Double Dare

I hurried up the train; checking in every compartment for the Slytherins. Finally; I found them. Draco, Blaise, Pansy, Crabbe, Goyle and Flint. I slipped into the room. Draco jumped up and hugged me tightly.

"Took your time!"

I laughed; "nice to see you too Draco"

He glared at Crabbe, making him move so I could sit down.

"So how was your summer?" he asked. I shrugged.

"Same old; you?"

"Can't complain; mum and dad pissed off to somewhere in Europe for two weeks"

"And you didn't invite me over why?"

He laughed; "because, he got fucking Fenrir to babysit me!"

"Ooh, nice, how was that?"

"Fucking scary! I was cowering under my covers every night, waiting for him to come and eat me!"

I laughed; he scowled at me.

"Sorry, but c'mon, your father wouldn't get him to babysit you if he knew he'd eat you"

He shrugged; "still!"

We chatted for a while longer until Draco pulled me out of the compartment; we wandered down the train.

"I have a little proposal for you"

"Yes, I will marry you!"

We burst out laughing.

"Nice try Lenore, but I'm not going to marry my oldest friend; actually, I thought we could make this year interesting"

"But every year's interesting!"

He smirked; "but this year, I propose we have a little bet?"

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah; we both need to seduce someone unlikely"

"Oh dear...I'm not liking this"

"Oh c'mon it'll be funny! The winner gets...The other as a slave for the entire summer"

"Well, having you as my slave for six weeks may just sweeten the deal; so go on, who do I need to seduce"

"I was thinking...Professor-"

"-Oh god no! No one in authority!"

"C'mon! That's what makes it fucking hilarious!"

"And who will you be doing? Granger?"

"Perhaps"

I laughed; "that's just betting on a lame horse! She would never fall for you, no matter what you did, and spells and potions aren't allowed!"

He nodded; "fine, you pick someone for me, but I say you need to do...Professor...Snape!"

My jaw almost hit the floor.

"You're, fucking, kidding me right?"

"No! And you've got to! It's unfair if you don't!"

"Fine, you can do McGonagall"

"Seriously! I'm not going anywhere near that old hag"

"And what makes you think I want to seduce your head of house?"

"Because I know you fancy him!"

"I do not!"

"Do too! I read your diary! You said you had the slightest school girl crush on him"

"That was two years ago!"

"So? Go on! It'll be funny!"

I sighed; "fine, but you've got to seduce...Tempest Reed!"

"..."Who?"

"Think, Loony Lovegood, just more...Sane"

"What?"

"She's in Hufflepuff, and she's like, a total hippy!"

"Hippy? No way!"

"I'm doing Snape! You're doing her!"

He sighed; "fine"

We shook hands.

"Just...One problem, I've never met her"

I laughed; "come with me"

I led him down the train, looking for Tempest. I finally found her sat with Luna and some other Hufflepuffs. I went into their compartment.

"Hey Tempest, how was your summer"

She smiled; "it was amazing; I spent all of it camping out in the wilderness with some gypsies"

"Nice...You know Draco Malfoy right?" I said, pulling him into the compartment. She smiled still.

"I've come across him"

I elbowed him in the chest; he coughed.

"Uh, nice to meet you properly" he said as politely as he could. They smiled at each other, Draco's more forced than natural obviously,

"Anyway, see you at Hogwarts?"

She nodded; I dragged Malfoy back up the train.

"Gypsies? What the hell! She looks like she made her clothes herself!"

I laughed; "she did"

"Eurgh!"

We went back to our compartment.

At Hogwarts I sat with my few Ravenclaw friends; twins Jade and Ruby Denton and Celeste Wilde. We sat catching up until the first years came in to be sorted. I looked up at the staff table and saw Snape. I sighed at my task for the next year; his emotionless face hinted that it would incredibly difficult. The Slytherin table was on the opposite side of the hall. I looked over and saw Draco. He winked at me then nodded in Snapes direction. I mouthed "Tempest" at him, he shuddered. I laughed. Ruby elbowed me.

"What's funny?"

I shook my head; "nothing, just Draco"

She nodded and went back to watching the ceremony. I sat thinking about possible seduction tactics. After all the first years had been sorted and Dumbledore made his speech, food appeared. We sat discussing the upcoming year and all kind of plans. When I finished eating I looked around. I noticed Snape get up and leave the staff table; I got up too, deciding to start as early as possible. I walked quickly through the corridors hoping to bump into him; though not as literally as I did. I fell to the floor. Snape looked down at me; looking almost embarrassed for me.

