Chapter 8: Dare!
Before they knew it the game was over and the boys had won. So very disappointingly the girls and Ron were on their side of the court waiting patiently for the boys to stop cheering. They boys were screaming and cheering and hugging each other. Maria was laughing finding this amusing, and Hermione kept looking over at Harry. He won too, she thought, this means that he'll be there too. She swallowed hard. How could this be, this couldn't be, not with Harry there. She would be dreading ten o'clock today. She looked over at Ron who was in the back talking to Parvati. Although they had lost Parvati was apparently smiling and Ron as well. Lavender took this moment and walked over to Maria and glowing said, "See I told you there was no dare."
"Just wait and see okay," Maria said as she stopped smiling, "as soon as they are done gloating and jumping about their big victory it'll come."
"Looks like it's going to be now," Hermione said nodding toward the boys. They had stopped cheering and had made their way towards them. Tom and Rob were leading with Draco and Harry and Blaise following closely behind. They walked over there and Tom standing across from Maria said, "Good game you guys played."
"Yeah right," Maria said, "We lost by six points. That's not something to write home about."
"Yeah," Blaise said, "but uh you played great Maria."
"Thanks," Maria said, "You're a sweetheart."
"Yeah," Tom said, "and at least you guys looked good playing, all that jumping and stuff I got to admit, it excited me a little bit. Except for Ron, bad game man. You can't play, and I got to say you didn't look too good out there."
"Thanks," Ron said.
"I'm just joking," Tom said, "Messing with you a little bit, we're all friends here."
"Sure," Ron said not even looking at Tom. Parvati caressed Ron's arm sympathetically and Ron smiled a bit however he hid it from her.
"Okay anyways, now since you guys lost," Tom said, "We have to dare you to do something."
"I told you," Maria told Lavender.
"Shut up," Lavender said, "It probably won't be that bad anyways."
"It's the same one every year," Maria said.
"Well maybe this year it'll be different," Lavender said.
"No it won't," Maria retorted.
"You'll see," Lavender said.
"No, you'll see," Maria said.
"What's that girls?" Tom asked looking at Maria and Lavender.
"Nothing," Maria said, "Continue with your dare explanation."
Harry looked at Draco and Blaise as if to ask what's going on, but the two of them shook their heads and said, "We had no clue Harry."
"Neither me," Harry said. He looked at everyone and then at Hermione who looked a little uncomfortable. He knew that if Hermione felt uncomfortable then it couldn't be a good thing. He knew that Tom and Rob were friends with Hermione but they were a little too crazy, and the whole Maria being a jinx thing was creepy. He looked at Ron standing next to a very exasperated Parvati, and wondered, what the dare was. He wanted to know why Hermione felt uncomfortable, why Lavender wasn't taking her eyes off of Tom why Maria kept looking at her feet and at no one else, and what this dare was. "A dare?" Ron asked, "I don't think that we agreed to do a dare."
"Well," Tom said, "It's kind of an unspoken rule. You kind of all agreed to it when you said you would play."
"In what world?" Ron asked.
"The girls knew about it," Tom said motioning his head to Hermione and Maria.
"No they didn't," Ron said.
"Yes, they did," Tom sad, "We do this every year."
"See," Maria whispered to Lavender, "Every year."
"Shut up," Lavender whispered back.
"Well I didn't," Ron said, "and we're not doing it."
"Fine," Rob said, "you don't have to do it, but only you."
"Not one of us is doing it," Ron said.
"Ron, you're off the hook," Hermione said, "Just accept it, we do this every year, so whatever."
Rob and Tom smiled and Tom said, "Anyways the dare …"
"I didn't know either and neither did Parvati," Lavender said.
"It doesn't matter," Rob said.
"Tom!" Lavender said, "Please I don't have to do it do I?"
Tom looked at Robbie and said, "Well I guess you don't."
"Ha," Lavender whispered softly to Maria. Maria rolled her eyes at her.
"Neither Parvati or Hermione, right?" Lavender said, trying to convince him.
"What?" Rob screamed, "No."
"I wasn't asking you," Lavender said looking rudely at Robbie.
"Great so I'm doing it myself," Maria said.
"No," Hermione said, "I'm doing it too, it's tradition in a way, and I'm not letting you do it alone."
Maria smiled and gave Hermione a hug, "Thanks Hermione."
Tom and Rob smiled. "Just like old timed huh?"
The girls rolled their eyes at Tom and said, "Yeah, just like old times, only with three other boys added to it."
Tom then turned to Harry, Draco, and Blaise and asked, "What do you say guys, is it okay if Hermione and Maria do it only?"
Harry looked at Hermione and asked, "Do what?"
Tom smiled, "That's right, I never said what the dare was did I?"
"No," Harry said.
