Author's Note: Thanks to all my reviewers so far from this story, and for the others who have stopped to check it out! You all have really encouraged me a lot. I didn't suspect that I'd actually post a lot of stories right away, but after the first one, the others kept rolling off. I plan on updating this as regularly as possible. Hope you all will enjoy it!

Disclaimer: Not mine :)

Strictly Confusion

"Mind your manners, Ron."

"Blimey, hear that Harry? It's not like I'm going to start throwing my food around, Hermione. I'm not a bloody ape."

"Ron!"

"Well?"

"You'd never guess it to look at you."

"You sound like my mother."

"Someone around here has to have some sense--"

"What did you two think of the Dueling Club?" Harry broke in absently. They both turned to look at him.

"It was brilliant, that's what," Ron said. "S'pose she'll teach us more spells? I'd like to learn something to use on Fred and George--"

"Ron!"

"It's the truth...I bet Ginny'll do it too, she's always got a trick or two up her sleeve."

Hermione pursed her lips, as though trying to keep something in. "Well, regardless--"

"Hey," a soft voice spoke. Harry turned to see Ginny standing beside him. She sat down beside him.

"Where's Dean?"

She shrugged. "Look, I've got to ask--"

"About yesterday?"

"Yes. What did it all mean?"

"I don't know."

"You did see something, though, right? It wasn't just me, was it?"

"I saw something. It was like...the world slowed..."

"And then we were surrounded in sparks..." Ginny furrowed her brow, tucking her long hair behind her ear. "Did anyone else mention anything like that happening?"

"No." Harry forked some scrambled eggs into his mouth. "But we didn't exactly bring it up, ourselves."

"True," Ginny conceded, "But no one else seemed the slightest bit phased..." she paused, chewing her lip. "Dean didn't say anything about it, either."

"You asked him?"

"No, no," she said hurriedly. "No, I just poked around a bit. He and Seamus were partners, see, and they really got into it...knocked each other out right away, as I understand it, though of course they wouldn't admit it...they were quite excited to go back."

"So're they," Harry said, nodding towards Ron and Hermione. He took another bite of his eggs.

"They were partners, eh?" Ginny smirked. "Good. Hermione could vent a bit, then."

"Erm...what?"

"Never mind. Look, I've got potions, but--can we talk about this later?"

Harry nodded, and she grinned at him. He watched as she left the Great Hall.

He was glad she hadn't told Dean. What had happened was...special. Not, Harry amended himself, as he felt his cheeks flush, special in the respect that Ginny and Dean thought each other were special, not in the respect that they wanted to snog each other's brains out, no--special in a way that couldn't quite be shared with others. It was their own, their secret, and no one else could quite understand.

"Come on, Harry," Hermione said. "We're late for Transfiguration."

"Yeah," he mumbled. He collected his books and ran after her and Ron, watching them argue the whole way. He wondered when he would be able to see Ginny again.

He did not see Ginny the rest of the day, until evening. When he found her, fast asleep in a chair, a wet spot of drool pooling up underneath her open mouth.

Ron, who was with Harry, snorted. He shoved Ginny's arm, jarring her small body back and forth. "Ginny--"

"Wha--" she blinked awake, closed her mouth, and sat up, blinking.

"Ginny, don't you think it's early to be getting so tired out from studying?"

She blushed, and put a hand over her book. Harry glanced at it, and at Ginny. He cocked an eyebrow, and she grinned guiltily, showing him a corner. The Quibbler lay open beneath her hands.

"It's late, Ron, why shouldn't I be tired? And I was studying sleeping draughts earlier..." she yawned. "I've got to sleep." She stood, and brushed by Ron.

"Mum'll hate us if you study too hard and burn yourself out."

"I'm fine, Ron. Goodnight."

"Goodnight," Ron and Harry chorused.

Ginny and Harry didn't meet again, afterward; every time they were in the same room together, one of them was busy, or surrounded by people, or heading to detention--Ginny rushed a hurried explanation to Ron and Harry sounding like "bat guts in Snape's potion"--or just about ready to fall asleep on the staircase. Even in Quidditch practice, Harry found Ginny always was at the other end of the field. One way or another, they stayed separated, until they stopped trying to find each other, and merely nodded at each other silently, each telling the other with their eyes that another time, they would talk.

For the rest of the week, Harry was beside himself. He resolved to stay near Ron and Hermione, at the next meeting. He could easily partner with one of them, and see if sparking was a necessary part of the process.

And so it was that Harry, Ron, and Hermione found themselves sitting in the Great Hall at the end of the week, waiting for the Dueling Club to begin.

"I don't see why we had to come early," Ron complained.

