Disclaimer: I own nothing, nothing I tell you! All the characters, places etc. belong to JKR.
A/N: It's finally here - Chapter Five! Enjoy and please review! Is there any chance I can get to forty reviews? Fifty reviews? Please? Chapter Six will be nice and long if you do!

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SO WHAT NOW?
Chapter Five

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Later that evening, after the Polyjuice potion had worn off, Harry was sat in a corner of the Gryffindor Common Room by himself. He was still slightly depressed that Hermione hadn't responded to his heartfelt flower apology. He wasn't, however, discouraged. He still had plenty more tricks up his sleeve.

Looking around, he caught sight of his friends doing their usual evening activities: Ron and Lavender were sat together by the fire talking, or as was more likely, plotting something. Dean and Seamus were having a Quidditch versus Football discussion. They had been joined by several students from the lower school who had taken either Dean or Seamus's side. Parvati was working on her Divination homework and helping Neville with his. Ginny Weasley was sat not far from Dean and Seamus, reading a magazine quietly. Harry couldn't help but notice she kept stealing glances in the direction of the animated discussion.

And then there was Hermione. She was sat in the opposite corner of the Common Room. Her homework was spread out on a couple of tables and she was scribbling away on a piece of parchment. Harry picked up a magazine and pretended to read it. In reality he had positioned it so that he could see Hermione clearly over the top of it without her knowing.

After a few minutes, Hermione looked at her watch and then checked the clock that was hanging on the wall above her. She closed the book she had been looking in and stood up, glancing momentarily at Harry who became very interested in the magazine he had held up. She exited the Common Room, leaving Harry wondering where she had gone.

Harry looked at his watch and his eyes widened in surprised. Dropping his magazine he sprinted out of the Common Room after her. If he didn't hurry, he'd be late for the weekly Prefect meeting. As Head Boy he had to set an example. Also, Hermione had threatened to take off points if he was late for this meeting: he had been late for the last two.

Hermione was just about to call the meeting to order when Harry raced into the room and sprinted to his seat next to Hermione. She gave him a strange look and said; "You just about made it, Potter."

That last word made Harry's heart hurt. Very rarely did anyone call him by his surname, least of all his friends. Hearing Hermione say this was just wrong. It was as if someone had jut told him that the sky was actually pink and that a herd of tap-dancing elephants had just been Sorted into Slytherin.

Throughout the Prefects meeting, two of the Prefects sat in relative silence, barely joining in the discussion. They were Harry and Draco. When Hermione dismissed the Prefects, she scurried quickly out of the room, not making eye contact with anyone. The other Prefects left at a more leisurely rate. Except Draco, who sat in his seat, just staring out into space.

"Are you okay?" a feminine voice asked him. Draco snapped out of his daze and looked up.

"Oh, yeah, I'm fine, uh, Parvati," he managed to say.

"Hmm, let's see, broomstick in one hand, Quaffle in the other. Ravenclaw Quidditch robes. Nope, definitely not Parvati." Padma looked amused.

"Oh, sorry, Padma," Draco apologised. Padma took a seat next to him. He avoided looking at her; instead his focused his sight on a portrait that was hanging on the other side of the room: the current Head Boy and Girl. More specifically, his focused on Hermione.

Padma followed his gaze and sighed. She looked straight at him through her tinted sunglasses. "You're never going to have to her, you know."

"What do you mean?"

"Hermione. She's never going to be yours." Padma leaned back on her chair and pushed up her sunglasses so they were resting on the top of her head. "I don't mean to sound bitter or pessimistic or anything, Malfoy, but I'm telling the truth. She's never going to love you the way you love her."

Draco was astonished. "How did you..."

Padma shrugged. "I didn't. You just confirmed it for me." She gave him a sad smile.

Draco looked back at the portrait. The painted versions of Harry and Hermione were gazing adoringly at each other. "She kissed me," he said simply. Padma raised her eyebrows. "We tested our Polyjuice potions and through some sick, twisted fate, I became Harry Potter." He sighed, closing his eyes. He rested his head on the back of his chair and continued. "We were walking to Care of Magical Creatures. We looked into each others eyes and she kissed me. And I kissed her." He opened his eyes, a look of worry and emotional pain plastered across his fair features. "I couldn't help it. There it was - the one thing I wanted more than anything. But all the time there was this little voice in the back of my head."

