Disclaimer: JKR and some corporations own Harry Potter. I am just playing with her toys.

Chapter 14 Mixed Messages

Harry was having trouble getting to sleep. She ran through her Occulumency exercises in order to still her thoughts. Her mind was a whirlwind. She was wound up way to high to sleep at the moment. Sighing, she slipped from her bed and wrapped herself in a robe. Whisper quiet she made her way to the common room, to one of the chairs before the fire. It was a minutes work to throw a few logs on and poke up the embers. Normally she would have called Dobby for some hot chocolate and some company. Dobby was very likely doing much more important work than sitting with a confused young woman in the middle of the night.

She gradually lost herself in the flames, letting her mind drift over the day. How the hell had she ended up infatuated with George Weasley? Sure he was a cute boy, but he was loud, and rambunctious, always in motion. He didn't know that Harriet Pomfrey had been born Harry Potter either. He might have some opinions about that. He would for sure have some opinions about that. He had to learn Occulumency fast. Only Occulumency wasn't something you learned fast, it was an intense mental discipline. No one ever mentioned the twins and discipline in the same sentence expect to insist the former learn more of the latter.

But he lit her up inside. Her mind drifted over the memory of his eyes as he when he looked at her in the compartment of the Express. Her thoughts churned on until sleep ambushed her.

She jerked awake with the first light and first noise of the day. Aching from a night curled into an armchair she hustled up the stairs to the shower and then to the dorm to get dressed for the first day of classes. She had new subjects this year, Care of Magical Creatures, Arithmancy, and Ancient Runes along with the core subjects of Defense, Charms, Transfiguration, Astronomy, Herbology, History and Potions. Being near Hermione took a lot of work. Her bookbag over her shoulder she quietly left for the Great Hall and breakfast. Things were so unsettled for her that she didn't wait for Hermione as usual, and hoped to avoid the twins. The common room was empty to her relief. A quick trip to the Great Hall and some coffee would see her right. Slowly the Hall filled. Hermione bustled in and took her usual seat next to Harry.

"Whats going on Harry? You weren't in bed last night."

Harry squirmed in her seat, knowing that there was no stopping Hermione when she was on the track of something.

"Couldn't sleep Mione. I feel funny about everything, I'm so confused." Her husky voice was low and hoarse.

Hermione nodded. "Are we going to tell them?"

Harry sighed. "Have to. But I can't until they know Occulumency and that will take half of forever."

"We need to talk too Harry. It's not just about them, it's about us too." Harry nodded. Unease bubbled in her stomach. She felt like most of her certainties were gone, her anchors. Their friends trickled in, seating themselves and gradually waking up with the rise in caffeine level. Everyone was a quarter beat off of the usual easy hum of conversation and companionship. The twins sauntered in and plopped themselves across from the girls. Those spots had remained open by unspoken agreement. Eyes met questioning eyes.

"Looks like our two birds are for the worm brother. Up so early and all."

"That it does, that it does. How are the worms today ladies? Especially tasty on the first day of class?"

Harry sighed theatrically

"You obviously need caffeine. Your banter shows sign of intelligence deprivation."

Hermione wordlessly began pouring cups of tea for them, cup after cup, until they were surrounded by a steaming ocean of tea.

"Finish that lot and start over gentlemen."

Eyebrows quirked and smiles smirked. Conversation became more relaxed and general with Ron crowing over his easy schedule while Harry and Hermione only missed taking every possible course by two courses. Professor Vector passed out schedules and with a few more hurried bites they decamped for the first class of the year. Harry and Hermione walked as usual hand in hand. Each sported a twin as accoutrement. Harry loved sweeping through the corridors four abreast.

Harry found herself fascinated when she was introduced to Ancient Runes. Runes were capable of enormous power and subtlety. They were commonly used in warding schemes and often in rituals. Hogwarts had the strongest wards known, due to the amount of time they had been in place as well as the massive amount of magic available for her to draw from. A bit of all the magical energy expended by her people was absorbed by the castles wards. It was the raw power of those wards that made the castle one of the safest places in magical Britannia.

Professor Babbling took them through a common rune set, one of Norse origin, explaining in general terms what each rune stood for. The Professor suggested Arithmancy as an adjunct study, the subjects complimented one another.

