thanx to my 3 reviwers... xox glitter xox- thanx! hope u like this chapter. Mg-Nashisko- hehe, i like that part too. lol. i was about to write sumthing else but changed my mind. didn't want to make Draco seem that weird. meagan- i GUARENTEE YOU Draco will be in the next chapter! not this one, but Ch. 7! i promise!!!!!! thanx for the review u three!

okay, took me a while to write this chapter. i had writers block for some of it. some of it is crappy so yeh... very sorry bout that. the middle is good... i think... i dont really have anyone proofread my work. i have no one to do it. PLZ REVIEW! i'll update at 35 reviews.

Mixed Signals and Crossed Wires

Disclaimer: I do not own the story of Harry Potter or any of its characters. They all belong to the FABULOUS J. K. Rowling and Warner Bros. Inc.

Setting: during their fifth year at Hogwarts; Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher is still Dolores Umbridge

Chapter 6: News

"Hahaha! You-you you should have seen your—your faces!" said Harry between laughs and trying his best to catch his breath. Ron glared at him.

"You—you actually jumped! Ha! Since—haha.... Since when were you guys a couple?" Harry managed to ask.

Ron continued to glare. "Since you and Cho spoke to us last. Now shut your mouth!"

"Actually after you left us to find Cho when Ron and I were going to the library," corrected Hermione a little flushed.

Harry was still giving off low suppressed chuckles. "I'm gonna go to bed. See you around, mates."

Harry walked out of the common room into his dormitory. He quickly changed into his pajamas and lied in his bed and let his thoughts roam freely. At this point, he couldn't control them. There were too many things to think about for him to concentrate on just one. He stared at the ceiling as his thoughts of Cho clashed with his longing to play Quidditch or at least ride his broom for one night. Damn Umbridge. Who does that bitch think she is? Banning the twins and me from Quidditch. She doesn't have the right to steal our brooms. Harry thought spitefully. He heard the door open and saw a mop of read hair bob through the door. Harry turned his head towards Ron.

"I see you've chosen to join me and sleep?" said Harry sarcastically. Ron just groaned in reply and fell onto his bed noisily as the bedsprings coiled and squeaked. Harry stared at the ceiling again and winced as Neville and Seamus snored loudly and breathed noisily. Ron gave a loud yawn and immediately Harry heard his slow, deep, and steady breathing signaling his sleep. Harry soon slept a dark, dreamless sleep.

Harry awoke to the early light of the morning. He slowly fumbled his bedside table for his glasses and quickly put them on. Harry sat upright and glanced around the room at Ron, Neville, Seamus, and the various other people in the dorm. The only other person awake was Ron; his bright blue eyes open beneath his fiery red hair.

"Good morning, Harry" Ron said when he saw the flash of green Harry's eyes shone when he looked at Ron.

"Good morning, Ron. How'd you sleep, then?" asked Harry curiously as he stared straight ahead at the foot of Neville's bed, appalled at how a boy that was usually quiet could snore so loudly.

"Eh..." Ron said while making shaky movements with his right hand so Harry could see, "I've slept better." Ron rubbed the sleep from his eyes and sat upright in his bed. He turned his head toward Harry who was still looking at the foot of Neville's bed, lost in thought.

"Is there something wrong, mate? Anything worrying you?" asked Ron concerned when his friend didn't blink for quite a while.

"No, I'm just thinking. Cho started to think about Cedric yesterday and she was crying. You wouldn't believe how awkward that is, Ron! Your girlfriend crying to you about her ex-boyfriend! But I guess that's what I get for witnessing his death and continuing to be the Boy Who Lived..." said Harry sadly to Ron.

"No, no I can't," agreed Ron sadly, "but of course you wouldn't believe how awkward it is to have been in love with your best friend for five whole years and not be able to say anything about it because I didn't want to put you in the middle." The duo sighed at the same time then both got up and changed into their school robes. They both walked into the common room and Ron and Harry glanced around the room for Hermione.

"Damn... I hate waiting for her," muttered Ron.

"Wait for who?" asked the female voice of, none other than, Hermione.

"You! I didn't see you in the common room--" started Ron.

