He made an indistinct sound in the back of his throat before rounding the couch and taking a seat next to her. "Perhaps. Maybe NEWTs will prove to be more engaging."

He paused for a moment, entirely unsure of how to go from here. He'd read the names of Vance in the paper and, putting together the fact that she'd been absent the first two weeks of school and her current despondancy, any doubt in his mind that the names were related to his friend vanished.

Turning his head, he watched her watching the flames for a moment longer before he cleared his throat lightly, his hand rubbing absently along his knee. He wanted to ask her if she was okay; ask her how she was managing. It seemed, even for Grady, a bit too forward.

"You're not feeling too far behind, are you?"