"Helene talked me into joining the Mud Club last year. She said it would be a lark." Medusa flicks at a bit of nonexistent lint on her too short skirt. "I am not speaking to her. Or her girlfriend Randy Macmillan. They can both go and fall out a window in the owl tower for all I care." There is an icy bitterness to her tone which becomes even colder when she cross her arms over her chest. "Even that damned Sunny called me a blood traitor the other day. In front of half-bloods and mudbloods no less. You might have been born on the wrong side of the blanket but at least you are pureblooded."
Lucian nods, sighing. "Well, yeah. That much I knew…about you joining the Mud Club. Everyone knew. Didn't realize Helene had a hand in that." He sighs, shrugging. "You made your own bed. Should've seen this coming. But whatever. I don't give a damn about any of it. But…tutoring? Dusa…" Here comes the old pet name from their short-lived time as a couple. "…why in the name of Merlin are you still taking Transfiguration? How did you even get into a NEWT class? No offence, but you're rubbish at it."
She crosses her arms over her chest. "Yes," she bites out. "I made my own bed and now I am lying in it knutless. I have nothing and spent all summer planning how to get it back while you were no doubt swanning around with some stupid girl." Medusa's head turns in Lucian's direction and he can undoubtedly tell by the set of her jaw that she is irritated. "I am in it because I asked. I want to be good at it. I can do somethings right." She passed her OWLs at least. "I'm not stupid Lucian I am just different." Her chin lifts in a haughty gesture. "I have recently been told that it is because my brain is different. That is why I can do things but can't remember lists and," her head shakes a little as she talks, "write long essays about the theory behind a potion or why it is better to use these words than those when turning a table into a chair." Throwing her hand up in frustration she says, "Who turns a table into a chair in the real world anyway? I mean seriously? If you are going to buy a table you are going to buy a chair to go with it."
Lucian's confusion turns to an irate glower. Most of her words drift right past him, and finally he speaks his mind. "Ria is not stupid. She's just…" He sets his jaw, casting his gaze down at his clenched fists, forcing them to relax. "She's just like you. The family said she couldn't date me, so she folded. No great surprise, is it? Sykeses and Malfoys, two of a kind."
Now it is Medusa's turn to be confused. Why are they speaking about Ria? Deciding to take a different tact she half turns so she is facing Lucian across the expanse of the green leather sofa. "I am sorry, Lucian. I truly am. You clearly cared a lot for her. Her brother dated that Briar for ages. I am surprised Ria did that." Not that Kaiden and Briar had much to do with Ria and Lucian, but hey Lucian is way better than that half-blood any day. "If you want I can help you get her back. Fair trade. You tutor me. I tell her how amazing you are and how in seven months she is out of here and you two deserve each other…that sort of stuff."
Lucian rolls his eyes, flopping his head back on the couch to stare at the ceiling. "Don't bother. I've given up on love. It just makes people stupid, anyhow." He rolls his head to the side, putting Medusa into his field of vision. "Fine. I'll tutor you. But you have to do exactly what I tell you to, and I don't want to hear any complaints. You'll hate me before I'm through with you. But I'll get you through your NEWTs."
She scoots a bit closer and pokes at Lucian's side with her finger tip. "Come on, don't look so glum. I promise I will not transfigure away any body part of your's which you deem to be important." Medusa smirks at that. She reaches up to rub her forehead. "And it will be a lot less painful being tutored by you than bloody Alphard Black. I had to whack him with my forehead today to get him to stop trying to kiss me." Lowering her hand Medusa says with a melodramatic sigh, "I hope my parents realise how hard I am working. I'd hate to go through all of this for nothing."
Lucian lifts his head, growling softly at the poke. "There's your problem, right there. Giving a damn what your parents think. We're all just cattle to them, to be raised up or slaughtered to suit their desires." He eyes her curiously…then starts to chuckle. "You really head-butted Alphard Black for trying to kiss you?"
At the moment Medusa isn't really comfortable butting heads with her parents, not quite so much as she is with butting heads with sixth year boys. "He is tutoring me in Defense Against the Dark Arts but he thinks it means I fancy him." Her shoulder lifts. "He is a Black, he thinks all girls fancy him. Like Balty but shorter. He decided to try and kiss me earlier in the classroom. I pulled the old sneezus-interuptus move and in order to make it look genuine headbutted him."
Lucian's chuckles turn into outright guffaws. Apparently the thought of Alphard Black getting a headbutt instead of a kiss has brightened his mood. "That's brilliant. I'd pay real money to see that. Look, if he gives you any trouble, you let me know."
"At the moment I can handle him, but if he goes too far I will let you know." Medusa is fairly certain that if word of her kissing Alphard got back to her family they would undoubtedly be pleased, even if she wouldn't be. "Want another laugh? I was told today that I should go to the Halloween Feast with Douglas Macmillan. How ridiculous is that?" Medusa laughs then because the idea amuses her it is so funny.
Lucian snorts, shaking his head. "Macmillan? A Gryffindor? Good lord. Who told you that? You can do so much better." He furrows his brow in thought. "So since you apparently haven't killed him, you should be his date, huh?"
She lifts a shoulder in a shrug, "So it seems. I suppose at least he is a pureblood." Medusa smooths a hand over her skirt and jokes, "I could let Alphard take me and spend the night throwing props up between us. Strategically placed cakes. Plates. Potted plants." Medusa smirks.
"Well, do as you like, if you want to bother with all that messing about with boys again. All I need to be concerned about now is getting you through your Transfiguration NEWT." Lucian sits up a bit straighter, showing off a hint of that Proudmore pride that appears when he's helping students in Duelling Club.
"Don't be such a sourpuss, Lucian, that was funny." Medusa rolls her eyes. "I never did you know, with Victor I mean. He sniffed around but that was it." She gets slowly to her feet. "Thank you for agreeing to help me. Give me a schedule and I will be thre." She really needs to get herself a 'tutor' timetable so she can juggle all these boys who are helping her out.
"The way he told it, you were the one sniffing." Lucian shrugs, pushing himself to his feet. "Whatever, it hardly matters. I couldn't care less what you did with Victor. It's your life, and I wasn't a part of it anymore." He gazes out through the windows that look into the Black Lake. "We'll compare class schedules. I'm sure we'll find a good time for it. I promise not to try to kiss you, as well. The last thing I need is a knot in my skull." He gives her a teasing grin as he heads back toward the boys dormitory.
"Maybe I wouldn't hit you," Medusa calls out. Lies, she totally would just for fun if nothing else.