Hermione sat perched on the arm of one of the sofas in the Gryffindor common room. In her lap sat a jar of peanut butter which she was constantly attacking with a spoon. It was also the effects of a useless but currently incurable hex thrown her way by accidentally by some misguided first year Slytherin. Most Slytherins were hopelessly delusional anyways.
She'd obviously already tried to find an antidote, but even she, the brightest witch of her age, could not formulate a permanent solution without even worse side effects than a peanut butter addiction. And if she couldn't, well, no one could. Madame Pomfrey was out of the question, there had been quite a large rash of other hexes, curses and even more horrible magical injuries to infect the school, and Hermione wouldn't want to be a bother for something so juvenile and impermanent.
She was just stuck with it for the time being. She, Ginny, Parvati, Lavender and a few assorted 4th and 2nd years were seated by the fire, its light burning orange on their cheeks, keeping out the cold emanating from the stone walls and outdoor snowstorm.
"Hermione," Ginny spoke suddenly, tapping the cover of a novel they had been using for a wild card in their childish game of "Truth or Dare". Two of a few muggle things the other Gryffindor girls had seemed interested in the most. Really, with these kinds of things being the ones that piqued their interest, she felt really alone sometimes, but then again, that was probably how she got conned into this silliness.
"Hermione," Ginny stated again, this time much harshly, ripping Hermione uncomfortably from one of her frequent reprieves.
"Truth or Dare?" Hermione contemplated her choices, her fate. Oh, who cared, she was bored,
"Dare," (Plus, she needed an excuse to ditch the peanut butter somewhere she'd have no access to it.)
"Okay," Ginny grinned, "This one's going to be good. Choose a page." This was their crazy scheme to mix it up, pick a random page number, and they would choose a devious dare or truth question concerning any word, printed therein, that they chose.
Hermione instantly regretted this being one of the rare books she'd never even considered reading. She didn't have time for petty teenage romance, mostly composed of angst and sexual tension until the very end. She was … the brightest witch of her age.
As she smiled in spite of herself at her own cleverness, she decided:
"275," just a random blathering of numbers based on no logic whatsoever. This occasion did not deserve a process of higher thinking.
"Oo-kay," Ginny flipped through the pages as everyone sat in anticipatory silence. Lavender twirled her blond hair around her finger, the 2nd years looked expectantly at Ginny, Parvati fingered her mask from a previous dare, a fourth year tried to suppress a yawn. They were hoping for something especially daunting for Hermione.
Hate to break it to you, but I highly doubt there is anything I couldn't handle.
"Oh…Excellent," Ginny smirked mischievously, rubbing her hands together in a sort of old-fashioned villain satire, probably to throw me off, Hermione thought. She was fairly confident she could take this one. Ginny's eyes gleamed with an evil Hermione had seen often enough. This time, though, it was slightly more intimidating than usual.
"Guess what scene just happens to be written on this very page?" Some suspicions boiled up within Hermione's ever-overanalyzing brain. She squashed them quickly, regaining a somewhat calm composure that was marred by the spoon handle sticking out of her mouth from her latest hex-induced peanut butter splurge.
"I have to think of something really good for this one," Ginny motioned for everyone to but Hermione to join her in the alcove of the staircase where Hermione couldn't even try to read their lips. She sat there dully, licking peanut butter patiently from her spoon. Her confidence was cracking but she wouldn't let her imagination get ahead of her.
Suddenly, she heard a gleeful gasp from the staircase.
"It's perfect," remarked Parvati, grinning madly. Slowly, the group walked towards Hermione, Ginny smiling devilishly in the lead as the others peeked out from behind, unable to contain their excitement. Hermione raised an eyebrow and spoon simultaneously.
"What?" She asked, and then habitually licked the peanut butter.
"You," Ginny announced as if she were hosting a muggle game show, "are a lucky, lucky girl."
Oh. Sarcasm. That was a bad sign. Hermione hugged the jar of peanut butter to her chest in unwilling intimidation.
