Tell Me

A/N: Okay, so there was a bit of a delay with this chapter too. I suffered from a bit of a case of writer's block while working on this chapter. I'm now a college graduate, so hopefully I'll have more time to write now. Of course, I do have to find a job, which will cut into my writing time. I have every intention of finishing this story and the sequel to “All I Want for Christmas”, but I have no timeline on the conclusion of those stories, or what I'll write beyond that. At the moment, the sequel to “All I Want for Christmas” looks like its going to be ten chapters long. It's still untitled, I recently had a creative plot muse that expanded the length from its original six chapters.

After the lack of reviews for the last chapter, I almost got so discouraged that I wrote a quick summary of where this story is headed in my head and posted that and marked the story as completed. If I was rude, I'd demand reviews or I wouldn't post the sequel to “All I Want for Christmas”, but that's not the sort of person I am.

I'm placing this story on paused in order to try to take on the 7 `fore 7 challenge. I might post the stories on here or I might just post them in the forums.

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 6: Sharing Secrets

Well, that was easier than I thought, Ron thought to himself as he made his way up the stairs to the seventh year boys dormitories to get a towel for his shower.

Although…I don't know where he got the idea that I fancy Hermione or that the whole school was waiting for me and Hermione to get together. Other than Ginny, the whole school has been waiting for him and Hermione to figure out what's been obvious to the rest of us for years…that they're madly in love with each other.

Harry's normally so secretive with his feelings. I didn't expect him to open up like he did once we got over the fact that I don't fancy Hermione. I figured I'd have to drag it out of him that he fancies her.

As he climbed into the shower, he thought to himself. Hermione's going to be the tough nut to crack. She never wants to admit I'm right when we discuss something. Of course…it hasn't been often when I've been right. She's right most of the time and I can't keep my pride from wanting the last word.

He groaned when he felt a certain part on the lower part of his body start to stir.

Oh great. Not something I wanted to deal with. I don't like her like that, and I don't want to wank off to the image of somebody I think of as a sister…

“Snape in a dress…Snape in a dress..” Ron muttered to himself to get the unwanted reaction to go away while picturing the image from third year in Defense Against the Dark Arts.

He breathed a sigh of relief as the reaction went away. Okay, I'll allow myself to admit she's pretty, but I wouldn't want to snog Ginny and like I just told Harry, I think of Hermione the same way I think of Ginny.

So how can I get Hermione to realize her feelings for Harry? She can be just as stubborn as he is, his stubbornness just took a holiday during our conversation. She might also think that I fancy her.

Ron groaned at that thought. Oh please! Not her too!

I thought that we'd already got it straight that I don't fancy her. Maybe she realizes Harry thought I fancied her, so she hid her feelings to avoid confusing him when You-Know-Who was still on the loose and he needed to focus.

Ron shut off the shower and wandered back into his dormitory to get dressed.

“Sorry about what I said earlier mate,” Seamus said from behind Ron as Ron pulled a jumper over his head.

“Don't worry about it. I over-reacted. I tend to be a bit protective of my sisters.”

“Sisters?” Seamus said, looking at Ron like he was lost. “Don't you only have one sister? Not counting Fleur, who's your sister-in-law.”

Ron grinned sheepishly. “Sorry. I just got done pounding it through Harry's thick head that I think of Hermione as a sister and that I don't fancy her.”

“Oh! So that's why he won't admit to Hermione that he's abso-bloodly-lutely smitten by her?”

Ron chuckled. “Yep, but I got him straightened out now. Now I've got to figure out how to make her see it too.”

“That'll be tough mate, but if you can make Harry crack you might just have a slight chance.”

Ron threw a pillow at Seamus. “Thanks for the vote of confidence, mate.”

Seamus chuckled. “Anytime. Have you come up with any ideas yet?”

Ron shrugged. “Nope.”

“Have you talked to one of her roommates about it to see if she's admitted it to any of them?”

“She gets along with them as well as her bloody cat got along with Scabbers.”

“Whatever happened to him?”

“Scabbers?”

“Yeah.”

“We found out that Scabbers was really the wizard that betrayed Harry's parents in animagus form the night Sirius Black escaped just before getting the dementor's kiss third year.”

“Wow!”

