A/N: I was reluctant to put this chapter up because I only got two reviews but I must keep posting! Thanks to my two lone reviewers, I still appreciate getting feedback. I don't really have anything to say...so on with the chapter!

-Flyaway Dove

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Chapter Fifteen

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Pepper's O.W.L.s were drawing to a close, and after a month of tedious work, she was very glad. Harry hadn't been informed of the kiss she'd shared with Malfoy, but the question Harry had asked Pepper about sleeping with him still remained unanswered. Hermione and Ron were getting along famously, and the two could rarely been seen apart.

Malfoy had gone back to his own habits of taunting Pepper, and Pepper went along with him, not wanting anyone to suspect something had happened between them.

Lessons with Professor Ardel were tiring Pepper out with every session, though the professor was helping her channel her anger better, so clones didn't randomly appear anymore.

Pepper's flying lessons with Harry weren't much in the way of lessons anymore, since all Harry did was fly them up to the stands to make out, but sometimes they did do a little flying. Pepper had let Harry go a little farther than kissing, since she felt bad about snogging Malfoy.

The potion for the Féminin Vivreencore Curse had not been found yet and Hermione was beginning to become discouraged because they'd looked through almost every potions book in the library.

"Hermiiiiiiio-neeeee," Pepper sang into her roommate's ear one morning.

Hermione shot up in her bed. "What?" she asked blearily, rubbing her eyes with one hand. "Oh, Pepper," she said, consciousness settling upon her. "Quidditch already?"

"Yes, now hurry up; we've got to get down to breakfast!" Pepper exclaimed, moving from Hermione's bed to make room for the girl to get up.

"Why?" Hermione wondered, reluctantly climbing from her bed. "Can't we meet up with them later? I like my sleep, thanks."

"We've got to cheer on Harry and Ron, silly!" Pepper answered. "We can be their cheerleaders this morning, before the rest of the school does the job for us."

"Pepper, I understand this is your first Quidditch match, but why can't we just go down to breakfast at a normal time? I bet Harry and Ron aren't even awake yet."

"Oh, I bet they are," Pepper replied, a mischievous glint in her eye.

"Pepper," Hermione moaned.

"Goooo HARRY! Gooooo RON!" Pepper and Ginny were chanting, waving fake pom-poms in the air, causing the students in the stands with them to take a few steps back. The Gryffindor team was just filing onto the Quidditch pitch and Pepper and Ginny's cheers became louder. Ginny was twirling her Gryffindor scarf over her head until she hit a seventh year and then decided to stop and just cheer and dance around with Pepper instead.

"C'mon Hermione!" Ginny yelled. "We're having great fun!...Gooooooo GRYFFINDOR!"

"Nothing's happening yet," Hermione tutted. "You're acting like bloody children..."

Down on the Quidditch pitch the Gryffindor captain and the Slytherin captain were shaking hands under the advisement of Madame Hooch, the referee.

"And they're OFF!" the commentator announced as the teams mounted their brooms and soared into the air. "Spinnet has the Quaffle, she passes to Bell – back to Spinnet – SHOOT ALICIA! She shoots and – ooh, intercepted by Zabini of Slytherin who passes to Montague– Chaser Montague heads for the Gryffindor goal – no, someone stop him! Montague's going to score...OUCH, Montague gets hit by a Bludger from Finnagan and the Gryffindors get possession again, Katie Bell has the Quaffle – she flies expertly past the Slytherin Chasers, dodges a Bludger, clear field towards the goal – she shoots – Keeper Bletchley dives for it and – he blocks it. Slytherin takes possession, Pucey of Slytherin has the Quaffle - he goes for the Gryffindor goal – shoots and – Slytherin scores! Ten-nil Slytherin!"

There were great groans from the Gryffindor stands but they were outweighed by the ones from the Slytherins, who waved their green and silver flags vigorously in the air. Pepper and Ginny shouted "Boooooo!" as loud as they could, but it didn't faze the Slytherin fans in the slightest.

