**This is vaguely based on the film 10 Things I Hate About You. It is my
first fanfic so please be gentle if you review but I would love to hear
from you!**
Chapter One: Family Rules
"It isn't fair!" Ginny screamed. "Mum, Ron's never even kissed a girl, let alone been on a date with one!" "Hey, that's not." Ron began, trailing off. It wasn't something he planned on discussing in front of his mum and little sister. Ginny turned to face her dad. "Come on dad, you're on my side aren't you?" "Well Ginny, I think your mother's right this time," Mr Weasley admitted. "What! I don't believe you lot. Why can't you just let me do what I want to do for a change?" Ginny burst into tears and stormed up to her room, taking care to slam every door she went through. She kept the tears coming, waiting to see if anyone was going to come up and offer a truce. When no one came, Ginny stopped crying. How could they do this to her? She had been really looking forward to coming home for the Christmas holidays, and now they had gone and ruined it all. They had never stopped Bill, Charlie, Fred or George from going on dates, and now they were saying that she wasn't allowed to date until Ron did? Ginny groaned. Ron was friends with Hermione, but apart from that she knew he could be really shy around girls. She had seen him blush when girls tried to talk to him, and heard his voice go quiet and hoarse. She had no chance. She had to face the facts, Ron was never going to date anyone the way he was going.
Ron sat in his room scribbling the day's events on a piece of parchment. At his elbow Pigwidgeon hopped from foot to foot, clearly eager for Ron to finish the letter. Ron scrawled his name at the bottom and fixed the letter closed with a blob of sealing wax. "There you go Pig, take this to Harry." Pig bounced up and down with excitement as Ron undid the catch and pulled open the window. A blast of cold air hit him and he grabbed Pig, already racing out the window. " Hey little guy, I can't let you go out in this weather. You know what my mum would say. 'You'll catch your death out there'," he imitated. Pig squeaked and wriggled. Ron let him go and watched as Pig fluttered out of the window and away. He had been out in worse weather than this many times before and Ron knew that Harry would look after Pig when he got to the castle. Ron slumped on his bed. He knew what Ginny would be thinking, that he was never going to go on a date with anyone and therefore she would not be able to date either. That's why she had been so upset. Thanks a lot for the vote of confidence, Ginny, Ron thought. Thanks a whole bunch.
Harry was leaning back in a huge armchair in front of the fire in Gryffindor common room, waiting for Ginny Weasley's friend Tabitha to move one of her Wizard Chess pieces. He didn't really know Tabitha, or particularly like her either, but she was the only other Gryffindor staying at Hogwarts over the Christmas holidays and he was bored. He noticed she had a thin, catlike face with slanting, catlike eyes and a mass of glossy, auburn curls hanging around her face, which she tossed whenever she noticed Harry looking her way. Harry was irritated. Tabitha seemed to enjoy watching him twiddle his thumbs, and kept inching her bony hand forwards towards a piece, only to shake her head and pull it back with an impish grin. His head flicked round to the small window in the wall behind him as he heard a sharp rap on the glass. With great relief he saw Pigwidgeon, Ron's owl, bobbing up and down outside, carrying a letter. "Um, can we finish this some other time Tabitha?" he asked, prising himself out of his chair and going over to the window. Tabitha pouted but slid the chess box out from under the coffee table and held it out for the pieces to hop into. They grumbled but hopped in all the same. Harry slid open the window and shuddered as a cold draft entered the room, along with the ball of fluff that was Pigwidgeon. "Hey!" Tabitha squealed. "What d'ya have to go and do that for?" "Sorry," Harry's muttered apology wasn't very convincing. As he bent down to pick up Pig off the ground Harry heard Tabitha stomp up the stairs. Oh well, thought Harry. She wasn't very good company anyway. He untied the roll of parchment from Pig's leg and slid his finger along the paper to break the seal. He walked back over to the chair and slid down into the comfy back as he began to read. Poor Ginny, he thought.
Hermione sat on a rug on the floor of her bedroom. She flipped through the pages of her photo album, stopping when she found her favourite. It was of her, Harry and Ron. They were in the grounds of Hogwarts, next to the lake. Harry had his arm round her shoulder and Ron was kissing her on the cheek. Hermione realised that she was really missing them.
