Disclaimer: J.K Rowling owns Harry Potter etc, please don't sue me!

Thanks to the amazing Ultimate Slytherin 2001 for beta'ing!

Happy reading! Now on with the story...

'No, no, no, no, no,' Hermione said.

'Oh, come on!' Ginny replied.

'No, it's a stupid dare,' Hermione answered.

'Either do the dare or face the consequences,' Ginny warned.

Hermione scowled.

'It'll be humiliating!' Hermione whimpered.

'It will resolve a lot of sexual tension,' Parvati muttered.

Fortunately, Hermione didn't hear that last comment as she wailed, 'But I can't! When I agreed to play this game with you, you promised no dares involving anything sexual.'

'It's just a kiss,' Lavender said with irritation. 'Merlin, you are such a prude! Believe it or not, Hermione, a kiss is not sexual.'

'But-'

'No buts, Hermione!' Ginny said with a rising voice. 'Just agree and we can keep playing.'

Hermione's eyes darted between the girls like a caged animal.

'If you recall, the punishment for failing to complete a dare is to kiss three particular guys, surely you would rather kiss Ron,' Parvati said.

Hermione's shoulders slumped. 'Fine, I'll do your stupid dare and kiss Ron in the Great Hall at breakfast. But I hate you all and I'm never playing this game with you again,' Hermione snapped as she stomped from the room and slammed the door behind her.

'Merlin, what's got her in such a twist, you would have thought she would be glad for a reason to snog him!' Lavender said with annoyance as she realised the reduction of game numbers: while she thought Hermione a prude, the girl came up with brilliant dares and questions.

'I know, they've been making googly eyes at each other since fourth year,' Parvati added.

Ginny shrugged and said, 'So, I guess since Hermione's stormed off like a toddler then I should go again?'

'Hell no, it's totally my turn!' Lavender replied.

'Fine,' the other two girls agreed.

'Truth, dare, double dare, torture, kiss or promise?' Lavender asked Parvati.

'Dare.'

'Hmm, got it! I dare you to kiss Draco Malfoy in the Great Hall at breakfast.'

Parvati squealed as Ginny said, 'Real original, Lavender.'

'You're the best, Lav! He is soooo hot,' Parvati grinned.

Hermione had been trying since early morning to find her boyfriend of two years, needing to warn him that she had been dared in a magical game to kiss Ron at breakfast. She had tried to find him the previous night, before belatedly remember that he had returned home for an important family dinner.

Her stomach was churning as she waited for him to show up. Where was he? she thought, He would sleep in when I urgently need to warn him, so he doesn't flip out in front of everyone. While he was a master at keeping secrets and sneakiness in general, she hadn't snogged someone else while dating him; that would probably crumble some of his stoic Slytherin-ness. Hermione groaned. How could Ginny have done this to me after she promised to keep the dares tame!

She eyes were trained on the hallway leading to Slytherin. She didn't want to venture closer, fearing she would stumble across a Slytherin and be forced to come up with some pathetic lie about why she was in their territory.

Should I risk it? Deciding she needed to enter the dungeons and find Professor Snape, so he could summon Draco for her: that Professor seemed to know everything that happened in his dungeons, especially everything pertaining to his godson, Draco, so he knew of their relationship – Professor Snape probably spy spells littering the corridors and rooms.

Taking a determined step into the corridor, she was stopped by the sound of footsteps. Turning towards them, she saw the Gryffindor girls coming closer, they motioned for her to join them.

'Hermione, what are you doing loitering over there?' Ginny asked.

Hermione glared in response. 'I need to see Professor Snape about an assignment.'

'You can't get out of it,' Lavender said, 'unless you want to snog the three other guys at dinner instead.'

The look Lavender received in response was pure venom, causing the girl to step backwards involuntarily. Parvati and Ginny ignored it and linked their arms through Hermione's, deftly forcing the girl into the Great Hall despite her protests.

