I have to say a few apologizes. First to my beta-reader. I wanted to just get this one out quick. You are super quick, but I've been making people wait and wait for this one. That brings me to say sorry for not updating as often I usually do. I have had some serious writer's block. There are ideas but I'm not sure how to make them work on paper.

Thank you all for your patience. Thank you to madridcc, Emma James, simplet77, aquarela, Andy Lewis, ravenaurelius, sodalover56, and Storylover. Phew! lol.

Chapter 8 - Harry, The Prat

I made my way downstairs. Neville's small eyes met mine. "Hermione, are you feeling alright? You were gone for a while," he said.

I shook my head. "I'm fine Neville," I replied. I walked with him in an awkward silence down the hallway back to the common room. In the darkened hallway, I stopped for a moment in the place where I had lost everything to Bellatrix. My eyes watered and Neville caught on this. He said nothing for which I was grateful for.

I just wanted to feel her rain come down on me. Ginny was my sun while Bellatrix was the thunderstorms I felt scared and excited in. I turned my heel and continued down the hallway with Neville. He didn't look at me until we reached the portrait.

He said the password and we were inside where it was fuller than it was before. My eyes landed on Harry Potter who was talking to Fred and George. I took a few steps up to him. "What's going on here?" I asked. I looked down to see that they were feeding the first years even after I had told them not to.

"Oh, it's the know-it-all Granger," Harry spat. His green eyes were replaced with a certain impish glare. It wasn't the Harry I knew. Fred hit Harry on the arm.

"Come on Harry," he said.

"Yeah, Harry, Hermione we're sorry but we have to test these products," George said.

"Not on them you aren't!" My face was twisted up in anger. I could feel Harry's green eyes on me. I can feel his laugh and his stupid grin pierce me. I used to feel sorry for Harry not having his parents but at this moment, I was glad that in my time, my real time, he didn't have his parents. Harry was the type of boy who needed the abuse to keep him in check.

"What are you going to do about it Hermione?" Harry hissed.

"I'm a prefect! Have you forgotten?" I shouted at him. I was losing my temper. That wasn't something that happened to me that often. I pointed my finger at a first year who was throwing up into a bucket. "That has to stop!"

I looked back to Ron but he was sunk in his chair. He didn't have the nerve to stand up to Harry or his brothers. Typical Ronald Weasley, he just couldn't bear it.

"Harry, Fred, George," Neville's voice rang out behind me. "I think you should stop what you're doing because Hermione has told you twice already."

"You aren't a prefect Neville," Harry said coldly. "If we aren't going to listen to her, what makes you think we will listen to you?"

"Because I can beat you in a duel and I don't give a damn if I get detention for beating your arse," Neville said clearly.

He was standing up for me. That wasn't anything Ron ever did. Ginny was there now. "I'll tell mum and she'll never send you money again!" she said. "And don't forget I can hex you until next Tuesday and I don't give a damn about the professors either."

"Enough!" I said. "Harry, you clear this shit up now. If you want to do it, don't do it in this common room. Neville and Ginny, as much as I appreciate you defending me, that isn't the right way!"

I stormed away and I could feel all of their eyes burning into my skull. I didn't care.

I looked down at the time-turner and noticed that the sand was still standing still. There was no moment whatsoever in the tiny hourglass. I wiped my tears as I crashed into my familiar bed.

---

The next thing I remembered was small hands on the small of my back. I didn't bother turning my head. I knew her scent and I knew it was Ginny. I buried my head deeper into my pillow.

"I'm sorry about them," she said sweetly. "Harry's gotten to the point where I have to bat boogey hex him at every chance I get."

"Ron didn't do a thing!" I whined. I still didn't meet her eyes. I was afraid to look into them. They were just like Ron's.

"He can be a prat, but he fears his brothers," she explained. "I know them better than he does, that much I can tell you."

"I was being ganged up on! He's a prefect too!" I complained more. I felt her hands run down my back and then up again. It was almost soothing. She did stand up for me as did Neville. He acted more like I was his sister. Ginny, I was confused by her. She stood closer to me than to Neville or anyone else. Was this a sign?