This was new territory for Harry whose relationship with her magic was instinctual, nearly organic. Hermione was much more comfortable with the structured logical layering of runes to create wards or as a component part of rituals. It was something like computer programming, tiny instructions being part of an integrated whole.

Lunch was pleasant with teasing galore between the friends. The Great Hall was a much more cheerful place expect for the Slytherin table. There were more than a few worried faces. Some parents were guests of the Crown and the new Minister was not taking offers for custom fit justice. Some parents were not yet guests of the Crown but thought they might be so accommodated should the wrong question be answered truthfully. It was not just the snakes, there were scrunched faces spotted all over the Hall. Minerva would be passing that information to Albus and Alastor in the evening.

Minerva watched her niece, her daughter. Harry had made a radical change in direction yesterday. She looked tired and worried and happy all at once. Minerva was very, very glad to be past her teens. The Weasley twins and the girls seemed to be enjoying one another, but there was a tension. It didn't take Albus to imagine what that tension might be. Minerva resolved to corner her daughter with the aid of Poppy and have a Talk. The Headmistress had never missed Limpy more. Talks with Harry tended to be volatile. Limpy was expert at damage mitigation.

The girls hustled through the rest of their day and a hurried meal before heading for the library in an effort to get ahead of the crushing surge of coursework their class load would require.

The twins idled in after a few hours and asked the girls to go for a stroll. Harry gulped and nodded as did Hermione.

"We can only be gone a little bit, there is a lot to do with all the courses we have."

The girls smoothly switched partners.

"Stop that you two. We know which is which."

The pairs headed down different corridors, each pair holding hands.

"So young Harrykins I sense a bit of tension between us. What can I do to be rid of it?"

"You know that book I gave you George? Learn that. Fast as you can."

"Since it came from a blessed maidens hand I did spend the odd minute with it. Learning it will take months maybe years. Just the little I did read showed me it teaches you to seal your mind against another. I would hazard a guess that you have a secret you need kept."

George pulled his wand and waved it for a moment muttering.

"That little spell causes anyone that is in listening to hear us humming their least favorite tune. Very annoying for them, very private for us."

"I can't tell you what I need to until you can seal your mind George. I just can't."

They had stopped and he swung her to face him. All the levity was gone from his face, hers was full of tension, pain and fear. He put his hands on her shoulders then started to draw her to him. She resisted a touch and he relaxed, not pushing her.

"Erm, I don't know quite what to do here Harry. Help me out."

She reached out to him a hand on either side of his face. She called her magic to her and willed for him the lightning reactions she shared with Hermione, the enhanced senses her magic had given her. He blinked and staggered a little at the flood of information coming in, the overpowering smells, the tiny rustle of mice nesting behind walls fifty feet away, the grain of the stone on the steps at the end of the corridor. She smiled, a ghost of a smile and gone.

"I don't know what to do George. I never felt anything like I did yesterday on the train. I thought I knew what I wanted and who and how."

He nodded.

"I was more than a little caught off guard Harry. Like mum says it's all in fun till someone loses an eye."

Harry snorted.

"Does she really?"

"Has done. She was holding an eye at the time." He shuddered, goosebumps appearing on his arms, those arms strong and tan from the work he did for his family. Harry kept her hands to herself, just.

"She conjured it."

"Actually she didn't. It was Percy's. Bit of a joke gone wrong. There was holy hell to pay for that one."

Harry grinned.

"How do you expect me to be all serious and angsty and all when you say stuff like that?"

"Well there it is, you can't, and I don't. Serious and angsty, the very idea is anathema! Is this what you did, the smell and vision and stuff, is this a spell? Will it wear off?"

"No it won't wear off. It's permanent unless you want me to change it back. I can do that for Fred too if you think he would like it. Should do it for everyone come to think of it."

"Easy now Harry, gives us a distinct advantage for pranking doesn't it?"

"Lets don't back away from the tiger just yet George. I like you a lot, always have. Yesterday I felt a very strong attraction to you, I didn't expect it, hadn't planned for it, not sure what to do about it. It happened so fast, what if it leaves just that quick? There is more too, stuff that is important to us that I can't tell you until you can protect your mind."

"There is another way Harrykins."

George pulled his wand.

