Ginny went down to breakfast one morning to find Wish and Pamela both looking extremely sullen as they ate cereal. It was a week or so after the Second Task.
Ginny slid into the seat across from the girls and asked, with a frown, "Is something wrong?" Demelza took the seat next to her.
"Haven't you heard?" asked Pamela.
Ginny and Demelza both shook their heads. "What's wrong?" asked Ginny.
"Harry Potter and Hermione Granger are dating," said Wish.
"What?" Ginny laughed. "What're you talking about?"
"Read this," said Wish gloomily.
She passed Ginny a nearby copy of Witch Weekly. It was folded open to an article in the middle of the magazine. The title of the article was abusing enough. It looked like something Fred and George could sell in that joke shop they wanted.
Harry Potter's Secrete Heartache
Ginny continued to read, and only became more amused as she did so. Rita Skeeter had invented this whole romance between Harry and Hermione, and even went so far to say that Hermione was using a love potion. It was all completely ludicrous.
There were also somethings Rita Skeeter had wrote about that weren't so funny. Like about how Viktor Krum had asked Hermione to come visit him in Bulgaria over the summer, and told her he'd never felt this way about any other girl. These were true things Hermione had told Ginny in private, not wanting the whole school to know. She hadn't even told Harry and Ron, who were best friends
Ginny continued to read.
However it might not be Miss Granger's doubtful natural charms that have captured these unfortunate boys' interest. "She's really ugly," said Pansy Parkinson, a pretty and vivacious -
"Hermione is not ugly!" Ginny said angrily. "Not even close!"
"It's a shame their dating though," said Pamela, just as gloomy as Wish.
"They aren't dating," said Ginny a little impatiently.
"But it says-" started Wish.
"I know what it says, but it's not true," said Ginny,"I can't believe an adult is publishing these lies about a teenage girl!"
Later Ginny went to talk to Hermione, but the girl was phased extremely little by the insulting article.
"The more it bothers me," said Hermione, "The more Rita Skeeter wins."
Ginny knew Hermione was right, but that didn't stop her from hitting Pansy Parkinson with a bat-bogey hex while passing her in the hallway.
Ginny was walking out of Charms class with her friends a few days later when a voice called, "Ginny!"
She looked around to see Michael Corner jogging to catch up with her. She hung back from her friends.
"Hey," said Ginny with a grin.
"Hey," he said, "How's it going?"
"Just got out of Charms. You?" said Ginny.
"History of Magic," said Michael unenthusiastically. "By the way, you've got something on your robes."
Ginny looked down at her shoulder to see that the black fabric of her robes were covered in white dust.
"Oh, in class today Flitwick taught us how to make it snow dry-snow," said Ginny with a laugh. She brushed off her shoulder.
"Ah, good ol' Flitwick," said Michael, "He's a fun man. I'm really glad he's my head of house. You know, I feel like you would make a good Ravenclaw."
"Oh, yeah?" said Ginny, with eyebrows raised in amusement.
"Yeah," said Michael, "Definitely."
"And why is that?" asked Ginny.
But before Michael could answer Terry Boot and Anthony Goldstein went running past.
"Oi, Michael," called Terry, "Quit taking to your girlfriend! We're going to be late!"
"Mate, she's not his girlfriend," Ginny Anthony yell to Terry. "Not yet anyway."
Michael rolled his eyes at Ginny, although he looked a little red in the face. "Ignore them. I really do have to go though. I'll see you later?"
"Yeah," said Ginny, "Have fun in potions."
"I will," said Michael.
Ginny watched him go running down the hall after Terry and Anthony, thinking hard about how the latter two had just called her Michael's girlfriend.
And Ginny kept thinking about that throughout the day. Even after classes were over, and she'd eaten dinner, she was still thinking about it.
Ginny tried to ignore these thoughts and and concentrate on her astronomy homework, but she finally gave up. She shut her book, then stood up quite suddenly.
"Where are you going?" asked Colin curiously.
"I've got to go talk to Hermione," said Ginny.
She scanned the room for her brother and and his friends, and finally spotted Ron and Harry sitting across the room also doing homework, however Hermione was nowhere in sight.
"Where is Hermione?" Ginny asked once she'd made her way over to the two boys.
"She went up to her dormitory to get some yarn," explained Harry.
"She's planning out her next knitted 'hats'" said Ron with a roll of his eyes.
Ginny went up the stairs and headed to Hermione's dorm. She was glad to find the bushy haired girl alone.
"Oh, hello, Ginny," said Hermione looking around as the younger Gryffindor girl entered the room.
Hermione was elbow deep in her trunk, and multi-colored yarn was scattered all across the floor.
"Hello Hermione."
Ginny crossed the room and jumped into Hermione's bed, landing with a bounce.
"I can't decided what color to make my next hat," said Hermione. "Do you like this blue or this purple?"
Hermione held up two rolls of yarn, but Ginny attention was taken off the color of the yarn when she saw Hermione's hands; they were all covered in bandages.
"Hermione, what happened to your hands?" demanded Ginny, her brown eyes widening.
"Oh, right," said Hermione grimly. She put down the yarn. "I got some hate mail today -"
"Hate mail!"
"- having to do with Rita Skeeters latest article about me. One of the envelopes was filled with buber-tuber pus, and it got on my hands," finished Hermione.
"That's awful!" said Ginny angrily.
"I can't even knit with my hands all swollen like this," said Hermione ruthfully. "So I figured I'd just pick out the colors."
"I can't believe people believe that article," said Ginny.
Hermione shrugged. "I suppose people will believe anything if it's published in a paper of magazine. But, oh, I do hate that Skeeter woman very much . . . " Hermione sighed. "But never mind that. Why'd you come Ginny? Is something wrong?"
Ginny suddenly remembered why she had come.
"Not exactly wrong," said Ginny, "It's just I think Michael Corner might fancy me."
"Michael Corner? The boy you met at the Yule Ball?" asked Hermione.
Ginny nodded.
"Yeah. Today his friend Terry called me his girlfriend, then his friend Anthony said 'she's not his girlfriend. Not yet anyway'" said Ginny, "And the way he acts around me is just odd."
"Oh I'm certain he does fancy you," said Hermione, "That's wonderful, Ginny!"
"Yeah . . . " said Ginny.
Hermione squinted at Ginny. "Isn't it?"
"Yeah," said Ginny a little uncertainly.
"Do you fancy him?" asked Hermione.
"I don't know," said Ginny. She absentmindedly played with the quilt on Hermione's bed. "He's very nice its just . . . I still sort of fancy Harry. I know I shouldn't but, I can't help it . . ."
Hermione got up and came to sit on the bed next to Ginny.
"Look, Ginny," said Hermione, and Ginny listened intently knowing Hermione always gave good advice, "I know how much you like Harry, and I think you need to relax a little bit around him. If you were a little bit more yourself around him, I think he might take a bit more notice."
Ginny nodded. "I know. I've been trying. And I can at least talk when he's in the room now, so I guess that's a start . . . "
"And in the meantime," added Hermione, "It doesn't hurt to go out with other people, of you want to. You might find someone as equally nice as Harry. It may be time to move on."
Ginny knew Hermione might be right.
So a week later when Michael caught up with her in the hallway again between classes. Ginny was ready.
"I was wondering," said Michael as they walked along, "if you would like to go out with me?"
He sounded bold, but his cheeks quite clearly turned red.
Ginny hesitated for just a moment. This was it. If she said yes to Michael, then she was saying goodbye to the crush she'd had on Harry since she was ten years old.
"Yes," Ginny said finally with a smile. "I would."
Hermione was right. It was time to move on.