"So why haven't I ever heard of this room?" I ask. I'm honestly offended. As the primary prankster in the school I think that a room like the Room of Requirement, as Rose told me it is called, should have been well known and definitely would have been damn useful over the past six and a half years.

"Daddy told me," Rose announced proudly. "And when Aunt Ginny heard that he told me about it she said that since Uncle Harry was missing a certain bit of parchment," she looks at me with a knowing smirk, "I shouldn't tell you."

I open my mouth to retort, but nothing comes. I know, now, that Mum knew that I had swiped the Marauder's Map. I took it from Dad's desk before second year because… well, it was sitting right there and he had told me all sorts of cool stories about it and I just couldn't help myself. .

Dad had never said anything about missing it, so I had just assumed that he didn't think it was a big deal. I knew he knew, but I didn't know Mum knew until she told me just recently. Mum got her silent revenge, though, since it would seem that the Map does not show the Room of Requirement.

Fred's eyes widen at his realization of the irony. Roger and Phillip are also having a tough time holding back laughter. I, on the other hand, do not find the situation very funny. I could have avoided so many detentions if I had just known about this place. Then again, maybe Mum knew that and wanted to make sure I wasn't able to weasel my way out of punishment I deserved.

"Why did you bring me here, anyway, Lily?" I know I'm going to get it from the guys later, but I think it's a good time to change the subject before it starts now.

"I thought you might want to avoid the overcrowded Common Room you were about to lead Meredith into," she replies easily.

"What do you mean?" Meredith asks, speaking for the first time since we arrived.

Everyone looks at her with a slightly dumbfounded look. Fred's first to speak. "You don't really think that after what you said to Julia that everyone was going to leave you un-congratulated, right?" Meredith blushes and Fred laughs and adds, "Not to mention we just won a Quidditch match. It's a double celebration in there!"

"But I hardly did anything," Meredith murmurs.

"Aw, come on, Mer," says Phillip. "You were brilliant. 'Whatever lies you spread about me will never be anywhere near the truth everyone knows about you.' Genius! I couldn't have said it better myself. And from the look of the Common Room right now, about half the school agrees."

"Can you believe she had the audacity to come onto Fred like that?" Reid scoffs. Fred scowls and something similar to a growl emerges from his throat.

Oh yeah! Fred's been outed with his girlfriend. "Where's your girlfriend, Fred?" I say with a hint of teasing him my voice. Meredith turns and gapes at Fred as I say this. I forgot that she had left before that happened.

"She is in a place of none of your business. Thanks for asking." Fred says seriously. Meredith snorts.

"Why didn't you let her come? I would have like to…" I trail off as Fred's serious expression doesn't change. We'll just have to talk about his later

"What made you just walk away, Mer?" Roger finally asks. "You could have stomped Julia before she even had time to defend herself!"

Meredith smiles and looks up at me. "I don't really know, Roger. Just… since you guys were all there behind me and how Fred stuck up for me… If the whole school thinks I'm a slag, then they'll just have to think that. I know you don't think so and there is no real reason for me to try to disprove Julia since that's the case." Phillip, Roger, and Fred smile encouragingly at Meredith's words and Lorcan and Lysander fist bump.

"From what I heard from everyone in the common room," Rose puts in, "Julia's full of it." I look at her curiously and she continues, "I have to agree with them. I haven't heard any such rumor in my five and a half years here."

"But you're my cousin," I argue. "Why would you hear something that was bound to get back to me?"

Lily and Rose both roll their eyes in the same way, Reid smirks, and Al and Scorpius just shake their head when I say this. The rest of the guys and Meredith all seem to think I have a valid question.

Al is first to explain. "Honestly? For Gryffindors with such big egos, you seem to underestimate your popularity." Well… maybe not explain. Thanks for that, bro.

"Geez, Al," Malfoy adds, turning to my brother, "I thought you said James was popular and loved to show it off!" Lily snorts at his comment, but I glare at him and Al. Malfoy's face becomes serious and he puts his hands back in his lap; his arm had found its way across the back of Lily's seat, again.

