Dare to be True

#Prompt - Write about a group of people gathering together for an activity or a game.

This is written for the June assignment given in the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry Challenges and Assignments forum. The subject category is Games and Sports. Have fun reading!

P.S.: I am new to writing fanfiction and am still getting a feel for this. So please do review and give me your opinions on my writing. I need all the constructive criticism I can get! However, I am still getting into the whole writing scene, so please, don't flame me! I write for my own pleasure and also because I know the pleasure one gets while reading someone else's stories, not for money or commissions or anything else. So, if you don't like the themes for my stories, please hit the back button and move out before getting traumatised my writing. I will post warnings accordingly.

Fic warnings: mild m/m slash, references to adult some adult topics.

Dare to be True

Word count : 3547

"So, Ron, truth or dare?"

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

The Eighth Years had gathered together in a circle sitting on the big hearth rug near the fireplace. The merry glow of the fire was reflected on their faces, and showed everybody's smiles and laughter in an artistic setting. The scene could be immortalized in a painting – the luxurious setup of the Eighth Year common room, done in neutral purples and creams, the rich cream and rose gold carpet, the comfortable couches and armchairs, and most of all, the happy, comfortable expressions of all the young adults, as red, green, blue and yellow house ties were randomly spotted in the circle, the owners of said ties laughing and talking with each other as if they were all friends for years. Gryffindors and Slytherins cracked friendly jokes and ate from the same plates; Muggleborns and Purebloods sat side by side, discussing the pros and cons of different worlds, with the Muggle-raised explaining a few simple concepts in between, like electricity and telephones and cars and planes, the Purebloods looking on in awe.

It could be the perfect motivation, an example set for the rest of the world to show them how to grow in peace and unity. Nobody who looked at this scene would ever imagine that these teens were survivors in a magical war, although it doesn't seem that unbelievable really; for it could only be something life-changing that altered the world-views of these youth so drastically, and made them see past the prejudices to get to the people underneath.

The eighth years were celebrating the end of another Hogsmeade weekend. They had decided, early on in the year, to have regular get togethers to at least maintain some level of civility and casual friendliness. Neville, of all people, had suggested Hogsmeade weekends, and everyone soon got on board with the idea. Now, of course, they were a tight-knit group, bonds forged through their experiences and survival. There were no mini-groups anymore, no one sitting apart from the rest, they may have all had their own special friends, but they mostly spent their time together as one big group.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

It had started out with strained awkwardness. The teens would talk about trivial things, like the weather and their homework, the stilted conversations routinely punctured by uneasy silences. The turning point though, was when Dean Thomas started a discussion on football. The Purebloods, of course, discreetly turned up their noses at first at the Muggleness of the topic, it was a knee-jerk reaction after all, but they consciously tamped it down and payed attention to the conversation between Dean, Hermione Granger, Harry Potter, Mandy Brocklehurst, Terry Boot and Justin Finch-Fletchley. Soon the purebloods started asking questions and joining in the debate, comparing the sport to Quidditch and ending up arguing the pros and cons between each sport.

The excited conversation branched out into explanations on other Muggle items and technologies too. The purebloods and wizard-raised half-bloods started opening up their minds and realizing that Muggles were not really inferior to wizards, not because of their abilities but because of their innovative ways of evening the odds. Muggles didn't get their ideas of what was and wasn't possible through wizards; the muggles didn't know about magic and thus believed a lot of things to be impossible. But they still tried to defy logic and achieve the impossible anyway – succeeding in most cases.

Muggles learnt how to fly without a broom, how to talk to people entire countries away from each other, to even see their faces in something called a 'vid-e-o call'. They could send messages, still pictures, moving pictures, and who knows what else to people across the world, and get a reply in ten seconds flat, something the young wizards just couldn't wrap their minds around. They even had animated pictures that had two-three hours of movement, and it actually told a story! Muggles could even take moving pictures of things that were not real, and put in these 'movees'. They could actually stop and replay whatever parts they liked most in the movees! This was beyond comprehension for the wizard-raised, and they started to think of muggles as geniuses. Thus, when Hermione suggested to turn Hogsmeade Night Specials into Interhouse All-Things-Muggle Night, the purebloods were the first to back her idea.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Today was Muggle Get-to-Know-Each-Other Game Night, and the crew had currently decided on Truth or Dare. The Slytherins were a little more wary than the others, but no less excited.

