Title: Envy

Summary: Katie finds that green doesn't suit her all too well.

Characters: Katie Bell, Cormac McLaggen, Randolph Spudmore (whom I've taken as Katie's maternal uncle), Hermione Granger, and Ginny Weasley.

Pairings: Katie/Cormac, on-and-off; Daphne/Ginny, blink and you'll miss it.

Written For: Quidditch League Fanfiction Competition: Season Six, Round Seven

Prompt: Movies That Killed Their Franchises—Green Lantern. (The Katie/Cormac relationship is based on the Carol/Hal relationship from Green Lantern.)

Betas: magrud, desertredwolf

Disclaimer: JKR owns HP&co.

Warnings: Some strong language, hence the T.


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Envy

(Or the one where green doesn't suit Katie all that well.)

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"He's late," says one of the engineers, and Katie can't help but agree. Cormac is late, yet again.

The demo for the new Firebolt X should have started an hour back, and as the Ministry officials pace about restlessly, tired of waiting. If the testing goes poorly, Firebolt Inc. will lose out on the contract, and Katie feels sick. The company hasn't been doing well for the past year, and they're accountable to the shareholders.

"Maybe we should use one of the reserve flyers? Or maybe you can just do it alone?" whispers one of Katie's uncle's secretaries, as he nervously pushes his glasses up his nose.

"I wish we could, but McLaggen's the only other one who practised how to demonstrate the defensive mechanisms while flying. The demonstration is a two people job, and I can't teach another person the routine in five minutes."

The secretary pulls out a large handkerchief and mops his head, and says, "Your uncle won't be pleased," he mutters.

"I know," Katie says resignedly, wondering if there'd be any point in sending Cormac yet another Patronus message.

x

Three hours later, Katie finds herself in her office, shouting herself hoarse.

"WHY COULDN'T YOU FUCKING STICK TO THE ROUTINE?" she yells at Cormac, who doesn't look apologetic in the least.

"Our routine was boring. I improvised it so that it would be loads more impressive. Stop being such a stick in the mud, Kate."

"Stick in the mud? Stick in the mud? You almost lost us the bloody contract!"

"But the deal is still on. The Ministry is going to use our broom for the Defence Department, so will you chill?"

Katie's fingers curl into her palm, and she realises that punching Cormac's nose would be ideal right about now. Instead, she takes in a deep breath and tries to answer calmly, in vain.

"The deal is on only because I grovelled for an hour after you ruined the demonstration. You couldn't even turn up on time!"

"Darling, all's well that ends well," he says, grinning patronisingly.

However, Katie knows that it's not all going to end well, at least not for Cormac—because her uncle is standing right behind the git, his face impassive and his eyes twitching.

Uncle Randy's eyes twitch only when he's about to fire someone.

"Mr Spudmore," she greets her uncle formally, just to let Cormac know that all his smarmy statements have been heard by their company's head.

Just for a split second, Cormac's face falls, before he rearranges it into one of supreme confidence and turns around to acknowledge their boss.

"Could you give me and McLaggen a moment alone, Katie," Uncle says, and Katie nods her head, before leaving the room.

Katie knows that it's been years since she and Cormac ended their relationship, but somehow, she can't stop worrying about him.

x

'Katie,

I'm sorry about today. I'll do better, promise. Apology drinks today at the Leaky? 10 pm?

Yours,

Cory'

.

Katie crumples the parchment, and then smoothes it, before crumpling it again. She's been waiting for over forty minutes, and she's already downed two glasses of whiskey.

She shouldn't have turned up, she decides, as Neville Longbottom casts her yet another pitiful look from where he's standing by the bar. She also knows that she shouldn't be hung up over Cormac as much as she is—he's bad for the company, and he's bad for her.

Ten minutes later, she picks up her shoulder bag, tosses some coins onto the table, and walks out. She's tired, she's hurt, and she wants to go on a long vacation. The sad smile that she'd got from that Hufflepuff chick—Hannah was it?—only served to make her feel more terrible.

