Disclaimer: Ah, if only I could be so brilliant. I'd be a lot richer right now, that's for sure. Thanks J.K.

Summer '96

Chapter 7

"Ron Bilius Weasley, give me the remote!" shouted Ginny at her older brother from the couch of their hotel room.

After eating lunch that day at a small café in town, the group had gone out shopping once more, often buying things just for the sake of spending money. They had then taken a gondola ride to the top of the mountain, during which Harry wished repeatedly that he had his Firebolt with him so he could soar above the towering pine trees. When they arrived again at the base of the mountain, Hermione seemed to let out a sigh of relief, and they all returned to the hotel where Ron and Ginny would bicker for the next two hours over what to watch on TV.

"If I hand it to you, you'll just change it to some bloody awful show like, what was it? Oh yeah, Friends,"said Ron, carefully making sure that the remote was well out of Ginny's reach. "I don't care how many times Ross and Rachel have broken up, Ginny, I just want to watch a movie!"

"Why don't we just do something else?" suggested Hermione somewhat wearily, before Ginny got the chance to start shouting again.

"Like what?" asked a frustrated Ginny, as she gave up on Ron and reached instead for a slice of the pizza they'd ordered half an hour ago.

"We could play a game," said Ron.

"What game?" Harry asked curiously. He was eager to do something besides listen to the ongoing row between the two siblings.

"It's called Truth or Dare."

"Oh God, Ron," groaned Hermione. "One day in the muggle world and you've already picked up garbage like that?"

"This isn't like that stupid muggle game, Hermione," stated Ron indignantly. "It's an invention of Fred and George's."

"Oh, that's better," Hermione muttered. Ron chose to ignore her and instead launched into an explanation.

"It works like this," he said. "We all take turns asking each other, 'Truth or dare?' just like the muggle version, only, depending on the person's answer, there is a certain tablet to take that insures that the truth or dare in indeed carried out. No lying, no chickening out. It's much more efficient than the muggle way."

"How do they insure that the truth or dare is carried out?" asked Hermione suspiciously.

"Well, the two types of tablets are formed from different potions that basically cause you to do or say what you're told. I think there must be some type of Veritaserum in the truth tablets, and the dare tablets contain a concentration of, well, of the Imperious Curse."

"The Imperious Curse!" exclaimed Hermione. "That's illegal, Ron!"

"It's a very low concentration," Ron explained hurriedly. "And anyway, you have to actually state that you're playing the game, or the tablets won't affect you, so no one could slip one in your drink, or something, and tell you what to do. Also, there are limitations caused by the other ingredients in the tablets, that make sure you don't do harm to anyone, and that you don't do anything illegal, like rob a bank."

"What about the truth tablets?" asked Harry. "How do they…?"

"They cause you to reveal the one truth that is asked of you," said Ron, "then they wear off, just like the dare tablets will after the dare has been fulfilled."

"How, in the name of Merlin, did Fred and George only manage to scrape three O.W.L.s each?" said Ginny, sounding impressed.

"So, does that mean we're playing, then?" asked Ron uncertainly.

"I'm in," said Harry.

"Me too," Ginny added with a smile.

Ron turned to Hermione who had not responded. "It's perfectly safe, Hermione," he said. "I mean, Fred and George wouldn't have been able to sell them if they were illegal or dangerous."

Hermione looked up at the pleading expression on Ron's face. "Fine," she breathed, "I'm in too."

"Good," said Ron, grinning.

But as he went to get the tablets from his bag, Harry distinctly heard Hermione mutter softly, "I have a very bad feeling about this…."


When Ron returned a few seconds later, Hermione's uncertainty had far from vanished, but she seemed determined not to let it show. Harry was slightly apprehensive, but fairly excited as well; it beat just sitting there all day, at any rate.

"Okay," began Ron, "purple are truth, red are dare. The first thing we have to do is state clearly that we're all in the game."

They went around and, one by one, announced their participation, Hermione a little more reluctantly than the rest.

"Alright, who wants to ask first?" questioned Ron.

"Wait," said Hermione. "We are making some ground rules here, aren't we? I mean, nothing horrible or disgusting, right?"

"We're friends, Hermione," Ron sighed. "We're not going to make you do anything too bad. Just calm down."

