"What is this?"

The words repeated again and again in Bianca's head. What is this? What is this? What is this? Her heart beat wildly in her chest as Simone stared, waiting impatiently for an answer. Bianca tried to think of something to say, anything really, but all she could think about were the hastily scrawled words peering back at her from the parchment. Words she cherished so much taunted her mercilessly. A gasp sounded in her ear, but she didn't know if it came from her lips or someone else's. This was bad.

"Bianca?"

What could she tell them? The truth? This was the first note Frankie ever wrote me? It was the first time I could actually hold something that showed her feelings for me? There was no possible way I could get rid of it, even though I should have? How could she throw away something from Frankie? She couldn't say any of that to them.

"Bianca."

They were supposed to keep their relationship a secret. That's why they snuck around at night and used the magic notes. How had they found this one? She was sure she hid it in a safe place. She only took it out every once in a while to reread the words that brought a smile to her face and a warmth to her belly. Merlin, had she ruined everything because she couldn't part with this note?

"Bianca, answer the question."

"It's a note." slipped out. Bianca's eyes shuttered back and forth between her three friends.

"From Frankie Stone asking you to meet her." Simone waved the parchment. "Why would she want to meet with you?"

Eyes landing on Simone, Bianca took a deep breath. These were her friends. She had nothing to be afraid of. What could they do to her? "I don't know." Didn't mean she wasn't going to lie.

"You don't know?" Simone shot her a disbelieving glance.

"No, I don't. She just wrote me a note. I didn't exactly ask." Bianca crossed her arms defiantly.

"Bianca, this is Frankie Stone. You shouldn't have even taken the note. It might have been jinxed."

"It wasn't." Bianca rolled her eyes. Jinxed? Really? "I'm not afraid of her."

"Bianca, this girl is dangerous." Erin joined in. "She jinxed Simone twice now."

Bianca bit her lip, "She won't do anything to me."

"How can you be so sure?" Simone jumped in, "She's probably waiting with her snake friends to attack you. It's probably a trap."

Bianca frowned at that. "I don't believe that."

"Bianca," Erin took a step forward, "you're our friend. We care about you. But, you have to tell us about these things. Were you going to meet Frankie Stone tonight?"

Not the way they were thinking, "She won't hurt me." She cares about me, too.

"Why would you hide this from us?" Simone thrust out the parchment.

So you wouldn't find it because our relationship is a secret. "I didn't think it was a big deal. I can handle Frankie by myself."

"She's a Slytherin! They always have someone else in the shadows waiting to stab you in the back." Simone cried out. "You know better than to trust any of them."

Bianca had to bite her tongue to hold in her reply. They just didn't know Frankie. The blonde would never do something like that to her. Then, her mind starting going down a path it was growing more and more accustomed to. Why was she lying to her friends? What would happen if she just told them she was seeing Frankie? Dating? No more hiding. No more lying. No more secrets.

"Bianca, you can't go meet her. It's not safe." Erin spoke. "Besides, it's past curfew. If you got caught, you'd be in a lot of trouble."

"She probably wrote this so she could get you alone and attack you. You're luck we found this. You're probably her next target now." Simone added. "She's a twisted one."

Bianca flicnhed at the insult against Frankie and looked at all three of them. These were her best friends. They were trying to protect her because they liked and cared about her. And she was lying to them. She felt terrible. She wanted to tell them so much at that moment. Let the words roll off her tongue. I'm dating Frankie Stone. I have feelings for her. She has feelings for me. We're happy together. But no, she couldn't say those things. She made a promise with Frankie to not reveal their relationship. She didn't want to break that. But, Merlin did she want to stop lying. She hated lying. Add to the fact these were her best friends since she arrived at Hogwarts when she was eleven, her stomach twisted into knots.

Babe walked up to Bianca and grabbed her hand, "It's late, and I'm tired. Let's go to bed."

Bianca allowed Babe to pull her back up the stairs and to the dormitory, Simone and Erin right behind them. Bianca sat on her bed as the other three changed into their night clothes, Simone depositing the note in her chest at the end of her bed. The brunette sluggishly followed suit, pretending like she was going to sleep as well. She shared a smile with Babe and traded goodnights with Simone and Erin, both of whom waited till she was under the covers before sliding into their beds. However, her heart wasn't in it. How could it be after what happened? She'd been confronted by her friends, and instead of being brave and admitting to what they found, she lied to them. She'd lied about the person who was swiftly becoming the most important person in the world to her. Why couldn't she tell them? It would make things so much easier. She couldn't tell anyone right now about Frankie. No one knew she'd finally gotten a girlfriend. She should feel relieved they didn't suspect anything, but all she could feel was mounting frustration and guilt.

