Third installment!
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Three-Operation McLaggen
There's been many situations in which Draco Malfoy has had to pick himself up and dust himself off-mostly because nobody could do it for him. This situation is no different. After seeing Granger and her...fiancé (he almost gags just thinking about it) he'd allowed himself a night of wallowing in self-pity and anger before deciding that enough is enough. His last plan may have been a great one – albeit not as fool-proof as he had hoped – but now it's time to use his A-game. The proverbial guns – damn Granger and her stupid Muggle films – are coming out and the gloves are coming off. This is war. And he's going straight to the source – McLaggen himself.
With just two months left until the wedding day – until Granger becomes McLaggen (and again, he gags just thinking about it) Draco can see no other option but to play the Tool-of-all-tools himself. Okay so there's one other option, but he refuses to think about that one unless it's absolutely impossible to ignore.
Lucky for him – rather unlucky on most days – Draco catches a glimpse of the blonde Quidditch player walking out of the elevator on Hermione's floor. It's lunch time, which means he's no doubt come to take her out for lunch. Draco growls inwardly, before plastering on a fake smile-it's more of a smirk that a smile actually- and walking towards him before he reaches the hallway to her office. "McLaggen."
"Malfoy, how's it going mate?"
His voice, Draco notices, sounds faker than his own. Wanker. "Not bad. Listen, we should go out for drinks sometime-"
"Didn't know you swung that way Draco, but unfortunately I'm already taken," the dirty blonde Gryffindor jokes.
Draco smiles, tight lipped at the superstars lame joke. "Right."
"I'm kidding mate, but what for? It's not exactly a secret that we don't even like each other. Going for drinks is a little extreme, don't you think?"
"Well, sure, but seeing as how you're gonna be a part of myfamily in a matter of months, I'd like to get past all of this...tension, and try to get along. If not for Grangers sake, then for my son's sake – Scorpius seems to like you."
McLaggen grins, folding his arms over his chest. "Yes, well…"
"Cormac!"
Both men look sideways at the mention of McLaggen's name to see Hermione walking towards them. Draco looks her up and down-from her fancy Muggle tank top and skinny jeans, to the cloak wrapped around her slender frame. Is it just him, or does she look better with age? He catches the tail end of McLaggen's "hey babe", rolling his eyes as she leans into the man and accepts a kiss on the cheek.
"Draco, what are you doing here?"
This is his chance. His chance to look like the bigger person, even if he is only doing it to-
"I was just telling him that we should get a drink sometime, sort out our differences, you know?"
Draco blinks, once. Twice. Three times, as a growl builds in his throat. Did McLaggen really just take credit for hisidea? The lying, sodding bastard!
"Isn't that right, mate?"
He has half a mind to grab him by the shirt, get right into his face and dare him to call him his 'mate' one more time. Instead, he smiles tight lipped again. "That's correct."
"Aw, that's so nice of you. I'm so glad you're trying to get along," she coos affectionately.
"Well, I just figured that since we'll be seeing more and more of each other, we might as well make the effort."
"When are you guys gonna go?"
"Friday," Draco decides quickly, before the bastard even has a chance to think.
"Friday."
"Well that works out quite well, actually. Ginny wants to catch a film that night, so I can get Rose to watch Scorpius."
"Right, yeah, that works."
"Great," Hermione smiles. Draco smiles back.
"Well, I for one am starving, so what do you say we get out of here, hmm?" McLaggen mentions, turning to Hermione.
"Yeah, me too. Drake, would you like to join us?"
He almost does a victory dance when he sees the Quidditch star glare at him over the top of her head. "Me? Nah, you two go. I've got…matters to attend to."
X
"That lying, cheating, sodding little bastard!"
For the second time in just one month, Draco bursts into Blaise's office, ranting and fuming. His face is as red as Weasley's hair, he's sure, as he slams the door behind him and begins to pace, not even noticing the two other occupants in the room.
"Just who the fuck does he think he is, playing me – ME – like that? Taking MY ideas and claiming them as his own – the fake little wanker – making himself out to be the good guy. I may be a Slytherin, but I'm a better man than he is and he'staking all the bloody glory. I'm telling you Blaise, I just about strangled the precious little Quidditch star – I don't care out many galleons he's worth," the blonde growls. He stops ranting, finally, to breathe and gather his thoughts. He breathes heavily through his nose as he continues to pace around the room. When his so-called best mate doesn't respond, he looks up – and finds both Blaise and Pansy staring at him. Amusement and curiosity etched into their faces. He groans out loud, because surely this cannot end well. "What, you couldn't tell me that she was here before I walked in?" he snaps.
