The young black haired boy, of about eleven year or so, felt his stomach sink to a depth he hadn't thought possible as all eleven inches of the mahogany wand began to slow down, just as it was beginning to point in his direction.
It was pointed straight at him. And he knew, for he was a keen boy, exactly what that meant.
"But I'm a boy." Severus Snape protested, in a rather inappropriate squeak. He cursed his youth, which caused these little indignities. His voice not yet deep, his nose out of proportion with his face, his gangly build. However, it was his first time to Hogwarts, and no one else on the train had deigned to sit in his booth.
Merry brown eyes twinkled at him behind the round glasses and unruly hair. "Come on, Snape. You agreed to play."
James Potter looked back at him mischievously. Predatorily... no he was being dramatic there. There was nothing that Severus had learned about James Potter to make him think of him that way. It was only this silly game that Remus and Lily had agreed to play. To pass the time until they first laid their eyes on Hogwarts. Severus had been a bit uncomfortable playing such an… advanced game with two older students, and only one girl amongst them, but he didn't want to back down. He didn't want…
He wasn't quite sure. He'd been chatting with Lily and Remus earlier, and there was something about the latter that he wasn't quite willing to surrender to these two cretins yet. So he played along. Severus didn't have many friends. And Remus smiled so easily at him, as though it didn't matter a lick that he wasn't attractive. As though he hadn't the faintest who his father was, or wouldn't have cared if he had known. So he played. Kiss or Dare.
Severus weighed his options in his mind. The wand of the last player spins, and when it stops, it's your bloody turn. He could either… kiss James Potter, which he was loath to do. He'd seen what idiots he and his friend Black had been earlier. Teasing first years. Making jokes. Planting curse laden candy near portly students. And he'd never kissed anyone before…
This was certainly not how he'd envisioned his first ride on The Hogwarts Express.
"Oh, choose already!" Sirius complained. Remus' honey brown eyes watched him ungrudgingly. His eyes were driving him crazy.
"Shush." Lily ordered. "You had time to think about kissing Remus, so give Severus some time too."
Sirius quieted at the young girl's order. Her authority in the small booth somehow went unquestioned. However, Severus doubted that anyone would have had to think long about whether they wanted to kiss Remus' gentle lips. Black had even seemed to enjoy it.
So he could kiss James. Or he could do whatever he dared him to do. Which could be from humiliating to illegal at best. Which was all he could think of.
Severus weighted the consequences of what he could be coerced into doing for this silly game and resolved never to put himself in a situation where he had to trust these two mental cases ever again.
"Fine, you bloody puffer." Severus spat. James almost laughed.
"Glad to see you're so cheerful about it." His rosy tongue slowly slid over his own lips, and Severus watched James' Adam's apple bob as he swallowed before leaning over.
Severus Snape froze.
"Relax." James whispered, so close to his face that Severus could smell the sprig of mint he'd seen the boy chewing earlier. His hot breath touched his face, doing nothing to calm him. James placed his hands on Severus' shoulder gently, and pressed his lips to his.
He gave a little pressure at first, then opened his mouth a bit, sliding the tip of his tongue along Severus' lower lip. So slowly that Severus shivered, and opened his mouth a little, his lips softening. James took the invitation. The older boy's tongue slid into his mouth, pushing against his own, and then he opened his mouth further, and began to suck on Severus' tongue gently before releasing it. He kissed back, gasping at a breath before pushing his mouth onto James' in what he hoped was a good mimicry of the delicious pressure he'd felt before, but he felt awkward, and unsure. James continued regardless, and the two boys heard Sirius cackling as they continued to kiss much longer than the minute that was required for the game.
It was too soon, though, for Severus, when James pulled back, wiping his mouth as though refreshed. Severus did the same and did his best to steel his features against whatever was rising inside him. He was failing, he could tell by the smile on James' merry heart shaped face.
"Really not bad for a first year!" He panted. "You'll be stealing all the hearts in your class before the uppers in your house have a chance!"
"Not bloody likely."
"Maybe with some more practice." Remus suggested, just as Sirius was about to agree. His soft voice carried over the older boy's boisterous ringing tone, and his sweet eyes cast downward shyly after he'd spoken.
Severus pursed his lips, which felt, oddly, used. In a good way. He picked up his sturdy ebony wand and held it in the air, ready to spin.
"Maybe..." He locked eyes with Remus, who favored him with another bashful smile. "Somebody had better bloody start picking Dare, though, or this isn't going to be much of a game!"
Lily shook her head wisely. "I doubt anybody playing this game actually picks Dare."
Severus sneered as he set his wand on the thin air, willing it to simply be. And then, deliberately, he willed it to spin around and let it fly as it would. He starred intently at the wand, but eventually couldn't resist looking up. Only to see Remus staring at him, half biting his lip as he watched. Their eyes caught as the wand slowed down.
"Oh... bloody hell." Sirius grimaced. It was pointing at him. Lily raised her brows, watching his reaction. He pursed his lips and looked at Severus, with a very self-assured visage. "Dare."
Severus' face was blank. He kept his tone low and even.
"I dare you, to run through the entire aisle of this train-"
"Is that all?" Sirius laughed incredulously.
Severus grinned, catching Remus' eye as he delivered his power play. The exact reason he considered being kissed an acceptable risk.
"Completely naked."
Sirius choked and was silent.