Ron straightened the light blue boxers on his head as he looked around the room for the next Truth or Dare victim. He was still blushing furiously from having to wear his underpants like a headdress when all of a sudden he heard a muffled snickering. He jerked his head around to look at his best friend seated on the couch next to him. Harry was turned away, chuckling helplessly into his shoulder.
“Oh, think it’s funny, do you?” Ron fumed. “Bloody hilarious!” He popped Harry on the back of the head. “Your turn then, Harry. Truth or dare!”
Harry immediately stopped laughing as his stomach did a flip-flop. He’s going to ask me something embarrassing… probably about a girl…
“Dare!” Harry sputtered, trying his best to look unaffected.
Much to his dismay, however, Ron grinned wickedly.
“Alright, Chuckles. I dare you to wear nothing but your underwear for the rest of the game! Top that!”
Hoots and hollers filled the common room as Harry’s face went pale. Slowly, his trademark spectacles began to fog up. Even Neville, who looked somewhat relieved, was smiling.
Lavender and Parvati were clapping furiously. “Off with your trousers, then, you naughty boy!” Parvati announced. Lavender laughed so hard she began to choke.
“Fine,” Harry said loudly as he unbuttoned his shirt. “But everything comes full circle, Ron! You’re gonna get-”
Harry was interrupted by loud whistling as he removed his shirt. By now, Harry’s face was as red as Ron’s hair. He pulled some of the pillows off the couch and put them in front of him as he quickly kicked off his trousers. Though he tried to sit with the throw pillow in his lap, his boxers were still visible. They were dark blue and dotted with golden snitches.
Harry waved his hand in the air, trying to allay the noise.
“It’s alright,” he said with his bravest voice. “If I can face Voldemort and live, then I can certainly sit here in my underpants for an evening.” Just then, Harry looked up to see Hermione whispering something into Ginny’s ear, who was blushing furiously.
“Truth or dare, Hermione?” Harry asked, folding his arms self-consciously over his bare chest. Hermione froze, quite taken aback.
“My turn already? Oh…” her eyes darted around the room, looking for anything with which to stall. Luna had her head leaned forward and seemed to be counting how many hairs she had on her head. Hermione helplessly started to mumble “Truth”, but Ginny elbowed her smartly in the side.
“Dare! Dare, then.”
This time it was Harry’s turn to adopt a wicked grin.
“I dare you to kiss Ron!”
“That all right with you, Lavender?” Ginny asked loudly with a smirk. “You look as though you might lay an egg!”
It was true. Lavender’s face was twisted up in complete horror, while Ron was gaping in shock. He’d forgotten all about the underwear on his head, and turned to look incredulously at Harry.
“You…. You….”
But before Ron could speak any further, Hermione stood up and strode quickly to the couch. She leaned down and kissed Ron firmly but briefly right on the lips. The room echoed in gasps. Hermione turned quickly on her heel and sat down next to Ginny. She looked down at the floor to hide her crimson face.
“That wasn’t so bad, was it?” Hermione said in her calmest voice. Ron’s face was still frozen in shock. Harry cleared his throat, but got no reaction from Ron.
Hermione, eager to change the subject, turned to face Lavender, who was still looking quite disturbed.
“Truth or dare, Lavender?” Hermione felt better instantly, as she’d never liked Lavender at all.
Lavender looked absolutely livid. Her mind swirled with what Hermione might dare to ask her if she picked Truth.
“Dare!” she squeaked, looking Hermione intently in the eyes.
Hermione reached back and snatched Ginny’s half-full box of Bertie Bott’s Every Flavor Beans.
“Hey, I was eating those!”
Hermione paid no attention. “Alright, Lav-Lav. I dare you to eat the rest of these beans in one mouthful!”
Lavender brazenly ripped the box out of Hermione’s hands and emptied into her mouth. Suddenly, her face turned quite pale.
“What’s it taste like?” Parvati asked cautiously, scooting away from her friend.
Lavender chewed for a moment with a disgusted grimace. “Coffee…grass… ginger… bacon… pomegranate… VOMIT!” Clutching her hands to her mouth, Lavender ran up the stairs to the girls dormitory. When Lavender finally descended the stairs again a few minutes later, looking quite disheveled, everyone in the Gryffindor common room was still in the grip of a laughing fit. Lavender sat down next to Parvati again, and icily eyed the room.
“Bloody Hell,” Ron said quietly aside to Harry. “Someone’s really in for it now!”
“Luna, truth or dare?”
Luna lifted her head up and beamed, looking quite honored.
“Dare?”
Hermione was quite fretful for her oblivious friend as Lavender smiled viciously.
“Alright, Loony, I dare you to ask Professor Snape if he’s a vampire... in tomorrow’s potions class!”
Parvati turned suddenly and grabbed the throw-pillow which Harry was holding onto so dearly, and whipped it at Lavender’s face.
“Oh, that’s so cruel! Snape will absolutely murder her!”
“I don’t mind,” Luna explained. “I already know for a fact that he is. A confession would do well in The Quibbler.”
Ron laughed mockingly as he pulled his boxers a bit further back on his head. “How can he possibly be a vampire? He goes around in daylight, you know!”
“Sun-block,” Luna replied.
Suddenly, Ginny leaned over and whispered something in Luna’s ear. On the couch next to Ron, Neville had begun to get nervous. No one had picked him yet, but he feared that was about to change.
“Neville,” Luna asked musingly. “Truth or dare?”
Neville turned to look at his two friends on the couch with him; one in nothing but his underwear and the other one wearing his as a hat. Ron and Harry glowered at him.
“D-d-dare,” Neville stuttered.
Luna closed her eyes in thought, wondering what dare she might ask of Neville. Ginny leaned over and began whispering in her ear again.
“That’s cheating!” Ron yelled with a very high pitch. Ginny took off her shoe and threw it at him, hitting him squarely in the chest.
“Neville, I dare you,” Luna said in a reciting and melodic voice, “to call Draco Malfoy a scumbag arse-face tomorrow.”
More whispering from Ginny.
“To his face.”
Even more whispering from Ginny.
“In front of everyone.”
Neville’s face fell, whilst everyone else let out “Oooohs” and “Ahhhhhs”.
“Don’t worry, Neville,” Harry said in a hushed tone. “We’ll back you up.”
Lavender and Parvati squealed to themselves. “This is going to be hilarious."
Finally, everyone agreed that it was late and they’d all head to bed. Harry immediately stood up and tried to pull his trousers back on as fast as possible, falling back frantically onto the couch. Ron, still blushing from that kiss from Hermione, trudged sullenly up the stairs to his dorm. Harry caught up with him, still pulling his arms into his sleeves, and ripped the boxers off of Ron’s head.
“What in Merlin's name have we gotten into?”