Taboo

"They're coming back tomorrow," said Malfoy during a game of Exploding Snap. "We're going to have to go back to ignoring each other in public."

Hermione carefully balanced a card on the top of her tower, praying that it wouldn't fall over. Or blow up. Whichever came first. She took her hand away and breathed a sigh of relief when it held.

"So I was thinking," he continued, "we should go out and do something fun today. We could pick out a new bathrobe for me in Hogsmeade and maybe get some coffee."

There was a loud bang and Hermione's tower was demolished.

"Did you hear me?"

"Yes, I heard you," she said, fanning away the smoke with one hand. "I was just thinking."

"About what?"

"About how I'm going to break this to Ron," she said, putting the cards back into their box. "I mean, obviously I have to do it face-to-face."

"Here, I have an idea," said Malfoy. "We can rehearse it. You be you and I'll be Weasley." He picked up the Weasley sweater from the armchair, wrinkling his nose in distaste, and pulled it over his head.

"What are you doing?"

"Acting the part. Okay, you start."

"Erm...okay," she said uncertainly. "Um, Ron, I have to tell you something...it's important."

"What is it?" Malfoy said with an air of impatience. "I haven't got all day you know."

"I'm--I'm seeing someone else..."

"Who? Since when?"

"You see, I was going to tell you before--"

"Well, who is it?"

"It's...Draco," she whispered.

"You sound like you're ashamed of me or something," said Malfoy.

"I'm not ashamed. It's just that this will hurt him so much. And it hurts me to say it to him. I don't want to seem like I'm bragging."

"You're not going to chicken out of this, are you?"

"No," she said, shaking her head. "I think I'm just going to do it tomorrow so I can get it over with."

"Think about it some more. There's no rush, really." He got up from the chair. "Now let's go to Hogsmeade and get my new bathrobe."

Hermione agreed and they both bundled up to combat the cold. With a disapproving glare from Filch, they trudged through the snow to Hogsmeade.

"Here it is," said Malfoy, stopping in front of a frilly, pink storefront.

"Er...are you sure this is the right place?" asked Hermione, with a dubious glance at the sign, which read "Lola's Lingerie" in fancy pink font.

"They sell things for men in the back," said Malfoy, pushing open the door. The inside of the store gave the impression that a lace factory had exploded. Everything was silky, lacy, and frilly.

"How may I help you, my dears?" A petite woman dressed in a (what else?) lacy blouse and a tight pencil skirt approached them. "Are you looking for something special?" She winked at Malfoy.

"If I remember correctly, you carry men's bathrobes here?"

"Ah yes, we do have quite a selection in the back. Follow me." They wove their way around the myriad racks to the back of the store where several racks of expensive looking velvet bathrobes were displayed.

"If you need anything else, just let me know," she trilled, heading back to the front of the store.

"I like this one," said Malfoy, holding up a dark green robe similar to his old one. "Ah, this one's got silver trimmings." He held them both up next to each other to compare. "What do you think?"

"Hmm...very nice. But don't you think this is better?" She held up a robe made of deep plum colored velvet.

"Purple?" He wrinkled his nose.

"It's the color of royalty--and friendship," she said knowledgably. "And it's not purple, it's more of a plum color."

"Purple, plum, whatever," he said, studying himself in the mirror. "It's not very flattering. I think I'll go with the green and silver. Slytherin pride!" He raised a fist in the air in mock enthusiasm.

"Suit yourself," she said, shrugging. She wandered over to the women's pajama section.

"You should get something too," he said, draping the robe over his arm.

"I do sort of like these pajamas..."

"No, not those," he said, putting his hands on her shoulders and spinning her around to face a rack of fancy lingerie. "These."

"You're kidding."

"Not kidding," said Malfoy, already browsing the rack. "Red's a nice color on you." He held up a set of crimson colored lingerie.

"No way. Put them back," she commanded.

"How about green then? We could match."

"Absolutely not!"

"Purple? You like purple, right? Oh wait, here's a pink one. Pink is a nice, feminine color."

"Have you found something you like?" The saleswoman had snuck up on them.

"Yes," replied Malfoy serenely. "We'll take this" --he handed her the robe-- "and this as well." He gave her the set of the pale pink lingerie too; Hermione glared at him.

"Thank you, sir. I'll ring these up for you." They heard the distinctive noises of the cash register and then the rustling of tissue paper. The saleswoman returned shortly and handed them two shopping bags.

They stepped back out into the frigid air, the bell jangling as the door swung shut behind them.

"There you go," said Malfoy, handing Hermione one of the shopping bags. "That's your Christmas present."

"There is no way I'm ever wearing it."

"Don't be so sure," teased Malfoy, leading them into Honeydukes. The delectable smell of chocolate greeted them as they strode inside.

"Mmm..." She inhaled deeply. "I think I'll have some of their hazelnut chocolate bars..."

"I dare you to try a bit of Cockroach Cluster."

