Harry Potter FanFiction - All Aboard the Hogwarts Express

Just A Kiss

The group gathered in the centre of the Great hall; now very much clear after the vast majority of the students had disappeared off to their beds for the night, their feet aching after hours of jumping up and down to the beat of the Weird Sister’s latest single. All teachers had long left the room, with the prospect of getting up to watch the Quidditch match between Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff the next day, so the group had the room pretty much to themselves, with the exception of Blaise Zabini, Pansy Parkinson and their partners, who all seemed suitably occupied, anyway, Hermione noted.

               Ginny was giggling as she sat down, and Harry had a pink flush to his cheek – Hermione would be damned if Harry didn’t finally make a move on Ginny tonight, even if Ron WAS there; surely Ron would rather his best mate proclaimed his undying love for the feisty Weasley girl, than some random kid in Ginny’s year with only one thing on his mind, she mused. Malfoy sat opposite Hermione in the circle, and an assortment of other students joined them; filling the gaps. Parvati sat down next to Ginny, with Ron taking the seat next to Hermione, who she edged away from subconsciously, to Malfoy’s amusement.

 Neville and Luna joined the circle, with Neville taking Hermione’s right, and Luna sitting on Malfoy’s left, in her non-caring bemused manner, not minding the fact that Malfoy himself had hexed her trainers to hang from the arch in the Potions corridor, and hadn’t bothered to get them down for her once it reached the end of term, even though Luna had asked him as nicely as one could.

But Luna didn’t hold grudges, so Malfoy found himself smiling back at the blonde Ravenclaw when she flashed him her pearly whites, and whether that was the alcohol talking or not, Malfoy honestly didn’t know. He was going soft – this was what Hermione was doing to him, he grinned to himself, noticing out of the corner of his eye the unnerving glare that Ron was throwing his way, making no attempt to hide his contempt for the reformed Slytherin.

Seamus, who had aptly dressed as a firework, given his tendency to make everything he touched explode, to the amusement of his classmates, sat in between Harry and Neville, grinning broadly as the Firewhiskey he’d been drinking all evening caught up with him. Once everyone had sat down, Ginny unveiled an empty bottle of butterbeer as if it was a sacred object, placing the bottle in the centre of the circle, and looking around at the assembled students; some older some younger than the red headed witch, but all faces she had known for many years of her life, whether she’d always liked them or not, she thought, as her gaze fell on Malfoy.

               “So does everyone know how to play?” Ginny enquired, meeting the eyes of everyone in the group.

               Parvati spoke up, in her simpering tones, “I think I remember from Slughorn’s Christmas party,” she began, “But do you think you could just go over it so that we’re all absolutely certain?”

               “Course,” Ginny grinned, “Basically all that happens is we take it in turns to spin the bottle. If you’re male and it lands on a guy you’re allowed to kiss them on the cheek the first time; same for if it’s girl on girl, but after that you have to kiss them on the lips for as long as the pair see fit. You’re not allowed to hex the bottle to avoid kissing someone you don’t want to, and if it’s an opposite sex pairing you have to start with a kiss on the lips, not the cheek. Got it?”

               Everyone nodded in response to Ginny’s explanation. The witch grinned, reaching for the bottle. “Let the games begin,” she announced, as with a flick of her wrist, the bottle span round, chinking against the marble of the floor. Blaise Zabini looked up at the noise and so did Pansy and Goyle. The three Slytherins edged closer to the game, standing round the sidelines as the bottle began to slow down, and everyone waited with baited breath to see who it would land on.