Chapter 10: The Game's Afoot
The Order meeting was not very long. Arthur talked about the Ministry strategy to handle any upcoming attacks and Dumbledore told them there was evidence that the Royal Family was alive and well and had produced an heir, a new princess who will have the power her grandmother possesses. That news was met with shock from quite a few of the assembled. "That means there is a young princess out there... she could be one of the students!" McGonagall exclaimed.
"Whoever she is, she would be less than 19 years old since the princess was not with child when they went into hiding," Frank Longbottom told them. "Since they are under the fidelius charm the girl most likely doesn't even know she's a princess."
"She probably has no idea she is even a pureblood," Severus spoke up, trying to push down the fact that the prince had a daughter. He knew if his mother was still alive he would be betrothed to the girl. He loved his mother but was glad she was unable to marry him off to someone more than 20 years his junior. "Most people who undergo the charm choose to live as muggles so they can live some sort of normal life. She most likely thinks she's muggleborn or they might not have even told her she's a witch."
"I am certain the girl knows she is a witch, the evidence that was presented that she is skilled and powerful. I cannot disclose where the info came from, but it was a trusted source." Albus told them all, "I believe she is most likely already of school age."
"She could be one of the students then," Remus said with wide eyes.
"She could be one of us," Luna said speaking up in a meeting for the first time. "I mean if she is powerful and raised like her father she would be a crusader or at least want to help out. She could be an order member or a member of DA at the least if she is still in school."
The boys all stared in shock at her as they processed the fact that one of their friends could be the future queen and not even know it. "What were her parents like, maybe we can put together a profile on what she would be like to narrow down the search." Hermione suggested.
"Why do we even need to search for her?" Ron asked them all. "I'm as excited as anyone else that the royal family is still alive but with the charm in place we will never know for certain who they are unless their secret keeper divulges that information. Why not just let things progress as they will?"
'We need to keep her safe," Ginny told her brother. "If she is killed in the coming battles or targeted for being an exceptional muggle born, we could loose our future queen before we even knew her. If we have an idea of what to look for we can focus the protection on those that match the profile or at least try and win her to our side so she knows the dangers."
"I agree with Miss Weasley," Albus said with a smile. "It cannot hurt to profile the girl; the worst that can happen is we waste some time and the most is protect someone who is unaware of needing protection."
"What do we know about the prince and princess? What were they like when they were younger? Personality traits, knowledge, that kind of thing. Looks are irrelevant, they probably charmed her appearance." Hermione said pulling out a pad of paper and muggle pen to take notes to develop the profile. She liked profiling; she had read several muggle and magical books on the subject since she found it so fascinating.
"The prince possessed quite a few of the typical Gryffindor traits even though he was home schooled. He was brave to the point of recklessness in his younger years and was very proud and stubborn." Mrs. Longbottom spoke quietly from the side of the room. It was painful to talk about those she had lost but she respected what the order was trying to do. "He was also extremely talented, powerful and a very quick thinker. He had immense talent in charms and a knack for potions as well. He learned everything quickly and had no problems with practical applications. He was very outgoing and had a bleeding heart where he wants to help anyone in need." She looked to Frank for confirmation of what she had said.
"That sounds about right," Frank told them. "The few times I hung out with him he was very friendly and had a good but sarcastic sense of humor. He was also very amused with muggle sciences. If he went into the muggle world I would guess he went for schooling in either science or medicine."
"What about his wife, what was she like?" Hermione asked after she finished writing everything in her notebook.
"She was the epitome of a Ravenclaw," Mrs. Longbottom said. "She loved to learn and had a hunger for books. She was the most intelligent person I have ever met. She had excellent memory skills and could recite verbatim entire chapters or paragraphs from texts when asked a question."
"Sounds like Hermione," Ron said and the others sniggered. Hermione shot them a mock glare and they got back to the profile.
