"Cormac McLaggen

"Cormac McLaggen?" she asked weakly.

Cormac's smile widened. "In the flesh." He spread his arms wide, showing off his form like it was on display.

Ginny fought the urge to wrinkle her nose in disgust. She remembered him vaguely from Hogwarts. While some of the girls in her dorm gossiped and giggled about him, Ginny always had the distinct impression he was more into himself then the girls he dated. From the looks of it, things haven't changed much over the years.

"How've you been keeping busy?" she asked. She really wasn't interested in his response, but she wasn't sure how she could excuse herself without being rude.

His smile widened. He took a step closer and plucked the book she held out of her grasp. "This and that, but I think I know of a few more exciting things we could do to…how did you put it 'keep busy'?"

Ginny frowned. "I'm sorry I think you must have misunderstood – "

"Listen, you're obviously interested – it's only natural, but here's the way I work. I don't normally ask women out. They come to me. But I like you. You seem like an elegant witch. Very attractive –"

"Excuse me?"

He didn't seem to hear her, or notice the indignation on her face. "So here's how it's going to work. I'm going to let you owl me."

"Now see here you little – "

"I'm completely single. I'm very intelligent. I'm great in bed. I make great money. Believe it or not, I'm a great catch." He braced his arm against the bookshelf by Ginny's head. She pushed herself into the shelf, trying to get as far away from him as she could.

"In fact," he continued, not noticing her at all anymore. "I'm probably one of the only catches left in England."

Despite the situation, Ginny had to choke back a laugh. Her amusement died though when she saw his hulking frame moving closer to her.

Harry walked through Diagon Alley with a bounce in his step. He had spent a good portion of the morning talking to Ginny's plant and was pleasantly surprised to see it beginning to perk up. At first he felt foolish talking to a plant, but then he start telling it all that's been happening between him and Ginny. It was nice to talk about it – even if it was to foliage.

Currently he was making his way through the crowds to the grocers so he could replenish his food supplies. He wasn't sure when he'd be seeing Ginny next, but he wanted his pantry stocked in case she wanted him to cook another meal for them.

He was just passing the bookstore when he thought he saw a flash of red. He'd recognize that colorcolour anywhere. He stopped his progress to see which Weasley it was. His smile only grew when he realized it was Ginny. She was browsing through a selection of books, completely oblivious to her surroundings.

His smile disappeared when he saw a man approach her. Not knowing if she'd appreciate him storming in and telling the git to bugger off, he waited to see what would happen. Ginny looked minuscule next to the wizard's larger frame and it made him uncomfortable. Logically he knew that she was more than capable with a wand, but his size made him wary.

The stranger shifted to the side and Harry watched as he coiquaffed his hair arrogantly. Harry's eyes narrowed when he caught the man's profile. He'd recognize that grin and swagger anywhere. Anger began to swell inside Harry and a protective beast awoke within his chest. He didn't want McLaggen anywhere near Ginny.

His Ginny.

He took two steps forward and noticed Ginny's scowl. Slightly relieved that Ginny wasn't amused by McLaggen's presence, he paused and waited to see what would happen. He could tell that she was growing more and more impatient and was content to let the scene play out. Having a female dismiss McLaggen would be more amusing than stepping in himself.

His thoughts changed, however, when he saw McLaggen advance on her and cage her against the shelves. Not wanting Ginny to know he had been spying on her, Harry shifted to the right and was directly in line with McLaggen through the open door. As fast as lightening, he whipped out his wand and shot a spell the twins and discovered during his fifth year.

He was about to shift closer to the door to observe the results of his hex when a hand clapped his shoulder. Harry turned around to see the face of his best friend.

"McLaggen, what do you think you're doing?" Ginny asked. She braced herself, ready to send her knee flying into the bastard's crotch.

"I'm trying to kiss you because I'm sexually frustrated."

"What?!"

He stopped his descent on towards her lips and bore a confused look. "I mean, it looks like iyou're/i sexually frustrated."

Indignation swelled inside her. "Now see here. I have never – "

"It's alright, love. I probably couldn't do much for you anyway." His eyes widened slightly and he shook his head, as if to clear it.

Not sure what was going on, she used his momentary distraction to slip out from where his arms had trapped her. "Well, it was nice…catching up, but I really have to – "

"I suck my thumb at night!" he declared loudly, interrupting her.

There was a pregnant pause where the two of them stared at each other in silence before McLaggen's eyes widened.

"Er, that is I meant to say was that I slept in my mother's bed until I was nine!"

Ginny's mouth dropped open in shock, too stunned to laugh. Browsing customers looked up from their books at his exclamation.

Before she could react he tried again, "Heh. Just a little joke I have." He paused and stiffened once again and shouted, "I OVER-EXAGGERATE MY SEXUAL PROWESS!"

