Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, events and/or places that are recognized as being written and created by J.K. Rowling. J.K. Rowling owns all the characters and places from the Harry Potter books including the ones used in this story.
A/N: Hello! Thanks to everyone who read! And I am so glad that no one was too weired out by the Sirius and Ginny smooch, like I was scared of.
Here is my little individual thanks (feel free to skip): Extra GIANT thanks to rikku-099, penguininpink (glad you thought it was funny, and thanks for the character development comment), haters r gonna rock dis world (you broke your guitar? lol...hope you get it fixed up, and your fingers will get used to the strings...I used to play violin; not metal, but they still left marks :D ), Mrs Chipmunk, Uturnwow, Solecito (nice to hear that my story made you feel happier), kihiij, BabyRuth, thumper, kittybro (Sirius is hard to resit! Too bad JK didn't see that!), YamiClara, IamSiriusgrl, Porphyrophobic Grape (I just have to tell you that I absolutly LOVE your name. I read your profile to find out what it meant...and it is now officially the funniest thing ever!), thehpgang, Le Grimoire and Twylyght and Isis for leaving comments/reviews!
Here's the actual story, lol! There's a little bit of a cliffy here, but don't worry too much about it. :D
It happened. Then it was over. Just that fast; but ten times more monumental than anything Hermione has witnessed over the past two weeks at Grimmauld Place. If it wasn't for all Hermione has seen during her small life, this kiss would probably rank number one in the shock department. However, Hermione has seen a lot, so this unfortunately pales in comparison. At the moment, though, it was all that mattered. Sirius' lips looked soft from her seat across the room. She could almost feel the wet movement against her own mouth.
Sirius pulled back and then shock smacked him in the face. He could feel his own pupils morphing into round black holes, pushing out any trace of grey and only showing the one question that was running rampantly through his brain; did I just kiss Ginny? He sat all the way back, his spine smacking against the wood back of the chair, but he didn't feel it. He couldn't feel anything; just beating heart. It was almost impossible for him to remember why he was even sitting in this room. Were we playing a game? Wasn't there mention of chocolate? Should I look at Moony? Knew I shouldn't have.
Remus was laughing. Laughing so hard, that his stomach yelled at him to stop or be stopped, by means of every morsel of food ever put inside of it, ricocheting up and out of his mouth. Hermione was clinging to his arm, equally laughing at the sight of seeing a silent Sirius whimper and squirm in the looming doom of losing. Then it happened; and all Remus could do was drop his head to the side and stare. This is going to be my fault. I can hear the inquisition. It was him, after all, that picked Sirius' charade. But, it was a charade. Not instructions.
Ginny swallowed hard. Not that there was anything close to salvia inside her mouth turned dry desert. She was so focused on the game that for once she wasn't even thinking: Sirius, kiss me! Sirius, kiss me! Then Sirius kissed her, and she was frozen and redder than her hair. There was only one thing she could think of; and that was that she figured out the charade.
"Her, Her, Hershey Kisses," she announced. She looked over, across the room to Hermione and realized that what she really wanted to scream was: Her, Her, Hermione? DID THAT REALLY HAPPEN?
Ginny sat still, staring intently at a still and staring Hermione. Remus sat still, staring at a jumpy, clearly shaken, staring Sirius.
"Girls?"
The shrill voice of Mrs. Weasley split the silence and all four pairs of eyes darted over to her.
"It is ten o'clock! Time for bed; come on," she said, in her normal irritated tone. Remus breathed out heavily. Either Mrs. Weasley didn't care that her young daughter and friend were sitting in a room alone with two grown men, or she chose to ignore the fact that her young daughter and friend were sitting in a room alone with two grown men; none of them seemed to care, as long as she didn't ask questions.
"Good night," all four of them choked out in an uncomfortable unison. Hermione and Ginny quickly padded out of the room, through the kitchen, through the sitting room, up the two flights of stairs, not stopping until they were safely in their own bedroom.
"Can…" Ginny started, in a low rumble of a whisper. "You…believe...that…I just kissed Sirius Black?"
