Risking True Feelings

Thursday

Harry and Pansy met Ginny and Draco in front of the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy at a quarter till eight. Pansy immediately ran up to Draco and wrapped her arms around him. As Pansy attempted to shove her tongue down Draco's throat, Harry bent over and sweetly kissed Ginny.

Just then, Ron came down the hall, dragging Terry Boot behind him.

"Ugh, that's the last thing I wanted to see," Ron complained, referring to Harry and Ginny kissing.

He then turned to the wall, where Draco was now holding Pansy, her legs wrapped around his waist, as they continued to snog.

"I take that back," Ron said with disgust.

Ginny and Harry laughed. Terry, however, seemed to be studying Draco and Pansy, as if wondering how they were doing this. This made Ginny and Harry laugh even harder than before.

More students started arriving, so Ginny walked past the wall three times, thinking, 'We need a place to play games for our club.' Within seconds, the door appeared. The members and their guests quickly followed Ginny inside.

Ginny went down the list of students, and made sure every one had brought a guest, checking them off as they entered.

Parvati brought her sister, Padma from Ravenclaw. Lavender invited Susan Bones from Hufflepuff. Dean and Seamus bought Ernie Macmillan and Anthony Goldstein, a Ravenclaw and a Hufflepuff. Last, Colin brought Micheal Corner.

Ginny nearly fell over when Micheal showed up. Although she fancied Harry, Micheal had changed a great deal, and was quite handsome.

Ginny explained the rules to all of the guests and made them sign the enchanted parchment.

They decided to play Truth or Dare to get to know their knew members.

"Malfoy," Harry said with a grin. "Truth or Dare?"

Draco glared at him, untrustingly. "Dare, Potter," he hissed.

"Okay, I dare you to kiss Professor Trelawney at breakfast."

"In your dreams, Potter. I'm not kissing that overgrown bug!"

"This explains why you're not in Gryffindor," Harry mumbled.

"What do you mean by that?" Draco yelled.

"Nothing, do you want truth?"

"Yes," Draco answered angrily.

"Who do you fancy?"

"Pansy, of course," Draco answered, glancing at his girlfriend.

"You didn't let me finish," Harry told him. "Who do you fancy, in Gryffindor?"

"No one!" Draco denied.

"No, you're not getting off that easy. If you had to date someone, who would you date?"

"Er..." Draco said, glancing at the Gryffindors. "The Mudblood."

Hermione turned pale. "Me?" she asked stupidly.

"Are there any other mudbloods in the room?"

"Well," Colin started.

"Of course I mean Granger!" Draco roared, angry at Colin's stupidity.

"Weasel boy, truth or dare?" Draco asked.

"Dare," Ron said, trying to sound brave.

"Jump off the astronomy tower," Draco said immediately, ignoring the rules.

"That would be one of those dares that is considered dangerous," Ginny reminded him.

"Okay," Draco sighed. "Ron down the dungeon hallway in nothing but your knickers, right now."

Pansy giggled evilly. Some of the girls even whistled approvingly.

Ron's ears turned bright red as he unzipped his pants and pulled them off.

Hermione kept herself from laughing out loud, but on the inside, she was laughing like a hyena. Ron was wearing knickers, covered in quaffles and broomsticks.

Ron, then, stripped his shirt to reveal a very muscular torso.

Lavender, Parvati, and Padma, were giggling and whispering to each other, each glancing up at him every so often.

Luna seemed to be blushing. Hermione suspected Luna had fancied Ron during their fifth year, but had never confronted her.

Ron glanced at Hermione, who gave him a reassuring smile.

Silently, everyone followed Ron out of the room. As they hurried down the hall, Harry, Ginny, and Hermione tried to hide Ron's appearance from any students that walked by. It didn't help that they were on the seventh floor and they had to reach the dungeons.

When they reached the dungeons, Ron quickly sped down the hall as Draco yelled, "Weasel in Knickers!'

Some Slytherins peeked out of the common room curiously and erupted with laughter.

Ron came running back up the hall, snatched his clothes that were resting in Harry's hands, and ran into the nearest bathroom.

Several minutes later, Ron exited the bathroom. Hermione was the only one whom had waited for him, before returning to the Room of Requirement.

As they walked up the stairs, Hermione told Ron, "That was very brave."

"And very stupid," Ron added.

"No it wasn't, you took Malfoy's dare like a man, you can't say he did that," Hermione told him. "And, I might add, you looked good doing your dare," Hermione added, blushing.

"Really?" Ron asked curiously.

"Of course. Who knew you were that muscular?" Hermione commented, cuddling with him and placing her hand on his firm chest.

Ron wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her close. "Well, now we've both seen more of each other than we ever expected."

"Ron, get your hand off my butt," Hermione said, noticing what he was doing.

"Yes ma'am," Ron said, removing his hand and looking at the floor, pitifully.

They entered the Room of Requirement. "Finally," Ginny sighed. "Ron, I believe it's your turn."

"Hermione, truth or dare?" he asked, turning to her.

"Dare," she answered, knowing Ron wouldn't do anything too harsh.

"Kiss the guy you find most attractive," Ron said. Hermione turned to him, ready to kiss, when Ron added, "That's not in Gryffindor."

Hermione gasped. She obviously would have chosen Ron. If not Ron, then Harry, but they were out of the question. Hermione glanced around the room at each boy.

She knew whom she thought was the most attractive, but she dared not kiss him. She would never live it down.