"Spinnet has the Quaffle, she passes to Bell – Bell back to Spinnet – Alicia Spinnet of Gryffindor heads down the field, dodges Slytherins, heads for the goal – she shoots and – SCORES!"

This time it was the Gryffindors who cheered their hearts out, Pepper and Ginny doing a victory dance.

"Zabini gets the Quaffle – passes to Pucey who heads down the field – and is knocked almost off his broom by a Bludger! Katie Bell now has possession – throws it to – hang on, was that the Snitch I saw?"

The crowd looked around and several people pointed high in the air, where the Snitch was now hovering next to one of the Slytherin Beaters. Both Harry and Malfoy – the Slytherin Seeker – shot towards it. But, just as they were about to reach it, it headed towards the ground, both Seekers in tow.

Meanwhile, the Quaffle was still being thrown around. As the boys chased the Snitch, lost it, found it, and started chasing it again, Gryffindor scored once and Slytherin another two times.

Pepper and Ginny were leaning over the edge of the stand, watching the race between the two Seekers and cheering Harry on. "Go Harry, it's your birthday!" Pepper sang-screamed.

"Where'd that come from?" Ginny asked.

"Muggle song," Pepper answered before returning to her cheering. "Ooh, they've almost got the Snitch...!"

"Potter and Malfoy are neck and neck chasing the Snitch and – GRYFFINDOR SCORES!" the commentator yelled. The Gryffindor stands erupted into cheers, though they were now paying attention to the race for the Snitch instead of the game.

Harry was ahead of Malfoy as the two raced around the Quidditch pitch at lightning speed, but it appeared either of them could get the Snitch. The spectators were on the edge of their seats as Slytherin scored again and the Seekers advanced on the fluttering gold ball. Finally, someone's hand closed around the Snitch. The stands were filled with cheering and booing.

"SLYTHERIN WINS THE GAME!" the commentator said somewhat dolefully, as he was a Ravenclaw and didn't really want Slytherin to win the match.

A great swell of noise came from the Slytherins as they cheered, and the Gryffindors and most of the Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws tried to drown out the winning Houses' cheering with their booing, but it wasn't very effective as the Slytherins were ecstatic.

"Agh," Pepper groaned, she and Ginny giving up the idea of doing the victory dance they had planned on performing.

"But Harry's hardly ever lost a match," Ginny complained, "And it's never been to Slytherin!"

"Well we'd better get down there..." Hermione said as she started to make her way out of the stands, a dejected Pepper and Ginny following behind her. "I bet Harry and Ron feel badly, especially Harry, after all, the Snitch broke the tie."

It turned out that they couldn't talk to Harry and Ron until the two boys got back to the common room because the team had headed to the showers right after the end of the match.

The Gryffindor team dragged their feet up to the seventh floor and into the common room which was full of their unenergetic housemates. Ginny, Pepper and Hermione were gathered on the floor by the couch and Harry and Ron came over to join them. The girls made room for the boys to sit with them and they did, their faces not looking very happy.

"Hey, you flew really well today," Pepper said, pecking Harry on the cheek.

"Didn't win the game though, did I?" Harry mumbled.

"I shouldn't have let Slytherin score so much," Ron sighed.

"They still would have won, Ron," Hermione said condescendingly, "You know that as well as I do. Don't blame yourself."

"Yea, blame me," said Harry.

"Harry, don't beat yourself up over it, it's just a game," Pepper told him, not expecting the reaction she received.

"Just a game!" Harry and Ron exclaimed at the same time.

"Oh no," Hermione said, shaking her head. "Don't even start, Ron," she ordered, covering Ron's mouth with her hand as he opened his mouth to say something.

"Hey Hermione," Ron said, his voice muffled through Hermione's hand. "Why don't we have a bit of fun to cheer me up?"