'Breakfast will be over in half an hour, Hermione,' Ginny reasoned as she dragged Hermione down into a seat beside her.

Hermione glanced around the hall feeling claustrophobic despite the large space, the thought of kissing someone other than her boyfriend - a boyfriend she was very serious about and who had a tendency towards jealousy – resulted in a clawing feeling in her throat. She dug her nails into her hands to try and focus her thoughts, to try and find a solution. Maybe she could just kiss Ron before Draco arrived for breakfast... but that hope was dashed when her boyfriend sauntered into the hall with his friends by his side.

She saw Draco glance towards her casually, offer her an upwards quirk of his lips and tilt of his head.

Hermione gulped, trying to send a message through her eyes. She should have accepted that damnable necklace that would allow them to send messages, but no, she had insisted he couldn't give her a gift if it wasn't either her birthday, Christmas or their anniversary. Stupid decision Hermione!

His brow furrowed slightly, obviously noting her panic, but unable to decipher her message or the reason. He gave her the signal that he wanted to speak with her after breakfast. I hope you still want to meet after this ridiculous dare is completed, she thought.

With a sigh she glanced at Ron, immediately feeling ill as she watched him shovel eggs and kippers haphazardly into his mouth. Disgusting. She shuddered in revulsion. Did he not have any manners?! Ron gobbled his food like a starved dog. She could see flecks of breakfast on his cheek and shirt. Hermione's eyes switched back to Draco who was calmly eating his food.

Hermione suddenly rocketed sideways as Ginny shoved her. 'Get on with it,' Ginny hissed.

Hermione gave the girl a baleful look in reply.

'Parvati is doing her dare,' Ginny prompted.

Hermione, confused as to what the dare was, sought out Parvati. Her eyes bulged. The girl had left her cloak on the Gryffindor seat, revealing a shortened skirt that rested just below her ass, an indecently form-fitting shirt, slightly askew tie, and perfectly mussed hair. Four-inch heels topped of the look and made her look like sex on legs. The girl swung her hips as she made her way towards the Slytherin table.

'Is that outfit the dare?' Hermione asked, suddenly concerned.

'Of course not, she is just ensuring the dare goes well and hopefully he will date her afterwards, even if the guy doesn't do relationships,' Lavender clarified.

Hermione took in Parvati's steady focus aimed at a particular section of the Slytherin table, hoping she was wrong, she asked, 'What is her dare?'

'Same as yours, to kiss the guy she likes,' Ginny replied.

'I don't like Ron in that way,' Hermione snapped.

The two other girls rolled their eyes in response.

'Say that after you kiss him and I might believe you,' Ginny said.

Parvati never shut up about the things she wanted to do with Draco, and it usually took all Hermione's restraint not to hex the girl. Hermione had to swallow the envy and worry rising in her throat as she watched Parvati make a beeline for her boyfriend. Seeing her kiss Draco would probably be more than she could handle. Hermione was just as jealous a guardian of Draco's attention as he was of hers.

She tried to subtly get Draco's attention and alert him to the lion who had him in her sights. No luck.

At that point, Draco finished his breakfast and started to walk towards the door. He had glanced behind himself to respond to something one of his friends had called when Hermione saw Parvati throw her body into his and knock him into the wall, arms wrapping around his neck as she push her lips against his.

It took only a moment before Parvati was on the floor, shock on her face as a furious Draco stood over snarling. She couldn't hear what he was saying, but it didn't look pleasant. Her jealously was immediately assuaged.

Hermione released a breath she didn't know she was holding, relieved Draco had thrown the pretty girl off so promptly. Then remembering she was about to kiss Ron, of her own will – sort of – she was instantly consumed with guilt.

She glanced towards his friends who had jumped up from their seats. As a rule, Slytherins didn't take kindly to anyone messing with one of their own, particularly when the person was considered "Slytherin Royalty", like Draco was. The guys lead him from the hall as he wiped his sneering lips, while Pansy and Daphne descended on Parvati and started to hurl abuse at her.

