"You just had to go out with him!" Ron complained loudly.
"You just had to make me! If you weren't snogging Lavender Brown I wouldn't have too! And, if I didn't do it, you probably wouldn't have realized how much you loved me!" Hermione retorted hotly.
"Actually, you started it! The whole reason I went out with Lavender is because you kissed Krum!" Ron protested.
"Two years ago! I never even liked him!"
"I never even liked Lavender!"
"Yes, well I only went to the ball with him because you wouldn't ask me, Ronald. And now if you're going to blame this all on me when it was clearly you're fault-
"Look! There he is now!" Ron said, grabbing Hermione's mouth and turning it towards him.
"Oh, I feel bad. First I run away from him and now I'm running away with a new man." Hermione sighed as she and Ron stared at McLaggen who was looking around the room, confused.
"Fine. Then go out with him. I'll just go back to my dormitory." Ron said sarcastically.
"Oh all right." Hermione sighed. "I'll go talk to him."
Hermione flounced out from behind the curtains, and strutted over towards McLaggen.
"Cormac!" She greeted happily.
"Hermione! I've been looking all over for you! Where've you been?"
"I was, in the bathroom. I told you."
"Well it was quite a long time." He said.
"Look, Cormac, there's something I have to tell you." Hermione started.
"Yeah?" He said, and Hermione couldn't tell him the truth. Yes, she knew he was rude, arrogant, and she didn't like him, but she couldn't just say that she found someone better.
"The truth is…the truth is that…I only date redheads!"
"You only date what?" He repeated.
"You heard me. I only date redheads. It's kind of a superstition I have." She lied.
"Then why did you go out with me?" He said, his voice rising slightly.
"Well, I thought maybe I could break the curse, you know, try out with a brunette, and what better brunette to go with then you." She thought that she should add in some flattering words, although those too were a lie. "But, you see I really am cursed! You know why I was in the bathroom so long? Well, I got locked in, and my wand was on the floor outside the stall! Luckily someone came in and helped me out! But then, as I was coming back, I fell down the stairs! I had to go see Madame Pomfrey to fix my leg!"
"Hmmm." He said.
"The truth is Cormac, I can't go out with you. I'm just too superstitious, and the curse could only get worse!"
"Yeah, well, whatever. You're mental." He said coldly, and walked away.
Although she didn't like Cormac, he had never actually done anything to her. She, on the other hand, and brought him here just to make Ron jealous, and now she was ditching him for Ron.
"Wait! Cormac!" Hermione cried.
"What? I'm I about to fall into a pit of fire because of your stupid curse."
"No, I just wanted to give you a heads up."
"About what?"
"Lavender Brown." Hermione started slowly. "She fancies you."
"Really?" He said eyes wide. "But isn't she dating Weasley?"
It wasn't a total lie. Lavender had even said earlier that Cormac was handsome. And as Hermione thought about it, she realized they were perfect for each other. Cormac only wanted to talk about himself. Lavender didn't care what any boy talked about as long as there was snogging involved.
"They broke up recently. I could go get her!" Hermione started before she could stop herself. "We're dormmates!"
"Seriously? You'd do that?" He said happily.
"Only if you want."
"Then let's go!" He said and quickly walked out of the room. Hermione followed him, though she didn't want to leave Ron alone. What if she thought she was actually snogging McLaggen?
She didn't have to worry about Ron for long, because almost a moment later he was following them down the corridor.
"What's happening?" He asked Hermione.
"Weasley! What are you doing here?" McLaggen called.
"Talking to Hermione." He responded coldly.
"I'm taking Cormac to meet Lavender Brown." She said, not meeting his gaze.
"You're what!?"
"Yes," She said, giving him a stare that meant, 'play along'. "Lavender fancies Cormac, didn't you know?"
"Yeah, didn't you use to date her, like an hour ago, Weasley?" McLaggen sneered. "Looks like someone's already moved on."
"Look's like Hermione's already moved on too." Ron said darkly.
"Hey, wait! You have red hair!" McLaggen pointed suddenly.
