Ah, So You're That Type of Person Reopened

Kaegan, still smirking, though marginally less so, attempted a swallow, finding it hard with the wand so near his throat. Nobody was roaming the hallways at this hour- they were all lounging peacefully in their common rooms, getting starts on homework or, more likely, talking with their friends. A conflict of personal interests fought the Gryffindor internally, ranging from arrogance to self-preservation. Henry didn't look like he was the most controlled person in Hogwarts, and it also didn't seem like he was going to take a deep breath and step away. Kaegan suspected, though the differences in their heights were slim, that this Slytherin was older than him- there was something about his demeanor that seemed to suggest the quality of experience. Even if only a year or two, that still brought in a large variety of spells and jinxes that he would prefer to evade.

On the other hand, a Prefect or another student rounding the corner at the moment would surely bruise Kaegan's reputation, if not his ego. He was covered in mud, pushed up against the wall by an angry Slytherin, and not even attempting to defend himself. No matter the reasons for this attempt at physical restraint, it would appear cowardly and weak to a passerby. While he despised his own house and would love nothing more than to be declared separate from the Gryffindors he found himself surrounded by daily, losing a fight wasn't a describing incident he'd enjoy retaining. Besides that, any self-proclaimed savior that came to get him out of this mess would likely expect gratitude in return, and Kaegan could do without being thought to be in someone else's debt, especially when he had no intentions of returning a favor.

"Shut up, just shut up," Henry shouted, stepping away from the Gryffindor and pocketing his wand. Kaegan attempted to contain the slight breath of relief which involuntarily tried to escape. "You have no idea who I am and what I've been through," his companion continued, looking almost ashamed of his actions as he retreated a few steps further. Kaegan made a face of mocking sympathy but didn't say a word, doubting his ability to speak after having the wand against his throat. He slipped his own back into his robes, eying Henry with contempt. It was a natural assumption that he should feel pity for the boy- that's what Henry seemed to want- but it was only pathetic to watch him shakily murmur out something and then turn to leave in one swift motion, decisively this time.

Kaegan watched his retreating back scornfully, opening his mouth to degrade him when a boy rounded the corner, blocking Henry's path. The Gryffindor automatically liked the looks of the new arrival, though it seemed he and Henry knew each other, which lessened the air of pleasantry. The boy was confident as he walked to face the Slytherin, looking down on him smugly before jeering something Kaegan could only catch glimpses of as he watched, one brow raised in a mix of doubt and conceit.

Henry looked like he was still trying to fight his way forward, but the boy remained situated in front of him, turning his gaze to the Gryffindor before saying: "Alright, then. So who are you, lad?" Kaegan sneered at the boy, beginning to feel that he was being looked down on.

The mud on his robes, while still present, had mostly come off in dry flakes, decorating the stone floors with specks of brown. He stepped forward, out of the small pile of dirt, and moved to fully face Henry and the boy, a patronizing scowl on his lips.

"What Henry should aspire to be, lad," he responded, his voice a ridiculing tone of pride as he eyed the two with distaste. Yes, it was clear the boy thought little of him or at least considered him as inferior, which irritated the Gryffindor greatly. Kaegan found it almost like viewing himself and wondered- his thoughts on the matter smug- if this was how he came off to people upon first impressions.

"And what brings me the pleasure of both of your companies today? Is this one of your 'bloody brilliant' Muggleborn friends, Henry? What an honor," he said, rife with sarcasm.

@Henry Knight No worries! It happens (:

The older boy was pushing up against Henry slightly as if to assert the fact that he currently controlled who would walk down the hallway, and it was clearly making the Slytherin uncomfortable. If Kaegan hadn't taken an immediate disliking to both boys- though the new discovery of Henry's affiliation with Muggleborns tipped the scales in the other's favor- perhaps he would've extended an effort to commiserate. After all, if Kaegan had been stuck with a relation like the Slytherin who had so recently threatened to crush his larynx with a wand, there would be many justifiable reasons for unkindness towards Henry on his part.

