Their simple game of Wizards Chess soon turned into bets and such, and it got quite determined as the two girls narrowed eyes at one another. Daphne scoffed glass after glass of firewhisky after each game - she'd scoff an entire bottle if she lost. Emma was sure the reason Daphne was losing against her was because her system contained way too much intoxication.

"Are you ready, Pansy?" Daphne spat, her eyes moving in and out of focus.

Emma sighed. "Yes, yes I'm ready."

A few bystanders watching the game laughed and paid close attention as the two girls moved their chess pieces. It got a bit boring after some time, and Emma was more focused on the music than she was on the game.

"What a lady, what a night," Emma sung, moving her head to the side to crack her neck.

Daphne soon managed to explain that she was not going to stop playing against Emma until she won, and this time Emma let her win. Daphne was soon dangling over Emma as she tried to walk the drunk girl up the dormitory steps up to the girls dormitory, and eventually succeeded after dropping Daphne several times.

"For all my hard work," Emma breathed loudly, she pulled Daphne's jumper off after tucking her in bed, "I think I deserve a little reward. Nice jumper."

"Mmmuurrgh," Daphne moaned, sinking further under her covers.

"Yeah, I agree. I do look great in this."

She raced down the stairs, slowing to a stop and swallowing hard as she scanned the room for Sabrina. Her eyebrows raised naturally at the sight of Sabrina on one of the tables, dancing seductively. Emma laughed loudly; the Head Girl was yelling at Sabrina for scarring first and second years who looked like they were enjoying this party very much.

"Freckles."

Emma stopped laughing and felt like rolling her eyes again. Would he ever leave her alone?

"What, Draco?" Emma asked irritably, turning to face him while sticking out her hip to let him know that she was close to walking away.

He was quiet for a moment, just staring at her. Emma took the time to rake her eyes over him. He was wearing a simple suit, but it wasn't too fancy as in wedding fancy. It was just right.

"Want to play Truth or Dare?"

"If you're just going to ruin my night, then no, Draco, I don't fancy a game of Truth or Dare."

"Ruin your night?" Draco grinned. "Now why would I want to do that? Besides, this is no ordinary Truth or Dare. Why else would the Head Girl ban people younger than us?"

Emma pondered this for a moment, but was able to come up with more negative than positive solutions as to why the Head Girl felt this way.

"Tell me," she said, allowing her hip to relax.

"We'll play two on two. Theodore and me versus you and Pansy. The rules are simple, Freckles. You only get to pass three Dares. Once you've used up all your passes, you'll automatically do your dare, kind of like the Imperius Curse, - legal of course - only the game won't let you do anything dangerous and lasts approximately thirty seconds. For a Truth you can easily fool us, there's nothing different with a Truth. Unless, of course, you'd prefer to take some Veritaserum."

Though the game sounded tempting and quite fun, Emma couldn't help but feel Draco would use this as an advantage to get to her. She bit her lip, unsure of what to say. She really really wanted to play, just not against Draco.

"You promise you won't try anything if I use up all my passes?"

Draco pouted. "If I have to." Emma shot him a threatening look, and he threw his arms up. "Yes, yes, I promise."

Emma followed Draco toward the right side of the common room, but passing a table, Draco grabbed a glass of firewhisky. The Head Girl's face fixed itself into a scowl.

"Before we play, try some of this," Draco held out the glass for Emma.

Unsure, Emma's eyes flickered from Draco to the glass and back again. She took the glass in the end, hesitating.

"You've never tried any?"

Emma shook her head.

"Me neither. That's why I'm making you test it out first," Draco smiled innocently as Emma scowled.

Pursing her lips for a moment, Emma forced the scorching liquid down her throat as quick as she could, dropping the glass onto the floor from how horrible it tasted, and it smashed. Draco, who looked concerned for a moment, soon looked like he was about to laugh but that was before Emma spat all of the moisture out onto his face.

She'd have laughed of course, but the aftertaste was terrible. It was hot, very hot, and tasted nasty, like someone drank it multiple times and threw it back up in the glass.

"Egh - it tastes like hot piss! I need water - move, Draco - I need some sodding water!" Emma nudged Draco out of the way and rushed over to pour herself some water, which she swallowed instantly.

"How charming," Draco grunted, using the table cloth to wipe his face.

Pansy and Theodore were already there waiting, as though they knew all along the Draco was going to persuade Emma into playing. Emma and Pansy sat beside each other while Draco and Theodore sat opposite them.

"Truth or Dare, Draco?" Pansy asked casually, twisting her thumbs nervously.

"Truth."

"Who do you prefer, blondes or brunettes?"

Draco winked at Emma, "brunettes."

Pansy took no notice and beamed with hope. Theodore asked Emma, who chose dare.

"I dare you to take off the jumper."

Squinting, Emma slowly took off Daphne's jumper. Draco was glaring slightly at Theodore, as though that was his dare. "All right, now don't get any ideas," she told him, dropping the jumper by her feet. "That's the only bit of clothing I'm taking off."

Theodore shrugged.

"All right. Draco, Truth or Dare?" Emma asked.

"Dare."

Emma bit her lip in amusement and, ignoring Draco's hopeful eyes, said, "Hold Pansy's hand for twenty seconds."

Pansy shot Emma a look of utter gratefulness, while Draco shot her a dirty look.

