A.N: This is one of the longest chapters i've ever written! But, hope its good. It should be a lil funny. The characters decide to play a lil game xD lol. Read and Enjoy!

Disclaimer: Dont own HP. I do however own Natalie Lestrange.

x0xShortandTuffx0x

Dark Secrets

Chapter 10: Playing Matchmaker

"Hey Granger." Pansy Parkinson said, coming up behind Hermione.

"Hello Pansy. How're you today?" Hermione said, as if she were an old friend. My oh my, what was happening to Hogwarts? Hermione thought, giggling.

"I'm good. You wanted to talk to me?" Pansy asked inquiringly.

Yes, I-er was wondering if you wanted to be –er friends?" Hermione said, stumbling over her words. To her surprise, Pansy smiled.

"I'd love to be. Wouldn't Weasley and Potter get mad though?" Pansy said. Hermione shook her head.

"No, they understood with Draco, they'll understand with you." Hermione replied, grinning.

"I suppose I should call you Hermione then?" Pansy said. Hermione shrugged. "Sure."

Hermione was jumping for joy inside. Her matchmaking plan was working perfectly so far. Pansy would start hanging out with them more, and her and Ron would get to know each other and then BANG! With a little help from Hermione, they'll be a couple! Hermione thought happily.

"Mione! I'd like you to meet my cousin Natalie. Or Nat." Hermione heard her boyfriend tell her, gesturing to an extremely pretty and thin blonde haired girl standing beside him.

"Hello." Hermione greeted. Natalie smiled pleasantly and held out a hand.

"It's so nice to finally meet you in person, Hermione. I've heard so much about you." Natalie said, smiling.

Hermione blushed and looked to Draco who slipped his hand into hers and kissed her cheek, while whispering in her ear.

"Can I talk to you for a minute?" He asked. She nodded.

"Of course, Draco. What about?" She replied. He shushed her and led her alongside the lake, their favourite spot.

"Well, Hermione it's already December and I was wondering what you were doing for Christmas holidays?" Draco asked. He sounded nervous; she had never heard him nervous before.

"Well, I'm not exactly sure. I guess I'll have to go home to my parents." Hermione said, spitting the word 'parents' out like it was poison.

"W-would you like to spend the holidays with me at Malfoy Manor? Away from your father? And my father won't be there either; he's away on business for Voldemort." Draco said softly, looking into her honey colored eyes. She gasped slightly. Draco Malfoy-the Draco Malfoy-just asked her to spend the holidays with him.

"I-I'd love to Draco." She replied, going on her tiptoes to give him a light kiss.

"Great. It'll just be me and you, and the house elves, alone." Draco winked. She playfully hit him. "You naughty boy." She scolded, laughing. He grinned and shrugged. "I can't help it if the most beautiful girl in school just agreed to spend the holidays with me." He smirked. She rolled her eyes and blushed.

"So, any more plans on matchmaking?" He asked, raising his eyebrows. She nodded.

"As a matter of fact, yes. I became friends with Pansy and I've found someone who will be perfect for Harry." She replied, her honey eyes sparkling.

"Who?" He asked, genuinely interested.

"Natalie." She replied. "She'll be perfect for him. Of course, he'll have to learn to trust her as she is a Lestrange. But they'd be so cute!" Hermione giggled. Draco's jaw dropped.

"Potter can not go out with my cousin! Are you mad?!" Draco said, rather dramatically.

"No, I'm not mad. And why can't he?" Hermione argued sweetly. Draco sputtered. "B-because he-he can't! I won't have it! She's like my sister!"

"And? All the more reason to make them a couple!" Hermione said excitedly. Draco shook his head frantically. Potter and his cousin?! No bloody way! Hermione rolled her eyes and started toward the castle leaving a still mumbling Draco behind her.

"So, Hermione my new found friend, what should we do today?" Pansy asked Hermione as they walked down the hall, later that day, linking arms.