"Before you walked in? You hardly made it through the door before you started whining," Blaise points out.
"I wasn't whining."
"Complaining, ranting, screaming – whatever, it's all the same thing with you."
"I'm going to assume that you're talking about McLaggen?" Pansy suggests.
"I'm not having this conversation with you, get out," Draco demands.
"Me? I was here first," she defends, looking offended.
"Well I'm here now, so leave."
"I'm not scared of you, Draco Malfoy, so nice try but I'm not going anywhere. Besides, I've heard more than enough to have an idea as to what's going on so you might as well just tell me."
"I'd rather gouge my eyeballs out."
"Aw, c'mon mate, take a load off," the other wizard coaxes.
"No, I'll come back."
"Draco, c'mon. I'm a woman, perhaps I can help with your little woman problem," she suggests, sounding genuine, especially for Pansy.
"I don't need your help, I've got it under control," he snaps.
"Sounds to me like you don't. When have I ever betrayed you Draco? When have I ever let you down?"
"Alphabetically, or chronologically?" he sneers.
Pansy sighs, folding her arms over her chest. "Okay fine, but I've grown up since then."
"Besides, what have you got to lose?" Blaise points out.
"Besides my dignity?"
"What dignity?"
The blonde groans loudly, plopping himself down in the arm chair across from them. Has he really sunk so low, as to seek help in Pansy Parkinson – the Queen of Mean? "So help me Pansy, if I wind up regretting this… I've got this plan, to take McLaggen out for drinks and scare him into walking away – under the guise of 'getting along', of course."
"Going to the source, I like it," she replies, nodding her approval.
"Yes, well, he didn't like it at first but then the second Granger showed up, he claimed the idea as his own. So now she thinks him a fucking saint."
"That's not a half bad plan there Malfoy."
"I know."
"Look, the way I see it, mate-"
"That's another bloody thing! He keeps calling me 'mate', like we're friends," the blond sneers, rolling her dark grey eyes.
"And as I was saying," Blaise continues, "the way I see it is this. Either way, whether she thinks it's your idea or his idea, you've still got the chance to execute your little plot. So just take it, do it, and stop complaining about it."
Draco nods silently, rubbing his right hand over his face.
"Anything to add, Pans?" Blaise asks her.
"Nope, sounds to me like the man knows what he's doing."
"You're joking right? It'd be a hell of a lot easier to just tell Granger the truth-"
"Here we go…" Draco mutters.
"Yeah, well, we both know he won't do that, so this is probably the next best thing."
"You both realize that I'm sitting right here, right?"
"Yes," they both reply simultaneously.
"'Kay, well while you guys dish this out, I've gotta go figure out my scare tacit."
X
"So, are you ready for this?"
They've been at the Leaky Cauldron for just over half an hour before when Draco decides to commence Operation McLaggen. He'd arrived a bit earlier than the Quidditch Keeper, telling the bartender to serve him water no matter what order came out of his mouth – he wants to stay sober for this. He looks sideways at his...companion, as he takes a swig of his glass of fire whiskey.
"Ready for what?" the Quidditch player asks dumbly.
"The wedding. Marriage. Married life."
"Oh, yeah, sure. Marriage is marriage right?"
"It's harder than you think, believe me."
"For some people probably, but Hermione and I...we've got a special relationship."
The bastard is goading him. "Doesn't matter. Marriage may be marriage, but it's hard as hell, no matter who you are or what your relationship is like. You find yourself fighting over the smallest of things, sometimes they last for days – weeks at a time. You've got work pressures and family pressures to deal with. Kids, now they're a huge stressor at times. It's like one minute you're on Cloud 9 and the next you're wondering why the fuck you got married in the first place," Draco tells him.
"That what happened to the two of you?"
"I guess you can say that," Draco replies shortly, before changing the subject. "And with yourjob…"
"My job?"
"Yeah, you know, traveling all the time and not being home – now that, puts a damper on things. And your fans, especially the female population. I know what it's like to be tempted, and how hard it is to say no."
"I know youknow," the Quidditch star smirks, innuendo intended.
Draco nearly hits him. "Yeah, well…"
"Besides, who's to say we have to say no anyway, right?"
Draco blinks. "Meaning?"
"We're men. We're predators by nature. There's nothing wrong with a few...extras, if you know what mean," McLaggen replies casually, nudging the blondes elbow with his.
"She'll never stand for that, you know that right? She'll divorce you faster that you can catch a quaffle."
"Yeah, like I'd ever actually tell her," the man snorts. "What she doesn't know won't hurt her."
