m&mwp.
For the Sign of the Times! Challenge on the Ministry of Magic Discord.
Rose grabs Lorcan's arm, roughly pulling him into an empty classroom. He begins to protest, but is quickly silenced by her fiery glare and her wand pointed at his chest.
"Did you know?" she hisses. "I swear, Lorcan, if you knew—"
"Woah, woah!" He throws his hands up in the air in surrender. "Knew what?"
"About Lysander!" The anger in her voice makes way for distress. It cracks as she says, "About Lysander and Hugo. Did you know?"
His shoulders drop, and it's all the proof that Rose needs. Her little brother has been sneaking around with Lysander Scamander and, apparently, she's the only one who didn't know about it.
"Rosie, they're just having fun."
"That's the problem, Lorcan," Rose snaps. "Lysander's always just having fun. He has fun with lots of people, doesn't he? But Hugo...Hugo isn't made for fun. He doesn't do casual."
Lorcan rolls his eyes. "No. You think Hugo doesn't do casual. That doesn't mean that he doesn't."
"Lysander hurts people with his fun," Rose continues, ignoring Lorcan entirely. "All the time! Half the girls in my year have cried about him at some point."
"Not the boys, though. Maybe Hugo's special."
She glares at him. "That's not funny."
"Mm. Sorry."
"I just..." Rose trails off. She leans against the wall of the classroom and looks at Lorcan, resigned. "I just don't want Hugo to get hurt. Just ask him to back off. Drop a hint that I know. Maybe that'll scare him off."
Lorcan, against his better judgement, nods. She isn't wrong. His brother has had plenty of fun at the expense of others. But Rose hasn't seen him with Hugo. And when it comes to Hugo...well, Lorcan gets the impression that Hugo's the one having fun, and that, for once, Lysander's the one being taken for a ride.
"I'll talk to him," Lorcan says finally. "But no promises."
Rose lights up, as if he's just promised her the world. "Brilliant. Thank you."
Lorcan shrugs. "It's nothing."
And while Rose insists that's it not nothing—that she's truly grateful—Lorcan waves a dismissive hand. It is nothing. Because no matter what he says or does, Lysander will stay wrapped around Hugo's little finger. And Rose, he's sure, will continue to have completely the wrong idea.