A/N: Well, here's part five, up for your reading pleasure

A/N: Well, here's part five, up for your reading pleasure. I'm so glad so many of you are enjoying my story, it's fun to write when you know people are interested in what's happening. :-) Thanks again to all who reviewed: spy_angel, Timena, df, moonshadow, Becky, Bobfish0325, Leslie Weasley, Holly, Meffles, harry and ginny 4ever, plus everyone who I thanked at the beginning of parts three and four. Some of you have left more than one review, double thanks to you guys! If it annoys anybody that I list and thank all the people who wrote a review for me, I'm sorry. But it's not a huge, time-consuming thing to list them, and I'm really grateful that they took the time to say anything. Plus they cheer me up. :-)

Disclaimer: None of it's mine, except for Raven and Gwen – they're figments of my imagination. Oh, and Robby's mine, too. But he doesn't have a big part. Wait – there's William Bradford the Third, too…how could I forget him? Anyone else you see that you don't recognize, it's possible that I made them up and forgot. Pay no attention, cause they aren't important anyways. :-)

Mixed Messages

By Ariel Star

Part 5

"Bye, Mrs. Weasley!" Harry called over the din of the rumbling engines.

The train began to move. Harry called out his last goodbyes. "See you, Charlie! And Bill! Great game, guys – you too, Percy!" They all waved from the slowly shrinking platform. Harry turned around in his chair and sat down. Sighing, he pulled out his new Defense Against the Dark Arts textbook and opened it to page one. He figured he'd catch up on the studying he should have been doing at the Weasley's and Diagon Alley – except he'd been daydreaming about one red-haired, brown-eyed girl.

Harry shook his attention back to his book – only to be immediately interrupted by none other than Ginny and her friend, the one with the bird name – Raven.

"These seats taken?" Ginny asked shyly, gesturing to two empty ones.

"Nope," Harry shrugged. "Have a seat. Hermione and Ron should be back shortly – Hermione went to see Lavender and Parvati and Ron was looking for Seamus."

"Okay," Ginny said.

"Thanks for letting us stay here," Raven added. "Some little second year is driving Ginny insane already and we've only been on the train – what – five minutes?" Harry laughed. "What going on?" he asked.

"You know how Ginny was confined to her room for running in Diagon Alley and being late to meet Mrs. Weasley?" Raven asked. Harry nodded. "Well, we accidentally knocked this little kid down and broke his owl cage – real fancy, porcelain or something – and he's following Gin around, asking for money to reimburse him in this real loud squeaky voice, saying "My father wouldn't stand for this! He's William Thomas Bradford the Second, and I'm William Thomas Bradford the Third, and Bradford's never get taken advantage of! You give me my money!" We dove in here and slammed the door so he wouldn't follow us anymore." Raven finished. Ginny was blushing deeply. Harry wondered why, then wondered if Ginny couldn't pay the kid back and was embarrassed. He knew from past experience that the Weasley's didn't have much money.

"Do you need me to lend you some money to pay the kid back?" Harry asked easily. He tried to make it sound as if he was just offering casually, not trying to give her his money. Ginny made a sound in her throat and Raven jumped in, "Don't bother, Harry, I already offered and she said that she'd pay him back herself – she just couldn't find her money in her trunk right now and would pay him at Hogwarts. I wonder how long he'd pursue her if she didn't pay…? Or even AFTER she paid…?" she trailed off wickedly. Ginny screeched, "Raven, he's a what, second year?" Raven laughed, as did Harry.

Ginny and Raven sat down next to each other and started a game of Exploding Snap. The two heads bent over the game contrasted sharply – one red-orange and one black.

Harry sighed and went back to his textbook – but he couldn't help looking up every now and then to glance at Ginny. She didn't seem to be paying too much attention to him – she and Raven were having a quiet discussion about the upcoming Sorting, in which Raven said she had a younger sibling.

The door to the compartment opened and Hermione came in. Already in her school robes, she took a seat next to Harry (Ginny involuntarily flinched) and picked up his Advanced Transfiguration book to leaf through it. "Hi," she said, looking up at Raven and Ginny. "You're Raven, right?"