Hermione's arm fell back into her lap. She glared coldly at the look he had upon his face. "If you are thinking what I believe you must be thinking then you can forget it, Ronald, and you can go find someone else to cheer you up." She got up and made her way up to the girls' dormitories muttering, "Boys...honestly..."

Pepper smiled. "Ron, why don't you ask her to be your girlfriend? Then maybe she wouldn't mind snogging you."

"I don't know why she doesn't like to snog in the first place," Ron said, his voice like it was when he'd first entered the room. "I enjoy it...I could do it all the time."

"That's because you're a male, Ronald," said Pepper, mocking Hermione's way of scolding Ron. "Males are horny."

Ginny snickered. "Eww, Pepper, that's my brother, I don't want to think about that. That's just gross," she said.

"Not all males are horny," Harry said.

Pepper raised her eyebrow at him. "Are you saying you're an exception to that statement, Harry Potter? Because you aren't an exception. Like I said before: males are horny. Period, end of discussion. So there, Ginny and I win."

"Yep," said Ginny, sticking her chin in the air. "But then, girls always win. Anyhow, Ron, I agree with Pepper, I think you should ask Hermione to be your girlfriend."

"Well I think we should go visit Hagrid, Harry," Ron said, turning to his best friend.

Harry shrugged. "Alright...Pepper you coming?"

"Naw, but I'll go get Hermione for you," Pepper offered, getting up and going to her dormitory. "Hey, Mione, Ron and Harry are going down to Hagrid's, you wanna go with them?"

"Yea, sure," Hermione said, getting out of her bed. She and Pepper went back down to the common room where Harry and Ron were waiting for Hermione and Ginny was talking to Neville Longbottom. "You're not coming, Pep?" Hermione asked.

"Nope, you guys go ahead, I've got some homework to finish up," Pepper said. Hermione went over to Ron and Harry and the three of them exited the common room through the portrait hole and made their way down to Hagrid's hut.

"Something's wrong," Hermione pointed out to Harry and Ron once the three were on the fifth floor. "With Pepper, I mean."

"What are you talking about, Hermione?" Harry asked. "I haven't seen anything wrong with her. Maybe she's just homesick or something."

"I think something's bothering her..." said Hermione, pursing her lips. "It's like she feels guilty about something."

"What would she have to feel guilty over?" Ron asked. "I'm sure she would have told you, Hermione, you're her best friend, after all."

"Yes, well..." Hermione began, her cheeks turning a light shade of pink. "It just seems that she feels guilty, especially when she's around you, Harry."

"I haven't noticed," said Harry. "Don't you think I would've noticed something like that?"

"I dunno, you may be too horny around her to notice," Hermione giggled.

"What is it with women calling guys horny?" Ron asked, sighing heavily.

"What do you mean, Ron?" Hermione asked. "Who else said that?"

"Ginny and Pepper, not too long ago," Ron supplied.

"Oh, well, it must be true then, mustn't it, if all of us notice it," Hermione said.

"Anyway!" Harry said loudly. "When did you start noticing this, Hermione? That Pepper was acting guilty?"

"A few weeks ago," Hermione told him. "Come to think of it, she started acting especially nervous after her detention. I mean, she won't talk to me as easily anymore and I think she acts differently around Harry now. Plus, she's started hanging around with Ginny more lately."

"I did notice that, but is it a bad thing that she's hanging with Ginny more?" Harry wondered.

"No..." said Hermione, somewhat uneasily.

"Now that you mention it, I did notice that she's acting differently around Harry. She seems more eager to snog him, but...more withdrawn from him, I s'pose," Ron said.

"Exactly what I'm saying," Hermione said. "Harry, if you pay attention you'll see what I mean."

At lunch that afternoon, while Harry studied Pepper's behavior, Hermione brought up the Féminin Vivreencore Curse once again, saying that she had indeed checked every book in the library. "But then I thought, Hermione, why are you being so thick? Of course it wouldn't be in a simple Potions book, it's a difficult and dangerous potion so it would most likely be in a book in the Restricted Section."

