Grade 8

You'll have fun.

This was the very phrase Niall had used to convince Lena to go to a party. It was also the phrase she was repeating to herself as Mia drove them to said house. She was nervous wreck; going to a public place with the One Direction boys had been bad enough but being stuck in a place where they had the upper hand was terrifying. Even more terrifying she had no idea where this party was being held.

"I'm assuming one of their houses considering it's at Primrose Hill." Mia reasoned when Lena voiced her concerns.

The name rang a bell loud and clear. They were only a few blocks away and with no real reason not to go Lena stayed quiet even know the house they were going to belong to the one person she would rather not see.

"If you see Harry trying to talk to me run interference." Lena said shuddering at the thought. "He's been known to not take a hint."

"Got it." Mia gave her a mock salute. "Anything else?"

"Yeah make sure I survive this night."

Mia laughed. "Don't be so bloody dramatic."

Lena didn't feel liking telling her that with these guys anything was possible. "You'll see."

Harry's house was exactly like she had pictures it being. He had told her about it once and about his elaborate plans to fix it up just so he had an excuse to get away from it. It was too big for just him and at the time he had joked about her coming to live with him to make it not so lonely. There was a part of her that would have loved that.

"Damn." Mia mumbled as she parked the car inside the gate surrounding his house. There were already cars taking up the grass around his house she wondered how anyone could drunkenly get out of her later in the night. "Know which ones house this is?"

"Harry's." Lena sighed.

Mia laughed again at Lena's complete lack of enthusiasm. They exited the car and moved toward the house, it was a little difficult for Mia as her heels sank into the grass with each steep she took. Lena took the lead as Mia struggled her Converse clad feet making the short walk to the front door easy. Without knocking Lena walked through the door a grumbling Mia behind her. There were people everywhere within Lena's line of sight. She couldn't believe Harry even knew this many people.

"Holy shit." Mia moved past Lena being the more experienced of the two. "All of the hipsters in bloody London have assembled here."

Lena couldn't attest to that but she nodded along anyway. "I'm going to find Niall, have fun mingling and what not."

Lena left Mia the sound of her squeal of delight as she recognized someone she knew the last thing she heard from her. Making her way through the people crowding around Harry's entryway and living room she came to the kitchen that was surprisingly less populated but not by much. She could at least make out Niall's laugh from the other end of the room.

Harry's kitchen was a pristine white with silver appliances not sliver of color in sight it was a contrast to the glimpses of color Lena had seen in other parts of the house. As soon as she was next to Niall she took his cup filled with an unknown alcohol alerting him to her presence but he held back what ever greeting he had had as he watched her tip her head back drinking every last drop that was in his cup.

"Fuck that was nasty." She said her face puckering at the strong taste.

"Hello to you too Len." Niall laughed. "Alright?"

Lena nodded eyes focusing on who Niall had been talking to before she interrupted. "Hello." She said sheepishly.

"'Llo." The man said raising his cup in greeting. "I'm Julian."

"He's one of our song writers." Niall explained.

"Not that you lot need one anymore." Julian said taking a sip of his drink. "Their brilliant writers in their own right."

Niall's cheeks turned pink. "We're alright, I suppose."

"I've head a few of Niall's songs." Lena nodded smiling proudly at him. "He helped me with some of my songs as well."

"Alright, alright, enough about me." Niall waved away their complements. "I need another drink now, and I think you do as well."

He shared a few final words with Julian before taking Lena to the counter holding all of the booze. He grabbed a bottle and poured a decent amount into a cup.

"Planning on gettin' shit faced?" Niall asked pouring in a little soda to top off the drink. "Because a couple of these and you'll be a goner."

"That's the plan." Lena agreed. "So keep them coming."

Niall laughed as he gave her the full cup. "I can do that."

Lena took a sip of the drink instantly recoiling back by the strong taste. "I don't know about this though."

"Come on its fine." Niall shrugged.

He lead her out of the kitchen into the pact living room. There was enough room on the couch for them to wedge themselves onto it. Niall placed an arm around the back of the couch his hand dropping onto her shoulder.

"Who are all of these people?" Lena asked glancing around the room; there wasn't a single person she recognized.