Hermione, despite her usual composed, adult like self, responded to Ginny by simply jumping up and down and squealing. Ginny bounced just as giddily over to Hermione and the two girls linked arms and shrieked nonsense into the dusty air.
"Well," Hermione panted, settling down on her bed, still feeling flustered by giggles. "Looks like you're the only one that actually completed her dare."
Ginny stood and bowed dramatically. "Did you expect less?" she asked, before falling backwards on her bed with a heavy sigh. "That was…" she started. Suddenly, she sprang up and locked eyes with Hermione. "That was…" she tried again. "I can't remember what it felt like," she said, her voice rushing with sudden nervousness.
"What?" Hermione asked. She changed into her pajamas and slid into her bed. "What can't you remember?"
"What Sirius' kiss felt like," Ginny shouted in a whisper. "I can't recall if his lips were soft, or big, or chapped, or wet, if he felt scruffy or smooth, how he smelled, how he tasted….I can't remember any of those crucial facts!"
"Ginny," Hermione said. "That's because it was hardly a kiss."
Ginny glared at Hermione like she just revealed that Ginny wasn't a real witch. "What is that supposed to mean?" she hissed.
"Ginny, it's not like he kissed you because he, well, because he wanted to. He just didn't want to lose! And it only lasted a half a second anyways; not nearly enough time to record the taste, smell, and feel."
Ginny shrugged and wiggled underneath her blanket. "I guess, but…it was a rare moment! Monumental! How could it pass by without any description?"
"I don't know, Ginny," Hermione whined, her voice distorted by her pillow.
"Someday, when we're old and reminiscing about our younger years, you'll ask: Ginevra, remember when you kissed Sirius?" Hermione couldn't help but laugh at Ginny's impersonation of an elderly voice. "And I'd say, no…because I'd have a bad memory; but also because I was never able to describe it in the first place." Ginny let out one last hopeless sigh, before Hermione let out her own exasperated one.
"Ginny," Hermione said, picking her face up from her pillow. "Pretend it never happened…it won't be that hard since it hardly did; and go to sleep."
Ginny rolled her eyes, and turned around to face the wall.
Remus and Sirius tried to casually watch the two girls speed walk out of the room, hoping that everything appeared nothing less than normal.
Mrs. Weasley's eyes were darting around, but they weren't narrowed with the onslaught of suspicious thoughts, which Remus took as a good sign.
Once the girls were gone, Remus sat back in his chair, letting out a breath he unknowingly was holding. He dragged his fingers through his graying hair, pulling the long bangs away from his face. Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw Mrs. Weasley staring intently at Sirius.
Letting his eyes move to Sirius, Remus wanted to laugh at what he saw.
Sirius sat half way off his chair, crossing and uncrossing his legs. His eyes, which appeared wide and glazed over, were trying almost too hard to avoid Mrs. Weasley's glare. Tiny glistening pin points of moisture clung onto the pale skin of his forehead.
"Sirius?" Mrs. Weasley asked, immediately adopting her 'Super Mum' voice.
Sirius twitched and looked helplessly to Remus, who was squeezing his lips shut and holding two fingers against them.
"Sirius, honey," Mrs. Weasley called again, moving closer to him at a rapid speed. "Are you feeling all right?"
"Yeah, I'm fine," Sirius growled. He pulled away from Mrs. Weasley's probing face.
"But, you're all sweaty dear. Are you going to be sick?"
Sirius shook his head, his black hair whipping across Mrs. Weasley's arm.
"Does your stomach hurt? Are you gassy? You look gassy, dear."
"What?" Sirius gasped, nearly toppling off his chair.
"Let me feel if your stomach is bloated," Mrs. Weasley cooed. Her left hand secured itself on Sirius's shoulder, while her right tried to desperately grab a hold of Sirius's squirming middle.
"Sirius, if you're gassy, you shouldn't hold it in! Now I know a spell…"
"I'M FINE," Sirius bellowed from his new location on the floor next to his chair. "I'm not sick, and I'm not gassy. All right?"
Mrs. Weasley huffed, and stuck her hands over her wide hips. "Well, that is the last time I attempt to help you out!" She turned around abruptly and left the room.
