"..."

"..."

"Her-mi-oh-neeeee..."

"No."

"How do you know what I was going to ask?"

"I know, and the answer is 'no,' Draco."

"But why?"

"Because I don't want to play!"

"Ah--I thought it was because you don't trust me."

"Look, can't you just take 'no' as 'no'? I told you once, Draco, and this is the final time: No."

"...You didn't say that you didn't trust me."

"..."

"Hermione? Do you trust me?"

"Shh! Quiet! I'm thinking!"

"..."

"...I don't know if I trust you. In fact, I'm pretty sure that I don't trust you."

"'Pretty sure'?"

"I'm almost certain."

"'Almost certain'?"

"Look, I'm very close to positive."

"'Very close to--'"

"Stop repeating everything I say!"

"But you're not certain, is what you're saying."

"...No."

"Great!"

"What?!"

"See, Hermione, as long as there is the shadow of a doubt that you might trust me, then I have a chance! I emerge victorious from the field of battle once again!"

"...When have you ever emerged victorious from a field of battle?"

"It's a figure of speech."

"Well, still, as far as I know, you've never won anything, really, so--"

"Shut up, Granger."

"Hmmph. There must be something else we can do to occupy our time besides play Truth, I mean, obviously, it's not the only game in the world, right? I know! Let's make up a game!"

Groan.

"What? What's wrong with that?"

"'Welcome to pre-school! Today we're going to--'" Gasp. "'--make up a game! Won't that be fun, children? And afterward we can make little cardboard pictures of apples for our teachers with poster paint!' 'Ooh, miss, miss, can we show 'em to our mums?' 'Why, yes, Bobby, you can--'"

"There are no words to describe you, Malfoy."

"Sure there are: astounding, incredible, delectible--"

"Boorish, brainless, hopeless."

"Listen, all I'm really saying, Gra--Hermione, is that it's a bit childish to make up our own game."

"In my opinion, it's pretty childish to argue over such a silly game as Truth."

"Well, I think it's childish to refuse to play."

"And I think it's childish to continue pressing the point!"

"Take a leap of faith, Granger!"

"I don't want to!"

"You'd take it for anyone else! Take it for me!"

"Why?! Why do you want this so much, Malfoy?! Why is this so important to you?!"

"Because I want to find out more about you!"

"..."

"...Is that such a horrible thing, Granger?"

Spat. "You probably just want to find out more about me to tell to your friends."

"I don't!"

"..."

"How can I convince you that I really, really don't?!"

Angry. "Try."

"...When you were talking about...being a sorceress before...it made me want to hear more about you."

"To make fun of me?!"

"NO! I wanted to hear...more about you as a person."

"...So there is a human hiding underneath all that..."

Defensive. "Maybe I don't want to hear about you anymore."

"..."

"..."

"...Maybe I can take a leap of faith..."

Strained. "Don't do me any favors, Granger."

"...Do you want to go first, or shall I?"

"I don't want to play anymore."

"I'll go first. What are you thinking right now?"

"I don't want to play anymore."

"...Fine. How about if we start slow?"

"..."

"Okay...what's your favorite book?"

Incredulous. "My favorite book?"

"Yes. Your favorite book."

"...I don't have one."

Grin. "That's a lie. This game is called Truth, remember, Draco?"

"...Prdnprjudce."

Puzzled. "What was that?"

"Ahem. Ah, Pride and Prejudice."

"No."

Cough. "Well, yes."

"I don't believe it!"

"Truth, right?"

"Yeah, but--I mean, Draco Malfoy reading the most famous and well-written--chick-book of all time?!" Laugh.

"All right, now, Hermione, I'm--I'm ready to scrap this whole Truth project."

"No! No--haha! this is great!"

"Yes, well. It's my turn, now."

"...Why does this suddenly have an ominous feel?"

"Hmm...what shall I ask, what shall I ask. I'm not asking your favorite book, obviously, because you'd never be able to choose out of all the hundreds you've read..."

"I would so be able to choose! I like...um..."

"Heh. All right. Who do you want to kiss?"

"...That's downright silly, Draco."

"Yes, well. Introducing: the teenage years."

"I'm not answering it."

"Oh, come on, now, you have to. It's in the rules. Besides, I told you about my secret adoration for Pride and Prejudice."

"Yes, I was wondering about that, because, you see, I was under the impression that Jane Austen was a Muggle, and--"

"You're not worming out of it that easily, Hermione."

"But I--oh, gosh, yes, yes, fine, all right." Sigh. "Ernie Macmillan."

Amused. "No, really?"

"Yes, really."

"Is this a sort of--kiss-me-take-me-I'm-yours sort of desire, or a hot-'n'-sweaty sort of--"

"That's quite enough, thank you. And it's more of a shut-your-stupid-pompous-mouth kind of a kiss, really."

"I don't believe this."

"What?"

"Hermione Granger!--with the secret desire to kiss someone to shut him up!"

"Well, it's perfectly natural, isn't it? I'm sure everyone's secretly had a--"

"Not me."

"...N-no?"

"Whenever I want to shut someone up, I generally fantasize about jinxing them."

"I--um--well-um--"

"So Miss Granger has a darker side, after all."

"I do not have a darker side, thank you very much. And, besides, it's my turn to ask a question."

"Go ahead."

"Hmm, let me think of a good one...okay. Why do you like to pick on me so much?"

"Ohhh--now, no, Grang--oh, now that's just cruel."

"Just showing off my darker side."

"Thought you didn't have one."

"Answer the question, Draco."

"...Can I pass this one?"

"Nope."

"...It just takes too long to explain. Ask a different one?"

"I--"

"I promise I'll answer this one later."

"...I'm holding you to that."

"Okay. And I'll--"

"Don't. Give me your honor as a Malfoy."

*********

A/N: Sidefling to Beauty and the Beast with Hermione's "Boorish, brainless" line. Next chapter: more Truth. Yay! They're finally playing! Ask and ye shall receive, eh? Thank you once more, you lovely reviewers you! ::hugs all around::