Chapter 11

I apologise, this chapter is a disaster because I got logged out before I could save, so this is basically a more rubbish version, sorry.

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When Chloe, Jessica and Stephanie awoke, Grace's bed was empty and she was nowhere to be seen.

"Hey, tiny tot! Where's your loser friend?" Pansy asks, eyebrows raised in genuine confusion.

"Awful nosey, aren't you? And please refrain from calling me that." Chloe replies, turning to her two friends.

"Tiny tot?" Jessica laughs, leaning on her shoulder with her arm.

"Need I remind you that you were recently nicknamed 'shorty'." Chloe asks, shrugging Jessica's arm off.

"Bigger question at hand," Stephanie says, gaining their attention. "where's Grace?"

"Good question." Chloe says, inwardly thinking.

"There was no trace of her when we got up." Jessica says.

"I'm worried." Chloe sighs, wearing a worried expression.

"I feel guilty." Jessica says, concern lacing her voice.

"Me too." The two agree.

"I think we should get ready and go to breakfast, she'll be there." Stephanie says, keeping a level head.

"Yeah, you're right." They grumble.

The trio got ready and headed to the Great Hall for breakfast, hoping to catch sight of their friend. They scanned the hall and noted that Grace wasn't at the Slytherin table, nor the Gryffindor. Noticing their usual empty seats at the Gryffindor table, they walked over and sat down.

"Hey guys!" The four say, happily.

"Hey guys." The trio say back, not so happily.

"Where's George?" Jessica asks Fred, having noticed the empty seat across from where Grace would sit.

"Ah, don't worry, he usually skips breakfast." Fred reassures his sister.

"Where's Grace?" Hermione asks, concerned.

"Good question." Stephanie says.

"Don't tell me you've abandoned her!" Harry gasps.

"No! It's not like that!" Jessica shouts.

"We wouldn't do that!" Chloe exclaims.

"She was gone before we got up this morning." Stephanie states, slouching.

"Has something happened?" Ron questions.

"Well..."

The girls told the story of the events of the night before, highlighting that it was a misunderstanding and how important it is that they find her.

"Don't worry." Hermione says. "She wouldn't miss her education, you'll see her next, in class."

"I hope so." The three mumble.

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Grace woke up before the others, and she was kind of glad. She wanted to escape. To get out of the room. So, she got up and got ready as quietly as possible. She headed to the door, taking her stuff with her as she planned on skipping breakfast and heading to class as soon as it was time. She was breaking the rules, so she was quiet and careful in where she headed. She knew the library would be locked but it was worth a shot, it was her only escape after all.

She tried the handle and to her surprise, the door was unlocked. She was cautious when entering because she was breaking multiple rules and because she was wary of the fact that the door was unlocked. She looked about after closing the door and it seemed empty. Maybe Madam Pince forgot to lock it? She silently walked over to a table, pulling a chair out and putting her stuff down. Because she had her head burried in her arms on the table, she failed to notice the figure who moved towards her.

"Hey." If she could, she would've screamed but because she knew she'd be in trouble if she got caught, it came out as a squeal.

"George." Grace growls out, he had frightened the wits out of her by saying her name in her ear. She didn't even know he was here to begin with.

"Grace." He grins, as she turns her head to glare at him, they're noses practically touching.

"What are you doing here?" Grace asks, dropping her glare and looking away.

"That's my line." He replies, siting across from her. "What are you doing here?"

"I asked first." She says, crossing her arms.

"Okay, okay." He laughs. "I usually come here in the mornings, before everyone gets up."

"Guessing you're the reason this place is opened then?" She questions, already knowing the answer.

"Yup, I always break in." He grins, but then points a finger at her. "Don't tell anyone."

She puts her hands up in surrender. "I won't."

They both try to look serious but end up in fits of laughter.

"Soooo." George drags out.

"So?" Grace, obliviously questions.

"Your turn."

"Aww, oops." She laughs.

"Go on." He prompts.

"I got up early before everyone and thought I'd try my luck here, luck was on my side for once." She says simply.

But he could tell she was skipping the important parts. "Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why did you get up and come here? Why didn't you just stay at your dorm? You could get in trouble." He says, not taking his eyes off of her.

"Because..." She trails off.

"Because?"

"I think I'm going to go get a book." She says, abruptly standing up. As she walked past him, he caught her arm at the elbow, gently stopping her.