Hermione had just explained the rules, and tailored some of them to suit the group. The names of everyone in the group were written on small folded pieces of parchment and collected in a bowl. The first person to set the truth/dare would randomly pick a piece and call out the name of the person on the paper. The questioner will ask him/her, 'Truth or Dare?' Accordingly, a player can choose between truth or dare. If he/she chooses truth then that person must answer any one of two questions posed by the other player. If he/she chooses dare the person must follow through. If a person is not comfortable answering either questions, they have a back-up option of choosing a dare and vice versa.

If unwilling to follow both options, the player must be part of the Eighth Year's Unity Committee, an interhouse interaction-building initiative started rather unwillingly by said eighth years on the adamant demand of the Headmistress, Minerva McGonagall. Since no one wanted to spend all their free time with the babies of the castle now that they had the special privileges that came with being legal adults, the Headmistress decreed that all the eighth years would participate until at least five members from the group volunteered for the rest of the year. The eighteen-year olds found all of Hermione's rules acceptable enough to start playing.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Hermione went first. She reached into the bowl, and picked up the topmost parchment piece. Reading the name, she smirked slightly turned to her right and looked straight into her boyfriend's eyes.

"So, Ron, truth or dare?"

Ron instantly turned beet red. Hemming and hawing, the red-head finally answered with 'Truth'. Hermione nodded and closed her eyes for a few seconds, then opened them and asked, "Question 1: Who is your favourite sibling? And Question 2: What scared you the most as a child?"

The boy looked a little less tense now. "Hmm, I'll take the first one. I like Charlie the most, he's my favourite." Ron leaned in and whispered in her ear, "Thanks for going easy on me 'Mione." "No problem," she smiled conspiratorially.

Ron was next to pick a parchment. "Pansy Parkinson." He looked up at her. "Truth or Dare, Pans?"

Pansy lifted her chin and said, "Truth."

Ron thought for a moment and then asked, "First question: What is your favourite food? Second, what would you choose if you had to take a job?"

Everyone chuckled lightly at Ron's first question. Hermione smiled fondly; let it never be said that Ron ever forgot his first love – food. She wouldn't have him any other way.

Pansy replied with a smirk. "I think I'll take the second one." At this, some of them outright laughed. "If you would have asked me this question a year ago, I would have thought something along the lines of 'The ministry, you fool!' But that's because we wizards don't really have a lot of career opportunities. There aren't many options in the wizarding world, and for a pureblood woman like me, I'm expected to marry someone of equal or higher status, have an heir and a spare and host events for the rest of my life. I don't want this for myself. I don't want to live a life designed by others anymore; if there is one thing the war has taught me it's that life is uncertain and that I must make the most of the time that I have. I want to go out in the muggle world, make a name for myself. I loved the Muggle fashions in those magazines, I think I will go into the fashion industry. This isn't a pipe dream for me anymore. It will take a lot of time, and a lot of effort, but I will make it, and one day it will be my name in those magazines, I just know it." She looked around at the others, all staring back in shock. "Oh, honestly, don't give me that look! Can't a girl speak her mind anymore?"

Pansy hastily picked up a parchment and glanced at it quickly. "Susan Bones." Susan hurriedly squeaked, "Truth!" Pansy huffed out a laughed. The others smiled fondly at her, she and Hannah were the babies of the group. "I didn't even ask you the question yet, Sue! Anyway, the first one is, what is the worst thing you have ever done? Before the war, I mean. And the second, where have you been sneaking around to every Thursday at midnight?" Pansy looked like canary who got the cream.

Susan squeaked again. "You found out about that? How did you know?"

Pansy took a glance around at the other girls in the circle. "You're not the best at being sneaky. Honey, the first time you crept out of the dorm, you banged straight into my bed! We're all worried about you Sue. What's going on?"

Susan took a deep breath. "I want to become a healer." It was Neville who replied this time. "That's great Susan! You'd be amazing at it; I've seen the way you patched up Luna and Ginny."

"I know. I – I'm not very good at studying, it's not my best skill. And you know that being a Healer requires O's in all core subjects and at least E's in everything else. I found out about my inherent healing magic sometime during the war, and I helped Madam Pomfrey heal the injured during and after the final battle. I, I loved the feeling – to cure somebody, to use my healing magic, it was the most alive I felt in a long time. So I go down to the Room of Requirement every Thursday night and practice for my NEWTS, especially Charms and Transfiguration. The ROR has a lot of teaching aids, you know. Very useful."

