someone to look up to

[GRACELYN ERICA DUVAL]

It had been three years; three years since Gracelyn had seen her older brother Alex. Those years had gone by so fast, but it didn't make it any easier to forget the tragedy that occurred the night she looked into her brothers eyes as he tried to end her life. The young brunette wanted to believe her brother never meant it. He loved her and their family. There had to be some underlying reason why he did what he did, but what could that possibly be? It often crossed her mind what would happen if she ever saw him, or spoke to him again. Would she be afraid? Would she forgive him? Or would she simply walk away and never look back? Her life had changed drastically in the past three years. Gracie was more lively and energetic than she was in the beginning. Of course, she had Ophelia to thank for that. What a kind woman she was. She was the first person the ravenclaw opened up to about that night and she was the one person she trusted the most.

Of course, Gracelyn had made plenty of friends in her almost three years at Hogwarts. Some were students she trusted and thought of as close friends, while others were students she simply got along with. But that didn't mean she wasn't kind to them. No one but Ophelia knew her past. People suspected things when they heard her last name, but no one truly knew what happened that night. It wasn't something she liked to talk about and honestly, she didn't think it was anyone's business. But sometimes things happened, and sometimes you were forced to talk about what was wrong.

That day had been one of those days. The past was not brought up to anyone, but it was definitely on her mind. Another nightmare came last night; one that showed vividly what happened the night she almost died. Sleep was something that didn't come because of it and all day she had been on edge. In the library, she searched for books she hadn't read yet, hoping she could find something to keep her mind off of it. With a stack of four books in her arms, she rounded the corner of a shelf. Not realizing someone was there, she ran into the tall figure of a boy, dropping her books in the process. Immediately she dropped to the ground to collect them, her large brown eyes looking up for a moment to see who it was. Luckily, it was a friend. "Oh gee Lyn, I'm so sorry. I wasn't paying attention and my mind has been everywhere today. But that's no excuse because I really should have watched where I was going, but being the klutz I am, who knows. I really am sorry. Are you okay?" She asked, her words escaping her lips in a nervous ramble as she stood with her books, waiting for his reply.

@bryce