A Place for Secrets

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The quidditch match went exactly how Emerald predicted it might.

Gryffindor had won, Harry had beat her to the snitch of course. All was fair in quidditch and brooms she supposed.

She was heading to dinner with the others that evening after the game. Thats when something, or rather someone caught her eye.

"Harry?" She said softly as she saw the boy stumbling up the stairs, something was visibly wrong.

"Why are you soaking wet- is that blood?" She asked. Harry looked to her, he was toting something in his arm, a book. It was his potions book. He looked to her, peering over his glasses.

"I have got to hide this book." He said. "What on earth happened..." "There's no time to explain." Harry said. "I have got to hide this book. Now." He said.

"Okay okay so you've got to hide the book. Big deal." "Will you help me?" His voice was desperate. Was Harry Potter really begging her for help with something as simple as hiding a book from someone.

"Yes." She finally agreed. "I'll help you." She said. "Good." Harry took her arm leading her up more stairs within the castle. "I know a good place to start." He added as he dragged her along.

"But first." Emerald countered, pulling him to a stop. Harry stumbled, nearly tripping and turned to look at her. "You're going to tell me exactly what just happened and what this is about." She demand. "You owe me that much." "Fine."

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"So let me get this straight," Emerald said as they walked up and down a corridor, Harry had stopped talking and was obviously busy thinking about something else.

"You get this book, this text book that's Oz knows how old, there's mysterious writing inside of it from someone who claims to be 'the halfblood price' you have no idea who that is, but you decide against your better judgement to just do what the writing and this half blood prince says? And you even went as far as to use a spell in it, a spell that you had no idea what it did, on another student-" "A death eater, mind you," Harry snapped.

"Whatever, another student, while you had no idea what it did." "Yes." Harry replied flatly.

"Harry, you're an idiot."

"Excuse me?" "Someone had to say it, might as well be me." He stopped in his tacks to look at her. She shrugged. "Only an idiot follows a stranger blindly." She admitted.

"I-I" "Am I wrong?" He was quiet. "Exactly." And as the words left her mouth a door appeared on the wall of the corridor and she realised where they were.

"I have got to hide this book now." Harry said, raising his copy of Advanced Potion Making. "And you now know why." He said. "Then come on." She grabbed his hand and pulled him inside the room of requirement.

"I know a spot."

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"Are you sure about this?" Harry asked as he set his book inside of the vanishing cabinet.

Well, he didn't know that it was a vanishing cabinet, he just knew that Emerald was absolutely certain he'd never find it again if he left it in this cabinet. "Yes." She replied. "Positive." She said.

"Now close your eyes." "What?" Harry asked, turning to look at her. "Why?" "So you can't be tempted to look for it later." She pulled the book from his grasp.

"I will hide it for you." "You close your eyes." Harry said. "So you can't see where you put it so I can't ask you where it is."

"If I close my eyes how am I supposed to see where to put the book." "You won't." Harry replied. "That's kind of the idea." He added with a smirk.

"Alright." Emerald shook her head with a laugh. "Fine." She closed her eyes and he closed his. She blindly made her way over to the cabinet, feeling its ridges with her hands.

She found her way to the circular handle and pulled it open, the door swung forwards with creak. She blindly placed the book inside and reached for the handle to close it.

"Alright." She said with her eyes still closed. "It's done." She added and blindly walked back over to Harry, her hands in front of her to act as her guide as she felt her way to the room of requirement.

They landed on Harry's shoulders. He was warm under her touch.

"Should I open my eyes now?" She asked. "No." Harry replied. "Not yet." He said lowly.

Before Emerald could question what he meant Harry had leaned down and brushed his lips against hers. His kiss was softer, gentler than Dracos. When he pulled away she did open her eyes and so did he.

She finally understood what the room of requirement truly was. A place for secrets.

"Sorry... I-" Harry began but she didn't let him finish. She kissed him, again. It was just as soft and just as gently. Harry cupped her face.

"Should we stay hidden up here too?" Emerald breathed against his skin and Harry chuckled.

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"So?" Hermione asked from her seat next to Harry, "Did you and Emerald do it then?"

Emerald choked on her pumpkin juice and immediately spit it back into her cup and Harry nearly swallowed his fork.

"I'm sorry?" Harry asked. "You know, hide the book?" "Oh." Harry said and both he and Emerald breathed a sigh of relief.

"Yes." "Ah good." Hermione nodded. "That's much better then." She said. "You're much better off without it." "Yeah you would think so." Harry teased. "Now you can regain your spot as top of the class."

"Harry-" "I'm only teasing Hermione." Harry said quickly.

"By the way, have you had much luck with Slughorne?" "Luck?" Emerald asked. "With Slughorne? About what?" Harry gave Hermione a look before turning to Emerald.

"Dumbledore has me on a special mission." He explained without giving away too much detail, he wasn't sure how much he could trust Emerald since she hung around Draco so much. He had no idea of the fight they had the other night.

"Oh?" Was all Emerald asked, obviously this topic wasn't intriguing to her. "Well," She added. "Good luck with whatever it is. But if he gives you extra credit I want in."