《pride & property » |larry au|》9. the trip, the dinner and the runaway
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Harry came back to Holmes Chapel after that, not wanting to encounter Louis Tomlinson anymore. And if Niall and Ed were left worried, well, they shouldn't. Harry was better now, because the anticipation of seeing his family is somewhat encouraging. Also, he heard from his mother that Gemma was back from London and he needed Gemma so much.
"How was London?" Harry asked, now in his bedroom, Gemma sitting on his bed, Harry was unpacking, "Any news?"
"London is so entertaining," Gemma said smiling, "Aimee and Krystal took me to places you wouldn't even imagine they exist," she said, a small shine in her eyes, "Actually, London seems like your type of town."
"And how would you even know that?" Harry said mocking her.
"Well, I don't know," Gemma said shrugging, "For starters, London is big and nobody ever pays attention to you, so you would like that."
"Okay good point," Harry said, "What else?"
"Well, the places - they are quite enchanting. Every little place, has it's own story and every person you meet, is so different from the next one and so on."
"That actually seems like something I would like," Harry teased and Gemma pouted, "No but seriously, I'm glad you are back."
Gemma nodded once and smiled, Harry finishing to arrange all his clothes back into the drawers.
"So," Harry said, trying to touch the topic subtly, "Nothing new then?"
"Well," Gemma said, looking at her hands, fingers intertwining, "Krystal is getting married."
"What?" Harry said, shocked.
"Mitch proposed to her a month ago," Gemma said, a faint smile on her face, "They will marry in December."
"Oh," Harry said, not knowing what to say, "That's... amazing."
A moment of silence surrounded both of them until Gemma sighed.
"You know, I'm quite over him," Gemma said, trying not to care a lot, "If he passed me in the street, I would hardly notice."
Harry looked back at Gemma, not believing a thing. He knew his sister. He knew how hard she had crushed on Liam. He knew, Gemma would take long to forget Liam.
"Anyway," Gemma said, noticing Harry's look, "London is so diverting."
Harry chuckled and shook his head.
"It's true," Gemma said, standing from the bed, "And when you finally visit it, I'll be the one laughing at you for not ever believing me."
"Right," Harry said.
"Any news from Sheffield?" Gemma asked, by the door now.
Harry saw her and the anticipation of new gossip. But he couldn't. He couldn't tell her. He hesitated a bit, trying to forget what happened with Louis back in the concert.
"Nope," Harry said finally.
With that, Gemma exited the room and left Harry alone.
-
Two days after Harry's arrival, Uncle Mike and Aunt Dee arrived to the Styles household. Anne was thrilled for having them there, specially because since Niall had left, she couldn't bragged about anything with Maura and that was bothering her quite much.
"I'm so glad you are here," Anne said, setting a pair of cups on the small coffee table in the living room, "We have missed you so much."
"We missed you too dear," Aunt Dee said, smiling and taking her cuppa.
"We heard Zayn was here," Uncle Mike said, taking his as well.
"Oh yeah," Anne said, her smile forced, "He has been here for a few weeks and it's been good. Trisha and Yaser went on a cruise and well - you know, Zayn has always loved to be here with Harry and Gemma."
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"Yeah," Dee said, smiling.
Anne was actually worried about Zayn. He had been going out too much, always arriving late and smelling like alcohol and cigarettes. But she couldn't do a thing, she was not his mother.
Anne stood up from her spot and shouted into the hall, "Children, come and say hi to Uncle Mike and Aunt Dee."
They all appeared then, saying hi and hugging their relatives.
"Zayn, you look tired," Uncle Mike said, watching Zayn's state. He had bags under his eyes and he was still wearing PJs even if it was already noon.
"Yeah," Zayn agreed, not even paying attention.
"So Gemma," Aunt Dee said, trying to change topics, "You went to London lately?"
"Yeah," she said smiling, "It was nice."
"I can imagine," Uncle Mike said, "Very posh and everything."
"Sort of, yeah," Gemma agreed, giggling.
"And what about you Harold?" Aunt Dee said.
He hated when people called him Harold. His name was Harry. As Harry.
"Well, I went to Sheffield a couple of days ago but nothing great," he said shrugging.