"I think what they're getting at, James," Reid states, drawing my eyes back toward him and Rose (the latter who is fighting the urge to smile), "is that they can't believe that you would think that a rumor that has been going around for 'years', as Julia said, wouldn't have made its way back to you. You have a lot of admirers in the school and do you really think one of them wouldn't have mentioned something?

"Julia might have been telling her friends and anyone who would listen, but people look up to you and pay attention to how you act would know in an instant what a load of rubbish her story is. She's probably told every dull arse in the school that Meredith's an easy shag, no offence," he puts in apologetically to Mer, who simply shrugs, unsmiling, "and since they're so jealous of you lot, and especially you, James, they believed her. But they're likely the only ones considering how well-liked you are."

I guess that makes sense. Unfortunately, knowing this makes me feel even worse about ever dating Julia. I feel like a complete arse for not realizing what kind of person she actually is. It took her using her 'gifts' to try to take me down to see it for myself.

I really am a stubborn prat.

But even after all these bloody lies, my reputation is able to stand the test of the rumor mills of Hogwarts. I'm touched. "Well," I sigh, pompously, "I guess someone around here needs to carry all the fame. It's a burden, but I will bear it willingly. With these good looks and popularity, it's only fair. It's just a pity Al ended up so ugly-" *smack* I put my hand up to the back of my head and turn to Meredith who is sporting a wicked smirk and raised arm.

"Don't even start, James. And don't rag on how Al looks too much," She says looking over to my brother, "he looks just like you. Actually," she pauses studying my face closely, "Please continue talking about how ugly you think Al is. You seemed to be on the right track."

The room erupts with laughter at her comment (except me and Al, since we've just been insulted… our poor pride.). I pout at Meredith who simply smiles at me. Fred, Phillip, and Roger pat her on the back and give her friendly hugs as if to welcome back the person they'd missed for several weeks.

There's a knock on the door and Fred rushes over to answer it.

"Hey everyone! Sorry if I made you wait. You know how overwhelming the House Elves can be and I wasn't sure exactly where I was until I saw the painting outside." Prisca enters the sitting room carrying several large bags of sustenance she picked up from the kitchens.

Mer is watching Prisca closely. I elbow her arm gently and nod between Fred and Prisca. A look of realization comes over her expression and she smiles widely. The smell of Shepherd's Pie and reaches me and my stomach rumbles loudly. A second later, Mer's follows suit and we both laugh. I guess taking the mickey out of Fred can wait until after we eat something.

We stay in the Room of Requirement for most of the rest of the day. My mates and I are all surprised to find that Scorpius is way more of a smart arse than my brother, and that's really saying something. Prisca fits in with our group just fine, though Fred does a good job at keeping the conversation away from the two of them. The guy likes his privacy. She and Meredith have been talking and they seem to like each other well enough.

Reid gets on really well with Malfoy and my brother, to my surprise. He and Albus have formed some sort of camaraderie over their interest in Ancient Runes (the nerds) and he and Malfoy keep up a steady stream of puns and smart arse remarks. I've also noticed that Reid and Malfoy have stayed annoyingly close to Rose and Lily while we've been here. Something's definitely up there.

In my lap, Meredith yawns loudly after we finish what felt like our hundreth game of exploding snap. I take a look at my watch, curious as to what time it was. "Bloody hell," I say and Phillip and Fred look over to me. "We've got ten minutes until we have to be back in the Common Rooms.

"Damn it!" Roger shouts throwing the cards he just gathered back onto the ground. "I was going to beat you this time, Prisca."

"Not a chance, mate. She's a natural," says Fred.

"Beginner's luck! That's all," Prisca says with a smile. Prisca just rounded off a ten-game winning streak with that last game, but Roger doesn't know that Fred was helping her by standing behind him and telling Prisca every card he had so she would make him lose. He kept getting angrier and angrier, but vowed he wouldn't give it up until he won.

