Title: The Fifth Year
Author: Cactuskitty
Chapter: Three
Summary: It's the summer before Harry's fifth year at Hogwarts, and he is feeling guilty about Cedric's death, and is staying at the Burrow. And when Mrs. Weasely decides that a trip to Diagon alley would be a good idea, certain incidents leave them confused…

Disclaimer: I do not own any characters from the Harry Potter book series, they belong to J. K. Rowling, so please don't sue.

Chapter Three: Flourish & Blotts

Harry somehow managed to tear his eye away from the bathroom door that had just been slammed in his face, and started heading back up towards Ron's room. Though he quickly turned around and headed right back down stairs because he saw Ginny's bedroom door was ajar, and he didn't think he could manage seeing another girl for a while. The sound of the crying that was coming out of the bathroom was going to make the house unbearable so he ran outside and sat in the Weasely's garden.

So Harry was left a lone with his thoughts. He didn't mean to walk in on her.  Harry decided that it couldn't have been his fault anyways; she was the one who walked out of the bathroom wearing nothing but a towel.  God, she sure did look good in that towel. Damn! I'm not supposed to be thinking like that right now. He mentally slapped himself. She should have guessed that in a house full of people that the chances of someone seeing her come out of the bathroom was great. Yes! That was it! It wasn't like I was just waiting for her to come out anyway. Then he remembered that he was, and noticed a blush creep to his face, but he didn't expect her to be in a towel. I just wanted to know who was singing, I didn't mean to make he cry. Oh well, as Ginny would say, it must have happened for a reason. Maybe running into her will add up in the end. But until then Harry decided that he would keep this little incident to himself.

*          *         *         *

The week flew by and it seemed that Harry had guess right when he decided not to mention the shower incident ever again, because the day after it happened Ophelia started to talk to him again. She even seemed to be pleasant towards him, but that only increased the awkwardness Harry felt towards her. Though no one seemed to notice the tension between the two of them, except for maybe Ginny who kept giving them this weird look he couldn't decide if it was confusion or anger, but he wasn't sure he wanted to know either. He had recently discovered that he would never fully understand the ways of girls. Now he was now exploring the concept of girls understanding them, but soon ditched the idea a few seconds later after hearing Ginny and Ophelia debate about which brand of shoes were better.

Ron and Harry found a strange pleasure in watching the two of them fight, it was always interesting how fast Ophelia got her opponent to back down. Harry noted to himself that she had a unique way of fighting. The thing was, she didn't really fight most of the time, she just sort of stated her opinion and then she would back down sadly causing the opponent to feel sorry for her and start apologizing ecstatically. It was sort of an awkward little battle plan but it really seemed to work for her, and for some reason made her even more desirable to him. He also noted that he should never pick a fight with her because he would never be able to stand up to the little sad face she made.

Then his thoughts drifted to how great she was at singing, and how good she looked in a towel… When Mrs. Weasely walked in and informed them that Treva and she had decided that since it was only a week before school started that they should go down to Diagon Alley and pick up their school supplies tomorrow. Also that this time would be slightly different, because this year Fred and George would be taking them in the their place because something had come up and they would have to spend the day in Hogsmeade. So they had the six of them agree that they would behave themselves. They all decided that it would be fun, and realized that they would leave early the next morning and make a day of it. Ron and Harry decided that it would be a good idea to inform Hermione when they were going and Ophelia seemed very interested in meeting her.

Finally, after what felt like forever, Friday came. The boys were woken early in the morning by Hedwig's infernal tapping on Ron's window to find out that Hermione would be meeting them at eleven o'clock at Flourish and Blotts and was also very excited to meet Ron's cousin. After reading the letter the two boys realized that they were no longer tired, so they dressed and went down stairs only to find that they weren't the only ones who were woken up by Hedwig. The girls too were up, dressed and planning their schedule. Though they were unable to leave until after Fred and George did the morning dishes and finished painting the shed, but they still managed to leave the Burrow before ten thirty.

After the last of them arrived through the fireplace in The Leaky Cauldron, they headed to Gringotts and filled up their moneybags. Then Fred and George turned to them, did what Ron and Virginia was expecting, and told them that they were going to go off and visit some of their friends and that they could do whatever they wanted as long as they didn't get in too much trouble.

George quickly added in, "Too much meaning mum's standards not our, `ickle Ronikins. And before we leave you little rascals I have to talk to you."

When he returned Harry noticed a rather large grin on Ron's face and realized that the twins must have given some of the money Harry had won. Then they stood there for a few minutes wondering where they should go when Ginny mentioned that they only had five minutes until they had to meet Hermione. Their problem was solved and the four of them sprinted towards Flourish and Blotts. Though, they must have had the same idea as someone else because Ron, who was the fastest, plowed right into Hermione who was also running. After Ron had muttered a few choice words, he managed to stand up and hastily started to help her to her feet. But Hermione brushed him off and turned to great the others, first being Harry, who she quickly embraced and started questioning on how he was holding up and things like that. Harry noticed that Ron looked sort of mad, so he tried to assure Hermione that he himself was fine, and if anyone was wounded, it would be either herself or Ron. They all started laughing and he noticed that the two of them both blushed, but only Hermione started getting ready to chewing him out… So Ginny quickly decided that it was time for her to meet Ophelia, and Ron offered to buy ice cream. They all turned and gave Ron a weird look, but he just sauntered off towards the parlor, so they chose to follow.