This time Ginny did laugh, along with the young sales witch behind the counter. McLaggen froze in horror before clamping his hand over his mouth and fleeing.

"Hiya, Ron. What brings you to Diagon Alley?" he asked, shifting his body so Ron was forced to turn away from the bookshop. This offered Harry a clear view of the front window where he could still see McLaggen standing next to Ginny.

"Just some errands.," Ron shrugged. "I've been meaning to pick up something for Ginny."

"Ginny?" Harry asked, glancing away from the shop.

"Yeah," Ron gave a small smile. "I saw the new Harpies shirt the last time I was here and I've been meaning to pick it up for her."

"Special occasion?" he probed. He knew her birthday wasn't for several weeks. Did he forget something important?

"Nah.," Ronhe shoved his hands in his pockets and bounced on the balls of his feet. "She does so much for Hermione and me that I wanted to get it for her. She's great like that, you know? Very loving."

"Hmmm," Harry murmured distractedly. Was that movement in the bookshop?

"Yeah. She's wonderful. You should see her with all our nephews. I don't know how she got to be so good with kids being that she's the youngest."

"She's great with them," Harryhe agreed. He'd seen her at the Burrow enough times to see how well she took care of her younger family members.

"Sometimes I worry about her. Working in such a cut throat industry. I don't want her taken advantage of, especially since she's grown up to be so pretty."

Harry felt his palms start to sweat and was uncomfortable with the direction the conversation was going. He couldn't agree with Ron. Then his friend would be suspicious and ask too many questions. But if he did the opposite then he'd dig himself a hole for when he wanted to tell Ron he was dating his sister.

Realizing Ron was waiting for a response he said, "I wouldn't worry too much about Ginny. She has the brains to match her beauty." His gaze flicked back to the shop, missing the gleam in his friend's eyes.

"Say, Harry. Hermione and I have a lot on our plates the next few days. Would you mind stopping over to Ginny's and giving her the shirt for me?"

Harry looked at Ron's extended arm and up to his face and smiled. "Anything for a friend."

Before Ron could respond, a strangled squeal was heard and as one the two friends turned to look at the entrance to Flourish and Blotts. Cormac McLaggen tumbled out the store falling on his face, one hand still clamped over his mouth. Seconds later a young sales witch exited and shouted "THIEF! THEIEF!"

Ron shot him an amused glance and said, "Duty calls," before walking forward.

A small crowd had formed around the fallen frame of McLaggen, but Harry didn't join it. Instead he turned around and walked towards the Leaky Cauldron with a spring in his step.

Ginny slipped out of the bookstore unnoticed. The crowd was too busy wondering why a grown man was trying to steal a trashy romance novel to care about anyone else leaving the store. She laughed to herself as she thought about the day's strange occurrences. Wanting to get her mind off of it, and return to her previous mood Ginny headed to a store that always lifted her spirits.

It didn't take long for her to make her way to the Magical Menagerie. She quickly crossed the street, and slipped inside the store. The small building was as noisy as ever, and the tinkling of the bell on the door wasn't noticed amidst the din.

Ron always hated it here. Said it smelled like droppings and he couldn't hear himself think. Ginny always replied that it was because he didn't think. Except for her Pygmy Puff, Arnold, she never had a pet of her own. She felt visiting the store was beneficial for everyone. She was able play with a few of the animals, and in return they weren't bored sitting in cages all day.

As usual, she admired Hector, the tortoise with a jewel-encrusted shell. Apparently it had spent the past dozen years in the shop because no one was willing to spend the galleons he cost because of the jewels.

She made her way over to the basket that held a new litter of puffskeins. Carefully, she scooped up one of the custard-coloured fur balls and cradled it to her breast. She cooed and stroked its soft fur, and it began to purr. She instantly felt calmness wash over her.

She wasn't sure how long she stayed like that, gently holding the puffskein. She often lost track of time when she was in here.

Something soft brushed against her leg, and Ginny glanced down to see which wayward creature wasn't where it was supposed to be. A gorgeous Siamese cat circled her robes, briefly stopping to rub against her calf and purr. Quickly, Ginny returned the puffskein to his litter and gently scooped up the feline.

"Well, aren't you a," she lifted the cat up further and peeaked underneath it, "handsome thing."

He batted her nose and nuzzled her cheek in respond. He probably was the shopkeeper's cat, she decided, eyeing the collar. It was a brilliant shade of blue that matched the shade of his eyes exactly. On it was an ornate P carved into a tag.

"How are you today, Ginny?" called the shopkeeper. Sporting her heavy black spectacles, the witch behind the counter didn't spare Ginny a second glance. She was busy examining one of her rabbits, which appeared to be wearing a silk top hat instead of turning into one.

"Oh just fine, Madame Foxx," she replied as she made her way to the front of the store, feline still in her grasp.