"I'll do it if you will." Courageously, she approached the counter. "Could we sample the Cockroach Cluster?" The woman nodded and gave them each a small piece.

"On the count of three..."

"One...two..."

"...three." She shut her eyes and popped the candy into her mouth, chewing.

"Hmm...crunchy," said Malfoy, a pensive look on his face. "It's not too bad."

"Ugh," said Hermione, feeling sick to her stomach. "I can't believe I just ate a bug."

When they had made their selections and finished paying, they headed down the path to Madam Puddifoot's. They sat down in the cramped, steamy teashop and ordered coffee and pastries to share.

"Let's play Truth or Dare," said Malfoy, once their order had arrived. "You first."

"Okay...I pick...truth."

"Do you still love Weasley?"

"Yes...I mean, no...I don't really know. Your go."

"That wasn't a definite answer."

"But it was the truth," she said pointedly.

"Fine. Truth for me."

"Have you ever slept with Pansy?"

"That's insulting," he said, taking a bite of a biscuit. "Of course not."

"Just checking," she said innocently. "I pick truth."

"Ah...who do you love more: me or Weasley?"

"You are so insecure, Draco."

"Answer the question."

"Obviously you." She smiled into her cup of coffee.

"My turn. Dare me."

"I dare you to...walk into the Great Hall during breakfast wearing only your boxer shorts." She sniggered.

"What do I get for doing it?"

"Nothing. But if you forfeit, you lose."

"Ah, okay." He hated losing. "When?"

"The day after tomorrow, when everyone's back. We want a large audience."

"So more people can marvel at my truly magnificent physique. Yes, I see." He took a sip of his coffee. "Truth or dare?"

"I'm feeling quite brave today...so dare me. As long as I don't have to eat any more bugs, I don't care what it is."

"Let me think for a moment." He tapped his fingers on the tabletop. "Aha! Got it!"

"Well?" she said impatiently.

"You have to come with me to Hogsmeade on Valentine's Day."

"That's easy. I'll just ask if I can borrow Harry's cloak."

"I wasn't finished. And you have to kiss me. In public," he said, his eyes flashing wickedly. The corners of his mouth turned up in a smirk.

"No..." She sat there gaping at him.

"You said you didn't care what it was as long as you didn't have to eat bugs. Well, this isn't eating bugs."

"No way."

"'You forfeit, you lose,'" he said in a singsong voice.

"Then I guess I lose."

"Oh, come on. Don't be a spoilsport," he cajoled. "We can say that someone spiked your drink with a love potion. Or that you thought I was Weasley..." She glowered at him. "Okay, so that might not work, but the love potion thing would. I mean, who would suspect it was real? They wouldn't believe it."

"It's too risky. Harry knows."

"Please?" Then he added in a low voice, "Why don't we do it for real? We can't keep it secret forever."

"Think of how they would react..." she said fearfully.

"It would blow their minds..." he said, a dreamy look upon his face.

"We'd be social pariahs, Draco. They'd shun us."

"Who cares? We'd have each other."

"They'd all be talking about us behind our backs. I haven't forgotten what that feels like," she said bitterly, remembering the incident with Rita Skeeter in their fourth year.

"So? It doesn't matter what they think," he said rebelliously. "Besides, they need something to gossip about. This old place is so mundane. Let's do it."

"And Ron?"

"You won't have to tell him directly," said Malfoy, shrugging. "Saves you a lot of trouble. What do you say?"

After a minute of hard deliberation, Hermione slowly nodded.

"Excellent!" Malfoy smiled triumphantly. "Let's go back to the castle."

Hermione stood up and followed him, a sense of impending doom clouding her mind.

-----------------------------------

Hermione and Malfoy sat in front of the fire in Gryffindor's common room, spending the last couple hours before dawn together.

"I wish I could rewind the past week and do it all over again." She sighed contentedly and leaned against him. The soft velvet of his new bathrobe was warm against her skin.

"Me too," he said, winding a strand of her hair around his finger and letting it go again. "So are you really going to do your dare?"

"You know me, I hate losing," said Hermione, with a wry smile. "Are you going to do yours?"

"Of course. Would I ever pass up a chance to show off?"

"I'm never going to wear what you bought me."

"Why not?"

"I don't have an occasion to," she replied, her cheeks turning pink with embarrassment.

"You don't need one. But if you must, then wear it on Valentine's Day."

"Maybe I will."

"I think you should."

They sat there in silence, not needing to say anything. The flames flickered lower and lower until they were extinguished. The room was dark except for the faint morning light streaking across the floor. The rest of the students would be arriving in just a few hours time.

"I think I should go," said Malfoy. "They'll be here soon."

"Mmkay," said Hermione sleepily. He covered her with a blanket and kissed her one last time. She smiled, eyes closed. He grabbed a book from a nearby desk and placed it at her feet so that she wouldn't have to invent an excuse when the other Gryffindors found her sleeping there. He quietly slipped out of the portrait hole and head back to his own dormitory, where he tried to sleep, feeling cold and lonely in his own four-poster bed.