Disclaimer: I own nothing, nothing I tell you! All the characters, places etc. belong to JKR.
A/N: I think this is my most romantic chapter to date - it concentrates on all four of the main couples - Harry & Hermione, Ron & Lavender, Ginny & Seamus and Draco & Padma.

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SO WHAT NOW?
Chapter Seven

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"You really should be in the girls dormitory," Lavender warned Ron who was splayed out across her bed. She was rummaging in her chest of drawers for a magazine which had an apparently foolproof love spell. Well, Lavender had told Ron, it wasn't a love spell per se, more of a spell that reveals your emotions.

The pair were planning to use this spell on Seamus and Ginny, though, they had to admit, the bickering between the two was rather amusing. Ron highly suspected that it was their rather strange form of flirting. Himself and Hermione had been like that before they had dated. Of course, everyone knew how well that relationship had worked out.

Dismissing any negative thoughts from his mind, Ron said; "Oh please, you go into the boys dormitory all the time!"

"But that's different!"

"How so?"

Lavender scowled. "It just is!"

Grinning, Ron picked up his wand which he had put down on Lavenders 'immaculate' bedside table. He pointed it threateningly at Lavender, who looked more than slightly worried.

"What are you doing?" she demanded. Ron didn't say anything but his grin broadened. "Ronald Weasley put that wand down!" she cried, but Ron paid her no heed. "I mean it Ron - don't point that thing at me!"

"Accio Lavender!" he cried, and Lavender hurtled through the air and landed on top of him.

"Ron!" she exclaimed. "How..." But she was silenced by a kiss. "What are you doing?" she asked as he used magic to lock the door.

"Look, Lavender, we spent so much time interfering with other people love life's that we've been neglecting our own." He kissed her gently and she smiled.

"I suppose you're right for once," she said resignedly.

"What do you mean 'for once'?" asked Ron in mock anger.

"Nothing, Shnickems," she said kissing him. "Nothing at all."

"Good, because I wouldn't want us ending up like Harry and Hermione."

"What, snogging down by the lake?" asked Lavender, sounding confused.

Ron looked at her in surprise. "What? How do you know?"

Lavender raised an eyebrow and pointed at the crystal ball that sat on Parvati's bedside table. There was a scene been played on it. Harry and Hermione were down by the old oak tree beside the lake, Hermione sat in Harry lap. You could tell that they were talking, and, in their usual fashion, were punctuating their sentences with small, sweet kisses.

"Well," said Ron mischievously, "maybe we do want to end up like them, then."

***

Ginny was sitting upside down in a chair in the Gryffindor Common Room. She was laughing hard at the story Seamus had just told her. "So you really did hit that helicopter!"

Seamus nodded. "Yeah. Me mam wasn't too happy about it, though. I wasn't allowed near me broom for a month and she confiscated me tickets to the Arrow V. Wasps game the next day!"

Ginny sat up properly. "Oh, please! Like you even need to go to an Arrows/Wasps game! The Arrows are clearly the better team."

Seamus game her a doubting look. "You're an Arrows fan too?"

"Well I'm certainly not a Stinger!" retorted Ginny.

"But your brother's a Cannons fan!" said a confused Seamus.

Ginny raised an eyebrow. "My brother also dates Lavender. What's your point?"

"I think you just made it," admitted Seamus laughing. "I can't believe you're related to that prat!" he said, still chuckling.

"Why?" asked Ginny. She batted her eyelids. "Because I'm so gorgeous?" she asked teasingly, flicking her hair behind her.

"That and the fact that you actually have a good taste in Quidditch teams." Seamus clapped his hand to his mouth, realising what he had just said. Ginny just stared at him in surprise. She wouldn't have been surprised if her eyes had fallen out of her head.

"Pardon?" she said.

"Nothing! I didn't mean it! It's was a joke. Just a stupid joke."

"Good," said Ginny, settling back into her chair. "Anyway, I wouldn't be surprised if you batted for the other team, if you catch my drift."

"I don't! How could I when I'm attracted to you!" Seamus told her. His eyes widened and he clamped his mouth shut. He hadn't meant to say this, but the words had just come out of his mouth. It seemed that he was saying whatever he was thinking.

Ginny sat bolt upright and moved closer to him. "You think you got it bad? What about me? I'm attracted to a crazy Irish guy with a sixties haircut!" She covered her mouth with her hand in shock. She really hadn't meant to say that, even if she had been thinking it.

It was as if an invisible force propelled them towards each other. "Well what are you going to do about it?" asked Seamus softly, inches from her.

"I don't rightly know," Ginny admitted. "I guess I'll just have to see."

The invisible force acted again, pushing them yet closer. Against their conscious will, but obeying their unconscious minds, their lips met in a slow, lingering kiss.

***

Draco and Padma walked into the Great Hall together. It was the day after Harry and Hermione had made up. News of their reconciliation had spread through the school in a matter of hours.

"Are you jealous?" Padma asked, noticing that Draco was looking over at the Gryffindor table where Harry and Hermione were practically sat in one seat they were so close.

"It's like they've never been apart," commented Draco. Suddenly, he grabbed Padma's hand grinning wickedly. "Come on - I don't feel like eating in the Great Hall today!" Ignoring Padma's protests, he led her to the Hogwarts kitchens. Padma gazed around in awe as the many house elves scurried around doing their business. When one of the elves spotted Draco, he squealed and ran away. "That's Dobby," Draco explained. "He used to work for my family."

