Harry and Maya One-Shots

London, 1864 - Part One

            I felt sorry for the girl as her parents talking about marrying her off to a wealthy man from London. She played with her fingers and I wanted to do something to comfort her, but I kept my distance.

            “Father,” Maya finally said. “I do not wish to get married yet.” My jaw dropped slightly.

            “We are finding you a husband Maya; it is disgraceful to be your age and not married.”

            I heard her swallow hard and then look back at her lap. They began talking and when there was a silence, I stood up. “I am going to go take a walk through the garden.” I looked at Maya. “Would you like to join me, Miss?”

            “Surely,” she replied softly and stood up from the couch to walk with me out of the parlor and out of the backdoor. She took a deep breath of the warm summer air and sighed as I took a few steps onto the grass and turned to her, bending my arm for her to take.

            There was a small gravel pathway that ran around the perimeter of the large garden. Maya looked around as I kept pace with her slow steps. There was a wooden gazebo in the far corner that we hardly ever used and wild flowers grew around the base.

            “You’re very charming Mr. Styles,” Maya breathed after a couple minutes of silence, “A gentleman, indeed.”

            “Thank you, Miss.”

            “I would love to live a life like this,” Maya sighed. “Your garden is beautiful.”

            “My mother works very hard on it,” I replied softly. “But I’m sure you would not want to live my sort of life.”

            “Well why not?” Maya asked, tilting her head. I looked down at her. “It’s surely easier than mine.”

            “I’m an apprentice to my father who is a blacksmith. I do not wish to be a blacksmith for the rest of my years. I wish to go to London and go to school and become a true gentleman.”

            “It’s not easy being educated,” Maya insisted. “I do not simply want to become a mistress and marry a man I do not even love, which is what my father is trying to make me do. I want to be in charge of my own fate. I want to fall in love with a man on my own and then marry him. I do not want my future to be planned out for me by my parents.”

            I nodded. “I understand.”

            “Let’s go inside the gazebo,” Maya gushed once we reached it. “Oh, it’s so lovely!” She let go of my arm and twirled around in the middle, her dress fanning out. She sat down on one of the benches. “I’ve never been in one before.”

            I smiled lightly. “It’s not too exciting,” I shrugged and Maya looked around in awe.

            “Do you know how to dance, Mr. Styles?” Maya asked with a smile.

            “No. Please, call me Harry.”

            “Oh, Harry, I must teach you!” she exclaimed as she jumped up from the bench. She put her right hand out and I held it with my left. She positioned my right hand on her waist, rested on top of the tight green fabric and her left hand rested on my shoulder. She began telling me where to move my feet and when and we began moving around the gazebo. I messed up my footing at times and Maya giggled. “With some practice you’ll be a fine gentleman.”

            “That is if I ever make it to London,” I breathed as we stopped and I looked down at our feet.

            “I’m sure I could help you,” Maya told me softly. “If my father agrees to give your family a shop in London, then I can surely help with your education.”

            I smiled at the girl who stood close to me in the middle of the gazebo. “Thank you, Miss.”

            “Maya,” she corrected. “I would like you to call me Maya.”

            She stood on her toes and kissed my cheek, something I wasn’t expecting her to do. “Of course,” I replied pathetically and she giggled softly at my stammering.

           

THREE WEEKS LATER

            My father was just finishing getting moved in to our small two bedroom flat over our new blacksmiths shop in London when there was a soft knock on the door. My mother answered it as I helped my father assemble the dresser in my parent’s bedroom.

            “Harry!” my mother called and my father stood up, rubbing the back of his neck.

            “Go,” my dad breathed and I quickly left the room. I made a left to where the front door was and found Maya smiling widely. I admired her dark maroon dress and her perfectly curled hair. My mother smoothed out her regular dress that she wore around at home and down in the shop with my father. Her cheeks were flushed with embarrassment in front of the gorgeously put together woman in front of us.

            “Good afternoon Mr. Styles,” Maya smiled and she even curtsied a little bit.

            “Good afternoon Miss Hartman,” I replied. My mother excused herself and walked into her bedroom.

            “How are you?” Maya asked. “Your flat…”

            “It’s great,” I replied with a smile. “We’ve just finished moving in.”

            “Lovely,” Maya breathed. “I have come to bring you good news from my father.” I smiled and looked at her expectedly. “He’s offered you a sum of money to come to school and become a gentleman.”

            My jaw nearly dropped and I couldn’t believe what she had just said to me. “M-Me?”

            “Yes,” Maya giggled. “If you’re willing to accept the offer, you alone can come over now for dinner and set out all the plans with my father.”

            “I would love to,” I breathed. “Thank you so much.”

            “You’re very welcome,” Maya smiled at me and we just kind of looked at each other for a while. “Very well then, would you like to tell your parents where you’re off to?”

            “Oh, of course,” I rushed and I excused myself to tell my parents the news. They were both giddy with excitement, but I told them to contain it, as Maya was still waiting outside.

            My mother walked out with me and told me to go get changed and offered Maya a glass of water, to which she kindly accepted. I once again got changed into my nicest clothes in order to make an impression on Maya and her father.

please comment if you liked it :)  it's so convenient that Nina Dobrev plays an old-time character in TVD so now i can have pictures of Maya in period dresses *heart eyes* let me know what you think <333

~ Charlotte <3