The Contract

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter in anyway, shape, or form(though I wish I did because J. K. Rowling has to be one of the richest people in the world by now).

Summery: Tired of being asked out by guys she wouldn't want her worst enemy to date, Hermione decides to take Oliver Wood's offer. Oliver Wood, tired of being mobbed by almost every girl within twenty feet of him, hears about Hermione's problem and offers a solution; they pretend to go out until one of them finds another person they want to date.

Hermione: 5th year(15 yrs. old) Ron: 5th year(15 yrs. old)

Harry:5th year(15 yrs. Old) Lavender: 5th year(15 yrs. old)

Oliver: 6th year(16 yrs. Old) Alicia: 6th year(16 yrs. old)

Fred & George: 6th year(16 yrs. Old)Katie: 6th year(16 yrs. old)

Ginny: 4th year(14 yrs. Old)Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle: 5th year(15 yrs. Old)

Chapter 1

Wood burst hurriedly into the Great Hall dressed in his Quidditch uniform and carrying his broom. He spotted an empty seat at the Gryffindor table and quickly headed towards it and sat down.

Not five seconds later his entire fan club, consisting of at least fifty girls from every house, followed him. They sighed in disappointment when they saw him eating. It was a rule that they had made for themselves, so as not to seem completely desperate, to let Oliver have mealtimes to himself. Though once he got up from the table...he was fair game.

Oliver let out a sigh of relief when he saw his fan club split up and head towards their respective tables for breakfast. He had time to notice where he'd sat. He'd sat near his whole Quidditch team. Harry and Ron sat across from him with their girlfriends, Ginny and Lavender, Fred and George sat on the left of Oliver talking to Katie and Alicia, and Harry and Ron's friend, Hermione, sat on Oliver's right. He noticed that she was arguing with Ron's little sister, Ginny, about something He didn't want to be rude and eavesdrop, but he wondered what would make the ever-so-prim-and-proper Granger girl angry.

"I will not go out with him!" Hermione hissed across the table at Ginny.

"Oh, come on, Herm," Ginny pleaded. "He's really nice and sweet and he likes you a lot."

"But I don't even know him. He's in a different house. What could he possibly know about me that makes him like me?" Hermione asked indifferently. She pulled out her book bag showing that she was close to leaving.

"Hermione, the guy is nuts about you. He wants to get to know you better. Give him a chance and if you don't like him I'll never interfere with your love-life again," Ginny said raising her right hand.

"Liar," Hermione said simply. She stood up from the table. "I don't want to date him."

"Hermione, you have to get over Krum."

"I'm not pining for Viktor, if that's what you're thinking. We just realized that we only had a friendship and we broke up. We still write to each other-oh, just bug off Virginia."

Ginny gasped in surprise as Hermione left the table. She knew today was a free day for the school, so Hermione was probably heading to the library to get ahead of everybody. But that wasn't what had shocked her. Hermione had never called her by her normal name.

'She must be pissed,' Ginny thought uneasily biting her lip. She chanced a look at Harry who was frowning at her.

"I thought you said you were going to leave her be," Harry said.

"I was, but she needs someone," Ginny insisted. No longer hungry, she abandoned her breakfast.

"Who needs someone?" Ron asked coming late into the conversation with Lavender right behind him.

"Yeah, who?" she echoed.

"Hermione," Ginny offered before Harry could stop her. "She's been moping ever since she got back to school. I think that breakup with Krum did something to her."

"I told you Vicky was up to no good," Ron said wagging his finger in Harry's face.

"Ron, come off it," Lavender said. "Hermione told us what happened earlier this year and I honestly believe her. She's way too smart and pretty to mope over Krum. No matter how tall he is, how exotic he is, how dark he is, how talented he is," Lavender said staring off into space not noticing her rambling.

"Hey!" Ron said pinching her arm. "Snap out of it. You're my girlfriend."

"I love it when you're jealous." Lavender giggled.

"Back to the point," Ginny interrupted rolling her eyes while Harry snorted. "Hermione needs someone."

"No she doesn't," Ron insisted looking positively horrified at the idea of Hermione dating. "She has me and Harry."

Harry nodded completely happy to agree with Ron. He didn't like the idea of Hermione dating anymore than Ron did. Hermione was like a sister to him and there was not one guy in all of Hogwarts he would want her to date. Ginny and Lavender hit their boyfriends upside their heads, their faces holding disbelief.

"I can't believe you two," Lavender said.

"Yeah, Hermione is a girl. She needs someone. She's not just your homework-helper," Ginny said.

"I know but-" Ron started, but he was interrupted by Lavender.

"Or your note-taker," she said.

"I know but-"

"She's a girl who's becoming a woman and she's interested in dating."

"We know, but-" Harry tried his luck and received the same treatment as Ron.

"But what?" Ginny said angrily. "She's your friend so she can't date?"

"Exactly!" Ron said smiling in relief. "You understand."

"NO!" Ginny said so loudly that the whole hall silenced. She waited until people began talking again to finish. "I don't," she whispered venomously. "Hermione isn't just your friend. She's a girl who hasn't had much chance to date, thanks to you two. Do you honestly not want her to be as happy as you are?"

"I don't feel very happy right now," Ron whispered to Harry who shook his head in amusement.

"It's not that-" Harry started but broke off expecting to be interrupted. When Lavender looked at him strangely and motioned him to go on he continued. "It's just that we don't trust any guy here, at this school, to date her. She's like my sister and I don't want her hurt."

"Thank you!" Ron said nodding. "At least somebody knows how I feel." Ginny and Lavender nodded slightly understanding the two boys' feelings for their best friend and how they would want to protect her.

"Okay," Lavender said. "We understand what you mean, but if you two keep using your negative comments about dating around Herm, she's never going to want to date."

"What are you talking about?" Ron asked completely oblivious. "I haven't anything!"

"Liar. You both told Hermione when she explained about her and Krum how much better off she was without him and how dating was a load of bull, which I still haven't forgiven you for yet," Lavender said looking pointedly at Ron. "Coming from you two Hermione believed it and just let the idea of dating go. She loves you two too much to believe anything different about something you say will hurt her."

"What are you talking about?"

"Whenever something bad happened to either one of you Hermione was the first one to believe what you said and help you. When Harry thought someone was trying to kill him last year in the tournament, Hermione believed him and helped him out with whatever she could. Hermione wouldn't believe that you two would put her off of something because you're afraid of losing her."

"We are not!" Ron said.

"You are too. Last year when you thought Krum was going to take her away from you, you acted like a sulking child. You picked fights with her and refused to talk to her for the better part of the ball." Ron had nothing to say and Harry couldn't help him. It was true.

"But we don't want her to date!" Ron whined.

"Stop being a baby and be her friend," Ginny snapped.

"Alright," Harry said. Ron whipped around in his seat to stare at his friend. "We'll talk to her about trying to date again." Ron grabbed Harry's collar and began to shake him.

"No, no, no, no!" Ron said. "We can't give up now!"

"Dude," Harry said throwing his hands up in defeat. "They're pummeling us with logic. I don't know about you, but, without Hermione, I'm all thumbs in that department." Ron sighed. He let go of Harry and bowed his head in defeat.

"Fine. We'll talk to her," he mumbled. "But I don't have to like it."