Bianca laid in bed, staring up at the ceiling. She listened as light snores and deep even breathing slowly began to fill the air. When she was certain every girl was asleep, she carefully got out of bed. Blindly she tugged her shoes on and raced out of the room, not even stopping to change or grab her cloak. With each step, her caution slipped further and further away. Darting out of Gryffindor tower and toward the Astronomy tower, all Bianca could think about was lying to her friends. Why was this all still a secret? Why? Why? Why?

Scrambling up the stairs, Bianca burst through the heavy door and onto the outside platform. Her gaze darted around, and she shivered as the cold night air enveloped her pajama clad body. Startled at the sudden noise, Frankie peeked up from her place crouched against the stone wall. Seeing Bianca, a small smile spread across her face, and she stood up. She ignored as the wind ruffled her hair and walked over to Bianca.

"Hey." Frankie greeted, hazel orbs sparkling. She took in the pajamas and goose bumped skin. Her smile turned to a tiny frown, and she began to take off her robes, "Forget we were meeting tonight?"

Bianca looked at her. Her belly danced and warmth filled her chest at the sight of her girl. "Frankie?"

"Hmmm?" Frankie slid off her robes, showing off the brown sweater underneath.

Bianca blinked as the robe was thrown over her shoulders. It was a little short, but it still blocked most of the wind. The green and silver badge bearing the Slytherin snake gleamed, and she peered at it. "Why are we doing this?"

"Doing what?" Frankie casually adjusted the hood of the robes, smoothing it flat against Bianca's back.

Bianca's head snapped up, "Why are we doing this?" her voice rose, "Why?"

Frankie's face remained stoic, but the corners of her eyes crinkled slightly, "You didn't want to meet tonight?"

Bianca threw her hands in the air and stomped past Frankie. The frustration that had been brewing in her ever since they began to date was finally coming to a head, and it was all because of that silly note that Simone still had and her friends' concern. Spinning around, she pointed a finger at Frankie, "Why are we here? Why are you here, Frankie?"

Frankie remained still, "You know why."

"Do I?" Bianca breathed hard. "Do you want to be with me? Do you really?"

Frankie titled her head, "What happened?"

Bianca laughed humorlessly, "My friends found one of the notes you wrote me. I stood there, and all I wanted to do was tell them I'm with you. I'm dating you. I'm yours. But, I couldn't because we're still hiding." She waved her hands, "Look at us, Frankie. We're meeting in the middle of the night like we're afraid."

"You want to tell your friends." Frankie breathed out.

"Yes," Bianca nodded. "I want to tell them. I want to tell them I'm dating someone I really like. I want to be able to talk to them about how I really like you. I want…to be able to write my family and tell them I have a girlfriend. I want to walk down the hall to class holding your hand. I want people to know we're together."

Frankie's eyes dropped to the floor, "We can't do that."

"Why not?" Bianca's voice rose even more. "You said we had to keep it a secret so we could get to know each other. Well, I know you now Frankie. I know you enough to know I want to keep seeing you."

Frankie, calm as ever, pursed her lips, "It's not as easy as you're making it out to be."

"Yes, it is." Bianca felt an ache in her heart. Why was Frankie fighting this? "We like each other, Frankie. That's all that matters."

Frankie chuckled, "Are you that naïve?"

Bianca stepped toward her, "No, but I'm not scared, either."

"You think I'm scared."

Bianca stopped a foot away, "Or ashamed. Are you ashamed to be with a Gryffindor? Is that it? You always talk about our houses. You would be open with a Slytherin, wouldn't you?'

"I'm not ashamed." Frankie spoke lowly.

"Then, you're afraid. You're afraid to show our feelings. You always have been."

Frankie closed the gap between them. Her eyes sparked with suppressed emotion, "I am not afraid of anything."

"Then why won't you tell anyone you're with me?" Bianca choked out.

"Have you thought what will happen if I did?"

Everyday, "Of course I have."

