All's Fair in Truth or Dare

All's Fair in Truth or Dare

By: Saja_Natalia

Hermione watched as Lavender sat down on her bed again, the group of girls around her giggling uncontrollably. Lavender's face was bright red in humiliation of what she had been dared to do. As she regained her composure, she turned to Hermione. "Your turn: truth or dare?"

Hermione thought for a moment, unsure whether she should trust Lavender with the task of giving her an unbearable dare. A moment passed before she answered, "Truth."

All eyes were focused on Lavender as she shot Parvati a glance and narrowed her eyes. The triumph she knew was coming from her simple question played on her face as she spoke. "Hermione, it's time for you to finally admit it to us. Who do you like?"

A blush crept up Hermione's face as she pondered her decision. Do I actually tell them, or do I lie and hope that they believe me? She glanced at Parvati who was watching her with a gleeful fascination and knew immediately that lying would not suffice while sitting before the two best gossipers known to girl kind.

Making her decision, she looked Lavender right in the eyes. "I do not like him. I love him." Stall, it might help.

But it's still possible to fake it, isn't it? Hermione thought. I could tell them I liked someone they didn't know and they'd all believe me. What evidence would they have to contradict me?

The girls waited for Hermione to finish her confession, but when nothing else came, they exchanged expectant looks. Parvati was the first to speak. "And who is he? You haven't answered the question."

Damn. Hermione gulped as she realized they had seen through her trick. Taking a deep breath, she began to lie. "Alright, I love-er-Matth-"

As she spoke, an image of Ron standing next to her, watching the Shrieking Shack in the distance, flashed to her head. Following this was the memory of the chess game in which Ron had sacrificed himself to save her and Harry, and the Yule Ball where Ron sat and fumed as she danced with Viktor. Memory after memory shot past and Hermione instantly changed her decision.

"-Ron. I love Ron Weasley," she answered truthfully, her voice unwavering. She hadn't meant to say the truth, but the name had slipped from her lips as the rush of memories flooded her head. Lavender backed down slightly, looking away from Hermione's brown eyes. She had seen the truth and she believed it.

Parvati and the other girls gasped and giggled. One girl even exclaimed, "I knew it!" and Hermione continued on with her turn, trying to hide her furious blush behind her hair. When she spoke, she was relieved her voice didn't tremble. "Angela," she addressed a short blonde girl. "Truth or dare?"

* * *

As Hermione answered her question, Lavender looked down, hoping that Hermione would think it was just because she believed her. Hermione looked merry enough as she dared Angela to stand outside the boys' dormitory and tell whoever answered the door that she wished to go to Hogsmeade with Seamus Finnegan, but Lavender was feeling the exact opposite.

When Lavender climbed into bed, long after the rest of the girls, she took one brief moment to whisper something in Hermione's direction.

"You love Ron?" Hermione mumbled something in her sleep and Lavender smirked. "Well, then let it be war upon us. Over what? Need you ask?" And with that, she fell asleep, mind full of ideas of how to steal Ron from Hermione.