"Watch where you're walking Page"

I nodded and went to get up when he offered me a hand. I took it and straightened myself out.

"Sorry Professor"

"Good night"

I smiled; "good night"

We both went in our separate directions. Even though I wasn't in Slytherin, he still liked me as if I were one; being Dracos best friend helped a lot. I looked behind me, all I saw was his billowing cape disappear round the corner. I grinned to myself and almost skipped to the Ravenclaw common room.

The next morning I went to the Great Hall with Celeste. We sat arguing over what goes with toast better when the owls came with our timetables and any other letters. I pulled my timetable out of the envelope; first thing that morning was double Potions with the Slytherins. I smirked. Celeste leant over.

"Double Potions? Eurgh, poor you"

I laughed; "I like Potions"

"...You freak!"

I laughed and looked at her timetable.

"Care of Magical Creatures? You're taking that?"

"Yeah! I told you! I want to look after animals!"

"Oh yeah, fair enough"

I looked up to see Draco, Crabbe and Goyle saunter into the Great Hall. Draco grabbed his post then came over to me.

"Morning"

I smirked and took a bite out of my toast.

"You got double Potions first?"

I nodded; "I do"

He smirked too; "great, that means I can watch you seduce him"

Celeste leant in; "seduce who?"

"Our very own Severus Snape"

She pulled a face; "you are gross"

I laughed; "I don't want to! It's a bet! He has to seduce Tempest Reed"

She burst out laughing.

"Oh wow really? Good luck with that!"

Draco sighed and helped himself to some toast. We sat chatting until it was time for lessons. I sat at the front with Draco. He sighed.

"Why are we at the front? I hate it at the front!"

I rolled my eyes; "how am I supposed to seduce him if he doesn't even see me? From here I can wink at him and whatnot"

He laughed; "you're taking this very seriously aren't you"

"Definitely! There's a chance I could watch you mowing my lawn in hotpants!"

"What!"

"Oh yeah, you'd better hope you win!"

He cringed and looked at the front. Just then Snape burst in and hurried up to the front. He looked confoundedly at Draco and I but preceded with his beginning of the year speech.

"Today you'll be making Draught of Living Death; turn to page ten and begin"

Everyone hurried to begin their potion, too afraid of the consequences. Before we could begin Snape came over to us.

"How nice to see you sat at the front and paying attention; may I ask what is with the sudden change?"

Draco looked at me; leaving the lying up to me.

"Well, uh, we thought, seeing as it's sixth year and we have out NEWTs, we can't just, mess about"

He nodded sceptically and took my Advanced Potions book. He looked over some of the things before taking it to his desk. I watched him begin scribbling things on the paper. Draco and I looked at each other.

"What the hell's he doing?" Draco asked. I shrugged. Snape came back and passed me my book back.

"Carry on"

He wandered off around the classroom. I turned to page ten. He'd scribbled things out and corrected everything that was wrong. Draco peered over my shoulder.

"Ahh, so this way we'll be the only ones doing it right?"

I shrugged; "I guess so"

"...Goddamn you're going to win this dare thing! He loves you!"

I laughed and began making the potion.

At the end of the lesson Snape tested all our potions; obviously Draco and I were the only ones who'd gotten it right.

"Well done to Mr Malfoy and Miss Page; the rest of you will write up an essay on what you did wrong! Class dismissed"

Everyone groaned and packed their things away before leaving. I lingered until everyone had gone; Draco was waiting outside.

"Professor?"

"What is it Miss Page?"

"Can I ask; why did you correct the mistakes in my book?"

He stopped gathering up left-over ingredients and looked at me.

"Because you have a natural talent for Potion making; it'd be a shame to see that talent go to waste because of incompetent publishers"

I nodded; "but why only mine?"

"I can see you taking Potions to a higher level; much more than just your NEWTs, I don't see that with anyone else"

"Not even Granger?"

"The little know-it-all can correct her own mistakes"

I smiled; "oh, okay, well, uh, bye?"

"Good day"

I rushed out of the classroom. Draco ran after me.

"So? So? Why did he correct your book?"

"Because he can see me doing well in Potions, and no one else, he doesn't want my natural talent to go to waste"

He laughed; "whatever!"