Ron groaned. "Hermione, are you going to drag us into another dangerous scheme like you did with the Polyjuice Potion?"

"No, Ron, I am not. I just want to know what's in the potion," Hermione snapped. "Besides, you couldn't perform it anyways, only Pepper and Harry can do that."

"Err, Hermione...Harry and I actually...erm..." Pepper glanced sideways at Harry, who was making frantic gestures at Pepper not to tell Hermione. Pepper ignored him. "We, well...we wanted to actually...use the spell..."

"Pepper, you can't! Do you realize how dangerous that is?" Hermione hissed. "Do you have any idea of the side effects? All of the things that could go wrong? You don't even have a place to make a potion like that!"

"Hermione, if you'll recall the place we made the Polyjuice Potion...we would brew it there," Harry said, his voice low.

"Still, Harry, you can't think of actually doing this! I read more about it – horrible things could happen if you do anything wrong! You certainly cannot want to risk your life to bring Snuffles back! It's only for a few hours, anyway!"

"Hermione, you don't understand, your parents are still alive," Pepper said, almost pleadingly. "Me and Harry, we've lost both our parents. I want to see my dad. I didn't even get a chance to say good bye to him." Pepper felt a stinging at the back of her eyes, which meant she was about to cry. A tear escaped her eye but she continued. (A/N: Pepper is so dramatic! It's annoying, isn't it?) "I want to see my dad again, Hermione. I need to."

"But...but there's got to be another way, Pepper," Hermione said, her tone softening. "Maybe there's another spell..."

"I only know of ones to bring back sort of holograms," Harry said. "Not a full, solid person for three days."

"Will you at least promise me that you won't do it for a while, even if you find the potion?" Hermione asked.

"It will probably take a while to make, you know," Harry said. "But, yea, we promise."

"Good," said Hermione. "Now let's go, we've got to get to Charms on time."

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A Masquerade Ball was to take place at the beginning of December, to celebrate Christmas. The students were not to go with a date, but were to dance with whomever they wished. The unmasking would take place at midnight.

Fourth through seventh year students were allowed to have an extra trip to Hogsmede the third Saturday in December so they could purchase their costumes for the ball.

"Hermione, what do you think you'll go as?" Pepper asked her friend as they walked down the High Street.

"I dunno. I was thinking a hippie would be cool. Though, I'd have to add a mask, wouldn't I?" Hermione said.

"A hippie," Pepper repeated. "You mean a Muggle person from our parents' generation?"

"The very same," Hermione answered. "What do you want to go as, Pepper?"

"I was thinking about being someone from the Victorian Era. A princess perhaps. They wore those fancy masks to balls and things, so I could do the same."

"Oh, plus Professor Flitwick said he'd be teaching us the Glamour Charm, didn't he? And Professor Snape said we would be learning how to make a Voice Altering Potion so we wouldn't sound like ourselves," Hermione pointed out.

"Dang, this really is going to be a Masquerade Ball, isn't it? Have you guys had them before?" Pepper wondered as they entered Cecile's Costume Room to find something to wear to the ball.

"No, this is our first one. A few years ago during the TriWizard Tournament we had a ball, but we wore dress robes, not costumes," Hermione explained.

"Did you have a date Hermione?" Pepper asked, interested.

Hermione's cheeks turned pink. "Viktor Krum," Hermione answered. "He was one of the champions in the tournament."

"Oh, he's the duck-footed famous Quidditch player Ron always talks about, then?" Pepper said. "Who'd Harry and Ron go with?"

"Parvati and her sister Padma," said Hermione. "Though, I don't think the girls were too happy because Ron and Harry didn't dance too much."

"I don't understand things like that," Pepper said, looking through a rack of costumes. "How could you not dance when there's music on? I mean, I do it sometimes even when there isn't music."

