This chapter was inspired by Gin Blossoms' song, "Hey Jealousy".

CH. 6 Hey Jealousy

Ginny was spending time with me over my house at her insistence. I told her I didn't think that it would be good timing since Harry was due to come over later to continue to work on our project. But this was Ginny we were talking about. The word "no" was definitely not in her vocabulary. Currently, she was sprawled out on my bed flipping through magazines while I watched from my desk.

"Now that there is no one else around but us, can I ask you about the Draco situation?" I asked playfully.

"I guess you can. It really is going well so far. We are both happy. I know it may come as a surprise to you, but we really like each other," She answered with a smile on her face.

"Isn't that all the more reason that you should go public?"

"No, definitely not. Eventually, just not now."

"If you say so Gin."

"Did you hear there is a new guy at school? He is in your year too. He is a major hottie."

"Oh, are you referring to Cormac McLaggen?" I asked nonchalantly.

"You've met him haven't you?" She asked with a gasp.

"Yeah, he bumped in to me down the hallway knocking all of my books to the ground," I responded with a shake of my head.

"Did you talk to one another?" She asked moving up closer to the front of the bed, hanging on to my every word.

"Well yes, he knocked my books down. He apologised, struck up a conversation about people doing it to me on purpose to catch my attention and such," I said squirming uncomfortably under her watchful gaze.

"Really? Bible it!" She exclaimed.

"Bible" was another phrase she picked up from that Kardashian show. She told me it was the equivalent to swearing on something. I wondered if there was a possibility to permanently block her from being able to view the show. I would have to ask Fred and George (her twin brothers) about it.

"I am not lying to you. It would serve no purpose to me," I answered with a sigh.

"So…do you fancy him?" Ginny asked with a huge grin coming to her face.

"I hardly know him Ginny," I responded trying not to blush.

"You do! You do! Finally Hermione you're giving a bloke the time of day. I am so proud of you!" She shouted in glee.

I sighed impatiently trying not to smile. I didn't exactly know how to feel about Cormac yet. Sure I found him attractive, but that did not mean that he felt the same way about me. I needed to know more about him without getting Ginny too involved. However, I had little time to dwell on it with Harry deciding to enter my room at that moment.

"Oh, Ginny good to see you," Harry announced in a semi-shocked tone looking at Ginny on the bed and me at my desk.

"You too," Ginny replied with a smile before turning her gaze back to me. I saw the determined look on her face. She had no intentions of leaving unless I made her.

"Ginny, shouldn't you be going? We have to start on our project, besides, didn't you want to go shopping?" I asked slyly.

"That can wait. We have more important things to discuss Granger," She asserted crossing her arms.

"What were you girls talking about?" Harry questioned with a raise of an eyebrow as he sat down at the study table in the middle of the room.

"We were just talking about how Hermione found that new guy at school Cormac fancible," Ginny answered with a smile.

"No, no, we were not talking about that. Ginny you really should go," I said giving her a significant look.

"McLaggen? How could you possibly fancy someone you just met?" He asked a little hotly.

"He definitely has a thing for her as well. The way he "bumped" in to her. So sweet. And a, how would you know they just met by the way and b, how do you know his surname?" Ginny questioned.

"I-I saw them in the hallway together but that's besides the point. He tried out for the football team the other day and unfortunately made the team. I do not agree with the head coach's decision, especially so late in to the season…" He trailed off.

"Were you spying on me or something?" I asked with a glare.

"As usual you think too highly of yourself. Once again, the loud crash that your books made falling to the ground were quite disruptive. It could probably be heard from the end of the hallway."

"You act as if it were my fault."

"Well if you held on to your books better or carried less, the problem wouldn't be repeating itself daily."

"Daily? It does not happen daily. You are so—"

"Alright, alright you two grow up. Honestly, the two of you argue like a cute old married couple," Ginny interrupted with a shake of her head. Harry and I both looked determinedly away from each other. "I guess I should be going now. Hermione takes her work very seriously and I would never hear the end of it if I were to intrude upon that. I will see you later and please don't bite each other's heads off. Hermione is my best-friend after all," She finished with a wave before walking out my door.

