A/N Thanks for the encouraging reviews. I'm glad to know that people are actually reading this still. Also just a WARNING, there is some talk about sex at the end of this chapter, but it's mostly innuendo, nothing explicit. Thanks!

Chapter 14

When lunch rolled around the next day people were far calmer than they had been the first two days of the tournament. The Six Lot were definitely pleased with the quieter atmosphere and enjoyed chatting with their teammates, who had taken to eating with them regularly now.

Harry had just grabbed a second treacle tart when Dumbledore rose from his chair.

"Good afternoon, everyone. Just a reminder that the battles today will be Gryffindor and the Founder's Lot first, followed by Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff. The first one will commence in thirty minutes, so please finish your meals and make your way down to the fields." Albus finished to loud chatter filling the hall. Poor Hufflepuff, Harry thought. They had all four of their battles consecutively, and tomorrow they would face his team. After yesterday's face off with Gryffindor, their defensive structures were nearly non-existent.

"Are you excited for your first battle, Harry?" Hannah asked from her place next to Neville. Harry shrugged.

"I guess so. It'll be more fun than sitting on the sidelines anyway." Harry said, standing from his seat and stretching his arms over his head. His camouflage shirt pulled up revealing his six packs and a 'V' created by his hip bones leading into the low slung pants he was wearing. Ginny licked her lips as she took in her boyfriend's form.

Harry laughed as he noticed Ginny's dazed look and bent down to whisper in her ear. "Like what you see?" Ginny jolted in her seat as his warm breath hit the skin behind her ear. Knowing that he was teasing her, she quickly collected herself and smiled up at him, letting her eyes rove over him suggestively.

"Mhmm." She purred, pulling his head down to hers for a passionate kiss.

"HEY!" Ron yelled.

"Yeah, let's try and keep it rated G around the kids." Hermione added, but unlike Ron she was smiling. Harry and Ginny broke apart and saw Daisy giggling with Mary and Patty down the table. Ginny smirked as Harry blushed, ducking his head sheepishly.

After a few more teasing comments, the Founder's lot made their way down to the battlegrounds and began assessing any damage to their lot, of which there was little. After quickly rubbing some dirt on themselves, the Six Lot formed their normal meditative circle.

"Maybe we shouldn't do this Harry. It caused such a spectacle last time." Hermione said glancing around at the curious faces already staring at them.

Harry shook his head. "No. Each of these battles will help us hone our concentration. I think following our routine is important." His tone brooking no argument. Apparently Ginny ignored that fact.

"Perhaps we can compromise. Let's meditate before leaving the castle next time, that way we keep up our routine and avoid the attention." She caught Harry's eye and quickly added, "If you think that's reasonable." Harry took a deep breath and nodded, closing his eyes and holding out his hands for Ginny and Luna to grab on either side of him.

The noise of the crowd was quickly pushed away as he retreated into his mind. A few minutes later he opened his eyes and took in each of his friends. They were more relaxed today. It was obvious in each of their faces. They felt a bit uneasy being without their leader last time, but now each held a look of determination and focus.

"Let's do this." Harry said quietly, rising from his place on the ground. His other teammates hadn't formed a protective circle this time, but were lingering in the area around them, alert to any danger.

Ginny took his hand in hers and led the way to the front of their lot, to where her tree was. "Will you give me a lift?" She asked turning to face Harry when they reached the bottom of the tall pine.

"Of course." Harry said with a small smile. "But first…" He moved his hands to her waist and pulled her into him tightly, leaning his forehead against hers. "Be careful, Gin." He said softly, gazing into her eyes.

"You too." She said before closing the inch between them in a loving kiss. When they broke apart, Harry removed his wand, though he didn't need it, and levitated her carefully onto a high sturdy branch. Ginny blew him a kiss before he turned and moved over to his group.

None of the other groups had moved into position yet, but were a few feet away discussing strategy.

"…brave, and dangerous because of it." Neville was saying when Harry joined them.

"What's going on?" Harry asked.

"We're discussing tactics. Neville is concerned that the Gryffindor's bravery and pride will make them a more aggressive opponent." Ron explained.

"If that's the case, it may be best to take a more defensive strategy and wait for them to come to us." Harry suggested. Ron looked ill at ease. "I know you don't like the sitting duck approach, but in this case it may work in our favor."

"They may be brave and no one should underestimate their intelligence in a fight, but they are also foolish and quick to act. Their impatience will surely be their downfall, if we can keep our own at bay." Ben piped up wisely. Ron still looked unsure, so Harry decided to take the reins more strongly.

"It's settled. We hold our units in defensive maneuver five to force the full attack." Harry stated firmly, daring Ron to complain. Ron kept his mouth closed and nodded once before taking his team back to their bunker. As the other units began to disperse Harry looked to his own team. Will and Owen looked nervous, but determined, while Hannah seemed deep in thought.

