Keep in mind, this is a day after the last chapter. Each chapter is one day. Sometimes it's only about an hour from one day (like the last one) but each one is always the day after the last.

Love/Hate Relationship

Chapter Three: Classical Art

Harry and Ginny were sitting on one of the couches in the common room. Harry was apparently leaning over her shoulder to help with her Defense Against the Dark Arts homework. Ron and Hermione occupied a couch behind them, pretending to be working on History of Magic papers, while watching Harry and Ginny over the top of the book.

"They're probably talking about where they'll go on Friday," Hermione hissed.

"Please not Madame Puddifoot's."

"Why do you say that?"

"Because then I can't follow them. The place revolts me."

"Ron!"

"What?"

"You can't follow them!"

"Why not?"

"Because there can't be two people tailing them."

"If anyone follows them, it'll be me. Ginny's my sister!"

"She's my friend!"

"Your book's upside down," Ginny said.

Hermione and Ron both instantly shut up. Hermione sheepishly flipped the book and ducked behind it. Harry and Ginny did the same, propping the book so that it shielded them from Hermione and Ron's view.

"How long d'you think?" Harry whispered.

"Now."

The blonde girl from Ginny's dorm was running down the stairs, followed by four friends, all blonde and tittering. The first one was holding a piece of paper and giggling at it.

"Let me see, Loretta!" one of the girls squealed.

"Kimmie, it's mine! Stop it, Mandy! Marcella, I told you you're not getting it!"

"See what I have to deal with?" Ginny muttered to Harry.

Loretta plopped down into a chair by the fireplace and let the other girls read over her shoulder. Instantly they began giggling uncontrollably and glancing over at Hermione, who looked extremely annoyed and raised the book an inch.

"Oh, for heaven's sake," Hermione sighed. "Lavender and Parvati have passed it on."

"They're allowed to laugh, Hermione."

"But they don't have to giggle so loudly. It disturbs people who are actually working!"

"Some people do their homework during class."

"They're not supposed to."

"Yes, but if you do most of it in History of Magic, you stay awake and you can hear what Binns is saying and remember enough of it to pass."

"If you'd just stay awake anyways it wouldn't be as hard!"

"Hermione, if I was a Muggle, they'd probably slap me with a big sticker that says ADD on it. You can go without sleep for days on end and are still able to ace every class; is it nice to gloat about it?"

"That has nothing to do with anything!"

"It has everything to do with it!"

"No it doesn't! We were talking about what should and shouldn't be done in class!"

Another chorus of giggles rose from the corner. Hermione slapped the book down, stormed over to the corner, and snatched the paper.

"Give me that," she snapped.

Her eyes bugged when she saw what it was. A large, detailed, picture in color depicted her and Ron snogging behind their book. Hermione's face gradually turned redder and she marched over to where Dean sat with Seamus struggling through a Potions essay.

"Did you draw this?" she demanded, slapping the picture onto the table.

Instantly both boys began sniggering. "I only wish I could claim that prophecy," Dean snickered.

Hermione made an indignant sound somewhere between a shriek and a snort, crumpled the picture, and threw it with all her might into a corner. She stormed back to the couch, retrieved her book from Ron, stomped into the girls' dorm and slammed the door.

"Dean's a very good liar," Ginny said conversationally.

"I think all of Gryffindor's in on this now."

"I wonder what will happen tomorrow. The first day of school after we've sparked this lovely chain of events."

"First we need Dean to color that."

"Definitely," Ginny agreed.

She retrieved the crumpled picture from the corner and straightened it, handing it back to Dean and muttering in his ear. He laughed.

"Sure," he said, glancing conspiratorially towards Harry. "But I'll need Lavender and Parvati's help."

"Why do I have the feeling that I just sold my soul?" Harry said tentatively as Ginny returned.

"Because I did it for you."

"What now?"

"You'll see tomorrow."

"No, really."

"I'm not telling you. But I will if you do something for me."

"I'm almost afraid to ask."

"You get to embarrass Snape."

"What is it?"

"Here's the plan for Phase Three..."