Love, Harry • h.potter ✓

xviii| azure

eιgнтeen

The outside of the house stared smugly at Callum as one of its occupants blatantly ignored him. The ivy crawling up the walls seemed to have become denser since the last time he had seen them, and he kept his eyes fixated on the tiny red and yellow flowers that grew on pots hanging from the windows. A bird sat perched on one of the trailing ivy.

The past few months had been rather uncomfortable for Callum, for Aiden completely ignored him in school and pretended like he was invisible. It seemed like an astonishing feat to him, as they shared the same classes and sat no greater than a few feet away from each other, but Aiden somehow managed to accomplish it. But it wasn't like Callum was making an effort in trying to talk to him either; he had no idea what to say to him.

But now the Christmas break had started, and Harry had written to say that he would be visiting today. Callum didn't want to feel awkward in front of Harry, and thought it would be best to talk to Aiden and simplify matters between them.

He was considering whether to ring the bell once again or just leave, when the door opened, revealing Aiden, who looked unusually grumpy. He pursed his lips together and prayed that this would go well.

"Hi," said Aiden, showing no emotion whatsoever on his face, nor expressing it on his voice. Callum rubbed the back of his neck uncomfortably, racking his brain in an attempt to remember what he had planned to say to him.

"Aiden," he began after inhaling a deep breath. "I – uh – just want to say I don't feel ashamed of you. I have nothing against your stuttering. The reason I showed no interest in you is I always saw you as a friend – and – well –" he turned his head and looked away bashfully. "– I already have a boyfriend."

The word came out hardly audible. It sounded strange on his lips – novel, unknown and entirely sweet. He and Harry have never spoken about the stage of their relationship, but he thought it was safe to say that they were no longer simply friends.

Aiden's reaction wasn't quite what he had expected. His eyes widened momentarily before a look of comprehension took over his features. "Oh. You – why didn't you te–tell me?"

He looked at him surprise, meeting his hazel eyes that held no resent as he had expected to see. "It's not something you would go and tell everyone about, is it?"

"No, I suppose not." He paused. "I'm sorry for the outbu–burst. I was just angered because I thought you didn't want to hang out with me."

Callum pressed his lips and said, with a shake of his head, "There's no need to apologise."

"Who is he, by the way?" asked Aiden. "I never see you hanging out with anyone."

"He's not from our school," Callum shrugged. "He lives in the neighbourhood, though." Not wanting to be questioned any further, unsure of how much of Little Whinging was told that Harry went to a school for incurably criminal boys, he turned to head home. Harry would be arriving now, anyway. "See you later, then?"

Aiden nodded and smiled. "See you later."

He hurried home, and once he had locked the door and gone to the fireplace, he saw the floor near it was sprinkled with emerald green powders that glistened softly in the light. Just then, he heard a few happy barks from Four from upstairs, and realised that Harry was probably in his room right now.

He, indeed, found Harry there, lying on the bed and trying to solve the Rubik's cube he had been playing for the half hour before heading to Aiden's. Harry didn't notice him; not until he climbed onto the bed and took the cube from him. "Do you even know how to solve this?" he asked as he began to solve the cube. Harry raised himself on his elbows and kept his frowning eyes fixed on his hands as he spoke.