"That's me," Raven replied, smiling. "Aren't you Her – Her-my-nee or something? Your name's even worse than mine – not that I don't like it, I do," she explained quickly.

"It's okay – and it's Her-my-oh-knee, if you don't mind," Hermione laughed. Ron walked in and sat by Ginny.

"Seamus didn't have my blasted Herbology textbook either," he said furiously. "When I find out who took it I'm going to – "

"Erm – that would be me," Ginny said apologetically. "I kind of borrowed it to look over – Professor Sprout said they were offering some advanced classes for fourth years and asked if I'd like to take Advanced Herbology." She finished up and looked around. Ron's mouth was hanging open.

"And – you didn't mention this because…?" he asked her, shutting his mouth.

"Well I told Mum – and here's your book," she said, tossing it at him. He caught it and put it into his trunk. "I decided to go for it – your book was very interesting."

"Anything else you have of mine you'd like to bring up now?" Ron asked mulishly. "And exactly when do you have time to take advanced classes, hmm? What with your regular ones and everything - "

"Well – I take them in place of regular, Ron," Ginny said, surprised.

"Oh? I wouldn't think the teachers would have enough free time," Hermione commented.

"They don't – we have classes with the fifth years," Raven stated. "You're going to be seeing a lot of us!"

There was silence. Hermione cleared her throat. "Exactly how many advanced classes are you taking, Ginny?" she asked carefully.

"Well – Herbology, Defense Against the Dark Arts, and Potions," Ginny said. "Raven's got the same – except she's not doing Potions. And Gwen has Arithmancy, Transfiguration, DADA, and Divination – she's really smart."

More silence. "I can't believe you're going to be in class with me," Ron finally said. "Wow."

"I can't believe this option wasn't open for the fifth years!" Hermione exploded. "I want to take advanced classes – surely I'm qualified enough!"

"Yes," Raven said, "but they've paired us off. You can only take advanced in fourth and sixth years – first through third is too basic, seventh is the last year, and fifth – well, I don't know why for fifth, but you can't. They've paired the fourth years with fifth year classes and sixth years with seventh year classes. D'you see?"

"Yes," Hermione replied grudgingly. "I still want to take advanced classes, though."

"I'm sure you will – next year," Raven said soothingly.

Ron stood up. "I'm going to look for Neville – I kind of yelled at him when he said he didn't have my book. I'll be back."

The trip continued with the group making small talk and playing a game or two of Exploding Snap. They were in the middle of a third game – about an hour and a half into their trip – when the door flew open and a stunningly pretty girl walked in. She was rather tall and very slender, with white-blond hair and pale blue eyes. To Harry's immense surprise, Ginny and Raven jumped up and hugged her, squealing.

"Gwen! Where have you been?" Ginny shrieked. "We've been waiting for you – sit down, sit!"

The girl gracefully sat down next to Hermione and began talking to Ginny and Raven. Harry was feeling rather numb. This was Gwen? He tuned into the conversation.

"I've been sick, you know, I had the flu something terrible – did you see mum in the Alley? She was getting my stuff – I told her to tell you I was sorry I didn't meet you. Did you get my message?"

"Yeah, we saw your mom," Raven said impatiently. "So what's been going on?"

Gwen twirled a piece of blond hair around her finger. "Well…" she said, grinning and revealing teeth covered by braces, "I would have thought Ginny's summer would be far more interesting than mine…"

"Gwen!" Ginny cried, glancing involuntarily at Harry from the corner of her eye and turning pink.

Raven looked around at the whole car listening intently to their conversation. "Let's go down to…um…Robby's car for a while," she said quickly. "C'mon, Gin, Gwen – see you guys later." They three of them waved and left. Harry sat back and opened his book again.

"Thought you were going to talk for a while," Hermione commented.

"Nothing here interesting anymore," Harry said carelessly. He stopped. Caught! "I mean…"

"Now that Ginny's gone?" Hermione asked shrewdly, her eyes glinting. She had that look that she often wore when she was about to piece together a puzzling potion or incantation. Harry knew Hermione knew something was up. It was useless to argue. She would figure out by the end of the day, anyway. He could count on Ron to be a bit thicker, Ginny being his little sister, but Hermione was a totally different story.

