" we were first years?" Ron said, his voice muffled by a hard-boiled egg.

The Sorting Hat had just been put away, and everyone was about to pack up their things to go back to the common rooms. Despite the glares from the Prefects, nobody was about to move just yet. It had been forever since we had such a big banquet, and you'd be a fool to leave all that delicious food on the tables.

"Awful time," Hermione yawned, waving her hand at us, "the three of you were always getting into trouble."

"It's Harry's fault," I grinned.

Potter laughed, nudging my shoulder gently, "and yet you always followed me."

"And I very much regret that."

As I picked up my fork to stab a roasted potato on my plate, I noticed Ron exchanging glances with the boy next to me.

And when I say glances, I mean Ron widened his eyes and wiggled his eyebrows, a smirk on his face. Harry just gave him an understanding look, as if they were communicating in facial codes. Interesting. I cleared my throat, catching Ron's attention, and he quickly went back to scarfing down his food.

Hermione just rolled her eyes.

"You're the most unsubtle idiot out there," she said, smacking the red-head with her book, "let the poor girl eat her dinner without worrying about what you and Harry are up to."

"What did I do?" Harry exclaimed, holding up his hands in offense.

Hermione frowned, "you're completely hiding something up your sleeve."

"I don't know what you're talking about," the boy said 'matter of factly', "why don't you check for me, [y/n]?"

Setting down my fork, I turned to look at Harry, who was now holding up his left arm and showing me the inside of his robe's sleeves. There was nothing but his arm, shirt, and a whiff of the cologne I told him I liked back in third year.

I guess he still wore it.

"Nothing up his sleeve," I yawned, turning back to my plate, "oh well."

"That's what I thought," Harry said, grinning at Hermione, "nothing, absolutely nothing, up my fashionable sleeve."

I was about to question why he sounded so sarcastic, but then I felt his arm drop around my shoulder consequently, pulling me away from my plate and closer to his side.

I should have known.

Ron had a goofy grin on his face, which made it clear this is what he had up his sleeve; Harry wrapping his arm around me, and sandwiching me into an awkward side hug.

"Stop it, Potter," I frowned uncomfortably, nudging his arm off of me, "I'm trying to eat my food before Filch kicks us out."

I wasn't mad at him, I was just annoyed that he dragged me away from my plate of food when I was clearly still eating. He did this a lot, and I usually went along with it, but for some reason I was still particularly bugged from this morning's earlier events.

From that moment on the train, to the moment I walked into the school, everyone was watching me with judgeful eyes. Some girls who gave me the stink eye, some guys who gave me the stink eye, some people who gave me the stink eyes, and some girls, guys, and everyone in between who looked just about ready to ask me on a date.

Harry already did that, and I haven't accepted yet.

"Hey [y/n]!" Someone yelled from down the table, "if you don't like Harry, you can date me!"

I glanced up from my plate, seeing the familiar face of Seamus staring me down. He was waving his arm around, as if it was supposed to hypnotize me into saying yes.

It didn't work.

"Shut up, Finnigan," Harry yelled back, "she's not interested."

I was silent, staring at my food in boredom. I guess I'd have to get used to all this new attention, which was new to me, considering I spent most of my life in the shadows of the Golden Trio.

Hermione noticed, and cleared her throat to change the subject.

"We best be going back, then," she said, getting out of her seat at the bench, "let's go."

As she swept her curly hair behind her shoulders, she watched as I set down my fork and slid my way out of my spot. Everyone was beginning to clear out now, anyways.

"We'll meet you in the Common Room later," Ron said, tossing me a bread roll, "this dinner won't finish itself."

Hermione rolled her eyes in annoyance, "and you expect to clear out this whole hall?"

"Yes," the Weasley boy nodded, "Harry will help me."

Potter grinned, "yes, Harry will help you."

Shrugging, I motioned for Hermione to follow me, walking towards the door of the Great Hall. I still had the bread roll Ron tossed me in my hand, and I stared at it boredom as I walked.

The girl soon caught up to me, her cheeks pink with frustration. I suppose she expected Ron to walk her back to the Commons.

As we passed through the corridors, I ignored the stares of a few Ravenclaws huddled by the wall. One of them was whispering to their friends, a teasing smirk on thier face.

Was this going to be a problem? I didn't care for attention, and the amount I usually received was more than satisfactory, but I didn't want to end up getting paranoid over what a stranger's glances might mean. They could be kind, or they could be jealous.

I just hoped that it didn't get to my head—

"He really fancies you," Hermione said, cutting me out of my train of thought, "Harry."

I cleared my throat, staring at the ground, "I know."

"Why don't you fancy him?"

"I do," I said, flustered, "I think."

Ever since I stumbled into thier compartment in the first year, everyone expect me and Harry to be the school's item. I never had a boyfriend before, and even thought Potter was the closest thing I've had to one, something just felt off about the subject.

Maybe I just wasn't ready yet.

Hermione continued, "you're literally the chosen one, for the Chosen One."

"But we aren't dating," I clarified.

"Everyone thinks you two are."

"But we're not," I said defensively, which was slightly surprising considering I rarely got so. I was just tired of it, I guess. People only thought of me as Potter's girl, not as [y/n]. I sighed, "I don't know, Mione',we're only in our fourth year, and I haven't given it that much thought."

There was a slight pause, before the girl spoke again.

"Just don't break his heart," she said, "you and I both know he's not as tough as he looks."

As she reached into her bag for her book, she let out a horrified squeal. Did Trevor jump into her satchel again?

"I left my book in the hall," she pouted, her eyes narrowed in annoyance, "I'll meet you in the Common Room."

Before I had a chance to offer to go with her, she sped off behind me, her footsteps echoing down the stone hall.

I was alone, bored, and too tired to even think about running after her. Continuing down the hall, I noticed that all the students had dwindled away, presumably already holed up in thier dorms.

So, I'll repeat myself, I was alone.

Or so I thought.

As I turned another corner, the sound of my footsteps were suddenly accompanied by the sound of a soft rumble. Like an earthquake, but the floor wasn't shaking.

Turning my head, I realized the cream colored walls were crumbling away, leaving me in front of a giant mahogany door. It definitely hadn't been here before, and the rumbling was out of the ordinary (no, it was not my stomach, I already ate).

Nearing the door, I placed my fingers on the golden handle cautiously. A door that appeared out of nowhere? Even for a school of witchcraft and wizardry, that was out of the ordinary.

This could only be one thing. Something Hermione told me about when she was listing off facts from her library book.

The Room of Requirement.

If this really was that room, that meant it only showed up when you needed it most, and what you needed was inside. I didn't think I needed anything. I had all my textbooks, my luggage, and the bread roll Ron gave me in my hand.

Funny that it showed up on the first day.