A/N: Sorry it took a week to post this rather short (though not as short as the last one) chapter, but this past week has been hell. The hot senior who I've been stalking for the past two months found out I've been stalking him sort of and came and sat next to me at the lunch table...I won't go into detail really...too embarrassing...I was too dumb to say anything to him, though I found out he has his nipples pierced...ew...anyway, that put me into shock for a good three days so I didn't really write at all and then my friend came over for the weekend and everything has been hectic. Therefore, this chapter is just being posted now. My biology teacher just called my house and left a message on the answering machine wanting to know if my parents want a parent/teacher conference...

Has anyone ever heard of Harry and the Potters? Well if you haven't they're a band that sings about things that happen in the Harry Potter books and they're really funny so I think you should get their CDs.

Thanks all you reviewers, I know the thing last chapter was confusing, but I'm not going to explain it, I don't think I CAN, it even confused me. Some things will appear in the story HINT HINT and some of it will not, but you'll see. You all had the greatest reviews so I have lots to say to lots of you...

allison annnnnd meagan: I'm not a chef...Allison, did I tell you what happened yet? Rico was wrestling with Lexi and he picked her up and swung her over his shoulder...quite entertaining.

Meera: shakes head at you Well thought out review...You need to decide when your HP party is so I can COME!

Zurine: I so totally agree with you about Hillary and Paris, they suck.

elise: I passed the message along and Draco says I'm still hotter than anyone.

naiya-isis: Was it really that crazy?!?!? I don't like needles, by the way...

KrystalK8: I want presents! I continued!

charmedsisters: Pepper's middle name is Lillian. What else are you confused about?

Now for the chappy. Finally. Hope you like it, remember to REVIEW!

Chapter Thirty

"You don't believe him, do you?" Ron said. Pepper, Harry, and Ron were all sitting on the couch in the Gryffindor common room, speaking in hushed tones so they wouldn't wake anyone up.

"I dunno..." Pepper said. She wasn't quite sure yet. That seemed like something Malfoy would pull, but his kiss was unlike any she'd ever experienced and his eyes seemed so truthful.

"It sounded like he was being serious," said Harry. "I mean, why would he say all that stuff we could blackmail him with if he didn't mean it all? It doesn't make much sense to me."

"I want to know about the Indirect Imperius Curse and if I really can help Malfoy. If he's telling the truth, that is," said Pepper.

"You actually want to help him?" Ron gaped in disbelief. "After all he's done to us? After all that he's done to you? I know, I know, he "apologized" but it wasn't even to you! It was just to Harry and Hermione! How can you forgive him like that! We should just let him suffer; it's his own fault he's in this situation!"

"Ron lower your voice....I never said I was forgiving him for what he's done. I just want to know if there is a way I can help him. Before I try, though, I'll cast the Truth Spell and see if he really is telling the truth," Pepper told a red faced Ron. "But I think he is telling the truth. Like Harry said, why would he tell me that if I could turn it around and throw it in his face? Or I could tell his father to see if it's real and watch Malfoy get murdered or something."

"That wouldn't be such a bad idea," Rom mumbled.

"Oh come on Ron, no one should be under a curse like that," Pepper said.

"We don't even know if the Indirect Imperius Curse exists," Harry pointed out. "We've just been taught that there are three Unforgivable Curses, and the Indirect Imperius isn't one of them."

"Maybe Voldemort made it up or something just for the purpose of Death Eaters controlling their children," Pepper suggested.

"And maybe I'm the Queen of England!" Ron exclaimed. "This is barking mad, I'm going to bed." Ron stormed up the stairs, shaking his head and mumbling all the way.

"So do you actually think this could be real? You really think Malfoy could be telling the truth?" said Harry to Pepper after Ron had gone.

"Yes, I really do," Pepper replied, getting a little tired of voicing her opinion over and over again. "It's just –" Pepper stopped herself before she told Harry about the kiss she had shared with Malfoy.

Harry didn't ask her to continue. The two of them sat there in silence for a moment before Pepper suddenly leaned over and caught Harry in a tight embrace. "I'm sorry, Harry," she said.

He awkwardly hugged her back, surprised by the sudden sign of affection. "For what?" he asked.

"I've been such a bad friend, and here you are, all supportive and helpful and understanding," Pepper said, pulling away slightly and leaning her head on Harry's shoulder. "So, I'm sorry."

Harry wasn't exactly sure what to say so they lapsed into silence once again, Pepper's head still resting on Harry's shoulder.

"So are we going to perform the Féminin Vivreencore Curse? Or are you having second thoughts since we aren't together anymore?" Harry asked finally.

