Luck

By the time Lou returned back to her house, Harry was no longer with her. Lux and I had been playing in the garden when she swung open the back door, and Lux went running towards her, screaming “Mumma!”

“Hi, Luxy!” Lou picked her up and embraced her in a hug, complete with a quick kiss on the cheek, “Did you have fun with Savannah?”

Lux nodded as Lou placed her back on the ground. She held on to her mother’s hand, and gazed up at her.

“Go play,” Lou instructed, and Lux ran off to the garden. She turned to me, “Would you like to stay for a cup of tea?”

“Uh, sure,” I agreed. In many ways, Lou was a bit of a mother figure to me here in London, and I enjoyed spending time with her. She reminded me of Maria, but not in a way that made me homesick. Just in a way that was comforting, and made me feel less alone.

“I’ll be right back,” Lou told me, “Make sure Lux stays out of trouble.”

“I always do!” I called after her. As the door closed, I heard Lou chuckle softly at my remark.

There was a small child slide in Lou and Tom’s garden that Lux would spend hours entertaining herself with, and that’s where she headed. She would slide down, and then hurry around, climb back up, and slide down again. I watched as she laughed at herself sliding down feet first. It didn’t take Lou long to return with two cups of piping hot tea. She handed me one, and then sat down in the lawn chair next to me, and she watched her daughter play.

“She’s getting spoiled,” Lou sighed, “We flew in private jets from city to city in Australia. I can’t have her thinking that’s normal. I always struggled to leave her home with Tom, but I’m just not sure I can’t justify it now. Especially with you around to help… I just don’t want her to think that flying in a private jet is normal. Or even flying business. She’s a little spoiled rock star.”

I laughed, “I’ve never even flown business in my life. Can’t imagine doing it at her age.”

“Exactly my point!” Lou exclaimed, “At her age I had yet to even board a plane!”

“I just want her to have a normal childhood,” Lou admitted to me, “Like yours or mine.”

“I’m sorry,” I sputtered, “What about my childhood?”

“It was a normal one, wasn’t it?” Lou asked me. She took a sip of her tea and glanced at me, as if she was trying to anticipate my answer.

I froze for a second, “Yeah, I guess it was. I had a pretty normal childhood.”

“So did I,” Lou continued, “And I want the same for Lux. So I guess I’ll just have to part ways with her, at least for a while. She’ll be with Tom… And you’ll keep watching her, won’t you?”

I looked over and noticed a tear escaped Lou’s eyes. “Yeah, of course I will,” I promised, “Maybe you could split it half and half. She spends half her time with Tom here, and half her time with you on tour.” I stared at her, trying to judge her reaction.

“I’m so sorry,” Lou said with a smile, “I just get emotional. I’m still tired, you know? Jetlag’s a bitch.”

“Of course,” I said empathically, “I understand. I can’t imagine having to decide between your job and your daughter.”

“It’s not an easy decision,” Lou admitted, “But I already said I would tour with them next year, and then I’ll go from there. And you’re right. Lux can come visit.”

The rest of the conversation was far more lighthearted, as Lou told me stories from their time in Australia. In return, I told her about my bar adventure with Eva, and how my classes were going.

“I should probably head home,” I admitted as the sun began to set, “I still have things to do back at my flat.”

“I didn’t realize how late it is!” Lou said, as she found her phone for the time, “I didn’t mean to keep you! You should go. Lux, come say goodbye to Savvy!”

Right on cue, Lux waddled over. Lou picked her up and followed me inside, where I grabbed my stuff.

“Oh, Savannah? I know you have class on Wednesdays, but I have an event with the boys at a studio. Just a photoshoot sort of thing. Do you think you could swing by and pick up Lux after class?” Lou bit her lip as she stared at me.

“Of course!” I replied happily, “Just tell me when and where!”

“Great!” Lou shrilled, “I’ll text you the details! You’ve really been such a blessing. I’m really not sure what we did before you.”

I blushed at Lou’s remark and grinned, “Thanks.”

“We’ll see you on Wednesday, then!” Lou opened the door for me and I stepped out.

“See you then,” I smiled at her.

“Bye, Savvy!” Lux’s wave was the last thing I saw before Lou shut the door, and I began my walk to the bus station to begin my journey home.

[&&&]

The directions Lou gave me were vague, and I couldn’t help but wonder if she wanted me to get lost. But I followed them anyways, scanning my Oyster card as I disembarked (or alighted) at North Harrow. I tended to stay in Central London, and I grimaced as I noticed the higher fare I had to pay for the longer journey. My Oyster card was running low, and I made a mental note to top if off before class tomorrow.

