Disclaimer: I do not own any Harry Potter stuff. Unfortunately. #Grins.#
It belongs to J. K. Rowling, not me, however much I can wish otherwise.

Truth and Dare:

Sipping his tea, Professor Remus Lupin flicked through the test papers of his 7th year Gryffindor class. He was marking them in a way which he would call 'fair' and Snape would call 'unbelievably sentimental.' He smiled wryly as he drew a big red O on the paper in his hands. Harry's. Top of the class by only half a mark. He shook his head. Hermione would be annoyed. She'd probably helped Harry study. "Hang on; it was a pop-test!" His mind realized suddenly. "Then again," the voice continued, "Hermione's been a little… odd… lately. Day-dreamy, one might even say."

A knock on the door startled the wizard, and her got up and opened it.

"Oh, hello Professor." He said mildly as Professor Dumbledore walked into his office. Conjuring a large, cushy chair, the tall man sunk wearily into it, and motioned for Remus to do the same and sit. "Would you like some tea?" Remus asked pleasantly, walking over to the teapot perched on a side table. Dumbledore mutely accepted. Passing the Headmaster a cup brimming with Earl Grey, he reclined in his office chair.

"So, Remus, I must confess, this really is a social visit." Dumbledore admitted, smiling. "Sorry it's so late; I just haven't been able to find the time. And I like your tea." He added as an afterthought, sipping the warm, smoky tea gratefully. "I was just wondering how you're doing after teaching half a year. Enjoying your classes?"

"Very much, Professor." Remus replied.

"You know, if it wasn't for your… condition," Dumbledore said gently, "I would have hired you at your graduation." Remus looked at him in wonder. "I have heard nothing but good about you from the students, and nearly all the staff."

"Well… thank you." Remus replied, at a loss for words.

"So I came to visit my most esteemed colleague." Dumbledore smiled, arching his fingers.

"C'mon Hermione, your turn. Truth and Dare?" Lavender asked loudly in the 7th Year Girls dormitory, which was full with 7th year girls and a few from other years.

"I'm not playing. Reading." Hermione stated, looking back at her book.

"Aw, c'mon!" All the other girls squealed. Knowing she'd never get to read peacefully otherwise, Hermione gave in.

"Fine. And you know, it's 'Truth or Dare. The person is supposed to get a choice." They shrugged.

"Right. Your question: Do you have a romantic interest in Harry?"

"No! He's my friend, but not… he's like a brother." Everyone else rolled their eyes.

"I could have told you that!" Parvati said.

"Anyway," Lavender ignored them, "Your Dare is to…" She trailed off, thinking herd, and eyed Hermione beadily. "Go tell… Professor Lupin…" The girls twittered, and Hermione felt her breath catch in her throat. "How you really feel about him." Hermione resisted the urge to put her head in her hands. Even though it was dark, everyone in the dormitory could see colour scorch up her face. They were totally silent.

"No." Hermione said forcefully.

"Lavender, that's too far." Ginny protested, having come into their dormitory to play the game. She knew that Hermione did like Professor Lupin. By the looks being passed around in the room, the redhead guessed that someone else had figured it out.

"She's a Gryffindor isn't she?" Lavender replied loftily. "They're supposed to be brave." Hermione flushed again. "I vote we don't speak to her unless she does this. Everyone else did their dare." Lavender continued. There was a noise of assent among the majority of girls.

"Fine. Hermione will go tell Professor Lupin how she feels, and I'll go with her to make sure she does it." Ginny replied.

"You'll lie, and she won't do it!" Parvati protested.

"You want to try me?" Ginny said fiercely. Parvati fell silent.

"Fine, go then." Lavender nodded towards the door.

Outside the door to Professor Lupins' office, Hermione quailed.

"Do I have to do this?" She entreated Ginny. "Can't you just tell them I did?"

"I would if I could." Ginny said sadly, shrugging. "They've got a bottle of Veritaserum in there. We all drank some. The effects will last until morning." Hermione gasped.

"But that's illegal!"

"Point being?" Hermione rolled her eyes. "Parvati got it from her uncle. It's really watered down, but not enough for me to lie outright. Tell you what, you go in there, and I'll wait out here. Then I can say, to the best of my knowledge, that you did the dare."

"Thanks… I think.

"Though, personally, I think you should tell him anyway. In you go." Shaking, Hermione stepped forward and knocked on the wooden door. Ginny stepped back into the shadows just along the corridor.

"Who could that be?" Remus said in surprise as there was a light knock on the door. He rose and opened it, shocked to reveal Hermione. "Miss Granger." He said quizzically. "How may I help you?" He stepped aside to allow her into the room. Hermione quailed as she realized the Headmaster was sitting in an armchair in the office. Dumbledore chuckled.

"Do you normally receive students in your office late at night, Remus?" He inquired, smiling. A bur in his voice made it plain he was trying not to laugh as he gave Hermione a very knowing look, one eyebrow raised.

"No. Miss Granger, how may I help you?" Remus said gently.

"Err…" Hermione glanced at Professor Dumbledore, who was serenely looking at a thread on the armchair. "May I talk you in private please?"

"Anything you can say to Remus, you can say infront of me, Miss Granger." Dumbledore said, eyeing her keenly. Hermione winced inwardly.