"And you have brown!" Ron said with a confused look.
* * *
Hermione entered her dormitory, and the sounds of sobs echoed throughout it. There was a heap of a mess on Lavender's bed that Hermione noticed with a jolt of guilt was Lavender.
"Um, Lavender." Hermione said timidly, sitting on the edge of her bed. "Lavender!" She said loudly when she did nothing but cry some more. Lavender looked up at her from her pillow. Her mascara was running down her face, her eyes were watery, red, and bloodshot, her face was pale and her hair was all frizzy and tangled. She was a mess.
"You!" She screamed loudly. "You stole my Won-Won! This relationship mess is all your fault!"
"Well, Lavender, it's um, technically not my fault, per say. It's Ron's fault for feeling that way about me."
"But you egged him on! Doing his homework for him like some kind of lap dog, following him around like a shadow!" She screeched.
"We're friends." Hermione told her, trying to stay calm. "Friends hang out, and walk around together."
"Friends, Granger, don't make me laugh! You didn't talk to him for weeks when I started dating him! You were jealous of me!" She sneered.
"Lavender, do you know why Ron came after me tonight?" Hermione asked soothingly. "Because I was dressed up and looked pretty, and was in the arms of McLaggen."
"So?" She sobbed. "Do I always have to dress up just to keep his attention?"
"I'm saying, you want to make him mad, you dress up. And you know what; Cormac McLaggen is waiting down there. He's waiting for you." Hermione pretended like Ron could possibly feel jealous of the thought of Lavender with another man.
"But you're going out with Cormac."She said, looking up suddenly.
"It didn't work out." Hermione said, grabbing her box of tissues. "And he really wants to go to Slughorn's Christmas Party with you."
"Really?"
"Really. Now come here, and let me fix your makeup."
In fifteen minutes, Hermione had transformed Lavender from a ghastly tramp to a stunning beauty (though she made sure she did not look as pretty as herself). They walked down the stairs and McLaggen stared hungrily at Lavender, and Ron at Hermione.
"Whoa! Lavender, you look amazing!" He said, and that was the last word Hermione caught McLaggen say, as she started talking to Ron.
"If it's possible, I think you look even better than before." Ron complemented.
"And how is that possible?" Hermione asked cursorily, putting her arms against his chest.
"Maybe because a weight feels like it's been lifted off my chest, finally being free of Lavender." He said.
"Well, there is still a chance that she still likes you." Hermione said fairly.
"I beg to differ." He said, nodding behind her. Hermione turned around, and the sight made her grin ear-to-ear. There was Lavender and McLaggen, in full fled snogging.
"Well, isn't that something? But I think we have a party to get back to." Hermione said cheerfully.
Ron and Hermione ran out the portrait hole and started down the steps. They could distantly hear the sound of laugher, chatter, and music when Hermione stopped Ron suddenly.
"Wait! I forgot there's something I have to do!" She said, putting an arm in front of him.
"You forgot to tell me that lists of my traits you find attractive?" he said, coming closer towards her.
"No. This." She said, and she kissed him.
Ron's lip quivered as they parted, and when there lips met again this time Hermione put her arms around him and they kissed more fiercely, Ron lifting her off her feet.
"Well, come on then. If we keep snogging in the corridors we're going to miss the party!" Ron said when they finally parted.
"Very true." Hermione said fairly, and she enclosed her hand in his and they walked towards Slughorn's office.
"Now, about that list…."
"Oh, Ronald, you're such an arrogant child. Do you really need know everything about yourself?" She laughed.
"Is yes the right answer?" He said sheepishly.
"Oh, Ron." She giggled.
"Hey, what about McLaggen? How did you ditch him without his anger exploding like a ticking time bomb?" Ron asked.
"I, um, I lied." Hermione confessed.
"You lied?" He said, eyes wide. "Hermione Granger, lie? What did you say?"
"I, um, I said I only date redheads." And as Hermione squeezed Ron's hand and walked into Slughorn's office, she realized there was actually some truth in that.
The End