Bianca sped down the stairs and across the Entrance Hall, barely sparing a glance at the moving paintings whose figures were just starting to wake up and greet the morning. The sun was slowly peeking over the horizon. Its bright warming rays crept across the grounds, changing the dark grey land to shimmering white inch by inch. Bianca would have seen that and been promptly reminded of her early morning flight with a certain quidditch player and flying aficionado…if she actually took the time to glance out a window. Instead, her eyes were focused straight ahead, never wavering from their target. If she did, she might have been forced to deal with the fact that she was more sluggish than speed on account of her brain being one step away from fully shutting down.

Bursting into the Great Hall, brown eyes darted over to the Slytherin table. It was empty save for Frankie, whose curious raise of the eyebrow greeted the adrenaline fueled Gryffindor. It was a good thing no one else was awake at that time, because Bianca didn't even check the other tables before jogging over to Frankie and sliding into the seat next to her.

Frankie stared at Bianca, the corner of her lips twitching in amusement. She set down her spoon next to the half eaten bowl of cornflakes and dropped the newspaper she'd been scanning. Bianca spun to face her and grabbed her arm excitedly, "Come on."

Frankie didn't budge, "Little early for you, isn't it?"

Bianca impatiently rolled her eyes. Just because she'd been missing breakfast since break ended didn't mean she couldn't wake up this early. It wasn't like she didn't get up to meet Frankie for the morning meal before break started. Well, she did it a few times. It wasn't like Frankie was the only one who could wake before the rest of the world, even though she always seemed to be ready to face the day while Bianca was still brushing sleep out of her eyes. Anyway, she was there. She was up early. Just because she didn't go to sleep in no way affected that.

She'd stayed up practically all night researching what she'd found the day before. Ok, she'd gone to the library to find out Hogwart's a History, the premier book on the school…really the only book on the school, had been checked out and there was a six month waiting list. Six months! For a really big and overly boring book. But, to her luck, a third year in her house had the book loaned out to them. So, she borrowed it from them in exchange for a sugar quill and stayed up scanning the humongous book for anything that would explain the room.

"Frankie, get up." Bianca tugged at her to no avail. She was exhausted and running on adrenaline. Not getting any sleep and then sprinting through the castle to catch Frankie before she finished breakfast would do that to you.

Frankie picked up the pitcher of orange juice and poured the liquid into Bianca's cup. "Shouldn't you be hiding in the dungeons somewhere?"

"I'm not always hiding down there." Bianca frowned.

"Yes, you are." Frankie pushed the cup toward Bianca, "If I didn't know any better, I'd think you wanted to be a Slytherin."

"I don't want to be a Slytherin." Bianca reached out the hand that wasn't currently trying to force Frankie from her seat and grasped the cup. She lifted it to her lips and took a hearty swallow. The sweet cool drink soothed her parched throat and helped to calm her a bit. "I want to be with a Slytherin. Big difference."

Frankie poured some more juice into the rapidly emptied cup, "So you sneak around and hide in the dungeons? Some would call that stalking."

Bianca took another swallow, "Some should get up and come with me." They were getting off track. She came to find Frankie and bring her to the room not…banter about dungeons. Even if Frankie looked really good sitting there. She was all set up with her Daily Prophet and cereal with that endearing playfulness hinting at the edge of her mouth. What would it be like when they could sit around an actual breakfast table instead of at the long house ones? Maybe it would be a nice little breakfast nook. They could alternate between Frankie cooking up a few scrambled eggs one day while she cooked pancakes the next day.

Wait, why was she thinking about this? Bianca mentally scolded herself. Frankie had to see the room!

Frankie glanced at the other three tables, "People will be up soon."

"All the more reason for us to go now." Why was she being so stubborn about this?

Frankie looked back at Bianca. She remained silent and just looked at her. Bianca blinked. Her heart fluttered at the deep serious gaze, but her head was telling her to hurry up. Her body was also telling her to not stand up because she'd fall over into a pile of pure exhaustion and end up asleep on the floor in the Great Hall, but she wasn't listening to that right then.