"I dare you," Ginny paused for effect (she really liked to do that, Hermione had noticed), "To kiss…," Hermione's heart dropped to her stomach and Ginny pulled out a crinkled, yellowed pamphlet from her pocket.
"Draco Malfoy," She finished as she snapped it open.
"WHA – Wait…how did you get that?" She eyed the paper in Ginny's hands, which, in fact, was the Marauders Map.
Ginny scowled, "That's not important," She sighed, "I'll return it when we're done anyway. What is important is what I just dared you to do." Hermione glared at Ginny for a second of lingering curiosity, then sighed, "I know, I heard you."
Hermione looked back down at the map, and spotted a paired line of footprints labeled "Draco Malfoy".
"And I assume that's the point of this," she said circling the map and gesturing to his name. Ginny nodded giddily.
Hermione sighed, "You really hate me don't you?"
Ginny rolled her eyes, "Almost forgot! It has to be a real kiss, on the lips. None of that "pecking" or "just a pop on the cheek", that's cheating. At least five seconds."
Hermione's eyes went wide, "Great…," She wondered if this hadn't been planned out extensively and vastly regretted leaving the outcome to fate, "Are you sure this is a good idea?" She tried to instill doubt among their overexcitement, "What if I get caught, What if –,"
Ginny shoved her out the portrait hole, "Go. And don't come back until you've kissed him. We've got our eyes on you," She waved the map and gestured to Parvati standing by the Fat Lady who was fast asleep, "And Parvati will be standing watch to make sure you aren't cheating, make sure you do it or she'll be stuck out here with you as well."
"The password changes at midnight tonight, its 11:59," She smiled and pulled the door back, "Only we can let you back in."
With that ominous exit, Hermione started off down the corridor, questioning how they'd gotten her out there and why she hadn't fought it. Apparently, some crazy, base part of her subconscious was perfectly okay with this. That thought caused a look of disgust to surface, which deepened as she suddenly started craving peanut butter again.
"What kind of face is that, Granger?" A dark figure remarked.
Hermione's face was suddenly flushed, "Malfoy," she guessed out loud, trying to cool her burning cheeks, suddenly thankful for the dark of night.
It was all at once not so much a harbinger of death and monsters but a source of comfort. A brief reprieve of calm before she tossed herself into the storm, and did something so uncharacteristic it would ruin her entire reputation if it got out. Frankly, she wouldn't put it past the weasel.
But she could deal with it, and she had her friends, despite having pushed her into this on purpose, to protect her. It was all in good fun, or whatever it was they said to rationalize their idiotic behavior.
"Never expected to see you out past curfew," Draco started, "Is this one of Potter's schemes he's got you involved in? Merlin knows what goes on in his head. Both him and his red-headed Weasel-ly friend. Aren't you afraid you're going to get caught? Get expelled? A witch like you can't afford that now can she? –"
Anger bubbled inside of Hermione, how dare he say such things? What did he think he was getting at?
"I could say the same for you, what's got you out so late?" She suppressed every urge to punch him once more in the face as she had done before.
"Wouldn't you like to know, you filthy little mud –,"
Hermione took a chance before he could even begin to formulate that last syllable. She grabbed his robes and pulled him towards her, "Shut up weasel."
Her lips smashed against his as something burst within her. She kissed him again for good measure, and then broke away. For a small moment they looked at each other, just a small moment they understood each other perfectly. Hermione felt sick.
She turned quickly and ran back towards the portrait hole. She felt disgusting and completely, daftly happy all at the same time. Ugh, I kissed Malfoy.
As she approached an evilly giggling Ginny, she scowled in return and decided then and there she would forever keep this moment locked within the dark recesses of her subconscious, never to be remembered again.
Granger kissed me…Draco was completely flustered, he'd never felt like this before.
No, No, Hermione kissed me.
Hermione. He said it out loud just to taste it on his lips.
It tasted like perfection, with just a hint of, what was it?
Peanut butter.