A/N: Big thanks to mshellfire, naiya-isis, charmedrox, and KrystalK8 for
their reviews last chapter!
So here's another chappy, hope you enjoy!
-Flyaway Dove
!!!!!!!!!
Chapter Eleven
!!!!!!!!!
By lunch, the people who the matter concerned had been informed of the reconciliation of Pepper and Harry. Ron decided this would be the time to make Pepper aware of what she really showed the contents of the dormitory last night.
"The four of us really enjoyed your pajamas, Pepper," Ron guffawed.
"Shut up Ron," Pepper responded.
"Where'd you get those?" Ron asked, trying to contain his laughter. It wasn't working.
"Shut it," Harry said, supporting Pepper.
"If you want to come ranting into our dorm again tonight, feel free," Ron continued.
"Shut up before I hex you," Pepper warned, turning red.
"Nice knickers by the way," Ron said, not heeding Pepper's warning.
"Ron, they weren't that transparent," Harry said.
"Yes they were," said Dean Thomas, one of the boys' dorm mates. "Brilliant show, Pepper. Really enjoyed that one, we all did. Come in tonight, I could see that again."
Mortified and fuming, Pepper rose from her seat and stormed out of the Great Hall. Oh great, she thought, once I make up with Harry I get in a fight with Ron.
She headed towards Gryffindor Tower to collect her things for Care of Magical Creatures. Knowing that lunch was almost over and it would be pointless to head to the library before class, she sat in the common room for a few minutes, waiting for the bell to ring, signaling the end of the meal.
"Hello," a voice squeaked behind her. She turned around and saw Dennis Creevy, a third year, sitting at a table.
"Hello?" she responded. He'd never really talked to her and she wondered why he was up here instead of down at lunch. "Why are you up here? It's lunch."
"Oh I know," he said. "I've got to catch up on some of my homework. I'm having a lot of trouble with it, I just don't get Potions."
"Would you like some help?" Pepper offered.
A smile broke out on the tiny boy's face. "If you've got time," he said.
Pepper walked over to his table and took a seat. She surveyed the assignment. "You made this potion in class, didn't you?"
"Yes," said Dennis. "But I've got to compare what happened and what would happen if you added butterfly wings before the frogs blood."
"Think about what happened," Pepper instructed, wondering how Dennis couldn't possibly understand this.
"Alright..." he said.
"Now reverse the last effect of adding the two ingredients in order."
"Oh, I get it now, thank you," he said, scribbling the answer quickly on his parchment.
"The bell's in a minute," Pepper said, getting up.
Pepper and Dennis headed out of the common room before parting ways, Dennis going to Potions and Pepper to the grounds, to Care of Magical Creatures. On the way Harry ran up to meet her.
"Hey," he panted, out of breath from running to her. "You alright?"
"Yea, fine," Pepper answered darkly.
"Rubbish," Harry said, "I can tell you're not okay."
"Then why'd you ask," Pepper retorted, not knowing exactly why she was snapping at Harry – he'd tried to defend her, it was Ron that was being evil to her. "Sorry, Harry, I'm still a little pissed."
"'S'all right," Harry said. "I guess I understand that he made you mad. Hermione's straightening Ron out. Pretty funny actually."
"Were my PJs really that see through?" Pepper asked.
"PJs?" Harry asked.
"Ooh, sorry, didn't know pajamas wasn't abbreviated in Britishness language," said Pepper. "I meant pajamas."
"Do you want the truth?" Harry asked worriedly. He knew Pepper wouldn't like the answer too much. He'd wanted to say something to her last night, but she'd been so mad and she wouldn't let him get a word in anyway. Besides, it would have really embarrassed her to say something in front of all those boys, though she might have appreciated knowing then.
Pepper nodded warily.
"Then yes, they were see through," Harry replied.
Pepper groaned. "I'm never going to hear the end of this then. Dammit! Aunt Paige is really going to get it now. She was the one that gave them to me, and that was the first time I've ever warn them out of the dorm. I don't know why she gives me things like that." Pepper shook her head in confusion. "What did you say those letter things were that record your voice screaming and burst into flame?"
"Howlers," Harry laughed. "You mean to send her one, then?"
"Yes," Pepper said. "She deserves it. Good thing I wasn't wearing the underwear she got me for my birthday, that would've sucked really badly."
"I shouldn't ask, right," Harry said.
"Right," Pepper responded. "Tonight you'll have to show me how to send a Howler, alright?"
"Alright," Harry said as they arrived outside Hagrid's cabin, where much of the class was already congregated.