"On my life and magic I swear to keep Harriet Pomfrey's secrets. So mote it be!"

"You idiot! Do you know what you've done? If Snape tries to take a peek to see if we have kissed your dead!"

George paled. Harry grabbed his arm and marched him down the corridor towards the Headmistress's office swearing like a sailor.

"Don't look at anyone. Move you dolt!" Being George Weasley he began to laugh. She snarled at him.

"Whats so funny?"

"Here I am almost dating the prettiest girl in Hogwarts, a woman of depth, power, and mystery. Suddenly I can't kiss and tell on pain of death, and can't know anything much about her for months. The only way I can survive for those months is to stay away from her which is the very last thing I want to do! How do I get myself into these things?"

Harry's opinions as to how he had managed to hoist himself so exquisitely on his own petard were coarse and colorful to say the least. They arrived at the gargoyle leading to the heads office.

"Whiskers"

The gargoyle jumped aside and they rode the stairs to the top. The Headmistress called for them to enter. Harry, under a full head of steam, lurched into the heads office tugging a giggling George. Harry rounded on him like a panther.

"Keep your eyes down and don't say a word!"

George began a careful inspection of the carpet, his shoulders shaking while he emitted snorting noises.

Auntie Minerva sat down in the heads chair, carefully gathering her courage.

"What is it Harriet? What have you and Mr. Weasley done?"

"IT WAS HIM! THE GREAT LUMPING IDIOT! HE MADE AN UNBREAKABLE VOW TO KEEP MY SECRETS!"

"Lower your voice young lady. Whatever possessed you to do such a thing Mr. Weasley?"

"Well Professor, she told me I had to learn to shield my mind before she could tell me what was going on between us, and that would take months, so I thought an unbreakable vow would be faster and as safe for her."

"Mr. Weasley."

There was a long terrible pause. George chanced a peek at McGonagall. The situation was indeed dire. She had evidently given up her lips completely, and her eyes were slits. George wouldn't have been surprised if she breathed fire. Harry threw herself into a chair, pulled her legs up and wrapped her arms around them. She commenced to beating her head against her knees. Studying the carpet again George resolved to spend a bit of time with a Gaelic dictionary to decipher the mutterings he heard from McGonagall.

"Is there any way to release him from the vow Auntie?"

"There may be, I am not sure. I will have to ask Filius. Mr. Weasley you have put yourself in extreme danger. As usual with you it was well meant."

McGonagall paused to shake her head and mutter some more.

"I had expected dating to be complicated for you Harriet, but this.. In any event, I will consult with Professor Flitwick. You must not speak of Miss Pomfrey to anyone Mr. Weasley. Avoid direct eye contact with everyone. It would be for the best that you see as little of each other as possible. The less you know the fewer chances you have of triggering your ridiculous vow young man. I am strongly tempted to deduct points from Gryffindor for lunacy. I can only hope that Professor Flitwick can assist us in revoking the vow. You are dismissed."

They walked slowly back to the tower. Just before they got to the painting Harry pulled George into a fierce hug.

"I'm so sorry George."

He sighed and kissed her forehead.

"Not to worry Harry, learning a bit of discretion won't go amiss little miss."

He handed her through the entrance and watched her dash away to the girls dorm. She looked near tears, a feeling he could relate to.

Harry showered and changed for bed. She pulled the curtains closed, cast a silencing charm and fought to find a little peace.

She was called to the Headmistress's office in the late afternoon of the following day. She had avoided George all day and was feeling cranky and out of sorts. Her world usually spun smoothly but this was just not one of those times. She arrived to see both her aunties, George and Professor Flitwick. Flitwick was very precise, drawing the memory of the vow from George and showing it in a pensieve so they were all aware of the exact wording.

"Very ah.. gallant of you Mr. Weasley. It is George isn't it?" Harry and George nodded together.

"I believe I can help you out of this situation Mr. Weasley. What is required is a countervailing oath. Miss Pomfrey if you care to release the young man you would have to take an Unbreakable Vow that nothing Mr. Weasley now knows or ever knows is a secret. You would in effect give him permission to speak about whatever he knows or ever will know about you. Can you do that Miss Pomfrey?"

The Headmistress rocked back in her chair. Harry rounded on the hapless Weasley with a growl. She stared at him a long minute. He was fighting a grin, his eyes dancing.