Padma nodded as about a dozen house elves surrounded them, asking them what they wanted. Draco sat at the end of one of the long tables that occupied the room and Padma sat next to them. Within seconds the house elves had set out an impressive breakfast for them.

Draco started talking about the upcoming Quidditch match that they had (Slytherin versus Ravenclaw). As the Captain of Ravenclaw Padma listened patiently as Draco went on about how good his team was as she sipped a large mug of hot chocolate, mentally recording some of the things he said.

Suddenly Draco snorted with laughter and started guffawing loudly. "What is it?" demanded Padma, putting her mug down. She giggled slightly as Draco made feeble movements with his arms, almost crying with laughter. "Tell me!"

"You've got hot chocolate on the end of your nose!" Draco managed to choke out. Padma started giggling harder and Draco managed to sober himself up enough to pick up one of the napkins the house elves had laid out for them.

"Stay still," he told her, leaning forwards. Padma forced herself to stop laughing and sat still as Draco proceed to wipe the offending chocolate from her nose. As he removed the napkin, their eyes locked. Acting on instinct, Draco leaned in and brushed her lips with his. At first she didn't respond, but when Draco tried to pull away, she wrapped her arms around his neck, deepening the kiss.

When the kiss finished, Draco said; "Well, that was certainly..."

"Unexpected?" supplied Padma.

"Definitely," said Draco nodded. "But not unwelcome," he added.

Padma blushed. "Nope," she agreed. "In fact," she said, "I wouldn't mind doing it again."

"Great minds think alike," Draco told her before kissing her again.

***

"I've missed this so much," Hermione told Harry. The two were curled up in an armchair in the Gryffindor Common Room. That evening, the day after they had made up, when they had walked into the Common Room hand in hand, people had quickly cleared out giving them privacy.

The Gryffindor Common Room was now empty save for the two of them.

"Me too," agreed Harry, kissing her tenderly. He twisted the lock of hair that had fallen across her face between his fingers, gazing adoringly at her.

"What are you looking at Mr Potter?" Hermione asked slyly. She smiled when he replied;

"I'm just admiring the beautiful view."

They sat talking quietly for the next half an hour before people started coming back into the Common Room. They talked about everything that had happened during the last week, including Ron and Lavender's attempt at matchmaking Ginny and Seamus.

"So when does the spell wear off?" Harry asked. Hermione looked at her watch.

"About an hour. I wonder how they got on with each other."

"I'm still surprised they haven't killed each other yet," admitted Harry and Hermione agreed heartily.

"Hey you'll never guess who I heard was dating!" Hermione said. Harry gave her a sceptical look. Hermione wasn't usually someone who would gossip. "Oh, don't look at me like that, Harry! This isn't gossip! It's fact. Sort of." Harry rolled his eyes. Before he could ask who, Hermione blurted out; "Draco Malfoy and Padma Patil!"

Harry almost fell out of the armchair. "How do you know?" he asked.

"Well, Parvati said that Mandy said that Lisa that Hannah said that..." Hermione burst into giggles at the look on Harry's face. "I'm joking!" she said.

"Good," said Harry. "I mean - Draco and Padma? Highly unbelievable."

Hermione instantly sobered up. "No, Harry - I was telling the truth! They really are dating. I was going into the kitchens at breakfast when I saw them snogging."

"Good for Draco," said Harry sincerely. "He needs someone like Padma."

A smile crept across Hermione's face. "What is it?" Harry asked.

"I'm imagining the two of them in ten years times."

"Oh, yeah," said Harry, still twirling her hair in his fingers. "What do you see?"

Hermione closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "I see... three kids. At least. A big house in the country. Quidditch trophies everywhere. Padma will probably end up as Captain of the England Squad - her World Cup winners medal hung in pride of place."

"Sounds nice," Harry told her. "What about us? Where do you see us in ten years?"

Hermione opened her eyes and looked Harry straight in the eye. She shrugged. "I don't want to know," she said. She kissed him. "I just want to live for the moment." At that moment in time, Harry couldn't agree more.

***

A/N: Okay, this chapter isn't as long as some of the other chapters, but I felt like writing something fluffy and romantic. Please can we try for 70 reviews for the next chapter? Please?

Here's a thanks section for Chapter Six:
Satans Little Princess - Thanx!
ms. potter - Thanx, I'm glad you like the other ships
Sovern Of Silence - Thanx!
ShockoLatt - Hey, I don't care when you review, as long as you do review! :)
hudsonlv426 - Thanx!
AznGolDragonGod - I wasn't planning on explaining. Pansy is dead. She died in their fifth year. A casualty of war.
Harry + Hermione 2gether 4ever - Thanx!
Never In Ur Wildest Dreamz - I thought it was an interesting ship as well.
Noodlejelly - I like Padma as well! :)
DarkIllusion - Thanx!
WhiteLady - I'll try and write Draco a bit more IC in future chapters.
noa jeo - Thanx!
Panny-Plan - Oooh... Viktor. Hmm. I'd forgotten all about him.
Karen - Thanx!
RACHEL - Finally!
E. C. R. Potter - Thanx!

Review, Flame, Whatever.

silverphoenix