The older boy shot back something degrading, his quick replies making a mild impression on the Gryffindor, though it wasn't enough to be noticeable on his features. While his air of superiority still lingered, strengthened even more so by the fact that this boy had neither confirmed nor denied his opinion on Henry's status preferences, there was a scorn that the Gryffindor appreciated. Not every day could you find someone with the capacity to return insults or derogatory comments with a casual, unflustered demeanor. Still, anybody with familial ties to Henry had sunken in Kaegan's view after their first encounter, which seemed too long ago.

Had he really been wasting his time arguing with both these boys? It was evident- almost glaringly obvious- that he had nothing to prove to the Slytherin. Anyone with a mind determined to appreciate the people who didn't deserve a shred of recognition could bring nothing helpful into Kaegan's life- not even stimulating conversation. What could Henry possibly do or say at this point to redeem himself? To sink that low was a feat, yet he did it so ungracefully that watching him attempt to defend himself was comedically laughable. You had to have something to take pride in if you wanted to vindicate it, and being enamored with the lowest class was nothing to boast of.

As for the older boy, while undoubtedly more preferable company than Henry, he still irked something that Kaegan couldn't place a finger on. It was the strange feeling of stumbling across someone who reminded you of yourself, and he detested it. He was confident in being better than the two of them, exceeding them and their values every aspect, but if the boy and he were so alike in speak and manner, could the Gryffindor be so conceitedly confident in his deprecations? Kaegan inwardly ascertained that he must have some sort of a sharper mien, a cleverer set of responses to set him apart, that was a certainty.

Henry had snapped something about not being cousins, and Kaegan smirked slightly, watching him struggle in vain to get through the self-composed wall the boy- Colin, as the Gryffindor gathered- had constructed in the hallway. Only inheritance could give you two such similar ignorance, he thought, aloof. At the moment, he couldn't find it in himself to regard Colin very highly. It seemed his main aspiration was less conversation, more of trying to block Henry every way he moved. The Gryffindor had a particular distaste towards the use of unproportionate strength, particularly due to his own lack of an extremely muscular build, and while he wasn't averse to watching the Slytherin struggle, there were certainly better methods.

"Muggleborn? I'm a pureblood if you need to know, and in my opinion, Muggleborns can never be brilliant," Colin said, successfully thwarting another one of Henry's maneuvers to twist by. Kaegan considered him smugly. "Lovely to see at least one of you has some sense." The boy continued into an introduction, announcing himself with unconcealed pride as 'Colin Alluring.' The name gave the Gryffindor pause, sure he'd heard it somewhere before, if only in passing. It wasn't an unlikely stretch that the Allurings were familiar with the Chases- most esteemed Purebloods were. He declined to return the favor with his own namesake, finding it preferable to demonstrate precedence over both of them by other means.

"I also assume you're a pureblood too, right?" Colin asked. Kaegan's face returned to a condescending expression, his voice satirical. "Brilliant deduction. What gave it away?" His smile, though mocking, was there, watching the two cousins bicker with a humorous, arrogant expression. Henry's remarks remained aggravating, and Colin, though swift to retort, had an array of responses that Kaegan felt he was beginning to reuse frequently. His opinion of the boy had risen incrementally, on a more positive note.

The Gryffindor's interest was only piqued when Henry threatened his opponent with a wand once again, to be met with Colin's ridiculing answer, hinting at the notion of a Prefect taking a stroll. Kaegan took this moment to step forward, standing to the right of Henry to make an uneven triangle of the three. "If Henry has such a difficult time discerning his 'superiors,' I doubt he'll be able to recognize a Prefect," he snarked.

Now that he contemplated it, Kaegan could think of multiple good reasons as to why angering Henry into actually casting a spell would be favorable. Now that there were two of them, both him and Colin had an equal chance of getting hit, and consdidering their relation, there was a likelihood of Henry targeting his cousin first. All of this would result in both of them indisposed, Colin either suffering from a bruised ego or- if Henry wasn't accentuating his capabilities- a hex, and the Slytherin in an office, ideally signing expulsion papers. Hogwarts would be much improved without the likes of him.

"Well, go on. Wouldn't want to keep your Muggleborn friends waiting. I'm sure they're impatient to dishonor the school."