The Prince's Tutor

Callie stared up at the fierce, cerulean eyes that were glued to her own green ones. She tried to make sense of the question, slowly analyzing it in her exquisite brain, but she came out dumfounded each time.

“You want me to go where?” she breathed.

“France. Maybe parts of Switzerland if we have enough time.” Harry said.

Harry was looking at her expectantly, trying to figure out what in the hell was taking her so long to answer. Usually, when he asks a girl to go with him somewhere, the answer is almost immediate.

“If you don’t want to go, just say so.” Harry said, gritting his teeth in impatience.

“No, it’s not that. It’s just...” Callie fumbled around on her words. “Skiing?”

Harry threw his head back against the wooden bench in the garden they were sitting in. Campus never felt as vacant as it did this morning. All of a sudden Harry was starting to think this was all a bad idea.

The scene of yesterday morning was starting to flood back to him, and he cursed Will mentally for even proposing such a stupid idea.

“What do you mean you’re not together? What happened with Chelsy?” Will probed, ignoring the annoyance on his little brother’s face.

“What does it matter to you, mate? I said we’re over. She didn’t want to be with me anymore.”

“Well go out and fix it. Things like that never stopped you before.”

Harry raised his head back against the sofa in the common room, a large sigh escaping his round lips.

He looked at Will, his lips pursed in exasperation.

“Leave it alone, Will. I’m not going back to her.”

Will strode over to the sofa, and sat next to Harry. His balding spot was more apparent than before and Harry couldn’t keep from laughing at his brother’s insecurity.

“You really should fix that up.” Harry laughed and pointed at the shiny skin on Will’s head. “I’ll buy you some of that hair growth ointment we saw on the telly.”

“Ha-ha.” Will said slowly, clearly unamused. “You don’t have to tell me. That’s fine. I just don’t know what to do with the skiing tickets now.”

Harry raised an eyebrow and rolled his eyes at his brother’s attempt at luring him into this stupid holiday.

“Bring Kate and forget about the other two tickets. That or find a new couple.”

“Finding another couple? No, Kate specifically wanted the four of us to go skiing. What if you find a replacement?”

Harry grabbed a plush pillow and threw it at Will’s face, rising from the sofa. Why it that everywhere he went, Will was always there ready to jump on the next uncomfortable topic.

“Like who, one of those strippers that asked me to autograph their fanny last year?” Harry let out a dry laugh, escaping the conversation.

“Hmmm. No, Kate might just have a heart attack. What about that Callie girl? She seemed like a proper girl.”

Harry stopped in his tracks, trying to shake away the thought. He turned around slowly and faced his older brother.

“Callie? My tutor, Callie?” Harry laughed.

“Yeah, why not? She was a nice girl.”

“Which is exactly why I’m not letting her around you.” Harry said, dodging the pillow Will aimed at his face.

“I’m happily engaged, mate. It’s you she shouldn’t be around.” Will said, defensive.

Harry smirked, feeling that his brother is probably right about that. Any decent girl wouldn’t be caught dead near him.

“Just ask her.”

Will’s voice faded and he could see Callie looking at him, apprehensive.

“Did you hear me, Harry?” she asked.

“What?” Harry sat up straighter on the bench. He felt a slight drop in his stomach when he saw the look in Callie’s eye. She brought her face closer to Harry’s and for a second Harry was caught off guard by how close they were.

“I said okay.”

She smiled and Harry could feel the small fire in his stomach growing. Momentarily speechless, he let himself become consumed by the happiness in her emerald eyes. The weight of her words began to register and he felt the corners of his mouth turn upwards into a smile.

“So, you’ll go?”

Callie broke off their eye contact and laughed nervously, putting a hand through her curly brown hair.

“Yeah, but the trip is already doomed for disaster. My clumsy feet and skiing? You’re going to have a horrible time, Harry. It’s not too late to find someone else.” Callie laughed.

Harry shook his head and laughed with her. He started to wonder who Callie was to him, exactly. Friends? No, not yet. Maybe they could be eventually. They had definitely moved up from being hostile towards one another. And they were never exactly enemies to begin with.

He felt the same feeling in his stomach return as new thoughts entered his mind.

He wasn’t sure who Callie was to him, or who he was to her for that matter. One thing was for certain, though.

They were finally getting along, and something told Harry that he was in no way, allowed to mess that up.