Your Reputation Or Your Secrecy?
Summary: "So what will it be?" "Wait… What, exactly, are we talking about here?" "We're talking about Truth or Dare, of course!" Ever wondered how time passes for the students who stay at Hogwarts for the breaks? Well, here's a peek into the 'vacation life' of the Hogwarts students! Please read and review!
A/N: Those who'd completed their school year while the Golden Trio was searching for Horcruxes have been called back by McGonagall (Who is now the Headmistress) to get a proper education. Oh, and when you start reading, don't think that I've cracked. It's… Well, you'll find out. Enjoy!
GRYFFINDOR:
Harry Potter – 7th year
Ronald Weasley – 7th year
Ginevra Weasley– 6th year
Neville Longbottom– 7th year
Lavender Brown– 7th year
Parvati Patil– 7th year
Dennis Creevey– 3rd year
Dean Thomas– 7th year
Seamus Finnigan– 7th year
RAVENCLAW:
Luna Lovegood– 6th year
Padma Patil– 7th year
HUFFLEPUFF:
Ernie Macmillan– 7th year
SLYTHERIN:
Draco Malfoy– 7th year
Gregory Goyle– 7th year
Daphne Greengrass – 7th year
Astoria Greengrass– 6th year
Tracey Davies– 7th year (Is this a boy or a girl?)
Blaise Zabini– 7th year
Pansy Parkinson– 7th year
Hollie Grynjier– 7th year
Dear students,
Above listed are the names of those who have stayed back at Hogwarts for the Christmas Break. We strongly urge you to keep an eye out for each and every one of them, for these are dangerous times with Death Eaters on the loose. The next Hogsmeade trip will be on 18th December. There will be a Xmas feast on 25th December. Be on watch constantly.
Regards,
Headmistress Minerva McGonagall
"Ron! Hey Ron, come and look at this!" called Harry, ogling at the new notice on the Gryffindor Common Room notice board. "Twenty-one people have stayed back! This has to be a record!"
"No, it isn't." said Hermione, coming up beside Harry, heaving her trunk, Crookshanks in tow. "The record is forty-nine in the year 1882. This was mainly because there was a Hogwarts All-You-Can-Eat feast, for the first and the last time."
"All-You-Can-Eat feast? Sounds delicious to me." Said Ron, standing on Harry's other side and examining the notice. "Hmm… Hufflepuff seems to have the smartest students this year, only Ernie stayed back, but then again, he didn't have much grey matter… Lot of Slytherins to deal with… Malfoy… Zabini… Pansy!" he said brightening up. Draco, Blaise and Pansy had turned to spies along with their mothers. It turned out that their parents didn't want to die at the hands of the Dark Lord, so the male of the family became a Death Eater. They weren't bigots either. And they weren't cold either; they were warm, loving parents. But Draco couldn't bring himself become friends with Harry and Ron, there were too many years of enmity between them. But he had a crush on Hermione; she was smart, brave, sweet, gorgeous and, well, perfect in all aspects. But he was too chicken to do anything about it. The only one who knew about this was Blaise, and hardly one conversation passed without him egging Draco to do something about his crush. Almost nobody could read it by his expressions either, he was too good at concealing them after years of practice. Ron also developed a crush on Pansy and they had gone on quite a few dates.
"Ugh…" said Hermione, blowing a glossy curl of honey- brown hair out of her heart-shaped face. "Ron, it's obvious that you're heads-over-heels for her and vice-versa, why don't you just ask her to be your girlfriend?"
"Because… because" stuttered Ron, trying to find a good excuse. "Because I'm too chicken?" he whispered.
"Oh, stop making such a big deal out of it." Said Harry, impatiently. "It's not like you're proposing to her. Ask her, if she rejects you, ask her again"
"Harry, stop scaring him with rejection." Chided Hermione. "Hey, no pressure, she won't reject you. I predict that confidently. But if she does… well, we'll cross that bridge when we come to it."
"You're right, 'Mione!"Said Ron, straightening up. "I'll ask her during this Hogsmeade trip, and when you return from vacation, I'll be a happy, victorious, girlfriend-having man."
