Okay, before you beat me up, I know that this chapter is very short.

I know.

I know.

But I had no idea what else to write. I kind of felt that this length of chapter was okay for this particular chapter. Very very sorry all the same.

Now read on!

Harry Potter: Coming Out of the Closet?

"The hero of the Wizarding World was seen late last night at a Wizarding pub in east London. This would have been normal for the bespectacled Quidditch star – save for one detail. He was not chatting and laughing to his long-time best friend, Chudley Cannons Keeper Ron Weasley, but kissing him.

The two friends were apparently spending a lad's night out with Hogwarts pals Seamus Finnigan and Cormac McLaggen, and were, according to a reliable source, 'having a pretty good time'. But after taking in copious amounts of alcohol, the casual meeting turned into a drunken disaster.

Paparazzi arrived in time to see the two 'Golden Trio' members, as a witness put it, 'making out'."

Beneath the bold lettering was a picture. Of Harry. With his mouth smashed against Ron's. The picture moved, as usual, but all it showed was Harry and Ron sucking face. Over and over again. Oh dear. Trying not to giggle, Hermione went on to the next line. She had read almost the whole article – which was on the front page of The Daily Prophet – before a name in the article suddenly registered in her head.

Cormac McLaggen. Where had he suddenly appeared from?

No. She shook her head. Cormac was her ex, an arrogant idiot who thought the world revolved around him. He wasn't exactly number one on her list of top priorities. What was on that list was this newspaper and the words it contained. The words that were saying Harry was... well, not straight.

She turned her attention to the rest of the article. It finished with:

"So was Harry Potter and Ron Weasley's kiss simply a drunken mishap, or a secret feeling waiting to be set free?

Whatever it was, let's hope he lets us know soon."

Ah.

He wasn't gay. She could be sure of that. Whatever had happened last night, Harry wasn't gay. He had always fancied girls – Ginny, Cho... Hermione had a sneaking suspicion that he had even fancied her at some point during fifth year. But no. He was not gay.

Her philosophical thoughts were interrupted by voices from the hall.

"Yeah, like I said, we've already got a guest in the spare room, but you can sleep on the sofa," Ron was saying. Hermione heard a door slam and what sounded like a suitcase rolling on the wooden hall floor. She stood from the sofa, accidentally knocking over Stefan's complicated brick tower. He didn't say anything, just glared up at her. Hermione laughed at his expression.

"Oh, honey, I'm sorry!" she exclaimed. "I didn't mean to!" She kneeled down and encased his small frame in her arms. As she was swinging him from side to side, Stefan squealing with laughter, the living room door opened with a slight creak. Ron entered, his head turned over his shoulder. He was talking as he stepped into the room.

"This is the living room. I don't think anyone's h – "

He stopped. His gaze had landed on Hermione, still cradling a giggling Stefan.

Stepping further into the room, he revealed a figure standing directly behind him.

Hermione looked up into the face of Cormac McLaggen.

A Few Hours Earlier

"Ron, please?"

"Can't someone else do it?"

"No. I've contacted everyone I know – nobody has room or will take me."

"What about your parents?"

"They're dead, Weasley."

"Oh."

A pause.

"Look. Romilda's staying in the flat. I have absolutely nowhere else to go. Come on. I'll sleep on the sofa. I'll buy my own food. But I don't have enough money to stay at a pub – that's why I need you to say yes."

"You know we've got another guest here already?"

"That's alright."

Another pause.

A sigh.

"Fine."

His face hadn't changed. His jaw was still chiselled, his hair the same shade – although its wiry texture had been smoothed out until it had become a desert of sandy blonde. And his eyes – they were the same, a slight tint of grey surrounded by an ocean of blue. The muscle that seemed to have been piled onto his body had lessened slightly, so that now he was a vaguely normal size.

The one thing that had changed entirely was his expression. No longer was it arrogant, judgemental, one that made Cormac look as if he had a bad smell under his nose. No. Now it was curious, but at the same time the type of expression that Hermione saw all the time on Gabrielle – a sort of inward smile.

"Er... hi, Cormac," she stammered. It wasn't so much that she was attracted to him. The thing that was making her so unsure was that, well... he'd just turned up. Just like that. Unexpectedly. She hadn't seen him in ten years – who could blame her for freaking out just a little bit?

She plopped Stefan back onto the floor, and straightened up, holding out her hand.

"Hello," he replied, stepping out from behind Ron. He shook her hand firmly. "It's good to see you again."

She didn't know what to say to that. Saying, "Oh yes, it is," would be a lie. Because seeing Cormac again had not only reignited her dislike for him, but also disconcerted and disorientated her.

So all she said was, "Mmm." Which was not a lie.

Ron seemed to sense the silence growing deeper between them like a chasm. He turned to Cormac.

"Err, how about I show you the kitchen?" he asked. Cormac nodded, and Ron immediately walked out of the room and into the hallway, leaning against the doorframe. He waited for Cormac to go past, and as he shut the door again, he mouthed, I just saved your arse.

Charming, Hermione thought. Just charming.

A/N: Woo! Cormac has come to stay!

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Chapter 18 will be up as soon as I can get it up. Sadly I am being dragged off to Blackpool this week, so the chances of it being up within a week are slim. But within two weeks I can do.

Byee!