"Well Pansy dear, I was thinking we hang out with Draco, Ginny, Blaise, Harry, Natalie and Ron." Hermione said, waiting for the outburst that never came. Pansy smiled. "Sure, erm-Hermione? Can I tell you something that you can't tell anyone?" Pansy asked blushing. "You see, I've never told anyone because I'm in Slytherin and most of my friends are guys, so I couldn't really trust them."

"Sure, Pansy. Anything, you can trust me." Hermione smiled at the black haired girl beside her.

"Well, I think Weasley is really cute and really funny, but I could never tell anyone and I always had to be mean to him!" Pansy blurted out all in one breath, blushing furiously. Hermione gasped and giggled.

"Really? Well, maybe you two should get to know each other a little." Hermione smiled. This is going better than she'd hoped.

"Yeah, maybe we should." Pansy agreed. They arrived at the lake to see the above named group of teenagers waiting for them.

"Hello everyone." Hermione greeted cheerfully. This was the happiest she'd been in a long, long time.

"Hello Mione." Draco greeted and pulled the brunette into his lap. Pansy took a seat in between Ginny and Ron. She blushed but tried to hide her smile. Harry was eyeing Natalie suspiciously, who was sitting beside Draco and Hermione.

"So, what do you all want to do?" Hermione asked the group, breaking a long and very uncomfortable silence. There were a lot of heads shaking and shoulders shrugging, and "Dunno" and "Whatever, doesn't matter." And then Ginny spoke up.

"I know, let's play truth or dare!" Ginny exclaimed, excitedly.

"Ginny, how do you know that game? It's a muggle game." Hermione and Harry asked in unison, and then burst out laughing. When they were done laughing, Ginny answered.

"I do have muggle friends, you know." She said, still giggling.

"Well, how do we play?" Draco and Blaise asked, Natalie nodded in agreement and Pansy smirked. She knew how to play as she played it with a few half-bloods when she was piss drunk one time. Ron knew how from his sister.

"It's simple. We each get turns to pick either truth or dare. Truth, if you pick it, then we get to ask you a completely random question and you must tell the absolute truth. If you pick dare, then we get to dare you to do something and you have to do it. To make it even better, I know a charm that will make it so that we know if you're lying, and if you chicken out of a dare or break a dare after you accept it, it'll zap you." Hermione explained. The group all nodded eagerly and Hermione took out her wand. She muttered the charm.

"Okay, who wants to go first?" Hermione asked.

"I do." Blaise smirked.

"Okay, pick someone."

"I pick…Potter. Truth or Dare?" Blaise asked.

Harry pondered to think. "Truth." He answered.

"Okay, are you jealous of me for being with your ex-girlfriend?" Blaise asked. Harry thought for a moment.

"No. I'm over her. No offence Ginny." Harry said and as Hermione's charm took effect, there was no buzzing sound that would mean he was lying. So he was telling the truth.

"None taken, Harry." Ginny smiled.

"Okay Harry, your turn." Hermione said.
"Erm- okay. Malf- Draco, truth or dare?" Harry asked the Slytherin.

"Dare." Draco answered without hesitating. He liked this game already.

"Okay, er- I dare you to-er, I know! Draco Malfoy, I dare you to be nice to everyone for one whole week. And I mean everyone not just purebloods, Slytherins and Hermione. Everyone." Harry smirked- very rare yet looking good on the Boy-Who-Lived, Draco though. And then he paled, realization taking part on what he had just been dared to do. He panicked. Oh. Fuck. He heard Hermione giggling at his reaction from his lap. He regained his composure.

"Okay. I accept your dare Pot- Harry." Draco corrected himself. Hermione giggled again, as did Pansy and Ginny. Blaise smirked.

"Your turn, Draco." Hermione said.

"Okay, I pick you, Mione. Truth or dare?" He smirked. "Dare." She said, smiling.

"Brave one we have here." Draco half smirked, half smiled. "Okay, I dare you to snog me senseless right now." Draco challenged, knowing she hated kissing in public. She smirked- again, looking very good on the Gryffindor Princess.