Sighing, she steps out of the pub, and the crisp autumn air greets her, acting as a soothing balm against her spiralling thoughts. As the cool air stings her cheeks and she considers casting a warming spell, an unpleasant scent assaults her olfactory senses.

It takes her back to that day at Hogsmeade when she'd touched that blasted necklace, and her body freezes. Her vision starts blurring as panic sets in, and the only tangible thing at the moment is the Dark Magic.

She follows her nose and turns to find that at the mouth of Knockturn Alley, Cormac stands with his arms raised in an offensive stance. Around him, there are three hooded wizards lying unconscious on the ground, their ensembles resplendent with Death Eater insignia.

The gasp she takes is probably too loud, because Cormac turns in her direction, alarmed.

The relief on his face is obvious, as he realises it's only her and not another neo-Death-Eater. He starts to make his way to her, saying something, but she can't hear him over the ringing in her ears.

She isn't sure if she wants to.

Pulling out her wand, she Apparates home as quickly as she can, before she blacks out completely.

x

The next two weeks that go by are odd for Katie. Though she knows that Cormac's been suspended from the company for the time being, she finds it odd that he hasn't owled her or popped by her place as he is wont to do.

Though on a normal day she can't stand his badgering, she finds herself missing it. She finds herself missing his insistent demands that she quit her managerial role and take up a more active role in the experimentation department. She finds herself missing his unstoppable bragging. She finds herself missing his impromptu Swivenhodge games, and his unstoppable spirit.

She finds that she just misses him.

Everytime her letters return unopened and her Floo calls don't connect, the stone in the pit of her stomach becomes heavier, and she wonders if Cormac is all right.

x

Katie runs her hand through the satiny material of the robes, wondering if she should buy the sky blue dress for the upcoming Ministry event, when she hears voices from the other side of the aisle.

"I got a letter from Cormac McLaggen the other day, can you believe it?" says a shrill voice, and Katie moves the hangers to confirm her suspicion—it's Hermione fucking Granger.

"That's the bloke you dragged to that Slug Club thing, right?" says another witch, and Katie doesn't have to look to know that it's Ginny Weasley.

"Yup, that's him, alright. I got the weirdest letter from him, too. He wanted to know if Egyptian amulets could be found in the middle of Scotland, and whether they have any superpowers."

"And what did you say?" prompts Ginny, snorting.

"Nothing. I didn't reply, but I did start reading up on Egyptian amulets. I reckon some fellow tried selling McLaggen a fake amulet, and he's just trying to get back his gold.

"Oh, by the way, did Ron tell you? Apparently, the Firebolt stocks are set to fall further this quarter. Rumour has it that they lost out on a huge deal thanks to McLaggen's attitude," continues Granger waspishly.

"I should probably tell Daph," Ginny replies, her voice flat. "She owns quite a bit of shares there."

Katie pushes back the hangers into place, trying to calm herself down. She can't understand why Cormac would write to Granger; she's never been able to understand why Cory spent so much time in Seventh Year being infatuated with the bushy haired witch—in Katie's opinion, Hermione Granger is not even that pretty.

For an instant, Katie feels like she's back in Seventh Year, with Cho breaking the news gently to her in between aisles of books in the library—that in the time when Katie was in a coma, Cormac had gotten himself a new love interest.

It takes her a moment to reorient herself, and once she does, she finds that she's gripping the satin tightly, and lets go. She tries taking in deep breaths as the healer had taught her to do years back, counting backward from hundred slowly.

Once calm, Katie heads out of Madam Malkin's without making any purchases, shoving her anger and confusion to the deepest recesses of her brain.

x

Though Katie does not go to the Ministry event, she ends up reading all about it in the Daily Prophet. The blown up picture on the front page shows a masked man in emerald green robes defending Granger from a rogue spell.

Maybe it's because they've been friends since they were in their nappies, or maybe it's because she's spent colourful summers exploring his body—regardless, she knows that it's Cormac in that fancy suit, saving Granger from some unknown peril.

