It was the start of October and Wednesday and Harry had started to feel the London chill, both of them opting to wear thick cardigans on their day trip to the V&A museum. They trailed the corridors side by side, taking in the exhibits. Wednesday took a keen interest in one of the period pieces, standing up to the glass to take in the detail.

"So" Harry began beside her. "Anything you want to tell me?"

Wednesday didn't peel her eyes away from the collection, instead going to stand in front of another one of the pieces.

"Uh, no, I don't think so" she replied half-heartedly, squinting her eyes to see the detailing.

"Nothing at all?" Harry pressed and she turned to him this time, furrowing her brows in confusion.

"No, I've just said."

Harry stared at her with his eyebrows raised and his lips pulled in, waiting for her to understand what he was talking about. When she didn't say anything, he breathed out.

"You've been messaging Patrick" he stated matter-of-factly.

He stared at Wednesday knowingly as she gave a defensive expression, her mouth hovering open as she thought of something to say.

"I haven't. Well I mean, I have, but not...wait, how did you find out?"

"Does it matter?" he replied, folding his arms.

Sighing, she closed her eyes, mumbling "Sarah" under her breath.

"The point is, were you gonna tell me yourself?"

She contemplated lying, ultimately deciding against it—Harry knew her too well to not know when she was being honest.

"No" she mumbled, quickly explaining herself when he looked slightly disappointed at her answer. "But only because it wasn't worth saying anything about. I didn't want to bother you with it all because I know how much you hate him-"

"I don't hate him" Harry interjected, his arms folded as he looked at the display, not catching Wednesday's eye.

"Well you don't like him. But anyway, this whole thing has been blown out of proportion and it's not how it sounds. He's just been messaging me about wanting to meet up and stuff, that's all. We haven't been secretly plotting to get back together or anything."

Harry remained silent, emptily staring at the next display, but Wednesday knew he wasn't paying attention.

"Are you gonna?" he asked after a moment, looking to her with an earnest expression.

"Am I gonna what?"

"Meet up with him?"

Wednesday sighed, walking on down the corridor. She didn't know the answer herself, let alone what to tell Harry.

"I don't know. I know I probably shouldn't" she replied, looking to the floor as Harry trailed by her side.

A few moments of silence passed, both of them ruminating on what to say.

"I don't think you should meet up with him" Harry quietly muttered, sticking his hands into his cardigan pockets as he looked at Wednesday from the corner of his eyes.

"You would say that" Wednesday shakily laughed without much humour.

Harry ignored the comment, continuing. "I just...I don't see what purpose it would serve."

Wednesday looked at him, thinking over his words.

"I don't know...closure or, or some type of explanation or something" she replied quietly.

Harry's eyebrows furrowed. "But isn't the relationship being over all the closure you need?"

"I don't know Harry" she sighed, starting to get irritated by the incessant questioning.

"It's just..." he started, trailing off.

Wednesday turned to him, raising her eyebrow questioningly. "It's just what?"

Harry, sensing her slight frustration, tried to articulate his next sentence carefully.

"It's been nearly half a year Wednesday. I just—I assumed you'd have moved on from him by now."

Wednesday's teeth clenched at the irony.

"Did you move on from Camille after 6 months? No, you went and wrote a whole album about her" she replied quickly without thought, sighing and shaking her head when she saw Harry's eyes look down to the floor quickly at her words, a hint of hurt clouding his face.

"I'm sorry" she mumbled with closed eyes, trying to arrange her own thoughts as she tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. "I didn't mean it like that. It's just...you understand better than anyone how confusing love and feelings are."

He looked back up to her as she spoke, a small sad smile on his lips as he seemingly understood her words.

"Yeah, I do."

Wednesday smiled apologetically at him before bringing her hands up to her forehead in frustration.

"God, why is all this feelings shite never straightforward and easy?!"

"Because then it'd be boring" Harry shrugged, sending her a comforting smile.