"Is it wise to leave the aggressive bunker unguarded? With no shield, we may lose it to stray spells." Harry contemplated Hannah's words for a moment before calling Hermione's troop over.

"What's up?" Susan asked curiously.

"Hannah brought up a good point…" Harry smiled over at Hannah who blushed at the attention. "I want your unit in the aggressive bunker, for shielding." He said. Quelling any protests, he added, "As much as I appreciate your work in the back, under this strategy I don't think counter-intelligence will be necessary and I'd rather keep our defenses intact for the upcoming battles." He finished, and with only a curt nod Hermione moved her unit to the front. He thought about moving Ron's team, but Hermione's had greater offensive strength, overall, than Ron's did.

"Alright, we need to get into position." Harry said quickly ushering his team towards their bunker. Harry used the last few minutes before the start to take in Gryffindor's structure. It was the only one he hadn't seen in great detail yet. To say it was strange would be an understatement in his opinion.

Right next to each other were two large triangle walls, each with the tip about six feet in the air. It was different, he'd give them that, but they seemed more likely to fall on them than protect them. Without his intelligence unit he'd have to figure it out himself.

Without another thought he sent a patronus up to Ginny and a moment later her response returned. "There is a large boulder behind each triangle and they have a few people standing on them near the top." Well that would make them slightly more sturdy, he supposed. He quickly passed this information on to the field unit who moved to tell the others just as the Headmaster gave the starting signal.

Neither team made a move at first, both waiting to see what the other would do. Of course, the Founder's Lot had no intention of making any moves for a while, except for the air unit that conscientiously picked off stray targets from above. They were slowly, but effectively lessening their numbers. The crowd was growing restless and began demanding action. This seemed to spur Gryffindor on and Harry saw fifty or so people pop out from the sides of the two triangles. They hadn't coordinated their attack well enough so that the spells were launched at the same time, but their aim was true and immediately shields were brought up to deflect them.

It wasn't a particularly exciting battle, and more than once Harry had to give a stern look to Ron who was itching to move. After ten failed attempts at trying to get spells past their shields, the Gryffindor's were quickly realizing a more aggressive approach that could break up their carefully protected units might be for effective. It was quiet for a moment and then chaos broke out as the Gryffindor's charged the Founder's Lot. Harry held up his hand, holding back his troops until the Gryffindor's were nearly upon them.

"GO!" With Harry's command they were moving, crashing upon the Gryffindors like a wave, just as they began to navigate the treacherous traps laid out before the aggressive bunker. With shielders on either side of him and Hannah, Harry was able to take out ten of the lions in under a minute. If he'd been able to use wandless magic he could have doubled that number, easily.

"BLUE TEAM ASSIST!" Harry called over the fray, bringing in Ron's unit from the back. Ron didn't need any more encouragement. He motioned his team forward, hastily dodging a branch from the willow that was swiping three Gryffindors away.

"Split up. Terry and John go with Ben. Peter come with me." Ron quickly directed. Normally they would stay together, but he could see Hermione's team was becoming overrun at the front and didn't want to waste time getting there. It would be easier for him to move with just one shielder. He passed Anthony and Luna's team. They were all on their stomachs, taking out opponents legs through the bushes. He noticed one Gryffindor sneaking around the back and shot a quick stunner at him before moving on.

Harry's team was a little further ahead, not really a surprise, since Harry loved to get right into the thick of it. Will and Owen had sweat dripping down their faces as their shaking hands tried to hold up the shield that was now in constant use. Harry was shooting glances at the pair worriedly while still taking down lions left and right. The Gryffindors were definitely concentrating their efforts on Harry's group. Ron glanced ahead and saw he was only five feet from the bubble that was Hermione's group shield.

"Peter, go help the Black Team shielders."

"But…" The small boy was obviously confused. He was told to never abandon his teammates.

"NOW!" Ron urged and shoved the boy in the right direction. Another wand would help relieve some of the stress on the other two boys. With a dive and a roll, Ron came up right between Hermione and Susan.

"RON!" Hermione shrieked, looking around. "Where's your team!"

"There assistance was needed elsewhere." He replied shortly, already shooting hexes into the surrounding throng. The Gryffindors' weakened numbers were starting to show as their attack thinned out. With the Air Patrol picking them off from above and Harry basically going on a rampage below, they never really stood a chance.

Unfortunately, one hot headed Gryffindor seemed to have enough and made a move to tackle Harry. Without missing a beat in his stunners, Harry moved his arm to block the attack which threw the boy to the ground. Hannah quickly stunned him before rejoining the shielders. She had taken up the role of a fourth shielder when it became obvious most of the attackers were directing their spells at them and Harry hardly needed her help offensively.