Sirius looked up at Remus, who was vibrating with suppressed laughter. "Don't you dare laugh," he hissed.
"Who me?" Remus asked. "Padfoot…"
"I'm fine," he whispered, pulling himself up so that the top half of his body leaned comfortably on the seat of his chair. "I didn't mean for that to happen."
"I know."
"I didn't want for that to happen. I mean, it's all fun and games, but she's a young-"
"I know, Padfoot."
"I just hate to lose," Sirius continued. "You saw what almost happened during the poker match." Remus nodded, knowing that Sirius was referring to when George beat Sirius' flush with a royal flush, and Sirius turned into Padfoot barring his teeth, having to be held back by Charlie, Remus and Fred. "Moony?"
Remus raised his eyebrows in response.
"Did you do it on purpose?"
Now Remus's eyebrows were raised for a whole different reason. "I'm not sure I know what you're talking about," he lied.
Sirius started laughing. "It's all right, Moony. Really, it's kind of funny if you did it on purpose…like old times, you know? Not that it makes it right or anything." Sirius leaned his head on top of his propped up hand, shiny black hair cascading around his arm.
"Do you want to clue me in on what you're referring to?"
"The charade, Moony," Sirius shouted, throwing his hands in the air. "Hershey Kisses…come on. They were practically instructions."
Remus sighed, rolled his eyes, and rubbed his hands over his face at the same time. "Padfoot, I…I don't even know why you would think that I would give you a prompt to make out with Ginny Weasley!"
Sirius laughed again, and shrugged with faux suspicion.
"Sirius," Remus warned. "I honestly, swear to Merlin, that I did not have a hidden agenda. Those are my favorite muggle candy; of course it would be the first thing to pop into my head!"
"I know, Moony. I remembered actually." Sirius and Remus shared a soft smile. "I need a stiff drink," Sirius said, burying his face into the cleft of his elbow.
"No," Remus countered, standing up. "What you need is to go to bed; get some sleep."
"Ah, sleep," Sirius yawned, as Remus helped him to his feet. Sirius opened his arms wide to Remus. "Carry me, Moony?"
"You know what?" Remus said, pushing Sirius arms away. "If one was to add up all the things you have consciously done and said this entire day…I think you'd have a good chance at being classified as clinically insane."
The two found themselves half way to Sirius' room. "Insane…Mum would be proud," Sirius said, pointing down at the covered portrait of his mother. "Good thing I have no intention on pleasing her then."
Remus laughed, as they stopped in front of Sirius' bed chamber. "Good night, Pad-"
A large crack interrupted Remus, and a visibly exhausted Tonks appeared in the hallway. "Oh," she whispered, looking around. "I meant to apparate into the kitchen."
"-foot. Tonks," Remus finished, acknowledging Tonks presence.
"Whatever you've heard isn't true," Sirius shouted suddenly. "I'm a sore loser, you know? I almost stabbed your father that one time when he beat me at knife throwing!"
"Why were you playing knife throwing?" Remus asked.
"What the hell are you talking about?" Tonks asked, even more confused than Remus.
"Good night," Sirius squeaked, quickly disappearing into his bedroom.
Tonks stared at the closed door, puzzlement dancing across her face.
"He, um," Remus started all ready laughing at the absurdity of what he was about to say. "He kissed Ginny."
Tonks turned her eyes to Remus. Remus jumped back slightly as Tonks started buckling over with laughter. "That sly little thing," Tonks exclaimed. "She actually completed her dare? Wow."
Remus furrowed his eyebrows.
"I hope they don't expect me to go through with mine." Tonks inwardly shuddered, and Remus found himself defiantly beyond confused.
"We were playing charades," Remus said, just trying to steer the conversation back to a plane that he was on. "And he kissed her."
Tonks surveyed Remus, dropping her head to the side. "Are you jealous…or something?"
"No," Remus said, his voice casual. "I'm used to seeing Sirius be kissed, and me be given a hand shake." Remus suddenly couldn't recall what made him say such a revealing piece of information to the one person that shouldn't be given any details about his personal life.