"Don't avoid the question." He says, concerned. " You can talk to me."

He lets her go and she returns to her seat. "It's happening again."

"What is?"

"Before coming here, I was always cast out and alone. It didn't matter how much I was reassured, I still felt unwanted and paranoid." She avoided his gaze at all costs. "I thought that coming here, I would get a clean slate. It seems my past is catching up with me. I feel insecure."

This surprised him, he never took her as one to feel like that. "What exactly has happened?"

She explained to him about the night before, tears streaming down her face and he listened silently the entire time. He never said anything, he just sat staring at the table until he stood up and walked over to her. He pulled her up and he sat on her seat, pulling her onto his lap into a hug, her eyes wide.

"It does sound bad, but I think you should talk to them, let them explain themselves. I think this may just be a big misunderstanding. I know for sure that my sister wouldn't be like that." He whispers in her ear, making her cry more and hug him back. "There's no other logical explanation because everybody loves you!"

"Except most of the Slytherins." She weakly laughs.

"Eh?" He questions.

"Apparently I'm not worthy of being in their house because I'm a 'mudblood'." She sniffles.

"Stupid Slytherins!" He growls out, but before he can say anything else, she speaks again.

"I think you should know that Jessica is being called a 'blood traitor'." She says, into his chest.

"They are so for it!" He fists his loose hand, but then calms. "They deserve to be pranked."

She giggles. "They certainly do."

He smiles. "Rebel, breaking the rules."

"I needed an escape." She says, simply.

"What were you intending to read?" He asks.

"A good romance story." She says, with a straight face.

He laughs.

"Hey! I'm a sucker for romance." She laughs.

"C'mon, follow me." He laughs, standing up. "I know a good one."

"How would yo-" She starts, following him.

"I only come here for ideas, for pranks." He buts in.

"Sure." She stifles a laugh.

"I do!"

"Whatever helps you sleep at night." She sniggers.

"Yeah, yeah." He grumbles, but smiling.

After finding her the book, George picked one for himself and they sat at the table. Grace read, while George pretended to. In actual fact he was watching the many expressions that crossed her face. Suddenly, a thought hit him like a tidal wave.

"Here." He tossed her snacks across the table.

"These are your."

"I've got more, plus you'll be hungry from skipping breakfast."

"Thank you, George." She smiles at the ginger boy across from her, he smiles back. Her facial expression becomes one of bewilderment. "You do know that your book is upside down?"

He looked down immediately and then shot his head up. "It's more fun to read upside down."

"Whatever you say, weirdo." She laughs.

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Jessica left breakfast early, she had too much on her mind. She took to walking the halls aimlessly and maybe, just maybe, come across Grace. When she had left the hall, she had failed to notice someone slip out behind her. Tears were threatening to fall, she had to get somewhere out of sight. She picked up her pace so quickly that she dropped her quill. She turned to pick it up, her eyes focused on it as she bent down. She gasped when another hand beat her to it, his hand was around the quill, while hers was around his. She looked up, already knowing who it was.

"Cedric." She says, pulling her hand back.

"Hey." He smiles, taking her hand in his, opening it and placing her quill with the other hand in it. Without saying a word, he drags her to an empty classroom by the hand. He pulls a chair out and she sits, he then sits next to her. "What's wrong?"

"What do you mean?" She asks, trying to sound convincing.

"I'm not daft, I know you're upset." He says, looking her dead in the eyes. "You would've been in tears if you hadn't dropped your quill."

"I-I'm fine." She says.

"You don't have to lie to me. You don't always have to be strong." He says, taking her hand.

She breaks down, she felt awful. He hugs her while she cries into his chest. "I don't want you to think I'm weak."

"Not in a million years, shorty." He whispers, rubbing her back.

Once she had recomposed herself, she explained what had happened and that she felt horrible because she hadn't seen her smaller friend to explain. He gave her his input and advice, reassuring her that everything would be fine because they were best friends and that it was just a misunderstanding.

"Thank you, Cedric." She smiles at him.

"Anytime, shorty." He smiles back, ruffling her hair.

They spend the rest of their time before class talking about random things. They never realised how much they had in common and how weird and wonderful each other is.

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If you ship Dramione and love a good read, then I recommend The heart wants what the heart wants by DracoLuciusMalfoy1980!