"Well the band Dumbledore booked is a little strange," Hermione said, holding up a costume, looking at it and returning it to the rack. "I don't think they're really like the bands you listen to, but they're very famous here in the Wizarding world."

"Who are they?" Pepper asked.

"The Weird Sisters," Hermione answered. "They're music is a bit...strange. I hope there's someone else for this ball."

"Aha!" Pepper exclaimed, holding up a costume gown that she discovered. "This is perfect!" It was a maroon-ish color that was tight on the top with a huge poofy skirt. There were intricate designs covering it and it was just what Pepper had been looking for. "Now I just need a mask...I think they're up at the counter, I'll be right back Hermione." Pepper went up to the counter to find a mask that would match her dress. The masks were in the counter, which was made of glass, and all along the wall behind the cashier.

"Would you like the matching mask, miss?" the cashier asked. Before waiting for an answer she said, "Seven forty two, please," and a mask disappeared from the wall to appear a millisecond later on the counter. "Nice taste in costumes I see, that will be eleven Galleons and two Sickles, please."

Pepper pulled out her money and handed over the coins as the woman put her things in a bag. With her bag in hand, Pepper headed back over to Hermione to see if she'd found anything yet. "Any luck?" Pepper asked Hermione when she found her.

"Not yet...ah, here, this is what I want," Hermione decided, pulling something from the stand. It was a hippie costume, just what Hermione had said she'd wanted. The outfit consisted of bellbottom pants with peace signs and hippie sayings all over them. There was also a tie-dyed top and a peace sign medallion.

"You're going to need some face paint and bangles to go with that, Mione," Pepper said, trying to not laugh at Hermione's choice in costume.

"First I need the mask," said Hermione. "Don't laugh Pepper! My parents were hippies!"

"Sorry," Pepper squeaked. "I just think it's...funny...oh just get the mask, woman, so we can get out of here. Didn't you tell Harry and Ron we were going to meet them at the Three Broomsticks for a butterbeer or something?"

"Yes, alright, I'll hurry..."

After Hermione purchased her costume, she and Pepper made their way to the Three Broomsticks. "You've never had a butterbeer, have you Pepper?" Hermione asked, recalling that they hadn't visited the Three Broomsticks on their last Hogsmede trip.

"Nope, I haven't," Pepper replied.

Harry and Ron were already waiting for them at a table when they arrived, so they joined the two boys. "I see your costume hunting was successful," Harry said, kissing Pepper on the cheek as she slid into the seat next to him.

"Yep, my costume is really cool and Hermione's is...well...." Once again, Pepper fought the urge to laugh.

"Mine's cool too, Pepper," said Hermione.

"Well let's see then," Ron said, trying to look in Hermione's bag.

"Nope, you'll have to wait until the ball," Hermione said, snatching her bag away from Ron. Ron looked at her with puppy dog eyes. "And that won't work, Ron. You'll just have to wait till the unmasking like every body else."

"But Mione," Ron pleaded. Hermione shook her head and that was the end of their conversation.

"Pepper, can I see yours?" Harry asked offhandedly, trying to catch her off guard and let him see it.

"Nice try, Harry, but no," Pepper said.

"By request of the Headmaster, who thought you all earned the right to have some...fun, you are going to learn how to brew a Voice Altering Potion today," Professor Snape drawled as he paced across the room. "You need not work in pairs. The instructions are on the board. You are to bring me your sample vials by the end of the class and we are to test them tomorrow. Begin."

Pepper was very happy that she didn't have to work with Malfoy this class and that she was able to keep her original seat next to Hermione. Getting her supplies from the newly organized supply cabinet (thanks to herself), she sat back down next to Hermione, who was already chopping ingredients to her heart's content.

Pepper's cauldron bubbled teal before she placed some of the frothy mixture into her glass vial. Labeling it with her name, she placed it on Snape's desk.

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A/N: Gryffindor loosing the Quidditch match was my friend's idea, so don't kill me. REVIEW! You know you want to...