"Oh well, you should come with us," Aunt Dee said.
"What?" Harry asked, not getting it.
"We are going on a little road trip and maybe it's good for you to get fresh air," Uncle Mike said.
"Oh that would be lovely," Anne said, clapping her hands. She only wanted that to brag about it later with Maura.
"Well, I don't know," Harry said, struggling to decide.
"Oh c'mon little brother," Gemma said, encouraging him, "It will be nice and we will be here when you come back."
Zayn mumbled something but Harry didn't catch it.
"Yeah, come on," Uncle Mike said, "There won't be a lot of people there but we will see the glories of nature."
"What are men compared to rocks and mountains?" Zayn said, earning a harsh glare from Anne.
"Men are either eaten up with arrogance or stupidity, that's for sure," Harry said, answering Zayn.
Anne was about to burst of anger.
"That sounds like a lot of bitterness," Aunt Dee said, joking.
"More reasons for you to join us," Uncle Mike said.
Harry thought about it for a second until nodding to it.
"Okay then," Harry said, agreeing.
That night, when Harry was packing a few things into a bigger bag than the one he took to Sheffield, he felt like a strong force inside of him was keeping him from breathing.
He went to Gemma's room, she already in bed, scrolling down on her phone and smiling to Harry when she saw him.
"Come and cuddle with me," Gemma said, lifting up the duvet for Harry to get in.
Harry lied down beside Gemma then, putting an arm around her and watching her from above. Her mahogany hair with the few light strands were his mainly vision but he could also see her pointy nose and her large eyelashes. It reminded him of Louis' own, which were also very large. He cursed in his mind for remembering Louis.
"I saw Louis when I was in Sheffield," Harry said finally.
"What?" Gemma said, looking up to Harry, "Why didn't you tell me? Did he mention Liam?"
"No," Harry said, "Not really."
Gemma nodded and went back to her phone. Harry decided it was better to leave it at that.
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-
The next day Harry said goodbye to his family and went along with Uncle Mike and Aunt Dee on their SUV.
It was nice, having the entire space in the back seat for him, and Uncle Mike and Aunt Dee were actually nice to be with. They were nothing like their parents - they were much civilized around each other and they were actually careful and nice. Nothing like Anne and Des - because Anne kept making drama about everything while Des mocked her. Like a couple of children, he could swear.
It was odd but pleasing to have decent adults around him for a change. They started off the road trip with a destination to Peak District Park. It was nice, having to stop in every little town and having a few things and then right back on the road. They didn't take too long in every city but nevertheless, Uncle Mike decided it would be nice to stay for a night in Manchester and then get back on road to reach Peak District Park. Aunt Dee agreed and Harry was left with nothing but to agree as well.
-
So at the end, Peak District Park was not that great. Like sure, there was a lot to see and so much green around them. But Uncle Mike got bored after nearly two hours and even though Aunt Dee couldn't stop taking photos, Uncle Mike was tired.
Harry enjoyed it just as much as Aunt Dee though. He loved to walk around and see the greatness of it. He also loved the way the sun was kissing his skin, getting a light tan on his face and complete arms. Thank God he brought a sleeveless t-shirt for the occasion. The air was dense and hot in there and Harry loved it. Not like rainy Holmes Chapel.
"I didn't think it would be like, this much," Uncle Mike said, finally sitting in a clean rock by a large tree, offering some shade from the sun.
"It's Peak District Park Mike, you should have known," Aunt Dee said, sitting beside him, "But if you want, we can go."
Harry chuckled at their interaction and settled just a few feet from them.
"You now, we can go to Sheffield," Uncle Mike said, "It's very close from here."
"No," Aunt Dee said, "Harry just went there, remember?"
"Oh right," Uncle Mike said, "Well, let's go to Doncaster then."
"What?" Harry said, "Doncaster?"
"Oh, that would be lovely," Aunt Dee said, "I've never been there."
"Yeah, let's go there," Uncle Mike said, "Harry, do you know Louis Tomlinson?"
"What?" Harry was shocked by the question, "Why do you ask?"
"Well, I heard he was in Holmes Chapel for a few weeks and I know he is like, the richest young guy in the entire Yorkshire district. He is very known and he has his main building there. They say it's like an entire museum dedicated to music and entertainment. We should go there."
