(A/N): Hi guys! So, this would not get out of my head until I wrote it, so many apologies about the other fics that haven't been posted. This one took hold and wouldn't let go. It's a light-hearted, fluffy little thing that can either stay as a one-shot or have more chapters, so I did name the chapter just in case you guys wanted more. It came into my head when listening to the Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again soundtrack, though I love Abba songs in general. This is Harmony, I guess, if you squint and turn your head a little. I own neither Harry Potter, nor any Abba songs, I am just pulling strings for my own amusement. Any mistakes are my own, but I hope you like it and please let me know if you want any more after this. Thank you all and enjoy!
The Name of the Game
Chapter 1: When I Kissed the Teacher
"You've got to be kidding me."
"Nope." Harry Potter crossed his arms over his chest, shooting a serious expression at his best friend of the last four and a half years, Hermione Granger. The two fifth year students stood opposite each other near the entrance to the Great Hall, arms crossed, mimicking the other's pose and staring at each other, waiting for the other to concede. Eventually, Hermione sighed, dropping her arms from their crossed position and jutting on hip out as she pouted slightly at the tall, messy-haired boy opposite her.
"But, this is so…" She trailed off, unable to find the right word to finish her sentence.
"It'll be funny," Harry said, dropping his arms from his chest and stepping slightly closer to the bushy haired girl.
"For you maybe," Hermione muttered mutinously, glaring at him, though there was no heat behind it, something that Harry knew full well. If there had been any heat behind it, he would've backed off, but there wasn't, and he knew he'd get his way on the matter, even if it took a while.
"That's the point, remember. You lost the bet, so you have to live with the consequences."
It had been a silly bet between them, but they'd both agreed to do anything the other asked of them should they be the loser of said bet. It was not the first bet they'd made between them by a long shot, and just some of the things Harry had had to do (as he mainly lost the bets they made) included flying down the corridors in front of Filch, professing to the Gryffindor common room that he was going to become a muggle rock star, and eating nothing but Brussel sprouts for a week. He'd only ever managed to win a bet against Hermione once before and had had her tell Madame Pince that she hated books vehemently. With all the bets made, and embarrassing consequences for the losing party afterwards, one might have thought that they'd simply save themselves the hassle and embarrassment and just stop making the bets in the first place. Unfortunately, the events up until this point had never actually forced them to take it down a notch.
"Can't you just take my books away or something?"
"No. I chose what you have to do, and when you have to do it, so you have to. Unless you're forfeiting, that is." Harry smirked, knowing that Hermione wouldn't back down, especially if it meant forfeiting to him. He knew his best friend and her competitive streak far too well for that to happen.
"Fine, but really, it had to be that one?"
"Yep. Come on, you're more likely to confuse most of them in there than anything else."
"Fine, but don't think you've heard the last of this, Harry James Potter. I will get you back for this," Hermione warned, waving a finger toward him. Harry smirked.
"I'd expect nothing less. Oh, and Hermione? It has to be full out or it doesn't fulfil the terms of your losing the bet."
"But… Oh, alright then. You'll pay for making me do this."
"Oh, I know. However, I'll find it hilarious, which works out for me this time. It could be worse; I could have made you tear up your books in front of everyone."
Hermione huffed at him with a hint of amusement; she knew he would never make her do something like tear her books up. It was a silent rule between them that they would assign tasks that were funny and vaguely embarrassing, but never hurtful to either party. That wouldn't be fun, and these bets were their way of having fun in an extremely stressful year. They took her mind off worrying over Harry and her exams and took Harry's mind off Voldemort and his next quest to kill the boy-who-lived. Holding her head up high, she strode off into the Great Hall, Harry following close behind with a grin on his face, anticipating what was to come.
Around halfway down the hall, Hermione turned to Harry with a resigned nod. Covertly, he waved his wand at her with the muttered incantation and both heard the first twang of a guitar signal Hermione's task was upon her. Slowly, she made her way to the Gryffindor table and stepped up onto the bench, then the table, her eyes locked on Harry's, so she didn't have to see the reaction of everyone else. Show time.
"Everybody screamed, when I kissed the teacher. And they must have thought they dreamed, when I kissed the teacher."
…
There had been shocked silence from students and staff alike whilst Hermione sang the entire song, actually dancing somewhat up and down Gryffindor table. At the end of the song, she jumped down from the table and made her way towards the double doors, her face flushed in embarrassment from all the stares aimed at her, everyone muttering at her, particularly the purebloods and half-bloods. Many of the muggle-borns and muggle-raised were cheering and clapping, having recognised the song that those raised in the wizarding world didn't. Harry smirked at her as she approached him, nodding to signal that the deal made by the lost bet had indeed been fulfilled. The charm they'd used only lasted for a song length, so there was no need to worry about any kind of encore performance.
"I really regret teaching you that spell now," Hermione muttered as they both exited the hall and turned to go down to the kitchen to grab some food, neither really wanting to eat in the Great Hall just at that moment.
"No, you don't. Plus, I have a feeling I'll get my comeuppance for using it on you." Harry slung an arm around her shoulders casually as his best friend reached out to tickle the pear in the portrait. "I can't wait to see the outcome of our next bet now."