As Remus was thinking over what he said, Tonks took the brilliant opportunity to grab hold of his face, and pull herself professionally up on her toes, pressing their lips together.
Remus's lips felt slightly chapped, but she still tried to eagerly pry them open with the casual flicks from her tongue.
Remus took enough time to register the softness of Tonks' kiss, given that he rarely had moments like this, before he used all his strength to push the clinging girl away.
"Listen, Tonks," Remus started, licking his lips, and avoiding the look of want clearly visible in Tonks' eyes. "You're very sweet, and pretty, but…I think Charlie is more your age."
Tonks' mouth dropped open, but she wasn't given a chance to say anything. Remus had turned around and made his way further down the hall to his room.
Tonks twisted her fingers into her hair, which tonight was a mess of mahogany curls, and stormed down the stairs.
Ginny flipped around onto her opposite side for the seventeenth time in row. She couldn't get comfortable; she couldn't sleep. She always thought that sleep would come easy after one has just kissed their currant crush, but this was different. How could I have dreams of me kissing Sirius, if I can't remember what it felt like to kiss Sirius? Ginny asked herself, silently mouthing the words into the darkness of her room. Stupid shock making me blank out! Ginny growled, not attempting to lower her pitch.
She sat up, and kicked the blankets off her legs. "Something needs to be done about that," she whispered; "or I'm going to never go to sleep, ever, for the rest of eternity."
Ginny, being as dramatic as possible, got a sudden attack from a brilliant idea, and was up and off her bed in seconds. She slipped her feet into the fluffy white slippers at the foot of her bed, and took long strides out of the room, as silently as she could manage.
What she didn't know was that all of her tossing, and thought to be silent hissing was keeping up her, now very annoyed, roommate. Hermione watched the outline of Ginny saunter out of the room. Knowing exactly where Ginny was going, Hermione came to one fast conclusion; she needed to follow her.
Hermione stepped in place silently behind the sneaking Ginny, who, as predicted, was heading straight for Sirius' room. Hermione wanted to stop her; but she knew that Ginny had no clue she was behind her, and therefore she would be scared white at the sudden name call or arm grab. Thinking fast, Hermione thought that if she was going to scare Ginny, she might as well do it on purpose.
"HIPPOGRIFF," Hermione shouted.
Ginny screamed. She started groping her side, realizing that her wand was lying under her bed ten thousand million feet away. Spinning around, Ginny prepared her mind for the worst, and she got it.
"Hermione Granger!" Ginny held her hand over her heart, panting with the aftermath of being terrified. "What the bloody hell? Did you want to shock me to death?"
Hermione stopped laughing and started shaking her head at Ginny. "Forget your wand, young Miss Weasley," she said, badly copying the voice of Mad Eye Moody.
Ginny rolled her eyes, and turned back around, resuming her trek to Sirius' room.
"Why are you going to Sirius' room?" Hermione asked, catching up with Ginny.
Ginny pursed her lips together, looking away from Hermione.
"I'm not going to leave not knowing what you're doing," Hermione pointed out.
"I'm going to kiss him, again," Ginny sighed in frustration.
"Ginny!" Hermione grabbed her arm and pulled her to a stop. "You can't do that! It's wrong on so many levels!"
"He'll be sleeping...he'll never know, and I'll be able to say what his lips feel like…it's a win, win!"
Hermione glared at Ginny, folding her arms across her chest. "What if he wakes up?" she challenged.
"I'll convince him that this was all a dream," Ginny said, as she started walking again.
They got to Sirius' room, and Ginny began to turn the door handle. "I'm waiting out here," Hermione warned. "I expect you to be out here in no less than five minutes."
"Yes, mum," Ginny hissed, stepping into the blackness of Sirius' bedroom.
Ginny peered into the darkness, searching for any sign of danger. Seeing nothing, she made her way carefully and quietly over to Sirius' bed.
Sirius was lying on his back. His long black hair was spread out around him like a crown, and his gray t-shirt stretched tightly over his broad shoulders, revealing every bone that stuck out under his thin muscles. The light from the one candle on his side table flickered over his face, highlighting his deep cheekbones and perfectly chiseled jaw line.