"Ron, Harry was right--this way, we won't get crushed in the crowd."

"You've never been concerned by that before, Harry."

Harry shrugged.

"I think it shows great initiative on his part," Hermione said, glowing. "Studying--things of magnitude and greatness--they're so important, and our generation just doesn't take tem seriously enough."

"You take them seriously."

"I'm an enigma, Ron."

"You're telling me."

"Ronald W--"

The door squeaked open, and Ginny peered in. She spotted them, looked surprised, and dragged in Dean, who was followed closely by Neville.

"Hello," Hermione said happily. "Are you here early for--"

"Shut it, Hermione," Ron muttered. He turned to Neville and Dean. "Where's Seamus?"

"Off with Lavendar and Parvati, I assume. He couldn't go without them, he said." Ginny looked disdainful, then glanced at Harry. When she saw him looking at her, she smiled briefly and turned away. He glanced toward the platform the teachers ate at.

"Hey," Ron said brightly, "We could practice before the club. We all have a partner here."

"Ron, I don't think that's a--"

"Hey, great idea!" Dean called. He tightened his grip on Ginny's hand, and tugged her arm a bit. Harry watched as she glanced at him. He smiled.

"Partner?"

"Of course," she murmured. She glanced at Harry, and he nodded.

"Ron!" Hermione hissed. "We should be setting an example--"

"Hermione," Ron said. "Come on. We're just studying. You don't want to get behind."

She bit her lip and glared at Ron. "Fine. Come on, Harry, I'll partner with you."

The three pairs stood facing each other between the house tables, holding out their wands in the silence. "How are we going to know when to start?" Neville asked nervously.

"Count to three," Hermione said, taking over. "On three, everyone starts."

"Okay."

"Fine."

"Ready? One."

"Two!"

"Three!"

Harry reacted immediately, erecting a shield as Hermione flung a curse at him. He hurled one back as she set up her shield, and they continued on--

There were no sparks.

"What is the meaning of this?"

They looked up--well, all of them but Neville looked up, as he was sprawled across the floor. He quickly stood, though, red-faced.

Snape was in the doorway.

"Erm...Professor..." Ginny sqeaked. Dean stood across from her, his face covered in boils, his face contorted in irritation.

"Do you think," he said quietly, "That you have the right to do anything you want, just because you have precious Potter around?"

"It wasn't his fault, Professor," Hermione began, her face red in anger. "We all did it, it wasn't even his idea, it was Ron's--"

"Hermione!"

"That's enough, Granger. I can see what's going on. I think that will be five points from each of you."

"Five points to Gryffindor for each? Excellent suggestion," Professor Astramorde cut in, stepping into the room. Her pale skin glowed blue in the gathering shadows. "Thank you, Severus. And cheers to you all, for practicing," she added.

"Melpomene, I wasn't going to give them five points apiece," Snape said sallowly.

"Ten points, then," she said, her eyes twinkling. She took out her wand and pointed toward the tables and chairs around them. "Rostra Mutando!" she said briskly. Immediately, the tables vanished, and the raised platform rose before their eyes. "Now then," Astramorde said, walking forward, "Why don't you six stop practicing for now. I expect we'll have a few more coming within a few minutes. Severus--come, let's climb up before the others arrive. I have something I wish to speak to you about." She whipped around and climbed up onto the stage. And Snape followed her, a sneer across his face.

Two minutes later, half of Griffindor, Ravenclaw, and Hufflepuff arrived, with Slytherin at their heels, and Harry, Ron, Ginny, Neville, Hermione Seamus were crushed into the front of the room, up into the platform.

After an eternity of talking to Snape, during which Astramorde looked cheerily on as Snape grumped about something or other, she muttered the familiar phrase sonorus, and her voice soared across the crowd.

"PARTNER UP, EVERYONE!"

Harry switched off partnering with Hermione and Ron for the rest of the evening, while he noted Ginny switched between Neville and Dean. Ron was good, but Hermione was better, better than Ginny had been. There were no sparks, but there was no need. They executed the moves flawlessly.

At one point in the evening, Harry glanced up into Astramorde's eyes. She stared back at him, and he felt like the room was reflected in her eyes. And foremost, he could see Ginny's red hair, swinging around her.

And he longed for the sparks.

A/N (2)--Okay, so I started this chapter awhile ago, and didn't quite make it through. I want to just thank all my reviewers so far. I hope you continue to enjoy the story! I don't remember what else I was going to say, and I don't have time right now to comment on everyone's comments (as I was going to do--maybe I'll have to wait till next chapter). Anyway, thanks for the reviews, guys---and enjoy chapter 2!

Had to make a few corrections on this page, so I've reloaded it.