-Chapter 1-

The cold air whipped around us as we made out way out of Honeydukes and toward the way out of Hogsmeade. My old navy and silver scarf was worn and hardly protected my neck from the wind. Little flurries of snow and ice were starting to fall and accumulate quickly on the ground.

"Come on, let's hurry and get inside!" I called back to my fellow Ravenclaws. My best friends in the world, Erika Embin and Lauren Withers, trailed behind me about ten feet because their bags kept dragging on the ground. They had spent all of their money in either Honeydukes or their favorite clothing stores, so their bags were heavy and weighted. Lauren's dark chocolate colored skin contrasted the light color of her shirt and the white of the snow.

"We're coming. Hold on!" Erika answered back and hurried forward. We still had a while to walk, but the large outline of the castle was coming into view. Its dark shape was both comforting and foreboding in a way I did not know how. Our, or at least my, trainers were now soaked through from the rain and snow. I made a small 'squish' noise every time I took a step. I fiddled with a piece of trash inside my thick coat, all the while, listening to Erika and Lauren talk animatedly about their plans the next week end.

By now we were all under the overhang of the castle and shaking the snow off of our coats and hats. Lauren clumsily dropped her bags onto the hard cement as she took careful time to get all the snow off.

"Of course, it had to ice on our trip to Hogsmeade right before the Hogsmeade trip on Valentine's Day," grumbled Lauren and picked her few bags up off the ground.

"Why should it matter that it's right before Valentine's Day? I personally think it's a rather stupid holiday," I added as we started our way further into the castle. Lauren and Erika both exchanged glances that showed they thought I was as dumb as a Mountain Troll for not thinking Valentine's Day was important.

"Valentine's Day is only the most important couple holiday of the year," Erika chimed and pulled out a new navy blue jacket, "which would be why I purchased this for Zachary! He gave me his jacket with his Quidditch number on it, so I figured I should get him a new one."

"Erika, I know what you bought. I was there with you," I pointed out.

"I bought a new pair of shoes that match the new skirt my step-mum sent me for Christmas," Lauren explained and promised to show her entire outfit and new shoes to me when we all reached the common room. Obviously she hadn't heard that I'd already told Erika I knew what they bought. I tried to seem enthused, but I could really care less.

I hope she forgets, I thought

"Maria, if you're going to be a party pooper about all of this, then don't talk about it," Erika said while we neared the portrait of two merpeople. I was vaguely aware of Lauren arguing with them in the background about the password.

"I wasn't even the one who brought up the subject!" The portrait swung open when Lauren finally remembered that they changed the password and we all stepped inside, grateful for the warmth of the fire and the comfy chairs.

"You could at least try and find a date to go with," Erika nagged while she set down her bags next to the blue couch in front of the fire and plopped herself down. She sloppily pulled her shoulder length caramel colored hair into a pony tail.

"I'm not going that week," I confessed casually and then busied myself by looking for at the bulletin board on the left wall. There was really nothing of interest up, but I tore down a poster about the Quidditch practice schedule.

"You're not going?! You have to go! If it's about finding a date, we still have nearly a whole month to find you one, and if we can't, then you can just go with us!" Erika exclaimed and threw her hands up into the air. She jumped up off of the couch so fast that she knocked over one of Lauren's bags and spilled the contents over the rug.

"No, and really, I don't want to talk about it right now," I mumbled and grabbed my book off of the table. I flipped to the seventh chapter and started to read, ignoring the fact that Erika was in hysterics over something pointless.

I don't know why she was so concerned anyway. If I don't go to Hogsmeade that week, it isn't like its going bother her, I thought grumpily and slammed the book shut. I sat there, starring at the fire and thinking angrily that my friends shouldn't care about whether I go or not.

"Maria, you need to go!" By the time I was finished being angry, Erika had had enough time to catch Lauren up and get her worked up. My anger started to boil again.

"I'm not going to Hogsmeade on such a mushy excuse for a holiday, but I am going to bed," I declared and stood up sharply from the chair and marched toward the stairs. I flung my hair over my shoulder and stomped up the stairs, making each step distinct. But, with every step, a smile grew on my lips. I would have the night to myself now that I'd come upstairs. Both Erika and Lauren had a strict rule with themselves that they never went to be before 11:00 PM.

By the time I was to the dorm, I was grinning from ear to ear and starting to whistle. I threw myself back onto my bed and slipped off my trainers before slipping off my jeans and sweater and putting my pajamas on. I was prepared to draw for couple of hours before Erika and Lauren came up. I grabbed my box of pencils and sketch book from under the four-poster bed and pulled them up onto the comforter. I had just lifted the lid off the box when both of my friends came bursting through the door. I was sure that shock was plain on my face, because Lauren and Erika tried to look an innocent as possible and acted as if they didn't know why I me looked that way.

"We have a proposition for you," Lauren explained and sat down at the end her own bed with her legs crossed. I sat there with the lid still in my hand as they went on. "We think it'd be good if we played a game."

"A very fun game at that," Erika added and sat down on the floor at the foot of her own bed.

"What kind of game?" I asked warily and placed the lid back on the box and slipped it back under the bed.

"You know how to play Exploding Snaps, so we figured we could make it more interesting."

"Go on," I prompted and scooted to the end of my own bed.

"Well, whoever's cards explode first, will have to take a dare from each person." I could see where this was going now. But, I'd practically backed myself back into a corner and the only thing I had left to do was try and win the game.

"Fine," I relented and Erika ran and got her cards from her night side dresser.

The game started out very well. We decided that the person who lost the most out of 5 games would have to take the dares. We played with all the normal rules and a few of our own. Erika ended up having her face covered in soot the first game and Lauren the second. I had yet to loose a game. Then it took a turn for the worst. I lost track of my cards and ended up loosing the third game.

No big deal, I thought, I can still win the next two games.

But I didn't. The fourth game I lost by a landslide, and I started to get nervous. I would have to win the next game to even tie. I tried, but I didn't move fast enough, and my hand of cards blew up in my face, sending dirt all over my hands.

"Oh ho, look who has to take a dare," they sang in unison. I closed my eyes to prepare myself for what they were going to have to make me do. I had a feeling that I already knew what it was.

"I dare you," Lauren started, "to ask someone to go to Hogsmeade with you—on a date." I cringed.

Erika's face broke out in a massive grin as she prepared to hit me with her blow of a dare.

"And I dare you to ask one of the Marauders!"