How Long?

Harry stood next to his group of friends as he looked to the dance floor. His eyes stopped at Louise dancing with Natasha, one of their childhood friends. The girls were laughing while dancing on the latest Usher song.

“Wow, Louise can really move” Jake said looking at the same scene as Harry. “Oi, Susanna, how old is Louise?” Jake asked his little sister, the birthday girl.

“Jake she turned 17 few weeks ago. You were there at the party” Susanna said rolling her eyes.

“Right” Jake said nodding his head.

Harry saw the way Jake was looking at Louise and his blood boiled, for some reason all he wanted do was punch his stupid face.

Louise was dancing like crazy when she felt hands on her waist. She turned around to find Harry dancing next to her. She leaned in so that he could hear her.

“I thought you didn’t want to dance” She said.

“I changed my mind” He said moving his head to the music.

They danced some more, after the song changed he dragged her off the dance floor to get a drink. After getting there drinks the pair settled down in a corner so they could talk.

“So, Mr. Eton graduate, excited for the gap year?” She asked.

“Very, I finally got rid of that wretched place” He said taking a sip of this drink. “Did you talk to your father about accompanying me to Australia?”

“Not yet, but I will soon” She said looking around when she caught Jake eyes looking at her. He gave her a small wave and she waved back.

Harry caught their gesture and now he could see Jake making his way towards them.

“You want to get out of here” He said rubbing his hands on his thighs.

“No, we just got here” She said.

“Hey guys” Jake said.

“Hey” Louise said looking up, giving Jake a shy smile.

“Can I borrow her for a dance, mate” Jake asked Harry not taking his eyes off Louise.

“Why are you asking me? She is sitting right here” Harry said irritated.

“You’re right” Jake said. “Louise, would you like to have a dance with me?” Jake asked extending his hand.

“Sure” Louise said taking his hand.

Harry saw them leaving for the dance floor hand in hand. Just before they reached the dance floor
Louise turned around and mouthed Oh my god to Harry.

----

Harry and Louise ditched another one of those boring Highgrove dinner party and were now lying in one of the cellars underneath Highgrove with a wine bottle passing between each other.
Harry, who was currently on a gap year after finishing his studies at Eton College, was telling Louise his plans of what he would be doing in Australia. He wanted her to accompany him for a couple of weeks before he started work at the cattle station there.

“How long are you going to be in Australia?” She asked passing the bottle back to him.

“Two months there and then I will be off to South Africa for another two. So you absolutely have to come with me because you won’t be seeing this beautiful face of mine till Christmas” He said giving her bottle.

“Four months, that’s a long time” She said.

“Awww you going miss me” Harry said putting his arms around her shoulders.

“Miss you?” She snorted “I am mentally planning how much fun I am going to have with you gone” She said teasing him.

“Fun without me, that’s impossible. I am the one that makes you laugh all the time” He said taking the bottle from her.

“You are so full of yourself. But for your information I don’t laugh because of you. In honesty I laugh at you”

“How dare you?” He said grabbing her by the waist, tickling her sides.

“Stop it Harry. Stop it” She said as she squirmed in his arms.

“Take it back” He said smiling.

“I will not” She said trying to wiggle out of his grasp.

He put his legs above hers so that he could stop her from moving. With that moment of his the wine
bottle in his hand tilted and spilled all its content on her dress.

“Now look what you made me do” He said suppressing his laughter as her white dress turned into red.

“Harry, get off me” She said pushing him aside. There was an edge to her voice. “Bloody hell” She said
looking down at her dress. “I am so fucked”

“Oh stop being so dramatic. It’s just a bloody stain” Harry said.

“How am I supposed to go out with the stain Harry? They will know that I was drinking”

“Let’s go upstairs, I will tell one of the maids to wash your dress”

“I am not leaving this cellar with this stain. My father is upstairs and so are my brothers. I am not going
to take a chance of getting caught” Louise said panicking.

“Stop hyperventilating, let me think of something” Harry said racking his brain for a solution.

“Okay, take off your dress I will throw it in the machine. You stay right here” Harry said.
She looked at him and shook her head.