Pepper took a moment to answer. "I think we should still do it," she said.

"Do you think it will still work?" said Harry.

"If we still have feelings for each other I'm sure it will," Pepper told him simply.

"So you still have feelings for me?" asked Harry.

"Of course," said Pepper curtly. "It hasn't been very long since I dumped you, you know. It's only been, like, a day or two. Wow, so much has happened in the past seventy two hours it's amazing..."

Harry, however, didn't want to talk about all that had happened recently. He just wanted to know why Pepper wasn't jumping to take him back since she knew he hadn't cheated on her. "Well I have feelings for you too so why don't we go out..."

"No, Harry. I'm afraid that if we start a relationship again that something else will happen to screw it up. At this point in time I can't ask myself to only have feelings for one boy, it's something I just can't help. And that's not fair to you or me. So I think it's just better that we're just friends and you get yourself some girl who wants you as more than a friend," Pepper explained. "Okay?"

"Sure..." Harry said, though it wasn't okay with him at all. "You aren't having second thoughts about performing the Féminin Vivreencore Curse, are you?" Pepper asked, moving back to the subject they were discussing before.

"Well...yes I have," Harry admitted. Pepper sat up abruptly and Harry rushed to explain himself before she got mad. "I want to see Sirius and everything...it's just...it's so bloody dangerous! We could die or be put into a coma or be injured severely! Do you really want to risk that?"

"Harry I thought you, of all people, would understand. You've lost a lot of people you love in your life and now you have the chance to get one back. Sure, it may be for a mere seventy two hours, but you'd still get a chance."

"But...I don't know Pepper...I don't want you to die."

"I don't want either of us to die, Harry," said Pepper, sighing. "However, I really want to see my dad so I'm willing to take a few risks. Besides, I'm sure nothing will go wrong if we take extra special care on this thing. So are you with me or do you want me to find some way to do it by myself?"

"I'm with you," said Harry a little reluctantly.

"Well when should we start? I think as soon as possible, since the book said the potion takes a few months to complete, and we want it finished by the end of the school year, right?"

"Do you still have the paper with the ingredients and directions on it?" asked Harry, hoping somewhat that she would say no.

"Yes," Pepper replied. "Most of the ingredients aren't in the students' store room, so we need to steal some from Snape."

"I know, I know," said Harry warily, recalling the Polyjuice Potion he had brewed with Ron and Hermione in his second year. This time, of course, he wouldn't be allowed to tell Hermione or Ron about it for fear they would stop the concocting of the potion. Even though he knew he and Pepper had already informed the two they were planning on brewing the potion he was sure they'd forgotten in the recent turmoil. As long as neither he nor Pepper brought up the subject in front of their two friends they were safe.

"We'll just need to come up a distraction...or use the Invisibility Cloak," said Pepper, snapping Harry back from his reverie.

"I don't think it will be too easy to get in there, Pepper," Harry told her. "You see, Hermione broke into his storeroom a few years ago and I'm sure he's put up more protection spells since then."

"Then were will we get them from?" Pepper asked.

"We'll find a way to get the ingredients," Harry assured her, placing his hand on her knee reassuringly.

Pepper looked down at his hand on her knee for a second before looking up at him again and smiling. "Thanks again Harry, you're a great friend."

"I know," said Harry, causing Pepper to hit him playfully.

The next morning before they went down to breakfast, Hermione was filled in on the events of the previous night. She, like Pepper, believed that Malfoy was telling the truth, and she, like Pepper, thought they should research the Indirect Imperius Curse. Ron still thought it was all ridiculous so he focused his mind on that coming afternoon when he could ask Professor Giancarlo about her relation to his brothers.

Malfoy wasn't at breakfast when Harry, Ron, Hermione and Pepper arrived in the Great Hall. Harry and Pepper had come to an unspoken agreement that they wouldn't mention their conversation last night to Ron or Hermione. The four of them ate in silence, though all of their minds were reeling with thoughts.

That afternoon they had another Defense Against the Dark Arts class with their not-as-new professor. Once again the class was instructed to split into groups and work on conjuring corporeal Patronuses. Professor Giancarlo told Ron, Harry, Hermione and Pepper to travel in the groups, helping the people that were having trouble. It seemed to Pepper that quite a lot of people were having difficulties with this lesson. Smirking, she saw that Malfoy and his group were only conjuring wisps of smoke, so she went over there to "help" them.

"Hey Malfoy, having trouble?" she said, standing next to Malfoy as he tried to conjure a Patronus. He wasn't successful, much to Pepper's delight.