"She had a razor sharp tongue and could put any man in their place. She didn't accept laziness or procrastination. She was a perfectionist in every way yet she was gentile and caring as well. She would befriend anyone and bend over backwards to help a friend but heads would roll if she felts someone was being mistreated or unnecessarily cruel. Did you know she actually forbid any house elf in her employ to punish themselves without permission from her. She was very good at getting her way through a number of means. If she couldn't get her way by normal methods she could finagle her way using her exceptional cunning. Her specialty was transfiguration but she was a wiz at arithmacy and spell creation as well." Mrs. Longbottom finished.
"She was amused by muggle things as well. She liked to analyze muggle technology to see how they got it to work. She would have most likely become an engineer or gone into medicine. Both of them liked to learn and were amazingly gifted, they really were perfect for each other." Frank told them, "They may have had an arranged marriage and been betrothed since they were 10, but they loved each other. I think one of the main reasons they went into hiding was to protect each other."
"Do you think they would let their daughter go to school or do you think they arranged for home schooling? You knew them well Alexandria; your opinions are the most helpful." Arthur said to Mrs. Longbottom.
"If they allowed her to go to school, she would go to Hogwarts. The royal family has always home schooled yet every one of them has wished to go to Hogwarts. I can't image them not letting her go. It wouldn't be a giveaway of who they are since there are plenty of muggle born students." She told them.
"So what traits are we looking for Hermione?" Harry asked his friend.
"Someone extremely smart and talented, most likely top of their class and as it sounds she would be top in everything especially transfiguration, potions and charms. We're looking for someone who is a perfect blend of Gryffindor and Ravenclaw traits who is not afraid to use some Slytherin tactics to get her way and has a heart big enough to make any Hufflepuff proud. The problem that I see is that she wouldn't fit the mold for any of the Hogwarts houses so she could have been placed anywhere." Hermione told them with a shrug. We should check the school records for exceptional muggle borns. We should also look for talented ones even if their scores are not exceptional since she may not have inherited her mother's love for books, even though I hope she did. We could use a queen who is well read!" They all chuckled at the bookworm as she said this.
"I wish to speak with the teachers and Arthur, the rest of you may go," Albus said and the young ones rushed off to get ready for game night.
"I cannot think of any students that match that description, most all of our muggle borns seem to fit perfectly well into their houses. I would think she would stick out like a sore thumb," Flitwick said.
"We have many talented muggle born witches but only a handful of exceptional ones. If we focus our attention on the ones that I consider exceptional we may be able to narrow the search," Minerva said.
"Minerva is correct; we need to keep a close watch on our talented muggle born witches this school year. There are at least 5 new muggle born witches entering this year and we have a few in each of the returning years as well. We should also think of anyone who has graduated in the last 3 years and keep them in mind as well." He ended the meeting with that as he already had an idea who the princess might be and was twinkling like mad.
"You know who it is don't you?" Minerva asked once the room cleared out, "Or you at least have a good idea."
"Yes, there is only one muggle born that I know that has all the characteristics that were mentioned. I am not going to say anything as I think she is being well looked after." Albus said with his eyes still sparkling.
"There is something that you are not telling us," Minerva commented, "I can see that twinkle in your eyes, what has you so happy?"
"Nothing my dear," Albus said while thinking to himself that if he was right it would be interesting to watch her interaction with Severus. He wondered if the two would wed because they were forced or if they ended up falling for each other. Yes, if would most likely prove to be an interesting year ahead.
"Do we have to play the game?" Gabrielle whined, knowing they were all set on it and she had no way to escape.
"Yes, and you are going to enjoy it!" Ginny said with a mock stern voice. "Besides it's going to be much more fun this time since we get to play with the guys. Come on lets get down to the kitchen, I think the rest have already left so it's safe to start. I'm glad mum decided to go home!"
They made their way into the kitchen to see the large table almost full of people. They had 17 people in all who had decided to play. There were all the Weasley boys minus Percy the prat, Fleur, Gabrielle, Remus and Tonks, Harry, Hermione, Draco, Neville, Luna, Severus and even Kingsley Shacklebolt decided to stay for the fun. Dobby and Winky had the table full of snacks and beverages and the door magically locked once the girls entered the room so that no one could interrupt.