Lavender and Ginny went to save Parvati from the vicious Slytherin girls who were furious at the sexual assault on their friend. When the three returned, Parvati was red with embarrassment.

'Okay, your turn, Hermione, at least you won't be shoved to the floor,' Parvati mumbled.

No, I'm more likely to be stuck attached to an octopus and then have an irate boyfriend, she thought.

With a sigh of resignation, after all kissing one guy would be better than three, she stood and made her way to Ron and Harry, the former still inhaling food: the smell of egg and fish permeated her senses.

Harry nudged Ron as she walked closed. The red-head paused from his gorging to stand up and face her. Deciding that she would lay down the ground rules first, Hermione launched right into the speech, 'Ron, I was dared to kiss you, but I—'

Ron was immediately leaning in and shoving his tongue between her lips. She immediately stepped backwards, horrified. She had planned to just peck him on the lips!

Feeling nauseous at the feeling of bits of his half-chewed food now in her mouth, she yelped, 'Why did you do that?'

Ron replied with casually with a hint of a patronising tone, 'Ginny told me you were going to kiss me and were going to make up some lie about it being a dare, and I didn't want to listen to the lie, I like you, Hermione, and I'll be your boyfriend.'

Hermione's jaw dropped in surprise. She swung around to glare at Ginny for her interference, but instead saw her boyfriend stalking towards them, face like ice.

Hermione didn't know where to look; the interfering Ginny, the mauling Ron, or her furious boyfriend. Glancing around, she saw everyone else sitting stunned with wide eyes, even the teachers. Although Professor Snape looked a little green.

Draco reached them a moment later and grabbed her arm, tugging her firmly out of the Great Hall.

'Oi, Ferret, get your hands off my girlfriend!' Ron shouted in outrage.

Draco just sneered at Ron and continued to pull her out of the hall; Hermione went willingly, eager to fix things as soon as possible with Draco and get out of the view of the staring students and teachers.

They were almost at the exit when she was painfully wrenched from Draco's cool grip by sticky hands. Ron.

Draco looked like he was a unicorn hair from losing his temper, something that rarely happened. Looking at Ron, Hermione tried to extract herself from her Gryffindor friend.

'I said "get your hands off my girlfriend", Ferret.'

Draco's eyes flashed and a cruel smirk shifted onto his features, 'I wasn't aware you had a girlfriend. Does he, Granger?'

Hermione felt guilty for the humiliation Ron was about to encounter. Bloody Ginny, this was her fault. 'Ron, like I said, I had to kiss you for a magical dare, that's all.' She saw Draco relax marginally at that information. 'Blame Ginny, she is the one who tricked you and trapped me into the dare. I don't want to be your girlfriend.'

'Now we have established that I don't have my hands on your girlfriend, you can go back to shovelling food down your throat,' Draco ordered coolly, waving his hand at Ron like he was dismissing a house elf.

Ron ignored Draco and seemed to forget all the people listening avidly in the Great Hall. 'I love you, Hermione, we are supposed to be together! Everyone knows it!'

'I'm sorry, Ron, I only see you as a friend,' Hermione replied softly.

Harry, Ginny, Lavender and Parvati joined them at this moment. Draco sent Parvati and Ginny a glare that rivalled Snape's when Neville exploded a potion.

'Oh come on, Hermione, who are you kidding! You and Ron are perfect for each other, just give it a chance,' Harry said. Ron nodded eagerly next to him.

Ginny quickly added, 'I've always hoped you would be my sister-in-law.'

Hermione looked appalled at the thought. 'M-marriage!?'

Ron suddenly dropped to his knees and she heard Draco growl beside her. Ron opened his mouth, all Hermione wished was it was stuck closed, but he got out the words. 'If commitment is what you are waiting for, Hermione, I will give you that. Please, will you marry me?'

