Chapter 2: Dare # 1
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.
Author's Note: Once again, thanks for the reviews! It really astounded me when I checked my review box tonight with the number of reviews. Keep them coming! I really appreciate it! Anyway, I hope you enjoy this! Oh, and I'm going slowly, I really want to develop the relationship between them because it's the foundation for the whole thing anyway.
The dares started out innocently enough. We were eleven, we laughed at the words `fanny' and `balls', which in itself explained that we weren't schooled in the ways of the world. Or so I like to think. Anyway, despite the fact that I may not be as innocent as I make myself out to be, the fact that remains is that we were young. Our dares didn't transcend to the levels that it eventually became. It was innocent; we were innocent. And that first dare, in particular, embodied the innocence, the childishness, of the whole thing despite the fact that Malfoy, and his bloody arse, might beg to differ.
You see, as fate would have it, Draco Malfoy has to exist, much to my dismay. But, like Voldemort, he served a greater purpose as well. If not for the mere absurdity of his existence, the whole game would not come into existence. Malfoy just had to be a bloody arse, literally and figuratively, and that, well that explained everything else that was to follow.
But before that, let me say this first, despite the fact that it was satisfying enough, it didn't fulfill any repressed need.
Let me reiterate that, I do not have any repressed urges.
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"Oh that Malfoy, I hope he dies, I hope he dies a painful and dangerous death. I hope that dragons trample him and then feed him to their young," she mumbles viciously under her breath. He hears her nevertheless. He finds it both amusing and surprising that she can be so spiteful and so guilt-stricken at the same time. The look on her face, brows in a furrow, but eyes in a glaze, shows the dissonance within her.
A few moments ago, Malfoy humiliated her in the middle of their Potions class by setting her hair on fire. Snape grudgingly diffused it. And while all Malfoy received was a warning and a precaution on the dangers of certain potions, Hermione received a warning and detention for `failing to comply with classroom regulations'. Gryffindor also lost 50 points. Harry and Ron were ready to jump in her defense, but she gave them that look and they stopped immediately. He felt the constant urge to lash out to his professor throughout class however.
"Dare me and I'll do that, I'll feed him to Norbert," he jokes as they make their way to the Great Hall to meet Ron. Hermione immediately widens her eyes when he mentions the name, `Norbert.'
He gives her a sheepish smile. They aren't supposed to talk about that, lest Hagrid gets caught for harboring such a creature.
"Anyway, Malfoy will get what he deserves, you'll see," he changes the subject. She gives a sigh, a disappointed sigh.
"I really hope so, but Snape favors him so."
"Well Snape is not the only professor, you know," he corrects her. She shrugs her shoulder, disappointment still in her face, and says,
"He wouldn't try anything in front of the others."
They both remain quiet after that. He realizes that it was true. Malfoy was a coward git. He may call it self-preservation, but it was cowardice nevertheless. Anyone who strikes only when the odds are with him is a coward in his book.
And that brings him to an idea. A marvelously splendid idea that will let Malfoy get what he deserves.
He stops on his tracks and pulls out the quill Hermione gave him a month ago. For some reason, he keeps it in his pockets every single day. Nobody knows about this.
"Why?" She asks, confusion in her eyes.
"Here," he replies as he gives her the quill. She looks at him, and then the quill, with confusion.
"Why are you giving back the quill I gave you?" She asks, disappointment apparent in her voice. He immediately corrects her.
"No, no. You told me that the quill is a symbol for our pact right? Saving each other and all?"
She gives a nod.
"Well, I'm saving you now."
"What do you mean?"
"Dare me. Dare me to save you, ask me to do anything that'll make Malfoy regret what he's done," he answers with much excitement. Hermione looks at him as if he was crazy.
"You're crazy," she whispers under her breath. She immediately pockets the quill, as if she was holding a dangerous weapon.
"No, I'm not. It's just a dare, Hermione. It'll be for fun, besides, don't you think he deserves it?"
She looks at him with a perplexed expression. He can feel the dissonance within her again.
"Well, what's the quill for?" She asks.
