Triangulate

Chapter Four

The world was cold, her heart frozen over, and the way McLaggen's eyes brown burned into hers warmed her chest, thawing the ice. His touch burned her cold skin. Her heart began to beat again, not with pain and disappointment.

She closed her eyes and saw Harry.

Before she could break away, McLaggen's lips were already on hers, begging for permission to go further. She became a passive spectator in her own life and a willing victim in their dalliance as he continued his ministrations, messing up her air and grabbing her waist to pull her closer…

"Hermione!"

His voice brought her back to her senses, snapping her out of her fantasy and plunging her into her nightmare.

"Harry…"

Harry looked at McLaggen with obvious animosity. Hermione saw McLaggen smirk from the corner of his mouth. His cockiness made her grin with revulsion.

"The others were looking for you," Harry said, looking from McLaggen to Hermione as though he'd been betrayed. "I'll tell them you're alright."

Hermione stared at him with eyes wide as saucepans. What had she done? She had never meant to hurt him, only save her sorry self. She raked a hand through her hair, taking in deep breaths through her nostrils.

"See ya," Harry added for good measure, as though he'd been waiting for something he now realized was never going to happen.

He began to walk away, the light of the torches on the walls dancing on his body as he walked away.

"Harry…" Hermione muttered as she made a move to go after him.

What could he want? She needed to give it to him, make him want her… Then she realized she was being silly. Harry was with someone else, and he'd made McLaggen a member of the Quidditch team himself. He had no reason to feel betrayed.

Before she could sit down herself, McLaggen grabbed her by the hand. She turned to him, an eyebrow raised.

"Don't go," he said, his voice caressing her heart as silk, the look in his eyes a beautiful lie. "He already left you. He's not looking back; but I'm right here, and I'm not going anywhere."

Hermione grinned and allowed herself to pull her into another kiss, giggling gleefully.

The night was hers. Why spend it pining after a boy dating another girl when there was one waiting for her, wanting her, without her having to play silly games to get his attention?

After what felt like hours, the two laid down on the carpeted floor of the Astronomy Tower, staring at the stars. He was caressing her neck, playing with her hair, as she laid on his chest.

"For what it's worth," McLaggen said suddenly, his breath on her face sending delicious frissons down her spine. Her heartbeat accelerated at his increased proximity. "I think he was jealous."

It was like a cold shower. She'd completely forgotten about Harry. Then she burst into a grin.

"You're still thinking about him?" Hermione teased. "My, I didn't think there would be a bigger fan than Creevey."

"Creepy Creevey?"

"Yeah, you've officially surpassed him. Except don't call him that, because I actually like him."

"Whatever my lady orders," McLaggen said before pulling her in for another kiss, as though already bored of conversation.

To be honest, so was she.

The following morning at breakfast, Hermione was extenuated but euphoric. McLaggen might have been bad with words, but by God, he was good with his tongue. She giggled giddily and blushed when recalling his lips on hers, his hands on his back, her thigh… no one had ever touched her thigh before, not like that. Oh, Merlin's pants… how she wished she could take McLaggen's off.

Harry only stared at her with his lips pressed together tightly, and Ron was eating and revising for last-minute for his Potions presentation. When Hermione's eyes met Harry's, his icy glare made her smile freeze.

"What?" she asked, a testy note in her voice. Who was he to question her?

"God, Hermione, you look horrible!" Ginny said when she arrived, eyes wide with concern. "What happened?"

"McLaggen happened," Harry said, his words dripping with disdain, as he looked into Hermione's eyes.

Finally, with a half-chewed sausage in his mouth, Ron looked up. "What?" he looked around the table. "McLaggen?"

Hermione didn't know what to say and apparently no one else did either.

"Oh, that's right," Ginny said slowly, as though thinking her words through carefully, breaking the pregnant pause. "You weren't there, Ron. At the Slug Club meeting yesterday…"

Ron's face hardened at the mention. "Yes, that's why I'm trying so hard to revise now – you'd think after saving the wizarding world, I'd get an invite, but – anyway. What happened? Why does everyone look so... bizarre?"