"I'll go first!" said Ginny eagerly.

"Brilliant, who're you going to ask?" said Ron, grinning.

"Hmm …," Ginny mused thoughtfully. "I think I'll go with … Harry. Truth or dare?"

"Dare," he replied unflinchingly, not wanting to appear too frightened by picking the former.

Ginny grinned mischievously as she handed him a small red tablet. He popped it in his mouth and it immediately dissolved, not even leaving a trace of a taste.

"Okay," said Ginny, "I dare you, er, to … to jump in the pool, wearing only your underwear."

A curious sensation then came over Harry. It wasn't exactly like the Imperious Curse, because his head was quite clear of the weightless, thoughtless feeling that that created. He was able to fully register the embarrassment of the situation, what with Ron laughing hysterically beside him, and yet he still knew what he had to do, what he would do. He thought it out for a moment then got up and moved into his and Ron's room where he draped his invisibility cloak (which he'd brought, just in case) over himself after stripping down to his boxers. He then left the hotel room without a word as Ron, Ginny, and Hermione, all laughing, went out to the balcony to get a better view.

Harry met few people as he made his way through the hotel. The sun had gone down at least an hour ago, as well, so there would be no one present at the pool. The sauna was still open, however, and Harry was able to move through it to a door on the other side that opened out onto the pool area.

The heat of the day had long evaporated and a cool breeze now cut through the air, softly rippling the surface of the water. Goosebumps crept over Harry's arms and legs as he neared the edge of the pool's deep end and looked above him to see his three friends crowded onto the small balcony. He let the invisibility cloak fall to the ground in a silvery mass and then, with one, deep, reluctant breath, he dove into the water.

An intense cold encompassed him like a blanket and penetrated his skin with fury. It felt as though he were in the grasp of a dementor … something he would rather not experience at any moment in his life. As his head hit the surface once more, the full reality of what he'd just done came crashing down upon him, and he swam quickly to the water's edge. Shivering madly, he pulled himself up and out of the pool, covered himself again with the invisibility cloak, and ran, flat out, back through the hotel.

"Ginny Weasley, I'm going to curse you into oblivion!" Harry shouted as he re-entered Room 27, five minutes later.

"Hey," Ginny replied defensively while Harry went to dry off and get dressed, "you wanted to play the game…."

"Yeah," said Harry as he emerged from his room at last, "but come on! That was horrible!"

"It was actually pretty brilliant, mate," said Ron, still laughing. "Especially when the maintenance guy came out as you were leaving and almost died of shock as your footprints appeared out of nowhere on the pavement."

Hermione looked as though she highly disapproved of this last comment, but she didn't say anything as Harry sat down in front of the couch and smiled in spite of himself.

"Can we just get on with the game now?" sighed Harry.

"Sure," said Ron, "who wants to go next?"

"I'll go," offered Hermione. "Er … Ron. Truth or dare?"

"I think I'll go with truth," Ron smiled. "If you're anything like my sister, that is." He took one of the purple tablets and popped it in his mouth.

"Alright. Why did you really buy that sweatshirt today?"

Harry thought this was a rather odd question to ask. Why waste a perfectly good chance to embarrass her friend by asking such a simple question like that? But then, as he saw her crestfallen expression as Ron stated his desire to prove his participation in the vacation, a thought suddenly struck him.

"Erm …," said Harry, "I think I'll take my turn now."

He turned to Hermione who looked back at him warily. "Truth or dare?" he asked.

She reached for a purple tablet and placed it in her mouth, just as he'd hoped she would.

"Who do you like? As more than just a friend, that is?" Harry asked tentatively.

"Ron," she stated simply. Then, as realization hit her, she clapped a hand to her mouth and gazed around at Ron Weasley who appeared utterly surprised, and yet pleasantly so.

"Oh, God," muttered Hermione, apparently horrified. With an angry glare at Harry, she whispered venomously, "How could you?"

"Er, n-no, Hermione," began Ron, and Hermione's gaze turned back to him. "It's alright." He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "See, the thing is, I've sort of always liked you."

"What?" Hermione asked.

