Harry Potter One Shots (Vol. I)

Ice Queen (Cormac McLaggen)

"You're looking good Arellano," he began conversationally, tucking his hands into his pockets.

And just like that, I was grinning, and I tossed my hair over my shoulder for effect. "You're saying that as if it's news."

As I walked out of the library, I didn't bother to listen out for his following steps or look back to see if he was going to join me. I didn't need to; I knew he was going to come after me anyway.

He dropped into step beside me, chuckling slightly as he remarked, "That's true; you always look good."

"You too," I agreed, watching as the arrogant boy's shoulders straightened out at the compliment. "Stop looking so pleased with yourself and I'll let you walk me to potions."

"You'll let me walk you anyway," he retorted, rolling his eyes. "You're forgetting that we're in the same potions class, Arellano."

"And how do you know I wasn't just going to duck into one of the secret passages and leave you to walk on your own like a loner?"

"I'd rather we explored the secret passages together," he said in a way that was so typical of him that I did nothing more than reach out to slap his arm. He hesitated for a moment before speaking, "Try-outs for the Quidditch team are this weekend."

"And?" I asked with a raised eyebrow, knowing that he was hinting at something. "What about it?"

"Come and watch it?" He suggested with a grin. "You can be my good luck charm."

"Oh please," I couldn't help but scoff. "You know just as well as I do that the moment a Slytherin turns up at the Gryffindor Quidditch team try-outs that they'll think something's up. Salazar, they might even think I'm spying, even though I can't stand the bloody game."

"Even if I'm the one playing?" he questioned, holding the door of the potion's classroom open and gesturing for me to head in first.

"Why should the person playing the game have any influence on my opinion of it?" I asked, brushing past him as I headed towards my desk at the back of the room.

Even though his desk was on the other side of the room, McLaggen trailed after me and when he arrived at his table, he stood in the way and frowned.

"But I said I needed luck."

"I can't imagine that I'd bring much luck to you," I said with a roll of my eyes as I unpacked my things for the lesson. "Besides, when you really need luck I'll just kiss you and that'll be all the luck you need."

His eyes narrowed playfully in my direction, crossing his arms and leaning down to prop them on the table top. "Merlin Arellano, I know we agreed that kissing was one line we wouldn't cross, but one of these days I might actually take you up on that offer. You should be careful."

"Oh please." Rolling my eyes, I pressed a finger to the centre of his forehead to push him away. He moved away willingly. "You're much too Gryffindor for that."

"That sounds like a dare," he murmured with a smirk and I shook my head incredulously, only just noticing the number of eyes that were trained on us.

Honestly, they were acting as though it was odd for the pair of us to be talking. Had they not yet realised that it was inevitable for McLaggen to, at one point in the lesson, prop himself up on my desk? Or for me to be circling his seat for that matter as I stopped to talk to him on my way to grabbing another ingredient?

But really, what was the big deal. We were only flirting; it was just a bit of fun.

"Try it if you're brave enough," I goaded the waiting Gryffindor whose eyebrows rose in surprise at my words. "I've been meaning to see if your skills lived up to all that bragging you've been doing. I hope you're not setting me up for disappointment."