Tonks pulled out the modified ball from her shower and placed it on the table with a big smile. Between her and Gabrielle they explained the rules to anyone who had not played before. "Remember that if you absolutely refuse to answer a question you can take the consequence dare that will be specific to you and you will not be able to get out of." Tonks said with a grin, she enjoyed the game a little bit too much. "And the ball knows if you're lying so don't even bother. Let's start out! Kingsley, since you're new to our little group, you get to start. Just pick up the ball and it will show you the question or dare."
Kingsley picked up the ball and looked inside hoping for something tame since it was the first turn and all. He sniggered as he read the question out loud, "Guys: Boxers or Briefs, Gals: Panties or Thong? Well, I would have to say I am a brief kind of guy." He told them and looked to Draco who was sitting next to him who answered boxers. No one was really surprised that Hermione was a panties girl. Ron wears briefs and Harry boxers. Ginny panties, Bill boxers, Fleur and Gabrielle both wear thongs. Fred and George both wear boxers and Luna wears panties. Neville and Charlie wear briefs and Severus and Remus both wear boxers. Tonks was last and smiled while saying she wore panties most of the time and thongs for special occasions, making Remus blush.
Draco picked up the ball hoping that somehow tonight he could convince Gabrielle to give them a second chance, which was why he was both nervous and happy about his question; at least she would know his feelings. "Have you ever been in love and if yes, how many times and with who?" He smiled and looked down the table to her before answering, "Yes, I have been and still am in love and it's only ever been and will ever be Gabrielle." He said looking her right in the eye and hoping she felt the same. Gabrielle gasped and the others all smiled at each other. If the questions continued like that the two would be back together in no time.
Hermione said that she had never been in love and felt bad when she saw Ron's head hang before he answered that he had been in love with her and that he was now in love with Susan. She was glad he had moved on but felt bad she had broken his heart. Harry and Ginny both were in love only with each other and the same was true for Bill and Fleur. Gabrielle was still in shock from Draco's proclamation that he loved her. The whole reason she ended things was because he would never love her, yet he did, the ball wouldn't let him lie. "I love Draco," she said quietly and looked up through her lashes to see his reaction.
Draco had never needed to hear an answer as much as he needed to hear that she loved him. He was not an overly emotional person, but he had to hold back the small sob that rose up as the relief swept through him that she loved him as well. The girl who swore that she would never fall in love, had fallen in love with him and it made him the happiest man in the world. He felt Hermione squeeze his hand under the table and give him a radiant smile and realized that his friends had set up the game to get him and Gabrielle back together. He would be eternally grateful if it worked.
Fred, George, Luna, Neville and Charlie had never been in love. Severus sent a small nod in Harry's direction before saying that he had been in love with Lily Evans when he was in school. Remus was not surprised by this information and both he and Tonks said they had only ever been in love with each other and Kingsley said no.
Hermione's turn was next and her dare was to teach everyone the chicken dance and they all had to participate. They were all laughing by the end, even Snape. "I will never underestimate muggles and their ability to do completely insane things and have everyone accept them," Kingsley said as they all sat down still laughing.
Ron was next and was hoping for something fun like Hermione's had been and was blown away by the dare, he read out, "Kiss the most unlikely person you would kiss who is in this room." They all looked around the room at each other wondering who they should kiss. "This should be interesting," he said with a slight smile.
"Not very likely," Snape said and they all turned to look at his smirk. "You are all overly predictable; I bet I can guess who each one of you are going to kiss."
"Want to make a wager on that?" Remus asked his overly confident friend.
"Sure, how about I make a potion of their choice for anyone I get wrong and if I'm right I get to redecorate the dining room in Slytherin colors for the rest of the summer," he suggested, he so hated the red and gold color scheme in the dining room.
"I'll go for that," Harry said and the two shook hands. Hermione gave Severus her notebook and pen so he could write down his selections so there would be no accusations of cheating. Once he was done he folded the paper tightly and set it in the middle of the table so they could begin.