"Well then, there must be something wrong with your eyes because I was just sitting right there," Hermione pointed to a chair that was close to where Ron and Harry were standing. Ron cranked his head toward Harry who said, "Hey, I wasn't really looking too hard."

Ron shook his head and changed the subject, "Let's go eat! I'm STARVING!" Harry and Hermione nodded. Ginny came running down the girls' dormitory steps.

"Wait for me! Wait for me!" she called to Harry, Hermione, and Ron as she came running down to where they were standing. When she had finally caught up to the trio she was panting so hard Harry doubted she would make it down the hundreds of steps down to the Great Hall from Gryffindor Tower, but strangely once they had gotten down to the Gryffindor Table in the Great Hall she wasn't the least bit tired, but rather perky.

Ginny parted ways with Harry, Hermione, and Ron and walked to sit with Colin and Dennis Creevy. Ron and Hemione sat at one side of the breakfast table and Harry on the other. Hermione ate her toast and eggs slowly and neatly while Ron dug into most of the different types of food in reach, including bacon, eggs, pumpkin juice, orange juice, several slices of toast, and a blueberry muffin. Harry took a piece of toast and a muffin and watched in awe as Ron managed to eat bacon, toast, a blueberry muffin, and orange juice at the same time. Hermione looked as if she were to vomit and closed her eyes. Ron gulped down his food loudly and asked Harry what he had been doing on dates with Cho.

"Nothing really, we just talk," said Harry while glancing at his watch. It was 8:30. "Come one Ron, I need to study," Harry said while he and Ron stood up, "You coming Hermione?"

"No, no. Go ahead, maybe I'll meet you up there later," said Hermione, slowly eating a small piece of toast.

Ron and Harry walked out of the Great Hall and started to walk to the library when Ron asked, "Do you really want to study?"

"No. Hermione's the only one who ever actually wants to study," said Harry.

"Uh huh. So what do you really do on dates with Cho?"

"NOTHING! We talk!" said Harry, very annoyed.

"You're trying to tell me you two have gone on at least 4 dates and you haven't even kissed her?" said Ron with a look of interest.

"Yeah... sure, we've snogged a few times now will you shut up about it?"

"Sure," Ron said finally when he opened the door to the library.

Since Harry and Ron failed to bring their books to the Great Hall or stop by their dormitories to pick them up the two had to search for books to study with when they were there. Ron and Harry searched for their books upon the shelves that were organized very neatly and it took almost half an hour for them to find several books.

"This would have been a lot easier if Hermione had just come along," Ron mumbled once they sat in two seats by a long table.

"Wonder why she didn't come; how many times do you see Hermione refusing to come to the library," Harry replied. The studying duo had no idea duo what sad news Hermione was receiving at the very moment, especially considering they weren't going to hear about it for almost a week's time.

---

Hermione was walking out of the great hall when Professor McGonagall tapped her shoulder.

"Miss Granger, Professor Dumbledore would like to see you; he has some dreadful news for you, I'm afraid," McGonagall told her with a grim look on her face and mouth.

"Okay..." Hermione replied uncertainly, not very pleased about the look on the Professor's face. McGonagall lead Hermione up the stairs, through halls and corridors until they reached the stone statue of a Gargoyle. McGonagall muttered the password and the gargoyle leapt aside as the many steps appeared and spiraled upward. Hermione followed her professor to Dumbledore's desk and watched as she stood aside as the headmaster gestured for Hermione to take a seat in front of his desk.

"I have some very sad news for you Miss Granger," said Dumbledore slowly. "I have just received a notice from your mother and father," he continued, his bright blue eyes staring at Hermione with a sad shine across them. Hermione's bottom lip was quivering, fearing what the news could be if it was horrible enough for the headmaster to call her to his office.

"I'm sorry to tell you that your grandmother has died. Your mother said you were very close to her and that you would need to know," said Dumbledore sadly.