"Is it true, Halliwell?" Malfoy's smirking face said as it approached Harry and Pepper. "You stripped for Potter and his friends? You're welcome to come to the Slytherin common room tonight, then. We could use with a good whore."
Harry lunged at Malfoy but Pepper grabbed the collar of his robes before he did anything but make Malfoy step back a bit. "It's alright, Harry," she said. "I'm sure the whole of Slytherin House is just tired of him being their whore."
Malfoy opened his mouth to retort but Hagrid began speaking, signaling the start of the lesson. Pepper just smiled at Malfoy, flicked her hair over her shoulder and turned her attention to Hagrid.
"Good one," Harry whispered to her. "Do you s'pose Hermione and Ron made it? I don't see them."
"Here they come," Pepper said, pointing to two figures joining the class stealthily. "Don't even try and make me talk to Ron before he apologizes."
"I wouldn't dare," Harry answered.
As Care of Magical Creatures came to a close and the students filed back into the castle, Hagrid caught Harry, Ron, Hermione and Pepper and asked them to stay behind. "Would you four like ter stop by fer a cuppa tonight?" he asked them. "Haven't seen yeh in a while."
"Sure, Hagrid, we'd be happy to," Hermione said.
"If Ron apologizes to Pepper by then," Harry added quietly, so only Ron could hear him. Ron flushed pink.
Before Ron and Harry went to Divination and Pepper and Hermione to Airthmancy, Ron apologized.
"You know," Pepper said to Ron, before she forgave him. "Thanks to you Malfoy called me a whore."
"He WHAT!" Ron exclaimed.
"Pepper handled it, though," Harry said.
"Anyway, I suppose I forgive you, Ron. Like I told Harry earlier today, don't do it again," Pepper told him.
"You said 'not for a while,'" Harry reminded her quietly. Pepper hit him playfully on the arm.
"See you at dinner," Hermione said as she and Pepper headed towards the Airthmancy room. "Seems as though you've been doing a lot of yelling and forgiving lately," Hermione said jokingly to Pepper.
"That I have," Pepper said. "Boys suck, I think."
"Agreed," said Hermione.
"I'm getting really fed up with Ronald, I think I should say something to him, make it obvious for him or something. I don't want him fighting with you or you moping around anymore."
"No, Pepper, I want him to do it on his own," Hermione said.
"I can't even drop him a tiny-or a gigantic hint?"
"No," Hermione said defiantly. "It has to be by his on accord."
"Oh fine."
Dinner passed uneventfully, except for Pepper trying to drop hints to Ron without Hermione noticing. She wasn't too successful.
"Pepper, I told you not to do that," Hermione hissed.
"'Oo wha?" Ron asked through a mouthful of pudding.
"Nothing," huffed Hermione. She dropped her voice considerably lower and said, "Harry, we should use the Invisibility Cloak to visit Hagrid tonight. I bet Dumbledore doesn't want you going out after dark."
"Invisibility Cloak?" Pepper asked.
"You've never seen it?" Hermione said. Pepper shook her head. "Well you will tonight."
Harry and Ron led Hermione and Pepper up to their dorm, making sure no one saw them. Harry opened the trunk at the foot of his bed and pulled out a shimmering piece of material. As it passed over his hand Pepper saw that Harry's hand seemed to disappear. Seeing Pepper's look of surprise, Ron explained that anything under it turned invisible.
Harry held up the cloak and looked at it suspiciously. "I don't think we can all fit under this," he said. "We have trouble fitting three of us; with four we won't all be covered. Think of how weird it'll look to a teacher who walks by – they'll just see our feet, or an arm or something."
"We can try it," Ron said, taking the cloak from Harry and throwing it over himself and Hermione.
Pepper was surprised that the two of them seemed to have disappeared into thin air, but she still managed to drop a hint to Ron by saying, "Ooh, how romantic," causing Harry to laugh and Hermione to pull her under the cloak.
"Come on Harry," Ron said. "The three of us fit. Maybe we could just put an Enlarging Charm on the cloak or something."
"You can't do that to an Invisibility Cloak, Ronald," Hermione told him.
"Let me guess, you read it in Hogwarts, a History," Ron joked. Hermione hit him.
"Stop fooling around and let me in," Harry said, picking up a side of the cloak and slipping in with the three of them. "See, there are our feet," he said, pointing downward.
"If we duck a little we fit," Hermione said, and they all followed what she said.
"My arm's still here," said Ron. "We've got to huddle up a bit." They all got closer together and all of their body parts disappeared. "Brilliant," Ron said.
"Let's go, Hagrid's going to wonder if we forgot," said Hermione.