"What was it saying?" Padma asked softly.

Draco shrugged. "That it was wrong. I was taking advantage of her. And, of course, the truth."

"Which was?"

"That she was kissing Harry, not me." Draco let out a small laugh. "Look at me! Pouring out my heart to someone I barely know."

Padma smiled. "I know. Not exactly the best introduction. Hey - why don't we start again." Draco looked quizzically at her. She held out her hand and said; "Hi, I'm Padma Patil. Seventh year Prefect and Captain of the Ravenclaw Quidditch team."

Draco smiled and shook her hand. "It's a pleasure it meet you. I'm Draco Malfoy, also a Seventh year Prefect. I'm Captain of the Slytherin Quidditch team." He grinned at her. "I think I've heard of you. Is it true that you've been offered a place on the England Under 21 Quidditch Squad?"

Padma let out a derisive snort. "As if! That's just a nasty rumour." She leaned in close to Malfoy, a wicked glint in her eye. "It was the full England Squad." She leaned back in her chair, a smug smile on her face.

"Really?" asked Draco amazed, and she nodded. "Wow. So that's what you're going to do when you leave school? Play Quidditch for England?"

"And the Arrows," supplied Padma. When she saw the disgusted face Draco pulled she said; "Ah, you must be a Wasps fan." Draco nodded. "So," she asked. "What are you going to do when you leave school? I've heard a lot about you."

"All good, I hope." Padma shrugged. "Well, I don't really know." With a grin he added, "I have been considering a career as a Dark Lord."

"I hear that's not such a good career path," said Padma, light-heartedly.

"I suppose you're right," said Draco, tilting his head to one side. "All those pesky Aurors trying to kill you."

"Actually, I hear it doesn't pay to well."

***

"Please, Lavender!" begged Ron.

"Okay!" consented Lavender, slightly annoyed. "We can do it now!"

It was Thursday evening and they were in an empty Charms classroom. They had no lessons until Monday because of a teachers conference the next day. Ron had been begging Lavender to put the final stage of Operation Ginger Snap into action since they had finished their last lesson of the day which had been Herbology.

Harry and Hermione were still not talking, and Ron and Lavender had vowed to do something about it when Operation Ginger Snap was complete. Over the course of the last few days, Hermione had received many gifts when the owl post arrived during breakfast. Monday, of course, had bee the flowers. Tuesday had been an enormous box of chocolates. Wednesday was heralded the arrival of a pet owl. The letter that had arrived with her proclaimed that her name was Aphrodite. That morning, Thursday, had been a letter that, when opened, played love songs.

Ron pulled the incantation Fred and George had given them from his bag and Lavender studied it for a second. "Right," she said. "Here goes nothing."

They took their wands and followed the instructions that Weasley twins had laid out for them. They were simple enough to follow and when they had finished the spell Ron looked at Lavender expectantly. "Do you think it worked?" he asked.

Lavender shrugged. "I don't see why it shouldn't have. We'll just have to wait and see..."

***

Ginny shifted uncomfortably in her chair. She had been sat there for the last half an hour, reading up on ways to try and curse Ron and Lavender if they tried anything. Eventually she could take no more and felt around the cushions that she was leaning against. Her hand drew out an impressive eagle feather quill. That was what had been causing her pain.

She looked carefully at it, trying to see if there were any clues as to the owners identity. When the quill caught the light, some engraved words were revealed. Peering closely at it, Ginny saw the words 'S. Finnigan'. "Seamus," she muttered under her breath.

With a sigh, she rose from her chair, intending to return it to him. "I think you left this lying around," she told him, handing him the quill. Seamus was sat alone, polishing his broomstick, a Nimbus 2001, in preparation for Quidditch practise.

Seamus set his broom down to one side. "Thanks, Ginny, I've been looking everywhere for this!"

"No problem," replied Ginny and she turned her back, wanting to return to her spell book. She was just getting to an interesting bit. She got no fewer than five paces away when she was flung backwards, landing on a rather surprised Seamus's lap. It was as if she had hit an invisible, though rather flexible, barrier.

"I never thought you'd be throwing yourself at me!" laughed Seamus. Ginny scrambled to her feet.

