Author's Note: I actually don't have much to say this time. Just... enjoy!
Disclaimer: I am still not JKR...
Chapter Three
Thursday, March 31st 2022
Great Hall, Hogwarts, Scotland
She doesn't miss dinner the next Thursday. The table of choice that day is the Hufflepuff table and Lorcan looks as much at home here as Lysander doesn't. Grace can't help but grin at the way the eldest of the triplets squirms every time someone offers him something. Eva laughs next to Grace, already in her Quidditch robes and Molly Weasley slides into place next to Lorcan and opposite of the girls.
"Are you quite alright, Lysander?" she asks with a friendly smile. Grace likes Molly Weasley, she's kind and sweet and most definitely teasing Lysander.
"Yes, Lysander, are you alright?" Eva snickers and even Lorcan can't quite hide his smile. There are things between the siblings that Grace doesn't know about, she's fully aware of that, but she stopped minding a long time ago. Instead, she catches Lysander's pleading look across the table and shrugs helplessly.
"Are you guys really going to practice in this weather?" she asks her best friend with a glance at the ceiling.
Eva just smiles. "Of course. We need to be prepared for anything. You know that, Gracie." Grace does know that, but she will never understand it, so she just sighs and shakes her head as Eva shoves a few more bites of her noodles into her mouth. "And that's my cue actually," the older girl grabs her broom from underneath the bench and gets up. "I will see you all at breakfast." She pulls a face at her brothers and touches Grace's shoulder lightly before sauntering down the aisle between the Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw tables.
They watch her go, before turning back to the table in unison. Molly laughs, "I swear, when she leaves you become the third triplet, Grace."
Lysander laughs along and waggles his eyebrows at his brother, who just rolls his eyes. Grace shakes her head. "That's weird, Molly," she says. "Those two are most definitely not my brothers."
"Aww, why ever not, Gracie?" Lysander asks as he ducks underneath the table to sit next to her. "I am wounded."
"You're still my favorite annoying prat, Lysander," Grace pats his arms consolingly. "I swear."
"I am so glad," he pretends to slump in relief and leans against her shoulder.
Grace catches Lorcan's eyes with hers. He is looking at them strangely but when she mouths 'Help,' he smiles at her and shrugs lightly.
"Get off me, Ly," she whines as Molly leans over and whispers something to Lorcan, but before she can wonder about it, Zoe has plopped herself onto the bench beside her.
"Can you please help me with my Ancient Runes essay, Grace?" She tries her best puppy dog eyes on the shorter girl, "Pretty please?"
"Of course, Zoe," Grace smiles. "When?"
"Right now? You know that one's kind of due err… tomorrow…"
Grace sighs quietly. "Zoe, really, you need to start getting your stuff done on time."
"I was busy. Archie and I were researching this potion…"
"Tell me about it tomorrow," Grace interrupts. "We have an essay to finish."
Zoe grins and pulls her off the bench and out of the great hall. "You and Lysander seemed awfully cozy there, Grace," she comments as they reach the common room.
"Runes."
Two hours later Grace is ready to set something on fire, but at least Zoe's essay is done.
"You're a saint, Grace," Zoe smiles and Grace smiles back.
"You are," someone comments from behind them. "You should have been in Hufflepuff. Zoe, Archie asked me to tell you that he's up in our dorm and it's almost done. Whatever it is. Do I get to know?"
Grace looks up at Lysander tiredly and absently listens to the conversation he strikes up with Zoe on the way to the fifth year boy's dorm. She walks over to the couch and lets herself fall onto it face first. Zoe, as much as she likes her, is exhausting sometimes.
She has almost drifted off to sleep, when a voice next to her ear startles her back to wakefulness. "Hard day?"
She turns her head and opens one eye. "Lorcan?"
"Hi," he smiles as she sits up slightly. "Is there room for me?"
"Sure," she pulls her legs toward the rest of her body and he sits. "I had dinner this week," she points out with a quiet smile.
"I saw," he smiles as well, "but Molly deserted me for some girl thing, so I thought I'd come see if you were still in Zoe's clutches."
"So I'm you're plan B?"
"No… never… you…" His cheeks turn red and he stumbles over the words. It's kind of cute, she thinks, before she can stop herself. Best friend's brother, Grace, she chastises internally.
"I was joking, Lorc," she laughs, "Just joking." His smile is definitely relieved when she says that and she finds herself smiling as well. "Have you ever read the Never-Ending Story?"
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