Hermione or Ginny?

Harry Potter sat alone out on the damp Hogwarts lawns under a cloudy sky. He was thinking, because he definitely had some serious thinking to do. What had the last few days meant? He was so confused by Hermione's behavior yesterday, with the kiss and all....

What had that kiss meant? Was it an, I like you as a friend-type kiss, like those he had received from Hermione after getting off the Hogwarts Express, or an I like you as more than a friend-type kiss, which meant something completely different....

And Harry wasn't sure if he liked that kind of different entirely. I mean, yeah, after yesterday's chat with Hermione, he did like her a whole lot more. But he was also starting to develop feelings for Ginny too, and that's what really confused him. This was no time to change his mind and start liking Ginny, who was only bait as far as he was concerned a week ago. Still, he couldn't help it. He sighed, got up, and made his way back to the castle's huge front doors.

In Charms class on Monday morning, Professor Flitwick was drawing diagrams on the board of how a proper Sound Repelling Charm was supposed to wrap around the ears snugly, like custom-fit ear-muffs, only without the ugly pink poofy trimmings. Hermione was taking careful notes, her quill scratching delicately across her parchment so as not to drip ink on her perfect diagram. Ron sat next to her, drawing a stick figure with stringy, black hair so that it quite resembled Snape, and drawing a large pair of fuzzy lilac ear-muffs over the figure's ears. Snape appeared to be dancing around wildly in the crude drawing, trying in vain to fling the ear-muffs off his head. Harry looked over from his slightly blotchy drawing of the Sound Repelling Charm at Ron's paper and snorted. Then, remembering that he was cross with Ron, he tried to surpress his laughter and reverted his attention to Flitwick.

Harry was having difficulty concentrating on the lesson. His eyes kept on darting to Hermione's bushy hair and back at the board. But he wasn't the only one sneaking glances at Hermione. Ron also looked over every so often, and regarded her almost longingly, to Harry's displeasure. Harry vowed silently to do something about it.

After Charms it was lunchtime, and the Great Hall was abuzz with gossip. Rumors were flying around, and it seemed to have something to do with Draco Malfoy. Harry passed by the Slytherin table slowly, straining his ears to hear what Pansy Parkinson was saying in a low voice to a fellow Slytherin.

"Draco... in shock... didn't believe it myself... said it was true... kiss? No... yes... I see... filthy girl... is she a Mudblood? Certain... Draco'll fix it... jinx... hex... Granger!" Pansy looked up from her conversation to find Hermione glaring at her, eyebrows furrowed. "What are you staring at, Granger? Move along, no Mudbloods allowed here!"

"Where's your dear little Draco? Surely he isn't sneaking around the castle cheating on you with Muggle-borns, now, is he?" And with that, Hermione sauntered off to the Gryffindor table, leaving Pansy looking livid.

"So you've heard the rumors about Malfoy? Can you tell us?" Ron said eagerly.

"I haven't heard any more than you have, I just guessed," said Hermione dismissevly. "But I have a feeling Draco must have been caught snogging a Muggle-born girl, and he must have blamed the girl for coming onto him without warning in the hall."

"Which is totally unlikely," piped Ginny. Harry jumped about a foot in the air when he heard her voice, as Ginny had said that she had lunch detention with Snape today.

"Ginny!" Harry said, almost tiredly, but he grinned at her and stood. Ginny leaned over and kissed Harry on the lips, which had become their custom greeting over the past week. Harry had rather started to enjoy it though, which came as a surprise to him.

Ginny sat next to Ron on the bench. "Like I was saying, it would be strange if, while passing Draco of all people in the hall, a girl, nevermind that she's Muggle-born, were to fling herself at Malfoy's lips. Though he is quite good-looking," she added as an afterthought.

"Hey!" Ron exclaimed.

"She has a point," said Hermione casually, sipping her goblet of pumpkin juice. "We know that he's evil, don't worry," she added, seeing the surprised face Ron had made at her comment.

"We were in the hall when he was caught," Lavender giggled excitedly. Parvati nodded excitedly.

"It was so hilarious," Parvati giggled.

"Well, what happened?" Hermione asked impatiently.

"Well, there's a girl in Padma's dormitory, maybe you've seen her around, her name's Bridget Morrison?" asked Parvati.

"Mmhmm, go on," said Hermione, nodding. The rest of the group had no idea who Bridget Morrison was.

"Well, she's Muggle-born," said Lavender slowly.

"And she's actually pretty good-looking, you know, straight perfect brown hair, styles it every morning, blue eyes..." said Parvati.

"Yeah, Padma said so," said Lavender.

"Out with it!" shrieked Ginny suddenly, growing impatient.

"Alright already," said Parvati nervously. "Calm down. Anyway, so Lavender and I were walking down the hallway, and a few people in front of us there was Malfoy, holding hands with Bridget."