Four people moving at the same time was very difficult, as they soon found out. They managed to get out of the dorm room with little difficulty, but getting down the stairs was another problem. There were people in the common room, so they had to make it seem as if there was no one there by staying quiet and keeping the cloak covering all four of them. The end result was Pepper and Hermione walking down first, with Ron and Harry closely behind them, so they were in two rows. If someone could see them Pepper was sure they'd laugh.
Once down the stairs and through the common room they had to wait for the portrait door to open. Luckily for them, Ginny came in moments after they arrived at the portrait, and they slipped out undetected.
Pepper and Hermione took the lead as the four of them exited the castle and went down to Hagrid's hut. Still under the cloak, Hermione knocked on the door and when Hagrid opened the door Hermione told them that they were under the Invisibility Cloak. He ushered the invisible mass into his hut and not until the door was firmly shut did they remove the cloak.
"Harry, you kept stepping on me," Pepper complained as soon as she was visible again.
"Well, it's hard trying to keep so close to you without stepping on you," Harry replied. "You and Hermione try being in the back next time."
"Hi!" Hagrid said, breaking up the almost-argument of Harry and Pepper.
"Hello, Hagrid," Hermione said. Ron, Harry and Pepper said their hellos, too, and Hagrid told them to have a seat, he'd make some tea.
A giant black dog lay down at Pepper's feet (though its sleeping form came up to her knees, it was so huge), and Pepper looked perplexedly at it.
"I see you've met Fang," Hagrid said, setting down a plate of biscuit looking things on the table. "Go ahead and pet 'im, e's harmless," he encouraged Pepper.
She reached her hand down and patted the black blob, who promptly rolled over to expose his stomach. Deciding she didn't want to rub the creature's stomach, she busied herself with taking a biscuit looking thing from the plate on the table. As she took one from the plate, Hermione shook her head fervently at Pepper, so Pepper put it back, realizing Hermione didn't want her to eat it.
Hagrid turned back to the four of them with a tea kettle. Stopping his conversation with Harry, he poured the tea and offered them the biscuit looking things. Hermione politely declined for all of them, saying that they were still full from dinner.
"So Hagrid, what's new?" Ron asked, sipping at his tea.
"Yeah, what's happening with Madame Maxine?" Harry wondered.
Pepper didn't know who Madame Maxine was, but by the way Hagrid was blushing, she figured it was his girlfriend.
"Me and Olympe are...well I perposed ter her the other night," Hagrid admitted.
"Oh, Hagrid!" Hermione exclaimed, jumping up and hugging him.
"Congratulations, Hagrid," Harry said, toasting Hagrid with his teacup.
"Cheers, mate," Ron said, hitting Harry's teacup with his own. "Always knew you two'd get married," he ," Pepper said uncomfortably. She suddenly wanted to leave. She felt like she shouldn't have gone with Harry, Ron and Hermione in the first place. She hadn't known Hagrid nearly as long as the other three had – he probably didn't want her here anyway, he'd just asked her here to be polite. She could just grab the Invisibility Cloak and slip out...
"Oh, Hagrid," Hermione said again, pulling Pepper out of her thoughts. "That's so wonderful! Where are you going to live? Is she coming down here...oh, no, she couldn't she's Beauxbatons' headmistress, she couldn't leave her students. Oh, no! Hagrid, does that mean you're leaving?!" Hermione cried.
"Well, I'm not sure abou' that yet, 'Ermione, but it looks tha' way," Hagrid said. "I'll stay ter the end o the year, o course.
"Oh, no!" Hermione repeated, tears threatening to spill from her eyes. "You can't leave, Hagrid! France!"
"Erm, Hermione, I think we should leave," said Ron, glancing nervously out the window. A few seconds later, there was a knock at the door. Hermione stopped her tears, grabbed the cloak and threw it over the four of them. They snuck out the back door as Hagrid opened the door, letting Professor Dumbledore and another wizard into his hut.
The four of them ran through the dark pumpkin patch as fast as they could, considering they were all under a cloak. As they approached the castle, Hermione's sobs started again.
"He-he just can't leave," she stuttered. "We couldn't even visit him, Beauxbatons is so f-far away...somewhere in France..."
"It'll be alright, Hermione," Ron assured her, putting the arm that wasn't holding the cloak away from his face around Hermione.
Pepper smiled to herself. She wasn't too heartbroken that Hagrid might be leaving, after all she didn't know him too well and his leaving seemed to be bringing Hermione and Ron closer together. She would have to tell Hermione to keep acting so sad and helpless, and then Ron might comfort her. At least it would get her more attention from him.