"I think we better get to our Common Rooms," Rose states after I tell them the time. Phillip and Roger roll their eyes and remain lounging on the floor. In a manner scarily similar to Aunt Hermione, Rose puts her hands on her hips, stomps her foot and glares at the room. "I am a Prefect and I will give detentions to all of you if you don't leave for your common rooms NOW!" Rose then turns to Reid, who is looking slightly alarmed by her outburst and smiles. He returns the gesture and takes her hand.

See? I was right! Malfoy must be old news. I'm not complaining.

Williams better watch himself. I don't have much time to ruminate on it, though because…

"Would you like me to walk you back to your common room, Lily?" Malfoy asks quietly, in an attempt to not bring any attention to himself. Lily blushes and nods silently at the offer. I spoke too soon.

Ohhh, no you don't, Malfoy.

"Great!" Al pipes up, before I can say anything. "I'll walk with you." Malfoy sends Albus a dirty look indicating that the trip would have been preferred to be private and Al returns the look indicating that he knew that and that's why he offered.

Way to go, Albus. I entrust you with the well-being and innocence of our little sitter. No friend of Al's is going to get too much un-chaperoned time with our little sister! Not any, if I can help it.

I can't let Lily catch on, though. She'll kill me.

Lily follows Scorpius to the door and turns an even deeper shade of red when he holds the door open for her and guides her out by the small of her back. Al and I exchange an understanding look and he frowns as he walks out the door behind them.

The twins are slowly on their way out engrossed in a typical conversation. "So Lorcan, how much do you want to bet the common room's still full when we get back?"

"My ten sickles back that it's only fifth year and up Gryffindor students."

"That's pretty specific to be betting on, but if you insist…"

"Actually, let's raise the stakes: another galleon for fifth years and up."

"Deal. I'm pretty anxious to gain back the galleon I lost earlier."

"You honestly never thought that there was a rumor about you fancying the pants off Corner?"

"How was I supposed to know that half the school thinks I'm a poof? Besides it would be way more believable if it were Harry Long or Alex Trane or someone else, anyway. Corner's a right prick and why would I fancy him compared to Long and Trane. They're both built and…" Lysander stops abruptly realizing what he's just been saying, and stares indignantly at Lorcan's coy expression.

"And you wonder why they think you're a poof?"

"Why you…!" but before he finishes the statement, Lorcan bolts out the door and Lysander follows in quick pursuit.

"I'll meet up with you all later," Fred says, grabbing Prisca's hand. "I'm going to take Prisca back to her Common Room."

"Oh, you don't have to!" Prisca objects. "Your Common Room isn't that far away and I don't want you to be caught out after hours-"

"Me? Get caught?" Fred asks with a smile. "Who do you think you're talking to? I'm only the offspring of one of the most famous trouble-makers in all of Hogwarts history!"

"Hey!" I yell, once again, offended, "That's my line!"

"I'll be okay, love," Fred says to Prisca. "Even if I get detention, it will be worth it." I see the color rise slightly in Prisca's cheeks as Fred leads her out of the room by her hand.

Phillip, Roger, Meredith, and I follow Fred and Prisca out of the room and the door-which-was-once-a-wall returns to its original wall-like state. We watch as the pair disappears around the corner and as we turn to head in the opposite direction, Phillip says, "Fred and Prisca… huh. Who would've seen that coming?"

Roger and Meredith laugh and Roger replies, "Not in a million years did I think that Fred would ever break his vow about dating in school after his years of ranting about it."

"I actually knew a while ago," I say off-hand.

Phillip and Roger stop in their tracks and Mer and I make it about ten feet in front of them before they yell in tandem, "What?" and run to catch up with us.

"Why didn't you tell us?" Phillip asks, affronted.

Roger has his hand out in front of him in a pleading manner using them to emphasize every other word as he adds, "Don't you think that his best mates should know about something as important as this?"

"If we knew before he told the whole school, we could have planned something to embarrass him!"