"I know you and Ron bump heads a lot but if you give him a chance perhaps—"

I cut her off by turning my body around angrily. This caused her to back away. "Ronald has been nothing but a complete prat. He didn't ask me to the ball Ginny. No one notices that I am indeed a girl. Even after going with Krum, he still was just the same if not worse!" My eyes were burning from the tears. I could see her eyes melting into mine. Her thin lips were curled into a tight frown.

"I noticed that you are female," she said. "I notice how pretty you are, how smart you are and just how powerful you can be."

Her hands found mine and she held them for a long time. There was nothing but silence. That was something that I hadn't experienced in a while. The whole room melted away and for a time, it was just me and her. Finally, her small voice broke the silence.

"Forget the boys," she said. "We don't really need them now anyway. I mean, that's what you told me last year. I mean, I went to the ball with Neville, but he's so clueless." Her eyes scanned my face. I blushed slightly as I looked down. Our hands were both intertwined still. I looked back up at her and she gave me an impish smile.

"Have you ever thought about both?" she asked me.

"I know I like Ron and I know I like you," I said. I couldn't stop myself. I leaned in and my lips met hers. I didn't care if I had to go back to Bellatrix once the time-turner was finished healing. I didn't care at this moment. I wasn't going to lose myself to Bellatrix.

I felt Ginny's body pull back slightly. I kissed her more aggressively much like Bellatrix would kiss me. That's when I felt Ginny grasp the back of my head and press me harder still into her. Her small tongue pushed past my lips and at that moment I was wondering if she was feeling guilty.

She knew that her brother pined for me and I pined for him. As things were, it seemed like that wasn't going to be happening anytime soon and for right now, Ginny was my female Ron. She was just softer, stronger and much more dominant than he could ever be. We melted into one another and I was being to think, how did this happen? Everything was going too fast.

I felt so sorry for every little thing I was doing. I was playing a dangerous game and I knew it. One way or the other, all of this was going to come back and slap me in the face. I had no idea what I was doing or where Bellatrix Black was. She crept into my mind and poisoned my blood.

Our kiss ended and Ginny looked completely in awe. Her wide blue eyes peered into my deep brown. I felt what she was thinking, some how, I knew she was thinking how much she wanted to do that. It was her body; it was her hand on my thigh. I looked down quickly. Her hand was reaching higher on me. I had to place my own hand on her. I was still sore from my encounter with Bellatrix. I couldn't tell her that of course.

"Have you ever had sex?" I asked her.

"No," she replied.

"We should wait," I said.

"Do you really think so? I've wanted you for so long."

"Yes, I really think so."

---

I awoke the next morning with Ginny's wide blue eyes on my body. She was tracing each contour of me under the sheets. Her warm smile brought me peace for the time being. The time-turner sat on my bed side. It was ticking slowly which told me that it was almost ready to be used.

Would I disappear from this time line? What would happen to this Ginny? What am I doing? Would she remember me in another time line?

All of these questions rushed through my head. Finally, I lopped my legs over the bed and stood up. She did the same and soon enough we were face to face. Her eyes sparkled under the morning sun. It was like peering into the night sky on a clear day.

I lost myself for a moment before she spoke, "Let's go eat together."

I nodded my head. She took my hand playfully and we left into the common room. Once there, Harry was hanging a student from his ankle. "Stop it! I just want that back!" the second year yelled.

"You stole it from me!" Harry yelled.

I rushed over to him. I didn't know this Harry and I hated this Harry. He was no better than Cormac McLaggen who was laughing insanely at the display. I shot him a cold glare and he stopped. His eyes twinkled a bit and he turned his heel to walk out of the common room. My eyes snapped back at Harry. "What the bloody hell Harry!? What has happened to you!?"

"What the hell are you going on about?" he asked with a cruel smirk. "This little second year stole my parchment."

"It's mine! I never took his! Hermione, you have to believe me! Not him!"

I looked at both of them and whipped my wand out. I had lost it with Potter. This wasn't him. "Stupefy!" The clear red jet came out of my wand with a vengeance and hit him square in the chest. The second year was released from Harry's spell. Harry hit a chair and Ginny cringed next to me. Her wand was at the ready but it seems I acted quicker than her.

The second year fell onto the couch with a thud. "Thank you Hermione," he said. He got to his feet and rushed out of the common room.

My eyes were burning into Harry who lay unconscious against the broken chair. He looked odd without his scar. I turned to face Ginny. "Come, I don't even want to speak to him once he wakes up." I grabbed her hand much like Bellatrix did to me and pulled Ginny out into the hallway.