The room was stunned. Then finally, Harry asked, "But why Thursdays?"

"Oh, that," Susan giggled, "There's nothing much to it really. It's just that Friday's workload is so light compared to the other days, I found that it wasn't so tiring this way. Even if I feel a little sleepy, I don't miss that much."

Lisa Turpin smiled softly at her friend. "You should have come to one of us, Sue, we would have helped you. I've seen you at the library so often this year – you looked so stressed out, studying all those thick books. I can tutor you in Charms, I'm good at those."

Hermione had her thinking face on. "You said the ROR provides study aids? If we all get together and have a study session or two there, do you think it will conjure up personalized study aids for each and every one of us? I've got to find out; Harry, Ron, come on!"

Harry pulled her back down quickly, Ron's hand on her other arm. "Slow down, 'Mione! You can check it out tomorrow!"

"But I – "

"Granger, sit down and stop whining! That room was there for the last seven and a half years of our schooling, it will remain there tomorrow too. I on the other hand, will not remain here playing this blasted game if you walk out!"

Everybody smiled, that was so like Draco; he was like a younger, blonder version of his godfather. Now that they knew what Draco was like, they appreciated his sarcasm and wry humour. Draco was a very cunning snake, and he could knock a person down with the power of his words alone; that coupled with his protective personality, made him a very dangerous person to mess with. Draco was just as protective before, he just had fewer people to shield back then. He loved his family immensely – he nearly killed a man, his own headmaster, just to keep them safe. The war had hardened him a little, and now he knew enough to stand up to a person and defy them, rather than let himself be manipulated in the name of love and protection. The eighth years, especially his fellow Slytherins were proud of the man he had become.

"Fine," replied Hermione with a slight pout. "Pick your person, Sue."

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

And so the process went on. A person picked 'truth', shocked everyone with their answers, and moved on to the next. Seamus, Justin and Lisa, funnily enough, picked 'dare' as their first choice. The craziness that followed were quite hilarious to the teens.

Seamus showed off his trumpet lessons taught by his best friend Dean, or more accurately, how much he needed them, as his friends laughed along to his butchered version of Viva la Vida. Even the purebloods could tell that he was horribly off-tune, and they had never heard the song in their life!

Justin was a lot more hesitant, but he gallantly paraded around in his borrowed hot pink gown, three-inch high heels and a tiara conjured by Hermione nestled in his temporarily lengthened hair. Wearing the heels meant that he nearly tripped almost as many times as the number of steps he took, but he – pardon the pun – took it in stride. He even posed for a photograph or two, but they all agreed not to let the pictures get out.

Lisa was dared to sneak out a bottle of Firewhiskey from the kitchens. The rule-book upholding Ravenclaw nearly backed out, but they all encouraged and motivated her enough for her to make it all but three steps away from the kitchens. When she came back empty-handed and ashamed, they all let out a collective groan, but easily recovered and let Blaise Zabini ask her the truth questions.

Blaise smirked mischievously and asked her, "Lisa, darling, which one will you answer, I wonder? One, what is your naughtiest sexual fantasy? And two, who did you lose your virginity to?" Lisa turned redder than ever, and she looked at Blaise with an adorably betrayed expression on her blushing face. Her whispered mutter of 'Anthony Goldstein' could barely be heard over the raucous laughter.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Finally, it was Ernie Macmillan's turn to pick. He reached in, pulled out a parchment, opened it and read it, a smug look crossing his face. He looked around at everyone dramatically, his gaze finally stopping on Harry. "Harry Potter," he said. "The person we've all been waiting for."

"Truth or Dare, Harry?"

Ron and Hermione gave each other an uncertain look. "Ernie, mate -" Ron started only to be cut off by his girlfriend.

"Ernie, I can only imagine the number of questions you have for Harry; Merlin knows you all have asked him something or the other during the course of the year to which he was unable to reply. There is quite a lot of sensitive information about the war and stuff which he cannot reveal – don't force him to answer through this game, okay? This is supposed to be a light, friendly thing."

Ernie looked a little disappointed but gamely agreed. Turning to Harry, he saw his friend looking a little relieved and knew that he had made the right decision. Harry immediately replied by saying, "Truth. Thanks, Ernie."

Ernie smiled at him and said, "It's all right, Harry. I completely understand." Then taking a deep breath, the Hufflepuff decided on his questions.

"Okay, number one: If you could choose to be sorted to any other house – other than Gryffindor, that is – where you want to be? And second, let's see…. Hmm, what are your preferences?" He clarified with a smirk at Harry's confused look, "Sexually."