When they arrived back in the common room, it was empty so they decided it would be safe to take it off there. They removed the cloak, and immediately Hermione ran up to the girls' dorm room, still in tears. Pepper dropped the cloak material she was holding and rushed after her friend, telling Ron and Harry she'd take care of it.
"Hermione?" she said, pulling back Hermione's bed curtains. Hermione sat there, with her head in her hands. When she looked up it appeared she was torn between being really upset and very happy. Pepper sat on Hermione's bed and closed the curtains behind her.
"Your face looks like it's having trouble deciding whether to be happy or sad, Hermione," Pepper said, trying not to smile at Hermione's expression. "What's up?"
"I don't want Hagrid to leave, though I'm happy he's getting m-m-married, and Ron, he-he put his arm around me!" Hermione explained.
Pepper laughed. "Hermione, Hermione," she teased, shaking her head. "If you want that kind of attention from Ron then just act this upset until he kisses you or something."
"But isn't that sort of lying?" Hermione asked uncertainly.
"Rubbish," Pepper said, deciding to use her British vocabulary. "You'll still be upset, I'm sure of it. You just won't be as upset as you are now...so it's not lying, it's...fibbing. Which isn't bad. Especially if you're trying to get Ron to notice you."
"Alright," Hermione said, still uncertain. "I'll try it, I s'pose."
Pepper awoke to see a face right by her own face. She was so surprised she yelped and almost fell out of bed. When she regained full consciousness she found it was Harry, dressed in his Quidditch robes. "Hey, Pepper," he whispered. "Want to come to Quidditch practice?"
"Gimme ten minutes," Pepper answered groggily. Harry left and Pepper got up to get dressed and ready to go down to Quidditch practice. She hoped that Harry would give her another lesson...
"'Bout time," Ron grumbled as Pepper entered the common room. "We better hurry up, or we'll be late."
Pepper, Ron and Harry exited the common room and made their way down to the Quidditch pitch. "Harry, are you sure it's alright I watch?" Pepper asked Harry.
"Yea, I asked Angelina and she said that as long as you're not in the way you're free to be there," Harry said.
"Cool," Pepper responded, exited to watch another Quidditch practice.
At the end of the practice, Pepper was ready with water for the team once again. Harry downed his water and then told her he'd take her flying after his shower. Like last time, Pepper watched the team file back into the castle, each of them saying good-bye to her as they went.
Finally, Harry emerged from the changing rooms, his unruly hair still damp. "Hurry up, Harry, we've got class in an hour," Pepper said anxiously.
"Alright, alright," said Harry, hurrying over to her with his Firebolt in his hand. "So did you want to steer, or d'you want me to take you for a ride?" he asked.
"Uh, if it's all right I'd like to try it again. I promise I'll be more careful this time," Pepper said.
Harry handed her the broom and she mounted it, Harry getting on behind her. Pepper kicked lightly off the ground and they hovered a few inches. "A bit harder next time," Harry told her.
Pepper couldn't reach the ground with her feet anymore so Harry, being taller than her, did it for them. They rose expertly into the air and Pepper leaned forward on the broom a tiny bit, making it go forward. The broom inched forward as Harry took control, taking the position from behind Pepper as he had before; his hands on hers, their faces close. Neither one of them minded that Harry moved closer to Pepper than he had the last time. Harry turned the broom upward so they went soaring into the sky.
"Where are we going!" Pepper yelled over the din the wind was making in her ears. "Off to make out?"
"Yes, actually!" Harry yelled back.
"I'm down with that!" came Pepper's reply.
"What does that mean?!" Harry asked confusedly.
"OKAY!" Pepper yelled, laughing.
Harry flew them into the pitch's stands, where the teachers usually sat. Cornering Pepper into the topmost stand he kissed her, and she responded. "What do – (kiss) – you call make – (kiss) – ing out in – (kiss) – British- ness?" Pepper asked.
"Snogging," Harry said, smiling at her knack to ask strange questions at odd times.
Twenty minutes later, Harry and Pepper returned to the ground. As they raced towards the castle, Pepper tried to fix her hair. "We're screwing the lesson then, I suppose," Pepper panted.
"Looks that way," Harry said. "I'm starving, we'd better hurry."
"I'm going as fast as I can," gasped Pepper. "You're just fitter than I am!"
"Have fun?" Ron asked as Pepper and Harry arrived in the Great Hall.
"Yea," Pepper answered, seating herself next to Hermione and grabbing a piece of toast. "Great fun...Oh, Harry, you've got to tell me how to send a Howler, remember?" she said as hundreds of owls swept into the Great Hall, delivering the mail.
