What if...

Truth on the Train

"Please?"
"No."
"Please?"
"No!"
"Please?"
"...fine, but just this once."

"I told you so!" Harry pointed at Hermione triumphantly. "Lockhart was a git!"
"Honestly, you'd think you'd won the Galleon Prize Draw." Hermione huffed.

"Funny you should say that-" George started.
"-because we did." Fred added.
"And we haven't told anyone."
"Not a soul! Unless you count Tom."
"The day maid."
"The night maid."
"That bloke who fixed the toilet."
"And that wizard from Belgium."
"The same people Percy told about his new position as HB."
"For Humongous Bighead."

Harry, Hermione, Fred, George and Neville were in their own compartment and the train was on its way to Hogwarts.

Soon, the trolley lady reached their compartment and asked them what they wanted.

"Uh, liquorice wand." Fred chose, pulling seven knuts out.
"Same for me." George pulled six knuts out to see if the lady would notice. She didn't.
"Maybe just a packet of Droobles' Best Blowing Gum." Neville said uncertainly.
"I'm okay, thank you." Hermione said shyly. Harry looked around at everyone and made his decision quickly.

"Four of everything, please." Harry asked, pulling out twenty galleons. "And a pumpkin pasty." He added at everyone's incredulous look. "Make that two pumpkin pasties." He added hastily at Hermione's glare.

Slowly but surely, everyone was packed with as many sweets as they could wish for through a whole week. Though the trolley lady looked quite annoyed.

"Harry... you didn't have to-" Fred began.
"This is too much..." George said weakly.
"Look, eat them or I'll hex you." Harry threatened. "I know some good ones now."

Giving in, the twins dug in to their sweet pile, leaving just Hermione and Neville to be the only ones who hadn't started yet.

"Harry, that was really nice of you, but I'm not eating until you do." Hermione crossed her arms and sat determinedly.
"Me neither, mate." Neville pushed his pile away.

"I was going to eat one anyway." Harry shrugged, picking a pasty up.
"Harry James Potter, you will eat both pasties right now!" Hermione commanded. Harry's rate of consumption quickened exponentially.

"Who knew Hermione could be so scary?" George asked, fake-shivering.
"Me." Harry and Neville replied at the same time. Hermione smiled in satisfaction, uncrossing her arms and diving into a Bertie Botts' Every Flavour Beans.

"Be careful with them, they mean every flavour." Fred warned.
"Watch out for the beige ones, I got a bogey flavoured one once." George advised.
"Duly noted." Hermione placed a beige bean back into the packet which had been about to enter her mouth. "Mm, spearmint!" She complimented as she popped a light green bean into her mouth.

Harry turned to her, surprised, and Hermione blushed deeply and turned away, remembering their close encounter in the library in second year, and how Harry's breath smelt of fresh spearmint.

"C-can I try one?" Harry asked, trying to remove the awkward atmosphere. Hermione nodded, passing him an innocent light blue bean. Harry flicked it into his mouth and found that it tasted of peppermint. "Peppermint! My favourite type of mint!" Harry exclaimed suddenly.

"You have a least favourite mint?" Neville asked sceptically, not noticing Hermione turn away and blush further. Harry noticed, and also thought back to that moment in the library when it was only him and Hermione in the whole world.

"People at my school would always call me mint-breath. I didn't have the heart to tell them that it wasn't an insult." Hermione laughed. Everyone joined in, finding the density of muggle bullies amusing.