There is obviously no excuse for this long of a delay. I hope some of you are willing to forgive me and keep reading. Real life has kept me busy, and most of the little time I've had to work on fan fiction has been spent on finishing a rough outline for my version of Book 7. I also intend to finish my sequel to “All I Want for Christmas” which is still untitled at this point.

There are two chapters left of this story following this one. When I post the last chapter of this story, I'll be looking for betas for my sequel to AIWfC, so if you might be interested you'll want to go re-read that story at some point.

This is the first time I've written an on-page “battle,” if you can call it that. You've probably all been expecting something like this to play out with what happened at the end of the last chapter.

Please read and review. More reviews encourage faster updates (real life permitting, of course). Of course, constructive feedback is encouraged.

Disclaimer: I'll refer you back to Chapter 1 to save space and simplify things for those whom have already read it.

Tell Me

Chapter 11: Not Going Anywhere

Hermione woke up the next morning with an intense feeling of anticipation. Ginny better not succeed today. Thankfully Ron knows I have to keep an eye on her. She's become almost as bad as Bella over the past couple of years. I don't know my former best female friend anymore.

Hermione quickly dressed and headed down to the Gryffindor common room to meet Harry and Ron.

“Good morning, Hermione,” Harry called out cheerfully as she walked into the common room.

Merlin, I wish I could jump him right now. He looks so handsome, even if it's only his school robes.

“Good morning, Harry,” Hermione responded cheerfully before giving Harry a quick kiss on the cheek.

They quickly made their way down to the Great Hall for breakfast, excitedly talking about their day, with Hermione rambling on about their Defense and Charms classes, and Ron getting a word in every once in a while about their last practice for their final quidditch match at Hogwarts against Slytherin, which was the next day.

Harry and Hermione sat down on one side of the table, with Ron across from them. Hermione looked around before filling her plate and saw that Ginny wasn't there yet, so Hermione tucked in to eat.

Ron, as usual, was shoveling food down almost as fast as he could put it on his plate.

Harry rolled his eyes. “Ron, make sure you leave some food for everybody else, will you?”

“Sure thing, mate,” Ron said with a mouthful of food.

“That's disgusting, Ronald!” Hermione said wincing at the sight.

Harry laughed. “Too true, Hermione.”

Hermione smiled at him. “At least some people around here have manners.”

Harry smiled cheesily back. “Only for you, milady.”

Hermione giggled and lightly slapped Harry's arm. “I know you, Harry. You'd be just as chivalrous for any other girl here.”

Harry shrugged. “Maybe not for some Slytherins, but most of the ones left in that house aren't bad.”

Ron swallowed then said, “Who are you and what have you done with the real Harry?”

Harry and Hermione laughed. “I haven't gone anywhere, Ron,” Harry retorted. “If you want proof, just ask me something only the real Harry would know.”

Ron stuffed a forkful of food in his mouth as he thought for a moment. “Who were you dreaming about last night?”

Harry dropped his fork. “Do you even know the answer to that?”

Ron smirked. “Yep, mate. You were moaning her name quite loudly.” He glanced over at Hermione. “I'm surprised they didn't hear you up in the girls' dormitories.”

Harry turned a shade of red that matched Ron's hair and tried to look everywhere but at Hermione.

Harry's quite embarrassed about everybody in his room knowing who he was dreaming about last night. I wonder if it was me. He doesn't want to look at me now for some reason.

“Ronald Weasley, you are an immature prat!” Hermione exclaimed. “Even if you do know who Harry was having erotic dreams about last night, it's not something you should talk about in front of mixed company.

“Besides, how flustered you've made Harry proves that it's the real Harry. An imposter wouldn't get nearly as flustered by that.”

“Yeah Ron,” Harry added on, still blushing. “Who I dreamed about is something that shouldn't be discussed in front of a lady.”

Ron smirked at Hermione. “Aren't you curious who it was?”

Hermione blushed. “A bit. So who was it, Harry?”

Harry leaned over and smiled cheekily at her before whispering in her ear. “Wouldn't you like to know?”

Ginny suddenly flopped down next to Harry and wrapped an arm around him. “Good morning, Harry dear!”

Go play with Voldemort, Ginny.

Harry smiled awkwardly. “Oh, hi Ginny,” he responded.

“Oh, come on Harry,” Ginny said angrily. “That's no way to greet your girlfriend. Come on,” she said leaning her cheek towards him, “give me a kiss.”

“How many times do I have to tell you, you're not my girlfriend anymore, Ginny,” Harry answered with an edge to his voice. “So quit acting like it.”

I could so kiss him senseless right now.

“Oh, please,” Ginny snorted. “I know you want me, so quit trying to deny it. We're made for each other my little Harry-poo,” she added stroking his arm.

Ugh. She's getting disgusting. Somebody needs to stop this.

“He told you to back off, Ginny,” Hermione stepped in. “Or do I have to help you do it?”

“Let the man speak for himself,” Ginny retorted.

“Woah, cat fight,” Ron murmured just loud enough to be heard. “If it wasn't for the fact that it's my best friend and my sister, I might have been oddly turned on by this.”

Ronald did not just say that!

Both Hermione and Ginny shot him infuriated glares. “We are not having a cat fight, Ronald Weasley,” Hermione said.

“Stay out of this, Ron,” Ginny chimed in, “or I may have to Bat Bogey you.”

