READ THE AUTHOR'S NOTE!

A/N: You reviewers have no idea how much I love you. I am going to, like, cry! Your reviews are so nice and it seems a lot of you want a sequel! Well, I do have ideas for one, so it's going to happen. I don't know if it will be as long…but it will happen! There are probably only going to be two more chapters in this story. I have sort of a contest for you, my loving readers. Whoever can guess one or both of the two main reasons why I called the story Sugar and Spice, It's Not Always Nice, can help pick the title of the sequel! So whoever wants to participate…just review! Yay!

Now some notes to some of you…

Powerof3or4: Pepper's not my name, so of course you can use it. Just make sure you tell me when you start writing your fic so I can read it :-)

Love it: Let's see where are the hits…? You go to STATS and then it shows you.

Lady Emerald Black: It's always a pleasure to read your reviews. :-D If you have some ideas for me, then I'd be happy to hear them!

Lacey: Thanks for the review, since I haven't heard from you before, I don't think. I feel so honored that I make your day go by faster at work! Keep reviewing please. :-)

Also thanks to charmedsisters, Pipercharmed, charmedluver , Little Miss Spell-of-the-Week, goldengirl14, witchy girl 88, elise, and jadelouise.

Sorry this chapter is so short…..but here it is!

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Chapter Fifty-One

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It seemed impossible to do the things you wanted to do in the last week of Hogwarts. Pepper's aunts were making the preparations for Hermione to come and live with them; Harry and Ginny and Ron and Hermione seemed to be spending all of their time together; Pepper couldn't seem to find Alana or Blaise to have a chat, and Malfoy was just avoiding her entirely, though she had managed to catch his eye one night at dinner while he strode out of the Great Hall, Pansy Parkinson on his arm.

Thus, the first few days of seventeen-year-old Pepper were spent babysitting her cousin, Wyatt, since everyone else at Hogwarts seemed to be busy.

And so, the days sped by. Pepper wasn't sure if she was looking forward to, or dreading leaving Hogwarts. Her life this year had definitely been turned upside down, flung around, and done somersaults, but she liked to think that it was all good for her. Magic happened for a reason: that was a lesson her aunts had taught her.

One day, after a particularly lonely lunch, void of any of the happy couples, who had chosen to dine outside in the sunny whether, Pepper spotted Malfoy and Blaise walking together down a corridor. She hurried as quietly as she could down the stone-floored hallway and squeezed between the two friends, linking arms with them.

Both Blaise and Malfoy looked rather surprised at this, and both tried to pull their arms away from Pepper, but she squeezed them to her sides and held her own hand out in front of her so neither boy could escape her clutches. "Hello, boys," she greeted cheerfully.

"Sod off, Halliwell," Blaise said.

"That's not very nice, Blaise," Pepper scolded playfully. She had been so bored for the past few days that she was starved for company: even if that company was two Slytherins who happened to dislike her very much.

"What are you doing, Halliwell?" Malfoy drawled.

"Having a chat," Pepper replied. "What's the problem?"

"You're a Gryffindor," said Malfoy.

"Let's pretend I'm not," Pepper said. "Let's pretend I'm a Slytherin and I want to talk to two of my Slytherin friends, Malfoy and Blaise, because I am bored out of my mind and want some company."

Neither one of them seemed to have a response to that, so Pepper continued. "Why in the world do I call Malfoy Malfoy and Blaise Blaise? Shouldn't I call you both by either your first or last name?"

"I really prefer Zabini, if the name is coming from your mouth, Halliwell," said Blaise. The trio turned a corner and hit a staircase leading to the dungeons.

"Actually, I was thinking that I'd start calling Malfoy Draco, seeing as we're what, second cousins?" Pepper looked curiously at Malfoy. Blaise looked even more curiously at Malfoy.

"You two are related?" Blaise asked, raising an eyebrow in amusement.

"Don't remind me," said Draco coldly.

"So Blaise," said Pepper, changing the subject, "I was wondering why you and Alana broke up."

"It's none of your business, Halliwell," Blaise said, his voice hard as stone. He was now looking straight ahead instead of at his friend.

Pepper gave the Slytherin's trapped arm a squeeze with her own arm. "C'mon Blaise, you can tell me. You're among friends here."

"You are not my friend, Halliwell," said Blaise, his tone not changing from the stony one he had used previously.

"You know, I've been meaning to talk to you about that," Pepper said, as light and cheerful as could be. "I consider you my friend, so why don't you consider me your friend? Am I really that unlikable?"

"Yes." That was Draco's plain answer.

"Well Alana likes me," Pepper retorted. "And she's a Slytherin."

"Alana's a whore," said Blaise.

"Pardon?" Pepper cried, so surprised that she loosened her grip on both boys' arms. The two promptly pulled themselves out of her grasp. "Why in the hell are you calling Alana a whore?"

"Because she is one," Blaise said.

"She didn't…cheat on you, did she?" Pepper asked carefully.

When Blaise started to walk quickly down the corridor in answer, Pepper said, "You have got to be kidding me. Alana cheat—"

"Halliwell, let it go," Draco said, and he headed off down the hallway after his best friend.

Pepper, Harry, Ginny, Ron, and Hermione shared a compartment on the train ride back to Kings Cross station. The two couples were being considerate of Pepper by not touching each other as much as normal, and for that Pepper was grateful. For the few short hours on the train it was just the five friends being friends.