"Well, it's supposed to symbolize the pact right? And now I'll be `saving' you, or avenging your humiliation or whatever."
"Avenging my humiliation???" She asks aghast. He immediately detracts.
"Well, not avenging, avenging, but you know what I mean."
"No Harry, I honestly don't know what you mean," she replies with a sour expression.
"All right, how about, the quill will symbolize, along with our pact, the power for one to dare another. And since it's in your possession, you now have the power to dare me to do anything, not only for revenge but also because I've hurt your feelings."
"You do have a complex, don't you?"
"What complex?"
"Oh forget it, Harry. Honestly, I don't see the point," she answers. She looks at him as if he's still the craziest thing in the world, but he knows that she's giving in too.
"Come on Hermione, just for fun. Fun doesn't have to have a point."
And that is what breaks her apart. She looks around her, as if careful not to let anyone hear what she's about to say next. She says,
"All right, just for fun. But promise me we won't be doing anything criminal, all right?"
Harry couldn't contain his excitement.
"Yes, I mean no, I mean whatever, whatever you say. But this is going to be sweet revenge."
She bursts out in a giggle and pulls out the quill from her pocket again.
"It feels sacrilegious, you know," she says as she looks at it.
"What's that?"
"What's what?"
"Sacrilegious."
"Honestly, read some more, Harry. Get a dictionary or something-" Knowing full well that this will lead to her monologue on the atrociousness of his study habits, he decides to change the subject, and asks her,
"So, what's the dare?"
She remains quiet for a few moments while they stand along the deserted corridors. Everyone, it seems, are in the great hall. Finally, she smiles, a devilish smile that for a second, makes him regret ever suggesting such an idea.
"Well?" He asks with dread.
"Well, since you're so pushy about the whole thing… I decided… I decided to dare you to stick your wand up Malfoy's butt!" She answers with a giggle. He doesn't notice the blush on her cheeks when she said the word `butt' as he was so busy trying to comprehend the fact that he has to stick his wand up Malfoy's bloody arse.
"What???"
"Yes, you have to stick your want up-"
"All right, all right, I get it. No need to say the name again, the image is scaring me. But, come on, does it have to be my wand?"
"Well, whose wand do you suggest?"
His mind comes to a blank. He has to stick his beloved wand up Malfoy's pasty arse.
"My wand up his pasty arse?" He asks in disbelief.
"Yes, are you backing out now???" She asks with a raised eyebrow. He sees the look on her face, "chicken" it tells him.
He takes a deep breath and says,
"Oh you watch Hermione, you just watch."
And with that, he made his way to the Great Hall, with one intention in mind: sticking up his wand up Draco Malfoy's bloody arse.
Behind him, Hermione is repressing a giggle, to no avail.
Finally, he opens the door of the hall, his heart beating furiously at the same time. She rushes behind him, and out of delayed guilt whispers,
"You don't have to do it right now."
He just gives her a look and then makes his way to where Malfoy was conveniently standing, his back towards Harry. He gives Hermione a wink.
Slowly, but not too slowly so as not to attract much attention, he pulls out his wand, walks a little pass Malfoy, and then sticks it. He sticks it right on the bull's eye.
"Oh bloody hell!" Malfoy screams at the top of his lungs. Everyone turns to look and he immediately removes the wand.
"Oh, sorry about that," Harry apologizes in the sincerest of all tones. Malfoy was fuming and red to the face.
The professors all turn to look at the commotion. He manages to keep the poker face, much to his surprise, and profusely apologizes.
He glances around him and saw many curious faces, a small amount of people in hysterics (they apparently saw what happened), and one girl with the biggest of all smiles in her face. Hermione.
"You'll pay for this Potter, you bloody wank. You'll pay for this," Malfoy mutters under his breath. Harry continues to give him that poker face before finally making his way to the Gryffindor table.
Upon taking his seat, everyone gathers around him to ask questions. He tells them that he accidentally poked his wand up Draco's arse. All the while, he can see from behind the crowd, Hermione shaking her head and laughing.
He gives her a wink and mouths to her "dare."
Later on, they realize that they never told anyone about the game. They decide to keep it that way.
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