Ron was first and he chose to kiss Gabrielle, not only was it unexpected but it would irritate Malfoy and he so enjoyed doing that. Harry was next and kissed Tonks and kissed Tonks thinking Snape would never guess he's smooch his new mum. Ginny was next and decided that she should kiss Draco since she figured Snape would think she wouldn't want to encourage him since he had liked her at one point. Bill smirked before planting a big wet kiss on Hermione who rolled her eyes and wiped off her mouth before laughing along with the rest of them. Fleur grinned evilly at her little sister before planting a kiss on Draco, she knew her sister would be jealous. Gabrielle, not one to be outdone by her sister plopped down in Harry's lap and gave him a big kiss. Ginny was pleased to see that Harry didn't show any reaction to having a Veela attached to him; it just proved how much he loved her.
Everyone was wary when they saw the mischievous look on Fred's face and they all burst out laughing at the look on Ron's face after Fred kissed him. George, being of the evil twin variety, decided to up the anti and kissed Fred, making everyone wince. Neville was not about to kiss a boy, one of his teachers or one of his friends girls so the only one left was Fleur. Charlie shrugged and kissed Luna. Severus smirked, "How about I get to decorate another room if no one can guess who I'm going to kiss?" Harry agreed and they all wrote a name down and put them in the center of the table. They all groaned in protest as he quickly leaned over and kissed Remus, who shuddered and then pouted when he realized no one had anticipated Snape kissing him and they had lost part of the bet. Remus then decided he was going to shock everyone and kissed Harry, come on who would guess he'd actually kiss his son! Tonks just shook her head, grinned and kissed Ginny, which all the guys actually found entertaining. Kingsley kissed Fleur and then so did Draco which he could tell made Gabrielle jealous.
Severus smirked at Hermione with a look of victory on his face and everyone realized that he must have guessed correctly so far and she was the last one to go. Hermione knew it was up to her to stump him or suffer their dining room to the fate of Slytherin colors, not that she really minded, and she so hated to loose a bet. She slowly looked around the table and smiled seductively at Charlie. She then walked around to his side of the table and proceeded to run her hands over his shoulder then sat on his lap. She leaned in and whispered in his ear, "He has no idea what's about to hit him, sorry to leave you like this." Everyone was expecting her to kiss Charlie as soon as she pulled away but instead she turned and caught Severus off guard and placed a very nice kiss right on his lips. She pulled back and smiled seductively, "Didn't see that one coming did you Severus?"
Harry hurriedly reached forward and grabbed the paper with Snape's selection. Every one was right except for Hermione who he had down as going to kiss Charlie! "Didn't think she was Gryffindor enough to kiss a professor huh?" Harry asked with a big grin, "I can't wait to request my potion."
Snape was too shocked by the turn of events to even scowl at Potter for teasing him. He couldn't believe Hermione had just kissed him, and it wasn't even a super quick peck like most of the others. She hadn't even seemed repulsed at the idea of what she had just done. He couldn't ever remember having been kissed by a woman before. He had kissed a few women, but that was just because it was necessary to get them into bed, yet he had never really been kissed as he had always initiated the contact.
Harry was still smirking when he picked up the ball for his turn. "Describe in detail your perfect mate." He smiled and thought about his answer. "Well for me that is easy, there are two words that completely describe my perfect mate, Ginny Weasley." The black ball seemed to agree with Harry so he passed it on to Ginny who was looking at him with intense passion in her eyes from his statement.
Ginny smiled, "My perfect mate is powerful and heroic. He is shy and confidant at the same time. He makes me laugh and his kisses make my toes curl. His emerald eyes can burn straight to my soul and his smile can leave me in a puddle on the floor. He is smart, strong and will save us all." Harry grinned at her nice words before claiming her mouth in a searing kiss, much to the displeasure of her brothers in the room.
Bill was still wondering about how developed Harry and Ginny's relationship was when he described his perfect mate as caring, independent, intelligent, funny and family oriented. Fleur said her perfect mate could love her for herself, would be funny, intelligent and handsome. Gabrielle said her perfect mate would keep her entertained, he would be quick witted, honorable and intelligent. He could make her smile and laugh as well as not be intimidated by her knowledge or the fact that she is part Veela. The most important thing is that he would love me unconditionally and I could place all my trust in him. He needs to be honest and caring when we are along and strong and confident when we are not.