“Sirius gave me Pig since it was his fault I lost Scabbers.”

“That was nice of him. We're getting off-topic though. How are you going to get Hermione to fess up that she's smitten with Harry?”

“I'll think of something. I'll be right back. I want to go check about our Transfiguration homework with her.”

“Okay, mate.”

**********

A few minutes later, Ron scrambled back up the stairs to the boys dormitories.

Seamus looked at him in surprise when he burst in. “What's with you, mate?”

“Oh…umm…Hermione…crying…no good with girls…”

Seamus laughed loudly. “No wonder you can't get a girlfriend.”

Ron tossed another pillow at Seamus. “Git.”

“Why was Hermione crying?”

“I don't know. I left Harry with her. We can ask him when he gets up here.”

“You mean if they don't start snogging each others brains out?”

Ron glared at Seamus. “They wouldn't do something like that in the common room. They could go just about anywhere in the castle and do that.”

A loud knock on their door interrupted their conversation.

“Who is it?” Ron called out.

“It's me, Parvati. That you, Ron?”

“Yeah. Come in.”

Parvati slipped in and shut the door behind her. She turned and gave Seamus a puzzled look. “I thought Lavender was snogging you silly.”

“Nope, I haven't seen her all night,” Seamus replied uneasily. “Where do you think she is?”

“We can deal with that in a minute. Ron, where's Harry?”

“Down in the common room dealing with an emotional Hermione.”

Parvati cringed. “That's not going to make your sister very happy if she finds out.”

Ron rolled his eyes. “She'll just have to deal with it. Harry doesn't fancy her like that anymore. He called her a distraction earlier tonight.”

Seamus laughed, earning him a glare from Ron and Parvati, who sat down on Ron's bed next to him.

“I'm going to tell you two something that you can't tell Harry or Hermione. Promise?”

Ron and Seamus shot each other a confused look before nodding.

Parvati turned and faced Ron. “Your sister is going to try to slip Harry a love potion in his morning pumpkin juice soon.”

Seamus shouted, “Ah ha!” and was promptly silenced by a quick wave of Parvati's wand.

“Ron, you're Harry's best friend, so I want you to keep a close eye on his pumpkin juice the next couple days.”

Ron fiddled with his blanket. “Can't I ask Hermione to do it instead?” he pleaded. “I'm generally a bit too occupied shoveling in as much food as I can to pay much attention to things like that.”

Parvati scrunched up her face as she thought, before saying, “Sure. It'll look more natural that way.”

“Okay, I'll try to catch her before we go down to breakfast in the morning.”

“Good.” Parvati cancelled the silencing charm on Seamus and slipped out of the room without another word.

“Don't even say it, mate,” Ron threatened before laying down and quickly falling asleep.

**********

Ron didn't get a chance to talk to Hermione the next morning so he kept a close eye on his sister during breakfast instead.

Hermione leaned over to him and whispered to him, “What's the matter with you this morning? You're acting like Ginny got caught out with Malfoy last night.”

“Later,” Ron muttered out of the corner of his mouth.

**********

Later proved to be morning break.

Hermione grabbed Ron and pulled him into a broom closet. “Talk. Why were you watching Ginny so closely at breakfast?”

“You promise not to tell Harry this?”

Hermione looked baffled, but said, “okay.”

Ron scuffled his feet, then finally said, “I was told by a reliable source last night that Ginny is planning on slipping a love potion into Harry's pumpkin juice in the next couple days.”

“That little…You should have told Headmistress McGonagall immediately!”

“All I had was the person's word, which wouldn't have been enough for her to do anything.”

“Oh, right. So we're going to have to catch her in the act.”

“Looks like it.”

“Okay. Just don't go staring at her like you did this morning. It'll make her suspicious.”

“I wanted to tell you, but I didn't want to do it in front of Harry.”

“Good idea. I wish I could do something about it now, though.”

“I know. I do too.”

Ron grinned schemingly. Now's the perfect time for the next part of Operation Prat Removal. “You know, Hermione…you seem more defensive of Harry than usual today.”

Hermione colored slightly. “So?”

“Do you fancy him?”

Hermione's jaw dropped. “What?!”

“Do you fancy Harry?”

Hermione gave Ron a half-hearted glare. “I heard you the first time.”

“So? Do you?”

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