Tom smiling said, "The lovely ladies have to jump in Maria's pool tonight at ten o'clock, when her parents aren't home."
"That's it?" Draco asked, "Man I thought it was going to be something good by the way you were all acting."
"That's not it," Hermione said, "Go on Tom."
"They have to jump in the pool, while the winning team, that means us, watches," Tom said.
"No way man," Blaise said sarcastically, "I mean you are too wild for me."
"Yeah," Draco said, "I mean what do you when you go out look at a picture of a beer?"
Everyone laughed. Maria then looked at Hermione and said, "Come on Tom tell them the rest, don't keep them waiting."
"What they have to wave at us when they jump in?" Blaise asked.
"Funny," Tom said, "But no, they have to jump in the pool in front of us, and they have to jump in naked."
Everyone was speechless. Harry looked at Tom and then at Hermione, at Maria, and then at Rob. He looked at Draco and Blaise who were smiling and he could see Blaise's smirk on his face as he eyed Maria from head to toe, no doubt undressing her with his eyes. Draco was doing the same thing and Hermione had her arms crossed. Tom and Rob were smiling and Harry himself had no clue what to feel. Hermione was his best friend and seeing her naked, well he didn't even what to think about it. Everyone else had blank stares on their faces. He couldn't read anyone's face to get anyone's reaction but then Lavender asked, "The winning team, as in not us?"
"Yes," Tom said, "I'm afraid that includes only me, Draco, Rob, Harry, and Blaise."
"I don't want to watch anyways," Ron said, "it's wrong."
"The girls aren't forced to do anything Ron, they do this every year," Tom said, "I've seen them develop in front of my own eyes." Tom said then smiled and the rest of the guys laughed. Maria went by him slapped him and walked away. Draco and Blaise and Rob said, "She got you good, man." Tom shook his head and smiled. He turned and stared at Maria with his head tilted to one side looking at what Harry assumed to be her butt, as he looked at her walking away and he turned to the guys and said, "She does that well doesn't she?" Rob shook his head and Draco smiled.
Lavender walked by him and said, "What about me? Don't I do that good?"
Tom smiled and said, "Oh Lavender you do that even better."
"Really?" You're not lying to me?" Lavender asked.
"I could never lie to a girl as pretty as you, that would just be wrong," Tom said kissing Lavender's hand.
"I bet," Lavender said smiling slightly.
"Oh come on now," Tom said, "I promise, come on how about we go on the beach and I'll show you how to have a good time."
Lavender smiled and nodded and grabbed Tom's hand. "All right," Tom said as he waived to the guys, "I'll see you boys later." Tom and Lavender left them and then a few minutes after Ron and Parvati left as well. Draco turned to Harry and said, "Ron doesn't waste anytime does he?" Blaise asked.
Harry nodded but the person he kept looking at was Hermione. He smiled at them and said, "Yeah guys, I'll be right back." He walked over by Hermione and said, "You want to take a walk with me?" Hermione nodded and Harry and Hermione left. When they were away from everyone Harry asked, "So you do this every year huh?"
Hermione looked at Harry and smiled, "Yeah kind of."
"Funny," Harry said, "I never took you as a wild girl."
"Why is there something wrong with being wild?" Hermione said lifting an eyebrow.
"No, none at all," Harry said immediately, "I just never took you as wild that's all."
"I'm not wild," Hermione said, "Harry you know me more that anyone else. You know I'm studious and academic, not wild and crazy, that's Maria, I just I don't know we've been together so long, I don't think I can ever let go of Tom, Rob, or Maria."
"I admire that," Harry said, "and I hope that you say the same things about me and Ron to Maria, Rob, and Tom."
"I do," Hermione said, "Trust me I do, you and Ron mean a lot to me."
"You mean a lot to me too Hermione," Harry said.
"Good, I'm glad," Hermione said.
"Are you okay?" Harry asked.
"What?" Hermione asked.
"You seem tense."
"No, I'm fine I'm just a little nervous about tonight."
"I thought you did this every year."
"I do but not in front of you or Draco or Blaise." She swallowed hard.
"I won't come if that's what you want."
"No it's okay, I just I don't know I think if you see me naked … well I don't know it'll be weird."
"Yeah, I know," Harry said.
"I'll get over it, I mean I wouldn't leave Maria alone, she's the best. And tom and Rob I know they seem like jerks but they are just having fun."
"So," Harry said, "Then you guys are just friends right?"
"Yeah," Hermione said, "I'm just friends with them."
"So you don't have any feelings for Rob or Tom do you?" Harry asked.
"No," Hermione said, "I don't."
"Did you ever?"