Fred said his perfect woman would laugh at all his jokes but keep him from going too far with them; she would be funny and caring and would love his family. George repeated the sentiments. Luna said she only cares that her mate is loyal and loving, the rest was inconsequential. Neville said his perfect mate could see past his shortcomings and love him in spite of them. Charlie said his perfect mate had to like Quidditch and not be afraid of dragons and other magical creatures. She would be funny and caring and a great cook and mother when the time came.
Severus had been thinking on what he wanted in a mate, he had never given it much though since he believed he was destined to be alone for life. "My perfect mate would be the most intelligent witch I've ever met, she would be able to challenge me intellectually and put up with my razor sharp tongue. She would be caring and tender in private but respect my loathing for public displays of affection. She would be powerful and strong willed. She would be able to love me in spite of the awful things I have done in my past. She would fit in my arms like she was meant to be there and we could spend hours together just reading by the fire or discussing the newest magical theories." He knew that was what he wanted, but also knew the possibilities were beyond slim.
Remus smiled and told them all he had his perfect mate in Tonks and she said the same. Kingsley said he wants a strong woman who was a good cook and was willing to have lots of kids. Draco told them that his perfect mate was intelligent and caring. She was funny, strong and wise. She was the most beautiful person he had ever seen and when she wasn't near him his heart ached for her. She was the only woman he would or could ever love and he would never be complete without her. Gabrielle was crying by this point and Fleur was glaring at Draco for hurting her sister. "She is so special," Draco continued, "I just hope she forgives me and lets me back into her life. I'm not sure what I did to make her leave me, but I will spend the rest of my life trying to make it up to her if she gives me the chance. I know she's young and so am I, but I can't imagine ever being apart from her."
Hermione smiled to herself as she thought of her description of her perfect mate, her idea had not changed at all since the last time she was asked. "My perfect mate would be tall with dark eyes and long dark hair I could run my fingers through. He would be incredibly intelligent and we would be able to discuss all my theories and literature. He would be somewhat athletic but not obsessed with Quidditch. He would have the ability to calm and sooth me with his deep voice and wouldn't care if I was never ready to have a family. He would support me in any career path I choose and have a sense of humor. He would be strong and brave able to make me feel safe and protected. I have actually been dreaming of him since I was 9, but I don't think he exists" Hermione finished.
Ron repeated his description from the last game as well, "My dream girl would have blonde or red hair and a smiling face. She would like playing chess with me and we would talk about Quidditch. She would want to stay at home with a large family and would be a great cook. She would be friendly and funny yet able to keep things calm and orderly."
"Well that explains why you two never worked out well together, your perfect mates are almost opposite of what the other one needs," Tonks said with a smile.
Ginny grinned as the ball gave her the next question, "Who is the sexiest person in the room?" She grinned before answering Harry. Bill and Fleur answered each other, Gabrielle refused to look up as she said Draco. Fred and George for once did not agree. Fred said Fleur while George said Hermione, making her look up and stare at him in shock. Hermione was beautiful and sexy in a very understated way, she rarely showed off that side of her and in fact she didn't even realize there was that part of her, but there were quite a few people who had noticed.
Luna said Harry and then Hermione was shocked again as first Neville and then Charlie and finally Severus all said she was the sexiest person in the room. They all smiled (or smirked in Snape's case) at her look of incredulity. Remus and Tonks answered each other; Kingsley said Fleur and Draco said Gabrielle. Hermione gulped and held the ball in her hand knowing there was no way around answering the question; she finally answered "Severus" very quietly earning quite a few strange looks from around the table and leaving one very gob smacked Potions Master gaping like a fish. Ron quickly answered Fleur and Harry and Ginny answered each other.
Ron leaned over and whispered in her ear, "What is going on? You just said you thought Snape was sexy?" Unfortunately when Weasley's get riled up there voices carry and she could tell the entire table had heard the question and were waiting for her answer.
"Did you not pay attention to the physical description of my perfect mate?" She asked him calmly. "Severus is also tall with dark eyes and long dark hair. That's the kind of man I find most attractive and he is the only one in the room that fits the description."
"Good, for a second there I thought you fancied him," Ron said with a shudder.
