Harry awoke to a dull pain in his ribs. Groggily he began to feel around the area only to realise that Luna was still fast asleep there, her elbow resting on his chest. He debated leaving her there, she looked so peaceful but then she shifted slightly, making him whince. Her eyes blinked open at the sound and she looked around quickly to see Harry's grimacing face.
"Harry," she said, startled. "What's wrong?"
"Sorry," he began. "Your elbow, my ribs," he continued with a small groan.
Luna practically jumped off of him and began to massage his chest where her elbow had just been wedged. "Sorry..." she said sencerely.
"It's fine," he replied, smiling with relief.
"What time is it?" she asked, wiping her puffy eyes.
"I have no idea, we should probably get out of here."
"Agreed," Luna sighed. "I wish we could stay longer."
"Me too," he replied, placing his hand on her cheek. She yawned and rubbed her eyes once more, Harry had no idea anyone could be so adorable. He stood and held out his hand to her, she took hold of it and stood in front of him. She kissed his nose lightly and he grinned at her.
"Come on, you," she said to him before pulling him by the hand to the other side of the room and out the door. They strolled down the corridor in the glow of the stars coming through from the window. They had almost made it back to the entrance hall where they were to part ways to their dormitories when Harry thought he heard his name being called from up the grand staircase.
"Did you hear that?" he asked Luna.
"Your name being called in the distance?" she asked dramatically. He nodded. "Yup," she finished casually.
"Hello?" called Harry to the disembodied voice who'd called his name once again. It sounded like it was getting closer.
Ron's head popped over the rail of the staircase. "Harry? What you doing down there?" he said making his way down the stiarcase followed by Hermione and, to Harry's horror, Professor McGonagall.
"Mr Potter! Where have you been?" Professor McGonagall asked him, half worried, half furious.
"Erm..." Harry had no excuse to wiggle his way out of this one. He was waiting to be told off and punished in the worst way possible, probably detention, he thought. But before McGonagall had a chance to even say another word Hermione had pushed past both her and Ron and stormed towards Harry with a face full of pure rage.
"Where have you been?! What were you THINKING?!" she screamed, tears soaking her pasty face.
"I was just..." he began.
"We were worried sick!" she said, wiping her sopping wet face on the sleeve of her nightdress.
Harry looked over all of them: Ron, drained of all colour except from green, clutching the marauders map, McGonagall, red and blotchy, no doubt because she'd been running around the castle trying to find him, and Hermione, more upset than he'd ever seen her before. They must have thought he was in danger, that maybe he'd been taken or he'd run off. His face dropped and turned the same colour as Ron's.
"I'm so sorry... I didn't realise what time it was," was all he could think to say. Then a thought popped into his head. "Has anyone been looking for Luna, too?" he said.
"Luna?" said Hermione, not understanding at first before she realised Luna was on Harry's left, yawning. She looked back to Harry, brows raised in surprise.
"Miss Lovegood!" exclaimed McGonagall. Obviously nobody had realised she was missing too.
Luna finished her yawn before muttering a casual "Hmm?" At this McGonagall's eyes widened, Luna smiled back at her. McGonagall shook her head and turned back to Harry.
"You need to get back to your dormitory," she began. "Now." she finished sternly.
"Yeah, come on mate," Ron said queitly, tugging on Harry's sleeve. He pulled his shirt out of Ron's grasp, turned to Luna with his back to the others and smiled.
"I'll see you-" he tapped her on the nose. "At breakfast." She smiled at him and threw her arms around his waist, he hugged her tight and kissed her on the top of the head before letting go and turning back to Ron, Hermione and Professor McGonagall.
"Well," began McGonagall, very flustered indeed. "I think Miss Granger's outburst is punishment enough this time, along with the deduction of 50 points from Gryffindor, of course."
Harry nodded. "I understand," he said, feeling like he was getting off quite lightly with this. He turned back to look at Luna but she'd dissapeared, no doubt going off to get back to her dormitory before she got the same punishment.
And with that, Harry walked with Ron and Hermione back to the Gryffindor common room.
Once they got back to the common room Hermione turned to Harry. She gave him a look of rage before her face softened and she threw her arms around him, hugging him so tightly he thought he might pass out. He rubbed his arm when she finally let go.
"You deserved that," she said with a devious smile creeping across her face.
"So..." Ron began, pushing Hermione lightly out of the way. Harry rubbed his forehead and couldn't help but smile, he sat in the armchair nearest the fireplace. Hermione and Ron sat in the other ones across from him and started at him expectantly.
"So, what?" asked Harry, although he knew quite well what.
"Where are have been?" Hermione inquired, in a less accusatory way this time. She had her legs crossed in the huge chair and her chin rested on her hand. Ron sat on the edge of his seat.
"Well, I can't really say, I don't really know where it was we were..." Harry replied vagueley.
"You were in the room of requirement!" Hermione practically shouted before being hushed by the boys. "That's why we couldn't see you on the map until you came out of the room!" she said in an a quieter but equally excited manner.
"How do you know about that?" he shot back at her. Ron's head was moving back and forth between them at this point as he fought to keep up with the coversation.
"I found it by accident one day when I was looking for a quiet place to study," she admitted.
"Oh..." Harry said thoughtfully.
"What are you two going on about?" muttered Ron, his freckled face screwed up in confusion.
Hermione looked around very dramatically before explaining: "So the room of requirement is a secret room in Hogwarts, the door to which appears when a person is in need of a certain room, the room will hold everything one requires, hence the room of requirement."
"Right," Ron began. "So what did you require then, Harry?" he said, rounding on harry with a devilish smile. At this Harry's cheeks began to flush and Ron roared with laughter and Hermione giggled.
"Nothing like that!" Harry exclaimed, only a small white lie, he thought. "Some girls were bullying Luna, she ended up getting hurt and she..."
"She what?" Hermione pushed after a long paused.
"Well, after I helped her clean up the blood-" at this, Hermione clapped a hand to her mouth. "-she's fine, Hermione! Anyway, after that she wanted to explain about everything that had been going on and she wanted to go somehwere we could talk..."
After another long moment Hermione obviously wasn't satisfied with his answer. "And then?" she pressed.
"And then..." he started. On seeing the curious looks from his two best friends he decided to tell them the truth. "And then she kissed me."
"What?!" the two across from him exclaimed. perfectly in time with eachother before looking at eachother with mirrored expressions; raised brows and open mouths.
"And then we fell asleep." finished Harry, very anticlimactically.
"That's adorable, how sweet?!" Hermione said, clapping her hands together and smiling.
"Come on, Harry! That can't be all!" Ron huffed, dissapointed. Hermione's face turned slightly angry, she hit Ron on the arm lightly, gave him a scathing look and then returned to looking completely enchanted by Harry's story.
Harry looked out of the window and saw it wasn't quite dawn yet. "Now," he said. "I'm off to bed for a few more hours' sleep,"
And with that, Harry left them to their thoughts.