Ginny held her breath, and leaned over closer to him. Her lips were mere inches from his. She shut her eyes, missing the opening of his.
"Ginny," Sirius said, in a casual tone.
Ginny screamed for the second time this hour and fell off the side of Sirius' bed. She sprang up and started waving her fingers in front of Sirius' face, which was holding laughter back with every muscle. "Ooo…this is a crazy dream. You're sleeping. Ooo! Go back to sleep, and never speak of this dream to anyone!"
Sirius closed his eyes and gripped his blanket. He really didn't want to laugh and humiliate the poor girl.
Ginny, thinking that Sirius had fallen for her trick, decided to take it to the next level. "This is a dream. A lovely dream involving the woman of your, um, dreams. Ginny Weasley!"
"Ginny," Sirius said, sitting up. He held his hand up for her to stop. Ginny's arms fell to her side, and her face burned crimson.
"You're not sleeping," she accused.
"You've noticed," Sirius said, trying to joke. His laughter died fast, and he folded his hands onto his lap. "Listen, Ginny," he started, adopting a voice that Remus would have most likely used in a situation like this. "I know I'm good looking…but…I think that maybe Harry is more your age."
Ginny's mouth fell open.
"I'm sorry; good night." Sirius smiled, motioned for Ginny to leave, and fell back against his pillow.
Ginny stormed out of the room, streaking past Hermione.
"Why did you scream?" she asked, running after Ginny.
"Bugger off," Ginny replied, anger dripping from every word, though not intended to be directed at Hermione.
Hermione woke up abruptly. Her curly hair was tangled and sticking up even more wild than usual, and her eyes, blood shot and dry, stung in the corners. She turned her head and fumbled in the dark for the wrist watch that she placed on her night stand.
She wanted to cry when she read the time; 3:49 a.m. She looked at her watch before she fell asleep. The time then was 3:41.
Not even ten minutes, Hermione screamed in her head. I haven't even been asleep for ten minutes!
Ever since Hermione returned to her bedroom, after she followed Ginny to Sirius' room, Hermione has found herself tossing and turning and wanting to burst into tears. She couldn't sleep; and she didn't want to admit why.
The fact was, every time she closed her eyes, and her mind feel deeper into its subconscious, Hermione would relive her kiss with Ron.
She closed her eyes, and sunk herself farther down into her bed. It took a while before Hermione found herself in dream land.
A pleasing feeling, lips pressed against lips, a flash of red hair, the smell of boy and Hermione was awake once again, panting. This situation repeated over and over, until finally Hermione's watch told her it was 9:45 a.m.
Ginny was all ready up. She got dressed in a hurry, muttering under her breath, and appearing purely disgruntled with the world. Hermione waited for Ginny to stomp down stairs, before she got up and dressed too; but she had purpose in her movements.
Instead of going down stairs, Hermione made her way, head held high, to Ron's room across the hall.
Hermione attempted knocking, but the door nudged open with the force of her fist. She peeked her head in, and saw Ron stretched half way off his bed, snoring lightly.
"Ron?" Hermione said, moving into the room. Ron twitched slightly, but continued sleeping. "Ron," Hermione tried again. She leaned over him, and poked him gently in the chest.
"Mum," Ron whined, shooing Hermione's finger away.
"Ron," Hermione sighed, slightly annoyed.
One of Ron's eyes popped open and soon the other followed. "Hermione," he gasped, pulling his blanket up to his chin.
"Oh, will you stop," Hermione shouted, sitting on the side of his bed. "You're wearing pajamas."
Ron blushed, and lowered the blanket. "What are you doing here, anyway?" he asked.
"I just came," Hermione started. "I just came to tell you that I didn't mean to kiss you. It was an accident."
"Oh?" Ron said, quietly.
"Yes. Not that it was bad or anything…or that it was good, I mean, it was just…it was hardly anything, you know?"
Ron squinted at her, and nodded slowly.
"And I like you," Hermione said. Ron's eyes shot open, his eyebrows traveling half way up his forehead. "No! I mean I like you like a friend…just a friend. I mean you're nice and everything, but…you, um…" Hermione closed her mouth tightly; she suddenly realized that she had no idea what she was going on about.
