𝐌𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐅𝐚𝐭𝐞 ⟶ 𝑻𝒐𝒎𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒆

CHAPTER NINE

"The pleasure is all mine," she said, trying her best not to cringe away.

McLaggen straightened up, dropping his hand to his side. Hermione noticed there was something smug and amused about the way he moved and it heavily reminded her of his descendant in her time.

"I know you're new here but there's this thing called Hogsmeade weekend-"

"I know about Hogsmeade weekend," Hermione cut him off. "It's in two weeks."

McLaggen looked surprised before a large grin broke over his face. "Well, good!"

Hermione blinked. "And your question is?"

"Are you planning on going then?"

"Oh, um. I..." she hesitated to answer him because it sounded like he wanted to ask her out on a date to Hogsmeade when she knew she hadn't had the time for romance at the moment. She wanted to focus on her task and she did not want to lead him on. Instead she asked him, "Why do you ask?"

"Would you like to go out with me?" he asked with a smirk on his face as he misinterpreted her hesitation as nervousness.

Hermione internally cringed. Yes, he's asking her out.

"I'm sorry," she said with false sincerity. "But, I already made plans with Claire."

Claire opened her mouth to deny but Hermione pinched her arm and she promptly shut her mouth. Fortunately for her, the act went unnoticed by McLaggen.

"Well, I'm sure Claire here is nice enough to allow us to have the day to ourselves," McLaggen said while looking at Claire with a sudden intensity in his blue eyes as if challenging her to refuse his request.

The blonde ravenclaw smiled at him and for a moment Hermione feared she might say yes but her answer surprised Hermione.

"Now, now, Damian." Claire clicked her tongue, shaking her head as though she was disappointed. "It's Hermione's first visit to Hogsmeade and she is the Head Girl. She'll be very busy watching over the students and I of course would need to be there to help her out while giving her a tour. We wouldn't want her to get distracted now do we? We both know how..." Claire's eyes trailed him up and down, considering before she smiled, showing a row of perfect white teeth, "...handsy you can get."

McLaggen's face fell before morphing into a look of anger.

"Fine then," he said before he straightened up and shifted the broom to his other hand. He then pointed a finger at Claire's chest. "Practice starts next Thursday, Hawthorne. Don't be late or you're out of the team."

And just like that, he turned and marched angrily out from the pitch leaving the two girls staring after him.

"Git," Claire muttered under her breath and rolled her eyes. "I honestly don't understand why Sinistra made him captain."

"Is he always like that?" Hermione asked, scrunching her nose as they continued to walk back to the castle.

"Most of the time," Claire answered. "Couldn't take no as an answer."

"Figures. How did you know he can get...handsy?"

"The prat tried to snog me once." The blonde shuddered then turned to look at Hermione, a crease between her brows. "Do you like boys, Hermione?" she suddenly asked.

Hermione paused and looked at her friend incredulously. "What?"

"Do you like boys?" she repeated.

"I heard you the first time!" Hermione said, her tone raised. "What on earth made you say that?"