They sat down and a pretty witch with long black hair came and took their order, and that's when Ophelia directed their attention towards the two girls across the room. They both were petite, and about a head shorter than him, but other then their size and color of their hair they really didn't look a like. One had brown hair that was pulled tightly into a ponytail at the back of her head that complimented her wavy hair and happy golden brown eyes. She was wearing dark blue jean caprice, a cream colored lace up tee, and a type of high top shoe that had the name Converse on the side, and they had flames on them that matched her belt. She was quite pretty, and her face held a mischievous grin. The other had straight light brown hair that fell to her shoulder and bright green eyes that matched Harry's, but they looked slightly dazed instead of hurt. She was wearing a shirt that had a Norwegian Ridgeback on it, long baggy cargo shorts, and sandals. The only girlish thing she had on was earrings, but it didn't matter, because to Harry she didn't need anything more. He liked girls who didn't pile on makeup and jewelry; he thought the simpler the better. Though, they weren't the same as Ophelia, neither of them had the same kind of aura about them like she did.

Ophelia claimed to know them and once the waitress left, she went over to meet them. He noticed that only the one with straight brown hair look really happy to see her. She quickly returned with her friends and started to introduce them, the one with wavy hair was named Leona Nyx and the other was Eilene McGregor. They both looked very surprised when Ophelia proudly introduced Harry, but neither of them reacted like she had. Though he did notice that Eilene's eyes grew brighter, and she blushed slightly, he felt his cheek growing hot also. God, he hated these Bloody introductions. Both of the girls greeted them the same way the girl at the Deli did except they didn't ask Ginny what she preferred to be called. But Virginia still asked them to join them and they excepted.

Hermione asked the first question, "So do you all go to school together?"

Leona answered confidently, "Yes, we do. And you three attend Hogwarts correct?" They all nodded, and she continued, "And you all are in Gryffindor right?" They all nodded once again, she smiled at Ron (who was grinning at her like there was no tomorrow) and once again she continued, "That's cool, I think if I went there I would go to Ravenclaw though, but I'm not sure…"

Then Eilene cut in, "Harry, I heard you are a wonderful seeker. I play chaser on my house team at my school: we won the house cup last year…" she said with a blush, and quickly stopped. Ginny noticed that she was looking at Ophelia, and who was giving her a deadly glare.

So Ginny cut in before Harry could say anything, "What's your guy's favorite Quidditch team?"

"Well, I don't really have one… but Eilene is a real Chudley Cannons fan." Leona replied flatly, and returned the death glare Ophelia had now aimed at her.

"Wicked! I'm a Cannon's fan myself, and glad Ophelia's friends have more sense than her… Just joking Ophelia, but the Holyhead Harpies, come on…" Ron quickly shut up because he saw the looks he was getting from Hermione and Ophelia.

Seeing how uncomfortable things were getting, Harry opted that they start to leave since they had finish their ice cream a while ago. So they all started their shopping and continued casually chitchatting about everything from pets to what type of ink. Until Virginia said that she saw Colin and left to join him and a few other of her classmates shopping. That's when Leona seemed to remember someone, and asked Ophelia if she had yet to see Ellie. Harry had no idea who the heck the three girls were talking about, but it seemed to really upset Ophelia.

"No, I haven't, but I sure as heck wasn't looking for that git anyway." As Ophelia said this both of the girls looked slightly shocked.

Eilene said, "Oh." And left it at that, but Leona's body stiffened and her face darkened. She appeared very upset and Hermione was very amazed when the only word that came out of her mouth was, "Why."

"I wasn't looking for her, because we got into a fight and she sent me this rude letter saying bad stuff about me and that she didn't want some like me as a friend, and things like that." Ophelia stated to her shoes. Both of the girls gave her skeptical look, Eilene tried to change the subject, but before she could Leona added on something that irritated Ophelia even more.

"You know what Ophelia, that really doesn't sound like something Ellie would do. She's just not that type of person." Leona said through her teeth, Hermione noted that her that her irritation was apparent.

"Yea, well that shows how much you two know about her, because she did."

"Are you sure you sure you're not exaggerating, because I've known her since she was five and I think I know her a bit better then you would…"

"I have too and that really doesn't sound like her." Eilene added quickly

"Well, that's what she did." Ophelia growled, but there was something about the way she said it that made Hermione and the other two girls doubt that she was telling the whole truth. And it was pretty obvious where her friend's loyalties lay and Harry was pretty sure it wasn't with Ophelia.

Sensing the tension growing, Hermione decided that is might be a good time to change the subject, so he casually asked the two girls where they lived. His distraction worked, because they both turned and told them that they lived in Bristol, but not totally because Leona mumbled something about Ellie living there too. Then they continued shopping, and chatting for the next two hours when they realized how the time had flown and they needed to go meet Fred and George. So they said farewell, and left Hermione, Eilene, and Leona (who were having a very through conversation about some book they all had read). Then ran to the Leaky Cauldron to find the twins and Ginny all with forlorn looks on their faces because the three of them were five minutes late, but the twins quickly forgot and handed them each some floo powder and quickly went over to the fireplace. Some how Harry managed to go last, and just as he had just said "The Burrow" he saw her. The girl from the deli; she was sitting in a booth laughing with some one. But it was too late for him to do anything, because the floo powder started to work and he was taken away to the Burrow.

A/N: Please forgive me if there are tons of spelling and gramor mistakes, but my beta's computer's down, and I was sick of waiting for him. So I just chose to post it like it is, and if it's really bad I'll repost it when I get it back from him.

I know you all want to know who she is, but I'm not ready to tell you yet so… : P   Just joking, and if you would like to find out about how I choose my character's weird names, just look at my profile for an explanation. And I don't know if this will be a Harry/Ginny fic, but I haven't really decided yet, so… In other words, my lips are sealed.

Please just keep reading and reviewing and you'll find out, but I don't know if I'll even post more chapters if I don't get more reviews…