"I Harriet Pomfrey do swear that all George Weasley may know of me now or know of me ever is his to speak of as he will. So mote it be!"

Flitwick nodded. The forms were complete, oddly phrased but the idiot should be safe now.

"It might be best if you are very very discrete regarding Miss Pomfrey Mr. Weasley. It wouldn't do to test this and find that we had failed to consider some aspect of the vow. That will be all children"

Minerva waved them from her office. Once the door was shut she poured a generous three fingers of firewhiskey for each of them.

"Stop giggling you idiot man. What possessed the boy I can't imagine."

Filius sipped his whiskey with pleasure. The devil glinted in his eye. He truly did enjoy winding up his old friend.

"Minerva it is not that difficult to guess what secrets young Harriet might have. I expect that half the school suspects her secret, the resemblance is uncanny."

"They may Filius, and they may be wrong. Remember what we just went through not minutes ago. What you do not know can not be gotten from you. Let this sleeping dog lie."

Serious now he regarded her carefully.

"Whatever the truth may be it will not stay hidden much longer." Minerva glowered at her fire and held her silence.

By the end of the week Harry was going crazy. She had way overestimated her academic abilities, she had too much to learn and not enough time. She made her way to her new head of house Professor Vector.

"Professor thank you for seeing me. I need to discuss my schedule with you if you don't mind. I feel overwhelmed by it. I would like to drop some classes.

Septima Vector was an attractive woman, in her thirties, always neatly turned out and polite, soft spoken. She did not seem a Gryffindor but had moved in to her head of house duties seamlessly.

"May I see your schedule Miss Pomfrey?"

Harry handed over the parchment.

"Mmmh, yes I can see that this is quite a bit of work. What had you imagined dropping if I may inquire?"

"I thought to drop Herbology and Astronomy ma'am. I know those are core courses, however I think I can revise them over the summer sufficiently to attain an OWL in them. I would love to continue with Runes and Arithmancy, it is my hope to someday craft spells and rituals for lightside enhancements."

"What of your friend Miss Granger? How is she holding up under the pressure?"

"Ma'am the world will stop before Hermione will ever drop a course. She will never admit she is doing to much. She is sleeping maybe 5 hours a night, and working like mad. It's not healthy for her, but try to convince her."

"I believe I will Miss Pomfrey. I will support your schedule revision and forward it to the Headmistress for her approval. I shall do the same for the indomitable Miss Granger. There is no need to inform her of your involvement in this matter. I expect to have difficulty getting her to accept some limits."

Harry nodded vigorously.

"Thank you for seeing me Professor." Professor Vector nodded pleasantly and watched her young lion totter to the door, shutting it softly behind her. She left her desk and threw a pinch of floo powder into the fire calling for the Headmistress.

"Yes Septima?"

"Harry has just been here. You owe Poppy 10 galleons. She wants to drop Astronomy and Herbology. She says she can revise them over the summer to OWL level. Do you think she can?"

"I have no doubt. We will do the same for Miss Granger. They will be able to take the Muggle Studies OWL with their current skill set. That leaves Divination."

The women shared an eye roll and a snort. Minerva pressed a bit.

"How did she seem otherwise Septima?"

"She seemed tired, and perhaps a bit depressed. I think all is not well in her world. Are you as glad as I that we are well past that most painful age Minerva?"

"I am indeed. Should you require assistance reigning in Miss Granger please do let me know. I will be glad to put the imprimatur of the Headmistress on her schedule revision.

Harry idled towards the dorm relaxing from the interview with her new head of house. It had gone well. She had a more reasonable schedule and could include her ongoing combat training with Remus, Sirius, Flitwick and whatever other members of the Order were available. All week she had been playing hide and seek with George. Hermione and Fred seemed comfortable when they were together, which was very seldom given the girls schedules and the boys schedules. Combat training and Quidditch practice cut into what would normally be social time. Additionally the twins were in their OWL year and having their mother in the castle keeping a closer eye on them than they were used to was definitely cutting back on a lot of their usual activities.

That is not to say that pranking was neglected. Harry's connection into Slytherin House, Millie, was very willing to spread a bit of chaos for the foursome. Two days ago at breakfast Pansy had stood and announced the commencement of an all comers prank war.

