After the dance, Draco and Hermione waited at the doors to the Great Hall. Everyone else had gone on ahead to put the final touches on the Common Room and get it ready. The two Heads walked down the hall quietly, idly listening to the chatter behind them. They heard several mentions about how dull this would be, and Draco squirmed as he saw Hermione's evil grin.

When the group walked into the Common Room and sat on every available surface, Hermione walked to the middle of the circle. She was carrying a small stone and grinned. "This is the Truth stone. Embowed with the power of a truth potion and several portkey-type spells, this stone will insure that this game REALLY is a game of Truth or Consequences."

"Oh shit..." Draco whispered, staring at Hermione. Half of the Slytherins were glaring daggers at her. "Wow, Mya...you really know how to pack a punch!"

Hermione smirked and held up the stone. "I'll go first. I choose...Harry." The stone flew from her hand into his and he gulped.

"Alright, Mione." He looked at her and nodded.

"Have you ever liked anyone you knew you couldn't have? Besides Ginny?" She asked.

He choked. "Yes." He looked up at Ginny, sorrow in his eyes. "I liked Parvati until last year." To his surprise, Ginny hugged him tightly and smiled.

Hermione smiled and nodded. "Your turn, Harry."

Harry grinned. "I choose...Millicent." The stone flew to her hand and he looked at the others. They knew he was dying to know which of the Slytherins were going to become DeathEaters...but he didn't want to get his new friends in trouble. Sighing, he looked at Millicent Bulstrode. "Have you ever liked a Gryffindor?"

The pudgy woman looked at him. "Come on. These are boring. No." Immediately, the Consequence in Harry's mind came to life and she and Neville both disappeared for ten minutes before reappearing. Neville looked a bit dazed, while Millicent was blushing furiously.

Draco and Hermione exchanged amused looks. The stone was passed around the circle, each dare getting more and more daring...pun intended...and soon a Ravenclaw named Matthew Harship looked at Hermione. "I choose Hermione."

He grinned. "What's your deepest secret?" Hermione's eyes widened and she chose the consequences without a thought.

"My foster parents beat me." She and another man disappeared, and when they reappeared, Hermione was looking more than a little disgusted. If looks could kill, however, Matthew and the other man both would have been Voldemort Bait.

Hermione grinned. "Sabela Sanders." The stone flew to a blonde Slytherin girl who'd always been- if not nice- at least mildly civil to her. "What's your most erotic fantasy?"

Sabela glanced at Draco. "Draco Malfoy and I in the middle of the Quidditch pitch like old times..." Draco was staring between the two girls in horror...while Hermione just looked impassive.

It was after five the next morning when the others were escorted back to their dorms, Hermione was standing in the common room, still impassive. "Hermione...? Draco asked timidly. She looked at him.

"Well." Was all she said. "That was...interesting." Draco pulled her to her with a tight passionate love that would never die, he buried his face in her hair and breathed in her signature, Strawberry scent.

"Leave them be." Harry said when Blaise started to go to the couple. "They need to fight their battles on their own."