Thanks again to my beta-reader for correcting all of my stupid mistakes.

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Good morning

Ron stretched himself comfortably under his sheets. If he had the choice, he would stay in bed all day. However, just as he was thinking about how great that would be his stomach rumbled and forced him to get up.

While he dressed he remembered whom he had been with the night before, and a big grin spread across his face.

Suddenly there was a slight rustled next to him, and very tired looking Harry sat up in his bed.

"Had you intended to tell me?"

He asked as soon as he saw Ron walking through the room. "Tell you what?" Ron asked innocently and stopped walking. Harry reached for his glasses, which lay on the bedside table.

"Oh, don't act as if you don't know what I'm talking about. Where were you last night with my Invisibility cloak?"

Harry was not ready to tell him that he knew about Lavender, not yet. He wanted to give Ron the chance to tell him on his own.

"Umm ,Harry," A guilty looking Ron said, ears going red. "I… uh, that's difficult…"

"Just say it!" Harry prompted.

"Well, I.. ehm, okay, I met a girl, all right?"

 "Who?", Harry asked immediately.

Ron eyed him hesitantly. "Promise you won't laugh?" He asked. Harry shook his head. "Hey, it's me. Your best friend!"

 "Okay, I'll tell… it's Lavender." Ron said, guardedly. Harry acted as if he was surprised. "Really? But I always thought, she and Seamus…" "No, that's over." Ron said, a grin now lighting up his face.

"How long has this relationship between you and Lavender been going on?", Harry asked, curious to hear everything about it.

"Only a few days. We were in the same group in Herbology and after the lesson she pulled me aside and then…" Ron trailed off.

"Yeeeees????" Harry asked, wanting all the gory details.

"And then she kissed me." Ron went beetle-red. Harry grinned at him with raised eyebrows, but then a thought struck him.

"You know, that's kind of confusing. I always thought, you and Hermione…" Harry suddenly stopped at the look on Ron's face. 'Crap,' Harry thought. 'Shouldn't have said that!'

"Harry, in case you haven't noticed, since Hermione was with Krum this summer, she barely glanced at me, let alone spoken with me. And…" Anger was evident on Ron's freckled face. "And here you thought, "Hey, Ron's taking Lavender instead!" It's not that easy, Harry. And I'm not settling with Lavender, I really like her."

Harry eyed him suspiciously. "Sure, Ron. If you say so." He said, not wanting get Ron any angrier. He dressed quickly, all the while shaking his head. Then he went down to the Great Hall to have some breakfast.

Ron stared after him for a moment before walking down as well, muttering,

"She's not just a replacement."

When they reached the Great Hall, Hermione was already there, as always reading a book (This time it was 'The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 5)').

Harry took an empty seat to her right, while Ron took the seat to her left. Without looking up from her reading, she spoke to them.

"Who would have thought? Finally raised from the dead?"

"What?", Ron asked confused, while shoving food on his mouth.

"I just thought that you were going to sleep the day away," Hermione explained.

At this moment, Draco Malfoy walked past their table, giving Hermione a meaningful look, which only she noticed. A tiny smile crept over Hermiones face.

"Herms, why are you smiling like that?" Ron addressed her.

"Ehm, I don't know." Hermione said, sounding a little uncomfortable. "I'm going to get ready for our next lesson." With that she rushed out of the Hall.

"Am I wrong, or has she been acting strange lately?" Ron asked.

Harry shrugged, than suddenly he turned his attention to the person right behind his best friend."Good morning, Ron" Lavender greeted him with a sing-song voice, while she took the seat beside him and kissed him on the cheek. Ron went red again.

Harry was suddenly VERY occupied with the food on his plate. He tried desperately to fight back the grin, that was starting to spread across his face. But he failed,so he just ate his food as quick as he could, then left the Great Hall, to let the two turtle-doves have a little time alone.

Hermione climbed up the stairs, walking as if she were on Cloud Nine. Every time she saw him, her heartbeat fastened and she would smile involuntarily.

A memory of two weeks ago crossed her mind, when she and her friends had played the Muggle-game "Truth or dare". That was the beginning of it….

***flashback***

Saturday, two weeks ago

It was evening, and the Gryffindor common room was overcrowded as always.

Harry, Ron, Hermine, Ginny, Lavender and Parvati had seated themselves in a remote corner.

"Ron, truth or dare?" Parvati asked him excitedly.

Ron, fearing the worst, said: "Truth."

Parvati immediately shot out her question. "Ron, are you still a virgin?"

His face turned the same color like his hair. Today of all days she had to ask such a question, and in front of his little sister. "Y...yes" he finally managed to stammer.

Satisfied, Parvati leaned back. "So, who's next?"

With glimmering eyes, Lavender turned to Hermione. "Herms,Truth or dare?"

Hermione eyed her dorm-mate suspiciously, but then decided to take a chance. What could be the worst thing that could happen? "Dare", she answered with a steady voice.

Lavender grinned and debated with Parvati. Such an opportunity for them! Then she turned back to Hermione and said, "Fine, I dare you… to kiss Draco Malfoy."

Everyone except Lavender and Parvati took a sharp breath. Ginny stared her with eyes big as plates. Harry and Ron didn't knew what was more shocking: the fact that Lavender asked such a dirty question, or that Hermione had actually agreed.

Hermione stared in disbelief at Lavender. "You're joking, aren't you?"

"Ohh, is ickle 'Mione chicken?" Lavender said in her most condescending voice.

'Shit,' Hermione thought. 'Lavender just had to attack my pride, didn't she?'

Now there was no turning back. After a short moment of hesitation she answered, "Okay, I'll do it. Right now."

Hermione wandered searchingly through the castles many corridors. 'He's probably in the dungeons. I'm not going to enter the Slytherin common room!' she thought furiously.

Stupid bloody game, I should have done my homework instead. Stupid, stupid, stupid!

With a lot of distance between them, the others followed her to make sure she wouldn't chicken out. While looking right and left, she forgot to look at what was in front of her, and promptly…

…BANG.. She bumped into someone.

"Ohh, I'm sorry, I didn't watch…. Malfoy?" Hermione said.

'Great, the man of the hour,' she thought sarcastically.

The blond Slytherin had a hand on his head and stared at her with furious eyes. "Too stupid to watch where you're going, Granger?"

Harry, Ron and the others were hidden behind a corner and observed the scene with eagle-eyes.

'Fine,' Hermione thought.'Better get this over with.' The next moment, she pressed her lips to his, eyes firmly shut.

Draco stood still, almost as if he was hit by a bolt of lightning, and his eyes were wide open. But before he could react, it was over. Hastily, she let go of him and ran down the corridor.

Draco, utterly perplexed, stared after her. After a short time he found his voice again.

"…. What was THAT???"

***end of flashback***

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So, I tell you the cours once again. The first flashback plays on Monday, two weeks ago. And this one plays before the first flashback, were Malfoy offered her the deal.

@ Lovely White: I don't think that Harry is so nosey *g*. Thanks for your reviews.

And of course thanks to all the other reviewers. You keep me going.