"Yes," Harry said bluntly. "Because Ginny's gone." Defensively, he asked, "Are you happy now?"

Hermione sat back in her chair quickly, taken aback at his fast confession. "I didn't expect you to give so quickly," she stammered. "Well, this changes things…so you do like her?"

"Am I that obvious?" Harry howled. "First Ron, now you…"

Hermione laughed. "No, you're not…at least, not to most people you wouldn't be. But Ron and I have known you for a while. We're close. It's pretty obvious to me that something's up."

Harry sighed and threw his book at his trunk. It landed neatly on top of his Quidditch robes. "What do you suggest I do about it, Hermione?" he asked. "You're a girl. Is it really obvious when someone likes you?"

"Well, I can't exactly…" Hermione sputtered. "I mean, there might be someone, but…" She changed her mind about whatever she was going to say and instead said, "The only person who ever really liked me was Viktor, and…well, you know how surprised I was about THAT."

"I think that was an exception," Harry laughed. "How's ole Vicky, anyway?"

"Don't call him that," Hermione said, annoyed. "He's perfectly fine, as far as I know. My parents didn't want me going to Bulgaria without them, so I didn't go – but we've exchanged letters. He said – " she blushed " – he said he missed me." She was really red now.

"Ah." Harry was silent. "Do you miss him back, Hermione?" he asked quietly.

"What – what do you mean?" Hermione seemed a bit panicked.

"What I mean is…well, you said it yourself. We're close. And unless my eyes are totally deceiving me, there seems to be someone a little bit closer than Bulgaria that has feelings for you."

Hermione jumped up, her eyes shining. She rushed over to Harry and leaned in close.

"I – do you mean who I think you mean?"

"All I want to know is this, Hermione – do you miss Viktor in the way he misses you?"

"N – no," Hermione admitted. "I've been kind of…"

"Thinking about someone else." Harry finished the sentence for her. "Thought so. Well…I think that someone is thinking about you, too. More than he wants to admit."

Hermione sighed happily. "Really?" she asked.

"Really."

Hermione went back to her seat. "So…about the Ginny thing," she said. "Here's what I think you should do."

"I'm listening," Harry said cautiously.

'You know, this advanced classes thing was really a blessing in disguise," Hermione went on thoughtfully. "You'll be able to spend more time with Ginny. But what you should do first…is talk to Raven."

'What?" Harry said quickly. "Raven? She's the last one I want to know! She'd go right to Ginny!"

"No, no, no – she wouldn't. Trust me. And if you don't, then you can just talk to Raven a little about who she thinks Ginny likes, what Ginny likes, what she enjoys…and work from there."

Harry nodded. "Okay. I'm taking your word on this one."

Hermione nodded back at him. What was the statement showing so clearly in her eyes? "Good," he heard her saying. "You won't be sorry…in the end." She flashed him a quick smile and said, "I think I'm going to go find Ron. He should have been back long ago. See you at the feast if not before – " She left.

Harry sat back. He had gotten zero studying done. Opening the book again, he sighed and wished for a red-headed distraction to breeze through the door, giving a smile just for him.

~*~*~*~*~*

"Ginny…wake up…you're going to be late for your first class if you don't come on!" Raven hissed in Ginny's ear.

Ginny sighed, half-asleep and half awake. She rolled over and attempted to hit Raven with her extra pillow, groggily answering "It's not time yet, is it?"

"Oh yes it is," Raven singsonged, bouncing up and down and making the bedsprings groan and creak. "We have half an hour. If you hadn't stayed up so late after the feast you would be refreshed and ready to start the morning!"

"You're not exactly one to talk, Ms. 'Early to bed and early to rise, makes a girl healthy, wealthy, and boring,'" Gwen said calmly from the other side of the room. She ran her brush through her hair once more and then swept it all back into a bun.

"Very funny. Ha ha," Raven laughed sarcastically. "Just because I like to stay up late doesn't mean I don't value a good night's rest every once in a while!"

