Facade [h.s]

twenty-four

"You mean, before rushing into the room in a quest to save me?" He commented, and I was sure that if I'd been distant enough from him to be able to look at him in the eyes, I would've glared at him.

"Don't make me not want to have missed you" I threatened him, and he let out a chuckle.

"Fair enough."

I nodded slightly, glancing up and suddenly taking in the small silver ring that went through his ear, decorated with some kind of incision that I couldn't really understand whether was an abstract or nature motif. "You changed your earrings" I murmured, and he gave me a faint nod.

"I put my silver nose ring on again right before going to the party" he explained quietly.

I smiled a bit. "I hadn't noticed" I offered gently as an apology. I definitely hadn't noticed the slight change in colour of his jewellery earlier that night, and I couldn't help but feel a bit guilty about it, considering how important it'd been to him.

He gave me a little shrug. "You're forgiven."

I just rolled my eyes at him, not replying.

We stood there for some more seconds, and then we broke apart, Harry going back to holding my hand for a fast second before letting it go.

"To be fair, I want you to be safe as well" he said quietly, just to act like he'd never said anything when I sent him a surprised glance.

I turned around, trying my best to ignore the little thing my heart did at his words, and sat down on the couch, putting my elbow on my knees and resting my head on my hand. "What will happen now?" I asked Harry quietly. "I don't want you to be in danger."

He moved to stand next to me, looking down at the floor. "I'm not in any immediate danger, don't worry" he replied, something in his voice telling me that there was more than him just wanting to reassure me in his reply.

"What do you mean?" I asked, looking up at him, and he glanced away from me, passing his fingers through his dark hair nervously.

He sat down next to me, but stared ahead, seeming not to have any intention of looking directly at me. "He'll only get me expelled."

I frowned. "He can't do that" I said right away. He would've had to have some dirt on Harry for the university to even consider expelling him, and I was sure he didn't have any - I hoped so, at least. Harry seemed way too attentive to be caught doing anything he shouldn't have done.

"Not directly" he replied, "he'd have to have proof for the university to expel me. But accusations work quickly for other things."

"I don't think I understand" I told him truthfully. Why was Harry worried about the university expelling him if he knew it couldn't happen?

He looked down again, crossing his arms over his chest. "What he said is true" he stated, referring to the sentence I'd heard Joel spit at him earlier that night. "I'm not the one paying my tuition."

I frowned. It did make sense, considering that I knew his family definitely wasn't well off basing it on what he'd told me about it, but it managed to surprise me anyway. I hadn't thought about that possibility, but honestly, how else would've been able to pay? It definitely was a lot of money. My dad had put aside my tuition money for my whole life, and even to that day I was only able to afford it thanks to part of my dad's salary and mine too. I knew that Harry had had some pretty major issues too, like having to move to the United States with his family, that surely hadn't come without a price, so I really didn't know why I'd never wondered about his scholastic career.

"The thing is, accusations are all that's needed to taint a name, and when it comes to rich families, the name is everything" he continued, still looking down.