Madame Foxx placed the rabbit back in its cage and turned her attention to Ginny. "I see you've met Pollux," she said with a gentle smile.

"He's just gorgeous," Ginny gushed. "I've never seen a more beautiful cat."

Pollux seemed to soak in the praise, for he curled comfortably in her arms and purred loudly, and Ginny absently stroked his cheek.

"He seemed to take a liking to you," Madame Foxx replied, watching the cat bat Ginny's hair playfully. "I've never seen him take to a customer like this. You seem to have a gift when it comes to animals."

The woman leaned her arms on the counter. "Are you sure you don't want a pet from this store, dearest? Any of the animals would be thrilled to go home with you."

Ginny wanted to recite her normal speech of why she wasn't looking to buy anything but she glanced down at the cat cradled in her arms. "I know this is probably impossible, but is there any chance Pollux is for sale?"

Madame Foxx sighed and removed her spectacles and stowed them in a pocket of her robe. "I'm sorry Ginny, but I can't just sell you Pollux."

Ginny nodded and fought the disappointment from showing on her face. "Of course, Madame, I knew it was a long shot but I figured I'd ask."

"That is to say," the witch said, moving further along the counter. She bent down and picked up another Siamese cat who looked grumpy from being awoken from his nap in the sun. "I can't sell you Pollux without his brother Castor. They have an unusually strong bond, you see."

At the sight of his brother, Pollux struggled out of Ginny's grasp and hopped onto the counter. The two batted each other a few times with their paws playfully.

The two were nearly identical except for Castor's pale green eyes. Hesitantly, she approached the two and ran her hand down Castor's back. He seemed startled, as if he had just noticed her presence.

"You are just as stunning as your brother," Ginny breathed. The feline seemed to puff out his chest in pride and pressed his head against her hand as she stroked him. He wasn't as affectionate as his brother but she couldn't resist.

"I'll take them."

"Excellent," Madame Foxx exclaimed. She began bustling around the store gathering some items. "I want you to take these supplies as a gift from me. You've been coming in here for so long, I wouldn't feel right."

Ginny tried to protest, saying that it wasn't necessary, but the witch wouldn't hear it.

"Now," instructed the witch, "Castor and Pollux have collars with their initials on them. Castor, in particular, takes offenseoffence if you call him the wrong name so take care not to make that mistake. He's a wonderful creature, but a proud one too. Take good care of them, dearest, and do come back soon."

Nodding hastily, Ginny pushed open the door with her back, two new companions in hand.

When she finally made it back to her apartment, she was ready for a nap. Navigating Diagon Alley with her shopping bags, two newly acquired cats, and all their belongings was more work than she realized. So initially as she rounded the corner of the hallway that led to her flat, she failed to noticed an extremely bored Ron slumped against the wall waiting.

It wasn't until she was closer that they both saw each other. Startled, Ginny almost lost grip of her belongings while her brother straightened up and pushed off of the wall that had been holding him up.

"It's about time you showed up," he said impatiently.

"Hello to you too, Ron." Castor hissed from his seat in the basket Madame Foxx gave her.

Ron jumped back and stared in horror. "What is that?!"

"A tea cozycosy." She didn't bother to hide rolling her eyes. "What do you think it is? A cat. I bought a cat, Ron."

He didn't see the face she made since his gaze was glued to her basket. "Why are there two of them?"

Her arms were starting to ache from holding all her packages, the Feather Light charm had worn off awhile ago. "What is this all about?" she asked, shifting the packages in her grip. "Did you come here to see me or badger me with questions?"

Finally realizing his sister was struggling with her load, took some of her packages from her. Ginny noticed with amusement that he was careful not to get too close to Castor and Pollux, who in return watched him with wary eyes.

"Sorry," he said once she led them into her flat. "I've been bored out of my mind waiting for you to come back." His own sentence seemed to have reminded him of the original purpose of his visit. "Do you know how hard you are to get a hold of lately?"

Ginny avoided his gaze and busied herself with getting her two new roommates settled. The brothers seemed to be interested in exploring their new home. Once she placed the basket on the ground the hopped out and took off towards her bedroom. "I'm sorry. I've been usually busy this past week." She hoped that explanation would be enough.

He didn't press any further, but settled on her couch. If his posture was any indication, Ron wasn't planning on going anywhere for awhile. His shoes were already off and his feet were propped up on the arm.

Seeing him stretched out like that brought back memories from when they still lived at The Burrow together. It made her realize how much she missed Ron this past week. Leaving her packages on the table for later, she nudged Ron over and squeezed under his legs to sit next to him.

"How long were you waiting for me outside?"

"Long enough," he shrugged. He was too casual for Ginny to relax. He'd been so annoyed when he first saw her, and Ron always made it known that he didn't like to wait.

"Ah. Well, you're here now, so that's what's important," she said, patting his leg. "How've you been?"