Draco almost gaps at him, incredulous that he's admitting that he has no problem with cheating on Hermione. Yet again, he'd like nothing more than hit him; grab him by the throat and throttle him. Instead he just nods, taking a sip of his water – um, vodka. "And then there's her family – the Grangers, the Potters and Weasley's, they're all fiercely protective of her, you know that right? And the kids. If you hurt her even once, they'll hold it against you forever – believe me."
"I'm not worried," Mr. Gryffindor shrugs.
"Oi! Malfoy-boy!"
Draco groans – there's only one person on the planet who calls him that, and only because he won't not. He turns to the left slightly to see none other than Blaise working his way through the crowd towards the bar counter.
"Whaddup mate?" He claps the grumbling blond on the back, looking next to him at McLaggen. "McLaggen, hey man!"
"Hey, uh, Zabini right?"
"You got it. What are you guys doing here?"
Draco looks at him weirdly, to which Blaise just winks and orders a drink. "What are youdoing here?
"I was just passing by, saw you in the window and thought I'd keep you company."
Draco smirks – that's their code phrase for 'it looks like you could use my help' when either one of them is placed in an otherwise uncomfortable situation. "Always."
"Well I gotta piss, hang tight." Cormac says suddenly.
Draco rolls his eyes as he steps off of his school and walks towards the lavatories. Blaise laughs at his reaction.
"Is he driving you mad yet?"
"I'm gonna strangle him Blaise, I'm not kidding."
"How's your plan working then?"
"It's not...the bastard isn't even phased."
"Try a new approach."
"Like what?" the blonde asks curiously, desperate for any other idea.
"Intimate him. Let him know that just because he's planning on marrying Granger, it doesn't mean you're bowing out. You're stuck with each other."
Draco groans loudly. "Kill me now…"
"He might as well be marrying you too-"
"Seriously, shut up," the blonde snaps.
"I'm just saying…"
"He's talking about cheating on her, Blaise. He thinks there's nothing wrong with being unfaithful."
"Well, there you go…"
"And he tried to turn it around on me."
"Hey, c'mon, you know the truth. I know the truth. Nothing else matters-"
"It matters to me Blaise, she thinks I cheated," Draco mutters, staring into his glass of water.
"And she's probably always going to, that's a fact. But she's over it," Blaise tells him simply. "He's coming back, that's my cue to get out of here." He claps him on the back again, polishing off his whiskey turning, waving at McLaggen and leaving the pub. The blonde takes his seat next to Draco.
"He left quickly."
"Wife called," Draco replies shortly.
"Mhmmm."
Silence falls over them and Cormac takes the time to order another drink. Draco thumbs his glass, wiping the condensation off absentmindedly. "Marrying her means marry me, you know that right?"
McLaggen looks at him, knocking back a gulp from his own glass, telling him silently to go on.
"I'm the father of her children, so whether you like it or not, I'm always gonna be a part of her life."
"I'm well aware."
"Are you aware that the house you're living in is the one I had built for us? Or that we christened every single room months before we moved in?" Draco tells him, adding the jealousy factor as an added bonus. "I've been all over that house in more ways than one McLaggen, and I'm not going anywhere. As long as I'm alive and breathing, I'll always be there. Granger and I are over, true, but I'll always be a part of her. And I'll always have a piece of her. So if you can't handle that, you might as well bow out now."
Cormac nods calmly, taking another small sip of his drink before smirking and turning in full to face him.
"I have no intentions of bowing out, Malfoy. And I'm well aware of the role you play in Hermione's life. I think it's you who doesn't know the role Iplay."
Draco glares at him. "Try me."
Cormac smirks. "Are you aware, Malfoy, that every room you've 'christened' has been over-shadowed by the fact that I've shagged her, multiple times, in nearly every one of them – except for the kids' rooms, of course."
Draco's jaw twitches, but he manages to keep his expression neutral.
"It may be your house and your kids, but I don't need to buy her a house or father a child to gain access to her heart or body. You'll probably always have a piece of her, but what you fail to realize is that while you had her, I haveher. She's all mine to play with, Malfoy, and in all honestly, I really do pity you. You lost one hell of a minx, I'll tell you that."
That's it. That's the trigger. Draco snaps, flying out of his chair so fast it falls with a loud clatter on the floor. He grabs McLaggen's collar, pulling him off of the stool roughly and shoving him against the counter, knocking over both of their glasses. "I want you to listen to me and listen good you son of a bitch," he growls. "If you hurt her, in any way at all, I'll make your life a living fucking hell, understand?"
"Got it, mate. Don't need to, but I got it."
With that, Draco Malfoy turns and walks out of the pub, shaking with anger.