"Mmmhmm," Gwen mumbled, her mouth full of bobby pins that she was periodically sticking into her spiral-shaped bun. "Wave, c'mewe and hewp me."

Raven sighed and got up off of Ginny's bed. Ginny got out and rummaged through her trunk to find a black robe.

"So Ginny, what's first this morning?" Gwen asked as Raven removed the bobby pins from her sagging bun and reshaped it.

"Er…looks like Herbology," Ginny said, tugging on a sock and checking her schedule.

"What fun," Raven said, deftly sticking bobby pins into Gwen's hair. A bun formed before Ginny's eyes. Raven stuck a last pin and cried, "Finito! A work of art."

"Thanks," Gwen said. She surveyed herself in the mirror. "I'll never understand what you do to get it this way." Her hair shone like spun gold, twisting into a smooth spiral bun in the back.

"It looks great," Ginny said admiringly.

"Thank you ever so much," Raven said, bowing extravagantly.

"Do Ginny," Gwen commanded, slinging her book bag onto her shoulder, "and then let's go down to breakfast."

Ginny took a seat at the vanity and studied her schedule as Raven brushed her hair. "We have Potions with the Slytherins?"

"Correction," Raven pointed out, "you have Potions with the Slytherins. We have that class with Hufflepuffs."

"Lucky," Ginny cried. "I wish one of you were there to go through the torture with me, at least."

Raven pulled Ginny's hair back into a half ponytail and brushed the rest straight down her back. It curled up as if it had a life of its own into soft tendrils that spun downwards. "Harry will be there."

"Too true," Gwen said, watching Raven work. "And just think…" she swept her arm up in a gallant gesture, "he'll be your knight in shining armor in case Snape should ever choose to pick on you…" Ginny rolled her eyes and pitched a hairbrush at Gwen. "Stop it," she said, "you don't know that."

"No, but we suspect," Raven said, digging through her trunk and coming up with a handful of hair ribbons. "Blue or lavender?"

"Blue," Ginny decided. Raven wrapped the ribbon around the half-ponytail and stepped back to inspect. "Looks great," she said. "I'm a genius."

"Not to brag or anything, right?" Gwen rolled her eyes.

"Right," Raven agreed. Ginny laughed. "We're going to miss breakfast. Come on."

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

From breakfast that morning until dinner about three weeks later, not much interesting occurred, unless you counted William Thomas Bradford the Third managing to corner Ginny an astonishing five times demanding his money. She miraculously had managed to avoid him so far, but feared she would have to give him the money soon – the money she had been hoping to spend on Christmas presents for her family.

Ginny gradually got used to her new advanced schedule, as did Raven and Gwen. The fifth years were extremely friendly and helpful, too – though Hermione was the ideal person to ask questions, she was like the Gryffindor resident textbook, it wasn't surprising to see 6th years asking her the occasional question – everyone was willing to give advice and offer aid. Harry especially seemed to be happy to help Ginny with any questions she had – therefore Ginny made it a point to have at least one question a night. Her brain reminded her that it was useless to try, considering Harry was in love with Hermione…but she couldn't help it. Our story picks up on one such evening.

"But what I still don't get," Ginny said, leafing through her Potions book, "is how you can add the wombat nails and it doesn't turn blue. Everything I add those to, it seems to turn shocking, bright blue."

"Normally it does," Harry agreed, "but if you look right here - " he leaned down over her shoulder and pointed – "you'll see that the ground beetle wings cancel and completely overpower. See?"

Ginny nodded absentmindedly, concentrating more on Harry's head being practically nestled into the groove in her shoulder. She picked up a quill and wrote down Harry's answer on her parchment. "I guess I get it," she said. "If I have any more questions I won't bother you…sorry I'm so troublesome, it's just that Professor Snape makes me feel so inferior anyway that I don't like to ask him questions."

Harry nodded, saying, "I feel the same way sometimes. But I hate it that he treats you like that. You don't deserve it."

"Who does?" Ginny said softly, snapping her book closed and sliding it into her book bag.

"Malfoy," Harry said bluntly. "But he'll never get it."

