Title: The Rules of the Game

Summary: Ginny got an idea of a dating game. Hermione is going out with Ron but her date is with Harry. Will Hermione fall in love with Harry? Or will Ron find out that Harry had feelings for Hermione all along?

Disclaimer: Harry Potter does not belong to me. That is all J.K. Rowling's work.

Author's Note: The dating game is finally going to start! But, you've got to know the rules first…Also, you will get to see how Harry and Hermione's date goes in the next chapter…which I am still writing!

Hermione has been trying the avoid Harry for the past two days because of what had happened. Hermione walked into the kitchen, to get some breakfast, and saw Harry, eating cereal. Harry looked up as Hermione turned around and walked away.

"Hermione, wait!" Harry said as he left his spoon in the bowl and ran towards Hermione. But, she kept walking away. "We have to talk about what had happened!" Harry said as he grabbed Hermione's arm.

"Talk about what, Harry? It didn't mean anything!"

"It didn't? I sure thought it did."

"Harry," Hermione said sitting herself on the couch. Harry did the same. "I can't do this to Ron. I care about him and I just don't want to hurt him the way Luna Lovegood did."

"I know you don't want to hut him, I don't want to either. But what about when we kissed? To me, it felt like…love."

"Harry, listen to what you are saying! I like Ron! Okay! So, deal with it!"

"I have dealt with it for the past few months, Hermione! I can't anymore! I can't watch me best friends date when I'm in love with one of them! Plus, you didn't say you loved him, you just said you liked him."

"I can't talk to you right now." Hermione said and left the room and walked upstairs, into Ginny's room.

"Are you cheating on Ron?" Ginny asked Hermione with her arms crossed, looking out the window.

"No, why would you think that?" Hermione asked as she sat herself on her bed.

"Because I saw you and Harry kissing in the tree house a couple of days ago. And, I could hear you arguing downstairs." Ginny said as she sat down, on her bed, across from Hermione.

"Oh, that, It just happened. It didn't mean anything."

"Yes, it did. Tell me exactly what happened."

"Well, Harry walked in on me and Ron, sitting on his bed, kissing. He walked out and I followed. You told me he was in the tree house, so I went there. We talked and he sort of insulted me. I turned around, to walk down the latter, and he grabbed my wrist and I turned around. Before we knew it, we were…kissing. It just happened. I wish that it never happened. Then, we wouldn't be in this mess."

"No, you don't. You like both Harry and Ron, don't you? You're going out with Ron when you really like Harry."

"Yeah but - "

"You don't want Ron to get hurt."

"Yeah."

"How about this? We get some friends together and put their names in a hat. We put the girls' names in one hat and the boys' in the other. We each pick a name out of each hat and those two will go on a 24-hour date, with notes leading them where to go. At the end of the day, they have to end the date with a kiss."

"Wow…you've had a lot of time to plan this, huh?"

"Yeah, I've had a lot of spare time lately."

"Okay, lets do it then."

"First week of school?"

"Alright, first week of school."

School had started and Ginny and Hermione were making a list on who should participate on the 'dating game.' They reread whom they had.

Boys:

1. Ron

2. Harry

3. Neville

4. Draco

5. Crabbe

6. Goyle

7. Seamus

"I don't thing Draco, Crabbe and Goyle should come." Ginny said, concerned.

"They probably won't come anyways." Hermione assured her.

Girls:

1. Ginny

2. Hermione

3. Pansy Parkinson

4. Cho Chang

5. Luna Lovegood

6. Parvaiti

7. Padma

"Ok." Hermione said folding the piece of parchment the names were on. "When and how should we do this?"

"How am I supposed to know?" Ginny wondered.

"It was your idea in the first place!" Hermione reminded Ginny.

"Oh, right. Um…how about we do with tomorrow night, start it at 8:00 at night. We can notify everyone now." Ginny considered.

"Ok. You take numbers one through three for the boys and five through seven for the girls. I'll lake four though seven for the boys and three through four for the girls. Deal?" Hermione said.

"Deal." Ginny shook hands with Hermione.

It was Friday night and everyone Ginny and Hermione told arrived at the Great Hall (Hermione go permission form Professor McGongall to stay up after hours.).

"Why are we here?" Draco asked Ginny, annoyed.

"Ok everyone! Listen up!" Ginny yelled to get everyone's attention. "Okay. Hermione and I wrote your names down and put them in two different hats. Boys are in this hat." Ginny held up the hat and put it back down on the table. She did the same with the other hat. "This hat has the girls names in it. We will each pick one name from each hat and those two will have to go on a 24-hour date, which starts 8:00 tomorrow morning. Once the names are read, those two will have to sit next to each other. Oh, and the date has to end with a kiss. I'll pick out the first name." Ginny picked a name from the boys' hat. She unfolded the little piece of parchment and placed it on the table. "Ron."

Neville walked up and picked up a piece of parchment from the girls' hat. He unfolded it and set it down, besides Ron's name, "Luna." Ron slowly got up, from his chair, and, slowly, walked over to Luna. He sat himself down on the empty chair beside her.

Hermione walked up and picked a name from the boys' hat. She unfolded it and set it down below Ron's name. "Goyle." Draco walked up and took a name out of the girls' hat. He unfolded it a placed it beside Goyle's name. "Pansy." (He was mad because he wanted to go on a date with Pansy) Draco sat beck down as Goyle got up and sat next to Pansy.

Padma walked up and picked a name out of the boys' hat. She unfolded it and placed it below Goyle's name. "Harry." She sat down ad Seamus walked up and picked a name out of the girls' hat. "Hermione." He said as he set her name beside Harry's. Harry stood up and sat next to Hermione. All Hermione could do was blush and she gave Ron a quick glance.

Luna stood up and walked up to the table. She picked a name out of the boy's hat. "Draco." She said and placed his name below Harry's. Crabbe walked up as Luna sat down. He took a name out of the girls' hat. He unfolded it and placed it next to Draco's. "Ginny."

"You come over here and sit next to me." Draco demanded. "I'm not moving." Ginny rolled her eyes as she got up and slowly walked towards and next to Draco.

Cho walked up and picked out a name out of the boys' hat. She unfolded it and set it below Draco's name. "Neville." Cho sat down as Harry walked up (they smiled at each other as they walked by). Harry took a piece of parchment out of the girls' hat. He unfolded it and placed it next to Neville's name. "Cho." Neville blushed as he got up and sat next to Cho. All she did was smile.

Pansy stood up and walked out a name out of the boys' hat and unfolded it. "Seamus." She placed his name under Harry's. Ron stood up and walked towards the table. He picked a name out of the girls' hat. "Padma." Seamus stood up and sat next to Padma.

Parvaiti stood up and picked out the last piece of parchment in the boys' hat. She set it below Seamus' name. "Crabbe." Goyle walked up and took out the last name in the girls' hat. He unfolded it and set it next to Crabbe's name. "Parvaiti." Crabbe was already sitting next to her.

"Okay!" Ginny said getting up and clasping her hands together. "Those are the dates! Um…each date will receive notes leading them to where they will go and what to do. I'll make them, but not my own. Hermione will make…Draco's and mine. And 8:00 tomorrow, everyone's first envelope will be on the mantel of the fireplace in the Great Hall. Have a good night and let the dates begin!"