Finally I update…it's been a while and I'm sorry. Schools starts tomorrow so back to very slow updates…. I actually had this written up a while ago but it was on paper at work and I just now typed it up. :D I have the start of 25 already too.

And I put out a one-shot about Salazar, Godric, and the Chamber of Secrets. It's funny, so check it out and review! "Monkey-Face"

Chapter 24: Confessions of a Teenage Wizard.

It had been a week.

A long torturing, into-the-fire week. Hermione had decided to act like nothing had happened. Everyone knew something had. Whenever she spoke to Harry –which was rare in itself- there was an edge in her voice. The type of edge that meant stay away or I'll kick your arse so hard you'll be in the hospital wing for a week. And Harry might be underestimating her.

Harry was scared.

Hermione knew a lot of spells and was scary when she was mad. And oh boy was she mad. Harry had actually been surprised when she had written her name down on the list of those staying for the holidays. Even more so when she hadn't decided to take it off and go home. No one asked her about it.

Even James and Sirius were staying away from pranking Hermione. Or saying anything slightly offensive to the girl at all. Actually, they weren't even pranking anyone around Hermione; really a person was safe if they would be in her line of vision should she turn around. But most would surely agree that they would rather summit to James and Sirius's strange ways then to be near Hermione. If things had been bad on Tuesday and Wednesday they were nothing compared to dinner Wednesday night. Another Marauder prank had been about that night: McGonagall falling victim. Or perhaps, better said, her food. For her face had gone red (surely anger much more then embarrassment) when her shrimp had started to dance around her plate and splash in her mash potatoes.

Hermione had given a lecture that could rival (and quite possibly beat) Molly Weasley's worst lecture to her children. Suddenly the joke hadn't been that funny. After that McGonagall had even lessened their punishment from the usual and spared them a lecture. After all, Hermione had already done that. Even the Slytherins were scared.

Oh yes, Harry was scared.

Ron had tried to help by telling him it was that time-of-the-month thing girls always went through. Ginny had told him off for that. Just to gross her lovely big brother out she had given him a detailed explanation on the workings of a tampon. Just to make sure he didn't leave Ginny had also put him under a variation of the Petrificus Totalus curse so that he couldn't move-except for his face because Ginny had wanted to watch the reactions on his face.

Harry was really quite glad that he hadn't been there (having left the second Ginny had mentioned the words period and tampon) because Ron had lost his appetite for the next two days. James and Sirius made fun of him at first- until Ginny threatened to do the same thing to them. Amazingly they had shut up unusually fast.

What a week it had been.

It was Sunday of that week and Harry was sitting in the common room watching the fire. It wasn't exactly interesting, but his mind was so far gone he might as well been staring at a wall. There was almost no one in the common room because tomorrow was the day most of the school would bundle up and head down to the train so they could go home to see their families.

Every girl in Gryffindor (not including Hermione, among others) was talking about the holidays. What they were giving people, what they wanted and expected to get, and what their boyfriends would get them. Really, sense when did everyone but Harry have a girlfriend? And he was older then them for Christ's sake! Even the boys were all giddy about their lovely presents for their girls and so on and so forth.

Ginny walked up to him, but he didn't notice until she sat on the arm of his chair. "Have you apologized to Hermione yet?" She asked casually. Harry sighed and the red-head took it as a no. She was right, of course. Bloody girls know everything. "I'm not even sure what this fight is about," She continued. "But she is one for your best friends…not to mention everyone in Hogwarts has the shit scared out of them by Hermione." Harry looked at her with an eyebrow raised. Had Ginny really just said that? "Oh shut up!" Ginny folded her arms childishly. "I'm not some little girl anymore."

Harry had noticed that. But fear of being beat up or going red in the face (both strong possibilities) he kept his mouth shut. "You should have seen what she did to a poor Hufflepuff girl yesterday." Ginny said by way of conversation. "I heard she had to go to the Hospital Wing and get a calming draught she was so bad-off." She gave a small giggle. "Not really a laughing matter though, really."

Harry got the point. "I know I need to talk to her, but I have no idea what to say to her." He told her honestly. All week he had been trying to figure out a way to talk to the bushy-haired girl, but he couldn't think of anything past "I'm sorry" and "I'm an idiot."

"Well," Ginny said casually leaning against the back of the chair. "If I know what the problem was, maybe I could help you."

'Yes Ginny,' Harry though sarcastically, 'did you know the other day I went to a world where I didn't exist? It was loads of fun when my dad and best friends thought I was a death eater.' Obviously that would go over well. Not to mention that would mean explaining James' and 'Simon's' true identities.

"It's complicated." Harry sighed. Really complicated. He added mentally.