"Oh, yea, I'll do it tonight," Harry replied as he spread marmalade on his toast.
-Flyaway Dove
!!!!!!!!!
Chapter Eleven
!!!!!!!!!
By lunch, the people who the matter concerned had been informed of the reconciliation of Pepper and Harry. Ron decided this would be the time to make Pepper aware of what she really showed the contents of the dormitory last night.
"The four of us really enjoyed your pajamas, Pepper," Ron guffawed.
"Shut up Ron," Pepper responded.
"Where'd you get those?" Ron asked, trying to contain his laughter. It wasn't working.
"Shut it," Harry said, supporting Pepper.
"If you want to come ranting into our dorm again tonight, feel free," Ron continued.
"Shut up before I hex you," Pepper warned, turning red.
"Nice knickers by the way," Ron said, not heeding Pepper's warning.
"Ron, they weren't that transparent," Harry said.
"Yes they were," said Dean Thomas, one of the boys' dorm mates. "Brilliant show, Pepper. Really enjoyed that one, we all did. Come in tonight, I could see that again."
Mortified and fuming, Pepper rose from her seat and stormed out of the Great Hall. Oh great, she thought, once I make up with Harry I get in a fight with Ron.
She headed towards Gryffindor Tower to collect her things for Care of Magical Creatures. Knowing that lunch was almost over and it would be pointless to head to the library before class, she sat in the common room for a few minutes, waiting for the bell to ring, signaling the end of the meal.
"Hello," a voice squeaked behind her. She turned around and saw Dennis Creevy, a third year, sitting at a table.
"Hello?" she responded. He'd never really talked to her and she wondered why he was up here instead of down at lunch. "Why are you up here? It's lunch."
"Oh I know," he said. "I've got to catch up on some of my homework. I'm having a lot of trouble with it, I just don't get Potions."
"Would you like some help?" Pepper offered.
A smile broke out on the tiny boy's face. "If you've got time," he said.
Pepper walked over to his table and took a seat. She surveyed the assignment. "You made this potion in class, didn't you?"
"Yes," said Dennis. "But I've got to compare what happened and what would happen if you added butterfly wings before the frogs blood."
"Think about what happened," Pepper instructed, wondering how Dennis couldn't possibly understand this.
"Alright..." he said.
"Now reverse the last effect of adding the two ingredients in order."
"Oh, I get it now, thank you," he said, scribbling the answer quickly on his parchment.
"The bell's in a minute," Pepper said, getting up.
Pepper and Dennis headed out of the common room before parting ways, Dennis going to Potions and Pepper to the grounds, to Care of Magical Creatures. On the way Harry ran up to meet her.
"Hey," he panted, out of breath from running to her. "You alright?"
"Yea, fine," Pepper answered darkly.
"Rubbish," Harry said, "I can tell you're not okay."
"Then why'd you ask," Pepper retorted, not knowing exactly why she was snapping at Harry – he'd tried to defend her, it was Ron that was being evil to her. "Sorry, Harry, I'm still a little pissed."
"'S'all right," Harry said. "I guess I understand that he made you mad. Hermione's straightening Ron out. Pretty funny actually."
"Were my PJs really that see through?" Pepper asked.
"PJs?" Harry asked.
"Ooh, sorry, didn't know pajamas wasn't abbreviated in Britishness language," said Pepper. "I meant pajamas."
"Do you want the truth?" Harry asked worriedly. He knew Pepper wouldn't like the answer too much. He'd wanted to say something to her last night, but she'd been so mad and she wouldn't let him get a word in anyway. Besides, it would have really embarrassed her to say something in front of all those boys, though she might have appreciated knowing then.
Pepper nodded warily.
"Then yes, they were see through," Harry replied.
Pepper groaned. "I'm never going to hear the end of this then. Dammit! Aunt Paige is really going to get it now. She was the one that gave them to me, and that was the first time I've ever warn them out of the dorm. I don't know why she gives me things like that." Pepper shook her head in confusion. "What did you say those letter things were that record your voice screaming and burst into flame?"
"Howlers," Harry laughed. "You mean to send her one, then?"
"Yes," Pepper said. "She deserves it. Good thing I wasn't wearing the underwear she got me for my birthday, that would've sucked really badly."
"I shouldn't ask, right," Harry said.
"Right," Pepper responded. "Tonight you'll have to show me how to send a Howler, alright?"
"Alright," Harry said as they arrived outside Hagrid's cabin, where much of the class was already congregated.
"Is it true, Halliwell?" Malfoy's smirking face said as it approached Harry and Pepper. "You stripped for Potter and his friends? You're welcome to come to the Slytherin common room tonight, then. We could use with a good whore."