Even with the constant hex exchange, the battle wasn't very exciting for Harry, or any of the other Six Lot members for that matter. It was really just a matter of shooting ducks in a barrel. The shields they used, as long as they remained strong, didn't let anything below a class four spell through them. Harry almost considered losing the shielders and having a bit more fun, but thought showing off probably wouldn't look very good. Besides, if this were a real battle, he'd never take that chance.

A few more minutes of carefully aimed spells and the ground was littered with unconscious or indisposed Gryffindors. Harry really admired their spirit. They fought until the very end, even when their fate was obvious. Many would have surrendered when backed into a corner, with your numbers down to three, but those last three lions put up a hell of a fight, Harry thought. He hoped he had that much courage if it came down to it in the real battles.

The crowd was silent as Harry and Neville helped get the air unit down. They recognized that they had just watched a slaughter, and didn't particularly care to think what would happen to them. The Hufflepuffs, especially seemed uncomfortable as they watched the, nearly completely untouched house leave the field.

The only sound was Dumbledore announcing the winner and the younger kids on Harry's team celebrating. Harry came up between Will and Owen who were slapping hands happily, though a bit weary. He clapped them both on the shoulders and smiled at them proudly.

"Well done, today. You were taking a lot of hits, but you didn't give up. Thanks." He said before falling back to where Ginny was talking with some of the older girls. He wrapped an arm around her waist and kissed the side of her head as she listened to Hannah.

"It would be so much fun, and we really never get to hang out much besides our practices and stuff. Please!"

"What's she begging about?" Harry asked Ron who was just behind him walking with Hermione.

"She wants to have a girls sleepover."

"Oh." Harry looked down at Ginny and noted that she was looking anxiously at her feet.

"Come on Ginny! Hermione and Luna already said yes!" Susan added.

"I'm just not sure I…" Harry knew what the problem was, because it was on his mind as well. He suspected that this sleepover wouldn't be taking place anywhere near his bed, and they had never slept apart. Ginny looked up at him, her eyes sad. He knew she wanted to have fun with the girls. He leant down to her ear and whispered to her, causing a bright smile to split across her face.

"You're brilliant, Harry! I love you!" She said, pulling her face to his and kissing him all over in her excitement. Hannah and Susan were giggling and even Daphne seemed amused.

"Honestly Gin, it's no big deal. I'm surprised you didn't think of it yourself."

Just then their group was accosted by parents.

"That was fantastic Harry!" James beamed as he ran up to them, but then turned serious, taking Harry's shoulder. "But I'm worried about you weakening yourself. You need to use more area hexes to take out multiple opponents."

Harry frowned. "I would have in a normal fight, but most of those are high level spells and I don't particularly care to hurt any of them by accident with the less controlled ones."

"Right you are! This is only a game, after all." Lily said, sending a glare to her husband who was looking a bit sheepish. Albus joined them now after attending to the Gryffindors and making sure everyone was okay.

"Harry, I must address the rule violation. You were not allowed to use physical defense…" Dumbledore started seriously and Harry gaped.

"YOU CAN'T BE SERIOUS! HE ATTACKED ME!" Harry yelled in disbelief mingled with disgust.

"HARRY JAMES POTTER! YOU WILL NOT SPEAK TO THE HEADMASTER IN THAT TONE!" Lily reproached, holding her finger at him sternly.

Before anymore could be said Albus cut back in. "If I may be so bold as to finish my statement…" He gazed down at Harry over his half-moon spectacles, and the boy had the grace to look a bit ashamed at his outburst. "I was merely going to apologize for not considering this situation when I imposed the rule on you. I never considered a member of the other houses taking a more physical approach, but I will address this oversight directly." Harry nodded abashedly and refused to look up at the headmaster.

"Harry, I believe you owe your Great Uncle an apology." James stated. Harry knew he was only saying it to regain some of his points with Lily.

"I offer my sincerest apologies Headmaster, I lost my head." He stated, still examining his feet.

Albus chuckled softly and clapped Harry on the shoulder.

"No harm done, my boy." Still laughing to himself as he moved to intercept some other teachers on their way to readjust the lots for the next battle.

"So your done for the day, huh?" James asked conversationally.

"Yep. Are you working the next battle?" Ginny answered, before Harry could.

James nodded and turned to his wife.

"I think I'll stick around and watch the next show down before dinner." She said and they both waved goodbye as the group of friends started back towards the castle.

When they were out of parental hearing distance, Hannah and Susan started right back up.

"You know, Marcie Rogers' brother's friend dated Ms. Romerta and he gave her two bottles of firewhiskey. I bet if we asked her she'd let us have one. She doesn't even like to drink much." Susan said and Hannah bounced excitedly.