It had been the height of the meal, the Great Hall full and the air humming with conversation and banter. Pansy stood suddenly and began to yell.

"Oyez, Oyez, Oyez! Let it here be known that the great prank war has begun! All contestants shall announce their intention to participate during a meal in the Great Hall. The New Marauders are in!"

Pansy was hopping mad at having someone use her voice without her permission and swore vengeance.

Yesterday Pansy stood and made an announcement of her own.

"The Serpent's Guile will be teaching the New Marauders just how pranking should be done." Severus Snape looked outraged but Pernelle Flamel seemed amused. McGonagal stood and spoke for a few minutes on the subject of pranking.

"All of us enjoy a clever prank. All should be aware that any mean spirited or hateful pranks will be punished. If you wouldn't want it to happen to you don't do it to anyone else. I should also remind the student body that we have a vast institutional knowledge of pranks. I am therefore entering The Professors Assembled into the war as referees. Should the spirit of the war drop into pettiness or bullying we will go on the hunt."

The glitter in Snape's eyes gave all pause.

This very morning the claws weighed in with their team the Brain Trust as well as the puffs with the Badgerers.

Harry was practicing with Flitwick and Remus in the Defense classroom after dinner. She was missing her timing and angry. Her training seemed flat and she was mad. Flitwick killed his saber and withdrew from the platform.

"Harriet I will leave you to finish with Remus." He gave a little bow and hurried away, shutting the door softly behind him.

"Alright cub, lets have it. You have something going on and it's eating at you badly."

Harry cursed and slashed at the wall with her saber. There was some tug, enough that she had to pull the blade along, but it cut the stone deep and long. She felt the castle become very annoyed with her. Harry cast the repair charm and laid her hand on the centuries old stonework, sending an apology and a promise.

"Remus everything is so incredibly fouled up beyond all redemption that I don't even know how to start!"

Harry coughed and blushed. Gryffindors forward. She gathered her courage and her breath.

"I have always loved Hermione, always. Then on the train George puts me in his lap and looks at me and I'm mush. IT MAKES NO SENSE! I can't talk to him about any of it cause he can't keep his mind shut. He won't be able to for months, maybe years. Hermione seems to be getting on great with Fred. We haven't talked about her and Fred but it seems like the same thing happened to her, just out of the blue they were really, really interested in one another. It's just so messed up in so many dimensions Remus I don't know what to do! How can I want to be with George and be jealous of Hermione being with Fred? How can I ever tell George I was born male, and can be male at the drop of a hat? I would hate to lose him because of how I was born, and I never want to lose Hermione at all and it looks like I am. THE IDIOT MADE AN UNBREAKABLE VOW TO KEEP MY SECRETS! I had to make one that anything he knew or found out about me wasn't a secret, he was free to tell whoever whatever. If he hadn't made me so mad I would have snogged him stupid for it. Stupider."

By now she was crying, not the quiet little sniffs of Hollywood but the nose messy floods of real pain.

Remus gathered her in and she really let go, howling confusion and misery for minute after minute.

"It was all so much easier before the Express." She had the hiccups now. He gave her his hanky for clean up operations. He took her by the hand once she had settled a bit and led her from the Defense classroom and into the staffs quarters. He knocked on the door of the Flamel's suite.

Harry was watching him like he had grown an extra head.

"Remus? Why are we here?"

Remus was an old wolf and suspicious. His cubs were acting very oddly indeed. He didn't understand the dramatic attraction on the Express. It was contrary to all he knew of his girls.

Nicholas answered the door.

"Remus? What brings you here at this hour? Ahh young Miss Pomfrey, how nice to see you. How can I help you?"

Remus steered Harry over the threshold and into the living room, guided her to a couch and sat beside her.

"I have just heard an interesting tale Nicholas. I would like your opinion of it. It is Harry's story so I will only be giving you an overview, could you give me your opinion of the tale?"

"But of course my friend, let us hear this tale."

Remus drew the very broad outlines of the journey of the Express for Nicholas.

"Harry it is true that you felt no attraction to this young man before this day?"

She shrugged. She didn't like where this was leading her at all.

"I have always like George, he's a good guy, nice and funny. Not in that way though."