Ron paled and turned back to his plate and resumed eating.

“Both of you calm down,” Harry said soothingly. “I don't want to be hit by a stray hex here between you two.”

“That won't be necessary, Harry,” Hermione answered. “Ginny doesn't have the nerve to try to hex me, because she knows she'll lose.”

“Bring it on,” Ginny snapped at Hermione. “I wouldn't need to say two spells to have you begging for mercy.”

Outside of using another unforgivable there's no way she can fulfill that statement.

“I'm tougher than you think, Ginny,” Hermione retorted. “I was the one standing by Harry's side when he faced Voldemort. And just where were you? Crying in your mother's arms because you couldn't take it anymore. Harry needs somebody stronger than that to stand by his side.”

“I was only crying over Charlie's death and you know it!” Ginny screamed. “I would have been right there with you two if it wasn't for that. Besides, Harry needs somebody beautiful enough to be worthy of him, and that's definitely not you!”

“Both of you stop it!” Harry yelled, then he turned and pulled Hermione into a hug.

“You know you don't have to worry about her taking your place, Hermione,” Harry whispered in her ear. “Nobody will take your place in my life.”

Hermione struggled to keep the color of her face from turning red. Mmm…Harry whispering in my ear like he is is so intimate. Ok…stopping myself there, before I start thinking about Harry and I doing other intimate things.

“Someday you'll find a girl that you want to marry, Harry,” Hermione protested in a whisper. “And she'll be more important to you than I am.”

“I could always marry you,” Harry whispered back with a twinkle in his eyes.

Be careful, Harry. I just might hold you to that.

A moment later, Harry let go of Hermione, and they both returned to their breakfast. Immediately Ron started clearing his throat.

Strange. Ron never clears his throat. Did Ginny try something when Harry and I were talking to each other just now?

Hermione looked at Ron, who as subtly as possible nodded in Ginny's direction.

She did it. Wait! I have to keep Harry from drinking his pumpkin juice.

Harry's goblet was already halfway to his mouth, but Hermione's hand shot out and grabbed it from his hand as she screamed out, “don't drink that, Harry!”

Harry looked up at her startled. “What? Why not?”

Ginny's face paled and she quickly started to gather her things to leave as quickly as possible.

“Oh no, Ginny,” Hermione said threateningly. “You're not going anywhere.”

“Try and stop me then,” Ginny retorted.

“Stupefy!” Hermione cried out.

“Protego!” Ginny responded just in time for her shield to absorb Hermione's stunner.

The doors to the Great Hall slammed shut and Ginny looked around for another escape route.

“You don't try to love potion Harry and get away with it while I'm around Ginevra!” Hermione screamed.

The cry of outrage from the other students, especially the female ones, was unmistakable. The staff, along with Tonks and Shacklebolt, who'd come as reinforcements, started making their way towards Ginny and Hermione.

Several near simultaneous “Stupefy!” and “Expelliarmus!” cries rang out from the students, both male and female.

Ginny barely got a shield up in time to deflect the roughly dozen spells that flew her direction.

“You think you're so special, don't you Hermione? Some day, some witch will come along and steal Harry right out from under your snotty little nose and you won't even realize it until it's too late. You're lucky Parvati squealed to you, otherwise I'd have succeeded in winning Harry back this morning.”

Hermione laughed. “You've lost it, Ginny. Parvati didn't tell me anything until after you tortured her, and that was only because Madame Pomfrey called for me, figuring that whatever Parvati wanted to talk to Ron about was something I would want to know too.

“Besides, you've apparently gotten so wrapped up in your image of Harry as some superhero that you've blinded yourself to the fact that he doesn't want to be looked at that way. He wants to be seen as a normal boy. One, I might add, that is not a prize to be won. True, any girl would be lucky to be on his arm, but Harry is the one who gets to choose who is lucky enough to have that distinction, not a selfish, scheming witch. Especially a witch who has a one-way ticket to Azkaban with her name on it.”

“You'll never get to enjoy a future with Harry, you jealous little bitch!” Ginny screamed in anger. “Avad…”

Ginny never got the chance to finish the curse, as a beam of red light suddenly hit her from across Gryffindor table, knocking her out cold.

Hermione glanced over just as Ron was putting his wand back in his robes. “Serves her right, I reckon,” he muttered. “She might have been my sister, but I don't know who she is anymore.”

Harry squeezed Hermione's hand as he smiled up at her. “Thanks,” he said softly.

Headmistress McGonagall walked up to them and picked up Harry's pumpkin juice. “We'd better move this to my office, Mister Potter, Miss Granger, Mister Weasley. We have some questions we need to ask of Miss Weasley. Nymphadora, would you please levitate Miss Weasley's body behind us to my office. Horace, fetch us some Veritaserum and meet us in my office.”

Tonks flushed, but pointed her wand at Ginny's body. “Incarcerous!”

Ropes shot out of her wand and bound Ginny's hands and feet. Shacklebolt picked up Ginny's wand and started following McGonagall to her office.

Harry, Hermione, and Ron started following McGonagall and Shacklebolt towards the Headmistress' office. Tonks levitated Ginny's body behind them.

Hermione took Harry's hand in hers as they walked. Even if Harry never loves me back in the way I love him, he deserves far better than Ginny. He deserves someone who loves him for who he is, not somebody who wants to manipulate him.

I hope he loves me back someday though.