Bianca felt a hand, still warm and smelling of amber from the heated shower Frankie took after her morning flight, cup her cheek. She leaned into the touch, relishing in it. Her eyes started to flicker closed. Frankie's voice held a twinge of concern, "Did you sleep last night?"

"Why?" Bianca's eyes snapped back open. She was awake!

Frankie bent her head to the side with an expectant look.

Bianca released an impatient breath, "I need to show you something. Will you please come with me?"

Frankie narrowed her eyes a fraction. Then, she gave a tiny nod.

"Finally," Bianca exhaled. She leaned forward and pressed her mouth to Frankie's in a quick thank you kiss. Well, it was meant to be a quick kiss. When Frankie's lips began to move against Bianca's, both girls got lost in the touch. Bianca's grip on Frankie's arm tightened and she looped her other arm around Frankie's back, hugging her closer. Frankie's thumb began to draw small circles on the soft flesh of Bianca's cheek. She bit down gently on a tender bottom lip and used Bianca's responding gasp to seek entrance into the wet cavern.

Bianca tilted her head, deepening the kiss even more. Butterflies flocked in her belly and her mind went blank as flashes of light danced across the backs of her eyelids. She fell into the strong body, seeking as much contact as she possibly could. She let instinct take over, relying purely on emotion. The soft gentle circles trailed from her cheek to spread across her jaw, and another hand dove into her hair. Fingers twirled in her dark chocolate tresses.

Feeling the burn in her chest made by her body begging for oxygen, Bianca carefully broke away from the kiss. A whimper sounded, and she didn't know if it came from her or Frankie. Her eyes fluttered open, and she gazed into hypnotic hazel orbs.

"Hey." Frankie whispered after a few moments. Her thumb rose to trace a delicate cheekbone.

"Hi." Bianca whispered back. She brushed her lips over the corner of Frankie's mouth.

Frankie gulped as passion filled eyes locked on her own, "You needed to show me something?"

Bianca nodded. She did. The room. But, she really did not want to leave right that second. She wanted to kiss again. Kissing trumped room showing. Ask anyone.

Frankie must have sensed her hesitation to leave because she stood up, albeit a little reluctantly. She untangled her hand from Bianca's hair and let it drop to her side. The one on Bianca's face fell to her own waist where she unwrapped the two arms still there and tucked one porcelain hued hand against her palm. She gave a light tug, "This will be the only time a Slytherin follows a Gryffindor. Let's see your leading skills go down in history."

Bianca stifled a yawn and allowed Frankie to pull her to her feet. She shook her head, her senses returning, "History? You follow me all the time."

"This from the girl who continually sneaks into my area of the castle."

"Like you don't like it."

Frankie stared blankly, "Yes, I adore you potentially exposing yourself to hexes and jinxes."

Bianca bumped their shoulders together as they left the Great Hall, "Are you saying you won't protect me?"

Frankie's mouth quirked up, "You're the hero, Gryffindor."

"I'm not a hero." Bianca led her to the stairs.

Frankie snickered and peered around for any witnesses, "No, that's your friend. What's her name…the yellow Don Quixote."

"Simone is trying to be a good friend." Who was Don Quixote?

"She's trying to be a savior." They ascended the first set of stairs.

"I don't need a savior, least of all from you." Bianca squeezed their linked hands. "Though, your jealousy is cute."

Frankie cautiously watched their surroundings, "Not jealous."

Bianca smirked, "Keep telling yourself that. Maybe the green will stop showing one of these days."

Frankie snorted, "Haven't we had this conversation before?"

"What conversation is that?"

"The one where I explicitly inform you I am not nor will I ever be jealous of a lousy Gryffindor."

"Perhaps, but I'm sure there were a bunch more insults before." Bianca teased.

Frankie shrugged, "Not worth the energy."

Their arms rubbed together, "You know, I've missed you, even if you continue to insult my friends."

"I speak the truth about your friends." Frankie cleared her throat, "And…I miss you, too. A lot."

