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You aren’t that familiar with teenage party games. Penny had decided to organize a party for all the sixth years, and she can be very convincing when she wants to be, which is why you find yourself sitting amidst your classmates, wondering what on earth is going on.
The secret room was supplied by Jae, who told you he often uses it to store his products. (Probably illegal. Definitely dangerous.) It’s big enough to fit a large group of rowdy students, but small enough that you could describe the ambience as cozy .
The room is dim lit, but the lush carpeting and the old ornate tables are surprisingly fitting for a party.
Somehow, Diego had managed to smuggle a bunch of alcoholic butterbeer from Hogsmeade, and although the rest of Hogwarts might underestimate them in general, you have to say Hufflepuffs know how to party.
Tonks is sitting in the corner with Tulip and Chiara, playing exploding snaps. You don’t know who’s winning, and judging from the haphazard set up and the raucous laughter, neither do they.
Even Ismelda and Merula have shown up, and you sneak a few glances at them sitting in the corner, nursing two glasses of butterbeer and talking.
After an hour or two of Merlin knows what, Penny claps in the middle of the room, calling everyone to attention. She looks flushed and happy and sways a little as she shouts. “Everyone get in a circle! We’re playing truth or dare!”
You’re pushed to the center of the room where people have already gotten comfortable. Ben sits down next to you, looking very nervous.
“Do you think we’ll get caught?” He asks, glancing around.
You don’t get to answer, because someone on your other side pushes up against you. You turn around, about to say sorry, before the words freeze in your throat.
Merula blinks at you, magenta eyes seeming to glow in the soft light.
“Can you move?” She scowls, bumping her shoulder against yours almost violently.
“I was here first,” you point out, but then you see that there isn’t really space anywhere else. Merula grumbles, but she doesn’t seem too unhappy about it, and you can honestly say you aren’t bothered either.
“Who wants to start?” Penny asks with a scheming smile.
“I will!” Tonks calls out. She grabs an empty butterbeer bottle and spins it. Everyone watches as it turns and turns before landing on...Rowan.
“Oh no,” they groan.
“Truth or dare?”
“...Truth,” Rowan says reluctantly.
The expression on Tonks’ face could be described as diabolical. “What’s the worst thing you’ve ever done?”
Rowan groans again, dragging their hand across their face. Chiara sympathetically pats them on the shoulder.
“Wait!” Says Diego. “Everyone has to drink this first.” He fishes a bunch of clear liquid filled vials out a bag. “It’s Veritaserum,” he supplies helpfully as he passes them around. “Courtesy of Jae.”
You bring the vial to your mouth as everyone else does, swallowing it down. You hear Merula say something that sounds suspiciously like good riddance as she drinks it next to you.
Rowan nervously wrings their hands before downing the liquid and shaking their head.
“What’s the worst thing you’ve ever done?” Tonks repeats.
They seem to struggle for a second before giving in. “I stole some of Snape’s ingredients to make Felix Felicis.” They flush when people start hooting and hollering.
“ Rowan, ” Penny gasps, actually sounding scandalized. Jae raises a glass of butterbeer to them approvingly.
“Tulip dared me to,” Rowan continues before grabbing the bottle and spinning.
It lands on a lazy looking Jae. “Truth or dare?” Rowan asks.
Jae mulls over it for a moment before grinning. “Truth.”
“Ask him about the most dangerous thing he’s smuggled!” Tulip whispers furiously, although she’s all the way across the circle and everyone hears it.
“Or the most illegal,” Tonks supplies, leaning forward eagerly.
Rowan gives Jae an apologetic look. “What’s the most dangerous thing you’ve smuggled?”
“A dragon.” Jae answers without skipping a beat.
A hush falls over the crowd as they look at Jae in awe.
“No way,” Charlie says, eyes lit with excitement. “Which kind?”
“Only one question per turn,” Jae says as Charlie sputters in protest, before spinning the bottle.
The bottle lands on Diego. “Dare,” he says almost immediately.
“I dare you to do tango with someone in this room,” Jae says.
“That sounds like a punishment for the other person involved,” you hear Talbott mutter a few people away.
You’re not surprised to see that Diego chooses Ismelda, who very reluctantly takes his outstretched hand and joins him in the middle of the circle. It should be awkward without any music, but everyone is cheering, whooping as they spin from one side to the other.
“Go Ismelda!” Merula shouts, cupping her hands to her mouth. She was already red before — probably from the alcohol — but she flushes even deeper when she catches you staring at her. “What?” She scowls, reflexively crossing her arms.
You grin at her and open your mouth to say something, but you’re cut off when the dance ends and Diego spins the bottle again.
The rounds go by in a blur. Ismelda dares Merula to sing. Chiara asks Penny who the cutest boy in their grade is (“Ben.”) Badeea dares Liz to do her best impression of a Chimaera. Talbott chooses Barnaby when asked who he would bring with him to an abandoned island filled with dangerous creatures. He frowns when Barnaby bounds over to him and crushes him in a bear hug
Somewhere along the way, Merula has slumped over so her shoulder is pressed up against yours.
Finally, after Charlie’s turn (his answer was about dragons), the bottle lands on you.
There’s a cacophony of noise as everyone tries to suggest questions and dares.
“Truth,” you say.
“Ask about the cursed vaults!” Andre shouts.
“Ask if she would ever cast an unforgivable curse,” Ismelda says darkly.
“Ask about her favorite creature!” Barnaby says excitedly, shaking Charlie’s arm.
Penny sweeps her arms outwards and everyone falls quiet. “Wait. Ask who she thinks the prettiest girl at Hogwarts is,” she says almost ominously.
There are gleeful murmurs and nods of agreement around the room, and you laugh nervously.
Merula stiffens next to you and sits upright, pulling away so your shoulders are no longer touching.
Charlie straightens. “Who do you think the prettiest girl at Hogwarts is?”
And it’s almost embarrassing how it doesn’t even take you a second to process it. Because the minute Charlie finishes asking, you blurt out: “Merula.”
Everyone falls quiet as they stare at the both of you. You know you’ve gone two shades darker with how warm you suddenly feel, and you’re too embarrassed to look at Merula who is definitely staring at you in surprise.
Amidst the awkward silence, someone asks: “how long does it take Veritaserum to wear off?”
“Um,” you say.
“You think I’m the prettiest girl at Hogwarts?” Merula demands, forcing you to look at her.
You’re starting to really regret taking that Veritaserum when once again, you answer “yes” too quickly.
Someone who sounds suspiciously like Tonks hoots.
“Do you like me?” Merula repeats, still looking stunned.
“Yes,” you reply miserably. You’re never going to take Veritaserum again. “Can we stop with the questions?” You ask as everyone starts cheering around you. They’re all shouting at once, and you swear you hear someone say ‘kiss!’ but then you’re not thinking when Merula cups your face and presses her mouth to yours.
The room erupts in sound as you freeze.
“About time!”
“ Finally! ”
“Get a room!”
And when you fully register that Merula is kissing you, eyes scrunched shut and red in the face, you block out the noise altogether.
And this definitely wasn’t how you envisioned your first kiss with Merula, but as you come to your senses and kiss her back, you realize you don’t care.