They started walking again, half-heartedly looking at the displays.

"Do you still have feelings for him?" Harry asked gently a few minutes later.

"I think I'll always have some feelings for him" Wednesday replied honestly, uncomfortable at how open she was being. "He...he was the first person that ever made me feel special. Made me feel loved."

She swallowed, not wanting to say any more to Harry of all people. She couldn't see his face beside her, but she knew he'd be taking in her words, processing them in the thoughtful manner he always did when discussing deep topics.

"If you want to meet him, meet him. It's not my place to tell you what you should and shouldn't do" he replied softly, pinching his lips between his fingers. His nervous habit.

Wednesday looked to him, surprised at his words.

"I just don't want you to get hurt like last time, that's all" he added, turning and looking at her earnestly.

Before Wednesday could say anything, 3 young girls had appeared at their side, excitedly saying hi to Harry and asking for photos.

They'd kept the rest the rest of the museum trip light-hearted, swaying away from any further deep conversation whilst enjoying the exhibits.

Afterwards, they decided on a small café near Harry's house, a place he was a regular at. Greeting the owners, they sat on a corner table and ordered their drinks and food.

Wednesday enjoyed days like this where it was just the two of them. No band, no work, no screaming fans. Just them, hanging out like they used to. It made her feel young again. Of course, life had changed for both of them, but in those moments, it felt the same as when they were little.

"I see you've warmed to Daisy now too?" Harry said once their drinks had been placed on the table, smirking at her knowingly.

She rolled her eyes, hating when he'd proved her wrong. "I never said I wouldn't warm to her. But yes, turns out we have a lot in common."

Harry, wearing a sarcastic expression on his face, pinched her cheek. "Proud of you."

"Get off, idiot" she mumbled with a laugh, smacking his hand away.

"She's quite cool isn't she" he added, stirring his drink.

"Yeah. Anyone who can rock blue hair the way she does is just automatically cool."

He smiled, nodding. "I think she'll make a good addition to the band."

"Me too" Wednesday agreed.

They sat for the next hour, discussing everything and leaving no stone unturned, before Harry looked at his phone, muttering an expletive under his breath as he realised the time.

"I've got to get going and get ready for this art exhibition tonight" he said hastily, turning to Wednesday as he sat up from his chair, placing money down on the table to pay for their food and drinks. Wednesday would have usually protested, but he seemed to be too much in a rush to be argued with.

"Alright, well have a good time and don't drink too much" she said sincerely.

"I would never" he smiled. "I'll see you at the studio tomorrow?"

"See you then."

He quickly left the café, leaving Wednesday to wonder what she could do to fill up her time that night.

Getting back in to her flat, she made herself a cup of tea, scrolling through her phone for ten minutes as she drank at the kitchen counter.

She felt creative—she usually did when her brain was jumbled up, full of confusing emotions and anxiety. Hopping down from the stool, she marched into the small spare room next to her music room that was empty apart from the easel and chair placed in the centre of the floor, with a small set of drawers next to them, overflowing with paints and brushes.

Seating herself down, she placed a new blank canvas on the easel and after scrolling through Pinterest for ideas, she settled on something easy but fun. Picking out her paints and mixing the colours she wanted, she began painting a background layer of white and then adding thicker, shorter strokes on the canvas. She was attempting an abstract piece with soft pastel colours—she liked the softness of minimalistic paintings. After a few hours, she yawned wearily, looking back at the piece and finding herself happy with its outcome. Too tired to make any food to eat, she climbed into bed, the paint splatters still on her hands as she quickly fell into a deep sleep.

The buzzing of her phone woke her the next morning and she blearily looked at the screen, yawning as her vision focused. She looked at who was calling her, seeing the words 'Zara Almasi' and quickly swiping to accept the call.

"Long time no speak stranger" Zara cooed down the phone, laughing as Wednesday excitedly said her hellos.

"How are you? How's Dubai? What's the weather like? Tell me everything!" Wednesday quickly asked, sitting up in bed with her legs crossed.