Harry lunged at Malfoy but Pepper grabbed the collar of his robes before he did anything but make Malfoy step back a bit. "It's alright, Harry," she said. "I'm sure the whole of Slytherin House is just tired of him being their whore."
Malfoy opened his mouth to retort but Hagrid began speaking, signaling the start of the lesson. Pepper just smiled at Malfoy, flicked her hair over her shoulder and turned her attention to Hagrid.
"Good one," Harry whispered to her. "Do you s'pose Hermione and Ron made it? I don't see them."
"Here they come," Pepper said, pointing to two figures joining the class stealthily. "Don't even try and make me talk to Ron before he apologizes."
"I wouldn't dare," Harry answered.
As Care of Magical Creatures came to a close and the students filed back into the castle, Hagrid caught Harry, Ron, Hermione and Pepper and asked them to stay behind. "Would you four like ter stop by fer a cuppa tonight?" he asked them. "Haven't seen yeh in a while."
"Sure, Hagrid, we'd be happy to," Hermione said.
"If Ron apologizes to Pepper by then," Harry added quietly, so only Ron could hear him. Ron flushed pink.
Before Ron and Harry went to Divination and Pepper and Hermione to Airthmancy, Ron apologized.
"You know," Pepper said to Ron, before she forgave him. "Thanks to you Malfoy called me a whore."
"He WHAT!" Ron exclaimed.
"Pepper handled it, though," Harry said.
"Anyway, I suppose I forgive you, Ron. Like I told Harry earlier today, don't do it again," Pepper told him.
"You said 'not for a while,'" Harry reminded her quietly. Pepper hit him playfully on the arm.
"See you at dinner," Hermione said as she and Pepper headed towards the Airthmancy room. "Seems as though you've been doing a lot of yelling and forgiving lately," Hermione said jokingly to Pepper.
"That I have," Pepper said. "Boys suck, I think."
"Agreed," said Hermione.
"I'm getting really fed up with Ronald, I think I should say something to him, make it obvious for him or something. I don't want him fighting with you or you moping around anymore."
"No, Pepper, I want him to do it on his own," Hermione said.
"I can't even drop him a tiny-or a gigantic hint?"
"No," Hermione said defiantly. "It has to be by his on accord."
"Oh fine."
Dinner passed uneventfully, except for Pepper trying to drop hints to Ron without Hermione noticing. She wasn't too successful.
"Pepper, I told you not to do that," Hermione hissed.
"'Oo wha?" Ron asked through a mouthful of pudding.
"Nothing," huffed Hermione. She dropped her voice considerably lower and said, "Harry, we should use the Invisibility Cloak to visit Hagrid tonight. I bet Dumbledore doesn't want you going out after dark."
"Invisibility Cloak?" Pepper asked.
"You've never seen it?" Hermione said. Pepper shook her head. "Well you will tonight."
Harry and Ron led Hermione and Pepper up to their dorm, making sure no one saw them. Harry opened the trunk at the foot of his bed and pulled out a shimmering piece of material. As it passed over his hand Pepper saw that Harry's hand seemed to disappear. Seeing Pepper's look of surprise, Ron explained that anything under it turned invisible.
Harry held up the cloak and looked at it suspiciously. "I don't think we can all fit under this," he said. "We have trouble fitting three of us; with four we won't all be covered. Think of how weird it'll look to a teacher who walks by – they'll just see our feet, or an arm or something."
"We can try it," Ron said, taking the cloak from Harry and throwing it over himself and Hermione.
Pepper was surprised that the two of them seemed to have disappeared into thin air, but she still managed to drop a hint to Ron by saying, "Ooh, how romantic," causing Harry to laugh and Hermione to pull her under the cloak.
"Come on Harry," Ron said. "The three of us fit. Maybe we could just put an Enlarging Charm on the cloak or something."
"You can't do that to an Invisibility Cloak, Ronald," Hermione told him.
"Let me guess, you read it in Hogwarts, a History," Ron joked. Hermione hit him.
"Stop fooling around and let me in," Harry said, picking up a side of the cloak and slipping in with the three of them. "See, there are our feet," he said, pointing downward.
"If we duck a little we fit," Hermione said, and they all followed what she said.
"My arm's still here," said Ron. "We've got to huddle up a bit." They all got closer together and all of their body parts disappeared. "Brilliant," Ron said.
"Let's go, Hagrid's going to wonder if we forgot," said Hermione.
