The House elves were busy being forced to do slave labor, and kindly told me to leave them alone, as they wanted nothing to do with me. Well, except for Dobby. He smiled at me and gave me a hug, but then the other house elves glared at him…

I was going to stay, but then I realized that Plan A just wasn't worth it. The house elves, for the most part, have grown much more hostile towards me. I just don't understand why. All I want to do is help them fight the unfair conditions they work under.

So, as Plan A has now been thrown out the window, onward to plan B!

October 15

Amazingly enough, Ginny's head is still in perfect condition. However, my heart seems to be in exactly the opposite condition. I ended up, as I normally do with Ginny, pouring out my heart to her… Oh, as always, I'll just rewrite what happened in here.

Once again, I pulled Ginny from where she was holding court and dragged her back to my room, I shut the door, set a spell so that no one outside could hear us, then sat on my bed with Ginny.

"What's going on?" Ginny asked, a bit annoyed. "I was in the middle…"

"…of a conversation, I know, I know," I finished for her. "When are you not?" Ginny didn't say anything, but sat there expectantly, waiting for me to continue. I took a deep breath, closed my eyes, and then said, "I think…I think I have a thing for Harry!" I opened my eyes, expecting Ginny to look smug, enthralled, ecstatic, or any expression among those lines.

Instead, she appeared to be in shock. She gave a laugh, then hold out a finger and said, "Let me get this straight…you have a thing for Harry?"

I nodded slowly for her benefit. "Just like you said. I just realized it yesterday. You were absolutely right!"

"Oh God," Ginny moaned, burying her face into her hands. "No, no, no…"

"Er, Gin?" I asked her, prying her fingers away from her forehead. "What's wrong?"

"Hermione," Ginny said, looking aggravated. "Don't tell me you didn't hear? Please tell me that you listen to gossip once in a while, so that my life can be so much easier?"

"Of course I don't listen to gossip!" I scoffed. "It's absolutely point– wait, hear what?" I asked cautiously, realizing that I was completely missing the point.

Ginny didn't say anything for a second, then she closed her eyes and said, "Harry has a girlfriend."

"W-what?" I sputtered. "A girlfriend…but he…he didn't have one yesterday."

"Yes, well, apparently, after your conversation with him, he went to the Gryffindor tower and asked out Parvati."

"He asked out Parvati?" I asked, feeling as if my entire body was going numb. "As in Parvati Patil? As in 'I constantly giggle and I love to wear pink and flirt outrageously with guys' Parvati?"

"That's the one," Ginny concurred.

"But…" I trailed off. "I mean, I know…that is to say…" I tried to produce a coherent sentence. "He said that his feelings for me were simply platonic, but somehow I thought…" I swallowed a lump that was forming at the back of my throat. I was Hermione Granger. I didn't cry over guys. I didn't let them ruin my life. I was stronger than that.

"There are two scenarios that are playing here," Ginny told me. "Either Harry's tricking you…"

"Believe me," I said with a bitter laugh. "His face was completely blank when he told me it was platonic, and Harry is horrible at hiding his feelings…" I thought back to fifth year and gave another laugh. Laughing seemed to suppress my tears, and as I was determined not to cry, I found myself in fits of laughter.

"What's so funny?" Ginny demanded.

"My life!" I exclaimed. "My life is what is funny, Ginny! I finally realize that I have feelings for him…" I stopped to burst into laughter once more, "…and he realizes that he's over me and wants, of all people, Parvati!"

Ginny stared at me through narrowed eyes. I might have been the brightest witch of my age, but Ginny was perceptive when it came to my feelings. She gave a little sigh, scooted over to me, and wrapped her arms around me, while I continued to laugh, scared that if I stopped, I'd begin sobbing.

"Then…then the other scenario is," Ginny said slowly, still holding me, "the other scenario is that he's over you, Hermione…"

"What am I supposed to do?" I asked, breathing slowly in and out so that I could get through a sentence without my ridiculous laughter.

"Move on," Ginny urged me, pulling away from our hug so that she could see me. "Get a boyfriend."

"I can't ask a guy out!" I exclaimed, wringing my hands. "I'm not that type of girl, Gin. That's you…I'm…I'm more…more old fashioned."

"Well, someone will ask you out," Ginny told me.

"No one has before…" I muttered

"Er, excuse me?" Ginny asked, putting her hands on her hips. "No one? Have you forgotten that the most wanted guy in Europe, the sports star, the best Seeker in the world? Viktor Krum?"

"Okay, so he asked me out!" I said impatiently. "But that's only because I wasn't some idiot he followed him around. No guy at Hogwarts will ever ask me out!"

"You'd be surprised," Ginny told me with a knowing look.

"I'm too ugly to be asked out, Gin."

"Ugly? Hermione, listen, you may not be drop dead gorgeous, like dear Fleur Delacour, but you are extremely pretty - crazy maybe; definitely neurotic. But pretty, all the same." Ginny paused a second to let the words sink in. "Look, there actually are many guys who would ask you out. They've just assumed that you and Harry were an item."

"Ha!" I cried. "Where did they get an idea like that?"

"Oh, come on, Hermione," Ginny rolled her eyes. "Everybody assumed it. You looked as if you were a couple – well, minus the kissing, of course. Anyway, that's not the point. The point is now that Harry has a girlfriend, the guys will realize that you're free."

"But maybe I don't want to be free," I moaned miserably. "Maybe I want people to believe that I'm with Harry. Maybe I want to actually be with Harry!"

"Slight problem there," Ginny said. "One, he seems to be over you, and two, he also seems to have a girlfriend."

"You're cruel."