"I never took you two for the drinking type." Harry noted and Susan stuck her tongue out.

"Everyone thinks Puffs are goody-goodies, but we know how to have fun just like everyone else."

"Besides, I heard it's not too bad if you mix it with pumpkin juice." Hannah added helpfully, looking to Neville for his reaction. He just smiled at her.

"Hmm, I'm not sure it's a good idea." Harry said seriously and Susan snorted.

"Who needs your permission?" She said defiantly before Hannah nudged her and she noticed Hermione, Luna, and Ginny were all looking at Harry for his opinion. She quickly shut her mouth and watched the exchange curiously. Harry acted as if he hadn't heard her comment and was staring ahead contemplatively.

"We'll be careful." Ginny promised. She was eager to try the beverage. It made Sirius, James, and Lupin act really goofy and their faces scrunched up when they sipped it. Her mother had, of course, forbidden her from ever trying it, but James had once snuck Harry a sip when Lily wasn't around. He told her that he didn't care for it, but she was curious to try it for herself.

Harry sighed as he took in the curious and eager faces of his girlfriend and friends. Finally he relented. "If you're careful…"he eyed Ginny, "I don't see a problem." The girls cheered. "However, just remember that we still have workouts in the morning whether you're hung over or not. And for every glass you drink, you run an extra mile." The girls groaned. Tomorrow was the usual ten mile run, unlike their day off. Even so, Ginny thought it would be worth it.

"Geez, Harry! You drive a hard bargain." Hannah piped up. Harry smiled devilishly.

"Well since we're at school now, it's my responsibility to make sure we all stay in shape. If Sirius were here it'd be five miles per glass, so they're getting off easy." This last sentence was more a reminder to his unhappy friends than an explanation, and they nodded in agreement with its truth.

When they finally reached the castle, Hannah, Susan, and Daphne went back to their dorms to shower and collect their things. They were going to come over before dinner and drop it off at the Founder's dorm.

Ginny, Hermione and Luna broke away at the staircases and followed it up to their dorm. As they undressed for the showers, Hermione asked the question she and Luna had been pondering since Ginny agreed to the sleepover.

"So what are you and Harry going to do tonight?" She asked casually, throwing her soiled shirt into the hamper by her bed.

"We're going to play it by ear most of the night. He may need to join us for a bit if the itching becomes painful, but I think we'll be okay."

"And sleeping?" Luna asked.

"The same as usual. I'll just join him once the other girls are settled for the night." Ginny stated grabbing her towel as she headed for the bathroom.

"You know they're going to ask you about it tonight, right?" Hermione said, a slight smirk on her face.

"Of course I know! They've been itching to get information out of me for a while, but it's not just Harry and I they're curious about." Ginny countered and Hermione's face fell. Luna laughed.

"They can ask me what they like. I haven't got much to tell from a physical stand point…yet." She added cheekily, scurrying into the bathroom after Ginny when Hermione flicked her towel at her rear.

Meanwhile, Neville and Ron were asking Harry similar questions.

"We're just going to have to see how it goes. If it gets bad, I'll just have to be one of the girls for a while, I suppose." Harry smirked as the boys laughed. "Then tonight she's just going to come in after they go to sleep."

"You know they're going to be asking questions about you and her. Especially if they find out you're sleeping in the same bed every night." Ron noted, tugging his shirt which had gotten stuck at his neck.

"Yeah, I know. That's just what girls do. Can't do much about it." Harry said, shrugging. "Hopefully, yours and Neville's relationships will distract them for a little while." He added grinning at his friends. Neville and Ron both blushed scarlet and looked away, only making Harry laugh louder as he made his way into the showers.

Twenty minutes later the girls descended the stairs into the common room where Harry, Ron and Neville were already waiting.

"They aren't here yet?" Ginny asked looking around.

"Well if they take as long as you guys do getting ready and add on packing and travel time, I wouldn't expect them to be." Harry said with a chuckle and Ginny smacked his arm playfully. He mock pouted before surprising Ginny and pulling her over the couch into his lap, as she squealed. Her legs were still flung over the back of the couch as he tickled her relentlessly. Neither of them heard the knock at the door, nor noticed when Hermione let in Susan and Hannah. But they did hear the giggling. Harry stopped his attack and looked up to see both girls covering their mouths as they laughed, their eyes wide as they took in the scene before them.

Great, Harry thought, as if they needed more fuel for their interrogations. Ginny would have been thinking the same if she wasn't still trying to catch her breath from being tickled.

"Just ignore them. We do." Ron said, smirking at his sister and friend. Harry scowled at him in return. Harry grabbed Ginny beneath her arms and pulled her the rest of the way onto his lap so she was straddling him and they were facing each other.