"And on this day you suddenly felt an almost overpowering desire for him and need to be with him?"

Again she had to nod.

"This despite being in the presence of one you have loved for years?"

Once more a nod.

"Just a moment my dear, I must obtain some of my equipment."

Nicholas bustled away into the back of the suite returning with a case that looked very much like an old fashioned doctors bag. He drew out some ingredients and began to mix them over a small flame. Quite quickly he handed her a small beaker of brownish sludge with the instruction to drink it. He brewed a larger batch that he divided into thirds.

"What I have made is a rather broad spectrum potion designed to negate the effects of love or attraction potions. Your tale makes little sense unless one posits an outside force. That one young lady would find herself hopelessly smitten by a young man despite a previous commitment is possible. That two would at exactly the same time in exactly the same place is the height of absurdity. Let us go call upon the others of your menage."

"Do not feel to badly young Miss, the gentleman who made the Unbreakable Vow almost certainly had nothing to do with the scheme. If that is so, then it is very likely that his twin also had no part in it."

They had started on their way to Gryffindor tower, but Remus had guided them off into a little used corridor, he knew the scent of his girls and Hermione was somewhere along this corridor. Remus kept a loud conversation going with Nicholas so that the youngsters had plenty of chance to avoid him having to tear the Weasley boy limb from limb for touching his cub. Remus pulled the party to a stop before a ratty old tapestry and announced that he would like to see them. There was a soft sigh, a cough and a shuffle. Hermione and Fred eased from behind the tapestry which evidently did not cover a blank wall as it pretended. Both were rather red of face and a bit shifty eyed. Wordlessly Remus handed the two a potion vial apiece.

"Drink up."

Nicholas nodded happily. They drank. It was a few minutes and almost imperceptible, but they shifted apart just a bit. Harry's heart did backflips.

"And so to complete the task let us find the other Mr. Weasley, then we can perhaps find out how this was done."

The group trouped off to the Gryffindor tower. Fred went in and returned with a very puzzled twin in short order.

"Drink"

Fred nodded at him and so he drank. His eyes dilated several sizes and he flushed, glancing at Harry.

"Bon. Let us go and find an accommodation where we might discover what, where, when, who, and how."

They were soon in an empty classroom gathered in a loose circle. Harry started to breathe again when she felt Hermione's hand slip into hers and give a soft squeeze. Remus glanced, glanced away and fought a smile.

Professor Flamel began the discussion.

"I can hazard a guess as to what. There is a potion that will cause infatuation on contact. All that is required is that skin that has been exposed to the potion touch anothers skin and a powerful infatuation will occur."

Fred spoke up.

"Well I can say where, how, and when. We got summoned into the baggage car from the platform and landed in a mess. We broke something landing on a pile of rucksacks. We scrabbled about getting up and must have dosed ourselves. We headed pretty much straight to Harry's compartment to get desplintered. Hermione did me and Harry did George. This does explain quite a lot. You are two of the better looking birds in this coop there is no doubt but the intensity was..."

Fred shut his mouth. He figured he had said enough judging by the grinding his foot was taking from his twin.

George took over.

"Girls I think this sets new records for awkwardness. I am sorry to hear that it was chemically induced as I very much enjoy being closer to you both. I propose we move forward into a bright new future of friendship, perhaps with benefits.

Fred gave him an very exaggerated series of nudges and winks

"As the New Marauders we are committed to a major prank war. And we have suffered grievously even if our injuries were self inflicted. Can we find out who was smuggling in that potion? I think a little something headed that way might be time well spent."

"A noble sentiment brother mine. Might I add, Hermione you are a brilliant kisser. Should you ever find an attraction for me that isn't induced by outside influences your application for the position will be most favorably viewed"

The git swept a courtly bow, ending up sprawling with a swift boot from his former partner behind the scene.

Anyone wandering along that corridor would have seriously questioned the sanity of the six people hanging on to one another and howling with laughter. When Remus could breathe again he spoke up.

"I had some of the guys from the village helping with the baggage, I will ask if anyone remembers who claimed the leaky rucksack."

With that they split up for their separate destinations, Gryffindor tower, the Flamel's suite of rooms, and the Mayors residence. The girls walked with hands joined and a twin on either arm. It still felt damn good to Harry.