Hermione felt her eyes widened as she looked at Ron, such a hopefully expression on his face as her looked at her. Ginny passed Ron a ring off her finger to offer.

'I'll get you another ring when I can afford it, but please take this one for now; Ginny doesn't mind.'

'Ron,' Hermione sighed, 'we aren't dating and as I have repeatedly said: I. Don't. Want. To. Date. You. Let alone marry you. I'm sorry to do this in front of everyone, but you really haven't given me a choice. I'm sorry, now I need to get out of here.' With that Hermione dashed out the door, Draco slipping out unnoticed after her.

Sniggers started from the tables of students around them. Ron spun to see everyone watching him and the blood rushed from his face.

'Harry,' Ron whispered, 'did I just propose and get turned down in front of the entire school.'

'Err, yeah. Sorry, mate,' Harry replied as he ran a hand through his hair.

'How could Hermione do that to you?! I know she loves you,' Ginny said to herself.

'Hey, where did Malfoy go?' Lavender asked.

Ron, Harry and Ginny looked up quickly. 'Hermione,' they said in unison, concerned Draco was dragging her off somewhere again, no doubt, to hurt her. They rushed out of the hall, using a point-me spell to find their friend.

When they finally found her in a secluded area by the lake, Draco was arguing with her. Hermione seemed to be trying to placate him. Ron and Harry tried to step forward, but Ginny held them back and pulled out an extendable ear. The ear shuffled closer to the quarrellers and the three listened in.

'-would you do that!' Draco asked in frustration.

'Ginny promised there wouldn't be anything sexual!' Hermione exclaimed. 'I tried to tell you before breakfast, but you were late,' she said as she poked his chest. 'Why were you late when I needed to talk to you!?'

'I didn't know you needed to talk to me, you know if you had accepted the necklace this sort of thing wouldn't happen. Of course, if you didn't accept stupid dares it wouldn't happen either.'

'Fine, I accept the necklace, but it was kiss Ron or kiss three other guys. I chose was the lesser of two evils.'

Ron winced at the words and Harry patted him consolingly on the shoulder.

'Who would the three have been?'

'Harry, Goyle and Colin. Gross!'

This time Harry winced, apparently kissing him was worse than Ron.

'Fine, but don't kiss anyone else ever again.'

'No-one else? Not even you?' Hermione said in a seductive tone that had the three eavesdroppers gasp in surprise.

'I said "else". You know I meant no-one except me,' Draco replied.

He pulled a box out of his pocket and opened it, a glittering necklace sat inside. He picked it up gently and placed it around Hermione's neck with a gentle kiss.

'I love you, Hermione, promise not to scare me like that again. When I came back in to get you, so I could explain about that girl kissing me, I almost had a heart attack.'

'Parvati was dared as well, although she really wanted to kiss you.'

'And you allowed that?'

'I didn't know about that dare until she was sauntering towards you, I left the party angry after they dared me to kiss Ron. But I'll admit I was very happy she ended up on the floor so quickly.'

Draco smiled and wrapped his arms around her, 'Well, now our secret is out, what do you say about sitting at my table during lunch?'

'What do you mean the secret is out?' Hermione asked.

Draco pointed to the fleshy ear sitting near them, following the attached cord she found her friends listening as they crouched half-hidden next to a bush.

'GINERVA MOLLY WEASLEY, RONALD BILLUS WEASLEY, HARRY JAMES POTTER, HOW DARE YOU EAVESDROP ON ME!'

Draco chuckled quietly and wrapped his arms around his girlfriend, whispering in her ear to suggest that she use this moment to gain their unanimous support of their relationship, as forgiveness of their recent transgression.

Hermione agreed with the suggestion and forgave them, contingent on their support.

The three agreed, grudgingly, which gave Draco and Hermione the enjoyment of finishing their school careers without the added stress of sneaking around.

THE END

A/N: Hope you enjoyed the story! Thanks for reading :)