The Truth (or Dare) Hurts

Ron felt a multitude of hands shove him through the door into the common room. He stared down from his position on the staircase and sure enough Seamus was right. Hermione was down there absorbed in reading one of her freakishly long books. No, not freakishly Ron chastised himself for having that thought. He studied Hermione for a bit. Her face had a vague smile and her curls were every bit as bushy as they ever were. She was beautiful.

He gulped and spun around, he pleaded, "Please don't make me do this. I don't want her to know. I was hoping that we could keep this as a jolly little secret between you guys. Please, give me a different dare."

Harry looked apologetically at Ron but Dean said vehemently, "I had to ask Snape if he had dropped a Play Wizard for crying out loud! Would you rather give all the Gryffindors a private little strip show? Because that could be arranged..." Dean trailed off with a smirk.

Ron weighed the options in his mind. Sing to Hermione. Or strip down to nothing in front of all the Gryffindors, including aforesaid Hermione. He had to admit the first option would probably embarrass him less.

He frowned, and murmured, "Fine." The rest of the boys all smiled at him indulgingly. Then in the smallest voice he could muster he said, "This is for you Hermione." And began to sing in the tiniest whisper. Not even the boys behind him could hear. The smiles wiped off of their faces.

"No way, that is not going to cut it," Seamus informed him. "This probably won't turn out so bad, I mean come on, I cleaned a toilet with Lavender's toothbrush and she kissed me!" With that bit of encouragement he pointed at Ron with his wand and said, "Sonorous." And shoved the rose into his hand.

"You might as well do this to the best of your abilities, you don't want to embarrass Hermione while you're at it," Harry advised.

Ron realized defeat. He motioned for music with his hands. Romantic music began to flood the common room and quite a few curious faces looked up. Ron murmured again, "This is for you Hermione." This time it was quite a bit louder, and Hermione looked up stunned as if taken out of a dream. He began to sing, making up the lyrics on the spot since he didn't know the lyrics to "I will always love you":

Somehow those simple things

Are the hardest to share

Forever I want you knowing

That I really, truly do care

Hermione

And I know

That you probably don't feel the same way

And I know

That forever will my heart stay

Forever yours, Hermione

And in a voice that wasn't Ron's he heard a backup singer Forever yours, Hermione

The other boys shushed Neville, "This isn't your dare!" But they were surprised at how good Ron really was. He didn't have the best voice in the world, but it certainly had a certain ring to it that made it a pleasure to listen to. The rhymes were a bit weak but they had to admit it wasn't bad for on the spot.

You've been my greatest friend

And though we never do agree

This love for you will never end

My greatest love, Hermione...

My greatest love, Hermione... All the boys chorused. Neville sniffed and wiped his eyes with a lace hanky.

Ron gulped and un-sonoroused himself (A/N what would you call it?) and walked down the stairs. Students were applauding as he walked down the stairs towards Hermione, rose in hand. A few of the younger students giggled.

Hermione' s face was pale. She had dropped her book long ago in shock. She had never done that to a book; endangering its' life. Ron whispered to her, "I really do mean what I sang" as he handed her the flower. She took it in her hands and then squeaked, and tears began to pour down her face. She ran away dropping the rose behind her absolutely bawling. Everyone in the Gryffindor common room was silent as she ran up to her dormitory.

Ron was crushed and felt a huge lump in his throat. He then rounded on his friends, and through a tightly clenched smile said, "Let's. Talk. Now. In our. Dormitory."

Harry squeaked, his voice shaking slightly, "Maybe it's better if we stay out here in the open..." He had never seen such an insane look in Ron's eyes; his left eye was twitching madly.

"No, I think this would be better in private," Ron said in almost a growl.

The boys didn't have to be asked again, they were afraid to refuse. When they got into the room, Ron started to splutter, "I've never been so humiliated in my life! And I bet Hermione could say the same! Now she hates me, and she won't even want to be friends with me, let alone my girlfriend! I knew this was a bad idea!"

"There are other fish in the sea," Neville responded trying to be encouraging. Ron glared at him.

"We didn't know it would end up like that!" Harry cried. "Ron calm down! It's really not as bad as you're making out to be! Think about it this way, now you've got a chance to humiliate any of us, it's your turn to give someone a truth or dare." The other boys nodded fervently.

"No way. I'm not playing anymore. You know what you all are?" Ron asked. The boys all shook their heads. "You're all a bunch of...a bunch of..." Ron was obviously fishing for the most despicable word he could muster. "A bunch of girls!" He was obviously thinking of Hermione.

And the strange part was they really were. As he said the words they felt their hair grow longer, their hips grow rounder, and Dean made sure to point out a certain other difference as he felt his chest. Seamus looked down his waistband and screamed, "WHERE'S MY-"