"Okay Draco." She whispered and placed her hands on the back of his neck, pulling his face closer to hers and capturing his lips with hers. It was a breathtaking kiss in which Hermione controlled. It was very passionate and yet still soft. He wanted more but she pulled away and as the world came flying back to Draco, he remembered there were other people with them. He smiled at her and kissed her once more.

There were a lot of cooing from the other three girls- Pansy, Ginny and Natalie. Blaise, Ron and Harry just grinned, although Ron's was a hesitant smile.

"Okay, my turn." Hermione said. "Pansy, truth or dare?" Hermione challenged, looking at the black haired Slytherin sitting next to Ginny.

"Dare." Pansy chose, without hesitation.

"Okay, I dare you Pansy Parkinson to….snog…Ronald Weasley." Hermione said excitedly and giggled as Pansy blushed scarlet and Ron eyed Pansy up and down and then blushed as well.

"Okay." Pansy said, and leaned over to the startled redhead beside her and pulled his face to hers, capturing his lips with hers, Ron's hands immediately went to her waist as her own hands ran through his hair in a very passionate kiss. Hermione smiled at Draco and he smirked. Hermione's plan was in action. Weasel must be in heaven right now, Draco thought, remembering when he and Pansy were together and how good of a kisser Pansy was, of course not as good as Hermione, but pretty close.

Pansy pulled away slowly and Ron was gasping for air.

"Bloody hell Parkinson. You're a brilliant kisser." Ron murmured, amazed. The Slytherin Sex Queen smirked.

"My turn? Okay Blaise truth or dare?" Pansy said.

"Dare." Blaise said boldly.

"I was hoping you'd pick that, Blaisey-darling." Pansy said sweetly. Blaise swallowed nervously.

"I dare you to yell out in front of the whole school that you are madly in love with Ginny."

"I most certainly am not in love!" Blaise said, spitting the word 'love' out like it was poison. "BUZZ!" He was lying.

"Don't lie, Zabini! You told me and Draco just the other night that you think you're in love!" Pansy argued. Blaise paled and Ginny flushed scarlet but you could tell she was grinning.

"Okay fine, I accept your dare. I'll do it tomorrow at breakfast." Blaise muttered. "Bloody bitch." He mumbled under his breath. Pansy took no offence.

"I'd like to pass my turn to the beautiful redhead sitting beside me as I already went." Blaise said, nodding to Ginny who smiled.

"Okay, Natalie truth or dare?" Ginny asked the blonde, who'd been quiet this whole time.

"Truth." Her smooth voice replied.

"Okay, is it true that you no longer want to be a deatheater and are actually thinking of switching sides?" Ginny asked. Natalie nodded.

"Absolutely." She replied, smiling. There was buzzing which meant she was telling the truth. Ginny smiled and nodded.

"Ron, truth or dare?" Natalie asked, turning to the redhead.

"Er…truth." Ron answered.

"Okay, do you- whatsoever- like Pansy? Like even a little bit?" Natalie smiled.

"NO! I could NEVER like a Slytherin, no matter how hot and brilliant of a kisser they are!" Ron yelled. "BUZZ!"

"Ron, you're lying!" Hermione gasped.

"I am not!" Ron yelled. "BUZZ!"

"Tell the truth." Hermione ordered.

"Okay, so maybe I like her a little bit." Ron said, his ears going red. Pansy smiled and blushed.

"I like you too, Ron." She whispered.

"Aww!" Ginny, Hermione and Natalie all cooed. Ron went so red it rivaled his hair.

"Why don't you two go for a walk?" Hermione suggested. The two nodded and stood up, going on their own. Hermione noticed Harry eyeing Natalie now, and when Hermione caught his eye and raised an eyebrow suggestively, he blushed.

This had been one of Hermione's most happiest days ever!

A.N: There it is. Hope you like it. xD Next chapter is called "Christmas Ball"

Preview?

"I think hanging out with Slytherin's is having an effect on you, Mione. You're conceited."