Hermione's lip quivered even more, almost violently. She didn't know what to say, she couldn't believe her grandmother was dead. She gave out heavy breaths and finally burst into tears and turned away from Dumbledore and McGonagall, not wanting them to see her bursting into tears. She cried softly as she lifted her hands to her face and covered her face. Tears were quickly and quietly running from her eyes down to her cheeks, into her hands and slipped past to her robes. Her heart gave a sickening pound of sadness and disbelief as she gently sobbed into her hands for fifteen minutes. Dumbledore had gotten up and stood by her side, gently patting her back. Hermione's face finally emerged from her hands after another 5 minutes of sobbing, her face was red and tear-stained whilst her eyes were red and puffy and still producing tears, but her breathing had become steady. She stood up, nodded, and said, "May I go back to my dormitory, Professor?"

Dumbledore replied, "Yes. You are excused from classes today, Hermione. I will notify your Professors." She nodded and slowly walked out of the office and quickly to the Gryffindor common room, keeping her head and face low. Hermione rubbed her eyes with the sleeves of her robes and quickly walked through the empty common room and into her dormitory. She lay headfirst onto her bed and sobbed uncontrollably into her pillow until she heard people in the common room again.

Hermione slowly got up from her bed and walked to the nearest water jug and filled a glass with the crystal-clear water. She took a large gulp of it then poured a bit onto her hand, carefully placed the glass down, and rubbed the water onto both hands and started rubbing her face, hoping the stains the tears had left would disappear. When she heard people walk up the steps Hermione quickly wiped her face on her robe sleeve and ran to her pillow and flipped it so the clean white side was visible and the damp side was not. She gave a large sniffle then breathed deeply, hoping the person would not notice that Hermione had been crying for hours with no intention to stop until there were no more fluids left in her body. She gulped down her glass of water and magically cleaned it. The person coming up was Ginny.

"Hermione! Hi, Ron and Harry have been looking for you, wondering where you've been. They've been asking everyone. I think the last person that saw you was Collin, said you were walking down the corridor crying," Ginny told Hermione. Ginny was about to leave to walk to her own dorm when she noticed Hermione's face was still slightly tear stained. "Are you okay, Mione? It looks like you have been crying," said Ginny in a very concerned tone as she walked to her friend. Hermione tried to nod but couldn't.

More tears escaped her eyes as she shook her head. Ginny briskly walked to her and looked at Hermione concerned. "What's wrong?"

Hermione sniffled, "My—my... Grandmother died."

Ginny looked at her sadly and pulled her into a comforting hug. Neither said anything for the whole time Ginny was patting Hermione's back, but once Hermione pulled out Ginny said, "Go downstairs. Those two are looking for you. You wouldn't believe how concerned they are." Hermione quietly asked her if she could just tell them she was up there, and not to bother her. Ginny agreed and she walked down the stone steps again. 'Poor Hermione' Ginny thought while walking down. She quickly glanced around and saw her brother looking around and frantically asking around at who had seen Hermione last.

Ginny quickly walked over to him and told him, "Hermione's upstairs in her dorm. She said for you and Harry not to bother her."

Ron looked at her shocked. "Why hasn't she been in classes? What's wrong with her?" he said finally sounding scared.

"She said for me not to tell you," Ginny told him. Ron growled under his breath and walked over to Harry who was also asking people around them if they'd seen Hermione at all.

"Hermione's been in her dormitory all day. Ginny told me, said she told her to tell us not to bother her; have no clue why. Do you reckon I did something to upset her?" Ron said to Harry.

"Wouldn't put it past you but you've been with me all day and she seemed perfectly fine with you this morning," Harry said as he plopped into an empty seat he found. Ron sighed.

"Great, haven't even gone on a date with her and I already got her mad at me!"

"I don't think you did anything. You were with me all day, last time we saw her was breakfast and you didn't do anything then. Hmm... maybe she's sick from watching you cram all that food in your mouth. She looked pretty pale when she watched you eat it all."

"Oh thanks, mate! That's what I need, for someone to assure me it's my fault she won't come down!" Ron said sarcastically, pacing before the chair Harry was sitting in. "Hey! Don't get mad at me! I haven't done anything to you. Look, I'm gonna go and find Cho. Bye."

ok. plz review. i wont update until i have 35 reviews. YOU HEAR THAT?!!? 35 REVIEWS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! so yeh. leans back in chair and puts feet up i have a feeling this'll take a while.... paper cups and trash r thrown at me(Rei) ow! hey, im working on my other fic too! Relationships and Rumors, im still working on the first chapter. bye.