"Dunno." Niall shrugged. "Harry's friends."

He looked at Lena heat rising in his cheeks. "Sorry I didn't say this was happening at his house."

"It's fine." Lena hoped that with as many people as there were Harry wouldn't have time to approach her. "I just want to forget about everything."

"Alright." Niall grinned. "Get ta drinkin' then."



In the nearly three and half hours Lena had been at the party she had downed three of Niall's random mixed drinks, gone shot for shot with Louis, and was now drunk enough that there was very little she wouldn't do. To showcase this very thought she was now dancing with Mia to a Britney Spears remix that was Godawful but dance worthy. Dancing was at the bottom of the lost if thins she willing does in public. In the midst of dancing like a fool she caught her first glimpse of Harry.

He was standing against a wall a beer in his hands as he talked to the the girl standing next to him. Even wasted Lena knew who the girl was from the side of her head. She suppressed a groan as she came to a stand still; Mia continued dancing in her own little drunken world. There was one thing Lena was not going to deal with and that was Alexis.

"I'm getting another drink!" Lena said to Mia who nodded not really caring.

Lena pushed her way into the kitchen finding the now dwindling stock of alcohol still sat. Taking note on how Niall fixed her drinks Lena poured a her erupts amount into her cup forgoing anything to mix it with. She had just reentered the living room when she was face to face with Harry. He had a hand in his hair eyes slow to meet hers and by the glazed look he had and the redness in his face he was pretty wasted.

"Hi." He breathed out not sure what else to say. "I, um, didn't know you were here."

"Yeah, I'm pretty easy to miss." Lena said unable to stop herself.

"It's not that." Harry was quick to say. "There's just a lot of people here."

Lena opened her mouth ready to say something about finding Niall when the music suddenly stopped. A collective cry of outrage over the sudden silence went across the room until just as suddenly as it had ended the music was back with a familiar opening guitar riff.

"Oh God." Lena looked across the room to see Mia standing triumphantly at the iHome on Harry's entertainment center.

"HARRY IT'S OUR SONG!" Louis popped up out of no where dragging a frazzled looking Eleanor with him. "C'MON OUR PUBLIC AWAITS!"

Harry looked at Lena one more time before plastering on a smile and joining his four band mates for a drunk rendition of What Makes You Beautiful.

Louis thought it was best to scream the lyrics at everyone that had crowded around them to watch phones at the ready. Niall and Harry hung onto each other both in fits of laughter, their words lost as they laughed. Liam and Zayn were dancing together not even bothering to sing along as they messed around. It was probably the funniest thing Lena had seen since she had left the tour. For a moment she remembered why they had made her so happy in the first place.

Then as the song came to the moment everyone waited for Harry left Niall's side a mischievous smile play at his lips. The Na Na Na's started up everyone singing along as Harry walked through the crowd and Lena knew what was coming next. Like in a bad cheesy romantic comedy Harry stopped in front of her taking her hands in his as he brought her close.

"Baby you light up my world like no body else the way that you flip your hair gets me overwhelmed but when you smile at the ground it ain't hard to tell, you don't know your beautiful." He gave her one last cheeky smile before his lips found hers.



After the very public display of affection Harry had shown he had expected Lena to slap him and leave. Instead she let him lead her out of the room after the music had been put on the approved playlist and the party-goers back to normal. It had never been his intention to kiss her and it definitely wasn't his intention to take her to his room; but as they stood outside of his door and she stood on her tip toes to reattach their lips he couldn't find it in him to stop her. So he didn't.

He didn't stop her when they were in the quiet of his room the door locked behind him as she took off her shirt dropping it to the floor. All he could do was watch as she popped the button of her jeans the zipper sounding loud as she undid it. He lost his breath when the piece of clothing joined her shirt in a pile on the ground.

"Don't you want me?"

The way she had said it so unsure as she looked at him waiting for him to do something anything she thought maybe this wasn't the right thing to do. She couldn't explain why she was doing what she was doing; although she had a feeling it was the amount she had had to drink. It was as if Harry's kiss had flipped a switch in her. For one night she didn't want to think about what had happened between them. For one night she just wanted to act without thinking of the consequences, she'd deal with them tomorrow when she was sober.

