Thank you to everyone who have been waiting for this...all none of you, but anyway, I'm starting this fic up, and hopefully will be able to finish it. I realize it is very OoC now that the fifth book is out, but it was started before Ms Rowling, Goddess of Book-writing, and mutli-billionaire, etc, published the latest book. But I think the plot would change too much if I changed it to tie in with the originals. Plus, I'm still in denial over Sirius's death, so he may pop up occaisionally, too. Anyway, hope you enjoy it. I hope to get more up soon. Hermione was walking back to the Common Room from yet more studying, when she heard voices coming from the main entrance of Hogwarts castle. She continued on her way, but stopped short when she caught some of their conversation. "...I'm in love with Hermione?" Immediately, the blood drained from Hermione's face, as she listened to the two boys' conversation. She knew that voice. Did Ron just say he loved her? "...Overheard Ginny and Hermione talking..." "No! Not that!" Hermione shrieked in her mind. "Please don't let him have heard!" "...She said she's in love with me," "Shit, shit, shit!" Hermione wasn't one to use profanity, even inside her head, but that was really the only reaction for this particular situation. "I could make things more interesting...see how long it takes before she cracks," Hermione gasped and dropped her books. The sound reverberated around the old stone halls, but luckily the boys didn't seem to notice. "This cannot be happening." Hermione whispered under her breath as she quickly picked up the heavy tomes she had been carrying, and raced up to the Common Room. Gasping the password to the Fat Lady's portrait, ("Gooey Gumdrops,"), Hermione tore throught the room, up the stair, and was sitting on her bed, terrified and out of breath, before any of the witnessing Gryffindors realized what had happened. Ginny had just been coming down from her own dormitory room to go to dinner, when Hermione ran past her, nearly knocking her down. Ever curious, Ginny did a 180, and followed Hermione up the stairs. Tapping on her prefect room door, Ginny called out gingerly, "Hermione, are you ok?" "No, I'm really, really not." Ginny pushed the door open to find Hermione hugging her pillow and rocking back and forth on her bed. Ginny had only ever seen her friend in such distress once before, and that was when shock set in, after a Death Eater attack the previous year. She immediately went over to comfort her. Pulling the elder girl into a hug, Ginny was startled to feel her sobbing quietly. "Oh, Hermione, what happened?" "R-Ron, he..." Ginny sighed. "Not again. What did he do?" Hermione repeated all she had heard Harry and Ron saying. Ginny decided that this probably wasn't the best time to tell her friend that she had known Ron knew. Hermione's sobs lessened, and were soon replaced by hot rage. "How dare he?! Turning this into a game. That...that bastard!" Ginny gasped at Hermione's language, ignoring the slight on her brother. The older girl jumped up and started pacing her room, muttering under her breath. "That prat will pay...How dare he...Absolutely outrageous...couldn't just tell me...normal person would...must get him back!" Ginny could almost hear the gears ticking over in Hermione's mind. She jumped at Hermione's exclaimation. "That's it!" "What's it?" Hermione spun to face the girl on the bed. "I know how I will get him back. If he wants to play games, then I'll play too. I'll have him cracked and quivering by the end of the holidays." "Hermione, what are you saying?" "I'm saying, I'm going to beat him at his own game. You and Ron haven't gone home for Christmas, right?" Ginny nodded her agreement. "Well, neither have I, but the castle is practically empty. I'm going to drive Ron crazy, until he begs me to be with him," "Hermione, isn't that a bit drastic? I mean, I hope you know what you're getting yourself into." The warning went unheeded as Hermione's mind raced with plans of driving Ron insane. Even though Hermione was not very experienced in the world of the opposite sex, or sex at all really, she was, nevertheless, female, and not without her guiles. The Christmas Day would be perfect, and it was only three days away. Then she would put her plan into action.