Where It All Began

Pain

Uma walked into school the next day and smirked when she felt the usual tension back in the air. She smiled as she shoved people out of her way and laughed when she heard people grumble. It's so good to be back, Uma thought. As she glared at the people who stared at her too long. Nice Week was officially over and she could do whatever she wanted again. (A/N so I realized that for a week, there was no days without school. So for continuity purposes...the ball was Sunday, they went dress shopping on Friday, and Saturday...just didn't happen. I'll be more careful next time.) She could be late for classes again and she couldn't be anymore happy.

Walking through the hallways she was absentmindedly twisting the ring Harry gave her. When she caught herself in the act, she stopped, the happiness instantly vanished as she realized again what the end of Nice Week meant. Nothing has changed, she tried to convince herself, We can pretend it never happened. She began to fiddle with the grip of her sword and when she realized she was doing it, she dropped her hand again.

Grabbing the person nearest to her, she asked, "You seen Harry?"

"No," the person quickly shook their head.

Unsatisfied with the answer, he pulled him closer and asked, "You're sure you don't know?"

"Yes, I swear," He rose his hands up in surrender.

Uma shoved him away and kept walking. She searched the hallways for him, but didn't see him anywhere. Her worry rose. He's not avoiding me is he? I haven't seen him since we went to sleep together last night. He wouldn't would he? He always sees me before him, what's going on? Her mind raced. The bell rang and she still hadn't spotted Harry. She debated if she should go to class, deciding that she had nothing better to do since Harry was nowhere to be found, she went to class.

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The final bell rang and Harry was still nowhere to be found. As the day went on Uma's worry turned to anger. She stormed out of the school creating a path of destruction as she walked the one other place Harry would be at if not at school. Like Uma, he loved the water, so the only place they really had water was the beach.

When she reached the beach she saw two empty beer bottles discarded by a dancing Harry. He was giggling and almost tripped over his foot a few times. Was he....drunk? Uma asked in her mind as she continued to watch him. They may have been VK's but alcohol was an unspoken, unbroken rule for people under 21.

They couldn't even try to steal it because it was something that simply couldn't be stolen. Meaning that Harry stole the beer from his Dad and his Dad was most likely going to kill him for taking it, especially at his age of 17.

At some point when she was thinking Harry had turned and spotted her watching him. "Uma, darling! It's so good to see you," he broke out into a smile as he walked towards her.

"Harry, what are you doing?" Uma asked as she scanned his body for any bruises or cuts.

"Nothing!' He laughed as he lost his balance but caught himself before he fell, "Just enjoying the nice view of Auradon."

Auradon? Yeah something was seriously wrong, he never called Auradon, Auradon, she thought, "Harry, what's wrong?" she asked seriously.

"Nothing's wrong," He pasted a smile on his face that didn't reach his eyes, "I'm fine."

Uma picked up the bottles and held them up as she said, "These, knowing that we shouldn't be touching them, say otherwise." She looked around the beach and hoped no one saw him drinking them.

"Oh, those, they were there when I got here," He lied.

"Oh really?" Uma asked skeptically, "Then walk in a straight line right now."

"Okay." Harry turned away from her and attempted to walk in a straight line. He laughed as soon as he failed, "Well, that didn't work." He sat down with his arms wrapped around his legs on the sand and stared at the water.

Uma sat next to him and stared out with him. Their silence was comfortable but there was too much that needed to be talked about to stay silent, "Harry, tell me what's wrong."

"If only I knew," he answered as he rested his head on his knees.

"Why wouldn't you know? Grabbing these bottles meant you were desperate. Drinking them meant you were too far off your rocker to care about the consequences," Uma turned to look at him but noticed that he wouldn't look at her.

"I just didn't want to feel." He shrugged, his drunkenness was fading as the emotions he tried to drink away came back full force.

"Feel what?" She asked confused.

"Pain," he shrugged again.

"Why would you feel pain?"

In that moment he turned to look at her and Uma gasped. His normally crazy blue eyes were filled with a sadness she couldn't bare seeing on his face. Turning away she thought back to the question she asked him and how he answered, "Me?" She raised an eyebrow, "I'm causing you pain? How?"

It was his turn to raise an eyebrow, not saying a word because he knew Uma would eventually catch on.

"That can't be it... can it?" She asked but got no response in return so she knew that this was it, "Harry, I thought we cleared this up yesterday. Just because we aren't together doesn't mean we can't be together. As together as people on the Isle are, in other words, partners in crime." Uma smiled.

Harry gave her a weak smile in reply and turned back to the water. He sighed, "Yeah I know, and I don't have a problem with that, I just need some time," he said.

"Time?" Uma's smile disappeared.

Harry nodded but said nothing.

"Time?" She repeated, "As in time apart?"

He nodded again but wouldn't look at her.

"Why?"

"Because I need to make sure I'm in the right place mentally. I need to make sure every part of me understands what we are."

"And you can't do that around me?"

He shook his head.

Uma sighed knowing that some space would do them both some good, even if she didn't like it and got up from her spot next to him. "Well, okay, I'll give you your space, but you might not want to go home right now."

Harry looked up at her in confusion. Uma simply pointed at the bottles and he nodded his head in understanding. He got up and almost fell down again. Uma grabbed his arm before he did and Harry nodded his thanks. They walked in silence as Uma discarded the bottles. Both of their minds were racing as they both thought, will things ever be the same?

Will they?? I sure hope so. And don't you hate those words, "space" and "time?" Because I sure do.

Thanks for reading!

-TheOnly