do you feel like a young god? // (Zarry AU)

ch 7; if there's a light at the end, it's just the sun in your eyes.

The huge arch window through which the sunlight beams and falls straight on the floor. Tall ceiling, an enormous pendulum shaped dial of the clock. There is chirping of birds around the room. Blue jays. One even comes to sit on Zayn's shoulder like before. He feels his heart thrum again when he walks past the pendulum to see a mop of curls, sitting by the window. The sunlight bringing out the inherent brown tint of his hair. And surely enough, there he is. With his brows furrowed as he reads from a book, taking down notes with a quill.

But then Harry looks up, his eyes wide like he has seen a ghost. He stands up when he sees Zayn take a step forward.

"Harry, can we talk-"

"Protego maxima," the brunette lad casts the shield charm, effectively preventing Zayn from coming any closer.

Knowing Zayn, it takes him a second to ignore the immediate boil of anger fuming at the pit of his stomach. He swallows his pride with it too, casting a destruction charm on the invisible wall.

"Don't run away from me," he manages to catch hold of Harry's arm, holding it against his back so that it propels Harry against Zayn.

"Let go of me," Harry tells him sternly.

Now that Zayn finally has a chance to confront him, he feels at a loss of words. He can only look at Harry with this longing and pain in his eyes. Harry looks as good as the day he had met Zayn. But the anger flashing on his face is so out of place, so unlike him.

"You disappeared," Zayn winces as how pained that came out.

Harry struggles to get himself free from Zayn's grip but to no avail so, he slumps his shoulders in defeat. His gaze away from Zayn like he can't even look at him.

"Yeah, well I don't know if you've heard but a mudblood like me can only wish to be like you," Harry finally gives away.

It takes Zayn a second to make sense of it, his breath hitched when he finally realizes it. He feels like someone has shot him or something because his knees feel weak, his balance staggering. Holy fuck. He has to remember to kill Blaise.

"Harry- I- Harry, you know how dumb Blaise is," Zayn explains in a panic.

"You don't get it, do you?" Harry looks at him morosely, "You just stood there while he- doesn't matter."

Zayn groans lowly in frustration, running his free hand through his hair. He hadn't realized that Harry was listening. Even if he wasn't, he's right. All Zayn could do was act like a proper dick.

"I messed up, I'm so sorry," Zayn licks his lips, disappointed with himself, "It just- it didn't- it was a joke, I didn't take it seriously. You know how it is with them, they're dickheads and that's no excuse but please. You just- I'm so sorry."

Harry just shakes his head, "I'm just so tired of feeling stupid, Zayn. You hate me, you talk to me then you go ahead and talk shit about me."

Zayn loosens his grip on Harry's arm, goes to grab his hand instead. They're not at each other's throats or resisting one another. Perhaps feeling too defeated.

"Harry, I'm really sorry. Look- can you please, look at me?" Zayn murmurs, his hand on Harry's cheek, "I admit I was wrong to have agreed with him but I've never fucking believed that you couldn't be as good. It was just a stupid thing he said and I didn't want him to ask questions but fuck, Harry. Ask Louis, Liam, anyone. I've always felt that you were so amazing. Even when Luke dismissed you, he was so wrong-"

"I was wrong?"

Both Zayn and Harry turn to look the source of that chilling voice. And if things couldn't get worse, they just did. Luke Hemmings was standing at the entrance of the room, his icy gaze over them. Zayn quickly turns to him after immediately hiding Harry behind himself.