The game went on for minutes. Holding hands here and there, kissing cheeks, telling embarrassing stories. Emma had already used all her passes, while Pansy lost two of hers. Both boys hadn't passed a thing and were quite confident with everything they were told to do or answer.

"Truth or Dare, Freckles?" said Draco casually, examining his fingernails. Emma opened her mouth to speak but he beat her to it, "you're not allowed to choose Truth anymore, you haven't even done any dares in ages."

"Because I don't want to sit on your lap, hug you, nor do I want to seduce Pansy," Emma scowled, folding her arms.

"I don't quite fancy that idea, myself," Pansy added.

"Hey, that was all Nott, why would I want to sit by and watch you seduce anybody else?" Emma glared at Draco's response, taking it as an immediate result that Draco would get Emma to do something she wouldn't want to do. "Don't worry, don't worry. It won't be bad and it'll only last thirty seconds so you'll be fine."

"Dare me then - and just be aware that if this is anything I don't want to do, I'm never going to speak to you ever again. After I get Fred and George to pull unforgivable pranks on you, of course," Emma threatened, hugging her arms tighter.

Draco pulled his chair closer in front of Emma, who could already feel the spell overtaking.

"I dare you," Draco started, running one hand through Emma's hair, "to kiss me. And mean it. And want it, of course."

"Draco," Emma growled, trying her best to fight against the spell but she could already feel herself leaning in. Out of the corner of her eye, she seen Pansy get up and leave. Theodore was simply observing the scene. "Are you taking my threat as a joke, or are you really going to risk it? Change the dare, right now!"

Draco simply smiled, waiting for Emma to meet his lips.

She was still leaning in, not matter how much she fought it.

"Do you know Pansy is in love with you?" Emma said quietly, hoping Draco would change his mind after hearing this. But all he said was -

"I know."

She was much closer than she was comfortable with, and she wanted to punch Draco in the face but she couldn't do that until she was done with the dare. It was like living as a ghost through another persons body, watching her own arm reach up to the back of Draco's neck and pull him closer. Draco gladly obliged.

Her lips were so close to his now, and she was feeling as disgusted as ever. She couldn't say it was like kissing a brother, because she didn't know Draco as well enough to consider him one. But the feeling was similar. Emma only knew that she was very sickened by doing this.

They were only a few centimeters apart now, only the smallest bit further and they'd be kissing. But before the gap was able to be shut, the portrait door burst open and the music turned off immediately. Draco whispered something and Emma was back to controlling herself, relaxed at the feeling.

Professor Snape and Professor McGonagall were standing there, horrified, in their night clothes. Well, McGonagall was in her night gown, Snape was in his usual long black robes.

"What the devil is going on in here?" Professor McGonagall asked, her voice in utter shock, her hand pressed against her heart as though to keep it from attacking her. Her eyes raked over the place.

"Damn, I didn't even get one dance with you," Draco whispered to Emma, clearly disappointed. Emma scowled at what Draco was about to make her do, but she promised herself she'd get him back for it.

"I tried to keep it from happening," the Head Girl said quickly, walking quickly over to Professor Snape. "I tried to tell them it was wrong."

"Then why didn't you come and report to a teacher?" McGonagall said.

"Because, Professor, I knew we'd lose points either way."

"I'll take it from here, Minerva," said Snape monotonously, his eyes examining every inch of the common room. "You escort Ms. Baranov to the Headmaster."

Emma blinked, and for a moment she forgot her surname was Baranov. It was that mere second she received the unexpected, and, apparently, at two in the morning, the Headmaster wanted to see her.

"Come along, Ms. Baranov," McGonagall waved her hand, gesturing her over.

Emma stood and walked through the crowd and, amongst them all, spotted Sabrina passed out underneath a table.

She was right beside Snape, right under his nose as she glided past him, but he stared above her head, not at all acknowledging her presence.

"Professor, what's going on?" Emma asked quickly as she struggled to keep up with the older woman, who was walking at quite the abnormal speed for a woman her age.

"You are spending Christmas with the Weasley family, are you not?"

"Yes."

"You'll be leaving early, then," McGonagall informed her. "Everything will be explained when you arrive, I suspect."

"Can't you tell me now?"

"All I can say, Ms. Baranov, is that Arthur Weasley has been injured and his children are leaving to visit him. Potter is leaving with them and Ms. Granger will be arriving in a couple days."

Emma understood the situation easier than she thought she would, and nodded, even though Professor McGonagall couldn't see her. She, McGonagall, didn't bother rasping the door, instead, she burst right inside, ushering Emma inside.

Fred, George, Ron, Ginny and Harry were already there. Dumbledore had just placed a blackened kettle on his desk in front of the other five. The Weasley's all looked miserable and dispirited while Harry looked horrified and confused and angry all at once.

None of the five questioned Emma's presence as they were already aware of her joining them for Christmas. The only thing she couldn't understand was why Hermione Granger was arriving later rather than now.

Emma paid no attention to what Dumbledore was saying; he was talking to all the portraits above him, who were still dressed in pyjamas and gowns. When Professor Dumbledore eyed Emma, he didn't make any comment on the way she was dressed. The only thing Emma heard him say in a clear voice was to grab onto the portkey. 

______

A/N: I refuse to believe Alan is gone...I just refuse to...*cries and drowns*