ok... my next chapter of this fic! YAY! i have a feeling a lot of ppl are REALLY gonna hate me for this chapter... but i have been planning this chapter EVER SINCE I STARTED TO PLAN THE FIC! thats almost 2 months! :sigh: o well... some nice Hermione/Ron fluff at the end.

thanx to reviwers: slytherinphoenix7- yep, 35... sry it was so many! i know im demanding... sry! plz continue reading! chochang0614- I know you've been waiting for Draco to become a big part of the story soo.... here it is! i think u'll like this chapter! tell me if u do! Chan- wow, thanx for all the reviews! FSI- yay! good for u, thanx for the review! Mg-Nashisko- hey! thanx! hope u like this chapter, but plz continue to read it if u don't! just im me and tell me if u dont k? lol Luna Gypsy- woo hoo! new reviewer! lol, here's the next chappie, hope u like! thanx for adding me!

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 7: A Tear and More

Cho and Harry had several dates over the next few days. Hermione managed to stop crying uncontrollably by dinner of the day she received the news but she refused to smile. Ron was so concerned for her; he kept telling her jokes and tried to make her laugh but she refused to laugh or even tell Ron or Harry why she was so sad. Until a certain event several days later...

Harry was walking down a long empty corridor whistling happily. He was looking for Cho; they hadn't spoken since their last date because his O.W.L.s were starting on the next Monday. He was smiling to himself until he heard gentle sobs from across the corridor.

It was Hermione, she was crying into her sleeve—hard. Harry saw her and called, "Hermione?" She glanced up from her sleeve, she looked absolutely dreadful. Her eyes were red and puffy, her face was drained of color and tear-stained, and her bottom lip was quivering violently. She suddenly ran across the corridor at top speed and called to him, "Harry!" His eyes widened as she ran towards him sobbing, she stopped abruptly in front of him and threw her arms around him in sorrow.

"Hermione, you look dreadful! Are you ok? What's wrong?" he asked while patting her back comfortingly and held her with his free arm in a brotherly, comforting hug.

"No! I'm not ok!" she choked out, her voice muffled from Harry's chest and robes.

"Oh, Hermione... what's wrong? Is it why you've been avoiding Ron and me?" asked Harry concerned.

She nodded. "My grandmother died recently... Dumbledore told me..." she sobbed and hugged Harry, now burying her head into his shoulder and sobbing slowly and softly. "Why..." she whispered, not intending for Harry to hear her.

Harry held her in a comforting hug while patting her back. "I'm really sorry. Very sorry for your loss, but there's nothing you can do. It's not helping anyone for you to just mope around. You couldn't and can't stop the inevitable, Hermione. I'm sorry for your loss but your not helping anyone by keeping it to yourself and moping around. She's not really gone. No one is ever really gone, Hermione, because they always live in your heart and memories. Hermione, as long as they're still in your heart and head, they're not gone," Harry said to her slowly while listening to her breathing steady. Finally, after 7 or so minutes, Hermione's breathing had completely settled and she stopped soaking Harry's shoulder with her tears. She pulled away from Harry and wiped her eyes with her robes.

"Thank you. Thank you, thank you. I'm glad you're so understanding," Hermione said, her bottom lip still quivering.

"Why didn't you go to Ron," Harry asked.

"I don't know. I didn't intend to see you but when I did I burst," Hermione told him while wiping her eye again.

"Oh, it's okay..." Harry told her.

Hermione gave him a faint smile and kissed him on the cheek in thanks. "Bye, Harry," she said as she walked towards the way she had come. Harry gave a faint smile to her, a little happy he had helped her out and that he had found out why she wasn't at all cheerful. He walked after Hermione as she turned the corner and continued to search for Cho, but she wasn't very far away. In fact, she was watching as Harry was hugging Hermione.


Cho turned the corner and saw Harry's head. She was about to call his name when he saw him hugging Hermione Granger. Cho walked back and pressed her back to the stone-cold wall and peered around the corner. She saw that Hermione's head was buried in his chest. She saw her move her head to his shoulder and saw Harry's lips move but couldn't hear; she was to far away from him. She felt her heart rise to her throat and fall to her feet over and over as she watched this. She saw them just stand there, in the middle of the hall hugging. Then after five or so minutes they stopped hugging. She saw Hermione kiss him on the cheek and suddenly felt her heart drop as low as possible. Cho turned on her heel and ran from the corridor. She had just felt the pains of love.

Cho sobbed and cried. In her head she saw Harry in front of her, chuckling madly. She saw him reach into her chest and rip out her heart. She watched him take it and rip it into little shreds as if it were pieces of wet tissue paper. She ran into an empty corridor, the one close to Moaning Myrtle's lavatory. She pushed her back to the wall and slid down it and covered her eyes.

"I can't believe he'd do this to me. Why..." she gently sobbed.

"Do what to whom?" a male voice drawled. Cho looked up from her hands to see the slim face of Draco Malfoy. He had crouched down so his face was at her level.

"Leave me alone Draco. Last thing I need is for you to bother me," Cho said, a tear slowly and gently falling down her face as she looked away from him.

"Oh come on Chang, just tell me and I'll be on my way," Draco lied.

"I said leave me alone, Malfoy!" Cho said aggravated.