"That's the spirit, Ron." Said Harry drily. "Now let's get down to the Great Hall for breakfast."
The trio walked down and found that two large tables had replaced the house tables. It was the second day of the Christmas Break and most of the students had already left for the holiday. Only Hermione had stayed back and she was departing soon after breakfast. "No point in House Tables." Said McGonagall. "There would be very few in the Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw table."
The Gryffindors sat on one side of the student table and the Slytherins on the other. Padma and Luna sat at breadth of the table and Ernie at the head, obviously feeling very important. Draco, Blaise and Pansy sat directly opposite the Golden Trio. Pansy and Ron of course greeted each other enthusiastically and struck up a conversation.
Ron kept glancing at Harry behind Hermione's back, mouthing now? Harry looked amused and mouthed back - When you feel that the time is right.
Blaise looked at him. "So, Potter, Is Weasley trying to ask Pansy to be his GF?" he asked in a low voice. Harry was fine with talking to Blaise as he'd never teased Harry and his friends much. "Yeah, he's been trying to get the guts to ask her for the entire month." "I hope that he asks her right now. I've got a bet of 20 Galleons with Draco that he asks her this month."
Harry laughed. "I hope so too, for the sake of Ron's happiness and Hermione's and Ginny's satisfaction." "Granger and Weaslette? What've they got to do with this?"
"Well, Hermione's been lecturing him every evening in the Common Room to work up the nerves to ask Pansy to go steady with him. Ginny has been giving him classes on how to make a girl happy. They're both very interested in Ron's love life."
"And you?"
Harry grinned. "I've been scaring him with rejection." Both the boys laughed. "Speaking of crushes, does Malfoy like Hermione?" Harry asked bluntly in a low tone.
"Yes" Blaise grinned mischievously. "He's that transparent, isn't he? Well, he's transparent to the people who look at him closely. For example, look at him watching Granger discreetly." Indeed, Malfoy was looking at Hermione with nearly nobody noticing. As the two boys continued to watch, Hermione looked up from her breakfast and spoke to Malfoy. "Pass the marmalade, Malfoy." Draco looked up from his toast. For a millisecond, his expression was full of adoration and…. Was that love? But he concealed it quickly. Hermione hadn't noticed, but Harry and Blaise had. "See what I mean?" asked Blaise in a low tone. Harry nodded. "Meet me in that secret corridor behind Warlock Willikins' statue. I think we've got a lot to discuss."
Draco picked up the marmalade jar with the very tips of his fingers and gave it to Hermione. "Here, Mudblood." Blaise looked at Harry. "See why he insults her?" Harry nodded. Hermione said cheerfully. "If you're trying to insult me, Malfoy, Mudblood's not gonna work. I've grown immune to insults so try harder." Draco sat there, stuttering as he tried to come up with a good insult.
"Frizzy Hair?"
"Guess Again."
"Beaver?"
"My teeth are perfectly even, thanks to you.'
"Smarty-pants?"
"I'll take that as a compliment."
"Book-worm?"
"I'm proud to be one."
As they continued to banter, Blaise and Harry continued their conversation.
"Hermione really tries to be civil and pleasant to him, but he just brushes aside her efforts to be cordial. And we have a mission. A mission to unite DMHG. And we shall triumph" Said Harry, grandly. "Gods, Potter, you sound like a politician, who is uselessly trying to make people believe something." Blaise said in a, well, blasé way. "Seriously Zabini? That's the best thing you can come up with?" "Yep, Potter. Got a problem?" "Okay, if we're going to work together, we need to start calling each other by our first names. You're Blaise and I'm Harry." "'K. See ya after breakfast."
After breakfast, the two boys met behind the statue of Warlock Willikins. Blaise said excitedly as soon as he saw Harry "I know! What's a better way to bring two couples together than a game of Truth or Dare?"
A/N: I know, this chapter is too 'crushy', but this was kind of an introduction. No more crushiness in the next chappie, I promise.