"You ready to get started?" I asked pulling out my notes and placing them on the table.

"Sure," He replied getting his notes out as well.

A few hours later—

"So do you really fancy McLaggen?" Harry asked me putting his pen down.

"That is none of your business. I suggest we get back to work," I answered as I continued to write down more notes for our project.

"Can we take a break? We've been at it for hours," He said with a sigh leaning back in his seat slightly.

"I guess a short break would be fine," I replied with a nod putting my own pen down as well.

I stretched my arms up in the air filling my shirt raise up a little. I caught him staring at me oddly and I looked back at him questioningly. I got up and placed a couple of snacks from my desk on the table in front of us that I had brought up earlier. I opened up a box of chocolate biscuits and took a bite out of one. Chocolate biscuits were my favourite.

"What do you see in him anyway?" Harry asked as he took a bite out of one of my chocolate biscuits.

"I barely know him. Ginny was going a bit overboard. From what I can tell, he appears to be quite the gentlemen", I said giving in to the conversation.

"Quite the prick if you ask me."

"I didn't, nonetheless, you must have a reason for thinking this way. What is it?"

"Do I really need a reason? It's just a feeling I get from the bloke."

"I find your "feeling" as you say, inadequate. He has been nothing but polite to me."

"Of course he would appear that way to you. It's obvious he is interested in you."

"And why would you care whether he was interested in me or not?"

"I don't care. I'm just saying he is a prick and you shouldn't fall for his games is all. It's obvious he is playing you."

"Playing me? Please, we've barely said two words to each other. And is it really so difficult to believe that someone could possibly be interested in me? Am I that appalling?" I said angrily.

"Maybe we should just call it a day. We've gotten a lot done as it is," He replied changing the subject as he started to pack up his things.

"You are such a bloody coward. Stay out of my love life. That is of no concern to you. You aren't my friend, you aren't anything to me," I asserted with tears in my eyes.

Harry looked back at me with an unreadable expression on his face before picking up the rest of his things and swiftly leaving the room.

The next day at school—

"I'm kind of craving fish and chips today. Why must it be pizza day," Ginny said with a disappointed expression on her face.

"I'm sure Malfoy would be more than happy to sneak off campus to pick you up some," I responded with a smile.

"Don't take the mickey out of me alright Granger?" She said with a laugh.

I stuck my tongue out at her as I took a seat down next to her at the bench under a tree. This was our favourite lunchtime hang out. I bit down in to my sandwich, letting the nice sunny weather wash over me. A bright sunny day in London was hardly ever heard of and it seemed like the rest of the students were taking full advantage of it.

"Ugh, I am off to go get some dreaded pizza. Be back," Ginny announced heading towards the cafeteria.

Looking across the courtyard, I saw Harry and Ron kicking a football back and forth. Ron had a giant slice of pizza in his mouth at the same time and I shook my head in disbelief. It seemed like everytime I saw him, he had some sort of food dangling from his mouth. Glancing back at Harry, I tried not to show any emotion on my face. I didn't think it was possible to hate someone as much as I did in that moment.

"Hermione? Is this seat taken?" a deep voice asked politely interrupting me from my thoughts.

"Hello Cormac, sure you can have a seat," I responded nervously.

"I'm glad I ran in to you again. I guess you are right about the school being small," Cormac said with a smile.

"Yeah. How are you finding it so far? I heard you made the football team. Congratulations."

"Thank you. I guess news around here travels fast. I really like everything so far. The people here are very welcoming and pleasant."

"That's always good news. So, where are you from originally?"

"Oh Canterbury. It's kind of a small town, nothing like London. So naturally, it's a very big change."

"I could imagine. It's really quite beautiful in Canterbury though. My grandmum lives there."

"Small world," He replied with a nod of his head.

There was an awkward moment of silence that I desperately hated. I tried my hardest to think of something to fill the conversation but he spoke before I could think of something.

"So, do you go to many football matches?"

"No, not really. I haven't been to one since I was age 12."

