Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or its related works.

Author's Note: Hey there :) It's Wednesday again and here's the new chapter. We're back at Hogwarts!

Before we begin though, a question to those of you who have this story on their alert list: Have you been getting the emails? I'd like to know if that's a singular problem or something bigger I'd have to look into. If you could get back to me, that'd be awesome!

Anyways, chapter 25 for all of you! I hope your week is going well and if not, well... half way to the weekend!

Chapter Twenty-Five

Thursday, September 1st 2022

Ravenclaw Common Room, Hogwarts, Scotland

Grace looks at the boy and offers him a smile. He is rather on the short side and his ash blonde hair is sticking out in every direction as he stands before her with his wobbling lip and tear-filled eyes. "What's your name?" she asks him softly.

"Caradoc," his breath hitches as he speaks. "I wanna see my sister."

"What's her name?" Grace asks as she pats the couch to her left. Her right is already occupied by a girl named Arlie who is still sniffling quietly, but no longer sobbing which Grace considers definite success.

Caradoc sits down and looks at her. "Aimee," he says, "she's a Hufflepuff."

Without meaning to Grace glances at Lorcan, who is sitting in an armchair watching them with his knees drawn up to his chest. She returns her attention to Caradoc. "We can go look for her tomorrow, alright?"

"Why not now?" Caradoc demands, his lip wobbling dangerously.

"We're not allowed to leave right now. It's really late, after curfew," she smiles at him and rubs his back lightly, "Besides, Aimee is probably asleep. But we'll go first thing tomorrow. If you want to, that is."

The boy nods slowly, "I want to."

"Then that's what we're going to do. Tomorrow. After you had a good night's sleep, okay?"

Before Caradoc can reply, someone comes down the steps. "Grace? Are you still here?" Angus Fawley, who as Grace has come to know is just as intelligent as his Gryffindor twin, calls before he's even fully downstairs. "We're missing one of the boys." He looks a bit panicked until he sees Caradoc sitting next to Grace and he relaxes.

"Caradoc," Grace smiles softly. "That's Angus. Will you go back upstairs with him?" When she receives a hesitant nod, she turns to the new prefect. "You should check if any of the others are awake as well," she tells him. "I read to the girls last year, it works wonders."

"Thanks," Angus smiles and holds out a hand to Caradoc. The boy pads over to him and takes it. Then, the two of them disappear to the boys' dorms.

"You should go back to bed too, Arlie," Grace says softly, turning to the girl by her side. "Before someone comes looking for you as well."

"Can you come with me?" Arlie sniffles, clutching her stuffed elephant tightly.

"I'm staying here for a little longer, Arlie. Just in case someone else needs me," she brushes a strand of hair out of Arlie's face. "But I promise I will come and check up on you before I go to bed." The little girl nods and shuffles toward the stairs. Grace watches her go, until she feels the couch dip beside her and she turns.

"Do I count as someone that needs you?" Lorcan asks her with a crooked smile.

"That depends…" Grace returns his smile. "Do you need me?"

"I always need you, Gracie," he says and she can feel the blood rush to her face. He chuckles and touches her cheek. They stare at each other for a few long moments.

"You didn't have to wait up, you know," the words rush out of her mouth unbidden and break the tension. He pulls his hand back and leans against the couch. She wants to hit herself, because she most definitely destroyed the moment, but that would probably just make things worse.

"I wanted to," he tells her and he smiles again, but it looks different somehow. It doesn't quite reach his eyes.

She grabs one of the pillows and wraps her arms around it much like Arlie was holding her stuffed elephant earlier. Stupid, she tells herself. So stupid.

"You're great with those kids," Lorcan says, after the silence has stretched on for a while.

Grace turns and smiles at him. "I love kids," she says softly. "I can't imagine not having kids one day."

He looks at her in a way that she doesn't quite know what to make off. "You'll be a great mum," he tells her and something in his voice makes her blush again.

"Do you want kids?" she asks him. She can't quite bring herself to look at him fully, so she just glances at him out of the corner of her eye.

"I do," he says softly and when she settles into the couch beside him and leans her head on his shoulder, he doesn't protest. She closes her eyes and breaths deeply. She isn't sure if he thinks she's asleep or not when he kisses the top of her head, but the wide smile that spreads over her face probably gives her away. Still, neither of them says anything.

An hour later when no more upset first years have come downstairs, they get up. It's almost as if there've agreed to do it, only no one spoke. And when they stand in front of the stairs to the girls' dorms she pushes herself up on her tiptoes and kisses his cheek. "Good night," she whispers.

"Good night, Gracie," he smiles at her and this time it reaches his eyes. Her own smile is probably incredibly giddy and it stays on her face until she has fallen asleep.

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