Chapter One: Family Rules
"It isn't fair!" Ginny screamed. "Mum, Ron's never even kissed a girl, let alone been on a date with one!" "Hey, that's not." Ron began, trailing off. It wasn't something he planned on discussing in front of his mum and little sister. Ginny turned to face her dad. "Come on dad, you're on my side aren't you?" "Well Ginny, I think your mother's right this time," Mr Weasley admitted. "What! I don't believe you lot. Why can't you just let me do what I want to do for a change?" Ginny burst into tears and stormed up to her room, taking care to slam every door she went through. She kept the tears coming, waiting to see if anyone was going to come up and offer a truce. When no one came, Ginny stopped crying. How could they do this to her? She had been really looking forward to coming home for the Christmas holidays, and now they had gone and ruined it all. They had never stopped Bill, Charlie, Fred or George from going on dates, and now they were saying that she wasn't allowed to date until Ron did? Ginny groaned. Ron was friends with Hermione, but apart from that she knew he could be really shy around girls. She had seen him blush when girls tried to talk to him, and heard his voice go quiet and hoarse. She had no chance. She had to face the facts, Ron was never going to date anyone the way he was going.
Ron sat in his room scribbling the day's events on a piece of parchment. At his elbow Pigwidgeon hopped from foot to foot, clearly eager for Ron to finish the letter. Ron scrawled his name at the bottom and fixed the letter closed with a blob of sealing wax. "There you go Pig, take this to Harry." Pig bounced up and down with excitement as Ron undid the catch and pulled open the window. A blast of cold air hit him and he grabbed Pig, already racing out the window. " Hey little guy, I can't let you go out in this weather. You know what my mum would say. 'You'll catch your death out there'," he imitated. Pig squeaked and wriggled. Ron let him go and watched as Pig fluttered out of the window and away. He had been out in worse weather than this many times before and Ron knew that Harry would look after Pig when he got to the castle. Ron slumped on his bed. He knew what Ginny would be thinking, that he was never going to go on a date with anyone and therefore she would not be able to date either. That's why she had been so upset. Thanks a lot for the vote of confidence, Ginny, Ron thought. Thanks a whole bunch.
Harry was leaning back in a huge armchair in front of the fire in Gryffindor common room, waiting for Ginny Weasley's friend Tabitha to move one of her Wizard Chess pieces. He didn't really know Tabitha, or particularly like her either, but she was the only other Gryffindor staying at Hogwarts over the Christmas holidays and he was bored. He noticed she had a thin, catlike face with slanting, catlike eyes and a mass of glossy, auburn curls hanging around her face, which she tossed whenever she noticed Harry looking her way. Harry was irritated. Tabitha seemed to enjoy watching him twiddle his thumbs, and kept inching her bony hand forwards towards a piece, only to shake her head and pull it back with an impish grin. His head flicked round to the small window in the wall behind him as he heard a sharp rap on the glass. With great relief he saw Pigwidgeon, Ron's owl, bobbing up and down outside, carrying a letter. "Um, can we finish this some other time Tabitha?" he asked, prising himself out of his chair and going over to the window. Tabitha pouted but slid the chess box out from under the coffee table and held it out for the pieces to hop into. They grumbled but hopped in all the same. Harry slid open the window and shuddered as a cold draft entered the room, along with the ball of fluff that was Pigwidgeon. "Hey!" Tabitha squealed. "What d'ya have to go and do that for?" "Sorry," Harry's muttered apology wasn't very convincing. As he bent down to pick up Pig off the ground Harry heard Tabitha stomp up the stairs. Oh well, thought Harry. She wasn't very good company anyway. He untied the roll of parchment from Pig's leg and slid his finger along the paper to break the seal. He walked back over to the chair and slid down into the comfy back as he began to read. Poor Ginny, he thought.
Hermione sat on a rug on the floor of her bedroom. She flipped through the pages of her photo album, stopping when she found her favourite. It was of her, Harry and Ron. They were in the grounds of Hogwarts, next to the lake. Harry had his arm round her shoulder and Ron was kissing her on the cheek. Hermione realised that she was really missing them.