Four people moving at the same time was very difficult, as they soon found out. They managed to get out of the dorm room with little difficulty, but getting down the stairs was another problem. There were people in the common room, so they had to make it seem as if there was no one there by staying quiet and keeping the cloak covering all four of them. The end result was Pepper and Hermione walking down first, with Ron and Harry closely behind them, so they were in two rows. If someone could see them Pepper was sure they'd laugh.
Once down the stairs and through the common room they had to wait for the portrait door to open. Luckily for them, Ginny came in moments after they arrived at the portrait, and they slipped out undetected.
Pepper and Hermione took the lead as the four of them exited the castle and went down to Hagrid's hut. Still under the cloak, Hermione knocked on the door and when Hagrid opened the door Hermione told them that they were under the Invisibility Cloak. He ushered the invisible mass into his hut and not until the door was firmly shut did they remove the cloak.
"Harry, you kept stepping on me," Pepper complained as soon as she was visible again.
"Well, it's hard trying to keep so close to you without stepping on you," Harry replied. "You and Hermione try being in the back next time."
"Hi!" Hagrid said, breaking up the almost-argument of Harry and Pepper.
"Hello, Hagrid," Hermione said. Ron, Harry and Pepper said their hellos, too, and Hagrid told them to have a seat, he'd make some tea.
A giant black dog lay down at Pepper's feet (though its sleeping form came up to her knees, it was so huge), and Pepper looked perplexedly at it.
"I see you've met Fang," Hagrid said, setting down a plate of biscuit looking things on the table. "Go ahead and pet 'im, e's harmless," he encouraged Pepper.
She reached her hand down and patted the black blob, who promptly rolled over to expose his stomach. Deciding she didn't want to rub the creature's stomach, she busied herself with taking a biscuit looking thing from the plate on the table. As she took one from the plate, Hermione shook her head fervently at Pepper, so Pepper put it back, realizing Hermione didn't want her to eat it.
Hagrid turned back to the four of them with a tea kettle. Stopping his conversation with Harry, he poured the tea and offered them the biscuit looking things. Hermione politely declined for all of them, saying that they were still full from dinner.
"So Hagrid, what's new?" Ron asked, sipping at his tea.
"Yeah, what's happening with Madame Maxine?" Harry wondered.
Pepper didn't know who Madame Maxine was, but by the way Hagrid was blushing, she figured it was his girlfriend.
"Me and Olympe are...well I perposed ter her the other night," Hagrid admitted.
"Oh, Hagrid!" Hermione exclaimed, jumping up and hugging him.
"Congratulations, Hagrid," Harry said, toasting Hagrid with his teacup.
"Cheers, mate," Ron said, hitting Harry's teacup with his own. "Always knew you two'd get married," he ," Pepper said uncomfortably. She suddenly wanted to leave. She felt like she shouldn't have gone with Harry, Ron and Hermione in the first place. She hadn't known Hagrid nearly as long as the other three had – he probably didn't want her here anyway, he'd just asked her here to be polite. She could just grab the Invisibility Cloak and slip out...
"Oh, Hagrid," Hermione said again, pulling Pepper out of her thoughts. "That's so wonderful! Where are you going to live? Is she coming down here...oh, no, she couldn't she's Beauxbatons' headmistress, she couldn't leave her students. Oh, no! Hagrid, does that mean you're leaving?!" Hermione cried.
"Well, I'm not sure abou' that yet, 'Ermione, but it looks tha' way," Hagrid said. "I'll stay ter the end o the year, o course.
"Oh, no!" Hermione repeated, tears threatening to spill from her eyes. "You can't leave, Hagrid! France!"
"Erm, Hermione, I think we should leave," said Ron, glancing nervously out the window. A few seconds later, there was a knock at the door. Hermione stopped her tears, grabbed the cloak and threw it over the four of them. They snuck out the back door as Hagrid opened the door, letting Professor Dumbledore and another wizard into his hut.
The four of them ran through the dark pumpkin patch as fast as they could, considering they were all under a cloak. As they approached the castle, Hermione's sobs started again.
"He-he just can't leave," she stuttered. "We couldn't even visit him, Beauxbatons is so f-far away...somewhere in France..."
"It'll be alright, Hermione," Ron assured her, putting the arm that wasn't holding the cloak away from his face around Hermione.
Pepper smiled to herself. She wasn't too heartbroken that Hagrid might be leaving, after all she didn't know him too well and his leaving seemed to be bringing Hermione and Ron closer together. She would have to tell Hermione to keep acting so sad and helpless, and then Ron might comfort her. At least it would get her more attention from him.