"I don't know why it's any of your business but I'd be more likely to fancy him than a lot of others. You shouldn't put him down just because he isn't what you think the definition of attractive is. I happen to know quite a few girls who think red hair is unattractive yet I don't look at your or your brothers funny if someone thinks they are cute." Hermione said in a scolding tone while the rest of the room tried not to laugh. Hermione always stuck up for people and Ron always seemed to put his foot in his mouth.
Bill picked up the ball, "Come on ball we need a good dare," he told it and almost dropped it when he read the dare. "I should have know better than to taunt it," he groaned then read, "Snog two different people in the room and then declare one of them the winner by judging them on their kissing skills." The room as a whole groaned and then started to laugh. "At least we'll be able to know who stinks at snogging. My bet is that Ron doesn't get chosen for his skills and that either Luna or Hermione are the best since it's always the quiet ones with the hidden skills." Bill then walked around the table and proceeded to kiss Hermione and then went back and snogged the heck out of Fleur who looked like she was ready to kill when he had kissed Hermione. "I'm sorry Hermione but I'd have to give that round to Fleur."
Fleur looked coolly at Bill then got up and went over and kissed his twin brothers, just to make him mad. She smirked at the looks of contentment on their faces before declaring Fred the winner. Gabrielle was next and smirked at Draco before kissing Neville first and then Ron, surprisingly choosing Neville as the winner even though he looked overly nervous when they had kissed. Fred kissed Hermione and Fleur declaring Fleur the winner, George also kissed the two and grinned as he said Hermione was the winner. Luna kissed Neville and then Ron and said Neville won, making Ron turn red again. Neville was nervous so he kissed Luna and then Hermione. He smiled at Luna and said she won but the black ball started bouncing and vibrating so they knew he was lying to his "girlfriend" and that he had liked Hermione's kiss better. Charlie was next and decided he really wanted to know what he was missing and kissed Hermione, it was great, he then kissed Tonks very quickly and declared Hermione the winner.
"Well it seams that Miss Granger is in the lead," Snape smirked and as much as he wanted to he refused to kiss her, instead choosing Tonks and Fleur who were not his students. He declared Tonks the winner. Remus was next and also kissed Tonks and Fleur so he wouldn't have to kiss one of his students, and declared his wife the winner. Tonks grinned at her husband and kissed Kingsley and then Remus and declared Remus the winner. Kingsley stuck to the two older gals as well and said that Fleur had won. Draco was next and he smiled before kissing Hermione and then kissing Gabrielle, their kiss was heated and it was easy to tell they wanted to continue it so it was not surprising that he said she had won.
Hermione was next and wondered who she should kiss. She didn't want to kiss Draco or Ron or Harry or even Neville, it was bad enough she had been kissed by every Weasley so far. She decided to make people squirm and she carefully wandered around the table and sat back down in Charlie's lap before snogging him for few seconds she then moved on to her right and settled herself in Snape's lap. "You may be too scared to kiss a student but you forget that this summer you are just another order member and you need to relax." She told him before pressing herself into him and kissing him intensely. Shape had no idea how to react, he had a beautiful young woman in his lap kissing him and he couldn't/wouldn't do anything improper even if the kiss was the best he had ever had. "So would I have won?" Hermione smirked at him and grinned when all he could do was nod his head. "Sorry Charlie but Severus here is a very good kisser, not that you were bad," she said sending him a wink before walking back around the table.
"Hermione, when did you turn into such a minx?" Bill asked with a grin.
"Since I realized I could be," She replied with a saucy grin.
"We'll see about that," Ron said with a small growl before claiming her lips in a strong kiss and then moving on to kiss Luna and claiming Hermione as the winner.
Harry was next and he looked apologetically at Ginny, he didn't want to have to kiss anyone other than her. "Sorry," Harry whispered to her before quickly kissing Hermione and then moving to snog Ginny so that she would never question his loyalty and telling everyone that Ginny won, big surprise. Ginny smiled and then went over to kiss Remus quickly and then snogged Harry until the rest of the table threatened to dump cold water on them and she said Harry won.