"No, I'm realistic," Ginny said. "Listen, when the first guy who comes up to you, which, I promise you, will be very soon, asks you out, for Merlin's sake and our sanity (not to mention yours), say yes. You can't move on until you've started dating again…" Ginny eyed me and then corrected herself. "Until you've started dating."

"Ha ha," I muttered. "Very cute." But at the same time, I knew it was true. I really never had dated before…and that did seem to be the best solution to my problems. I sighed. "Fine. The next guy who comes up to me asking me out, I will say yes to…" I trailed off, thinking how wonderful it would be if that next guy was…

"No!" Ginny said firmly. "No thinking of Harry. Not in that sense. Not any more."

"How the Hell do you do that?" I asked Ginny in amazement.

Ginny shrugged and jumped off my bed. "It's one of my many amazing talents," she told me, and then left my room.

And so here I am, still sitting in my room (what's new?), dazed and confused. I want this horrible feeling of loss to disappear, and Ginny's certain that dating someone will be just the trick. But at the same time, I don't want to be over Harry. I want to be with Harry.

How can he be with Parvati? I just want to know that much, at the very least. I mean, honestly! Parvati? I thought Harry hated girls who giggled constantly… Wait, no, there was also Cho. But then again, I had assumed he learned from that horrible past experience.

Argh! Why Parvati? Parvati likes to hang on to her men, even after she's finished with them! Why couldn't Harry have chosen Padma? Or maybe even Luna? Those two would certainly let bygones be bygones. Especially Luna. Actually, I'm not even sure Luna would be aware of what was happening…

I honestly don't know what to do. I guess I should follow Ginny's advice. I mean, she was right before. If I had only followed it then…

Well, my life wouldn't be one hundred percent miserable, that's for sure.

October 16

How does she do it? How does Ginny Weasley know exactly what's going to happen? I swear, if I didn't have such an aversion to the subject, I would swear Ginny had seer blood in her.

So, I was sitting at my usual table in the library, trying to finish the essay McGonagall has just given us, when all of a sudden, Terry Boot sat next to me. I looked up, surprised.

"Terry!" I exclaimed, setting my quill down. "We're not planning on having a DA meeting for a while…Harry's been extremely busy, and I know it's been two months, but…"

"No, that's not it…" Terry trailed off, looking away. Then he turned his attention back to me. "I heard that you and Harry are no longer going out?"

I felt myself tense, and forced myself to smile. "Heh…eh, actually, that would be false." Terry's face fell, and I rushed to correct myself. "No! What I mean is that we were never…never going out," I managed to say. I was proud that not one sob merged its way into my throat. "So, er…yeah," I finished, rather lamely.

"Brilliant!" Terry exclaimed, looking very happy, much happier than I must have felt. "So, Hermione, I know that we don't know each other that well, but I was just wondering if, since this weekend is a Hogsmeade weekend, whether you'd…er…you'd like to go with me?"

"As in a date?" I asked slowly, eyeing Terry curiously.

"Well, er…yeah." Terry gave a nervous laugh.

I thought back to what Ginny had told me, and what I had promised. Taking a deep breath, and hoping to Merlin that this wasn't a mistake, I put on a smile and replied, "Sure, Terry, I'd love to go with you." Terry beamed at me and I gave a little laugh. He told me he'd meet me outside the gates, and then left me to my studies.

I must admit, it feels good to have this affect on a male - to know that they were nervous asking you out.

I guess I should go tell Ginny. Goodness knows she'll want to know so that she can begin choruses of, "I was right!"

October 17

I spoke to Ginny last night. She did not, as I predicted, break out into song about how she was right. Instead, she gave me a smug smile. Not sure which one is worse, honestly…

After her smugness wore off, she began babbling about preparations.

"We'll have to do your hair," Ginny said excitedly, almost jumping out of her seat. "Oh, nothing too fancy," Ginny added, seeing my doubtful look, "not like what you did for the Yule Ball, but just so that it's out of your eyes…maybe half pulled back? I don't know, we'll see… And we have to choose the right outfit, and, oh! I bet Lavender will want to help."

"La-Lavender?" I sputtered. "Oh, please, Ginny, no. The last thing I need is the energizer bunny involved in my love life."

"But Lavender's really good at this type of stuff," Ginny insisted. "Plus, I'll have to leave to get ready for my date."

"Your date?" I asked, eyeing Ginny curiously. "And who might the charming young man (or is it men?) be?"

"Ha ha," Ginny frowned at me. "You know all those rumors about me going out with multiple guys are just that – rumors, right?"

"I know Ginny," I smiled at her. "I was just teasing. Anyway, who is it?"

"Well…" Ginny paused. "Promise not to make fun of me?"

"Why on earth would I make fun of you when my life is so screwed up?" I asked her, raising an eyebrow.

"True," Ginny acknowledged. "Well, it's…it's Neville."

"As in Neville Longbottom?" I asked. Ginny nodded. "As in Neville Longbottom who took you to the Yule Ball?"

"How many bloody Neville Longbottoms do we know?" Ginny demanded impatiently.

"I was just being annoying, Gin," I assured her. "Anyway, I think it's wonderful."

"Really?" Ginny asked me cautiously.

"Of course!" I exclaimed. "I've been wanting you two to get together since the Yule Ball. You two were so cute together. So, is that the mysterious man you've been meeting?"

"Yes," Ginny said with a laugh. "That's him alright – Neville Longbottom, my mysterious tall, dark, and handsome man."

So, the Hogsmeade trip is tomorrow, around 3. Ginny and Lavender are coming up to my room around 12 to perfect me for the date.

Saying I'm scared is a huge understatement. I think I'd be more willing to face Voldemort than being made over.

Merlin, I am screwed up.