After Harry, Zara was her second closest friend. They'd met back in 2013 at a party in London, introduced by One Direction's old stylist and had spent all night by each other's side. Soon after they became close friends, going for dinner, taking trips away and seeing each other when they could despite their busy work schedules. Zara had been Wednesday's first real girl best friend and she'd always been in awe of her beauty and immaculate fashion sense, as well as her naturally funny nature.

Zara, who'd been an assistant stylist at various magazines throughout their friendship, had applied for a position at Vogue Arabia on a whim a few months ago. After recognising her talent and potential, they'd hired her a few weeks later and she'd jetted off to Dubai to start her new life as a stylist for the magazine, leaving Wednesday behind happy at her success but heartbroken to see her go.

"It's a lot nicer than Hackney, let me tell you that" she responded, Wednesday laughing at her thick east London accent.

"Sorry I haven't messaged in a few months though, work has been moving mad. It's non-stop, but fun" Zara sighed.

"It's alright, don't worry about it" Wednesday responded. "Tell me what you've been up to then?"

They talked about her work and everything she'd been doing, Wednesday listening in awe as she relayed stories of meeting celebrities and being wined and dined by a host of men.

"What about you though, how have you been?" Zara asked sincerely.

"I've uh...I've been alright, yeah" Wednesday laughed.

Alright wasn't the first word she'd choose to describe her mental state throughout the year, but she didn't want to dampen the mood.

"Is Harry and everyone else alright?" she asked, Wednesday knowing she'd got away with her answer.

"Yeah, he's alright. We're all just getting ready for the second album drop. New single comes out next week" she yawned, slightly unable to believe it had come around that quick herself.

"Eeee how exciting!" Zara replied.

"I know. A few more months and it's back to life on the road for us all."

"Right well save a ticket to one of the shows for me. Front row please" Zara replied quickly, both of them laughing. "But you'll be seeing me before then anyway."

Wednesday eyebrows pulled together in confusion. "What do you mean?"

Zara paused for a moment for dramatic effect before excitedly squealing: "I'm coming back to London at the end of the month for two weeks!"

Wednesday's jaw dropped open as she screamed at the surprise, getting up and jumping on her bed.

"Are you actually?!"

"Yes! I requested the time off last month and it got approved yesterday. London, I'm coming home!" Zara chorused down the phone and for the first time in months, Wednesday felt pure joy at the thought of it.

They discussed her return for the next half hour, planning out what they were going to do for the week she was back.

Wednesday didn't bring up Patrick—she'd rather tell her in person everything that had been going on. After how Harry had reacted, she was putting off telling Zara for as long as she could.

After they'd said their goodbyes and ended the call, Wednesday looked to the time, seeing it was nearly 9—she needed to be at the studio at 10. Quickly grabbing a shower, she pulled on joggers, a t-shirt and hoodie, sticking her hair into a low bun and put on some concealer and lip balm.

After a 15-minute uber, she was there at Abbey Road. Walking into the large, open studio, she looked amongst the various people there, noticing Harry in the middle mingling with Tyler and Daisy.

Walking over to Mitch and Sarah with her iced coffee in hand, she smiled, chucking her bag to the floor.

Today was listening day; the first time they were going to hear the full completed album in its entirety. Apart from Daisy, they were all familiar with the songs, the whole team having spent the past year composing the album and writing the lyrics and melodies. But, apart from the Harry and the producers, they'd never heard the songs fully or listened to the album from start to finish. Harry had also kept them in the dark about the order of the songs on the album, wanting the surprise to be authentic.

"Right everyone, grab a seat and sit down. We're ready to start playing the album soon" Jeffrey announced from Harry's side and they all found seats to sit on, Wednesday choosing to plant herself on the floor.

Five minutes later, they were all prepared to listen but not before Harry stood up before everyone, ready to give his final word.

