With panic and questions

Hermione coughed on her mashed potatoes. How had they known she borrowed robes? Did Winky tell them? Had Pansy figured this was the real reason Hermione had snuck down there in the first place?

As she regained her composure, Daphne spoke again. "Well? Am I right. Are you out of borrowed robes?"

Still reeling, Hermione spluttered out "How could you possibly know if I did or didn't borrow any robes?" She didn't want to confess to anything.

Pansy smiled. "We have our ways."

"And you thought you could just cheat us like that?" Millicent said, threateningly.

Hermione didn't know what was going to happen. Were they going to strip her here? "I... I've worn only Gryffindor robes! You said that as long as I wore Gryffindor robes, I'd be fine!"

Pansy looked like she was considering Hermione's words. "That... Is technically correct, Granger. But we're going to talk with the elves to alert them that someone might be sneaking into the laundry. They won't let you in anymore."

Well, that wasn't so bad. Hermione had already promised Dumbledore that she wouldn't go in there anymore.

"But, she's still gotta face a punishment of some kind, right?" Millicent, blurted out, sounding disappointed.

"Oh, she will be..." Pansy grinned. Of course, it wouldn't be that easy. "Now, don't lie to us, Granger. What clothes, aside from that skanky robe you're wearing, do you have?"

All three Slytherins were looking at her, Daphne most intently of all. Hermione sighed as her mind turned to her trunk. She may as well tell the truth, she thought. "A dressing gown, four pairs of socks, three bras, and six panties... Oh, and my day wear hat." Hermione rattled off. Hermione had actually forgotten about the hat she had been required to buy in her first year, but it was still sitting in the trunk as well, not that it would cover much.

Daphne let out a quick cough as Pansy smirked. "Well, then Granger, you're in luck! Because we're going to give you a choice of punishment. Now, we can either tie you up outside in the forbidden forest for a night..."

Hermione's eyes grew wide. That was already not a great idea. There were dangerous creatures in the forest, even if some were peaceful.

"Or," Pansy continued, "You can put everything on the line in Wizard's chess. As it turns out, we currently have two pairs of your shoes, two pairs of your socks, your winter cloak, three of your robes, your muggle pants, your muggle jumper, two bras, and two of your panties, and two pictures of you cumming on the seventh-floor corridor. If pairs of socks and shoes will count as one item, we've got 16 items each, just enough! For every piece you take, we give you one item from the pot. For every piece we take, we take one item of the pot. The winner gets everything else that hasn't been claimed. For keeps. As in, after term starts," Pansy's grin grew even wider, "if you lose them tonight, you don't get them back at all."

Hermione felt the color drain from her face. These weren't just high stakes, these could seriously, permanently, destroy Hermione's reputation!

"Ooh, can I play it!" Daphne piped up. Millicent looked at her suspiciously.

"You sure you're gonna win it?"

"I promise not to lose!" Daphne smiled.

"Fine, Daph, you can play. Just don't mess this up!" Pansy relented.

Hermione weighed her options. If she was in the forest for the night, she could very well lose more than just her clothes. She could lose her very life! But... Dumbledore had said that she should try to get the **** from the Slytherins. This could be her chance to get some level of freedom. And as long as she was careful about which pieces she lost, she might even walk away with more robes.

"And... If I refuse either punishment?"

"When we use the doubling charm on the pictures we've got and go to the owlery tonight, mudblood!" Millicent snarled.

Well... She wasn't going to get out of this one.

"Well, Granger?" Pansy asked. "What punishment are you going to take?"