Truth or Dare ✔️

21

After having walked for about a half hour, Sirius led Hermione to a cluster of trees where the shade lessened the temperature about five degrees. Both were glistening with perspiration. Hermione opened up the wicker basket that Sirius had produced and opened a thermos of cold water and together they drained it immediately and Sirius refilled it. Then she withdrew a blanket and lay it on the ground. She sat crossed her legs and peered into the basket. He leaned against a tree as she began to remove what he had requested to be packed...two bottles of wine, softened brie and a baguette, some chocolates as well as some strawberries, grapes and three apples that had been cored and cut into slices. She removed utensils, a corkscrew, napkins and two glasses as well as two plates. She handed the bottle to him as she didn't have a lot of experience with opening wine bottles and she began setting up their picnic. Moments later, Sirius had poured two glasses of the white wine that had come from the local vineyard and handed one to her. She sniffed at the contents and tasted it...it was sweet and she nodded her head as she swallowed. He had watched her reaction carefully and he nodded as he smiled; he was pleased that she liked it. He leaned against the tree making a mental note to obtain more of it as he rested his hand that held the fragile crystal glass atop his knee.

Hermione stole a glance from the corner of her eyes; the man was staring holes into her again with that same look on his face...the half-closed eyes, the tiniest hint of a smile, as if he knew a secret and was itching to share it with her.

He wiped at his brow with his sleeve and unbuttoned his waistcoat and his shirt and fanned himself with the loosened fabric. He looked up toward the sky and noted where the sun was...it was very nearly noon.

"I wish I had thought to bring some music," he said.

Her face lit up and she reached into her beaded bag and pulled out a rectangular yellow plastic device and two miniature speakers. "These were actually a pair of old speakers from my stereo at home," she said. "I minimized them at school for a project. They work out quite well." She reached in again and pulled out a few cassette tapes and opened up the yellow device and placed one in, closed it and plugged in the speakers, then she pressed play. It was a band he knew well...Led Zeppelin.

"And here I was thinking of a transistor radio," he said half grinning. "I think I like this infinitely more!"

She smiled and nodded her head. "I believe this was popular when you were in school?"

He nodded. "Yes it was. James used to sing Stairway to Heaven at the top of his lungs just to annoy Lily." He laughed remembering the look on her face...pure unadulterated annoyance, simply because the poor young man couldn't hold a tune; still, it thrilled her that he had bothered to even learn it in the first place.

She placed the fruit and cheese on the plates and broke the bread. She handed him a napkin and a knife asking him to do the honors. He took the knife and spread the softened cheese on the bread and handed her a piece. She took a grape from the plate and threw it up into the air and tried to catch it, only for it to hit her nose and fly off to parts unknown. She cursed under her breath as she looked for it. Unable to find it, she thought to try again, but he had leaned over and reached beneath her leg, retrieved the grape and threw it into the air and caught it in his mouth.

"Show off," she teased.

He laughed and held it between his teeth and waved her over toward him. He rose to his knees and leaned in and invited her to take half of it. When their lips touched, he pulled the grape halves back into his mouth and they wrestled with their tongues to see who would get the fruit. Realizing that he wasn't going to let her have it and she'd have to put forth an honest effort for it, she sat on her knees and pouted. He waved her back over and she crossed her arms over her breasts and turned her head and sighed quite loudly.