"Pretty riske, if you know what I mean," said Lavender. "Then they stopped behind this shadowy column and we couldn't see them well. Then a Slytherin boy came over, calling Malfoy's name. He stepped into the shadows, and must of seen them snogging." She giggled.

"But that's not the best part," said Parvati. "The best part was when the Slytherin boy asked Malfoy to explain himself."

"Yeah, and Malfoy goes, 'She fell! I was just helping her up!' It was funny," giggled Lavender.

"Oh please, she fell?" said Hermione skeptically.

"Yeah, really," said Ron. "'Oh, Draco, I fell!' 'Here, let me help you up with my lips!' Ugh." Ron shivered, obviously disgusted.

"Couldn't he have thought up a better excuse than 'I braced her fall with my face?" Ginny said, getting up and tugging at Harry's sleeve.

"Uh huh," agreed Harry automatically, deep in thought. So, Malfoy was going out with a Muggle-born.... What could this mean? Was he changing? Did he actually have a heart, and not a giant black hole in his body?

"Well, now you can date Malfoy, Hermione!" said Lavender, giggling madly.

"And why would I want to do that?" asked Hermione coldly.

"Well, you said so yourself, he is good-looking, and he dates Muggle-borns...."

"Please," scoffed Hermione, and she walked away from the table and out of the Great Hall. Everyone else scurried to keep up with her.

By Tuesday everyone had heard the story of Malfoy and Bridget Morrison. It was so laughable, that it turned out to be the butt of many jokes. But Tuesday came and went, and Wednesday did too. Harry barely seemed to notice what he was doing throughout his lessons, because one crazy thought kept entering his mind time and time again:

What if Malfoy had been in that corner with Hermione?

As ridiculous as it had sounded when he had first thought it, the sentence was now starting to make more sense every day. Why did Malfoy like to tease Hermione so much? Was it because he fancied her? Harry knew that if he hated someone as much as Malfoy hated Hermione, he wouldn't waste his breath insulting her. But, time and time again, Malfoy had gone out of his way to say something rude to Hermione. But, then again, maybe that was just the way Malfoy was. He definitely did like making fun of Harry and Ron, too....

While Harry was thinking this, he was being watched. Ginny was gazing at him from across the common room. Hermione was sitting at the same table as her, and from time to time she would look around at Ginny, Harry and Ron. Ron was sitting next to Harry, absorbed in his essay he was supposed to be writing.

After a while Ginny stood and walked over to where Harry was sitting. She sat down next to him, and he looked up.

"Want to go for a walk? It could clear your head," Ginny said earnestly.

"Alright," said Harry, and he stood and followed Ginny out of the portrait hole.

Out on the grounds, Ginny and Harry strolled around in silence for a while. The night air felt good on Harry's face, it was a bit stuffy up in the common room. Ginny looked at Harry, willing him to speak, but finally, she broke the silence.

"So... nice night, isn't it?" said Ginny airily.

"Yeah," said Harry absently.

"Do you like Hermione?" said Ginny harshly, and Harry jumped. His stomach flip-flopped as he stopped mid-stride and turned his head around slowly to face her.

"I-I, well, see here..." said Harry, trying to put into words what he felt.

"Be honest," said Ginny. "You don't like me at all."

"No, I really, I do, but I didn't at first-" Harry slapped his hand over his mouth to keep himself from saying anything else stupid.

"You didn't at first?" said Ginny, disbelieving. "Ron told me that you had a thing for me, and I like you, Harry, and so I decided to pursue it-"

"Ron told you I liked you?" said Harry, fuming. "I see. He wants Hermione for himself. That little...."

"So you do like Hermione" shrieked Ginny and burst into tears. Harry tried to comfort her by patting her on her back. He really hated it when girls cried around him.

"Don't touch me!" said Ginny, pulling away from his pats and continuing to sob.

"What's going on?" said a familiar voice and Harry turned to see Hermione standing there.

"Hermione-I-Ginny's crying, and I...."

"Harry said that he likes you, and not me!" sobbed Ginny loudly, and toppled onto the grass.

"No, it's not like that at all," said Harry quickly, looking at Hermione.

"I see," said Hermione quietly, looking down at her shoes.

Harry collapsed onto the ground next to Ginny and pulled his knees up to his chest. He buried his face into his jeans and willed Hermione to just go away.

"Here, let me help you up," said Hermione kindly, extending a hand out to Harry. She obviously had no idea what to do.

Harry took her hand and was pulled upward swiftly and instantly, his face stopping just inches away from Hermione's. They stared at each other for a while and then....

And then Hermione's face seemed to be getting closer....

Harry's heart pounded in his ears as Hermione loomed closer, Ginny's shrill sobs somewhere in the background....