As I exited the station, I was surprised to find that I was in more of a residential area. There were some business and office buildings, but apartments and houses littered the landscape. The place Lou had instructed me to go to wasn’t hard to find. It was an office building only a few minutes from the station, and rather discret. It didn’t strike me as the type of place One Direction would work in.

Unlike the last time Lou had me to come to her place of work, there was no security check at the front desk. I simply said I was here to see Lou Teasdale, and the lady working the front desk just waved me on.

I climbed the stairs to the office that the front desk lady had told me and shyly opened the door. I was greeted almost right away by a slew of photographers and others, mostly crowded around a computer, but nobody I recognized. A couple of heads shot up and looked at me as I entered the room.

“Here for Lou?” one of the photographers asked me.

I nodded, “Yeah.”

“Thought so,” he commented, “She’s right through the door on the left.”

I crossed the room, opened the door and was instantly greeted by several familiar faces: Lou in the corner working on Zayn’s hair, Lux playing in a corner with Harry, Niall and Liam sitting and laughing about something on a computer, but it was Louis who saw me first.

“Oh, hey, Savannah!” Louis cried out. I spun around and looked straight at him. His hair was messed up, but it seemed to be styled that way, and his clothes were different. They were still matching and stylish, but they were clearly picked out by somebody, “Just the type of person I was looking for!”

“The type of person you were looking for?” I asked, trying to hide my curiosity.

“Exactly, the type of person I was looking for,” Louis gave me a once over before stepping towards me, “The responsible type. Good with kids. Not likely to get into trouble.”

“Yes?” His adjectives were all correct, but I guessed that most people knew that about me.

“I have a question for you.”

“Yes?” I repeated.

“Have you read the Harry Potter books?”

“Of course I have!” I nearly laughed. They were my favorite books growing up, and all seven had been sent over by Maria for me. I still liked to re-read them at times, as a guilty pleasure sort of thing.

“Wonderful!” Louis cried, “Well, listen. There’s this Harry Potter museum thing, I don’t even know what it is, but I may have told my nine-year-old twin sisters that they could go if they finished reading the books. Well, proving once and for all to be a better student than I ever was, they finished all however many of them. But I don’t actually want to take them, you see? So I was thinking you could do it.”

He finished his monologue with a cheeky, almost creepy grin. Yet he looked hopeful, and I wasn’t quite sure what to say.

“I’ll pay you, of course,” Louis added quickly, “And I’ll pay for your ticket in.”

“I mean, I’m awfully busy…”

“I can pay for Lux’s ticket in, too!” Louis continued, “You could just take the three of them! Lux would probably sleep through the whole thing. Please, Savannah, I pay well.”

“I don’t know, Louis,” I said uneasily, “I mean, they’re your sisters. I’ve never met them. I don’t know if they want to go to the Harry Potter thing with some stranger.”

“Well you can meet them beforehand if that would make it better,” Louis offered, “But believe me, they won’t care. They’ll just be excited to get to go!”

“I'm not sure, Louis." I had never been good with situations like this, with no clear right or wrong. I glanced around the room but nobody else seemed to be paying attention.

“Please, Savannah,” Louis begged, “I’ll pay you a hundred quid.”

My ears perked up at the promise of one hundred pounds. Lou paid me well, but money could still be tight. “Alright,” I agreed, “I’ll do it.”

“Wonderful!” Louis cried. He reached into his pocket and produced his phone, “Here. Put your number in and I’ll give you a ring so we can figure out a time and date.”

I took the phone from him, and typed in my number. As I did that, Lux wandered up to me.

“Hi, Savvy,” she said. One of her many stuffed animals hung from her arms.

Louis took his phone back quickly and I bent down to her level, “Hi, Luxy.”

“Have Josie,” Lux waved her beloved elephant at me.

“I can see that,” I told her, “Are you ready to go?”

Lux shook her head, “Stay here.”

“I don’t think so,” I warned her, “I think we should go back to your house and play.”

“Play here.” Lux insisted.

“Alright, Zayn, Liam, Niall - we’re ready for you!” One of the photographer’s voices boomed throughout the room, and right on cue Liam, Zayn, Niall got up and headed into the front room with Lou and Louis on their heels. Lux and I both watched as they left, Lux attempting to trot after her mother. I grabbed her hand, forcing her to stay with me.

“Hey, Savannah.” Harry’s voice surprised me. I had half expected to leave with the other boys, but there he was, walking closer towards me and Lux.

I looked up at him, “Yeah?”