Ginny looked up into his green eyes and found herself lost, once again missing the entrance of another person.

"What's wrong with them?" The new addition asked, taking in the pair on the couch, who appeared oblivious to the world.

Neville rolled his eyes and threw a pillow at them, effectively breaking their eye-lock.

"Oh, is it time for dinner?" Ginny asked, jumping off Harry's lap. Then, taking in the new person in the room, she exclaimed, "Daphne! When did you get here?"

"Just now. And no it's not dinner time yet." The tall girl responded, shooting a glance at Hannah and Susan who were still giggling and now whispering to each other.

The friends spent the next couple hours discussing school work and the tournament before heading down for dinner. When they returned the boys were quickly ushered away. Neville and Ron chose to have a chess tournament up in their dorm and immediately withdrew from the room. Harry was a little harder to get rid of.

"Have fun, Gin. I'll be just upstairs if you need me." He whispered to her as she hugged him tightly at the bottom of the stairwell. She finally stepped back, but kept hold of his hand tethering herself to him until the last possible moment. Hermione finally came and pulled her away, a look of amused irritation on her face. Harry looked pained as he made his way up the stairs. It wasn't letting her go, but the thought of being away from her for most of the night that made him reluctant to leave. At least it was a school night, so they wouldn't stay up too late, he reassured himself.

Ginny also felt the immediate withdrawl symptoms, and she had to take a deep breath and push them away as she slapped a smile on her face for her friends.

"You guys are like attached at the hip or something?" Susan remarked. Ginny just nodded, taking her seat.

"Well, I suggest we kick this off on a happy note!" She said, pulling a bottle of Firewhiskey from her satchel. Susan retrieved a bottle of pumpkin juice from her own and Hermione conjured six small glasses.

"I'll have mine straight." Daphne proclaimed, her face void of emotion. They had come to realize that their friend wasn't very expressive, but she was kind when she wanted to be and had a good sense of humor. Hannah poured her a glass, within which Daphne conjured two ice cubes. Hannah and Susan began making the other five glasses mixed, but Ginny held up her hand.

"I'll have mine straight as well." She said confidently. Daphne held up her glass and nodded approvingly at the younger girl. Once everyone had a full glass in their hands they held them up.

"Cheers!" Susan said before they each took a sip. This was followed by a round of coughing, except for Daphne who smiled and took another sip of her drink.

"Maybe it's best to go in one?" Hannah suggested, before tipping the glass back and downing the beverage. Her eyes were wide and teary, but she smiled at them, proud of herself. Susan, Luna, and Hermione followed her example with similar results, but Ginny could barely stand to sip it, much less drink it all at once.

"Another?" Susan asked, her voice rough from the burn in her throat. Hermione waved her away.

"One was plenty for me. I don't much care to add on any more miles to my run tomorrow either." She stated, pushing her glass away. Luna nodded her agreement. Susan shrugged and poured another each for her and Hannah, this time, with a bit more pumpkin juice. After their second glass both girls were giggling incessantly and clutching each other to balance.

"Hey, how about we play a game?" Daphne asked, still as cool and collected as ever, though she was now half way through her second drink.

"Like what?" Hannah asked between giggles.

"Truth or Dare." Daphne suggested.

"I thought that was a muggle game." Hermione asked, wondering how Daphne knew of it. She scoffed.

"Hardly! They don't even play it correctly. It's supposed to be, do a dare or face six questions from your friends. Normally you play with veritaserum, but we'll just go by the honor system." The Slytherin explained. "We play in my dorm all the time. You'd be surprised by some of Pansy's secrets." She said with a small smile.

"Alright, I'm in!" Susan proclaimed.

"Me too!" Hannah added, sloshing her drink as she pulled her knees beneath her. The rest of the girls agreed as well and Daphne decided that she would go first since it was her idea.

"Okay. Luna. I dare you to strip down to your knickers and run into the boys dorm. Do you accept?" Daphne asked the blonde across from her. She felt a unexplainable kinship with the strange girl, so decided to go easy on her.

Luna nodded and stood, quickly undressing to Hannah and Susan's wild giggles. Once she was down to her under things she strode over to the stairs and up into the boys dorm. They expected to hear screams or something, but there was silence. All the girls ran up the stairs and peered around the door into the room where they found Luna, sitting in her knickers on the bed, watching Harry and Ron staring contemplatively at the chess board in front of them. Neville was watching from another bed, across from Luna.

Ginny and Hermione snickered at the shocked faces of their friends and they called Luna back out to them.

"Did they even notice?!" Susan exclaimed disbelieving.

"Sure, they just didn't care." Luna said casually starting to put her clothes back on.

"Why?" Daphne asked, showing more emotion than usual as she looked aghast between the door to the boys room and Luna.

