Triangulate

“I think the war changed us all.”

“The war made us more of who we were,” Ginny said. “I just hope it all turns out alright, Hermione. You deserve the best. You’ve been feeling very sad lately. Yes, I’ve noticed. I didn’t press the issue because I didn’t think you wanted me to. Hermione… who are you trying to distract yourself from with McLaggen this time around?”

Hermione’s heart skipped a beat as she wrecked her brain for a response… 

Several times, she opened her mouth to speak but each time, she was unable to come up with an adequate response, so she closed it, looking like a fish out of water. She was a fish out of water. She had accused Ron of having the ‘emotional range of a teaspoon’, she realized that was perhaps preferable to having the range of an ocean when one had no idea how to swim.

“I… Ginny… I… I don’t – it’s not important anymore. I’m starting to get over him,” Hermione said at last, but from Ginny’s taut jaw and cold brown eyes, she could surmise her best friend’s concerns were far from assuaged.

“Starting to?” she asked, her eyes probing, straight under Hermione’s skin.

Hermione shifted uncomfortably. She wanted to jump out of her skin. It took all her self-control to not tear out all her hair.

“You’re acting different –“

“I’m in love!”

“With whom? McLaggen?”

Hermione bit her lip. She thought about it. She didn’t not love McLaggen but they had only started seeing each other recently; she did not harbor such deep feelings for him yet, no matter how much she wanted to will those into existence, so she might get over Harry.

Whereas her other feelings – feelings she’d tried to ignore, stomp out, and even embace, to no emotional relief from any of those desperate actions – simply refused to die. If her feelings were a person, she’d choke them to death. Alas…

“It’s complicated,” Hermione muttered. “Look, Ginny. I… I don’t want to talk about this.”

What was the point? Harry and Ginny loved each other, and Ron was protective over her sister, obviously. Whatever she did or did not do, the friend group would simply implode. Ron would not appreciate Hermione moving onto his best friend after their very, very brief romance, and he would especially not appreciate Hermione crushing on her sister’s boyfriend. Besides, what was the point of coming clean? Harry and Ginny loved each other. They were meant to be, probably. At least, Hermione thought, if she and Harry were meant to be, they’d have gotten together by now. But they didn’t, which realized now that she was a tiny bit more removed from her emotions than normally could only mean one thing.

Why implode her beloved friend group over something she unfortunately couldn’t control but was fading with each day anyway – finally? And all thanks to McLaggen. Who would have thought the man she had once ran from would be the one to rescue her from her feelings? That idiotic, arrogant toerag…

“Well, we’re going to have to,” Ginny snapped. “Because I see you’re suffering and you’re not letting me in. Not letting me help,” she added, her brown eyes softening as they met Hermione’s. Ginny reached out a pale, freckled hand and squeezed Hermione’s tan hands. “Hermione, we’re best friends. Whatever you’re going through, you shouldn’t have to go through with it alone. And McLaggen? I love you, Hermione, and I think you deserve better…”

“Just stop!” Hermione said, unable to bear this any longer.

Why couldn’t Ginny just let her have this one thing when she already had what everyone wanted? Why did she have to twist the knife, telling her that the only kind of relationship she could procure was subpar? It’s not like she and McLaggen were always arguing, on the brink of breaking up, like Ginny and Harry were!

“This is the best I can get –“

“No, this isn’t. You could have anyone you wanted. McLaggen was just the only one delusional to approach you.”

Hermione realized tears were streaming down her cheeks. The more she attempted to dam the flow, the stronger the stream became.

“I can’t, Ginny!”

Everyone picked her then discarded her –

“Why? Why do you think that?”

Hermione could no longer control her emotions. “Ron left me for Lavender!”

“You had a crush, went on a date, it didn’t work out!” Ginny’s cheeks were turning as red as her hair. “Don’t blame this on him – he was devastated when you left him!”

“For two weeks. Then he found Lavender.”

“It was a crush! Get over it! Don’t tell me you’re still not over your brother?”

“No, I’m longer over your brother,” Hermione snapped. “Ginny, let’s just leave it before this gets any uglier. Ginny, please.”

“No! The cat’s out of the bag, and now we’re talking it through! If it’s not my brother, then who is it? Why McLaggen? Why not someone – from – from – like Adam Quirk from Ravenclaw? He’s into the same kind of stuff you like, books and the library and –“

“I go to the library ‘cause I can’t stand being the fifth wheel when you and Harry and Ron and Lavender go out! It’s embarrassing! Where do you get off lecturing me about McLaggen when both of you have moved on?”

“McLaggen’s trouble –“

“Yeah, because your relationship with Harry is so healthy. What with you two constantly arguing.”

Ginny took a deep breath. “Alright, you’re right. This is going too far. I don’t want to lose you over this stupid argument, so let’s just stop. You’re right; you have a right to move on, obviously, we all have and are doing fine. And you’re right, my relationship with Harry is on the rocks and I… I don’t want to be with him anymore, I…”

Hermione began to sniffle miserably. “Please, Ginny…”

“But still. You and McLaggen? I’m worried. He’s a prick. Why are you with him?”

Like a dog with a bone, Ginny was just not letting it go.

“He’s such an asshole, he used to hex people in the corridors for no reason, he’s so full of himself, playing around with the Snitch during classes to show off, always prancing around the hallways as if he owns the place, so self-important because his family works in the Ministry – Seriously, Hermione, why?”

Hermione was sick of it. Better rip the band-aid off.

She finally turned towards Ginny.

"Tell me, Ginny," Hermione said with tears in her eyes. "What's a girl supposed to do when her best friend is dating the love of her life?”