Disclaimer: I own nothing.

"In our Third year, why were you fighting with Ron in the Voids?"

"It was that very first time we were read by Ms. Rowling's publisher and Ron kept treating Hermione like dirt even though she had didn't have any control over the fact that she couldn't control Crookshanks and Ron was just being a no good prick."

Harry smiled at me, happily. "Nice to finally have you back Marlow."

It was the first time (in a long time obviously) that I was able to just sit with Harry and talk like this (he was a very busy guy after all, being the main character and all). We sat together in the common room between Chapters Nine and Ten, just after Harry found the Potions book and just before he was supposed to go see Dumbledore for the first time.

Apparently, Harry and I were really close. I was the person he came and talked to when he couldn't talk to Hermione and Ron (something that came in handy this book while the two fought over their feelings). Many Out World people thought we'd end up together after this really kind of mushy scene we had together while I laid, brushed and battered, in the Chamber of Secrets but we were just really good friends.

I guess I had to explain that to Fred a lot too.

Leaning forward in my seat, I asked, "Can you explain to me how all this works?"

Harry shrugged a smile still on his face. He was a lot less high-strung during the breaks. "I don't think even Dumbledore knows that. . . . It all kind of just . . . works. All books are like this you know, always being read, always moving – floating around in this space that really isn't a space, in this room that really isn't a room. I've never seen it, but others have. . . . The main thing is whatever is written is how it happens. Magic, this castle, us . . . we all exist because Ms. Rowling wrote it into existence. And we help to make sure it all stays in order when our Authors can't."

"What, you know, happens to books that our written but, never published?"

"They are through into the darkness, is what I heard; either forever or until they are published. It's all a little confusing at first but when you've been here a little while longer."

I smiled at him. It was nice to know that my friends here were so patient with me. It couldn't have been too easy to have a friend who didn't understand anything about the world she lived it. "Have you ever been outside this book, Harry?"

"No, but I like it in here."

"Well, how does that work? I mean, don't you have to go be the Harry Potter in The Philosopher's Stone?"

"That's what Harry Potter 1 is for."

It took me a minute but when I finally understood, I sat up straight. "You mean that there are seven of me?"

"Of everyone. It would be different if in each book we were the same age and knew only what we knew in the last book. But because each book represents another whole year in our lives and because so many people read the books at the same time as other books, we had to accommodate by making copies of ourselves; well, not exact copies."

"How so?"

"Say if you were to stand in front of Marlow Chase 5, you'd notice subtle differences like a slight change in height, maybe hair color, and now, you are, of course, a year older. That's why we're not exact copies but it's why we are able to know what our younger versions know and why they don't know what we know now. Like Marlow Chase 4 would have never known that Marlow Chase 5 was going to end up with Fred Weasley 5 and Marlow Chase 5 would have never known that that relationship was going to carry over to you, Marlow Chase 6. But it's still kind of weird."

"Weirder than there are seven copies of me?"

"Yes, because, technically speaking, we are copies of our first book selves. But in your case, considering you just 'appeared' here in book six, all the rest have to be copies of you. And it's really weird because you know all of what's going to happen in the seventh book, something the sixth book characters aren't supposed to know."

"Is that a bad thing?"

"No . . . but it's not a good thing either. It puts you in danger because a lot of people (Slytherins to be exact) are going to want to hassle you about what going to happen so they can tell Voldemort. . . . Don't worry," he added, reaching across and placing his hand on mine. I think my face must have blanched or something. "I'm not going to let anything happen to you. Fred would kill me if I did."

That comment made me feel better and I smiled, loving the fact that I have friends that I've always known (but have never known) that cared so much about me. I don't think I even had friends like that in the Outer World. "Thank you Harry, for letting me bug you with my questions."

"Anytime . . . just know that I'll be bugging you later with questions of my own."

I rolled my eyes. "I've gotten so many Outer World questions since I've been here I'm sure it won't be a problem to answer yours."

Harry grinned at me before glancing up at the clock quickly and saying, "Opps gotta run. Dumbledore's office is waiting."

Ruffling his hand through my short hair like he was known for doing, Harry rushed off, jogging out of the Common Room. Smiling to myself I got up and went up the stairs to the dormitories.

All of this was still incredibly confusing but I sort of understood. It was like this little biting feeling at the back of my skull that was saying 'You know all this stuff makes sense' even though if I had to explain this to anyone else they'd probably throw me into a psych ward.

