Harry Potter and the Adventure He Affectionately Calls Life

"This sucks," Lana said, looking around the Defense Against the Dark Arts room. "This room is filthy."

"Yeah," Harry agreed, looking around in disgust. "And I can't believe she took away our wands."

"Well, the sooner we get started, the sooner we'll finish," Lana said, dipping her toothbrush into a cup of water that was charmed to always be clean. She got down on her knees and started scrubbing. "Harry! Look! The floor is actually gray!"

at, exactly?" Harry asked raising an eyebrow.

"Um... dirt gray?"

"Right." He dipped his toothbrush into his own cup of water and started scrubbing.

"This is boring," Lana grumbled a minute later.

Harry burst out laughing, continuing to scrub. "Scrub, Weasley," he said, grinning at her.

"We need to set goals," Lana said reasonably. "Like, we'll scrub until the second row of seats, and then take a break. Then we'll scrub until the end of the rows and take another break."

"That still leaves a third of the room," Harry said.

"Yeah, we finish that and then go through Fiora's stuff," Lana said excitedly. "Maybe we can find her secret diary."

"I, for one, do not want to know what kind of stuff she would write in a secret diary."

"Oh, I know!" She cleared her throat. "Dear Diary, tonight was the most amazing night of my life. Argus, Severus, and Tom Crivellare came over after hours and they took turns satisfying me in ways I could never imagine."

Harry covered his ears. "Nasty images running through my head right now, Lana. Stop."

"We have to clean this room," Harry warned her, a smile forming on his lips.

"Fiora can wait. I'm taking a break."

"Slacker," Harry teased, kissing her softly.

"So sue me," Lana whispered against his lips as he kissed her again.

Harry chuckled. "You know, it's a guys fantasy to be kissing an amazingly sexy girl in a classroom."

"You're welcome," Lana said, laughing.

"Except you're supposed to be wearing an exceptionally short skirt and your blouse should be unbuttoned."

Lana looked down at her jeans and t-shirt. She rolled the legs of her jeans up so they came up to her knees. "That's about all I can do for you," she said shrugging.

"Good enough," Harry said, gently pushing Lana against the floor and taking her in his arms and kissing her.

Half an hour later, Lana smiled against her boyfriend's neck. "We better get to scrubbing that floor, Harry," she said. "Break's over."

-------------------------------------------------------------------------->

"Oh really?"

"Yeah. In our first year."

"What did he do?" Ginny asked, interested. She had been stuck at home while everyone else was in their first year. It was the first time she had laid eyes on Harry.

"I was walking to class. Crabbe and Goyle were eating, so I had to walk alone."

"And?"

"And I was walking down the corridor and Longbottom blocked my way."

"And?"

"And what? He blocked my way!"

Ginny rolled her eyes. "Draco Malfoy, you are so spoilt. Honestly, poor Neville doesn't do anything to you. He just leaves you alone and minds his own business, and you insist on bothering him."

"Would it make you happy if I left him alone?"

"Yes," Ginny said crossly.

"Okay. I'll leave him alone."

"Gin, I'm sorry."

"For what?" She set her sponge down and brushed off crumbled bits of rotting bone before sitting on one of the benches.

"For what I did to you over Thanksgiving."

"Alert the Daily Prophet and The Quibbler," Ginny said dryly. "Draco Malfoy is apologizing."

"Seriously!"

"Just as seriously!" Ginny sighed. "Look, Draco, you were an asshole. I'm sorry, but you were. You hurt me really badly."

Draco sat down next to her and took her hands in his. "And I'm sorry, Gin, really I am."

"I don't want to talk about this, Draco." She tried to get up, but Draco grabbed her arm.

"But I do."

"And because Draco Malfoy wants to talk about this, we have to."

"We don't have to if you don't want to," he said. "I may be a spoilt git, but you make it sound like I take it to a whole new level."

"No comment."

Draco sighed.

"Why do you care anyway, Draco? That was a few months ago. I've put it behind me. Why don't you?"

"Because I can't."

"And why not?" Ginny sat down again and stared at him.