"Well, Professor, I… we… they were playing Truth and Dare in my dormitory, and they made me join in." Hermione began hesitantly. "My dare was… to come and tell you how I felt towards you." Dumbledore averted his gaze, and Remus looked at Hermione, bewildered.

"And, Miss Granger?" He said mildly, even though all his emotions were warring with each other.

"Well…" Hermione trailed off. "LIE!" Her mind shouted. "LIE, YOU MORON!" Hermione mentally silenced the yelling voice. "I like you. As more than a friend." She blurted out. Remus looked at her, askance.

"Well, Hermione…" He said weakly, "I am flattered, certainly, and you're a wonderful person…" He said gently, "But…" He paused. "I'm sorry, Hermione, it just wouldn't work out."

Shocked and stunned, Hermione's brain slowly registered what her Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher had said.

"Oh, yeah, that's… fine." She said lightly, in a higher-than-normal voice.

"Hermione…" Remus shook his head. "You're a wonderful, fantastic person, but it just can't happen. I'm sorry." He looked at her compassionately.

"That's okay. I'll just… go… now." She said vacantly, although tears were threatening to break her blank composure. Slowly, and glazédly, she walked out of the room.

"Remus, that was cruel. And cruelness is not in your personality." Dumbledore said quietly, looking at his employee piercingly.

"What?" Remus said in bewilderment. "What was cruel?"

"Telling Miss Granger there that you had no feelings for her, apart from the ordinary." Remus turned scarlet.

"But I don't have any feelings for her. She's just a student." He said firmly, more to himself than his boss. Dumbledore just looked at him, and Remus turned away.

"You've never lied to me before, Remus. Why now?" The old man said softly.

"But I…" His voice quivered, then failed.

"Remus, she's 17. As long as nothing happens in school, there's nothing preventing either of you from being together." Dumbledore said cannily. "She's legally of age." He smiled.

"And half my age!" Remus retorted.

"I'm not saying I sanction anything to do with this, just pointing out the obvious." Dumbledore continued, shrugging.

"It's just… wrong." Remus stuttered, putting his head in his hands. After a few seconds he looked up at his Headmaster, pain filling his silvery grey eyes. "And I hate myself for it."

"Remus, please." Dumbledore shook his head, smiling slightly. "If you care about Hermione, as she obviously cares about you, then…" He let his voice trail off suggestively.

"Maybe I should talk to her…" Remus said softly.

"Maybe you should. Go on then." Dumbledore got up and prodded Lupin towards the door. "Off you go." He smiled wryly, gently steering the stricken man towards his door. Closing the door behind the werewolf, Dumbledore reclined in his chair and closed his eyes, to wait.

Gulping apprehensively, Remus straightened and looked the Fat Lady straight into the eye.

"Sugar Quills." He said firmly. The Fat Lady raised an eyebrow, but swung open to let him in. When he'd stepped into the Common Room, Remus gasped. Nothing had changed. The Common Room looked exactly the same as it had 17 years ago. He smiled reminiscently. Suddenly, the matter at hand barged back into his mind, and he strode up the stairs to the girls dormitories. Pausing outside the 7th year dormitory, he knocked sharply on the door. The big oak door swung open to reveal a shocked Parvati Patil.

"P-professor Lupin." She stuttered, stepping back. Remus walked into the dormitory and looked around, meeting the gaze of the astounded 7th year girls and Ginny. But there was no Hermione.

"Do you know where Hermione is, Ginny?" He asked in a low voice.

"No. I don't. After she went in to your office, I waited, but if she came out then she didn't pass me. Why?"

"Er, none of your concern." Remus replied, feeling his face change colour. "Anyway…" He bailed.

"Why did I do that?" Hermione sobbed. "I could have lied, but n-o, I had to go telling him I cared about him!" She buried her face in a cushion, curling up on a window seat as snow swirled past the bay-view window.

"Hermione." A soft voice interrupted her silent wails. Hermione felt a light body mass sink onto the window-seat behind her. Looking up, her tortured chocolate eyes met Remus Lupin's pale, careworn face, which was now looking at her gently. A thin, slim hand slid under her chin and lifted her head, so Hermione sat up.

"Yes, Professor?" She said sadly.

"You like me, don't you." He said quietly.

"Well… yeah." Hermione admitted. A slight smile perked at her lips. "But a fat lot of good that does." She added bitterly.

"Actually, it has done a 'fat lot of good.'" Hermione dared to look directly at her teacher and saw that he was smiling wryly. "You should thank Lavender." He added as an afterthought. "If she hadn't dared you to come and tell me the truth, I would have missed what was right infront of my nose." He whispered. Hermione looked up at him, astonished.

"You mean you…" She whispered softly, unable to finish the sentence.

"Like you? Yes. Although now you probably think I'm a seedy old man who preys on students."

"Nah." Hermione smiled. "Never. You really care about me?"

"Yes." He repeated, almost inaudibly. Tentatively, Hermione shifted her weight and leant on his side. Remus slunk an arm around her shoulders comfortingly.

"So." She said softly.

"So." Remus repeated, whispering.

The End.

(A/N: Well, that was my random little one-chapter story thing. #Grins.# I know I'm odd. Hope you liked it. If you did, or even if you didn't, please review! And does Dumbledore seem rather seedy (old and creepy) to you? I couldn't decide. Adios!)