Author's Note: For whatever reason, I'm very motivated to continue writing this. That's why there's been two really quick updates. I really like where it's going right now and I hope that you do too. :)
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Harry's POV
It was getting bad. It was getting really bad and I didn't want her to know about it. I spent many hours in the hospital getting stitches and even more hours awake at night, worrying about how I'd manage to keep her safe this time. I thought of every possibility. Every tactic that my enemies could use against me. Against her. Against the guys. I spent hours in the gym. I always had a tendency to prepare myself for the worst. So Charlotte didn't think I was forgetting about her, I'd always take her to the gym with me. She'd always count for me while I lifted weights. and once or twice she'd given me the motivation I needed by sitting on my hips while I lifted. "Are you ok?" she asked, while I was nearing the end of a set. I lifted the bar three more times to finish my set before I answered.
"I'm alright." I answered, taking a deep breath before getting up to work on pull ups instead.
"You're worried. If you weren't you wouldn't be working out so much. You think you're not strong enough."
"I just need to be sure, Charlotte."
"Are you safe? Are we safe?" she asked. When she used to ask questions like this, her voice would quiver. Now it was just monotonous. It didn't effect her anymore. That bothered me. She was used to being afraid. She was used to having her life threatened. Or was it that she trusted me enough now to protect her? I'd prefer to think that way. I didn't want to ask though, because that was an emotional conversation that I was not prepared for. I never was.
"I'll make sure of it, angel."
"Maybe I should start working out too." she said, quietly while distracted with something else.
"You want to?" I asked and she nodded. "Lay down." I said, motioning towards the bench. I took off some of the weights on the bar because I knew that she could lift a lot, but not nearly the amount of weight that I lifted everyday. She put her hands around the bar and lifted it before letting it slowly come down to her chest. "Is it light enough? Can you lift it back up?" I asked. She nodded and let a deep breath out before pushing it back up. Hear arms were shaking but it was possible that she just wasn't used to lifting weights like this. She did that a few more times before she started struggling to get it back up. When I could hear it hit Charlotte's chest, I knew that she was done. I took the bar and lifted it off of her, because I knew that she couldn't. "You did amazing. Good girl." I smiled, helping her up.
"Thank you." she giggled. "I wish I could lift more though. I want to be stronger. It'd be better for defending myself. That way I'd be able to beat anyone up who tried to hurt me. I wouldn't have to be so afraid all the time." she said, with a smirk. She probably knew that this would encourage me to let her work out with me more often. She knew that I would support anything that would keep her safe.
"Then you'll just have to work out with me more often." I said, not imagining that she really wanted to. I didn't want her to work out with me every day because I didn't want her to hurt herself while she was lifting. "Let's go home." I said, taking her hand and leading her out of the gym.
I was more scared today than I had been in weeks. I didn't know what was going to happen, but I had a horrible feeling, gnawing at my side that made me worry about Charlotte immensely. I couldn't let anything happen to her. "Do you just want to stay at my place again tonight?" I asked while we were walking down the sidewalk. If she was with me, nothing could hurt her. Because I'd sooner die than let anyone hurt her.