Draco took a deep breath. This is it, Malfoy. The moment of truth. She's not Lana. She never will be. You need to accept that. You have a smart and beautiful girl right in front of you here. She makes you laugh, and anyone who will taldeserves something nice. Tell her you love her. "Because I think I love you."

Ginny said nothing; she merely nodded. "Draco... please don't do this." He had taken her hands again. "You did this to me once and I managed to get over it, but if you hurt me again--"

"I won't. I won't." He kissed her hands lightly. "Please believe me, Ginny. I love you."

"And Lana?"

Draco winced. "I think a part of me will always love her. The same way a part of you will always love Potter. But Ginny... Lana and Potter are not our futures. Not for right now, at least."

A small smile played at the corners of her lips. "Gv>

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"I." Kiss. "Love." Kiss. "You." Kiss. "Hermione." Kiss.

"I." Kiss. "Love." Kiss. "You." Kiss. "Too." Kiss. "Ron."

"Happy Valentine's Day." Kiss.

"Happy Valentine's Day." Kiss.

"Except I actually mean it," Ron whispered into her hair.

"And I don't?" Hermione asked.

"No."

"Oh?"

"Not on purpose, anyway," Ron said. "But you can't imagine how much I love you."

"I think I can," Hermione said.

"No you can't."

ame="Normal (Web)" align="left" style="margin: 1.74mm 0.00mm 1.74mm 0.00mm; padding: 0.00mm 0.00mm 0.00mm 0.00mm; ">

"Okay. I can't."

"Should I tell you?"

"Please do."

"I'd rather show you."

"I like that idea," Hermione said with a grin as Ron kissed her.

"Seriously," Ron said, taking her hands and weaving their fingers together. "It's more than physical. It's not like those trashy romance novels Ginny reads."

"Hey! I read Passionate Trousers, too," Hermione said.

"Oh, not you also," Ron groaned. "They're so stupid."

"I think they're funny. Amusing. Not realistic."

"They're stupid."

"You should read them sometime," Hermione said. "Erotic sex scenes, 'heaving orbs', stripping. Actually, if you read them enough, you learn to look over the sex."

"And what's the point of that?" Ron asked, confused.

Hermione giggled. "Never mind, Ronnie," she said, kissing his nose.

"Don't call me that," he said automatically.

"Okay, Ronnie," she said sweetly.

Ron frowned at her, but ruined it with a smile. "I can't stay angry at you," he grumbled. "That sucks."

"You can be frustrated, though," Hermione said softly.

"Not with you. Never with you."

"It was," Ron admitted, tracing her cheek gently with his finger. "But it doesn't matter. You're back now, and I'm not going to let anything happen to you ever again."

Hermione smiled up at him. "Do you really think it was Voldemort?"

"If it was, I'll kill him with my bare hands."

"That won't work," Hermione said reasonably. "He's Voldemort."

"It's Valentine's Day. Let's not talk about Voldemort.ame="Normal (Web)" align="left" style="margin: 1.74mm 0.00mm 1.74mm 0.00mm; padding: 0.00mm 0.00mm 0.00mm 0.00mm; ">

"Okay."

"Let's not talk at all," he whispered.

"Okay," she said again, smiling against his lips.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Harry and Lana came down to breakfast together. Hermione and Ron came down to breakfast together. Ginny came down to breakfast by herself. Jennifer Brown batted her eyelashes at Lee.

"Happy Valentines day to all," Professor Dumbledore greetedyou have a Valentine or not. The staff and I have decided to do something a little fun this year. In celebration of this day, we are all going to get dressed up." Professor Dumbledore waved his wand and his usual royal-purple robes were transformed into pink. One by one, the other professors also changed. Filch frowned at his lacy pink shirt, but smiled when Professor Fiora ended up wearing a lacy pink robe as well. Ron groaned, but Ginny had no idea why.

Professor Snape's black robes were transformed into electric pink robes, and all the students laughed. Even Professor Snape couldn't help but smile a little before changing his robes back to black.

"And now, before we eat, someone as specially requested a little change of decoration. Minerva, if you don't mind?"