"We grew up together. It's just not a big deal." Ginny shrugged.

"Since you're already undressed Luna, why don't we change into our night things and get more comfortable before we continue." Hermione suggest. The girls all agreed and moved upstairs to use the bathroom and change.

"Where's Hermione?" Hannah asked as she joined the other girls outside the bathroom, noting the aforementioned girl was not with the others by Ginny's bed.

"She's downstairs moving around furniture so we have room to sleep." Luna explained and then led the way back downstairs. Hermione was just conjuring the last sleeping bag when they arrived.

"How come there's only five?" Daphne asked, ever the observant one. Hermione's eyes widened at her mistake and she shot Ginny an apologetic look. Ginny sighed.

"Because I'm not going to sleep down here." She admitted, plopping down on the chair, Hermione had left close by just for her.

"How come?" Susan asked, frowning.

"She has a bad back. She can't sleep on the floor." Luna put in, but the other girls were unconvinced.

"She's never mentioned it before. Why don't you just conjure a mattress then?" Hannah said. There was tension in the room as the three other girls realized they were being kept out of some secret the Founder's Lot clearly knew. Ginny shared a glance with Luna and Hermione before giving up. They were going to ask about her anyway, she supposed it wouldn't be much worse if she told them this.

"I always sleep with Harry. I can't sleep away from him." She said softly, but met their eyes confidently, daring them to comment. But of course they did.

Hannah and Susan squealed and Daphne had a mild look of surprise on her face, which spoke volumes for her.

"I can't believe you're sleeping with Harry!" Susan squealed.

"I can." Hannah added and they both broke into giggles. Ginny gasped at their wrong assumption.

"What?! No! I sleep with him, but I'm not sleeping with him!" She exclaimed. This was met by surprised and disbelieving faces from all around, including Luna and Hermione.

"You aren't?" Hermione asked.

"NO!"

"Huh." Luna added, looking at her friend as if assessing whether she was being truthful.

"I would have told you if I was!" Probably, she added to herself.

"Sorry, Ginny, we just assumed." Hermione said.

"So you're not shagging him, but you sleep in his bed every night?" Daphne asked, clarifying the situation.

"Yes." Ginny said, burying her face in her hands as her cheeks blazed with embarrassment. Being the good friend she is, Luna diverted their attention.

"It's my turn and I pick Susan." The girl in question immediately sobered and looked warily over at Luna. "I dare you to write a love note to Professor Dumbledore, confessing your love for him." Susan paled. She hated doing the truth part though, and figured the Headmaster probably wouldn't even read it…hopefully.

"Fine. Give me some parchment." She ordered. Hermione grabbed her a piece from the table in the corner and she clumsily began writing the note. She finished her signature with a flourish and called for an owl, sending it off to the headmaster's office. "There. Done." With a predatory smile on her face she turned to Ginny, who was quietly sitting in her chair, itching her forearm.

"I pick Ginny." She smirked as the young girl's head flew up, her eyes fearful. "I dare you to go a whole day without touching Harry." Susan smiled. There was no way Ginny would do this dare, they couldn't keep their hands off each other. But that's exactly what she wanted.

Ginny gasped and began itching more furiously at the thought of it. Hermione sat on the arm of her chair, rubbing her back to calm her. Ginny looked up at her pleadingly. "Sorry, Ginny. You'll just have to do the questions." Hermione said, looking down at her friend. Ginny nodded and swallowed nervously.

"I'll t-t-take the questions." She stuttered, pulling her knees up in front of her and hugging them to her chest. Susan squealed happily and turned to Hannah to conference. Daphne listened feigning disinterest, but she was curious about the couple as well.

"Alright, first question. Have you ever seen Harry naked?" Susan asked. Ginny laughed loudly and Hermione and Luna joined in. "What?" Susan questioned indignantly. She hardly thought it was something to laugh at.

"Sorry, but we've all seen Harry naked." Ginny laughed gesturing to Hermione and Luna. "He went through this phase when he was about seven where he refused to wear clothes for a whole week." Ginny laughed at the memories. Lily was constantly chasing him around trying to get him in something, but as soon as she did he'd strip right back out of it. He wasn't even embarrassed about it now. He said it was the freest he'd ever felt.

This answer was obviously unsatisfactory and Susan huffed. "okay, have you seen him naked in the past year?" She inquired.

"That counts as your second question." Ginny pointed out.

"What? But that first one wasn't even interesting." Ginny shrugged. "Fine." Susan said, crossing her arms. "Answer the question."

"Sure I have." She said casually. Hannah, Susan and Daphne all leaned forward to hear the rest. "uh, that's it."

"You're not going to elaborate?!" Hannah asked annoyed.

