It was inevitable that the children would get rowdy- a heaping feast, the end of exams, and the Christmas holiday would be enough to get anyone riled up. So Professors McGonagall and Dumbledore did not attempt to settle the youngsters, instead, they cheerfully partook in the feast, gulping from flagons of cold pumpkin juice and sampling the steak-and-kidney pies.
The long Gryffindor table was buzzing. Hands flew about, grasping for plates heaped with treacle tart, bouillabaisse, or juicy cuts of turkey.
"How did everyone's exams go?" said Dean excitedly. Neville suddenly looked repulsed. The memory of his exams was evidently not a friendly one.
"Who CARES?" exclaimed Ron with a gleeful laugh, a bit of chocolate pudding clinging to his chin.
"I certainly do." said Hermione, shooting a stern glance Ron's way.
Dessert after scrumptious dessert appeared on the table, clearly appreciated by Ron. But soon after, most of the Gryffindors were clutching their stomachs with sickened faces. And in packs, they moved sluggishly up the erratic staircases, arriving to an equally overindulged Fat Lady. Her long dress seemed to be stained with red wine, and Violet lay passed out next to her.
"Fairy lights." muttered Seamus, the first at the door. And the door swung open, inviting all to the Gryffindor common room. Seamus took a spot in an oversized scarlet velvet armchair, Harry collapsed onto a golden satin pouf, Ron landed spread-eagled on the couch, and Hermione perched herself on the arm of that couch. The numerous other Gryffindors found seating, and then everyone just stared at everyone else.
There was a general understanding through the room that nobody was to sleep yet.
"What d'you reckon we should do?"said an incredulous-looking Ron, his eyes glazing over each corner of the room.
"I've got a pack of Exploding Snap…" said Harry, though he seemed to already know it was the wrong answer.
"No, no, no, no. We need to do something FUN." groaned Ron.
"I know, I know, I know! We could play Spin the Bottle!" shrieked Colin Creevey, looking utterly thrilled.
"What the bloody hell is that?" said Ron, giving Colin a deadly look of equal parts confusion and disgust.
"It's a Muggle game, we played it loads in primary school!" said Colin. "One person spins a bottle in a circle of people, and whoever it lands on, that person has to kiss!"
A murmur of interest trilled through the common room. Dean bolted out of the room and returned seconds later with an empty butterbeer bottle. Dean grinned mischievously and placed the bottle in the center of the floor. Almost immediately, the teenagers swarmed around the bottle, forming a messy circle.
"I'll go first." announced George Weasley, who had entered the room flanked by Fred and Lee Jordan. Some of the girls giggled to each other, excited by the prospect of kissing a sixth-year.
George theatrically twirled the bottle; everyone anxiously watched to discover the first victim of this unusual game.
"And the lucky lady is…" murmured George. The bottle stopped, its top pointing at a shocked and revolted-looking Ginny.
"No, no, NO!" Ginny yelped.
"Right, then, we're spinning this again." George looked disgusted. The room tittered with laughter. This time, the bottle pointed to Parvati Patil, who looked immediately nervous.
George crawled over to Parvati on his knees and gave her a quick peck. Parvati blushed.
It was Parvati's turn, who kissed Seamus, then Seamus spun the bottle and received Dean as his kiss-to-be. Hoots and howls rang from the teenagers, knowing that if any Gryffindor guy would kiss another Gryffindor guy, it would be Seamus. Kissing Dean.
Which he did. Not for very long, but he most certainly did.
Dean spun and got Hermione. Suddenly, Ron became highly interested in the arrangement of the wall behind him, his knuckles turning very white. When he turned back around, he was grimacing and pale, then wide-eyed when he saw what lay pointing before him- the bottle Hermione had spun. She looked equally as terrified. Biting her lip, her eyes squinting with mixed emotions, she tried to regulate her breathing. She obviously wanted a first kiss with Ron, but not like this. She felt humiliated, nervous, but also giddy as she crawled and sat herself in front of Ron. She cupped her hands around his face and pressed her lips to his, and was taken aback when he responded very eagerly. They seemed to be kissing for longer than was normal; the other kids looked rapidly around at each other and started to laugh.
Ron and Hermione immediately pulled away from each other at the first sound of it. Hermione, clearly embarrassed, blushed a furious shade of scarlet and scrambled back to her spot.
"Go on, Ron, spin it!" cried Colin.
"No thank you." Ron responded as politely as he could.
"GO ON!" Colin seemed manic.
"No, Colin!" Ron snapped, seizing a fist of flaming hair, looking flustered.
The room was tense.
"I'll spin!" hollered Lavender Brown.
Ron and Hermione fled from the room, both smothering their burning faces in their robes.
Hermione sat on the end of Ron's bed, holding back tears. Why they threatened to come, she didn't know.
"I didn't want our first kiss to be like that." Ron muttered.
"You…thought we were going to have a first kiss?" Hermione asked, secretly ecstatic.
Ron smacked himself, more flustered than before.
"I- I just meant…I…oh, bugger.." He buried his face in his pillow.
"I thought we were too." Hermione smiled. "D'you…want to try again?"
He stood up, snaked his arms around her waist, and pulled her into him. Then he kissed her how he had wanted to kiss her for two years. They may have been fifteen, and some may have called him silly, but he knew he loved her. Really loved her.
She pulled away, just inches away from his face, and spoke in a barely audible whisper- "That was our first kiss."