They were all hoping for a break from dares when Fleur picked up the ball and read out, "Who is your best friend?" She smiled answered Bill. Gabrielle looked sadly down the table before answering Draco. Fred and George said they were each others, Luna said Hannah, Neville said Colin, Charlie said Bill, Severus said Albus, Remus and Tonks answered each other, Kinsgley answered Moody, Draco smiled at her as he answered Gabrielle. Hermione winked at the boys before answering Ginny, Ron and Harry answered each other, Ginny answered Hermione and Bill answered Charlie.
It was Gabrielle's turn and she willed the ball to form the question she needed answered before she could go back to trusting Draco, even if she believed he loved her. She was relieved to see the question and read out, "How many people have you had sex with?" She answered none, Fred and George both answered 3, Luna and Neville both said 0, Charlie said 1, Severus said 4, Remus and Tonks both said 1, Kingsley answered 4. Then it was the answer Gabrielle needed and she watched Draco carefully as he picked up the ball and looked straight into her eyes before answering none. Gabrielle let out the breath she didn't know she was holding and grinned at him and he realized he had just been forgiven. Hermione, Ron, Harry and Ginny all answered 0, Bill answered 2 and Fleur refused to look at anyone as she answered 5, knowing it was the highest number in the room.
Fred looked way too excited to take his turn and laughed as he read out, "Propose to someone in the room." He and George made a big production out of proposing to each other. Luna and Neville used each other so as to not have to be as embarrassed. Charlie swept over and proposed to Fleur, since he knew she would think it was funny and it would irritate Bill. Severus decided to shock everyone and went over and proposed to Harry, earning him applause from the rest of the group and causing Harry to almost fall off his chair he was laughing so hard. Remus, not to be outdone, proposed to Severus. Tonks and Kingsley proposed to each other.
Draco took a deep breath and went over to Gabrielle. "Gabrielle you are the most amazing person I have ever met. I know I said our relationship would never be one of love, but I was wrong. You have captured my heart and soul and I never want you to let go. You are the most important thing in the world to me and I would do anything to spend my life with you. I was going to ask you this later, but now is as good of a time as any." He pulled the ring box out of his robes and kneeled down on one knee in front of her. "Gabrielle, love and light of my life, will you do me the ultimate honor of becoming my wife?"
The girls were all crying, including Gabrielle, and the guys were all waiting and hoping that their friend would not be turned down. They had played the game tonight with the intention of getting the two back together so this was the most important moment of the night. Gabrielle was crying from happiness and shock. He had a ring already and had professed his undying love to her, how could she turn away the only man she would ever love? "Draco, I love you more than I ever thought possible, of course I will marry you." She told him and was amazed at the ring he slipped onto her finger. It was perfect, just like him. She threw her arms around him and they kissed and smiled when everyone cheered and the other girls crowded around to see her ring.
They finished up the round a few minutes later. Hermione smirked at Draco and proposed to Gabrielle begging her to reconsider and run away with her. The entire table was roaring with laughter and then laughed even harder when Ron proposed to Harry pretending that he was heartbroken that Harry would choose his baby sister over him. Harry proposed to Draco, claiming that the reason they had always fought was because of the built up sexual tension and reminded them that there was a thin line between love and hate. Ginny decided to propose to Hermione asking her what was so great about Gabrielle that she proposed to her instead? Both Bill and Fleur laughed and proposed to Charlie. Gabrielle was last and proposed. They were all laughing and the mood was considerably lighter after that.
George grinned evilly as he read, "Remove one article of clothing from another person in the room." They all laughed as he walked over and removed one of Charlie's shoes. Luna decided to help out the twins and took off Charlie's other shoe. Neville decided to play along and removed one of Charlie's socks, to much protesting from the red head who was being ganged up upon. Charlie surveyed the room carefully before grinning and asking George for his pants, leaving the twin in his boxers. Severus decided to help out in the 'Embarrass the Weasleys' campaign and ordered Fred to remove his pants under the guise that the twins needed to match. Remus decided it was fun to pick on the red heads and took Charlie's other sock. Tonks grinned before going over and helping Charlie remove his shirt. The girls were all pleasantly surprised by the ripped muscles over his chest and six pack. Kingsley asked Fred for a shoe and Draco asked for the other one.