"Yeah! We could have sent him a Howler proclaiming the good news to the entire Great Hall…"

"…or charmed all his jumpers to say 'I heart Prisca Fenn'"

"…or-"

"That's enough, guys," Meredith says evenly. Her eyes remained on me the entire time Phillip and Roger were talking and noticed that my smile was forced.

"Oh, come on!" Phillip pleads. "This is the first time Fred's actually fancied someone. Isn't teasing a sort of right-of-passage?" When I don't respond he asks, "But honestly, why didn't you tell us?"

"For one, Fred probably would have murdered me if I had said anything. He didn't tell me. I found them on the Map," Phillip and Roger's eyes widen as I say this, "so he didn't want me to know, either. And anyway, I have to say I don't really fancy it when my private affairs being broadcast across the entire school without my consent, even though it seems to happen anyway. I thought I would hold off until he at least told all of us outright."

"But he's never dated anyone before!" Roger complains. "We've always had to deal with him taking the mickey out of us!"

I smirk and reply, "Hey, I'm not saying we can't do it now. He's gone and made spectacle of himself and I think we are well within our right to commence the harassment."

The Fat Lady is drumming her fingers against her frame impatiently as we slowly make our way down the corridor.

"Cutting it close, aren't we dears?"

"We've still got a full minute until curfew," Phillip retorts cheekily.

"Mackled Malaclaw," Meredith gives and the Fat Lady's portrait swings forward, revealing the entrance to the Common Room.

Looking around as we enter, I see Lorcan looking smug while Lysander glares at the floor murderously. Glancing around, I note that the Common Room is, indeed, full, but, as Lorcan had somehow guessed, I didn't see a single person there I knew to be below fifth year.

"Bloody upperclassmen threatened the younger students so that they could have all the bloody seats," Lysander mutters to us reaching into his pocket and pulling out the promised bet. Lorcan smirks triumphantly and stuffs the coins into his own pocket.

"Meredith, I love you!" The Common Room at some point became aware of who just entered and this shout is followed by cheers and a huge wave of people rushing forward to greet us. I grab Meredith's hand, protectively. I don't know who just shouted, but they better stay away. After about an hour of well-wishers, apologies, and assurances that Julia is a terrible person, I can tell that it's time for me and Meredith to make our escape and get some quiet time.

"And how about that fifth goal when you-"

"Later, Long. I'm bushed, really. I need some sleep." I walk away, with Meredith close behind and we are finally about to make our way to the stairs to the dormitories.

Meredith makes to climb the stairs the girl's rooms, but freezes mid-motion. "I don't know if I trust myself to sleep in the same room as Julia," she admits, turning back to me. "And I definitely don't trust Julia."

Well this is a dilemma. I ruffle my hair, trying to think of an alternative. "You could sleep in Rose's room," I suggest. Meredith shuffles her feet a bit and her eyes dart the stairs to the boy's dorms. "She probably wouldn't mind at all. She thinks of you as a sister…" I trail off and get the feeling that I'm missing something.

I stare at Mer, but she simply keeps looking up at me half-expectantly. After a moment, Meredith rolls her eyes, grabs my hand, and heads up to the boy's dormitories with me in tow. I smile and allow myself to be pulled to my own room. I like where this is headed. Sure, Meredith has spent loads of time in our dorm, but this is the first time she'll be in there as my girlfriend.

I snort, again, at the new addition to our door as we approach. 'SEVENTH YEAR BOYS FTW!'

Hey, it wasn't me! Roger's mum and brother are both Muggles and his brother is a 'gamer' or some such thing and Roger picked up the acronym 'ftw' from him.

To be honest, it is a bit lame, but we were rather delirious last night at about three. We were gearing up for the game and after a while starting being stupid. The sign seemed like a good idea at the time.

Meredith gives me a funny look, motioning at the sign, and I smile and push open the door. Reid's on his bed reading a book and Rose is dozing on my bed.

What is she doing here? I never expected her, the Prefect, to be up in the boy's dormitories. Not to mention that Reid is also a Prefect. Aren't they supposed to have some sort of Prefect Vow where they aren't allowed to do any rule breaking? I'm not about to call them out with Meredith right behind me, though.