Something in her shrivels, and Katie crumples up the newspaper in disgust. There's a monster roaring in her, a monster as green as Cormac's robes.

x

'Kat,

You're probably wondering where I've been. Don't worry, I've just been busy. I haven't forgotten about you, though.

Drinks at the Leaky at 6 tonight? I promise I'll be there on time.

Love,

Cory'

.

This time, Katie turns up ten minutes late, only to find that Cormac isn't there yet. She orders a gin and tonic and sips it slowly, all the while wondering if she's going to be stood up once again.

Just as she makes up her mind to settle the tab and leave, Cormac turns up in front of her, his hair tousled and his face flushed red. He wears a disarming smile, and Katie's stupid stupid heart flutters.

"Sorry to have kept you waiting," he says, and Katie's surprised. Cormac's never ever apologised for being tardy, and she thinks being suspended from the company and being a vigilante has possibly done her ex a world of good.

"I was just about to leave," she says frostily, putting in all the emotions he's made her feel over the past month into those six words.

"Don't be like that, Katie," he says, as he beckons for a waiter to come over and take their order. Once he's placed his standard order of a vodka martini, 'shaken not stirred'—something from some Muggle movie that Katie's never watched but heard all about from him—he continues, "I'm here to make amends.

"I know I've not been the best employee, and that I wasn't the greatest boyfriend when we were together, and I acknowledge that. I'm not asking you to forgive me or give me another chance, but I want you to know that I want to be a better person. I've learnt so much over the past month, and I want to—"

Katie cuts across before he can finish.

"Why are you telling me all this?" she asks him curtly.

"Because you're my best friend, Kitty Kat. You have Cho, Alicia and Leanne, but you're the only friend I've ever had. And you're the only friend I want to have; the rest are just acquaintances anyway.

"The thing is, I've been a dick to you, and you've always been good to me. And if I want to become a better person, it's only for you, because you deserve so much better than someone who takes your presence in their life for granted," he says.

Katie doesn't know where all this is coming from. Hell, she can't help but feel that Cormac's been Imperiused. Or maybe this is an imposter under Polyjuice.

As if sensing her doubts, he takes her hands in his. His warm and calloused hands make her feel things she's long tried to suppress, and all the things she felt as a teenager start sputtering back to life.

She looks him in the eye to check if he's telling the truth, and finds that his eyes are as green as ever, and in the dim lighting, they seem to be deeper than usual.

Much against her will, her heart melts, just for the tiniest of seconds.

Blushing, she looks down at the table, where his hands enclose hers, and she notices the large clunky bronze thing attached to his left wrist.

"What's that?" she asks, distracted.

"That is a very long story, and involves dragons and Egyptian priestesses, so I'll save it for another day. But today, this is what I want to give you."

He draws back his hands and takes out a blue and silver package from his robes, tied up prettily with a lacy white ribbon.

"You didn't think I'd forget, did you? Happy birthday, Katie," he says softly, pushing the package towards her.

"Thank you," she says demurely, pulling the parcel towards herself, her heart filling with pinpricks of hope.

For the first time in weeks, Katie smiles.

x


End note: If you've watched Green Lantern, you'll know that the relationship here is almost the same as Carol's and Hal's. I've changed a few of the things I didn't like in the movie, like how Carol just got back together with Hal though he never apologised for being a twat, and how it seemed Carol could forgive everything Hal did just because he saved her. So I had Cormac save Hermione in this fic, and made Cormac apologise. I don't know if Katie gets back together with Cormac, so it's up to you.

P.S. Swivenhodge is a legit broomstick game in HP. (It's pretty weird, check it out on the wiki!) Also, is it Neo-Death Eaters, or Neo-Death-Eaters? :O


Written For: Quidditch League Fanfiction Competition: Season Six, Round Seven

Word Count: 2089

Prompt: Green Lantern

Position: Seeker, Puddlemere United