"I just wanted to say a massive thank you to all of you for your hard work with me on this album. Without you all spending hours and hours grafting and putting your hearts into this project, it wouldn't be what it is. So, thank you. And I hope you love it as much as me" he finished, sending kisses to the whole room as they clapped and cheered him, Wednesday sticking her fingers in her mouth to whistle in solidarity.

Harry sat down and the opening symbols of Golden sounded out to the room. Wednesday could feel the goose bumps of anticipation appear on her arms as she listened with a smile; this was one of her favourites and she was glad he'd chosen it as the first song.

Next up was Watermelon Sugar; when Harry had first read her the lyrics, she'd smiled deviously, impressed he'd wrote such a blatantly sexual song. Listening to it in full, she noted that it sounded like the perfect summer song.

Adore You provided her with pure joy. It was a clear front runner to be a single, the upbeat tempo and backing vocals making it a pure pop belter. She especially loved the guitar around the bridge, winking at Mitch when it appeared.

The next song was Lights Up, the song they'd been practicing the most in the past month due to its release the following week. Wednesday thought it was a smart move choosing it as the first single; the theme of the song, about leaving a previous version of yourself behind, felt like a fitting introduction to the new era.

Cherry was next and from behind him, she could see Harry shift uncomfortably as it started. Despite the pain that had fuelled its creation and her own bias regarding that situation, she couldn't deny that it was utterly stunning. As she listened in full, the voice note echoing around the room in the final few seconds, she noted that she'd be eternally grateful if someone were to write a song this raw and beautiful about her.

The soft piano notes of Falling sounded out next and Wednesday recognised this as the song she was least familiar with. A sombre mood fell over the room as they listened intently and for some unexplained reason, Wednesday could feel a lump in her throat as Harry's voice rasped out in the chorus. She felt his pain and she felt her own pain through the imagery, Patrick's face flashing into her mind for a split second as she closed her eyes to listen.

The sound of a ukulele alerted her to the fact that the next song was To Be So Lonely; her song. Biting her lip to hide her smile, she noticed Harry look around to her, sending her a proud smile as Sarah and Mitch pushed her gently. She could feel pride swell in her chest that the lyrics she'd written down one sad afternoon had materialised into this; her own song on Harry's album. And she wasn't ashamed to say she loved it—both her and Harry had poured their hearts into this song, adamant about its merit and as she listened, she knew it had all been worth it.

She, her favourite song, was next up. She loved every part of it, from the hypnotizing guitar riffs to the interpretative nature of the lyrics. As soon as Mitch's solo sounded out, she clapped in appreciation, in awe of his talent.

The next song, Sunflower Vo.6, was one she'd taken a while to warm to. But as the melody bounced around the room, she felt it lift the spirits of everyone in the room. Plus, she adored Harry's yells layered over the instrumentals and knew it was something the fans would love.

Another one of her favourites, Canyon Moon, followed. She recognised the sound of the dulcimer instantly and knew that Harry's insistence in including it in the song was a great choice. She pictured this being blasted out of a car as it drove along desert roads, the scenery the backdrop to the lyrics.

Treat People With Kindness was next and she wasn't ashamed to say that she'd argued for it to be dropped from the album when the discussion over its inclusion had been brought up. She knew that despite the theme of the song fitting in with Harry's brand, she wasn't the biggest fan and preferred the other songs written for the album that hadn't made the cut. Still, she recognised it would be a good song to perform live and would bring a lot of energy from the fans, regardless of her own opinion on it.

The slow build-up of Fine Line signalled to Wednesday that this was the last song on the album—Harry had told her this when he'd introduced her to it initially and she'd agreed it was the perfect song to close the album. As the song progressed and the urgency picked up, she couldn't help but think it mirrored their lives over the past year or two. The various emotions, speeds, lyrics—it encompassed all the ups and downs of a relationship. Wednesday closed her eyes as she listened to the 'we'll be alright' line repeat over and over, something within her mood shifting.