Reid looks up to see who opened the door, notices me, then throws a pillow at Rose who groans angrily and turns over. "Merlin, Reid. Just let me nap. Who knows when James will finally…?" Seeing me, she jumps up and blushes brilliantly.

What's Reid doing up here alone with Rose anyway? I open my mouth to ask, but a warning look from Rose stops the words in my throat.

"I see you finally made it up here," Reid finally says after an awkward moment. "I would have thought it would have taken you at least another half hour to dispel the amount of students in the room when we got back."

"Only fifth years and up were down there when we got back," I explained. "Lysander lost that bet to Lorcan."

"Must've missed that one," Rose says groggily. "We got here before them."

Meredith stands quietly behind trying to be inconspicuous, and so far had avoided Rose's attention in her sleepy state. I take a step into the room causing Mer to be exposed. Rose looks past me, sees Meredith and jumps up and pulls a smirking Reid along with her. "Oh, hey Mer. Sorry. We have to go now. We need to study for, uh… Transfiguration!" And with that, she exits the room, face still bright red, dragging a laughing Reid behind her and shutting the door.

Meredith walks over to my bed and sits with her legs crossed and her back against one of the posts at the foot of my four-poster with her eyes closed. I strikes me, again, how beautiful she is. I don't want to speak for fear of losing the moment, so instead, I walk over to my trunk and grab my guitar sitting next to it and sit carefully at the head of the bed. Meredith's eyes crack the slightest bit when she feels my weight on the bed and she smiles serenely when she sees me holding her gift.

"You know, I've haven't consciously heard you play since that time at the Burrow."

"Well, I'm still not that good." My eyes take in every inch of her face and I smile, running my hand through my hair. "Any requests Miss Blount?"

Meredith laughed softly and slowly shook her head with it still against the post and eyes still closed. I start playing as I did in the hospital wing, just letting the music come naturally and I start playing some things I remember from Muggle artists that I like. I play for a couple of minutes, engrossed in the music and the feel of the strings on my fingers.

I start humming a bit to what I'm playing and I flick my eyes over to Meredith to see her looking quite impressed, a small smile playing on her lips as she watches me through half-closed eyes. I smile in return and start to singing the words quietly. I've never thought myself as much of a singer, but I do enjoy adding it to the music I make. I play through the song singing the words gradually louder throughout.

"What song is this?" Meredith asks quietly.

I pause my playing to answer. What? I can only do so much at once. "It's pretty old… about 20 years, but it's called Why Georgia by an American Muggle named John Mayer. It's something I found in some of Roger's stuff when I visited him once. Apparently Mr. Thomas really liked him when he was younger."

"I didn't know you learned to play that well," Meredith started, "and I definitely didn't know you could sing."

"Nah, I'm not much of a singer," I protest, smiling at the compliment. I focus my attention back to the guitar and pick up where I left off in the song.

I go on for about half an hour more, alternating between playing things Meredith's familiar with and just picking around. Halfway through another song I was playing, the dorm door opens and Phillip and Fred walk in noisily. I try to ignore the fact that they're there. I don't want my time with Meredith to be over, yet.

"Bloody hell, James!" I suppose it was too much to ask for. Phillip is standing in the doorway, slack-jawed. "Since when do you sing and play guitar?"

I close my eyes and say, "Did you think it was just for decoration?" I could kick him, right now.

Fred does me a favor and smacks our mate in the back of the head and whispers something that sounds a lot like 'you dense idiot'. "Hey Mer," Fred acknowledges. Phillip rubs the back of his head and raises his eyebrows in realization.

Meredith doesn't respond. She's asleep at the foot of my bed. I carefully rise, put my guitar away and sit next to where Meredith is curled up. I gently stroke strands of hair out of her face and her eyes flutter open.

"Sorry," she mumbles heavily, "it was so nice it just put me right to sleep." I grin at her.

"Do you want to change out of your street clothes?" I ask, "You'll probably be more comfortable in something else."