"Not to good," he started, idly picking up one of the cat toys that had fallen onto the floor. "I listened to the Cannons game the other day. Did you know they played the Tornados?"

Ginny laughed and nudged his leg. She replied, "The Cannons always lose. Did you really think they'd lose to the best team in the league?"

"Oi!" Ron protested, his expression sour. He sat up to look at his sister. "What's all this talk about them being the best team? I thought you were a Harpies fan."

"I am, but there's no denying the stats for the past few years," she explained and gave a mental eye roll. Ron was always so defensive about the Cannons. She should have known better.

"The Cannons are just as good as any other team – even your precious Tornados," Ron insisted. "They just need their confidence back. They had a new offensive plan that was nearly foolproof."

"Then there must be a lot of fools on the team," Ginny said, purposely needling him. Enjoying the way she knew he'd react. They hadn't done this for years. "Because they were barely able to catch the Quaffle let alone carry out any semblance of plays!"

"You sound like you were there!" he accused.

"What are you talking about?" Sshe shifted to a more defensive stance.

Ron stood up and produced a bright orange piece of cloth and tossed it to her. He watched for her reaction with crossed arms.

Slowly, she unfolded the fabric, already knowing what it was. She was holding Ron's shirt with Harry's Tornados badge stuck to the front. She held it up and made a show of examining it, mainly stalling for more time. Her mind raced as she thought of all the implications. The first was that Ron was in her flat and going through her stuff. Normally that would have been the most important part, but she pushed that aside. Was this just about his old shirt or did he know about her date with Harry? She remembered the short conversation she had with Harry about Ron questioning him about his love life. Did he neglect to mention that he told her brother about them? A little warning would have been nice!

Her postureposter was stiff as she absently gazed at the offending garment, but she saw a glimmer of hope. The edges of the badge were curling away from the shirt. The sticking charm was wearing off.

Acting on the slight chance that Ron was unaware of her dating Harry she deftly grabbed a corner and tugged. Her heart sang as she was met with almost no resistance and the badge peeledpealed neatly off.

Needing to hide the Tornados merchandise, she tossed the shirt back to her brother. As his attention shifted to the airborne shirt she quickly shoved the badge between the cushions. "I'm not sure how showing me your Cannons shirt proves that I'm a Tornados. What am I supposed to be looking at?"

"Oh nothing important." His voice dripped with sarcasm. "Just that you defiled my shirt." He held up the now innocent looking shirt.

Ginny hoped she looked confused. "Ron, I'm sorry. I'm not following you."

Ron glanced down at the shirt in his hand, did a shocked double-take. "Where did it go?" Ginny wasn't sure if he was talking to her or not, so she chose to remain silent. He continued mumbling as he examined his beloved shirt. "I know it was here…couldn't take it off…was ruined…no charm worked…defacing…WHAT DID YOU DO WITH IT?!"

She was sure that the last part was directed towards her, so she stood up with her hands held out in supplication. "I'm sorry I had your shirt for so long. Did I stain it?"

He collapsed back onto his spot on her couch. "I could've sworn…" He gave her a long look before he spoke again. "Look. I know you had my shirt. And I know there was a Tornados badge on it. I spent the better half of a day trying to get it off. I don't know how it got on there and I certainly don't know fwhy, but I know it was there. The only problem is, is that I can't prove any of this.

Knowing that he had all but let this drop, she sat next to him and asked, "You seem to be really worked up about the game. More so than usual. You didn't bet on the Cannons again, did you?"

When she saw his shoulders slump some more she knew the answer. "Oh Ron! Against the Tornados? How much did you lose?"

"Nothing!"

"So you won? How'd that –"

"No, I didn't win," he admitted somewhat shamefully. "I showed up at Harry's office and I was a bit…er, fired up. He told me not to worry about it."

She couldn't help but asking, "Your bet was with Harry?"

"Yeah," he gave her a contemplating look before adding, "He's a really great bloke. Looks out for his best mate, you know? He knew how much Hermione would've hated that bet."

While Ginny was busy trying to figure out what Ron meant by that, there was a knock at the door and Ron was already halfway across the room to answer it.

"It's okay, Ron. You don't have to answer the –"

He had already swung it open. Ginny quickly moved to her brother's side to see a wide-eyed Harry standing in her doorway.

"- door."

A/N: For this chapter, my take on Cormac was a combination of waht we see in HBP and some other sources. One being Gaston from Beauty and the Beast (gotta love him) and the other being this wacko I heard on my local radio station. Some girl called in and gave the disc jockies a voice mail this guy left her. It was too priceless not to use it in here. In fact, I didn't change much of it. But i'm giving credit, where credit is due. thank you crazy Demetri. I'm including the link to it here. If you want to be amused by probably the most delusional man on earth go to this link! z100./pages/p2articlearchive.html?feed136656&article3898951