When they arrived back in the common room, it was empty so they decided it would be safe to take it off there. They removed the cloak, and immediately Hermione ran up to the girls' dorm room, still in tears. Pepper dropped the cloak material she was holding and rushed after her friend, telling Ron and Harry she'd take care of it.
"Hermione?" she said, pulling back Hermione's bed curtains. Hermione sat there, with her head in her hands. When she looked up it appeared she was torn between being really upset and very happy. Pepper sat on Hermione's bed and closed the curtains behind her.
"Your face looks like it's having trouble deciding whether to be happy or sad, Hermione," Pepper said, trying not to smile at Hermione's expression. "What's up?"
"I don't want Hagrid to leave, though I'm happy he's getting m-m-married, and Ron, he-he put his arm around me!" Hermione explained.
Pepper laughed. "Hermione, Hermione," she teased, shaking her head. "If you want that kind of attention from Ron then just act this upset until he kisses you or something."
"But isn't that sort of lying?" Hermione asked uncertainly.
"Rubbish," Pepper said, deciding to use her British vocabulary. "You'll still be upset, I'm sure of it. You just won't be as upset as you are now...so it's not lying, it's...fibbing. Which isn't bad. Especially if you're trying to get Ron to notice you."
"Alright," Hermione said, still uncertain. "I'll try it, I s'pose."
Pepper awoke to see a face right by her own face. She was so surprised she yelped and almost fell out of bed. When she regained full consciousness she found it was Harry, dressed in his Quidditch robes. "Hey, Pepper," he whispered. "Want to come to Quidditch practice?"
"Gimme ten minutes," Pepper answered groggily. Harry left and Pepper got up to get dressed and ready to go down to Quidditch practice. She hoped that Harry would give her another lesson...
"'Bout time," Ron grumbled as Pepper entered the common room. "We better hurry up, or we'll be late."
Pepper, Ron and Harry exited the common room and made their way down to the Quidditch pitch. "Harry, are you sure it's alright I watch?" Pepper asked Harry.
"Yea, I asked Angelina and she said that as long as you're not in the way you're free to be there," Harry said.
"Cool," Pepper responded, exited to watch another Quidditch practice.
At the end of the practice, Pepper was ready with water for the team once again. Harry downed his water and then told her he'd take her flying after his shower. Like last time, Pepper watched the team file back into the castle, each of them saying good-bye to her as they went.
Finally, Harry emerged from the changing rooms, his unruly hair still damp. "Hurry up, Harry, we've got class in an hour," Pepper said anxiously.
"Alright, alright," said Harry, hurrying over to her with his Firebolt in his hand. "So did you want to steer, or d'you want me to take you for a ride?" he asked.
"Uh, if it's all right I'd like to try it again. I promise I'll be more careful this time," Pepper said.
Harry handed her the broom and she mounted it, Harry getting on behind her. Pepper kicked lightly off the ground and they hovered a few inches. "A bit harder next time," Harry told her.
Pepper couldn't reach the ground with her feet anymore so Harry, being taller than her, did it for them. They rose expertly into the air and Pepper leaned forward on the broom a tiny bit, making it go forward. The broom inched forward as Harry took control, taking the position from behind Pepper as he had before; his hands on hers, their faces close. Neither one of them minded that Harry moved closer to Pepper than he had the last time. Harry turned the broom upward so they went soaring into the sky.
"Where are we going!" Pepper yelled over the din the wind was making in her ears. "Off to make out?"
"Yes, actually!" Harry yelled back.
"I'm down with that!" came Pepper's reply.
"What does that mean?!" Harry asked confusedly.
"OKAY!" Pepper yelled, laughing.
Harry flew them into the pitch's stands, where the teachers usually sat. Cornering Pepper into the topmost stand he kissed her, and she responded. "What do – (kiss) – you call make – (kiss) – ing out in – (kiss) – British- ness?" Pepper asked.
"Snogging," Harry said, smiling at her knack to ask strange questions at odd times.
Twenty minutes later, Harry and Pepper returned to the ground. As they raced towards the castle, Pepper tried to fix her hair. "We're screwing the lesson then, I suppose," Pepper panted.
"Looks that way," Harry said. "I'm starving, we'd better hurry."
"I'm going as fast as I can," gasped Pepper. "You're just fitter than I am!"
"Have fun?" Ron asked as Pepper and Harry arrived in the Great Hall.
"Yea," Pepper answered, seating herself next to Hermione and grabbing a piece of toast. "Great fun...Oh, Harry, you've got to tell me how to send a Howler, remember?" she said as hundreds of owls swept into the Great Hall, delivering the mail.
"Oh, yea, I'll do it tonight," Harry replied as he spread marmalade on his toast.