Harry said, "Don't look at me. Ask Hermione."

Hermione glared at Harry before turning to Ron and saying, puffing her chest out, "I made out with McLaggen. And it was amazing," she added, glaring at Harry, who gulped hard.

Hermione turned back to observe Ron's reaction, fearing the worst but ready to defend her bad decision that felt so deliciously good.

"Wow," Ron said, laughing, his grin broad. He held his hand up for a high-five. "Good job, Hermione! You deserve to have some fun. You were looking so glum recently."

Hermione blinked in surprise before giving him a high-five, making both of them laugh.

"Isn't it great?" Ron asked, turning to Harry and Ginny. "Finally, you'll have someone to go on a double date with other than me and Lav-Lav."

No one dared mention the ridiculous nickname lest Ron tear them to shreds verbally again.

Ginny's face lit up like a Christmas tree. "Oh my God, Harry, yes!" she said, grabbing his robes. "You'd like to come with us, don't you?"

"Well, they were just making out, it doesn't mean they're dating –" Harry said, squirming uncomfortably in his seat.

"Why aren't you cheering this on?" Ginny asked, and she sounded like Molly scolding one of the twins for putting a toe – or rather, in the twins' case – both feet out of line.

Harry sucked in a deep breath, rolling his eyes. "It's just McLaggen –" he ground out through gritted teeth.

Suddenly, someone hugged Hermione from behind, making her squeal. By his touch alone, she immediately knew who it was and she felt blood rush to her cheeks.

"Hello, lover," McLaggen whispered, making her giggle wildly.

"Hey, stranger," Hermione whispered right back.

"So when am I seeing you again, Granger?" he whispered, making her blush and giggle harder.

"I don't know," Hermione said, as McLaggen took a seat next to her at the Gryffindor table. "When are you going to ask me out?"

"That's all it takes?" McLaggen asked. "Then this weekend, Madame Puddifoot's?"

Hermione looked at her friends. She feared what being alone in public would entail with her paramour. She'd have to listen to him talk, presumably, and not just make out on an actual date; the prospect was daunting, and that was saying something, coming from the girl who'd helped Harry Potter defeat the Dark Lord.

"I don't know…" Hermione sighed dramatically, giggling.

McLaggen tensed, but he grinned in response, unwilling to show vulnerability.

"Guys…" she said, turning to Harry and Ginny. "You're going there, too?"

"Yeah…" Harry said cautiously.

"Great! So we'll go together!" Hermione squealed.

"Hey, me and Lav are going there too," Ron said, his eyes sparkling. "We could all hang out."

"Yes! That would be lovely!" Hermione cried.

The plot thickens, she thought. This was more than what she had bargained for.

Harry and McLaggen exchanged glances.

"I don't know, Potter looks like he's contemplating kicking me off the team," McLaggen said jokingly.

Harry's eyes darkened after being called out.

"Nonsense!" Ginny cried, answering for her boyfriend. "He's just tired. He had to study after yesterday's Slug Club meeting. He's thrilled about this! Aren't you, sweetie?"

Hermione bit her lips nervously as she observed Harry's reaction; he looked like he could drown McLaggen in a spoonful of water, but McLaggen's grin only broadened. He even winked at Harry, even though he clearly hated this double date idea as much as the Quidditch captain.

No wonder Harry hates him, Hermione thought, not without amusement. Harry's head had almost gotten as big as his father's had been purported to be during his school years, and who could blame him when he'd literally won a war.

She turned back to McLaggen, put her arms around his shoulders as she looked into his stunned eyes, "So it's settled then. Can't wait for this weekend."

"Me neither," McLaggen said before leaning into kiss Hermione on the lips. She leaned back in the last minute, and McLaggen seemed hurt at first then he burst into a grin, and this time when he leaned in to kiss her, she allowed him, aware that the entire Great Hall was staring at them as though they were watching a movie.

Time would tell, she knew, what kind of decision she'd just made.