“I, uh, just wanted to apologize for acting so weird the other day.” Harry kicked at the ground, “I just got some strange news and, I sort of took it out on you. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done that.”

“Oh, it’s fine!” I shrugged. Lux tugged on my hand and I let go, figuring she couldn’t open the door to the other room.

“So we’re good?” Harry asked.

“Yeah,” I grinned at him, “We’re fine.”

"Good," Harry seemed to relax a bit beside me, “How have you been, Savannah?”

“Me?” I asked, “I’ve been good. How was Australia?”

“It was wonderful,” Harry told me, “Always is.”

He leaned back against the wall, and closed his eyes for a second. A look of bliss crossed his face, and it almost seemed as if this was the happiest he had ever been. His skin was still sun kissed from Australia, and he looked like some beach god, sent to drive the girls crazy.

“Did you go surfing?” I asked, in a lame attempt to keep the conversation going.

“No, I didn’t,” he opened his eyes and looked squarely at me, “I’m not the greatest surfer. Liam and Louis did, though.”

“Oh,” I murmured, “That’s fun, I guess.”

“You don’t need to go surfing to have fun in Australia,” Harry raised his eyebrow at me, slightly suggestively.

“I won’t ask you to go into detail with that one.”

“Hey, we are a squeaky-clean boyband,” Harry huffed, “Nothing illegal happened. At least not that there are pictures of.”

“Once again, I won’t ask you to explain,” I shrugged coolly.

“Oh!” Harry cried excitedly, “And Liam got his boxer’s stolen!”

“He what?!” I nearly yelped in surprise, both of what Harry said and his level change, “I’m sorry, what?”

“Liam got his boxers stolen!” Harry repeated, “Some girls broke into his room and stole his boxers!”

“Oh, my goodness!” I exclaimed, “That’s… certainly something.”

Harry laughed at my shock, “These girls can be crazy.”

“Ready,” Lux announced suddenly. I had almost forgotten about her during my conversation with Harry, much to my horror. She had gotten her hands on some of Lou’s lipstick, and managed to smear it all over her face.

“Oh, Lux!” I sighed, “Let’s get this off of you.”

I picked her up and walked her over to Lou’s table, where her makeup kits were still out. It didn’t take me long to find a paper towel, but it did take me a while to convince Lux to wipe off her lipstick.

“Let’s go before you can get into anymore trouble,” I told her when I finally managed to scrub all of the makeup off.

“Well, do you want a ride?” Harry asked. He had been standing there watching the whole ordeal, but had been completely silent.

“A ride?” I echoed.

“Yeah, a ride. Like, in my car.” Harry seemed to register the slight confusion I was having, “I mean, you just said you’re taking Lux back to Lou’s house. You don’t drive, do you? You don’t want to have to drag her on public transportation.”

“It’s fine, really,” I mumbled. But he had me there, I was not looking forward to taking her on the tube without a stroller, “You have to finish this shoot.”

“I’m already done with my part of the shoot,” Harry informed me, “Are you ready to take off?”

“Uh, yeah,” I said, “Let me just gather Lux’s things.”

We had to cross the other room that Lou was in to leave, but Lux seemed to want to stay with her. After a small tantrum over leaving Lou, I managed to convince her to come with me. It helped when I promised that Harry would be leaving with us, too.

Lux’s carseat had remained in it’s place in Harry’s car, much to my surprise. He took her from me, and buckled her in himself. I climbed into his car, which hadn’t changed at all since the time had been in Australia. It was weird to me that it had been over a month since I had been in it; it felt like yesterday.

"Hey!" Harry said after we had been driving for a little while, "I still owe you that ice cream date!"

“What?” I asked, total confusion taking over. My mind reeled for what he could be talking about.

“Don’t you remember?” Harry nearly sounded hurt. I looked at him, trying to figure out what he could be talking about.

“Oh!” It suddenly hit me, “I guess you do.” I blushed at his reference to the ice cream “date,” but chose not to mention it to him.

“You want ice cream Lux?” Harry glanced back at her in the rearview mirror.

“Ice cream?” she asked.

“Ice cream,” I confirmed, “Do you want some?”

“Yes, yes, yes, yes!” Lux sang.

“I guess that settles it, then,” Harry announced, “We’re off to get ice cream.”

The place Harry knew of was in Kentish Town, in a small but bright shop. Harry parked down the street a little ways, and I unbuckled Lux and held her hand as we made the short walk to Fairy’s Cones.

“Want chocolate!” Lux decided as Harry opened the door for the pair of us.

“Do you?” I laughed, “You haven’t even seen the flavors yet!”

“Want chocolate!” Lux repeated.