"I'm only obligated to answer your questions, and I did. Next." Ginny stated dismissively. The girls huffed unhappily.

"You're a tricky one." Daphne said and Ginny wasn't sure if she was praising her or cursing her. Being a Slytherin, she assumed it was a compliment, so she smiled.

Hannah asked the next question. "Is he a good kisser?" Ginny's eyes glazed over.

"Mmhmm, the best." She said, still looking dazed. Her tongue darted out to wet her lips subconsciously.

"But I think she's a bit biased." Hermione added, rolling her eyes.

"How big is he?" Daphne asked, without an ounce of embarrassment coloring her face. Ginny gaped and Susan and Hannah gasped before falling into another fit of giggles. "Oh come on. Everyone wanted to know, but I was the only one woman enough to ask." Daphne said, returning her penetrating gaze to Ginny who was hiding behind her knees, her face a bright scarlet.

"I'm not sure I should tell. It's really his privacy I would be breaking." She mumbled.

"If he's got nothing to be embarrassed about, he won't care." Daphne urged, obviously intent on getting her answer.

"Maybe you can just hold up your hands, to show." Luna suggested, thinking this would be easier for Ginny than actually speaking. She mumbled something else, but they didn't catch it. Sighing she held up her hands about a half of a foot apart, then looked at the distance critically for a moment and added another inch and a half to it.

Daphne didn't speak, but raised her eyebrows in surprise while Hannah and Susan just gaped at the space between her hands as if the man-piece in question was actually there. After holding her hands in place for a second, Ginny put them down and blushed even darker.

"He's grown a bit since he was seven then." Luna commented casually from where she was propped up on her elbow on top of the sleeping bag. Hermione looked over to Luna and they shared a smirk.

"Two more questions." Hermione announced, bringing the attention back to the game. Ginny wasn't sure whether to glare at her for that reminder or be happy that they weren't thinking about her boyfriends parts anymore.

"Okay. You said you haven't gone all the way, so how far have you gone?" Susan asked. This was a question Hermione and Luna were curious about as well. Ginny and Harry would go off on their own from time to time and come back a bit flushed, with their clothes in disarray. Even when they were still at Potter Manor, they had begun sneaking off together when the adults were occupied, plus they had a room to themselves there.

Ginny looked up to find five eager faces looking at her and she sighed. She didn't understand why girls felt the need to divulge every little thing about their relationships. She, personally, preferred to keep some things private. Sure, Hermione and Luna badgered her during their girl talks, but they usually didn't get this…open about it.

"I'm not sure, what you mean?" She said bashfully.

Hannah decided to help make it easier for her. "Well use the quidditch analogy. Are you at the low hoop, the middle hoop, or the high hoop. We already know you haven't let him catch the snitch." Ginny, Hermione, and Luna looked at her queerily. They'd never heard of that analogy.

"What do you guys live under a rock or something?" Susan asked incredulously.

"Something." Ginny said, sharing a glance with the other two.

"Okay, I'll explain." Susan stated when Hannah started blushing at the idea of describing them. "It's like this: the hoop height corresponds to a place on your body. The highest hoop is your mouth, so if you've only kissed, you say that one. The middle hoop is your chest, so if you've let him feel you up, you say that one. The lowest hoop is, well…below the belt." At this everyone blushed, except Daphne who rolled her eyes. "So if you've…well you get the idea." Susan finished. Ginny looked pained as she considered her options. She didn't want to answer and on top of it all, the itching was becoming much worse.

"I, um, three?" She said, not entirely sure if she had picked the correct one.

"The lowest hoop?" Daphne clarified, with something akin to a smirk on her face. Ginny nodded slowly before burying her face in her knees while the other girls screamed. The boy's dorm opened, causing all of the girls to look up. Harry was standing on the landing, rubbing his arms, his face showing the pain he was beginning to feel. He looked at Ginny and she nodded, holding up her arms for him to come to her.

He raced down the stairs, with a book in his hand and quickly picked up Ginny sitting her in his lap. Both of them sighed as the itching and pain diminished immediately.

"Umm, Ginny. Why is Harry here?" Hannah asked somewhere between annoyed and embarrassed.

"Uhh…" Ginny looked around for help, unsure how to answer.

"Don't worry about me, ladies. Just pretend I'm not even here." Harry said smiling as he popped in the earphone of his ipod and opened his book, ignoring what was going on around him. Thank goodness his mother was muggleborn. She knew about electronics and how to fix them so they worked around magic. Ginny shifted onto the floor between Harry's legs, wrapping an arm around each. She was hoping that she could direct their eyesight lower so they'd forget about Harry, but Susan and Hannah were still gaping at him. This caused for drastic measures.

"So I have one more question left!" She nearly yelled to gain their attention. They seemed to snap out of it and looked at Ginny, but still shot fleeting glances at Harry, who was too absorbed in his book to notice.