Harry instantly turned bright red. Ron guffawed and Hermione held her hand over mouth daintily, her shoulders shaking slightly. Surprisingly, Draco turned to Harry with a teasing smirk. "Care to enlighten us about the second one, Potter?" Harry glared back at him. "No thanks, Malfoy." Ron only laughed harder; everyone else looking around in confusion at the exchange.

"Are you sure? Maybe you're afraid!" "Am not, Malfoy, will you shut up!" Ron's bellows were deafening.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

"I'll take the first one, Ernie." Harry muttered softly. Speaking a little lounder, he said, "I wasn't actually supposed to go to Gryffindor – the hat wanted to put me in Slytherin. It said that I would be best there, fit in with the snakes and learn a lot from them. I practically begged it to put me anywhere but there."

The others, barring Ron and Hermione, were stunned at this revelation. The Slytherins looked slightly outraged in addition to their shock. Blaise finally asked the question that went on in all their minds. "Why did you not want to go there, then? You must have been very convincing; I've never heard of any sorting where the hat let's a person choose the house he or she wants to be in, that's the whole point of the Sorting Ceremony after all!"

"Well, I probably wouldn't have objected to being a Slytherin, if a certain blond prat hadn't already made averse to being anywhere he was sorted to! And no, Draco, I'm not talking about the train incident; that was a whole other matter. You might not remember this, but we had first met in Madame Malkin's – you were already being measured for your robes when I had entered. You were such a git, going on about your father's money and your broom and insulting all the other houses. You actually reminded me of my cousin Dudley."

Draco looked horrified. "Dudley! That fat oaf who looks like a pig and calls you a freak! Was I really that bad!"

Hermione interrupted, "Wait, how do you know about Harry's cousin?"

At this, both Harry and Draco blushed and looked down, side-eyeing each other shiftily. The others were still trying to catch up with the fast-paced conversation.

Harry quickly continued before his scarily intelligent friend could question that slip-up any more. "Uh – that's not the point, 'Mione. The point is, Draco here pretty much put me off the idea of being a snake, and at first, Professor Snape's attitude towards me just backed it up. But I looked deeper into the house's dynamics, and I think that the Hat really was right about me fitting in there. So, yeah, if I got a do-over, I wouldn't protest Slytherin. Not that I am not happy with where I am right now, of course, I probably would never have even talked to you Ron, or you Hermione. I wouldn't have you guys around – I'd probably limit myself to Slytherins and miss out on getting to know so many fantastic people. I'm glad with the way my life has turned out."

The room was so silent you could hear a pin drop.

"Ohhkay, then," said Harry awkwardly, "guess I'll pick then."

He picked a paper and glanced at it quickly. Then went back and took a second look. A slow smile crept over his face – one would almost call it gleeful.

"So, Malfoy, what do you say, truth or dare?" The look in his eyes clearly said, 'I got you now'.

Draco gulped slightly, then squared his shoulders and answered, "Dare." If one knew the blond aristocrat well enough, they would see an 'I'm not afraid' look on his face; if that person knew him even better, they'd notice that his look was totally faked. The slightly smug expression on Harry's face said that he knew both.

"Well then, Draco, I dare you to kiss the person you shared your bed with last night – and the night before that, and the night before that… need I go on?"

Draco stared at Harry in shock. The raven-haired boy smirked back. "Told you I'm not afraid."

Draco slowly smiled back, before suddenly pouncing on the boy opposite him. Their lips touched, and touched again; and soon they were passionately making out on the floor, Harry's hands in the blonde's hair and the taller boy's hands on his green-eyed imp's back. They were laughing into each other's mouths – Draco was whispering something into his lover's ear. Hermione looked on with satisfaction in her eyes while simultaneously thumping her boyfriend's chest as he muttered resignedly, "They're never gonna stop snogging in front of me, will they?" Everyone else were still staring dumbfoundedly. This night truly was a night of revelations.

And so we leave them here, this rag-tag bunch of survivors laughing, surprising and snogging each other into the night. Come morning they might have to go back to their broken lives, to dead family and imprisoned parents and sleepless nights and PTSD and trying to open up closed hearts and closed minds; but in moments like these, when they are all together, they come alive. So much can change, with but an open heart, an open mind, our first step and Lady Luck on our side.

"What divides us pales in comparison to what unites us."

– Ted Kennedy