"You don't know how fucking bad I want you." Harry whispered. He was waging a war with himself as he tried to decide if this was a good idea. He wanted Lena back but he knew this could easily ruin anything they could possibly have in the future, but when Lena walked to him her arms coming up to his chest resting there with his heart under her palm he didn't care. "I'll always want you."

"Then kiss me."

With Lena so close the smell of her perfume clouding his senses he couldn't come up with a reason not to. So he kissed her his hands cupping her face as he kissed her slow and full of longing. Her hands pulled at the hem of his shirt wanting it off of him needing to feel his skin under her fingers. He pulled away from her bringing the shirt over his head and throwing it across the room. Their lips were on each other instantly now urgently needing each other; needing to know the other was still there. With a few short steps forward Harry backed Lena into his bed picking her up once they were next to it to place her gently onto the mattress.

There was no stopping them now.



Lena woke up her eyes taking a moment to adjust as she observed a room she had never seen before. A loud snore from next to her made her practically jump out of her skin. Turning her head, heart racing uncontrollably, she was met with Harry's serene face. She took a moment to look at him drinking in everything that was Harry but as the severity of the situation she was in set in she wanted nothing more then to get away from him. Easing herself out of his bed with minimal disturbance to Harry she tiptoed to where her clothes laid in a pile quickly pulling her underwear and shirt on before locking herself in his bathroom. She wasn't sure what to do as she looked at herself in the mirror. Her hair was a mess and no amount of finger combing could tame it; there was no traces of makeup which she was grateful for at least that was one less worry. There was a very obvious bruise forming on her neck noticeable to anyone within a few feet of her.

With nothing else to do she moved away from the mirror hand on the knob turning it just as it turned from the outside. She stumbled forward as Harry pulled the door open eyes widening when he saw Lena.

"Oh." Silence lingered as they stared at each other.

Lena noticed a similar bruise to hers on Harry's collarbone between the two sparrows that took up residency there. He had slipped into his boxers again giving Lena far to much to ogle at. Her eyes lifted to meet his and he was watching her his eyes unwavering.

"I-um-need in here." Harry finally spoke his voice still hoarse from sleep.

Lena's face heated up. "Oh, right."

There was an awkward moment as they tried to go around each other only to step the same way. Finally after repeating that twice Harry waited for Lena to just move around him. When the door shut behind her Lena let out a sigh that felt like she had been holding it for far too long. Knowing that Harry would be coming out of his bathroom at any second she picked up her pants quickly pulling them up her legs. It was when she was just finishing the tie on her shoes that Harry reappeared looking more awake then he had.

They shared a look but neither spoke Harry waited for Lena to stand up and walk to the door first. He was right behind her so close that when she came to an abrupt stop he collided into her back. He looked over her head at what had made her stop and his jaw nearly hit the floor. Across the hall in the guest bedroom stood Mia looking like she had been caught stealing and Niall with only one arm in his shirt. It was clear both couples had hoped to keep their night time activities quiet but of course that just couldn't happen.

"Would you look at that."

Four sets of eyes landed on Louis who had been in the process of going to wake Harry up when he came across the obviously awkward situation. There was a moment of awkward silence before Louis started laughing hysterically. He backed down the stairs taking his laugh with him. "El, you won't believe what I just saw!"

"Well, how about breakfast?" Mia asked striding out of the room completely. "I'm famished. Got anything for a proper fry up, Styles?"

"I think so."

Lena moved aside so that Harry could move past her. Mia was half way down the stairs by that point quickly recovering from her embarrassment. Harry stopped on the top step turning to face Lena mouth opening but shutting just as quickly. Then with a shake of his head he turned back around to descend the stairs. That left Lena with Niall; he had finally gotten his shirt on fully thankfully.

"It's not what you think." He was quick to say his eyes pleading with her wanting her to believe he wasn't doing what she thought. "Sam and I-"

"I know." Lena stopped him hand raised. "It's fine."

He gave a quick nod. "Ok."

"Let's just go downstairs and try to act like this is completely normal."

As they took to the stairs Niall turned to her. "So you and Harry?"

"I don't want to talk about it."