"Yes." Hermione said as she looked at the ground, "I had a crush on Tom. It was in fifth grade and it continued until a couple of years ago. The first time I got a crush on him it was when I he had taught me to ride a bike. And I was doing pretty well. Then I fell off and scraped my knee, He cleaned it off for me. Wrapped it up and then kissed my bandage on my knee and kissed me right on the nose. It was the nicest thing a boy had ever done for me," she said she pointed to her knee and Harry saw the scar. "That's the scar right there. I thought my love for him would last forever just like my scar."
"But it didn't," Harry said.
"No."
"Why not? What happened?"
"I fell in love with someone else; I met another boy, that didn't have to care for my knee for me to love him. He just had to be there."
"Who is this boy? Victor Krum?"
"Yeah, Victor Krum," Hermione said sarcastically.
"Then who? Who is it Hermione?"
Hermione looked at him for a moment debating with herself whether she should or shouldn't tell him and finally decided. It was summer and it she had a pact to complete so; she took a breath and thought that she should go ahead with it. She looked in his green eyes and said, "It's … Ron."
She shook her head, she couldn't do it, she couldn't tell him, and then she saw the expression on his face, and wondered. What that expression was, she couldn't read his face. The looked at the ground and then he looked at her and finally with a very confused look on his face, then Harry said, "Ron? You like Ron?"
"No," Hermione said, "No I don't like Ron, I just can't tell you yet."
"So why did you say Ron?"
"Because I don't know he was the first person I thought of."
"Ron was the first person you thought of?"
"Yes."
"Not me who you were just talking to."
"What's your point Harry?"
"Nothing, just that you may have a crush on Ron."
"Shut up, I do not!"
"I know I know I'm just messing with you, trying to get the name out of you, that's all."
"Well you can't get it out of me."
"Okay," Harry said, "Then I won't tell you who I've got a crush on."
"Harry you must tell me."
"I'll tell you what the day you tell me is the day I'll tell you."
"Fine," Hermione said.
"So you didn't learn to ride a bike until fifth grade?" Harry teased.
"Shut up!" Hermione said and smacked his arm.
The two walked along the beach talking and laughing as Hermione enjoyed the time she was spending with Harry. She kept smiling and feeling so happy, there was something inside he that was telling her that the person that Harry had a crush on was none other that her. She couldn't help but smile at the idea. This would be the best summer ever; she and Harry would fall madly in love and live happily ever after. She knew that if Harry was putting this charade then it had to be her, so she just smiled and went on with this conversation, knowing that Harry Potter was in love with her.
Author's Note:
Okay so here is chapter nine, and I hope you all like it. Sorry about chapter eight, I don't know what I was thinking. I am so sorry I know that no one like chapter eight and trust me it wasn't supposed to be in the story, I was just hitting a dry spell so I am truly sorry about that chapter. I mean when I reread it I honestly hated it. However I did put it in there and seeing as how I am a big believer of fate I am going to continue the story with that chapter in there. So things are going to be a little different than I planned however you guys might still like it so I hope you keep on reading. And also I wanted to say that I know that the Maria and Tom stuff may be a little boring for you and I am sorry for that it's like Levin in Anna Karenina I guess however it is essential to the plot of the story so a warning right here and I am saying that there may be more Maria and Tom stuff, maybe not a lot but some no doubt, sorry if you think that it is boring but like I said it essential to the plot. Every character I put is in this story for a reason, so no character, even though they may have a minor part now, is unimportant. Trust me as things go more things get better and there will be bigger twists. So I hope you all enjoy this story and I hope that you all like it. So thank you so much to all who reviewed and I hope you keep reading and reviewing and as always constructive criticism is welcome.
Thank You So Much To:
Peachie1st: Thank you I'm glad you liked the chapter
Daniealredclifffan: Thank you for saying that you will still continue reading this story I know that last chapter was boring and I hope that this chapter was better and I hope that you liked it, and I hope you like where this story is going.
LaNaHwAnNa: Thank you for reviewing and I'm glad you like this story
Amarawo: Thank you so much and I'm glad you like this story
Artemis Goddess of the Night: I'm glad you like it
Russ: Okay Last chapter was not one of my masterpieces so I do apologize and I am truly sorry. And like I said this Tom and Maria stuff will come up again maybe not constantly but it will. But thanks again and please keep reading.
Hotskittles: Thank you so much for reviewing and I want to tell you that if you can guess who the main character of my story is yet then you must truly have a gift. I keep changing from which point of view the story is told from and sometimes have it as kind of an outside narration so I don't think that you can tell who the main character is. Obviously Hermione and Harry are more involved but it is not just simply about them, it is about everyone. It is just like the real world it does not simply involve one person but many. So I'm sorry if you do not like it but it is not going to be simply about Hermione, Draco, and/or Harry. You will just simply have to wait and see.
Shinki: Thank you for reviewing.