Professor McGonagall called a prefect meeting towards the end of the train ride, so Ginny, Hermione, and Ron left the carriage, leaving Harry and Pepper alone.

"You know Harry," Pepper started to say, at the same time Harry said, "Pepper I—"

They both stopped talking and laughed. "You go first," they offered in unison, and laughed again. "You first," Harry said.

"Alright," said Pepper. "I just wanted to say thanks for this year and everything you did for me."

Harry cocked a half-smile. "Funny," he said, "that's what I was going to say to you."

Pepper raised a skeptic eyebrow at him. "Are you serious?"

"Absolutely," said Harry. "If it weren't for you being here this year then we wouldn't have defeated Voldemort, Hermione and Ron might not be together, Ginny and I wouldn't be together, I wouldn't have had nearly as much fun, there wouldn't have been so much drama, and I wouldn't have made a great new friend or a brilliant broomstick." He grinned at her.

"Er…thanks…I think," said Pepper, smiling. Then her face became serious again. "You are happy with Ginny."

"Very," Harry said. "Why do you keep asking me?" He looked expectantly at Pepper.

"No reason," said Pepper, but she felt herself go red and she bowed her head.

"Oh, I'm sure there is a reason." There was a very pregnant pause in which Pepper didn't say anything. "You know, Pepper, I waited for you for a very long time. You were the one that didn't do anything about it. You knew that I fancied you."

Pepper looked up, dumbstruck.

"I just felt like shouting, "Damn it Pepper! I want you and I can't wait for you to sort out your feelings anymore!" But I didn't, and now I'm with Ginny and, well, here we are."

Pepper gaped at Harry, but not for the reason he thought she was gaping. She was sitting there, jaw nearly to the floor, because she was having a very odd sense of déjà vu. "Harry," she said slowly, "I think…I think I just had a premonition."

"What?" said Harry, in total confusion. "But Pepper, you can't have premonitions, can you? I didn't think you had that power. Wait, you mean you had one just now?"

"No, I think one just came true," said Pepper, trying to grasp at the memory she had just relived. "When you were yelling at me…" She squinted her eyes in concentration. "I think…when I got my memory back….I had a flash of you saying that to me…"

"Since when could you get premonitions?" Harry wondered. "I thought that was your Aunt Phoebe's power."

"It is," said Pepper. "I had no idea that I could get them; it's only been the one time."

"Aren't premonitions supposed to help protect the innocent?" said Harry, his mind completely off the subject they were on before. "Why would you get a premonition about me talking to you?" said Harry.

"I have no idea," Pepper said. "I think I remember my aunt Phoebe telling me that when she first got her power, she didn't always have visions of innocents. I think there was one time, actually, when she had a premonition about a guy coming over and offering to buy her a drink. And I think that what I had was definitely a premonition…this is just too weird. Why am I getting so many powers?"

"Well, you are supposed to be the most powerful witch on earth, aren't you?" Harry shot Pepper a smirk and she wrinkled her nose at him. They were quiet for a moment before Pepper broke the silence.

"Oh, and Harry, I totally understand what you're saying," she said quietly. "I mean," she shrugged, "I waited too long."

It was then that Ginny, Ron and Hermione decided to return to the compartment. They were laughing and talking amongst themselves as they sat down. Ginny and Harry kissed, though afterwards Harry shot Pepper a slightly puzzled look.

The rest of the train ride was spent mostly talking about the summer and next year. Pepper was still contemplating her new power and wondering why she's only had one premonition and it was for something that happened months after she had a vision about it.

"Pepper? Oh Pepper?" said Ron, stretching out her name to get her attention.

Pepper snapped out of her thoughts. "What?" she said eyes wide to show that she was attentive.

"I asked if your aunts would mind you and Hermione coming over this summer," Ron repeated.

"Oh, yea, I'm sure it would be fine with them," said Pepper.

"I can't believe that you'll all be in seventh year next year," Ginny said, sighing and leaning against her boyfriend, who put his arm around her shoulders. Pepper was slightly shocked to feel a bolt of jealousy go through her. She vowed to herself that this summer she would get over Harry.

The goodbyes at King's Cross station were slightly tearful on the parts of Ginny and Hermione as they said goodbye to their boyfriends.

Pepper gave Ginny and Ron hugs and then moved on to Harry. "I'm here if you need me, Harry," she whispered in his ear before releasing him.

"I know," he mouthed and smiled.

"Harry, we're leaving!" a deep, booming voice a ways away. Harry turned to see his Uncle Vernon, Aunt Petunia and Cousin Dudley huddled near Platform 8. Dudley looked rather scared to be near all the families exiting the barrier between Platforms 9 and 10.

"'Bye," Harry smiled at his friends.

"C'mon boy, we don't have all day!" Uncle Vernon bellowed.

"I can't wait till I come of age and can move out," Harry sighed to Pepper, Ginny, Ron and Hermione.

"See you this summer, Harry," Ginny said, blowing him a kiss.

"See you, mate," said Ron.

Pulling his trunk behind him, Harry went over to join his extended family.

"Pepper, Hermione, let's go!" That was Piper calling.

"Well, see you later," Pepper said to her new friends. After Hermione had said her goodbyes as well, she and Pepper headed in the direction of Pepper's aunts to head home.

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Remember the contest!