Bianca grinned delightedly. She pinched the lopsided green and silver knot at the base of Frankie's neck between her thumb and forefinger and straightened it, "Not bad for a snake."

Frankie lifted her chin, "Just stop popping up in corners near my dorm. It's weird."

Bianca pecked her cheek, "You love it."

Frankie's ears turned red, "Hurry up. It's getting late."

Bianca stopped in front of the tapestry depicting the dancing trolls. Frankie glanced at the tapestry with a smirk, "How fitting."

"Shhh." Bianca rolled her eyes. Of course Frankie would comment on the trolls.

"This is what you wanted to show me?" Frankie studied the tapestry, "A family memory or are you telling me subtly that you're taking ballet?"

Bianca waved her hand, "It's not the tapestry."

Frankie glanced at her drolly. Bianca could see the mischief in her gaze.

"It's not that." Bianca pointed at herself, "I need you to watch me." She couldn't help herself, "Pretend we're in Snape's class."

Frankie turned away from the decoration and stared at Bianca. She crossed her arms and shot her look, "Whatever happened to my list of potion ingredients?"

Touché, "Just watch."

Frankie smirked roguishly, "I am."

Bianca was torn between smacking her -on the shoulder of course- and kissing her. Such was the dilemma of her life. "You'll need to do exactly what I do if I'm not with you."

Frankie nodded for Bianca to continue.

Walking away from Frankie, Bianca stood near the wall opposite the tapestry. "Ok, we need to think of a comfortable place where only you and I can be. No one else can find us there. We can be relaxed and not have to worry about getting up before dawn because someone might see us together."

Frankie's smirk dropped, "Bianca."

Bianca held a hand up, shushing her. "Picture it in your mind. It's cozy and comfy. There's a fireplace and cushy furniture. All the things we like are there. The perfect place for us. Our place."

Frankie stared at her with a hint of sadness.

Noticing the look, Bianca shook her finger, "Do it. Close your eyes and imagine it."

Sighing, Frankie closed her eyes.

"Ok," Bianca closed her eyes as well. She recalled the room she found the day before. The welcoming couch and chairs, the quidditch junk in the corner, the games and fireplace. "Now, we walk back and forth in front of this wall three times."

She started to walk.

One.

Two.

Three.

Bianca opened her eyes and immediately looked at Frankie. The blonde was standing in front of the tapestry. Her face was stoic, but those beautiful eyes shimmered with a mixture of care and concern. She thought Bianca had gone crazy. Or, at least, her sleep deprived mind was having a mentally challenged episode.

Then, her gaze flicked to the side.

Bianca watched as Frankie's eyes narrowed in confusion. She stepped away from the wall, and her folded arms unhooked and dropped. Bianca followed her line of vision to see the door once again magically appear in the wall.

"This is what I wanted to show you." Bianca beckoned Frankie over.

Frankie carefully walked to her, scanning the wall and door with deep concentration.

Bianca took her hand when she drew near and guided her to the door. She eagerly grabbed the handle, wanting to show Frankie what she'd found.

"Wait." Frankie warned. Bianca looked over to see Frankie's wand drawn and held at the door.

"Frankie, put that away." Merlin, she forgot for a second how cautious Frankie could be, "It's ok."

"A door suddenly appeared out of nowhere." Frankie spoke.

"It's not going to kill us." Come on.

"Think about it." Frankie didn't lower her wand, "You want to charge through a door that appeared out of thin air."

Bianca placed her fingers on the wand and pushed down, "It's ok. Trust me."

Frankie slowly lowered her wand.

"Thank you, Ms. Doom and Gloom." Bianca went back to the door. "Now, this is what I wanted you to see." She flung the door open with a flourish.

Frankie peeked inside.

It was exactly how Bianca left it. The chairs and sofa were as squishy and pillowy as ever. The green and silver blended wonderfully with the red and gold, lifting the already welcoming air to a higher level.

"Come on in." Bianca gave Frankie's hand a tug.

Frankie stepped in behind Bianca, the door swinging closed behind them. She instantly turned to check the door, but Bianca stopped her, "It's ok. We're ok here."

