Truth Or Dare
By: Tatortot
Chapter Five
The Next Morning
Disclaimer: dont own HP
A/N: wish i did
The next morning, Ron was woken up by Harry throwing a pillow at him. He sat up in bed and saw Harry, Neville, Seamus, and Dean sitting on the floor and talking. "Wake up!" Harry said.
Ron yawned and stretched, then joined the other four on the floor. "Whas g-going oooon?" Ron asked, trying to hold back a yawn.
"We're discussing last night," Seamus said seriously.
"Oh, yeah, that was great," Ron said, beaming.
"We think there's something behind it," Harry whispered. The other three nodded, waiting for Ron's response.
"Well, I think it's great. I got Hermione, that's all I need!"
"Ron, don't you think it's a bit--odd, that everyone seemed to have gotten a boy or girl friend?"
"No. I don't care as long as I have Hermione."
"You don't get what I'm saying. I think those girls are up to something," Harry argued.
"I don't care--"
"I know," Dean piped up. "I didn't either. At first, I told Harry and Seamus that they were being stupid and that it doesn't matter, but now it makes sense. I think they planned for this to happen. They all got together before it started and said that all of them had to get their crush. And everyone did. I personally agree with Harry. It is odd."
"Well, maybe, but I don't want to blame Hermione for something she didn't do."
"Listen, Ron. Once you hear me out, you'll understand that they're up to something."
"Okay. I'm listening."
"Don't you think it's a bit strange that they ALL truth or dared each other about their crushes?"
"And when Parvati wasn't dared to do anything to me, Hermione asked me what I thought of her, 'cause Seamus and Parvati made her confess to you," Dean said.
"And no one did anything to Abby because I already told everyone that I'd choose her," Neville said.
"And Parvati made me kiss Lavender..." Seamus said.
"And Ginny wasn't dared by any girls because I had already confesed," Harry sighed. "And Ron, none of the girls did anything to you after Hermione said she loved you."
"Well, I guess you have a point..." Ron said slowly. "But---" He was interrupted by a big eruption of laughter and giggles from the common room.
Slowly and quietly, the five boys snuck over to the door and opened it slowly. They could see straight into the common room, where Ginny, Parvati, Abby, Lavender, Hermoine, Angelina, Katie, and Alicia were all sitting.
"Great job with Fred!" Ginny was saying.
"Yeah, Angie, that was funny," Katie said, giving Angelina a high-five.
"Hermione?" Lavender asked.
Hermione, who was sitting on an armchair by the fire, looked up quickly. "What?"
"Why are you so quiet?"
"Just--just thinking."
"'Bout what?" Abigail asked.
"I feel bad. I mean, Ron thinks it was totally from my heart, and, well, it was, of course, but it was more of a bet to see if everyone could get their crush. And, well, I'm sure I would still have been asked who I like, but I still feel awful. It seems like a bad thing to do. Is it?" Hermione asked, staring into the flames.
"Well, it's not horrible, but it's not the greatest thing in the world to do. I mean, I feel kind of bad, too, but how else would I have gotten Harry? He's too busy drooling over Cho and not realizing that he likes me. It was obvious, too. Really, though. Do you think Harry would ever date me if he didn't have to confess in front of fifteen other people? I thought it was fun!" Ginny said.
"Oh, whatever. I'm going to breakfast. Coming, Lavender?" Parvati asked.
"Yep," Lavender said, jumping up from the scarlet armchair and following Parvati out the Portrait Hole.
Angelina, Alicia, Katie, Abigail, Seamus, Neville, and Dean left one by one, and when it was just Hermione and Ginny in the common room, Harry and Ron stepped in.
"Ron!" Hermione said, getting up from the sofa to hug him. He hugged back, but pulled away and sat down. Hermione sat next to him, looking at him curiously.
Harry and Ginny were sitting in arm chairs by the fire. Ron looked over to them and caught Harry's eye, who nodded and asked Ginny to follow him into the boy's dormitories.
"Ron?" Hermione asked when the two left. "What's wrong?"
"It was a bet? You don't l-love me?" Ron asked, staring at the floor.
"No, it was more a bet of---" she stopped herself. "Hold on. How do you know?"
"I heard. All of us did."
"You were eavesdropping on me?"
"N--no, of c--yes...." he finished slowly.
"Well, it wasn't exactly a bet. It was more of a: make-sure-everyone-does-or-says-something-to-their-crush.
You know to end up happily and---" Hermione's voice trailed off, and she looked into the flames. They flickered evil shadows across the wall, even in daylight.
"If you wanted a happy ending, you got it all wrong, darlin'!" Ron said, his voice rising. He stood up and walked quickly out the Portrait Hole.
He thought Hermione was going to let him leave, but she caught up quickly. "Ron! Ron, are you going to hate me because I was scared to get you----and if it was a 'truth' then I'd have to tell the truth and--er---well, that means........it was the truth......." Again, her voice trailed off.
"W-what do you mean it HAD to be the truth?"
"Er----I put a truth charm on the common room last night. And that means y--you meant ev--everyth-thing you s-said....."
"And...?"
"And it--means that th--there really isn't e-enough st-stars," Hermione was now on the edge of tears and had stopped walking.
Ron saw this and stopped, too. "'Mione?"
Hermione sniffed. "W-what?"
"I--I don't have time for this. I did mean it last night, but if you put a truth spell right here, you would learn that bets can HURT people's feelings. But, obviously, you don't CARE! Now, if you don't mind, I'm starving, so I'm going to breakfast. If you don't stop crying, it'll be lunch by the time I get there."
"Wh--what am I supposed t-to do?"
"I don't know, and I. Don't. Care. Maybe Vicky would like a letter from you? Huh? Why don't you go and do that? HE knows you're a girl, at least."
"And you don't?" Hermione had stopped crying in her anger at Ron.
"Well, I would if you weren't hidden behind books and FOOF all the time!" Ron yelled. When he registered what he had just said, Hermione had run off, crying furiously. "H-Hermione!"
Ron followed her into a dark classroom and he slammed the door behind her. He heard her crying in a nearby corner.
"Lumos," he whispered. "Moine?"
"Just g-go away!" Hermione said through sobs.
Ron turned around to open the door, but the handle wouldn't move. "It-it's locked!"
"Great," Hermione sighed.
"Yeah. Just great. I'm locked in a classroom with---you...." But, Ron realized it wasn't a classroom at all. It was a---
A/N Just thought I'd give ya a little cliffie... ;)