“Do you have a better idea?” He asked.

“No” She said.

“Then it’s either this or we take our chances and go upstairs” He said.

“Okay, turn around” She said.

Harry did as she asked him to do. He turned around so she could take her dress off.

“Here” She said giving him her dressed.

He took the dress without looking at her and made his way to the door.

“Harry” She said weakly. Which made him turn around; there she stood in her bra and panties. Her bra
also had a red stain on it and he could little red lines of wine on her smooth pale skin. She had small freckles on her shoulders that were illuminated by the light above her. She looked so small, so angelic that Harry could not take his eyes off of her. The way she looked made his blood flow to all the right places. She wrapped her arms around herself as her teeth chattered.

“I am cold” She said.

That snapped him out of it.

“Yeah right, you are soaked” He said. “You take my shirt” He said.

“You can’t go without your shirt” She said.

“I am wearing an under shirt. I’ll be fine” He said taking his shirt off.

“Louise, are you down here. William said I might….”The door creaked open and Luke entered. He looked at his half naked sister and Harry taking his shirt off and his mind nearly exploded. Luke was a decade older than his sister and he loved her dearly, the mere thought of her having sex made him go crazy.

“What the hell!” Luke said. “I am going to kill you. You little piece of shit”

“Luke, I know it looks bad but we were not doing what you think we were doing” Harry said.

Louise took his shirt and yanked it on while Harry continued.

“I… we are not… I mean I don’t even fancy her. I don’t think of her in that way. She is last person I would think of doing that with…I mean…”

Louise looked at Harry as he continued to tell her brother how he didn’t find her attractive and would never think to doing ‘That’ with her. Keeping the situation that they were in mind at the moment she shouldn’t have felt offended or bad but she did. She flinched every time he said it. It seemed like someone was pulling the strings from her chest because his words were hurting her so much. She could feel tears brewing in her eyes. She buried her face in her hands to stop herself from crying.

“Harry, stop” Luke said. “Louise, are you okay?” He asked seeing his sister shaking badly.

“I am cold” She said.

Harry moved towards her.

“You stay right there” Luke said growled at him as he wrapped his jacket around her shoulder.

Harry stopped and saw Louise clutching to her brother burying her head in his chest.

“What’s going on, Lou” Luke asked as he rubbed his hands on her arms, she was so cold.

Louise explained the whole thing to Luke. How they were ditching the party, just talking around
drinking wine, the wine spill and everything.

“Alright, let’s get you upstairs. Get you cleaned up” Luke said softly seeing the gleam of tears in his sister eyes.

“Daddy is going to be so mad, Luke” She said looking up at her eldest brother.

“Then we are not going to tell him, Lou. Okay?” He said kissing her forehead. “Harry can you get her some fresh clothes” Luke asked Harry.

“Yes, sure” Harry said still looking at Louise who looked so fragile at the moment. She hasn’t even looked at him once since Luke came in.

“What are you waiting for? Go” Luke snapped at Harry.

As soon as Harry left the cellar Louise bust out in tears. She was not crying because she got caught drinking or that Luke was thinking that she was having sex. She was crying because for some reason, Harry words hurt her. It made her feel like a hideous creature.

“Lou, stop freaking out. I am not going to tell dad. I am not going to rat you out. Hush now” Luke said wrapping his arms around his sister.

-----

Harry was set to leave for Australia in next few days and he had barely talked to Lou in over a month. If he didn’t know her any better he would have definitely thought that she was trying to avoid him. She did call him a few days ago to inform him that after the whole cellar incident she won’t be able to go Australia with him. Luke had been very firm when he told Harry to keep his distance from Lou and she didn’t want to risk her father knowing what had happened. So they had laid low.

Lou on the other hand was a wreck. She couldn’t concentrate of studies or on her music. She had been sulking about what had happened that night at the cellar. She never really thought of Harry being anything but her friend before that night but after his vehement confession of not fancying her, she could not stop thinking him in that way. Her heart twisted in pain whenever she thought about his words. Those words were burned into her brain. That was one of the major reasons she was avoiding him for the past month. She knew she had to get out of the funk she was in. So, she took up Natasha’s offer to go out and get hammered.

