Since I didn't update yesterday, I'm going to try to both finish this chapter and then do a whole new one. If I don't, I'll have to change one chapter to the epilogue so I don't have to post it until February 15.

I realized while writing this chapter - Ginny is turning into me! You don't understand the half of my evilness yet!

Love/Hate Relationship

Chapter Two: The Infamous Hogwarts Grapevine

Hermione woke up the next morning to Parvati and Lavender's morning gossip. She rolled out of bed and went into the bathroom to put on her clothes, because if she dressed in the room, there was about a 99% chance that the girls would want to share whatever absolutely fascinating tidbits they had learned.

To her surprise, the other two girls in her dorm, Sabine Paeligini and Kat Hall, were also chattering with each other. It was only very strange because the two of them were much shyer than the rest of Gryffindor House. They tended to stay in the dorm or library, and were rarely to be found in the common room, where the gossipy girls lurked, hoping to find something to spread around the school.

"Is it true?" they both said instantaneously when Hermione entered.

"What?"

"Harry and Ginny," Kat said excitedly.

Sabine said something very quickly. Given her strong accent and the fact that she was naturally quiet, this made it almost impossible to comprehend.

"What?" she said confusedly.

"That they're going out on Valentine's Day," Sabine repeated breathlessly.

"WHAT?!"

"She didn't know," Kat said in a shocked tone.

"Madre da Cristo," Sabine muttered, crossing herself.

Hermione quickly ducked into a bathroom stall, pulled on my uniform as fast as she could, and bolted out the door and down several stairs until she reached the landing adjacent to the fifth year girls' dormitory. She pounded on the door.

"Virginia Weasley, you are in so much trouble!" she yelled.

A chorus of titters answered her. She banged on the door again. A tiny little blonde girl opened it.

"Ginny's not here!" she giggled. "She's in the common room!"

"With Harry!" came a loud shriek from behind her.

Hermione bolted down the stairs and into the common room. Ginny was calmly lounging back on the couch reading through her Arithmancy textbook.

"What - you - did you - are you - " Hermione stammered.

"Am I going out with Harry on Valentine's Day?" Ginny replied. "Is there something wrong with that?"

"But - I thought - you and Dean - "

"Oh, that's over," Ginny scoffed.

"B-but..."

Hermione leaped up the stairs to the sixth year boys' dorm two at a time and pounded on the door.

"HARRY JAMES POTTER!"

Ron opened the door. "He just left." He did a double take. "Hermione, you're not supposed to be up here!"

"DidyouknowheandGinnyaregoingoutonValentinesDay?" she said quickly in one breath.

"What?"

"Did you know Harry and Ginny are going out on Valentine's Day?"

"What - why - I thought - "

"My response exactly."

"I'll kill them," both said at the same time. "Neither of them told me, I'll kill them."

Meanwhile, In the Common Room...

"I am too good," Ginny said, smirking evilly. "On February 14, I will laugh as you stand on top of the Gryffindor table and announce your ever-burning love for Severus Snape to the entire staff and student body."

"Meh..."

"Ha. I should thank those gossipy girls in my dorm."

"Exactly how does this chain go?"

"I tell everyone in my dorm, they tell Lavender who tells Parvati who tells the rest of the seventh-year Gryffindor girls and Padma, who tells the Ravenclaws, half of which tell the Slytherins, a few of which tell the Hufflepuffs, who tell the remaining Gryffindors. So the whole school should think we're going to Madame Puddifoot's on Valentine's Day. Of course, said rumor will be squashed once you shout your love for Grease-Haired Monster- Nosed No-Balls Severus Snape to the entire school."

Harry scowled. "Why did I ever make this bet?"

"I don't know. Probably because you didn't realize the extent of my evilness. But once Hermione and Ron are united in their attempts to murder us slowly, the rest of this will be easy."

"Why are we risking our reputations for this?"

"Because I said so."

"And I thought Ron wanted you to go out with me."

"I'm impressed. You know."

"Ron's a great guy, but he has no subtlety."

"He's made because he wanted it to be on his terms. He doesn't want me dating until I'm a sixth year, so that's half of it. The other half's that he wants to be dating Hermione first."

"I see."

"Do you really?"

"No."

"That's what I thought."