"Trust me, Seamus - I would never throw myself at you! There's like some sort of wall in the way!"

"You're being ridiculous!" said Seamus laughing.

"Fine. I'll show you." Ginny walked away. When she was five paces away she knocked angrily on the wall - she couldn't go any further.

"Maybe it's just you, Little Red?" suggested Seamus standing up.

"Little Red?" asked Ginny, but Seamus ignored her.

"See?" asked Seamus. He moved his hand to where there had been a barrier moments before. "Nothing." He walked forwards but had gone a mere five steps when he came up against an invisible wall. He swore under his breath and turned to look helplessly at Ginny.

Their eyes met and it was as if a light switch had been thrown. "Ron and Lavender," they said in unison.

They both sat down, not saying anything. After a few moments of awkward silence, Ginny said; "I wonder what they've done."

"Does it matter?" grumbled Seamus. "We have to stay within five steps of each other for goodness knows how long!" He ran a hand through his sandy blonde hair and looked at Ginny. "What are we going to do, Little Red?" he asked.

"Don't call me that," said Ginny frowning. "I suppose we could ask Hermione. She might know a solution."

As if on cue, Hermione entered the Gryffindor Common Room just before the other Gryffindor Prefect's. She ignored Ginny's greeting and stormed up the staircase to the girls dormitories. The slam of the Seventh Year Girls door echoed through the Common Room.

"On second thoughts, maybe not," said Ginny, resting her head on the back of the chair.

"Any other bright ideas?" asked Seamus.

"We could go to the Library?"

"The Library?" asked Seamus sounding confused.

"Yes, Seamus. The Library. Big place. Books are kept there."

"I do know what a library is," said Seamus sarcastically.

"Really - I'd never had guessed. I didn't think you even knew what a comb was."

"For you information this haircut is very fashionable!"

"Where? The sixties?"

"God, I think I'm going to have to kill myself if I have to put up with you any longer!"

"Not if I kill you first!" said Ginny standing up. She grabbed his hand and dragged him out of the Gryffindor Common Room. She led him at a fast pace to the Hogwarts Library. They started searching through books to try and find a way to get rid of their problem. Ginny had just opened her second book when Ron's voice said:

"You won't find anything." His body appeared and attached to it by the hand was Lavender. The two seventh years stood there grinning like maniacs. "Nothing at all."

"What makes you say that?" asked Seamus slamming his book shut and standing up angrily, sending a couple of volumes clattering to the ground.

"Because the spell didn't come from any book," supplied Lavender.

"Where did it come from?" demanded Ginny, brushing a stray lock of red hair from her tired eyes.

"Our dear brothers, Fred and George," said Ron, grinning at his sister. Ginny stared at him open mouthed.

"Please tell me that this is some sick joke," she said, but Ron shook his head. Ginny groaned. After a second she asked; "How long? How long is it going to last?"

"Until this time on Sunday," said Lavender. "Fred and George's spells are very precise."

***

A/N: There you have it - the final stage of Operation Ginger Snap. Will Ginny actually kill Seamus? Will Seamus commit suicide? Will Harry and Hermione get back together? Will Ron and Lavender ever stop messing with people's love life's? Will I stop asking these stupid questions?

Here's a thanks section for Chapter Four:
Noodlejelly - D/Hr isn't evil. Strange, but not evil. trust me, this will not become a D/Hr romance. Draco just fancies Hermione. She thinks of him as a friend. She's as likely to date him as she is to date Ron. Wait... she's already done that!
hudsonlv426 - It is turning into a bit of a soap opera, isn't it? It should settle down and become a bit more serious over the next few chapters.
Satans Little Princess - Thanx!
ShockoLatt - Thanx!
E. C. R. Potter - Shnickems? I don't think that's a word. Sounds like something Lavender would call Ron, though. Hmm... Don't worry - they get beck together in the next chapter (I've already written it, I just need to check it for errors, etc. Plus, I like getting reviews!).
Kat - I never really thought about it that way. Anyway, it was what Harry said that really upset Hermione. Hermione and studying come as a package - you take both or none at all.
Panny-Plan - It will never be D/Hr. Never. :)

Review, Flame, Whatever.

silverphoenix