A/N: I'm trying to make up for all of the time I lost writing short stories while I had writers block…Thanks for all of your lovely reviews! This chapter is really short but it should be because it just explains things and hurries time along.
Enjoy. Remember to review!
Chapter Thirty-Three
Once Pepper, Hermione and Ginny had all calmed down considerably, they commenced their discussion. It lasted all night and into the morning, and by the time it was done they had everything cleared up. All necessary tears had been shed, the affair Malfoy had apparently had been having with Pepper was discussed, arguments had progressed, the Slytherin-Slytherin rivalries were being contemplated, as was Hermione's new relationship with Neville, her old one with Ron and Pepper's old relationship with Harry, feelings were talked about and the main conclusion of the whole ordeal was that Malfoy was still scum, (though he was under a Curse after all), and all three of them were left relationshipless and they planned for it to stay that way. Hermione decided that she was still going to go with Neville to Hogsmede, though, because she wanted to "explore her options." Ginny and Pepper didn't want to get into another argument, so they kept silent.
Ginny, Hermione and Pepper drank lots of coffee at breakfast to make up for their lack of sleep. When Ron and Harry finally drifted over to the Gryffindor table Ginny and Hermione were ready to talk to them both. Pepper knew both of them wanted to speak first, so as the two boys sat down Pepper put a Silencing Charm on them. Ron started yelling but no sound was coming out. He saw Pepper was waving her wand gleefully and he glared at her. "Let Hermione and Ginny speak first, Ron," she said, smiling.
"Hermione, Pepper and I had a wonderfully long conversation last night, Ron," said Ginny. "We talked about everything strange that's been going on, including the relationship I've been having with Draco,"—at this Ron's face became very red, but Ginny went on—"And the relationship Hermione might get into with Neville." Ron looked even angrier than before. "We've decided that, owing to recent circumstances that weren't brought to my attention, that I'm to break it off with Draco. Hermione, on the other hand wants to pursue her new-found feelings for Neville and we'll see how it goes."
"So that's what we've decided and you'd better be happy about it," said Hermione sternly.
Pepper removed the Silencing Charm and Harry and Ron both just sat there for a moment, not saying a word. Then finally Ron said, "I'm glad you've decided to stop seeing Malfoy, Gin, though I'm not sure why you started something with him in the first place." Pepper noted that he chose not to say anything about Hermione's decision about Neville.
The rest of January seemed to fly by at Hogwarts.
Ivi Spada was set in front of the Wizengamot, tried, and found guilty of inflicting an Unforgivable Curse on Blaise Zabini. Thus, she was expelled from Hogwarts and thrown in Azkaban. The only thing she regretted, she said, was not being able to curse her friend Sadie Montgomery as well, because she was the one that ratted her out. She went to the prison much the same way Sirius Black had – laughing manically.
Blaise Zabini survived, though he spent most of the month in the Hospital Wing in some sort of a coma. Madam Pomfrey tended to him the whole month, certain he would wake because students hadn't enough hatred to inflict an Unforgivable. Alana Stoke spent every day in the Hospital Wing and many Slytherins visited Blaise. A few Gryffindors, (including Pepper), who had seen the incident in the Defense Against the Dark Arts room, ventured out to visit him as well. Pepper spent more time by his bed than any other Gryffindor because she had become some form of friends with Alana Stoke, though she wouldn't admit it out loud to anyone.
The only person who rivaled Alana in visits to Blaise was Draco Malfoy. It seemed as if he didn't care at all about Ginny's breaking up with him. He spent most of his time at his best friend's bedside and screwing Sadie Montgomery. He still found time to harass the Gryffindors, though he carefully avoided Ginny. Ginny seemed to be heartbroken because he wasn't showing any signs of remorse so Pepper and Hermione had to try and console her, telling her that it was the curse making him so coldhearted and uncaring. Malfoy didn't try anything else with Pepper, much to the delight of Pepper and her friends.
Harry was especially happy about this fact, as he had had two more dreams about Voldemort and he was worried about Malfoy's association with the Death Eaters. He had been watching Malfoy and Neville closely too see what effect they each had on Pepper and Hermione. He and Pepper had been working on a plan to get Hermione and Ron back together and he, Harry, had been working on a plan to get himself back together with Pepper. Both plans had been in vain so far. The Féminin Vivreencore Curse was another issue dealt with by Harry and Pepper…
Pepper spent the month reading the letters her aunts had sent her. She read through all of them greedily, wanting to know more about her parent's relationship, and then she read them again. She tried to forget about what happened with Malfoy during holiday break, but, truth be told, she kind of missed the playful shenanigans that occurred between the pair of them. She was working on the plan to break Hermione and Neville up, but they seemed to be growing closer instead of farther apart and their Hogsmede trip was still on for Valentine's Day weekend. She and Harry had started gathering supplies for the Féminin Vivreencore potion. They stored the ingredients in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom – a bathroom which Pepper had once made the mistake of trying to use. It was difficult for Pepper to keep her and Harry's intentions a secret, but it was what had to be done. She also spent time in the Hospital Wing, visiting Blaise Zabini. When she got the news that Ivi Spada had cast an Unforgivable Curse on him she doubted he would live, as did Alana Stoke, and she started spending more time in the hospital with an anxious Alana. They weren't exactly friends, but they weren't enemies either. Pepper had also been noticing that Harry was trying to get her back by means of flirting and being nice. Pepper wasn't falling for it and she hoped Harry could see that so she wouldn't have to say anything to him. She and Hermione did some research on the curse Malfoy was under but didn't find anything at all and decided that he could help himself. After all, he cheated on their friend and he didn't deserve their help.
Hermione spent January being rather worried. She worried about her relationship with Neville that was getting increasingly more intense, though they hadn't really kissed at all since the night in the common room when they got caught; she worried about Pepper's relationship with Harry and the curse they wanted to perform; she worried about Ginny and how she was dealing with her breakup with Malfoy; she worried about herself getting over the death of her parents and trying to move on; she worried about Pepper still keeping all of the sharp corners covered and sharp objects out of their room; she worried about Blaise Zabini; she worried about Voldemort. To get her mind off of some of her worries she began studying for exams.
They were all waiting for the bad to pass and hoping something good would come their way. None of them were prepared for what was to come.