"Oh please, let's not," Harry said, shaking his head, "I don't want to meet him there."
"What? Why?" Aunt Dee asked, looking worried now.
"I just, I don't know, I don't like him a lot," Harry said, shrugging.
"Is he mean? Does all the power and money has turned him into a despicable human being?" Aunt Dee said. Okay, maybe she was a bit dramatic like Anne.
"No, not really," Harry said. Louis was not despicable at all. And he actually looked like a very normal person. Apart from his weird obsession with perfectly brewed tea. He didn't show his money that much, because Harry's sure he dressed very normal and standard even though back in Sheffield he had seen him with a very fine suit.
"Then, I don't understand why you don't want to go," Uncle Mike said, "It looks perfectly good to me so we are going."
Harry gave up and sighed.
"Don't worry love," Aunt Dee said, "M' sure he is a busy man. I heard nowadays he's always back in London."
Well, what else could Harry object to, honestly?
-
They were now in Doncaster and Harry seemed to like the city a lot. Nothing like Holmes Chapel, that's for sure. But it had its own charming looks and it definitely looked more up to date than his home town.
Harry didn't even know where they would stop but Uncle Mike kept doing comments of greatness and wonder with every turn.
Harry tried not to think about Louis though, because what if he saw Louis there? That would be... awkward.
When they arrived though, Harry's nerves were on the edge. Uncle Mike parked in front of a big black building with Pemberly Digital on the top of the entrance, with fancy lights and everything. People were going in and out and Harry thought he would get sick in any moment.
They walked to the entrance and saw a small lobby with a girl behind the desk.
"Hi there," she said, smiling to the three of them, "How can I help you?"
"Hello," Uncle Mike said, "We wanted to see the building, have a tour or whatever. We heard it has a small museum and we would like to see it."
"Of course," the girl said smiling, "Will you just give me your names?"
Uncle Mike gave out the names of the three and the girl typed them into the computer.
"Perfect then," the girl said, "You're lucky there's not a lot of people in here today so you will be able to enjoy the tour better."
The girl took the phone at the table and Harry took the time to finally take everything in.
The lobby was spacious, really large - clean and bright. The floor was made of black and white tiles and Harry liked them already. But the walls, were white - you know, like marble white and the little details in every edge or door was amazing. Harry could see the different decorations and sets in every corner.
"Okay so," the girl said, winning Harry's attention back, "I will be the one taking you. My name is Sara by the way, so if you could please follow me."
She stood up from her chair and started walking to the hall, that would lead to some elevators.
They went to the penultimate floor of the entire building, where the museum was located.
"So we will start here, with the most interesting things and then I'll show you around the offices and areas as we go down," Sara said, when the elevator door opened.
The entire floor was an open space, again white marble over all. But now, there were a lot of paintings, photos and albums hanging from the walls. There were also some status and figures around the floor. Everything combine perfectly, which Harry found very satisfying. There were also some antiques there, like record machines and original vinyl players. It felt like the whole thing was very 80ish but with a classic touch.
Mike and Dee kept following Sara but Harry was taken aback with several items - he just could hear them all their chat.
"Does Mr. Tomlinson comes often?" Uncle Mike asked.
"Not as much as I would wish," Sara admitted, giving a faint smile.
Harry sighed at the relief, still inspecting the great artwork at one of the walls, showing some Polaroids in black and white of different artists.
"He dearly loves to be here though," Sara continued, "I think if he settled, this would be in Doncaster a lot more."
Uncle Mike and Aunt Dee nodded, following her.
Harry moved on to see one of the vinyl players he saw from the beginning, which was massive and incredibly well-conserved. It was oak wood and it looked so good that Harry thought it would be quite a pleasure to listen music there.
"He is so much like his father," Sara said, pointing to a photo hanged in the wall, "Mark Tomlinson was one of the best people in the entire United Kingdom and Louis is doing a good job following his steps - although, some people say he is more like his mother, Johannah. What a lovely woman, she was."