---

I kept my eyes on the time-turner. As much as I loved this new Ginny, she wasn't the old Ginny. I found out quickly that she still had her temper but she was much more Ron-like than I would have liked. However, it was nice to talk to her without worrying about upsetting her. I could tell her about Krum and she wouldn't get upset.

I was actually surprised that I still went with Krum. It turns out that Harry ripped Pansy Parkinson's dress and that he flung Draco into the fountain at the Yule Ball. Also, instead of Harry being the tri-wizard chosen one, it was Neville. Cedric still died but now Neville was speaking to Cho. The two seemed close.

Harry went to the Yule Ball with Lavender Brown. Lavender ended up leaving him after his display of power over the Slytherins. Draco was much more like Snape. It was all very odd. I was starting to believe that Ginny was becoming much like Harry's mum, Lily. Harry must have a crush on her.

I was just like Lupin. That was my guess, just that I couldn't tolerate this James Potter-like Harry. My eyes rolled even as I thought about it. Ginny took me all over the grounds and near my chest I heard the Time-Turner click. The evening was upon us and I sadly kissed her lips.

She looked at me with a tilted head. "What's the matter Hermione?" she asked. "That didn't feel right."

"It will all be better soon," I told her.

Her eyes fixed on me but before she could say another word, I pressed my finger to her lips. "I need to go see Dumbledore." She only nodded her head slowly and I kissed her again. It was longer this time, sweeter. I pulled her head with my hands. Her soft hair was twisted in my fingers and I felt home.

It was almost like I was running away from her, but this wasn't the future I wanted. I want my old life back and I want Ginny in that life. Slowly I tore myself away from her just as the sun set behind the castle.

I began to run once I was inside. Tears streamed down my face. But I heard something that made me stop in my tracks. "Professor Umbridge here," the cold voice said. "I will be Hogwarts' new High Inquisitor! Starting tomorrow, I will be second in command to Headmaster Dumbledore. That is all!"

I looked ahead and my heart sank. Rules were starting to be posted. No matter where I was, there was no escaping her. She was going to take over this school and we would have nothing left but to fight back. I felt a tight knot in my stomach. I had to see Dumbledore now. If I stayed her any longer, the whole future would be wasted in this time line.

I rushed down the hall again and up the stairs to his office. "Sugar and chocolate," I said to the Gargoyle. Dumbledore had changed his password at least this is what Neville told me earlier in the day. The gargoyle stepped aside and once again I found myself peering into pale blue eyes.

"It's time Miss Granger," he said. "Please don't forget what you must do if you want your old life back. Make it painful Miss Granger."

My fingers fumbled with the time-turner. Yes, it had to be done. I looked up at Dumbledore. "Sir, thank you for everything," I said. He merely nodded and my fingers got to work. I was flying back into time.

I knew my plan.

---

I came back to the time when I wrote the letter. I could see my head and the quill making words. I picked up a book, one I knew I would really care about and ripped it with a spell. I then threw it at myself. The other me turned around to see the book on the floor.

"What the bloody hell?" I said as I picked it up. I knew I was looking around for the prankster. Agitated, I abandoned my letter writing. Now, I can go to the time when I was under the bed listening to Bellatrix and Narcissa talking.

Carefully, I clicked the dials. I was somewhere in the halls of Hogwarts. My eyes scanned around the familiar surroundings. I was near the Slytherin Common Room. Of course, no letter meant that I would just be on my way to break it off with Bellatrix.

How could I make this sting?

Bellatrix was down the hallway with her boyfriend. She was down her on her knees and I gulped. His head was back. What did I do to the time line now? She would never do that with a boy, right? I looked around and noticed the time. Everyone was either in dinner, sleeping or on the Quidditch pitch.

I didn't dare get closer. I pulled my wand over my head and cast the Disillusionment Charm. I felt the cold tickling down my back and I shivered. I boldly walked closer to them and once I was close enough. I stood still.

Sure enough, Bellatrix was doing exactly what I thought she was. I held my breath as I noticed him thrusting his hips into her. I turned my body around. I couldn't look. It was making me utterly jealous. I toyed with my wand in my hands and I toyed a few ideas.

What should I do?