Author's Note:Alright everyone, next chapter :) it's been pointed out to me that people might like to know what song Lorcan was humming because there's more than one song out there called If I told you. The song (which is also where the title comes from) is by Nick Howard and it's a pretty good way to get a look inside Lorcan's head if you're curious about that, because we have a looooong way to go until we get to his perspective again.
Disclaimer: I am not JKR.
Now without further ado: Chapter Two!
Chapter Two
Thursday, March 24th 2022
Ravenclaw Common Room, Hogwarts, Scotland
Grace pushes her hair out of her face and re-reads the page for the tenth time. Numerical magic honestly isn't as fascinating as it sounds at first, but she is determined to pass her Arithmancy OWL with at least an EE if not an O. But maybe, she'll study for Runes right now, because it's a whole lot less frustrating. She looks up from her book and is surprised by the amount of people in the common room. There certainly weren't as many here when she began studying.
She sees Louisa and Carla by one of the shelves arguing about Louisa's favorite book again, no doubt. Noah and Jason are talking quietly about a chart they have laid out on what little table space is not occupied by Noah's sitting on it. Archie and Zoe sit next to each other on the floor close to the entrance, heads bent together and talking in hushed tones. The door opens and Dominique Weasley walks in her head held high, a book bag over her shoulder. Grace watches her walk past, they're not close, they never have been. They probably never will be. Dominique is cautious about getting close to people because she bears a famous name. Grace supposes she can see where she's coming from, but Eva's name is famous too and personally, Grace likes her way of dealing with it much better.
"Hello Lysander," Dominique has one of those voices that carry above all noise and even so the Ravenclaw common room is never particularly noisy. The boy on the couch nods at her as she passes and his lips twitch.
Grace's eyes narrow. It doesn't quite look like Lysander, the way he sits on the couch. Of course, this is the Ravenclaw common room, so it should be Lysander. She snaps her book shut and gets up.
"I was wondering when you'd notice me," he says when she sits down next to him. It's most definitely not Lysander's voice.
"You're here for me?" she asks.
"You missed dinner," he says softly. "Evie and I were worried."
"Sorry," she glances at him and he smiles.
"It's fine. As long as you eat something now."
"Like what?"
"Like those sandwiches I brought?"
"Oh," she laughs at herself, because she honestly hadn't noticed. And he laughs along and suddenly, they're okay in a way that they so rarely are, because somehow it always gets a little bit awkward when it's just the two of them.
She sits cross-legged on the couch and turns to face him as she eats.
"What had you so engrossed that you didn't look up for an entire hour?" he asks her curiously.
She pulls a face. "Arithmancy."
He laughs at her again. "You chose to take that class."
"Don't remind me," she sighs. "Have you started studying yet?"
He shakes his head and she smiles because it's so like him and just like that they talk the night away.
The common room clears out around them without either of them noticing as they reminisce and philosophize and laugh until they're both hurting. And before they know it the sun is rising and bathing the common room in its light and…
"Your hair looks like blood and gold, Lorcan."
"You're tired, Gracie."
"Hmmm…" she glances at the clock, "Three hours until class. No sense in going to sleep now."
He gets up and stretches, "I suppose you're right. I should get back to my own common room though."
She nods, her legs still folded. "Yeah probably."
"I'm sorry for keeping you up," he looks at the glowing embers in the fireplace and she smiles, because this is so Lorcan. His siblings would never apologize for keeping her up until sunrise.
"Don't be," she untangles her legs and stands next to him. "I actually meant to thank you. I haven't had that much fun in a while."
He smiles crookedly at her. "Alright. I'll see you at breakfast then."
She nods. "See you. Gryffindor table today," she reminds him. And then he's gone as if he was never there in the first place.
She goes up to her dorm and sits on the bed. She falls asleep there, sitting up and still fully dressed. It's Louisa, who wakes her. And Carla smiles knowingly at Grace over her best friend's shoulder, while Zoe sing-songs in the background. "Did someone stay up late talking to Lysander?"
She doesn't tell them that she only just got there half an hour ago and she certainly doesn't tell them that it was not Lysander she stayed up with, but Lorcan. They'd just blow it out of proportion. Besides, she thinks she might like for this one to be her secret.
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