"I'm listening." Ginny said a trace impatiently. Ginny seemed to have decided that she was going to figure out what this fight was about not matter what the cost was… And she probably will, Harry thought sourly.

And so she did. Harry started off telling her that James Prongsten was actually the adolescent form of hiss dead father, James Potter. Harry had been ready for some hard blows or something, but not this. Not Ginny laughing.

"It was kind-a obvious." Ginny explained when she saw Harry's puzzled look. "James looks like your twin and you guys act a lot a like too. Him together with Sirius and them claiming themselves pranksters…well I've heard stories about them and they fit the description so to speak. Remus is exactly how I imagined him as a student." She grinned. "I'm not stupid Harry, I found out ages ago. I just figured there had to be a reason why you didn't tell me, so I never said anything."

Behind his dumfounded expression Harry was also looking at her calculatingly. Ginny had not even hinted that she knew all this time…an excellent secret keeper. But just what else might this pretty, bright girl know? Harry couldn't help but feel a bit worried.

"Ginny, I'm sorry…"

"It's fine Harry really." Ginny said; a careful smile on her face. "I don't mind and I'm serious about that, you have more then enough to worry about without you having to apologize to me for lying with good reason." Harry couldn't help but see the sense in this.

"Fine, fine. Let me finish my story then." And so he did. Harry explained how he had woken up in a strange place that wasn't really all that strange. He told about Malfoy being in Gryffindor, although he didn't tell the story Dumbledore had told him that explained why. He still didn't take well to the fact that Malfoy had his mom and his friends, even if it was a different world. He told her that everyone though him crazy except for Hermione. He had carefully avoided anything that hinted that she hadn't existed, although a disturbing part of him told Harry that she had figured as much. He moved on to the book- this Ginny took great interest in. He carefully explained that he hadn't even opened it, only read the title before he was somehow returned to this world.

Whatever Hermione and Remus had seen had disturbed them, and Harry didn't want to see it either. He had put it under his bed and hadn't moved it sense his fight with Hermione and he didn't really plan to.

He repeated what Hermione had said to him and said he knew there was much truth in what she had said. He had left out the part about James. Ginny knew that James knew the whole story (Harry had told him that night) but not how Harry had cried. Crying was un-manly, and he couldn't have his semi-secret crush finding out about that.

"Does Hermione know about the other-time thing?"" Ginny asked. "Because you trusted her in the world enough to tell her about this one, you should do the same for the girl you really know." Harry didn't bother to comment that that sounded confusing.

Harry rolled over in his bed, trying to get to sleep. What Ginny had told him kept running through his mind. With a sigh he put his glasses on and pulled his potions text book off the floor. Before, Harry would have never picked up his text book unless he had to go to class or do homework; it was really ironic that he was doing it now.

He propped it up on his knees and then grabbed his wand off his nightstand and whispered "lumos." He opened the book and scanned it lightly. 'What's so bad about this book anyway?' He wondered, thinking about the many times Hermione had warned him about it.

He flipped it to one of the pages that held short-cuts to the potion on the page. 'It's not like I'm cheating because I'm using my textbook. The half-blood prince is sharing his knowledge with me, it's like tutoring.' Harry knew he was just making stupid excuses with himself.

After all, Hermione wasn't jealous that he was getting the same grade as her now, he knew Hermione better then that. She was worried about him because they were friends. And what had he done? Ignored her and continued using the stupid book. Hermione was always looking out for him and Ron, what they never said thanks. 'We usually end up fighting. Some friends we are.' Harry thought bitterly.

'I should listen to her,' Harry thought. 'Tomorrow I'll tell her everything and thank her for all she's done.' He took a quill of his night stand and dipped it in some ink before crossing out the hints on the page.

'Everybody knows only Slytherins are good at potions anyway.'

"And you really expect me to believe you?" Hermione asked suspiciously. Harry nodded solemnly. She suddenly threw her arms around him tightly.

"What-Hermione!" Harry said, startled. He staggered back to fight to keep his balance from the sudden added weight on top of him. Hermione gave him an apologetic grin and let go.

"I hate fighting with you really- but you hurt me a lot." Harry looked down at his shoes, disappointed in himself. "What you said though- well it changes everything. You do trust me and I am still your friend. I agree though- you are a stubborn, pig-headed jerk."

She gave him one of her stern looks but Harry knew it wasn't serious and laughed. He was glad she liked his description of himself.

"Thanks Hermione." He grinned and she laughed. "I'm glad we're back to being friends." She nodded. "Hell, I think the whole school will." He added, thinking about the past week.

Hermione frowned. "I really haven't been that bad have I?"

Harry just started to laugh again. The story Ginny had told him about the Hufflepuffs rang in his head. "Harry!" Hermione called after him, frustrated. He ignored her and continued to laugh as he went out the door. She huffed and then followed him.