Bound by Pages | larry

four

Harry was anxiously waiting outside the English room. He was hoping to catch the time between Mr Wikards arriving, and when Louis got to school. Harry heard shuffling behind him and saw Mr Wikards walk through the entrance of the school. 

He didn't want to do this, Harry really didn't want to lie about Louis. Not only that but he also really did not want to work on this project alone. Off the top of his head, he couldn't think of anyone in his class that he would rather work with than Louis.

"Sir, can I talk to you about the assignment?" Harry timidly walked up to his teacher, who was walking to his desk with a coffee and books meticulously balanced in one hand, and his bag in the other. The teacher dropped his belongings onto his desk and faced Harry with a smile.

"What do you need?"

"I don't know if I can work with Louis anymore." Harry sighed. He was forced to bite his lip to stop the truth from spilling out. He never was a good liar.

"Harry, honestly, I don't know if I can change the pairings right now. It's a bit late for you to be telling me this."

"I can work by myself! It's no problem." Harry was quick to respond, looking for a compromise.

"It's not you I'm worried about Harry." His teacher replied back, a little stressed. "What's the problem? Maybe it can be worked out?"

"I'm just afraid I'm going to have to basically work alone anyway." The boy raised a slightly shaky hand to his face. He analyzed his teacher's expression. Mr Wikards almost looked sad for Harry, like he knew exactly what Harry was thinking. He stood there awkwardly while his teacher seemed to be picking apart the lies he had been dealt.

"Harry I'm sorry, but the answer right now has to be a no." Mr Wikards gave a brief, but very visible frown. "Let me know if a big issue arises from this." 

Harry just gave a small smile to say thank you to his instructor. He knew. Mr Wikards stared at Harry like he knew everything that was going on. It wasn't possible, but somehow Harry was completely convinced as he walked out the door of the classroom.

As he swung the door open, the first sight Harry laid his eyes upon was Louis. His back was pressed up against the adjacent lockers, and he was sporting the most heartbroken face that Harry had seen in his entire life. Louis' eyes darted up until the reached Harry's own.

"Nice try Harry." Louis gave a weak attempt at a smile. "I'm sorry he said no."

Harry felt his chest shatter into a million tiny pieces.

Louis. Was. Sorry. For. Him. 

Harry had just tried to leave the boy all alone. He tried to take all the credit for the work that Louis had already done, and Louis felt sorry for him. Harry didn't know how to react to this.  He just saw the smaller boy, leaning against the locker, not even attempting to make a move towards Harry.

"It's okay Harry. I really don't mind." Louis gave another small smile, more successful this time. But Harry didn't see it in his eyes. The eyes staring back at him were not forgiving because the glassed over orbs that Harry was looking into were crushed. Their soul was shattered. 

Harry tried to speak. He wanted to say something, anything that would have explained the events that had just transpired, but nothing seemed to come out. Louis looked at the boy in front of him once more and shook his head. He hoisted himself up and pushed past Harry to take his usual early morning spot in the English room. 

~

Harry was really dreading English. He said that about a lot of things but this was dread. He felt the sweat building up in his hands. His ice-cold fingers were fiddling with the straps on his backpack, but he kept dropping them because his hands were just so numb.