Hermione was next and smirked, "Excuse me Severus, but there are quite a few of us that have wondered what you hide under those robes. So of with them," She told him with an evil grin as he grumbled and started on all of the tiny buttons that held his robes closed. He was wearing a tight pair of black trousers and a loose fitting white silk shirt that had the top three buttons undone so the top of his lean chest was visible. The girls in the room all gasped at the muscles they could see on his lithe frame.
"Who Hermione, you were definitely right one the mark with thinking Severus here is sexy," Tonks said and all the other girls agreed. "At least we know why he keeps covered up. It would be hard for a group of teenage girls to concentrate on potions if he was in the room looking like that." The men were all at a loss to describe the reactions of the women. They still did not understand the appeal of the dark and brooding man.
Snape thought they were having him on and glared at each of them. "I have to keep in shape for my spy duties as well as my robes have multiple pockets that can hold indefinite numbers of potion bottles."
Ron decided to get everyone's mind back on the torture of his brothers and took Fred's other shoe while Harry followed and took George's other one. Ginny grinned at her brothers and they knew they were in trouble. She took George's shirt and smiled as he was left in his socks and boxers! Bill was next and tried to decide which brother to humiliate. He decided on Fred and took his shirt stating that Snape was right and that twins needed to match. Fleur giggled and said she wanted to see just how muscled the potions master was and ordered his shirt off, and the girl were all disappointed to find that he had a 'wife beater' style undershirt on. Gabrielle smirked at the boys in their various states of undress. "Let's see if Charlie was telling the truth about wearing briefs, I want your pants," she told him with the trademark Slytherin smirk. They all laughed as Charlie grumbled and handed over his pants leaving him sitting in nothing but his underpants. Fred was the last to go and sent a smirk over to Charlie who could still loose one item of clothing.
"Don't even think about it Fred..." Charlie warned as he realized his brother was set out to finish his complete humiliation. The girls all realized what was going on and felt bad. Hermione was the first to flick her wand in Charlie's direction and suddenly he was wearing a pair of muggle jeans. Gabrielle was next and he was in a deep blue t-shirt. Tonks gave him a wink and he was wearing socks and Fleur finished by putting a new pair of shoes on him. The boys all looked like they had their favorite toy taken away but Fred gave in and settled for taking Charlie's shirt.
Luna's turn was next and she said in a dreamy voice, "When and who gave you the best kiss you have gotten from another. They had to be the one to initiate the kiss, not just kissing you back." She smiled and said Terry Boot last year when she had helped him study in the library. Neville looked sad at the news but said it was Luna when she kissed him after a DA meeting. Charlie said her name was Amiee and it was in his 7th year at Hogwarts. Severus did not want to answer and sat for a long time staring at his hands before sighing and mumbling that Hermione was the only woman to have ever kissed him. Hermione then felt bad for making him feel uncomfortable, she new he didn't like physical contact but never imagined he had never been kissed by a girl.
Remus and Tonks both said each other, Kingsley said his was when Madame Bones kissed him when Arthur won the election for minister, Draco said it was Gabrielle when she kissed him goodnight at his manor, Hermione smiled and said it was when Oliver kissed her goodbye in the common room after the Quidditch match. Ron said his was his first kiss from Susan (Hermione glared at him as he had told her it was an 'accident' and that it hadn't meant anything). Harry said his was when Ginny kissed him on his birthday and Ginny said hers was when Harry kissed her when they flooed to the Leaky Caldron. Bill and Fleur said theirs were each other and Gabrielle said her was when Draco kissed her in the Great Hall the time she blushed. Fred laughed and said his was Katie Bell in their 4th year and George said his was Lavender Brown in his last year.
The game went on for the remainder of the night with things like: What was the reason your last relationship ended, Turn the person next to you into the animal of your choice, Have you ever stolen from a teacher and if yes what was it and why did you need it (Snape's question), Name a part of another person in the room and use that name to refer to it the next time you see the person, Name at least 3 people you have had a crush on, and lots of others.