"All my other clothes are in my room…" she objects slowly, but I just shake my head and indicate for her to stay where she was. I walk over to my dresser and pull out a pair of flannel pajama pants and my favorite faded Puddlemere United t-shirt and toss them to her. She grabs them out of the air and smirks. "Are you suggesting I get into your pants, Potter?"

I roll my eyes and gesture towards the bathroom. "And my shirt and my bed, Blount, so c'mon. Do you want another shower?" She grins and shakes her head, then walks into the bathroom closing the door behind her.

While she's changing, I conjure up a mattress and blankets for me to sleep on so Meredith could have the bed. I could have just conjured up a whole other bed, but that would have been way too much work. I mean, it's only for one night.

Fred rolls his eyes and says. "James, you don't have to be all chivalrous. She's only been your girlfriend for less than a day. She's still just as much the Meredith she was before."

"Yeah! Remember the last time she slept in here, we forced her to sleep under your bed so Reid wouldn't find out?"

"I wouldn't find what?" Reid and Roger walk in and look at the mattress in a questioning manner.

"Did you know that Meredith slept under James's bed before the Ravenclaw match last year?"

"Actually it was your bed, Roger," Reid says easily, pulling off his shirt and neatly laying it on a neat stack of what I assume is dirty clothes. What is with this guy? Who stacks dirty clothes like that? Wait... Rose does that.

And he knew Meredith was in here last year? Damn this guy is smart.

I pull off my own shirt and quickly change into my normal pair of flannel pajama pants. I need a shower, but I'll just wait until morning. That's what I usually do, anyway.

The bathroom door opens and Meredith comes out, dressed in my clothes, her dark brown hair pulled back into a messy bun.

Damn.

Wow.

She is overwhelmingly sexy, right now.

I start to rethink my options. A cold shower might be a good idea right now…

Meredith walks slowly towards my bed, stretching her arms behind her back and causing her chest to push forward. The slightest bit of skin of her navel is visible and I can't seem to rib my eyes away.

A cold shower might be a really good idea.

"I'm going to take a shower guys," I manage before grabbing a towel and racing past Meredith into the empty room behind her. I heard snickering as I close the door behind me. Damn it, Fred. You and your intuitiveness need to just leave me alone, already.

I towel dry my hair as I walk out of the bathroom ten minutes later. When I reenter the room I notice that Fred and Roger have already pulled the curtains closed around their beds. Reid is sitting up in his bed reading with his wand lit. Typical nerd. Phillip jumps up and yells "Finally!" before running past me into the bathroom and slamming the door behind him. I hear why when the sound of him relieving himself fills my ears and I chuckle as I walk over to my bed.

Meredith is lying there with her eyes closed and appears to be asleep. I kiss her cheek lightly, trying not to disturb her. I make to stand up, but she stirs and grabs my hand. "Stay with me," she whispers. I didn't expect this of her. Fred said it before. We've only been together for less than a day. "Please, James," she adds quietly gripping my hand tighter.

Her brows are furrowed and her eyes, only barely open, are pleading with me. I lean over and kiss her gently on the forehead. I can't say no to that.

I carefully climb over the bed to get behind her and as soon as I get under the covers with her she turns and nuzzles into my bare chest. I put my arms around her protectively and hold her, stroking her hair and rubbing small circles on her back. I hear a page turn from across the room and realize that Reid probably just watched the whole thing, but thankfully didn't say anything.

Phillip walks out of the bathroom and heads to his bed. He glances at my mattress and then my bed realizing the mattress is empty. An annoying smirk crosses his face. He better be glad that Meredith's here right now or would give him a good hex for the meaning behind that look. On the other hand, there wouldn't be that look if she wasn't here… but that's beside the point.

Phillip sees my eyes are still open and moves his eye brows up and down, suggestively. I flip him off. Smart arse.

Meredith rolls over so her back is against my chest and I wrap my arms around her new position. I can't help but feel so fortunate to have such a wonderful woman with me right now. Merlin knows I don't deserve it.

"I love you," I whisper. Her slow breathing is the only response I receive.