A/N: Thanks to everyone that has reviewed, followed or listed as a favourite my other short stories. Here's to you!
Late 1999
"Alright, this one..." Hermione dropped a rectangular box on the floor, a cloud of dust floating up around it, in the middle of the group sitting crosslegged on the carpet. "...is called Monopoly." She'd brought this Muggle board game from her parent's house, although it was rarely played, as part of the foursome's weekly games night. This is where they stayed up until late at night in their pyjamas and relieved themselves from the stress of their busy lives. The foursome being Hermione, her boyfriend, Ron, Harry and his girlfriend, Ginny. Both Hermione and Ginny still lived with their respective parents, but Harry and Ron shared a flat in London, which was the venue of these much anticipated games, and often saw a frantic tidying up just before Hermione arrived precisely at the decided time.
Hermione prised off the dusty lid and examined a colourful leaflet as the othersretireved the pieces and objects. "Ah, here are the instructions," she exclaimed happily.
Ginny waved her off. "We don't need the instructions, Hermione. I'm definitely sure Ron doesn't either...he wins everything." It was true, Ron had won almost all their games nights; except for one in which he sneezed blowing all his playing cards into plain sight. At first, Hermione had been proud of her boyfriend's 'brilliant tactical mind' but it had quickly become irksome. "Well, I'm going to read them anyway; I think it's important everyone understands the rules." Ginny rolled her eyes, but Harry playfully jabbed her in the back. "You might wanna pay attention, Gin. I know board games are a little tricky for your mind to comprehend- ouch!" Ginny had jabbed him in the ribs...much harder. Ginny mocked him with a pout and adorable brown eyes.
After Hermione drilled off the lengthy guidelines, they launched into the game, interspersed with playful banter. It was a welcome contrast to the day in which Harry fought Dark Wizards or filed paperwork and then filed paperwork again and then some more. He'd never imagined there was so much paperwork involved in the work of an Auror. As the game began to mature, although the players didn't, Ron, naturally, pulled ahead. But not by much as Hermione and Harry were strangely close to him; Ginny was quite far behind and had changed her objective to irritating her opponents rather than winning.
"Oh come on Ginny, I'm giving you loads of money! It's the last yellow space, I have all the others!" complained Ron. Ginny's eyes sparkled mischievously as she looked at him over a mug of frothy hot chocolate. "I know," she stated. Ron growled.
"I'm paying you way over it's value! Why do you want to keep it so much?"
"It's sentimental," said Ginny, simply, wiping the froth of her lips with a pyjama sleeve. Ron eventually gave up on his pursuit of the last yellow places, preferring to ignore his devilish, he'll spawn sister.
It did not escape Ginny's notice that every now and then Harry and Hermione shared a furtive look. It didn't take long for Ginny to work it out. "Ahah!" she cried, jumping up in victory. She had seen Hermione secretly slide some fake money over to Harry's pile. "I knew it! You two are in cahoots!"
Hermione flushed as Harry feigned innocence, holding a hand to his chest. "Your accusation is as absurd as the word cahoots, which by the way, not even you can make sound cool."
Ron had a look of dawning comprehension on his freckles features. "Oh, so that's why you two are doing so well-"
"And why I'm so far behind," Ginny added.
"Face it, Ginny. You would have been that far behind anyway," Ron sniped. Ginny stuck out her tongue in a very good business move. Hermione was pulling at her brown curls as if she was having an existential crisis.
"I can't take it anymore. Yes, it's true Harry and I were secretly working as a team," Hermione admitted hiding her shame with her hand. "It went against every moral bone in my body but I couldn't help it. Harry and I were secretly sharing money to help each other. Ron had to lose...it was such a good proposition." Ron had a dopey smirk on his round face, and shook his head while tutting. "Corruption...and from a Department of Magical Law Enforcement official as well." Hermione bit her lip in genuine shame but Harry didn't seem to care about the 1999 Monopoly Scandal that he had been caught in.
That was until Ginny cottoned on to something. She gave Harry a stare that made even the famous battle-hardened Auror squirm. "Why didn't you choose me, your girlfriend?" Was it weird that Harry thought her even more attractive than usual when she was looking at him like that, hands on her hips? He glanced down at her almost bare legs, if it weren't for the pyjama shorts she wore. It was then that he noticed something. "- not even listening to me. Is it because you think you had a better chance of winning with-" she fumbled with her words when she felt something cold against the inside of her legs. Looking down, she spotted Harry's hand resting there. "- Hermione? I mean - Harry, you're not going to get me to forgive you by putting your hand up there." Harry had snaked his hand right up her leg and into her shorts. It was travelling higher, making Ginny breathe a little quicker.
In a lightning move, Harry retracted his hand, clenched around none other than a stack of helpful cards. "Gotcha!" Harry shouted, punching the air in triumph. Ginny saw what Harry had revealed and flushed a very Weasley red. "Alright you got me. I'm a cheat."
Ron tutted again. "What has the world come to?"
"In light of my recent scandal, I shall sell all my property to Miss Hermione Jean Granger." Ginny dumped her small pile of money on Hermione's, before turning to Harry and grinning seductively. "Now Harry, how about a full body search?" Harry gulped before throwing his money wildly at Hermione. "I resign too." And he followed Ginny's loose pyjama shorts to his bedroom.
Ron was pointedly staring at his pile of money, as if hoping it would become the real thing. Hermione seemed to be counting her money and when she had finished, she had a smirk that matched Ron's earlier one. "Well, what do you know," she said, inspecting a discarded popcorn, embedded in the blue carpet. "I'm winning."