Author's Note: Written for Harmony and Co.'s Hermione's Birthday Drabble Challenge! The story is inspired by a post from Sima while the ending has been edited from its original version posted on the group because of Chris' great idea. Thanks, you two!

Happy birthday, Hermione.

"Oi! What's the holdup?"

"Did Neville forget the password again?"

"I did not!"

"Dilligrout!"

Gryffindors of all years stood irritably next to each other outside the portrait of the Fat Lady. The woman in question was sat across a visiting portrait and they were having tea together.

Ron, Seamus, Dean, and Neville were at the front of the crowd. Ron had a frown on his face as he watched the Fat Lady pour tea for her friend Violet. His arms crossed and he said the password again.

"Dilligrout! C'mon, open up!"

The Fat Lady set the teapot down with a clank and looked exasperatedly at the students. "Be patient, darling. I can't let you in right now!"

"Why not!" Seamus asked, flummoxed. Lavender and Parvati elbowed their way to the front of the crowd with Ginny tailing behind them.

"Because something very important is happening inside the common room! So pipe down please and wait," the Fat Lady replied. She turned her attention back to Violet and resumed pouring her tea

"What is it? What's happening inside?" Neville asked.

"Oh honestly!" The Fat Lady cried. "Stop yelling or you'll ruin the mood! Please be quiet and wait, or leave - I don't really care - but I will not be letting you in."

"At least tell us why!" Dean shouted. There was a chorus of "Yea!"s behind him.

The Fat Lady gave a sigh and turned on her seat to face the students. "If I tell you, will you be quiet?"

"Yes!" The students yelled which made her grimace.

"Alright, alright. The reason you can't pass is because… Mr. Potter and Ms. Granger are inside… alone."

Her admittance caused the Gryffindors to fall silent.

"Really?!" Lavender shrieked. She turned to Parvati and started shaking excitedly. "Please let this be it!"

"Oh Merlin, please!" Ginny echoed. She had a wide grin on her face now.

Seamus groaned when he realized what was happening.

"Damn it!" Colin Creevey said from within the crowd.

"No! Not yet!" The voice of Fay Dunbar said in distress. "Let us in!"

The Fat Lady looked defeated as her wish of the students remaining quiet wasn't granted. On the contrary, the students were getting louder. Half of them were demanding to be let inside while the other half was shushing their counterparts and telling them to leave Gryffindor Tower alone.

Ron and Neville looked at each confusedly. It seemed like they were the only two people who had no idea what everyone else was on about.

"So why can't we go in if they're inside?" Ron asked aloud.

His question cut through the chatter and everyone quieted down. They looked at him bewildered.

Ginny laid a hand on his shoulder. "Ron… have you never heard about The Bet?" She said it as if it were a proper noun.

"The what?" Neville asked.

"Oh Merlin, you two!" Parvati exclaimed with an eye-roll. "It's only what everyone has been talking about!"

"So what is it then?" Ron asked irritably.

"Mate, all of Gryffindor - or most, I guess - have a bet on when Harry and Hermione would get together," Dean explained.

"That's right. And anyone who added to the pot is allowed to do anything - within reason, of course - to make it happen," Ginny supplied.

"But this is cheating!" Seamus said. He glared accusingly at the Fat Lady who let out a huff. "Locking us out isn't reasonable!"

"Does that mean you betted on this too, ma'am?" Neville asked the portrait.

The Fat Lady looked more indignant at his question than at being accused of cheating. "Of course I did, Mr. Longbottom! I'm a Gryffindor too! There's no chance I wouldn't participate in this historic endeavour... and the date I picked was today. So tough luck, Mr. Finnigan!"

"Me too!" Lavender exclaimed. "It just seems so perfect, isn't it? For it to happen today?"

"What's today?" Neville asked again.

"Hermione's birthday!" Ginny answered. "I picked today too!"

Chatter broke out again and the crowd talked about the different dates they've picked. It seemed like many, such as Collin and Fay, picked Christmas Day. Meanwhile, Seamus was insistent that he knew it wouldn't happen until their last year at Hogwarts so he picked their future graduation.

"Get together? What do you mean?" Ron asked, confused.

The crowd quieted and stared at him as if he'd grown a third head. Even Neville looked at him as if he'd gone around the bend.

"As in get together as a couple, Ron!" Ginny asked exasperatedly. "They're only the most perfect people for each other! Too bad they're too thick to realize that."

A thunderous "Yea!" echoed around her. Ron felt as if he was in an alternate dimension.

"But… they've been together since the start of fifth year."

The silence which followed Ron's statement was deafening. The Gryffindors stared at him, mouths agape. Even the Fat Lady was rendered speechless and she completely missed the teacup mid pour so tea streamed down the side of her table. Suddenly, her eyes widened and the portrait swung inside.

The Gryffindors held their breaths as they watched the two people in question climb out of the portrait hole. Harry Potter stepped out first before extending his hand to help Hermione Granger over the hump. Twenty pairs of eyes observed as their hands never let go. The portrait of the Fat Lady swung closed behind them.

"What's everyone doing out here?" Harry asked.

"Oh... we seemed to have forgotten the password!" Ginny said. Her eyes kept darting to their locked hands.

Hermione looked sympathetically at the redhead. "It's 'dilligrout'. Bit of a mouthful this one, huh?"

"R-right," Neville stammered.

"Well, we're off to the library. See you later!" Hermione said. The crowd parted and everyone watched as they walked down the hall hand-in-hand. No one said a word until the pair rounded the corner. When the couple was out of sight, the crowd erupted and turned on the redheaded best friend.

Ron slumped in front of the Fat Lady wishing he had kept his mouth shut instead.