"Really? Every aspect of it?" Frankie gazed into her brown eyes, "Everything would change." Bianca opened her mouth to reply, but Frankie gave a tiny shake of her head, "People would treat you differently. How your friends, your house, would look at you would change. Do you want that?"

"No, they wouldn't. Not like that." Bianca denied.

The corner of Frankie's mouth twisted up into a smirk, "How did your friends react to the note?"

Badly, and it didn't say anything about their relationship.

"I'm not ashamed of you." Frankie intoned, "But I'm not naïve either."

Bianca narrowed her eyes and bit her lip in thought, "We just have to be brave. They'd understand. They'd get used to it."

"Brave?" Frankie stared at her.

"They don't know you, Frankie. My friends, my house, they don't know us. If they only got to know you like I have, they'd be ok."

Frankie stepped back and scoffed, "No, they wouldn't. They'd condemn you, Bianca."

"Stop being so scared, Frankie." If they just told people, they'd be ok. It wouldn't be as bad as Frankie was thinking it would be. If it was, they'd get through it.

"I am not scared." Frankie gestured with her hand, "Just because I don't run head first into something without thinking it through doesn't mean I'm not brave. Unlike what you Gryffindors think, bravery isn't always about being the big hero martyr or taking on the world by yourself. I'm being smart not scared."

"But,"

Frankie's eyes flashed, "I don't want them treating you like they do me."

Bianca took this in. Frankie didn't want to tell anyone because of how they'd treat her? "Treat you?"

Frankie didn't answer. It almost looked like she regretted saying that.

"Frankie," then it hit her, "wait…you said this is because of me. How I'd be treated." She chewed on her lip, "Or is it because of you?"

"What?"

She couldn't believe this, "Before, when I fought to get you to admit how you feel, you said you'd let nothing jeopardize your chance at captain, even me. Are you…scared you'd lose captain if we revealed ourselves?" She felt her heart crack. Frankie was choosing quidditch over her?

Frankie paused for a moment. She ducked her head, her voice soft, "Nothing will make me lose captain." She took a deep breath. "I said that before."

"Before what? Before you knew I was listening?" Bianca bit out.

Frankie's voice remained even, "Before I knew you." She lifted her head, "And, you don't believe that I would choose quidditch over you."

Bianca's lips trembled and the edges of her eyes stung with oncoming tears. Didn't she? Looking at Frankie, she knew she didn't. "I want to be open about you."

"You can't."

Bianca felt an overwhelmed sob form, and she choked against it. "Why?" She pointed shakily at Frankie, "Why are you with me, then? Why…be with someone you can't be with?" She pinched her eyes shut against the tears, "Why am I?"

Bianca shuddered as a cool hand gently pressed against her cheek, swiping at a fallen tear. The hand fell away, and she cried at the loss. Frankie's tender voice whispered in the darkness, "Because…it's…the best thing that's ever happened." She swallowed roughly. "When I'm with you…it's like everything is better. When you touch me or…even smile it's like flying and winning the quidditch cup all in one." Bianca blinked open her watery eyes. Frankie's normally closed off face was awash with emotion, "When I kiss you…it's indescribable. It's better than doing magic. It makes me feel so good. You make me feel good."

"Frankie," Bianca whimpered brokenly.

"That's why I'm with you." Frankie sniffed and blinked with a shrug, attempting to clear her face.

Head whirling with Frankie's confession, Bianca reached out a trembling thumb and brushed it against Frankie's cheek. She cupped her jaw and guided their faces together. Their lips met wetly, Bianca's salty tears coating both of their cheeks. Frankie's arms wrapped around Bianca's neck, and Bianca's other hand found purchase on her hip. Their mouths fused together, sparks of emotion and feeling bouncing though their veins and lighting up their nerve endings.

When their lips broke apart, Bianca rested her forehead against Frankie's. "I feel that way, too. You make me happy, Frankie. I like you so much."

"Still say you're mental." Frankie teased lightly.

Bianca cracked a smile, but it quickly disappeared, "I think I understand what you're saying, but I still want to tell them. I'm always going to want to be open about how I feel about you."

Frankie slid a hand to her cheek and rubbed her thumb back and forth across the smooth skin, "Not now. Maybe someday."

They cuddled together beneath the stars and the moon. "Someday." She was going to hold onto that.