I opened the door to my dormitory to find Ginny and Hermione giggling from their place on Hermione's bed. They looked up at me as I entered, their smiles wide. "Hi," they said.

I smiled hesitantly at them as I went to set on my own bed. "Hello."

They stared at me for a moment longer with the same creepy smiles. "So?" Ginny said.

"So what?"

"Do you remember how you and Fred got together?" Hermione said grinning.

My smile widened. "Of course. . . . But I probably already told you didn't I?"

"No, actually. We know you guys have been dating since the beginning of fifth year but we never knew about it."

"The only reason we even found out," Ginny said, rolling her eyes, "is because we caught the two of you making out in an abandoned classroom. But we don't know how you got together."

A blush came to my face as I had a brief flashback, remembering Hermione, Ginny, and Ron (Harry was in detention with Umbridge), walking into the classroom while they were looking for a place for the D.A. and Fred and I were rather indisposed. "Why haven't I told you guys?" I said.

"You always smile and say it's none of our business and Fred won't ever talk to us. You treat it like it's some big secret."

"Well," I said, lying on my bed, "I'm not about to ruin a secret."

The two girls groaned and I couldn't help but smile. I liked my secret.

"Where are you taking me, Fred Weasley?"

The red-head looked over his shoulder at me, grinning widely as he gave my hand a gentle squeeze. "It's a surprise. You'll like it I swear."

"Did it have to wait until everyone was asleep?" I asked.

"Of course." Fred stopped, looking around before tapping his wand gently on the side of a suit of armor. The armor giggled before clanking aside gently, revealing the tapestry behind it. Fred lifted the tapestry to show me a perfectly sculpted whole in the wall. He grinned. "After you, my lady."

"You're so kind," I replied, rolling my eyes. I sat down in the whole and Fred gave me a slight push. I felt myself sliding, a light scream escaping me as the slide twisted and turned into darkness. This kind of reminded me of the Chamber, though I knew we couldn't possibly be heading there.

The slide stopped suddenly and I stumbled to my feet. Fred followed soon after, much more smother than I had. He took my hand again, leading me deeper into the underground tunnel. "Fred, what is this?"

"Just hang on, we're almost there." He pulled me in front of him and put his hands on my shoulders, pushing me forward slowly as we climbed up a slight hill. "I've wanted to bring you here for a while now, but today just felt right."

I could see a light now. It was very dim, but it made the tunnel not as dark as it widened slightly. The light became brighter as we entered into a circular room. My hands lifted to my mouth, surprised. "Fred, this is – amazing."

Fireflies, all giving off this bluish light, flitted around the room. Grass carpeted the ground, surrounding a small, circular lake, no bigger than the looking glass that hung from the wall in the dormitory. Looking up I could see the moon and stars above us and I realized we were outside, but – "Where are we?"

"I think it's somewhere in the Forbidden Forest . . . but it's totally safe. I've checked it out."

I turned and found Fred a lot closer than he had been before. My heart was pounding incredibly fast. "What is all this for?"

And then he kissed me, just like that. It was even better than the atmosphere around us. He kissed me really gently and it almost felt as if he wasn't even there, but it still sent shivers up and down my spine and goose bumps up my arms.

Fred leaned back from me and I opened my eyes slowly. This couldn't be real. I had always liked Fred and I thought he was the sweetest guy I had ever met, but I never would have thought he liked me back.

He smiled at me. "Does that answer your question?"

"Slightly," I said, smiling back. "When did this come about?"

He shrugged. "A while now. You?"

"The same." I looked around the bright room and at the beautiful fireflies. "How did you find this place?"

"George and I stumbled across it. We thought about adding it to the map but we changed our minds."

"I'm sure you bring all the girls here."

"Nope, just you."

The smile on my face widened and I could feel a blush forming as I looked back down to the small lake. Fred placed his hand on my cheek and turned my head back towards him. He let his hand drift gently through my short hair before laying it on my neck. "So what do you say?"

I shrugged like he had, giggling slightly. "Why not?"

He grinned. "Thought you'd say something like that."

And I kissed him first this time.

Giggling to myself, I grabbed my pillow and pulled it over my head. Ginny and Hermione jumped onto my bed, bombarding me with questions and demanding answers but I wouldn't tell them.

Some secrets were best left quiet.

A/n: By the way, if you have any questions, feel free to ask. I was confusing myself for a moment but I understand now. P.S, because I don't have the seventh book with me, could someone be so kind as to look up Fred and George's radio names for me (and Lee's if he was with them)? Thanks so much.