Professor McGonagall stood up and transfigured the snowflakes from the enchanted ceiling into red and pink rose petals. To everyone's surprise, they didn't disappear before hitting the ground, but actually landed gently on the tables and chairs and floors.

As Professor McGonagall sat down, the breakfast feast magically appeared before them. And what a feast it was. Heart-shaped pancakes, little candy hearts and mini chocolates, strawberries, cherries, apples. Anything and everything red under the sun that could possibly have been eated for breakfast was on the tables.

As everyone ate, the mail came in. It was mostly "I love you letters" from boyfriends and girlfriends. Hermione was smiling at Ron while reading a letter on a pink parchment. "Oh, Ron. I love you," she said. Kiss, kiss. Hug, hug.

Lana was laughing at a poem Harry had written for her. "That's so sweet," she said, leaning in for a kiss. Harry whispered something in her ear and she beamed. "I love you, too," she said.

Ginny looked back at her pancakes where one of the Hogwarts owls was paitently waiting for her to feed it and send it off on its way. "For me?" she asked the owl, as if it could actually respond. She fed the owl a strip of bacon and looked curiously at the letter. It was in a plain envelope with a simple silver ribbon and just read G. Weasley.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ginny sighed. Ron and Hermione had gone out, and Lana was upstairs getting ready to go to the Valentine's Day party with Harry. Ginny had been invited by Draco, but she wasn't sure if she wanted to go. I would like to find whoever invented Valentine's Day and hex them until he or she takes it back, Ginny thought bitterly.

She wasn't even sure why she was so bitter. Draco had asked for her forgiveness many times. He was a nice guy. He was fun to talk to and quite gorgeous. And the fact that he was a good kisser was an added bonus. But did he love her? Did he really love her? Just a few months ago, he had been in love with Lana. Do feelings like that really go away?

"Hey Gin!" Lana greeted, coming down the stairs and looking very pretty in a pink skirt and white tank top. "Aren't you going to the party?"

"Nah..."

"Why not?"

Ginny shrugged. "I told Draco I wasn't really feeling up to it."

"What about Malfoy?" Harry asked, checking his reflection in the window. "It's Valentine's Day, don't say that name."

Ginny smiled at her cousin and her brother's best friend. "Sorry, Harry."

"So what's wrong?" Lana wanted to know.

Ginny remained silent.

"Harry, go on without me. I'll be there soon."

"Okay," Harry said, looking down at Ginny with concern. "I'll see you later. Good night, Ginny."

"Okay, now that Harry's gone, what's up?"

"I don't know if I want to be with Draco."

changed."

"I think he may still be in love with you."

"What makes you say that?"

Ginny shrugged. "It's hard to trust him after what he did in Miami."

"Do you still have feelings for him?"

The red head was silent for a minute. "Yes," she said. "I'm still in love with Draco."

Lana smiled. "I thought so. And you're worried he might still have feelings for me?&qme="Normal (Web)" align="left" style="margin: 1.74mm 0.00mm 1.74mm 0.00mm; padding: 0.00mm 0.00mm 0.00mm 0.00mm; ">

Ginny nodded.

"So find out."

"How?" Ginny wanted to know. "'Oh, Draco, do you still like Lana?' I'm sure that'll go along smoothly."

"Come with me," Lana said, leading her up to her room. She tied her hair back with a hair-tie and opened her trunk. Ginny peered in curiously while Lana dug through piles of junk. "Here we go," Lana said, pulling out a can of Mint-Chocolate flavored InstaChange.

"InstaChange?" Ginny asked. "What am I going to do with this?"

Lana untied her hair and pulled out two strands and handed them to Ginny with a smile. "Turn into me and find out whatever you need to know," Lana said simply.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hermione walked blindly through the hallways. Ron insisted on covering her eyes. "Where are we going?" she asked, knowing exactly where Ron was taking her. She had heard him telling Lana about his Valentine's Day plans, but why would she ruin it for Ron?

"You'll see!" Ron said excited. "You're gonna love it, Herm, just wait and see!"

Hermione smiled. "Okay. But are we almost there yet?"

