The Game

It was just another night in the Gryffindor common room. A bunch of students were gathered around on squishy red armchairs or sitting on rugs. Everyone was rather giggly and having a great time, for a game of truth or dare had broken out.

"I'm never picking dare again!" Parvati squealed as she returned to the room. Her dare was to sneak into Flitwick's office and set of a dungbomb. She was lucky to return alive.

"All right, now it's my turn," she laughed, looking around the room. "Hmmm," she thought. "I pick... HERMIONE!!!"

People glanced, smiling, in the direction of Hermione. She was rocking back and fourth in front of the fireplace. Several butterbeer bottles littered the space around her.

"Dare!" she yelled bravely. Even proper, rule-bound Hermione was having fun this late at night.

A few people gasped at her daring. Most, like her friends Ron and Harry, just laughed.

"Okay," said Parvati. She held her right elbow as she rested her face in her hand, thinking hard. Lavender crawled up to her side and whispered something in her ear. Both started to laugh and nod. "What you have to do is... kiss Ron!!!"

Ron, who was taking a sip of butterbeer at the moment, spit it out with great force all over Harry.

"Watch it!" Harry said, but Ron didn't hear him. His eyes were huge, glued on Parvati as she continued to laugh. Hermione, however, was laughing.

"Oh, very funny. Now, really what do I have to do?" Hermione said, smiling.

"That's it!" Parvati squealed.

The smile flickered from Hermione's face. "You-you can't be serious!"

Parvati giggled. "Yup!"

Hermione now was wearing the same expression as Ron. Him? Ron? Her BEST FRIEND?

"You have to do it," Lavender chimed in.

"No! That's... that's not fair!" Hermione cried in disbelief.

"Afraid you have to, Hermione. Rules are rules," Fred said, immitating Professor McGonagall. "Hey, I had to kiss a toilet set... although that might not be as bad as Ron..."he said thoughtfully.

They had no choice. Ron gulped, Hermione whimpered, but they drew nearer as chants could be heard from the group. Then Hermione was struck with a sudden idea. She turned her head sideways and gave Ron a peck on the cheek.

"There! I did it!" She cried and she backed away from Ron.

"No way! Parvati said, still giggling. "On the lips!"

"Now THAT is unfair!" Ron yelled madly.

"Oh, yes, it sure is fair!!" Lavender prodded

"No... Parvati's exact words were 'kiss Ron'- she didn't say Hermione had to kiss him on the lips," George reminded her.

"Well, that's what I ment," Parvati confessed.

"That doesn't matter!" someone called out.

"Yes it does!" a third year said.

"No it doesn't!"

"Yes it does!"

"No!!!"

"Of course it does!"

"ALRIGHT!" Parvati yelled. Then she sighed and mumbled, "It doesn't matter. Your turn, Hermione."

Hermione took a sip of butterbeer and sat back on her heels. "Lavender!" she said without hesitation.

Lavender blushed rose and said "Truth! Give me your best shot!"

A few people ooohed and laughed. Half a dozen Gryffindors crept up to Hermione and whispered in her ears, but she shook them off.

"No, I have one," she said with a smile. "Okay, Lavender, if you had to marry anyone in this room and stay married for the rest of your life, who would it be?" Hermione half expected Lavender to be embarrassed, but she went wide-eyed and said, "Well, isn't that sort of obvious? Harry!"

Harry went white and his emerald eyes widened.

"Kidding!" Lavender giggled. "Umm...," she looked around the room, then sighed. "Seamus," she said to the floor.

Everyone laughed- even Seamus, just a little.

"Now," Lavender said as her now red-hot face returned to fleshy pink. "I pick," her eyes fell instantly on a certain red-haired boy. "Ron" she said with a smile.

"Haven't I been through enough tonight?" Ron moaned.

"No exceptions," Lavender said. "Truth or dare?

"Well, I guess... if I have to... no, no... pick someone else!" Ron refused.

"Nope."

Ron sighed. "Fine! Truth."

Lavender said in a very superior way, "You have the same question as me; if you had to marry anyone in this... oh, let's change it just a bit," she added. "If you could marry ANYONE, dead or alive, friend or famous, who would it be and why?"

Everyone groaned. They all knew the answer-Fleur Delacour, the part-veela that Ron was deeply in love with from the moment he saw her.

"Wait, I'm not finished," Lavender said to the disappointed crowd. She twirled her wand in her hand, then pointed it straight at Ron. "HONESTILUCCIA!" she cried. The honectiluccia charm was a new charm they had just learned. It would make one person tell the absolute truth about a single question.

Ron sat up straight, his eyes focused on the wall. "If-I-had-to-marry-anyone,-dead- or-alive,-friend-or-famous,-I would-marry-Hermione-Granger,-because-she-is-the-nicest,- kindest,-smartest,-and-prettiest-person-I-know.-I-have-loved-her-from-the-moment-I-met- her-and-I-always-will." Ron's head fell on his chest. When he looked up, his eyes were brimming with tears and his face was redder than the crackling fire. His lip trembled, he sniffed, and he looked at Hermione.

Hermione tried to speak several times, but couldn't say anything. Soon there was only silence.

"Well, I'm bushed, aren't you, George?" Fred said loudly, yawning and stretching.

"Oh, yes. I could fall asleep right now!" His twin responded just as loudly. Soon everyone was headed up the stairs, with fake comments on how late it was or how they had to get up early the next day. Soon only Ron and Hermione were left.

"Well, what an interesting night this was!" Hermione said happily. She tried to smile, but somehow those muscles weren't working. "You know, Ron, Lavender was really drinking down those butterbeers; her spell was probably off. Yeah, never trust Lavender to do a spell like that after a few drinks. It was clearly a mistake!" She said, trying herself to believe it. She slowly walked over to Ron and put her hand on his arm. "Just a mistake, Ron," she whispered. "Just a mistake."

Hermione slowly walked up the girls' staircase. "Goodnight," she called over her shoulder to Ron, who was sitting, not saying a word, after saying so, so much.