“Well, you can have chocolate then,” I shrugged.

“I’m getting banana,” Harry announced, “They have the best banana ice cream in the world. And I’ve been all around the world, so I know.”

“Well, I’m not sure what I’m getting. I have to look at the flavors.”

I scanned the cases of ice cream. I noticed a general trend towards fruitier flavors in the UK, but they still had the basic chocolate, cookie dough, mint chocolate chip and other similar ones. I elected for a chocolate chip cone, while Harry stuck true to his word and got banana, and Lux continued to insist on chocolate.

Harry picked a table towards the back of the restaurant, away from the windows. He sat Lux down next to him, and I took the seat directly across from him.

“Good, isn’t it?” he asked me as I licked my cone.

“It is,” I agreed, “But it’s not the best I’ve ever had or anything.”

“What?!” Harry seemed horrified, “Where in the world have you had better ice cream?”

“On the Cape,” I shrugged, “Ice cream is a bit different there. Richer or something. I’m not sure.”

“And you think it’s better?” A drip of ice cream escaped Harry’s ice cream cone. I was afraid to even look at Lux, I was sure that she was wearing her ice cream.

“It’s just what I grew up with,” I explained, “And your ice cream is dripping.”

Harry crinkled his nose at me before licking the drops of ice cream away. I looked over at Lux, and my fears were confirmed. Maybe twenty percent of the ice cream had made it to her mouth, and the rest was dribbling down her chin and shirt.

“Lux,” I sighed, “You’re supposed to eat the ice cream, not wear it.”

She just stared at me, “Yummy. You want?” Lux shoved her ice cream cone at me, and I took it, just happy to have a reason to wrap a napkin around it.

“I can’t believe you got her a cone,” I told Harry, “She’s making such a mess.”

“What’s life without a mess?” Harry shrugged at me, “Besides, I asked her if she wanted a cone or a bowl, and she wanted a cone.”

I rolled my eyes at him before trying to clean up Lux a bit. I tossed both of our ice cream in the rubbish bin, not wanting to let Lux make more of a mess and not liking mine enough to waste the calories on it. Even after a solid few minutes of attempting to clean up Lux, she was still messy and sticky. I felt bad taking a messy child in Harry’s car, but it was his own fault.

“So you’re taking Louis’ sisters to the Harry Potter thing?” Harry asked after we had gotten settled back into his car.

“I guess so,” I shrugged.

“I haven’t been,” Harry thought aloud, “I read all the books and I’ve seen all the movies. Supposed to be quite the treat. Maybe I’ll join you. When are you going again?”

“We haven’t set a date yet,” I told him, “And won’t you guys get recognized? It’s a pretty touristy thing.”

“You’d be surprised at the number of places we can go without being recognized. Louis and Zayn especially. Louis could take them if he really wanted to,” Harry confessed, “He just didn’t want to.”

“Oh,” I considered this, “Are you sure?”

“I’m positive,” Harry replied cheerily.

“Well, in that case I guess he’s just wasting a hundred quid and whatever he’s spending on tickets then, isn’t he?”

Harry took a second to look at me before laughing, “I guess so!”

The rest of the ride passed in relative silence. Lux babbled on, but it was neither important nor understandable. As we entered Lou’s neighborhood, Harry began to drum his fingers on the steering wheel. He didn’t speak until he pulled on to Lou’s driveway, though.

“Halloween’s tomorrow,” Harry commented, “Are you doing anything?”

“Studying for the test I have next day!” I laughed. Harry shot me a glare, “No, seriously. I don’t do Halloween.”

“You don’t do Halloween?” Harry scoffed.

“I don’t do Halloween,” I repeated.

“Well, I think that’s weird,” Harry told me, though not unkindly.

“Well, I don’t really care what you think,” I tried to keep my tone from being mocking, but I didn’t quite manage it.

A look of hurt crossed Harry’s face, “I was going to invite you to a Halloween party, but I guess I won’t if you don’t do Halloween.”

“That’s fine,” I shrugged, “I really do need to pass this test. Besides, I told Lou I would babysit in Saturday.”

“It’s not like all of our parties are some rager, you know,” Harry told me, “It wouldn’t affect your ability to work the next day.”

“Oh, I’m sure it wouldn’t.” The words once again came out far crueler than I intended them to, and I decided to excuse myself before I said anything else.

I got out of the car and went to unbuckle Lux from her car seat. She was still sticky, but was by now half asleep, the sugar high from the ice cream having worn off. I closed the door, and the car immediately began to slide backwards.

Harry drove away without saying goodbye, and I couldn’t help but wonder if I could have handled the situation better.