Truth or Dare
Part One -- The Christmas Holidays
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Harry Potter characters, situations, names or related indicia. They belong to J.K. Rowling.
A/N: I know, I know, this is so cliché. But I couldn't resist the opportunity to write a Truth or Dare fic.
Harry, Hermione, Ginny, Ron, Fred, George, Lavender and Parvati were sitting in the Gryffindor Common Room, exhausted from unceasing studying for their upcoming O.W.L.s, and, in Fred and George's case, the N.E.W.T.s.
At least it was the Christmas holidays.
They sat there, staring at the dancing flames in the fireplace late in the evening. The only sound that could be heard was the crackling of the flames. Nobody spoke nor moved, that is, until Hermione broke the silence rather abruptly.
Hermione: Does anyone want to play a game of truth or dare?
Nobody in the Common Room has ever heard of Truth or Dare, nobody that is, except for Hermione. Harry had, thanks to the Dursleys, never heard of it as he was considered a freak at his former Muggle school. The others, owing to the fact that they have never spent ten years of their lives with Muggles, stared at her as if she had spoken in some alien language.
Hermione, being the alert know-it-all she is, quickly noticed their reaction.
Hermione: It's a Muggle game. If you choose 'truth', you must answer a question truthfully. If you choose 'dare', you must do whatever the person tells you to do. If you decline, you must ... hmmm ... you must drink one of Fred and George's potions!
Fred and George smirked.
Hermione: So, who wants to play?
All: ME!
Hermione: Alright, I'll go first. Who - to - choose? Ginny! Truth or Dare?
Ginny: Er ... um ... truth!
At least it's safe, thought Ginny.
Hermione: Ginny, have you ever slept with Draco Malfoy?
Oh, bloody hell, thought Ginny when she saw her brother, Ron. He looked absolutely *terrible.* His face was on fire (not literally).
Fred held out a vile of a viscous green liquid. Ginny gulped and mumbled something, in the hope that Ron didn't hear.
Hermione: What did you say?
Ginny: Oh ... um ... well ... yes.
Ginny blushed a deep shade of crimson. She stole a glance at her brothers. Oh, if looks could kill ...
Ginny: Um ... my t-t-turn. Harry, truth or dare?
Harry: Truth.
Ginny: Who is your deepest, most beloved, most adored, most desired crush?
Harry could feel a great tug-of-war inside of him. No, he wouldn't admit it. Why would he risk his friendship with each and every one of his friends? He would rather drink the potion.
Harry: I'll take the potion.
Fred handed Harry a beaker of the thick green stuff. He drank it all in one gulp. Harry immediately regretted doing so as he felt his stomach do somersaults inside him.
And it went off with the force of a hydrogen bomb.
Great.
Excellent.
Ingenious.
Flatulence.
Harry's cheeks turned bright red. He promptly checked his trousers for any rips or tears ... and sure enough, there was a hole where he had expected. Five inches in diameter. He pointed his wand at the hole and muttered 'Reparo.' His trousers were as good as new.
Everyone was busy casting Freshening Charms around the room, trying desperately to get rid of the awful smell, except for Fred and George, who were cackling away. They nearly died of suffocation because of their laughing. No, they wouldn't die because they laughed. Instead, Harry would strangle them to death.
And Harry had half the mind to do so.
When the dust had settled, (or rather the smell) they carried on with their game.
Harry: Sorry 'bout that. Ron, truth or dare?
Ron: Dare.
The Gryffindor spirit was shining through.
Harry: You will --
Ron nearly fainted when Harry said it. He said the word that he feared the most. The word would haunt his conscience for many years to come.
Harry: -- undress. Here. In front of everybody.
Harry paused to enjoy the effect of his well-chosen words. He needed some fun once in a while. Even if it cost his best friend oh so dearly.
Harry: I'm not done yet. You will put your hands behind your back and sing the alphabet song.
Ron would choose the twins' potions any day over this. He would drink a whole barrelful instead of Harry's dare.
But ...
He had swore to never, ever eat or drink anything that Fred or George have made. And Harry knew about his vow. But Ron was one who would never break promises. He learnt two valuable lessons that day --
1) Trust no one.
2) Never make promises.
He gulped.
Harry stared at Ron as his best friend thought ... and thought ... and thought some more.
No, he's not gonna do it. Even though he made that vow, Harry thought. How wrong he was.
Ron: Alright, I'll do it.
Everyone gasped.
Ron stood in front of his housemates, his whole body illuminated by the flames in the fireplace.
He took off his shirt at first ...
Then his pants ...
And finally, everything else.
It took a while for Ron to realize that everyone was staring at him, especially between his legs. He looked down and found his clothes on the floor -- his Chudley Cannons shirt, his favorite sapphire trousers, his maroon socks and *GASP!* his undergarments. Well, he had to do the rest of the dare.
So he sang the alphabet song.
It was definitely *NOT* his day.
******
Ron sat down fully clothed.
Ron: Hermione, truth or dare?
Hermione: Um ... no ... truth.
Ron: Who do you love?
Hermione: Well, I guess that that would be ... Harry.
Hermione blushed furiously.
Ginny began to worry.
Parvati and Lavender giggled.
Fred and George started getting 'ideas'.
Ron felt his heart shatter.
Harry fainted.
******
A/N: That's the end of Chapter One. This is just to get over my writer's block on my other two stories-to-be-completed. Please review.