"Presumptuous. We don't even know what here is." Frankie spun to face the room again.

"It's the room of requirement." Bianca informed.

Frankie took a few steps further inside, "Go on."

Bianca released her hand, silently urging Frankie to explore, "It's a hidden room. It only appears to witches and wizards that need it. It transforms into whatever they most need at that exact moment in time." Thank you Hogwart's a History.

"Only with magic." Frankie muttered under her breath. She crept up to the fireplace, taking in the cheery brick design and freshly cut stack of logs beside it.

Bianca waltzed up to the couch and rested her elbows on the back of it, "To find it, you need to be thinking of what you need. The more in depth you think about it, the better it becomes." Which explained why the pile of quidditch memorabilia seemed to have grown. Frankie had been imagining with her. That made Bianca's smile grow.

Frankie went over to the pile and riffled through it, "And you need to pace three times before it?"

"Yes," Bianca watched as Frankie pulled out a pair of goggles. She giggled as the blonde turned them over in her hands before tossing them back into the pile.

Frankie moved away from the quidditch supplies and meandered around. She ran her hand over the wooden table and took in the chess set. She peered around at the décor, spending a few minutes surveying the intertwined colors of their two houses. Bianca waited for her to say something. Did she like it? What was she thinking?

Frankie did another circuit around the room, squatting down, standing tall on her toes, and basically doing whatever she could to see every nook and cranny of the place. Bianca watched her, leaning further and further against the back of the couch as time past. Her eyes drooped dangerously a few times in the silence, but she fought it off. She had to know what Frankie thought. No tiredness was going to stop her.

Finally, after studying each piece of the wizard's chess set, Frankie slid up behind Bianca. The brunette shivered as palms curved around her hips and a pair of lips touched the center of her back through her sweater.

"You wanted a place for us." Frankie murmured. It was straightforward, but an undercurrent of awe could be detected by the most seasoned ears.

"Yes," Bianca agreed. A place just for them. They could be themselves there. No one else could enter except them. It was they're own little slice of the world. Nothing could touch them there.

Frankie melded their bodies together, "Convenient you would find it across from your family portrait."

Bianca chuckled. She turned slowly and Frankie took a half step back to give her space. "We can meet here whenever we want." Bianca peered out through hooded eyes. "No one can follow us here or find us." No worries about Filch or their friends or prefects.

Frankie steadied Bianca as she swayed, "You need sleep."

"I'm fine," she was actually already half asleep, but she wasn't about to admit that, "I have to get to class in a few minutes." She was not going to be beat by an all nighter.

Frankie clearly did not believe her, "As amusing as it would be to watch a Gryffindor fall flat on their face, I'd rather it not be you."

"How sweet." Bianca felt herself being pulled around the couch.

Frankie pushed down on Bianca's shoulders till she sat down, "Go to sleep. I'll find you before lunch."

"No, Frankie." Her body betrayed her, though. Her legs automatically lifted and spread out on the sofa, which, by the way, was just as comfortable as it looked. Bianca was virtually melting into the cushions.

Frankie snagged a pillow from the floor and propped it behind Bianca's head, "Sleep."

"But class…" Bianca could already feel her eyes closing and her mind shutting down.

"You're sick. You have a note from Pomfrey."

Madame Pomfrey the nurse? "But, I'm not sick." Bianca drawled.

Frankie knelt down. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a random piece of parchment. It was half torn and wrinkled. Quidditch plays dotted the surface. She plucked her wand out and held the tip against the parchment. With a few mumbled words, the quidditch plays disappeared and handwriting began to form. Soon, she was holding an official looking note excusing Bianca from class and signed by the nurse.

"Frankie?" Bianca breathed out, her eyes tiny slits.

Frankie tucked the note into Bianca's pocket, "Lunch."

Too tired to really do anything let alone think about how her girlfriend was helping her skip class, Bianca let her eyes close fully. As the inviting arms of sleep reached out to her, she felt a tender kiss on her forehead and a soft blanket drape over her body.