"No," Ginny agreed. They were silent. "So…how do you like your advanced classes so far?" Harry asked, seemingly desperate for conversation. He pulled up a chair and sat next to Ginny.

"Oh, they're fascinating," Ginny said fervently. "I can't believe I would have had to wait a whole year to learn some of these things! I almost wish I'd taken more…but I figured I'd save something for next year."

Harry laughed. "There's enough to worry about for me, I'll tell you that," he said. "Transfiguration is difficult for me, always has been, really. Raven is really coming along – her cross-species process is better than mine. My guinea pig still has wings from being a bat. It's really interesting watching a guinea pig attempt flight."

Ginny giggled, and then said, "Can you keep it that way? It would almost be better. Guinea pigs are such boring pets. Gwen used to have one and she turned it orange to try to liven it up but then she lost it in her pumpkin patch and never got it back. Backfired on her, really."

Harry smiled. "Gwen…she's different, isn't she?"

Ginny nodded slowly. "Yes. She is. I don't know what it is, really…how could you tell?"

"She's in Divination with me," Harry replied, tilting his chair back onto two legs and looking at Ginny. "She really seems to…I don't know…see things. Clearly. You know?" He caught the look on Ginny's face and said quickly, "Oh, I don't mean she's another Trelawney. She doesn't even like her – rolls those blue eyes around every time Professor gets started on those wonderful Seeing abilities of hers. But I think Gwen really is a Seer or something."

"I didn't know that," Ginny said softly. "All I knew was that she always seemed to read my mind. I thought she was just really perceptive…but Seeing makes such sense for her." Ginny was nodding. She loved Raven, but Gwen picked up on things that most people wouldn't even think about – it made her good at solving problems in Arithmancy, but it made her an even better friend. For as long as Ginny could remember, Gwen could always tell when she was having problems or when something wasn't right, no matter what it was. Ginny recalled one summer when Gwen had joined her at the Burrow right at the start of break. Mum had left Ginny, Gwen, and the twins at home while she went shopping in town – they had been playing in the garden, but Gwen hadn't really been into it. She kept looking back at the house, once or twice suggesting they should go inside. She said she smelled smoke, which didn't make any sense because Molly hadn't left anything on in the kitchen. Ginny had finally gone with her, peeved that her friend didn't want to play what she had wanted to play – but in the kitchen they had found the stove on fire, flames licking the ceiling, and a family of garden gnomes asleep on the hearth. They had started the blaze (who knew how?) because they were angry with the Weasleys for tossing their young son over the fence. Gwen had also been on Ginny like a hound during first year, when she had been controlling the Basilisk. Once or twice she had suggested Ginny throw her diary away, and she had always been after her about how she was feeling. It had made Ginny very nervous.

"I can't see her wearing the gauzy dresses and oversized specs, though," Harry grinned, bringing Ginny back into the conversation.

Ginny laughed for a minute at that mental picture. "It would be fun if she dressed up like that for the ball, don't you think?"

Harry stared. "Ball?" he asked carefully.

"Yes," Ginny said, blushing. "Remember? Dumbledore mentioned it at the start of term… this year, since we had such a success with the Yule Ball - " both she and Harry rolled their eyes; neither of them had had a wonderful time

" – we're going to have another one. Doesn't it sound grand?" Her eyes shone with excitement.

"Hoping Neville will ask you again?" Harry asked casually.

Ginny stopped. She looked at Harry. Did he think she couldn't do any better than Neville? Of all the nerve…"Not particularly," she forced out. "Neville is nice, but I'd rather go with someone else this time around."

"I didn't mean to offend you," Harry said uncertainly.

"I know," Ginny said calmly. "I'm feeling tired, Harry – think I'll go up to bed. Goodnight."

"'Night, Gin," Harry replied. He got up and pulled her chair out for her. Ginny tried hard not to let her heart melt at the gesture. She couldn't stop a small smile as she bolted for the stairs. She was so weak.

TO BE CONTINUED

Well, well, well. You knew a hopeless romantic like me would throw a dance in there, didn't you? Plus I already made Ginny buy dress robes. :-) Please read and review, loyal fans! Next part will be up soon.