Louise was not the one those people that breaks the rules, she rather liked rules and regulations but tonight she was going to get drunk. She was going to go to a pub with a fake id that Natasha had got her. Her plan was simple, she was going to forget about the cellar incident with a little help of her friend called alcohol and while at it she will try to have some fun.
It was close to mid night and Harry had barely made it home from another night out with his mates when his phone rang. Seeing Louise name flashing he smiled.

“Hello” He said opening his bedroom door.

“Harry” She said on the other side.

Even from just his name he knew something was off. She sounded funny.

“Lou, is everything okay?” He asked turning the lights on.

“I am not feeling well Harry and I can’t find Natasha anywhere. Can please come and get me” She said.
He could make out she was drunk which was very odd because she hardly drank at all.

“Where are you?” He asked.

“I am outside this pub called Elevates, it’s near…” And then there was barfing sound.

“I know exactly where you are. I will be there in 20” Harry said.

----

Lou was nearly passed out at the back seat of the car. Her head resting on Harry lap while he rubbed his hand on her back. She threw up three more times before they reached Highgrove.

Harry carried her inside thanking his stars about his dad being out of town. He placed her on his bed. Sitting at the edge of the bed he took her legs in hands taking off her boots.

Louise was conscious enough when they entered Highgrove to understand what was happening. Her head was all woozy and pained massively. She could feel Harry taking her boots off.

“Harry” She said in a whisper.

“I am right here. Want some water?” He asked.

Louise nodded slightly. He brought the glass of water to her lips. She took a sip when her stomach churned again. Pushing him aside she rushed to the loo.

Harry stood at the door frame of the bathroom as she threw up again. Once she was done he navigated her back to bed.

“I am sorry” She said feeling miserable.

“There is no need to apologize. You had taken care of me more times than I can count on one hand. Just try to sleep. You will feel better tomorrow” He said tucking her in the bed.

“Harry” she said grabbing his hand.

“Lou” He said sitting next to her, smoothing her hair.

“Thank you” She said smiling weakly.

“You’re most welcome. Now close your eyes” He said kissing her head.

---

Louise woke up in Harry’s bed. It took her few moments to remember what had happened last night. Last night she had got totally plastered to get out the funk that she was in for over a month but her plan was a colossal failure. Her heart still sunk when she thought about that night and on top of that her head was throbbing badly at the moment.

There was a knock on the door, Harry entered with a cheeky grin on his face.

“How are we feeling today?” He asked.

“Dreadful, my head is just about to explode” She said burying her head in her hands.

“That’s called a hangover” He said chuckling. “Here, take these” He said giving her aspirin.

As she took the pills while Harry opened the curtains. Louise groaned as the light hit her face, ducking inside the sheets.

“Come out of there” Harry said snatching the sheets away from her.

She looked up at him; his face had an ear to ear grin.

“You are really enjoying this. Aren’t you?” She asked.

“Oh yes, very much so. I still can’t believe you got drunk, underage drinking is crime, Lou. And you did all of that without me. Didn’t we have a pact to get shitfaced together?” Harry said sliding next to her on his bed.

“Forget that, I am never drinking again in my life” She said.

“That bad, ehh? How much did you drink last night?”

“I stopped counting after my fourth drink”

He laughed wrapping his arm around her shoulders.

“I think I am going to die” She said burying her head in his chest loving the closeness.

“It happens; after all it’s your first hangover. It gets better with time”

“I am never drinking again” She said again.

“Not even on your eighteenth?”

He felt her head shake in his chest.

“Not even on my 21st?”

“Never” She said.

“Fine let’s make a new pact” He said.

She looked at him from under her eyelashes.

“You have absolutely got to get drunk on your 21st Lou. So, my friend I promise to get you sloshed on your 21st”

“You are such a bad influence, you know that”

“That’s why you love me” He said squeezing her shoulders.

That was right, she did love him more than she could have said or even realized herself.