"Seriously, what's wrong with you two?" Daphne asked, but she was inspecting her nails, seemingly indifferent.

"Is, um, that the question?" Ginny asked nervously biting her bottom lip.

"No!" Susan said. "Okay, last question is…Are you going to marry Harry, one day?" The question was pretty mild given the other ones and Ginny sighed in relief.

She cast a quick glance at the boy over her shoulder to make sure he wasn't paying attention before she whispered.

"I hope so. I'd marry him tomorrow if I had the chance." She beamed around at her friends as they 'awwed' and said how cute it was. Even Daphne smiled a little. "Alright, I'm done. Now I get to pick!" Ginny was rubbing her hands together grinning mischievously as she decided on her victim. Before she could announce her decision there was a tapping on the window.

Hermione got up to let the owl in and took the parchment from its leg.

"It's for you Susan." She chuckled, recognizing the Headmaster's scrawl.

"Read it out loud!" Hannah exclaimed, bouncing excitedly. Susan carefully slid her finger under the wax seal and unfolded the parchment.

"Dear Ms. Bones, Thank you for those lovely sentiments. Unfortunately, I fear I must steer your heart away from me, but I hope we will remain good friends. Sincerely, Albus Dumbledore." She paused for a moment to let the giggling pass before continuing. "P.S. I hope your game of truth and dare does not last too late into the evening, as I remind you, we have classes in the morning."

"He knew!" Susan gasped before they all broke into laughter again. When they had calmed down Ginny turned to Daphne.

"Alright, miss 'I'm so smooth,' you talk big, but I dare you to list any boys you've slept with." If Daphne was surprised or anxious, she didn't show it.

"I believe you just dared me a truth." She stated. Ginny nodded grinning. "You're very sneaky. I think you should have been a Slytherin." She pronounced.

"Answer the question." Ginny challenged. Daphne shrugged.

"I have none to list. It is improper for a pureblood witch to taint herself before marriage. It weakens the dowry and hurts her chances of a good match." She stated without hesitation. "However, practice, is not discouraged." She added with a gleam in her eyes. Ginny laughed while the other girls gaped.

"I suppose, I get to choose again." Daphne looked between Hermione and Hannah, the only two left to go. Luna stifled a yawn and laid back on her sleeping bag.

"I suggest we combine your dares, if you accept, so that we can call it a night. I do need some sleep to function, after all." Daphne suggested. The other girls were feeling tired also, after the battle today, especially, so they agreed. Daphne looked between Hermione and Hannah, contemplatively. "Alright, well it's hardly a daring task, but I dare you to kiss each other tomorrow, at breakfast, in front of everyone." Hermione and Hannah gasped and looked at each other. "It can't be a weak kiss either."

"But what about Ron and Neville?" Hermione asked.

"Somehow, I don't think they'll mind." Daphne drawled before pulling her sleeping bag over her.

Ginny turned around to Harry and poked him in the ribs.

"Hey!" he shouted indignantly.

"Shhhh." Ginny said, standing and pulling him up from his chair. Harry stood and stretched, setting his book down and yawning.

"Bedtime?" He asked quietly, pulling his earbuds out. Ginny nodded and pulled him towards the boy's stairs.

"Sleep tight, Ginny." Susan called before she and Hannah broke into giggles again. Ginny rolled her eyes and continued on.

Ginny jumped into Harry's bed while he quickly changed and brushed his teeth in the bathroom. When he came out he slid under the covers behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her tightly to him.

"So how bad was the inquisition?" He whispered in her ear. She sighed.

"Pretty bad, but I kept details to a minimum where possible."

"Mhmm." Harry said softly, gently laying kisses behind her ear. She sighed again, leaning more so he could reach her neck. "So you'd marry me tomorrow huh?" He purred in her ear. Ginny turned in his arms, as she gasped.

"Harry James Potter!" She whisper yelled at him. "You were listening! I knew it!" She hit him lightly on the arm. Harry just grinned at her and leaned in to kiss her.

When they finally broke apart, Harry couldn't resist it. "Daphne sounds like a real minx, but I can't say I'm not looking forward to her dare tomorrow." He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

"Harry!" Ginny giggled, hitting him on the chest.

"I'd like it better if you were in on it." He whispered to her in a low voice, his emerald eyes dark.

"Oh yeah?" Ginny purred right back.

"Yeah." He agreed kissing her again.

"Keep dreaming, sweetheart." Ginny patting his cheek teasingly. She chuckled at his shocked face. Then his surprise turned into a smirk.

"That sounds like a good idea. I will dream about it." Harry said closing his eyes. Ginny just smiled and turned back around so she fit into him, falling asleep in the next minute.