Disclaimer: I am not J.K. Rowling.
Author's Note: We're heading into the realm of short chapters now. It's definitely the later chapters that are the reason why the chapter word count averages in the 900s (which compared to some other works is still short, but... oh well). Five out of the next eight chapters have less than four hundred words. But hey... short and sweet, right?
So either way, I hope you enjoy Chapter Five!
Chapter Five
Thursday, April 14th 2022
Ravenclaw Common Room, Hogwarts, Scotland
It's late, almost eleven, when he plops himself down onto the couch next to her, and plucks her transfiguration notes from her hands. "I am done," he announces. "And so are you. At least for today."
She frowns slightly, "But…"
"No. If I have to see you study for one more minute, I am going to burn your Runes book," he says, looking entirely serious. And quite exhausted.
"That's a bit excessive, don't you think?" But she grabs her bag and puts her books away, before slowly, gently taking the notes he is clutching out of his hands. She stuffs them in the bag uncaringly and returns her attention to Lorcan.
"Are you alright?" She asks him quietly. He nods. He shakes his head.
"I'm going to go crazy. There's so much homework to do and I should study for OWLs and…"
She looks at him worriedly. "Do you need anything? I think I've got cauldron cakes and pumpkin juice up in my dorm." She's already up and ready to go find those two things she has more for others than herself, because she could care less about cauldron cakes and she hates pumpkin juice. He likes it, though. And so do his siblings. And hers. So she keeps it handy.
His hand grabs hers suddenly and she looks at him, more startled than she'd like to admit. "No, no. I'm fine, just... stay here?" He tugs on her hand gently to get her to sit back down and she does. A good deal closer than she did before.
"It's almost Easter break, Lorc," she tells him quietly. "Just one more day."
"As if we'll do anything but homework," he pulls a face, "and revision."
He's right. Of course he is, this is OWL year after all, but she can't stand to see him so stressed so she tries to come up with something, anything, to distract him. "Are you going home?" she asks. But he just shakes his head and she knows it's useless today. He won't be good conversation.
So they sit together. He doesn't make a sound and she hums tune after tune quietly until she feels him relax beside her.
"Thank you, Gracie," he whispers just before he leaves.
Neither of them acknowledges that they hadn't let go of each other's hands until then.
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