So Twilight has gotten me back into fics after several years of absence. I went back over this story and realised it desperately needed a re-write. So here is the first, revamped chapter of Dares
I have no claim on the Harry Potter franchise.
Ron stood, dumbfounded, with Hermione clinging to his arm, staring at Dumbledore, who was blocking the only exit to the small classroom. "Professor!" he exclaimed, "What the BLOODY HELL are you on about?"
Harry had to admit it was fairly brave (and entirely stupid) to speak to a teacher, the *headmaster*, in such a tone of voice. Still, despite the fact that the redhead looked to Harry as though he was tempted to knock those half-moon glasses askew with his fist, the old man was smiling widely as he responded.
"It's quite simple, Mr. Weasley," Dumbledore soothed, his eyes twinkling. "You're an intelligent enough boy-." Beside Harry, Draco Malfoy gave a snort of mirth to which Harry responded playfully with an elbow to the stomach, while grinning himself at the comment, "-to realise what I mean."
"Sir, you wouldn't do that! You CAN'T lock us in here with them," said Ron, and threw a withering look in the direction of Pansy, Crabbe and Goyle. "I promise you we won't all come out alive!"
"You're little disagreement at breakfast today landed ten innocent 3rd years in the hospital wing, thanks to Mr. Malfoy's little stunt," Dumbledore trilled.
"Hey! I resent that!" Draco said in an offended tone, barely containing a smile. "You could hardly call that *little*."
Dumbledore winked at him, which only seemed to annoy Ron further. Despite the 'friendship' that had sprung up between Harry and Draco earlier that year, he wasn't on the best of terms with the blonde.
"So lock him and Pansy in the room, let the rest of us go!" Ron protested. Draco took a step forward to join the debate.
"Those idiots third years shouldn't have been standing there, gawking at us like stunned mullets!" He sighed and added, "Plus, I guess, it *was* only a small explosion."
"It was, truly, an impressive detonation, but unfortunately Madame Pomfrey doesn't agree. You will remain in this room for two hours and then I will *consider* letting you out." Ron started to protest, but Dumbledore continued. "Think of it this way, you're going to miss out on Divination. That's always cause for celebration." Dumbledore's eyes smouldered with laughter. The door slid shut and Dumbledore's calm voice could be heard magically locking the door, after which he added loudly, "If you are all alive when I return, I will let you out."
Ron stared at the door, as though waiting for Dumbledore to return to the room and jovially exclaim "April Fools!"
It didn't happen.
"OH GREAT!" Ron fumed, "Just BLOODY wonderful!" Harry rolled his eyes at Draco and they laughed. "WHAT can possibly be funny at this point in time?" Ron demanded at the sound. Pansy snickered at him and Crabbe and Goyle followed suit with quiet guffawing.
"You are," Draco said wryly. "Don't be so dramatic, we just have to kill 2 hours and we get away with trying to blow the stuffing out of a bunch of kids."
"We?" Ron demanded, "I didn't do anything!"
"Draco, please," Hermione pleaded, trying to scold Draco without stirring Ron. "You're really not helping."
"Helping? And miss out on his theatrics. Why would I do that?" Draco scoffed and Harry hid a giggle. Draco took Harry by the hand and led him to the teachers' desk at the front of the room. They perched upon it, side by side, still holding hands, eyes locked. Draco leaned in to kiss Harry, making it clear this was how he planned the kill the time.
Pansy looked at them filthily before tossing her hair and turning her head away from the lovers. Everyone was used to Harry and Draco's affectionate gestures by now, since they had been sprung pashing in the entrance hall by a huge crowd of Slytherin 1st years back in July. Ron looked aghast at the kissing boys, and then turned away, eyes crossing to Pansy, Crabbe and Goyle's corner of the room. His eyes filling with even more revulsion and he crossed his arms across his chest and huffed.
"Ron," she cooed, trying to pacify him. He rolled his eyes and she tried not to look hurt. "Draco's right, we just have to put up with them for 2 hours and we'll be out of here."
"I can't, Hermione, I just can't!" Ron snapped, and yanked his arm from Hermione's grip. He started pacing, glaring at Pansy, who was in a whispered conversation with her followers. "How could anyone put up with her?"
"I can't say I personally find your company that pleasurable either," Pansy sneered across the room. Ron stopped pacing to glare fixedly at her.
"UGH!" he exclaimed in disgust, throwing his hands into the air. Draco turned from watching Ron and Pansy's staring contest to speak to Harry.
"What a drama queen."
"Pansy?"
"Ron."
Harry snorted. Draco shook his head. A thoughtful expression crossed his face as he pondered something. "What… what we actually fighting about?"
"Huh?"
"Well... in all the excitement and explosions... I kind of forgot what we were fighting with Pansy about in the beginning."
"You idiot. You wouldn't have cared what the fight was about, you like any excuse to destroy things."
Hermione provided the answer that had clearly escaped Harry as well. "Pansy was going on about us Gryffindors *stealing* Draco from them. No offence Draco but I don't get why you're so important to them."
Pansy sniffed. "He's not. You can have him."
"That's not what you said this morning." Draco said, winking.
"We don't want you back," Pansy explained. "I just don't think its right for purebloods to… cavort with… those of lower breeding."
"You twit," Draco said, shaking his head. Harry let out an unexpected laugh, and Draco rolled his eyes. "Don't start with that again!" Draco said exasperatedly. "We all know what twit actually means."
"We do?" said Hermione. Harry beamed.
"A twit," Harry announced, "is a pregnant goldfish." He cracked up again childishly.
"Right," Hermione said sarcastically. "And that is relevance to this situation because….?"
"Its not, but its funny," Harry defended himself with a smile.
"It was funny," Draco drawled. "When I first heard it, when I was about 11, it was funny. Not anymore, Harry." Harry shrugged, and gave Draco a chaste peck on the lips to shut him up. Draco was happy to comply but seemed unsatisfied by the kiss and pulled Harry closer for a sizzling smooch.
"Can you two please cut it out before I'm sick?" Ron pleaded. Harry and Draco obeyed with slightly abashed looks on their faces. "Thank you."
The room fell silent besides the sound of Ron stomping back and forth. After a few moments, Hermione had had enough and barked, in a sporting impression of Ron's mother, "For Merlins sake, Ronald Weasley! If you don't stop pacing like an expectant father I'm going to curse you into next week!" Ron stopped at last and stared at her, shocked. He flopped into the nearest chair, and Hermione sat in the chair by his side, smiling to herself.
In their corner Pansy spoke in a low whisper to Goyle. Crabbe was watching a spider crawl across the floor with wrapped attention.
"Small minds are easily amused," Harry commented quietly.
Draco smiled. "And the miniscule size of Crabbe's brain is rivalled only by that of Goyle. Or the spider."
"Enough," Hermione said in a fed up voice. "Can everyone please stop whispering?"
Pansy looked up and glared at her. "What's with you and controlling people?"
Ron leapt to his feet.
"Shut your mouth, Parkinson," he warned.
"Ooh, now I'm terrified," said Pansy with a mocking smile. Hermione pulled Ron back into his seat, shaking her head but smiling in appreciation for the gesture. Ron leant over and kissed her lightly on the lips.
Pansy sigh, clearly disappointed at failing to get a rise out of Ron. "You four are all such Gryffindors'."