"Wow that is a long time. I know we barely know each other, but you are kind of the only person I really enjoy talking to here at the school so far," He said with a smile turning towards me. I smiled back at him biting my lip nervously. "I was thinking that it would be good if you attended my next football match tomorrow, you know for moral support and all that."

"Umm, I don't know. I'm usually preoccupied with school work and such after school," I replied mentally hitting myself over the head. If Ginny were here I knew that she would have shouted at my stupidity.

"Oh well okay. Listen, I better I get going. I have a placement test to take in a couple of minutes and I still need to find the classroom. I will see you round yeah?" Cormac announced getting up from the bench.

"Sure. I will see you round. Good luck with your placement test. I'm sure you will do fine," I answered politely with a smile.

He smiled back at me and waved goodbye before heading out of the courtyard. Just then, Ginny walked towards me looking back and forth between the two of us before taking a seat next to me.

"Did you and Cormac just have a conversation?" Ginny asked with a mischievous grin coming to her face before she took a bite of her pizza.

"Yeah. Gin, I need your opinion on something," I stated setting my sandwich down on my plate.

"Did you just royally blow him off? See that is why I cannot leave you alone for a second with a boy. You broke his heart didn't you? Poor bloke," She said with a shake of her head in shame.

"Well I didn't exactly blow him off. Okay, so we were talking and he was telling me that basically I am the only one he likes to converse with here and it was all well and good you know. But then he asked me if I wanted to attend his football match tomorrow and—"

"You said yes of course. Please tell me you said yes."

"Well I said that I would probably be busy with school work after school like I usually am."

"Hermione! What in the world is bloody wrong with you? Have you gone completely batty?" Ginny exclaimed with her eyes practically bulging out of her head.

"I was just being honest," I replied looking around anywhere but at Ginny.

"Answer me this. Do you find yourself interested in Cormac or not?"

"Well, I think I could be. I get that cliché butterfly feeling around him you know?"

"That's great. That means there is potential there. Now you know what you have to do. Tell him you'll be at that match."

"Maybe you are right. I should try putting myself out there once in awhile. I could even bring some books with me. It might not be that terrible."

"If you even think about bringing those bloody books with you I will personally go to your room and set your bookshelves on fire. Do you hear me Hermione Jean Granger?" Ginny asserted.

I simply nodded my head in affirmation. There were times when Ginny scared me and this was definitely one of those times.

Later that day—

It was after school and I was nervously waiting by the edge of the football field for Cormac to come out of the changing rooms. I had foolishly taken Ginny's advice to "confront" him before pratise with my intentions to go to the football match tomorrow. I felt like a groupie waiting for some silly rock star to arrive backstage.

Before I really had any more time to dwell on my embarrassment, I saw the team walk out of the dressing room and out towards the field. I called out Cormac's name before I lost complete nerve to do this. He turned in the direction of my voice and hustled over towards me with a huge smile on his face. I smiled back nervously.

"Hermione, what a pleasant surprise. Trying out for the team?" He said playfully walking up to me.

"Never. So I just wanted to say that I change my mind. I would really like to go to your match, that is if you still want me to attend that is?" I asked shuffling my feet.

"Really? That would be great. And afterwards, maybe I could take you out to eat? My treat," He said with a smile.

"Yeah sure," I responded returning a genuine smile back at him.

"I can't wait for tomorrow. I should go do some drills though. I will see you later," He finished touching my arm lightly before running off towards the field.

A tingling sensation went up my arm and my heart pounded hard against my chest. I actually kind of had a date and I couldn't believe it. I was deliriously happy. I turned toward the field one more to catch him in action and unfortunately locked eyes with Harry. He looked back and forth between Cormac and me for a few seconds with an angry expression on his face. I glared back at him before turning to walk back towards the school's entrance. Just what was his problem anyway?

Author's Note: Wow it seems like Harry is getting more and more jealous by the minute. How do you guys like Hermione and Cormac together? I would be very interested to know your opinions. I always thought he was completely full of himself, but amusing nonetheless. Hermione needed a man to get her thoughts off of Harry and I came to the decision to use Cormac. Anyways, please be sure to read and review thanks! =]