Harry looked at the photo and it showed a much younger Louis with his father to the right and his mother to the left, carrying a baby. Harry quickly remembered about Charlotte, Louis' sister, and smiled at the baby in the picture. Surely, she was a grown-up now.
He saw the resemble with both of his parents - sure, he had blue eyes like his father and that strong jaw but it was more obvious the resemble with his mother - the kind eyes, the light smile, the small nose and even the little crinkles by their eyes shown in the photo while they were smiling.
"You know, when I got pregnant Louis was so lovely and understanding with it," Sara said, now lost in thoughts, "He let me stayed until I couldn't take it anymore and he paid me extra for all the work I did. He even went to visit me at the hospital when I gave birth to my little one."
Harry could actually see Louis acting like that. He remembered what Stan said and he now understood why everyone thought so well of Louis.
Harry stopped in front of a big picture of Louis in black suit, perfectly fit and high quiff on Louis. He was standing in front of his office - or least that's what Harry thought and he looked very serious but somehow...
"This is he, Mr. Louis Tomlinson," Sara said, from behind, Harry noticing his relatives at his sides.
"What a handsome boy," Aunt Dee said, somehow proud, "Harry, is it a true likeness?"
Harry froze and tried to form a word before Sara, the girl, spoke up.
"Do you know Louis?" Sara asked, looking at Harry.
Harry tried to ignore her stare and nodded, "Only a little."
"Don't you think he is handsome, though?" she kept pushing.
"Yes," Harry said finally, getting lost in the blue eyes of Louis' photo, "I dare say he is."
Sara smiled and motioned to the side, "And this is his sister, Charlotte, or better known as Lottie."
Uncle Mike and Aunt Dee followed the girl but Harry stayed in place, still looking at Louis' photo.
"She plays the piano and sings all day long," Sara chuckled.
They kept going and continued with the tour but as soon as Harry woke up from his day-dream, they were gone.
Harry looked around and there was no one in sight. He decided he must continue by himself. Anyway, as Sara said, there weren't a lot of people that day.
He took the elevator, as after looking for them in the entire floor, they didn't find anyone.
Harry got in and was about to push the button to go down but decided to see the last floor. He didn't know what was there and curiosity was eating him alive so anyway, why not. He just hoped no one would caught him.
When the door opened, he didn't expect to see a hall there, but he did. A large hall, one side of it full glass as a wall and in the other side, several doors to different rooms.
Harry was mesmerized by the view from there, he could stay in that hall for his entire life and not care about it. He could only imagine what amazing view it must show at night and he suddenly felt jealous of Louis, who could actually see it.
The atmosphere around him suddenly was filled with a sweet sharp melody - and if Harry weren't so insecure about his knowledge of music, he would bet that's coming from a pianoforte. A real classic one.
Harry turned around, guided by music and got near the door where the music was coming from. It was hypnotizing, like the music invited you to come closer and Harry could only be left wanting to meet the person on the other side.
When he got to the door, he saw the door was slightly opened - hence the music was so clear - and he peeked through the small space, looking at the person playing. It was a girl, with blonde, almost platinum long hair, sitting straight in the chair, her thin arms moving quickly from one side of the keys to the other, making the pianoforte - Harry was right - sound as the time passed by.
Harry almost forgot he was intruding, until someone, a man stood behind the girl, bending just to whisper something to the girl and then - and then turned around and squealed, launching herself over the man, laughing and smiling. Harry realized his mistake - he was being creepy after all but it all got wrong in such a short time.
Harry tried to move back and leave the place but he hit the door with his big clumsy feet and that's when the two people inside the room looked at him. It was Louis and his sister, Lottie.
Harry tried to smile but he was nervous - like, they literally caught him on the move, so he turned around and made a move to run - literally anywhere, just far away.
He took the elevator, while Louis was already out the room, shouting for him, and Harry made move to wait. He closed the elevator and was relieved for a few seconds until the elevator stopped two floors down, just in time when Louis was going down the emergency steps, which were exactly besides the elevator.
Louis saw then Harry and he was able to reach him this time.
"Harry," Louis said, trying to catch his breath, getting inside the elevator.
"Sorry," Harry said, not wanting to meet his eyes, "I thought you were in London."
"No," Louis said, searching for Harry's eyes, "I'm not."
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