Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.
Author's Note: A short chapter today, lovelies. Which feels kind of fitting because I am so busy that I tried to figure out the other day how much time I have until I start running out of chapters. (The answer is not for a while, in case anyone cares). I am so sorry if I haven't replied to you yet! I'll try to squeeze in some time for that between Uni and piano today or tomorrow! Lots of love! And now enjoy chapter nineteen
Chapter Nineteen
Thursday, July 21st 2022
Lecce, Puglia, Italy
"You know, Matt, this really isn't what I thought about when you started talking about a nice adult-free seaside picnic," Helen complains as she swats at a veritable cloud of mosquitos with her flip flop and Grace finds herself agreeing. Her pizza lies abandoned next to her as she tries to defend herself from the blood-thirsty beasts that surround them.
Someone slaps her shoulder, and she whirls around to come face to face with Piper. "Pipes!"
"Sorry, Gracie," her cousin holds out her hand to show her the misshapen mess that was once a mosquito, "it was sitting on your shoulder."
"Thanks," Grace smiles at her, even though her shoulder is stinging where Piper hit it.
"We should get out of here," Michael says decisively, trying to duck out of the path of another approaching swarm.
"Yes, please!" Ashlyn grabs a few pizza cartons and hands them to Hazel, before picking up two more. "Come on."
Grace takes her own pizza and holds out a hand to Susan. The youngest of the cousins takes it without hesitation even though she generally likes to insist that she doesn't need someone to hold her hand. They follow Ashlyn as Grace's younger sister leads the way back into the town. After a while, Piper catches up to them.
"Were you planning on leaving this to be eaten up by mosquitos?" she asks, and holds up Grace's bag.
"Oh…" Grace smiles sheepishly. "Thanks again, Pipes."
"No problem," Piper smiles back. "Who's that letter from?"
Grace lets go off Susan's hand briefly to take the bag and hang it over her shoulder. "A friend," she says, as she pretends not to notice that Susan slips her hand back in hers.
Helen snorts. "Don't believe a word she says, Pip. Gracie here has herself a secret admirer."
"No, I don't," Grace protests. "He's…" she trails off because she's suddenly not sure what he is, "not my admirer," she finishes finally.
Helen shakes her head. "Keep telling yourself that." And then she pulls Piper ahead to walk with Ashlyn and David.
Grace watches them and finds herself wondering why she still can't seem to put in words what Lorcan is.
Thank you for reading! Please leave a review!