"Hermione," Ron said, in a gentle calming voice that completely scared Hermione. He sat up in his bed, and placed his hand on her shoulder. "You're a lovely girl but…I think perhaps, Remus is more your age."
"What?" Hermione said. She tried to laugh, but she couldn't get anything but air to come out.
"Remus is more your age…given the fact that you're mentally around thirty-nine." Ron grinned.
If it wasn't for self control, Ron would have had a beaming red hand print across his face, but instead of resulting to animalistic behavior, Hermione stood up and stormed out of the room. "So much for trying to talk to him," Hermione said to herself, as she stomped her way down to the kitchen. "Merlin, he can be such a stupid boy sometimes!"
"All boys are stupid."
Hermione stopped in her tracks, and glared down at Tonks who was sitting with Ginny at the kitchen table. Hermione hadn't even realized that she was in the kitchen all ready. She pulled out the chair closest to her and flopped down, nodding hellos to Ginny and Tonks, and quickly deciding that she wasn't going to let them know who she was calling stupid; even though they had an idea.
"It's July 31st." Ginny said her voice trying it's hardest to seem cheery.
"Harry's birthday," Hermione finished, and the two shared a quick toothy smile.
"He's a boy, Ginny. A boy like all the rest."
"Is she drunk?" Hermione asked, pointing at Tonks. "It's only a quarter to ten!"
"No," Ginny said. "She just hates men today."
Tonks nodded her head, which today wore a stringy mop of jet black hair, curling softly around her shoulders. Her eyes were almost the same color, and she seemed to have a sudden pinch to her nose.
"Is that you're real hair, Tonks?"
"Is that an insult?" Tonks asked in return. Hermione didn't say another word, but her eyes shifted to Ginny for a moment, who was nodding at her with a big smile on her face.
"Boys stink!" Tonks shouted, raising her glass of orange juice into the air.
"I agree," Hermione said, grabbing Ginny's glass and raising it to meet Tonks'.
Tonks slammed her glass down on to the table, and turned to glare directly at Hermione. "Now, wait a minute," she yelled. "You're only fourteen! If I was your age…when I was your age I was too obsessed with boys to hate them!" Tonks sat back; "It'd be fun to be your age again."
"Why?" Ginny asked. "I hate being thirteen!" Ginny's eyes fell to the table and she flicked a crumb of food off the side with an intense force.
"I hate being thirty-nine," Hermione said, not really meaning to say that out loud. She looked up with realization to see Tonks and Ginny cocking an eyebrow at her. "Mentally…never mind," she mumbled.
The joyful humming of Mrs. Weasley stopped Hermione from having to explain herself further. "Good morning, dears," Mrs. Weasley bellowed sweetly.
"Molly! Make me some pancakes, will you?"
"Tonks you're old enough to make your own pancakes."
"See, even she thinks I'm old!" Tonks dropped her head forward, hitting it hard against the table.
"Mum," Ginny called. "I would like some pancakes too."
Mrs. Weasley stared at Ginny. "Fine," she sighed. "I've got to do everything for every-"
"You know what?" Tonks asked, springing back to life. "There are probably spells or potions that we can use to change our ages!"
"Tonks," Hermione scolded, casting a look of worry at Ginny. "That is very dangerous! You're an Auror…you should know when not to suggest dangerous things to minors!"
"Who you calling a minor?" Ginny huffed. She sat up straighter in her chair, trying to make her self appear taller.
Tonks looked from Ginny to Hermione, and then leaned into the table, motioning them to follow. "I have an idea…to get Remus, er, ahem, to get back at the boys."
"Honestly, they didn't do anything," Hermione whispered.
"Shh," Ginny said, turning her glinting eyes back to Tonks.
"We can…" Tonks whispered her plans to the two listening faces. When she was done, the three pulled away; Tonks grinning smugly, and Ginny smiling with anticipation.
"You're a horrible role model," Hermione dead panned.
"I know," Tonks said, taking a swig of orange juice.
