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Marcus glanced over at the Gryffindor table from the other side of the Great Hall, the same way he did every night, and he inwardly growled when he realized that Percy was looking longingly at Wood again.
He didn't get it – Percy could do so much better.
Percy was smart and ambitious and pretty, with full lips, bright blue eyes, and soft, perfect skin. He was tall and lithe, and he carried himself gracefully. Since he didn’t go outside as much as his siblings, his hair was a darker shade of red and his skin a bit paler, but it just made his features even more striking. Even his glasses framed his face in a way that made him look dignified. He was the most beautiful person Marcus had ever seen.
Percy was also extremely fair. He treated everyone equally, regardless of their House, which was so rare. He was firm but consistent when he took away House points for misbehavior (and he never failed to reprimand students from his own House when it was warranted), and even though most people grumbled about the punishment, they all knew he wasn't abusing his power and respected him for it. Percy took his responsibility as a Prefect and then as Head Boy seriously, and he would tutor any student that needed help – even Slytherins.
Percy was also stubborn, and he had a bit of a temper, especially where his twin brothers were concerned – Marcus had seen his face and ears go red as he yelled himself hoarse. Marcus loved that too. It meant that Percy had a fire in him, and Marcus wanted to add flames to it. He could imagine that Percy got just as passionate in bed (with the right partner to coax him out of his insecurities).
That was the one thing about Percy that Marcus didn’t like – he was insecure. Everyone thought he was arrogant, but they were wrong. Marcus could see it in the way Percy's cheeks colored when he was being teased or the way he bit his lip if he didn't know the answer to something in class. The redhead had impossibly high standards for himself, and his family’s lack of support certainly hadn’t helped his self-esteem, which was a damn shame, because Marcus thought he was perfect. If Percy gave him the chance, Marcus would tell him just how amazing he was every day until he never doubted himself again.
Percy was incredible, which is why Marcus would never understand why the hell the redhead was so hopelessly in love with Wood, of all people. Wood was a dumb Quidditch player who only ever focused on the game (and yes, Marcus knew he wasn't smart academically either, but at least he was street smart – Wood was just an idiot.) And Wood literally had no other interests; he was obsessed with Quidditch and Quidditch alone.
He didn’t even notice Percy (and you would have to be bloody blind not to notice him). So why the hell did he get Percy's heart?
He didn't deserve it.
Even if Wood were interested in Percy (which he certainly didn't seem to be, and that just made him even more of an idiot), he wouldn't cherish Percy the way he deserved. Wood will always be married to the game, and Percy would only ever be his mistress.
Marcus hated Wood. He wanted to destroy him; to assert his superiority as a better partner and make Percy forget all about that loser. He inwardly sighed. Wood had no idea how lucky he was. He had Percy's heart – the greatest bloody treasure in the world – in the palm of his hands, and he basically just crumpled it up like a newspaper and threw it away without a second thought.
One day, when Percy finally got over his horrible choice – when he was done feeling ignored and heartbroken – Marcus would be there to pick up the pieces and put him back together again, because Percy was worth the wait.