Chapter 11

Harry looked up shyly and Hermione, hoping beyond hope that a sweet, innocent expression would distract her from any sort of truth.

Please don't shout in front of the entire Great Hall that I'm Harry Potter; that would surely ruin everything. Ugh, I'm sure Dumbledore will see just how poorly I did at keeping this whole thing a secret.

"Jill," Hermione called firmly, "perhaps it would be best if we talked elsewhere?"

Harry was puzzled, he wasn't sure if Hermione was going to confront him or pull him aside to give him a hug and a pat on the back.

"Uh, sure, I guess that would be fine."

Ron, glanced at Harry and then back at Hermione with a sad and tortured look on his face; he looked like a lot little puppy.

"But, why does Jill need to go? Can't you find time later to talk or whatever it is you girls do?" Ron whined.

Every girl within earshot rolled her eyes, boys really could act like big babies when it came to attractive girls.

"No, Ron, we can't. Just finish up your treacle tart and I'll meet up with you later to help you finish your Charms essay." Hermione smiled down at him sweetly. He could be acting a fool and Hermione would still help him through his blundering silliness.

Hermione grabbed Harry's delicate girl hand and led him out into the corridor and up the stairs. Harry attempted to act as much like a girl as possible in any last ditch effort to throw off Hermione seeing who he really was.

Hermione's heart was racing as she dashed up the stairs, Jill's hand in hers. She would have headed to the Gryffindor Tower but it didn't feel safe. So up they went more stairs to the astronomy tower, where on a cloudy night such as this no student would possible roam to that cold dark part of the castle.

We're almost there, just climb a little further Hermione.

Once at the top of the stairs with the chilling wind blowing angrily around them, Hermione's gaze changed from inquiring to accusatory.

"Jill, you need to come clean now, before it gets you into trouble." Hermione sternly looked down at tiny, blonde-haired Harry.

"I, uh-I didn't know Dumbledore had said anything, it was supposed to be a secret. I'm so bad at this, I really didn't mean to screw up and be that obvious, is it really that obvious?" Harry glanced up hopelessly.

"Oh, Jill, is this really what you want to do? How could you have fallen into such things? And, not to offend, but you aren't particularly good at hiding information."

"Hiding? I thought that's exactly what I was doing. I mean, I gathered that you're clever Hermione and certainly you can see past this blonde girl where people such as Ron can't but I don't see how I have a choice, I was born into this job, this life." Harry looked dully at his hands, wishing that even these dreadfully different non-Harry hands meant he didn't have to live this life.

"Damn it, Jillian, you do not have to be part of that group, you can fight it! Do you know how many people have stood up to him? People have banned together for years to fight for what is right and you do not have to be alone in standing up to him!"

Harry jerked back in bewilderment, "What?"

Sure Jillian, now is the time to deny everything, claim you have no idea who Lord Voldemort is and that you clearly aren't working for him attempting to find information on Harry Potter's location. Who's she playing at anyway? Claiming she doesn't know anything while apologizing for being so obvious.

"You have got to be kidding. There is no point trying to hide what business you have with the Dark Lord, you are clearly trying to befriend everyone Harry Potter knew to gain information about him." Hermione was beyond flustered at this point.

Harry promptly burst into a girlish giggle of outrage and promptly stopped upon hearing how unlike his usual self he sounded.

"Hermione, I am not any sort of member involved in the Dark Arts and nor do I plan to be, ever, in my life."

The true honesty on Harry's face confused Hermione entirely—this was nothing like what she expected.

"Then what? What could you possibly be? There is certainly something not right about you and I am not going to let you get away with any tom foolery in this school hurting people I care about. Don't you even think about trying to pull the wool over my eyes." Hermione's eyes smoldered with anger, she was not about to be told she was wrong, how embarrassing.

Harry sighed and stared down at his feet, blonde locks falling into his eyes and covering his face. Almost nothing could be kept a secret from Hermione if she truly found out and having at least someone know what was happening might make the whole situation a little less dim.

"I—you have to promise that what I tell you, you won't tell anyone else, not a soul, no matter what happens. Could you do that?"

Hermione swallowed, perhaps she had bitten off more than she could chew. "I'll do my best Jill, whatever your secret may be."

"I am Harry Potter."

Hermione's expression was frozen, she didn't say a word and she certainly didn't move.

Author's note: Well it's clear I have no time to write since my last chapter was published over a year ago. However, I am putting up chapters as I make them and hopefully more of the story will be forthcoming. I apologize for this particularly short chapter, but I am working on the next and this seemed like a logical chapter break. More to come soon!