Hermione strolled across the room, toward Micheal Corner, but at the last minute, she decided to be honest. She knew she'd feel guilty if she didn't.

She kissed Draco on the cheek. He looked a bit shocked, but very pleased. "Well, I knew I was the most attractive, but I didn't know mudbloods fancied me, too."

"First of all, Malfoy, I don't fancy you; you fancy me," Hermione reminded him. "Second of all, the only thing that makes you even the slightest bit attractive is your hair."

Draco seemed to ponder her words and then pulled out a comb and ran it through his hair.

"Pansy." Hermione coughed something that sounded a lot like 'cow'. "Truth or dare?"

"Truth," she answered calmly.

Hermione smiled, Pansy had walked right into her plan. "Are you really a pureblood?" Hermione asked. She already knew the answer after doing much research, but had to embarrass her.

"Of course she is!" Draco blurted out. "Otherwise she wouldn't be in Slytherin!"

"Actually, Voldemort was in Slytherin, and he was half-blood."

Draco flinched at his name, but remained silent.

"Actually, my mum is a muggle," Pansy confessed, "I'm a half-blood."

"I knew it!" Hermione exclaimed. "I doubt you remember me, but we went to primary school together. Your mum was the grade six English teacher, I would have been in her class if I hadn't been accepted here."

Pansy nodded and bowed her head, ashamed of her mum.

Draco looked as though someone had just punched him in the stomach. He was unable to speak, and decided not to bother trying.

"Susan, truth or dare?" Pansy asked, breaking the awkward silence.

"Truth," Susan answered tentatively.

"If you could be shagged by anyone in the school, who would you choose?" Pansy asked, her face now returning to its evil grin.

Susan thought for a moment before answering, "Probably a tie between Draco and Harry."

"Me and Potter?" Draco burst out. "I'd like an explanation. I can see why you chose me, but how am I tied with Potter?"

"Well, Draco, you're quite handsome," she explained. Draco grinned proudly. "And Harry, well, I've heard things about him."

"Like what?" several people asked curiously.

Susan blushed and glanced at Harry, who was looking a bit nervous. "I just heard a rumor that he has a-"

Susan stopped, not knowing how to say what she wanted to say without embarrassing Harry, but she knew it was impossible.

"She's heard something about my penis," Harry said calmly.

Susan smiled at Harry and mouthed the words 'Thank you'.

"FROM WHO?" Ginny shrieked angrily.

Susan glanced at Harry who merely nodded to her, as if to say, 'Go ahead, and tell them'.

"Cho Chang," Susan muttered quietly.

"HOW DOES CHO CHANG KNOW ABOUT YOUR PENIS?" Ginny screamed.

"Well, er, you know we made-up last year, and-"

"Okay, Potter, we don't need the details!" Draco interrupted, a look of disgust pouring over his face.

"Harry, you dog!" called Ron.

"HOW COULD YOU DO THIS?" Ginny screamed at Harry, and ran from the room crying.

Harry ran after her, barely hearing Ron yelling something that sounded a lot like a death threat if he shagged Ginny.

Ginny stopped in front of the Fat Lady's portrait, not remembering the password.

"Ginny, you don't understand!" Harry yelled down the hall. "You have to hear me out!"

"What's there to know?" Ginny yelled back. "You shagged her and then you dumped her! You just made-up with her so you could get her in bed with you!"

"Ginny, that's not it at all!" Harry argued, now standing inches from her.

"Then what happened?" Ginny asked, curious to see how he managed to get himself out of this one.

"I said, 'no'," Harry stated.

"You did what?" Ginny asked, not understanding.

"I said 'no'," Harry repeated. ""One night after the D.A. meeting last year, Cho and I had full intention to, well, you know. We stripped and were just about to, but then, for some reason, I said 'no'."

Ginny opened her mouth speak, but she couldn't find the words.

"She dumped me right then and there. So, in all reality it was exactly opposite of what you think," Harry added.

"I thought you said that you dumped her because she'd be leaving school and you'd never see her again," Ginny said, astonished by Harry's explanation.

"I lied," Harry admitted. "I couldn't tell everyone that a girl dumped 'The Famous Harry Potter', I'd never hear the end of it."

"So, nothing happened?" Ginny asked, making sure she got the entire story correct.

"Nothing, we never made it past second base."

"What exactly did you do to get to second?" Ginny asked, shocked that Harry had gone that far with Cho.

"Well, rather she went to second, I went to first," Harry admitted. "She was a little too friendly with my body."

"Does that mean you don't like physical relationships?" Ginny teased.

"I love physical relationships, as long as they don't involve just physical attraction."

"That's much better," Ginny agreed, as Harry pulled her into his arms.

"Gin?" Harry whispered. Ginny gazed up at him. "I love you."

Ginny just stared at him, amazed. No boy had ever said that to her in her life, not even one of her six brothers.

"Now would be the time to say something," Harry said nervously.

"Sorry," Ginny apologized. "It's just, no one has ever said that to me."

"I can't see why. You're beautiful, smart," Harry paused, trying to think of another great thing about Ginny. "And mischievous."

Ginny blushed slightly. Harry pulled her toward him. She buried her face in his chest and smiled.

"Harry?" she whispered.

"Hmm..." Harry sighed.

"I love you."

"There's nothing half so sweet in life

As love's young dream."

- Thomas Moore (Love's Young Dream)