"Uh, yeah," he said, his ears turning redder by the second as he glanced at Harry and Ginny who were both smiling at them. "I mean, sure, you can be pretty annoying sometimes, but, er, that's kind of one of the reasons why I like you. Not to mention that you're, well, you're an amazing person who is kind, smart, and who has a wonderful knack for being logical and completely insane at the same time…."

Hermione smiled at him and he cleared his throat gruffly. "Um, but we can probably talk about it later," he said.

She nodded in silent agreement, but Ginny interrupted sweetly, "Oh, don't stop on our account. We don't mind, do we Harry?"

"Of course not," said Harry, laughing slightly.

"Oh, shut up you two," muttered Ron.

"Whatever, it's your turn anyway, lover boy," said Ginny teasingly.

"Fine," Ron sighed. Harry watched as his hand moved up slightly to touch Hermione's for a brief moment before he spoke again. "Harry, truth or dare?"

"What?" Harry yelped. "Come off it, Ginny hasn't even had to go yet."

"I know, I know," said Ron hurriedly, "but I … well, you don't mind, do you Ginny?

"Not at all," said Ginny, giggling at Harry's indignation. "I'm finding watching to be extremely entertaining anyway."

"Fine, truth," Harry muttered, thinking that he at least wouldn't have to jump in the pool again. He took one of the purple tablets, which, once more, dissolved tastelessly in his mouth, and he braced himself for Ron's question.

"What have you been keeping from us since the end of last term?" asked Ron quietly.

Ginny and Hermione glanced at him questioningly as Harry's mind filled with abject horror. He wanted to scream at Ron, to ask him who the hell he thought he was, springing this on him, but all that came spewing from his mouth were the contents of the prophecy in their entirety.

A stunned silence followed his explanation, and as the tablet wore off, he shot a look of purest disgust at his best friend. He got up and began pacing back and forth through the living room.

"Why did you do that?" he said in a tone of forced calm as he finally turned to face Ron.

"Why'd I do it?" Ron repeated dully. "I did it because there was obviously something going on with you, something other than Sirius's death, that you weren't talking about."

"You ever try asking?" said Harry furiously.

"Would you have told me if I did? I mean, you evidently didn't trust any of us enough to tell us before." Ron said, now beginning to match Harry's anger.

"It had nothing to do with trust!" spat Harry. "Although I'm feeling a considerable lack of it at the moment."

"Why d-didn't you tell us, Harry?" asked Hermione, her eyes now overly bright.

Harry turned to her, his expression softening a little. "I don't know, Hermione," he said. "It was just so much to take in and I needed to find some way of dealing with it on my own first."

"We're supposed to be your friends!" Ron burst out angrily. "You should be able to talk to us so we can help you cope!"

"And how would you help me, Ron?" Harry asked. "What could you possibly do – pat my shoulder and offer words of comfort on how murder's really not such a bad way to start my life? Or maybe you'd give me the famed look of pity that makes me feel worse about everything than I already do? No, Ron, I had to figure it out on my own."

"If you'd just explained … I would've understood."

"No you wouldn't have," said Harry. "You're a great friend, Ron, and you've always tried to be there for me, but there are just some things in my life that you can't help with, and that you can't understand. I have always been singled out for something that I don't even remember doing … for something that I never chose to do. You don't get how lonely it is. I mean, you guys are always there, but in the end, I have to face the evil alone."

Ron floundered for a moment, seemingly at a loss for words, then, "But-but you still lied to us. You said the prophecy was broken-."

"Neville said the prophecy was broken. I just didn't bother to correct him," said Harry, surprised at this feeble attempt to pin something on him.

"Oh, real rich, Harry," sneered Ron.

"Just shut up Ron!" shouted Ginny, who had, up till that moment, remained silent.

"What?" asked Ron, glaring at his little sister.

"You heard me," she said, getting to her feet. "I can see where you'd be upset about Harry not telling you the truth but, my God, look at what you just did! We've all known that something's been going on, but at least Hermione and I understood enough not to go pestering him about it. You, however, you went behind his back, and behind our backs. Some game, Ron."

With out another word, she left the room, looking disgusted. Hermione followed soon after, determinedly not looking at either of them.

Harry and Ron stood in silence for a moment, and then Harry, too, turned and left, leaving Ron, speechless and alone.