"I won't unless you tell me." Draco's face was straight and expressionless. He was just staring at Cho with no trace of emotion.

"I just caught Harry hugging Granger," Cho surprised herself when she gave him what he wanted and called Hermione by her last name without realizing it.

"Of course, Granger. Funny that he would cheat on you with his best friend's girlfriend," Draco said smoothly as he leaned against the wall next to Cho so quickly and smoothly she didn't notice.

Cho sniffled, "Suppose he likes to spread pain around."

"Always possible," he drawled.

"We've hardly even been together for a month and already he cheats."

"Perhaps he gets bored easily, possibly doesn't appreciate fine creatures like you. I, on the other hand, would keep you close and appreciate you for what you are: a fine beauty and a work of art." Draco had put his finger under her chin and turned her head towards him. His face mere inches away. Cho didn't make the slightest motion to turn or move away from Draco. She was flattered by his comment, and enjoyed the attention. Especially from a gorgeous boy like Draco Malfoy. He held her chin up with his index finger and brought her face forward towards him and kissed her on the lips. Cho felt the strangest sensation, she was enjoying it and she closed her eyes, taking in his scent and the way he stroked her hair with his free hand. Draco smiled and thought, 'how very fun it is to take Harry's girlfriend.' He had been attracted to her originally, but knowing she was Potter's made it ever more sweeter to kiss her.

'No. I shouldn't do this... I shouldn't have enjoyed that. I can't enjoy—wait... if Harry's cheating on me he probably doesn't like me anymore. I doubt he'd care if I was with Draco,' Cho thought. Draco leaned towards Cho to kiss her but she put her hand on his defined chest to stop him.

"No...I can't Draco...Harry..." Cho said quietly.

"Harry is already cheating on you, why would he care if I was with you when he's already got another girl in line," Draco whispered in her ear.

Cho breathed deeply and quietly while working this all out in her mind. He was right, if Harry cared enough for her to not even cheat on her in the middle of the school he would do something to stop her from being Draco's, but he didn't. He was hugging Hermione in the middle of the school as if not caring if anyone saw. And she had the greatest tingling sensation when Draco had kissed her, something she didn't feel with Harry.

"You know he doesn't like you. He wouldn't have hugged her in the middle of a corridor if he did. Like I said before, the twit was probably bored by you for some reason I have no clue as to what it would be," Draco whispered into her ear even softer than before and pulled back from her ear and into her lips for a passionate kiss. Cho made no motion to move and she had no intention to. She kissed him back then parted from his touch and got up. Draco gave her a devious smile and stood up too. He was almost four inches taller than her when he stood up straight. Cho copied his smile and stood on tiptoe and kissed him on the lips and Draco kissed her back.

"See you around, Draco," said Cho walking away.

"Sooner than you think," Draco replied but Cho didn't notice.

Cho walked to the stone steps and gave Draco a sly smile and walked down the steps, her black robes flowing behind her as she walked down. Draco went the opposite way towards another set of staircases to make his way toward the Slytherin common room. This was one secret he'd keep for the fun of it.

Ron was lying down in one of the sofas in the common room. It was a beautiful day outside so there weren't too many people in the common room. There were only Ron, Neville, and two second years in the large common room. Ron was staring up at the ceiling, his head in his hands. 'I hope Hermione's okay...' he thought sadly as he stared at a small hole in the ceiling. He groaned and at that moment someone sprang into the common room.

"Ron?" Hermione said quietly. Neville, who was in an armchair by the fireplace, pointed toward the old sofa that Ron was lying in. Ron didn't hear her and continued staring at the tiny hole. Hermione quickly walked over to him and kissed him on the lips. Ron's eyes widened and he sat bolt upright.

"What's gotten you so happy? This morning you wouldn't even smile," Ron asked suspiciously, "Why were you sad in the first place any way?"

"I was sad because my grandmother died. Dumbledore told me," she said, her grin slightly fading as she said this. She took a seat next to Ron.

"Oh...sorry, Hermione. You should've told me and Harry before. So why is it you're so perky now?" Ron asked.

"Harry helped me. He told me that no one is ever really gone, as long as they're still here," Hermione poked Ron in the chest where his heart should be, "and here." Hermione poked Ron's forehead playfully. Ron smiled, happy that Hermione was being cheery again.

"Glad," is all Ron said. Hermione flashed him a big grin and hugged him.

"I'm glad I have you, Ron." Ron blushed and felt his heart swell with happiness.

"I'm glad I have you too, Hermione. I love you," Ron replied without realizing the last part he said.

yay! theres the chapter. i bet a couple of the people who are BIG Cho/Harry fans hate me..... :nervously: a heh heh... so yeh. but i hope u liked the Ron/Hermione stuff! i looooved writing that part, i had no trouble at all. PLZ REVIEW! im not gonna demand any anymore cuz i find it usually takes too long for my taste to get the required amount. i did my best not to make Cho a bitch! i said my idea a long time ago on my website and a big Cho fan got really mad at me so i decided then that i would make it like this. PLZ TELL ME IF I MADE HER MEAN in this chapter! i REALLY dont want to make her mean. id rather make Draco mean since he's already evil. PLZ REVIEW!