Prompt: Ron confronting McLaggen after hearing he overran with Hermione at Slughorn's party.

Era: Half-Blood Prince
Rating: M for distressing themes
TW: Mentions of sexual assault.

Leave Her Alone

Ron was already late for class when something caught his attention, and he halted. The loud voice that echoed from the boys bathroom made his stomach churn, and it wasn't just because of the arrogant and argumentative tone.

"Hermione Granger," said Cormac McLaggen. The way he said it made his skin crawl. It sounded like he was talking about a fancy dessert or a high-end broomstick, not a person.

Call it morbid curiosity, Ron approached the bathroom, and pressed his ear against the door.

"And it went well?" asked a voice Ron didn't recognize.

"I'll say," said McLaggen. "Turns out she can do a lot more with her mouth than argue."

Ron felt a pit in his stomach. Harry had said she left the party early, and that her date with McLaggen didn't go well. What was he talking about?

"Sorry, I just can't imagine you and Granger," said the other voice.

"Anything's possible with enough butterbeer," mumbled McLaggen.

At that, Ron didn't give himself any time to second guess before he shouldered his way into the bathroom.

"Weasley," said McLaggen. "How much of that did you hear?"

Ron scowled at him. "Enough to make me think you're vile. And I know she thinks it too."

The boy that Ron didn't recognize chuckled, and McLaggen stood up straighter and took a step closer to Ron. "Funny, didn't seem that way under the mistletoe at Slughorn's party," he said, sharing a smirk with his friend. "What's it matter to you? Don't you have another bird on your arm these days?"

Ron ignored him and pressed on. "If she needs to be drunk to stomach being around you, then yes, she thinks you're vile."

McLaggen opened his mouth to respond, but Ron cut him off.

"Don't touch her," he said. For good measure, he pulled out his wand and pointed it at him.

McLaggen scowled as he reached for his own wand. "You think you're gonna hex me, Weasley? Granger was asking for it."

Ron's fist clenched around his wand and anger boiled up inside him. There was no question about hexing him now. "Levicorpus."

As if an invisible lasso had tightened on his ankles, McLaggen was abruptly hoisted into the air and left to dangle in space. "What the bloody hell, Weasley?"

Ron swiped his wand at McLaggen's friend who had drawn his own, expertly disarming him with a nonverbal spell before turning it back on McLaggen. "Say you'll leave her alone."

McLaggen simply bounced in midair. His face was red, a large vein visible on his forehead like an earthworm trying to burrow free. "Fine," he spluttered, before continuing more softly, "Can do better anyway."

No you can't, thought Ron. "I'll hold you to it," he said as he turned and made his way back to the door.

"Weasley, aren't you going to let me down?" asked McLaggen, now flailing desperately.

"No," he responded as he opened the door. "You kind of asked for it."

And with that, Ron shut the door on McLaggen, and continued down the hall for class. He'd be very late now, but it was worth it.