"Almost..." Ron said. "Okay, we're here." He removed his hands from her eyes and she looked around.

"We're in the astronomy tower," Hermione pointed out, not pretending to be confused because she actually was. "Ron, did you bring me here just to spend some time alone with me? The Gryffindor Common Room is going to be empty tonight, we could have spent time together there."

Ron kissed her quiet. "That wasnt' my intention, but I can do that, too, if you want."

"No... I want to know what you have in store for me."

Ron grinned, then dashed into the shadows of the tower and came back with his broom.

"We're not go? That's hardly my idea of romance."

Ron made a face at her. "Come here," he said, and she came. "Get on," he said, and she did so. Ron got on behind her and took off.

Hermione smiled again; she liked the cold winter air running through her hair. Her eyes teared against the wind. "What are we doing?"

Ron rode the broom a little higher and stopped at the top of the highest tower. "Here we are, my love," Ron said, getting off the broom and then helping her to get off.

Even Hermione was surprised to see a picnic basket and a thermos of hot chocolate waiting for them. Two blankets lay there, too, enchanted to always be warm. "Oh my gosh! Ron!" she turned around and kissed him soundly. "Ron, it's wonderful," she said. "I love you."

"Did you plan this all?" she asked.

"Ginny helped a bit."

"Oh. It's lovely." She smiled at him. "Thank you."

Ron blushed. "I'm glad you like it."

"I do! I love it! I love you."

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Problem all taken care of?" Harry asked as Lana joined him in the Great Hall.

"Yup," Lana said proudly.

"Good," Harry said, kissing her forehead gently. "And what did my favorite American genius come up with?"

"InstaChange. Ginny's not sure if Draco loves her or is just using her to be close to me. Again. So she's going to be me for a night and find out whatever she needs to know."

That's a horrible idea, Harry thought. It's a great plan, but very easy to backfire on poor Gin. "Have you thought about what will happen if Ginny goes as you and Malfoy declares his love for you?"

Lana looked shocked. "No..." She grabbed Harry's arm. "Oh my God, what are we going to do?"

"Calm down," Harry said. "I'll go talk to Malfoy."

She breathed a sigh of relief. "I can't believe I didn't think about that. How could I have been so stupid?"

"Hey," Harry said gently. "Don't worry. That's why you have me." He smiled at her. "Hey, come on, now, Lana. Don't be so upset. Please don't be upset."

Lana looked at him. "I love you, Harry Potter," she said. "Have I told you that yet?"

"Not in the past half an hour," Harry joked. "I love you, too, Lana Weasley. I love you very much."

Lana gently grabbed Harry's collar and pulled him down for a kiss. "Thanks, Harry," she said, leaning into his chest.

"Don't get too comfortable, I have to go talk to Malfoy."

"Okay, why don't you do that while I wait for you?"

"Okay," Harry said, kissing hack." He carefully stepped around many couples too preoccupied with other things to move out of his way. "Malfoy!"

Draco turned around. "Hello, Potter. No, I won't be your Valentine."

"I'll make sure I cry about that later," Harry said, rolling his eyes.

"So what can I do for you today?"

"I've come to give you a bit of advice."

Draco looked at him curiously. "Oh?"

"I'm sure you're aware that Ginny isn't here."

"You noticed?"

"I saw her upstairs. She's worried."

"About what?"

"You. And your intentions. She's worried that you might still be in love with Lana and that you're only with her to be close to Lana."

"That's crazy," Draco insisted.

"You've done it before."

"I have, and I've apologized for it time and time again, Potter."

"Malfoy, do you know what InstaChange is?"

Draco glared at him. "You know I do."

"I know. Do you know what it does?"

"Another stupid question, Potter. What do you want with me?"

"Ginny is going to come to you later on, although I'm not sure what time. She has some of Lana's hair and a can of InstaChange."

"Gin's going to come as Lana? Why?"

"To see if her suspicions are confirmed or not. And whichever Weasley it is you want, please give Ginny the answer she wants to hear. It's Valentine's Day, and Ginny should at least be happy on that one day."

Draco nodded and stared out the window. "Thanks, Potter."