Henri tried to stand her ground as the rather ominous figure of Alexander Holcombe stomped through the muddy grass towards her. She couldn’t believe he would actually lay a finger on her considering how many students were milling about but she wouldn’t put it past him. All she knew for certain was that she couldn’t back down, that she couldn’t cower or step back no matter how badly she wanted to put space between him and her. If she showed any sort of weakness then he would think she wasn’t serious about her threat and it wouldn’t work because he’d somehow be able to get a footing. She needed to make sure he continued to feel vulnerable or else the slippery little cogs of his manipulative brain would start to turn and he’d somehow worm his way out of this. If she showed that she was a force to be reckoned with then he would eventually get it through his thick little brain that she wasn’t bluffing.

But when he reached his hand up to drag it down his face, she couldn’t help the tiniest flinch of her arm towards her wand in her jacket pocket. He wasn’t trustworthy especially not when the last time they’d interacted he’d roughed her up. As much as she didn’t want to allow him to gain any sort of footing in this argument, she was even more determined to not repeat the previous incident so that took precedence over her will to literally stand firm.

"You wouldn't really tell, would you? Why would you do that?...No one can find out, Henri. No one."

 Her green eyes briefly darted to the flash of yellow that passed by them but the look on his face captured her attention. He had to be kidding. Of course she would tell. She was a Slytherin! She simply rolled her eyes, ashamed for him by his stupidity and weakness.

"I'm sure we can be adults about this and come to some sort of agreement, right?"

“Perhaps,” she replied curtly, her head tilting to the side so her dark ponytail swung back to the other side in that practiced girlish way. “What sort of agreement did you have in mind?”




They say the poisoned vine breeds a finer wine.