"Sod off Halliwell," he retorted, scrunching his face in concentration. To Pepper's surprise she found she was pleased to find Malfoy was back to his normal self and for the millionth time that day she wondered if he had been pulled a fancy charade last night to fool her.

While Malfoy busied himself with trying to conjure a Patronus Pepper stood on the sidelines of the group to observe. She saw that the people around Malfoy were not his usual cronies, Parkinson, Crabbe and Goyle, but two other boys and a girl. She recognized one of the boys, though she couldn't put a name to his face and she didn't think she had ever seen the other two people before. The three of them observed Malfoy attempting to summon a corporeal Patronus as Pepper did.

"Need some help Malfoy?" Pepper asked, smirking again.

"No," said Malfoy angrily. "I thought I told you to shove off." He looked up from the tip of his wand, where a thin line of smoke was unfurling, to Pepper's face. She saw a flicker of something resembling pain cross his face, but as soon as it was there it disappeared. She thought nothing of it and he continued. "Why are you here, anyhow, haven't you got your scar-head of a boyfriend to shag or something? Oh, that's right, you two broke up because Potter shagged another girl."

"That was totally off the subject Malfoy, and even though it's none of your business why I'm here, I'll enlighten you. I'm here because I want to whoop your sorry ass. Sadly, I can't because I would get detention. Plus, Parkinson would probably recruit all of the ugly-ass Slytherin girls to jump me because I ruined your pretty face, so I'm thinking it's not worth the effort." There was a snicker from the cute boy Pepper didn't recognize, and her smirk grew deeper. "Therefore I am here on order of Professor Giancarlo to help you because you seem incompetent to conjure a simple Patronus."

"And I suppose you can," sneered Malfoy, trying not to act fazed by Pepper's retort.

"Are you really that dim, Malfoy? Do you really think Professor Giancarlo would send me over to HELP you if I couldn't do it?" said Pepper, raising her eyebrow at him.

Malfoy didn't respond.

"So let's go Malfoy, do you want to fail this class? Chop, chop!" said Pepper, clapping her hands together to get Malfoy to try and embarrass himself by proving her point that he couldn't conjure a Patronus. Malfoy didn't do anything so Pepper turned to one of his friends.

"What about you? Can you conjure a simple Patronus?" she asked the girl, putting her hand on her hip.

The girl smirked back at her. "He fucked you, didn't he?" she said a little maliciously.

Pepper laughed, though it was a nervous sort of laugh. How would she know Pepper had sex with Malfoy? But it would have to be all over Slytherin House, wouldn't it? Malfoy had bedded Harry Potter's girlfriend. It must have been huge news...

"Why would you say that?" Pepper asked the girl whose name she did not know.

"The way you're acting: so malicious and coldhearted. You are a Gryffindor, aren't you?" replied the girl as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"Are you kidding me," said Pepper, shaking her head and trying to pretend this notion was ridiculous.

The girl was about to say something when Professor Giancarlo, seeing that something was wrong, came over to the group. "Alana, Draco, Morag, Blaise, Pepper, I trust everything is going well here?" said the Professor looking sternly at them all.

"Actually, Professor," Pepper began, drawing her hand out of her pocket where she had been fingering her wand, "No one seems to be willing to receive any help from me in conjuring their Patronuses, even though they need help." A smirk once again appeared on her face as the four Slytherins looked at her angrily.

"And why might this be, Miss Stoke?" Professor Giancarlo said, turning to face the girl Pepper now knew was Alana, and raising a thin eyebrow expectantly.

"Because Halliwell's being horny," Alana mumbled only for Pepper's ears. Pepper's face instantly turned pink.

"Sorry Miss Stoke, I didn't catch that," said Professor Giancarlo, her voice almost dripping with sarcasm. Pepper had never heard a teacher act like this and she had to fight the urge to giggle.

"I said: because Draco's being stubborn and won't do what Halliwell asks," Alana said, smiling sweetly up at the teacher.

"Well why don't you show us your Patronus, Mr. Malfoy?" prompted Professor Giancarlo.

Just as Malfoy raised his wand, looking murderously at Alana Stoke, there was a flash of orange light which flew across the room and hit the boy who Pepper hadn't recognized, Blaise, straight in the chest and sent him crashing to the ground.

A/N: Well, there you go, chapter 30. It really didn't turn out like I thought, but Allison was bugging me to post so I ended in a lovely cliffhanger. Now, press the little lavenderish button and type in the box...

By the way, if any of you have questions or just want a happy Pennsylvanian buddy to talk to you can IM me. I could always use more friends. smile