Poppy/H.S

Chapter 27

Instead of Harry's gentle hands, it's the cool December air that caresses my cheeks now, leaving them as red as freshly picked apples. This time, it's not my Manolo Blahniks that click so irresistibly against the concrete, it's a pair of my winter high-heeled boots that leaves snow-less traces of the soles of my shoes on the busy streets of London. The streets of London are now busier than ever, people rushing madly into the stores to buy some presents for their family and friends.

Ever since I left the courtroom today, I've been feeling extremely confident. There's nothing in the world that boosts my ego just as much as winning a case. Remembering what winning this case meant to the two people who have become incredibly close to me in the past few months, a smile gets painted on my lips. Harry and Poppy are safe. The judge found the person who was accused of breaking into Harry's residence guilty, making them pay a whooping fee. What is more, the restrictive order is valid starting today. The man admitted to stalking Harry for several months, for way longer than Harry and I have known each other, which made the insides of my stomach turn. I was insanely glad that Harry didn't have to be present in court today, the judge pronouncing me his official legal representative.

The man accused of breaking into Harry's house was represented by a city-provided lawyer, not having enough money to pick an attorney of his own choice. Even if the man had been represented by the best lawyer in England, the judge would have found him guilty anyways. Harry and I held a piece of primary evidence against him; the footage from Harry's CCTV cameras that were recording the crime until the arrival of the police.

While preparing for the trial for the past month and a half, I've been communicating with Jeff, Harry's manager, a lot. Harry wanted Jeff to see me and Harry's friendship in a strictly professional way, not wanting to bring any kind of trouble and unwanted attention my way. Harry and I were also more careful about not being seen in public together before the trail, as it could appear weird to the public that Harry's meeting his lawyer awfully too much. The story of Harry's house getting broken into was tattooed onto the cover of gossip magazines for weeks, every possible media focusing on Harry and getting his official statement on the matter. The paparazzi have been spread around Hampstead like the plague, covering every street of it, since they weren't sure which house is Harry's. This situation would have been very unfortunate for Harry and Poppy if they weren't staying at Anne's place.

It was very difficult for me to prepare for this trail, especially when the sentence was to be given to the public on a silver plater. The pressure I'd been feeling was almost unbearable. I used to think there was nothing worse than representing your family or friends in court, feeling way too attached to the case and not being able to stomach the lost case if it meant they would get disappointed in you, losing all the trust and faith they'd had in you. When it came to Harry, I was also feeling some additional pressure from his fans, who were being extra protective of him, having found out about the break in.

Studying for the trail kept me busy for over a month, so I had no time to focus on some other cases, like the favour I'm doing for Anne's friend Louise and her husband who's been in an accident. Having talked to Louise a few weeks ago, I passed her case along to one of my good friends, Gordon, who works as an injury attorney. Gordon agreed to take over the case, representing Louise and her husband in court for a very friendly price. I felt bad asking Louise for money, especially when it's a family friend of Harry's mother, so I had a talk with Gordon, if it would be possible for him to work on the case for such little money. He wasn't eager on taking the case, to be honest, but we've come to a compromise.

He said that if I went to get coffee with him, he'd have no problem handling the case for me. Finding an empty space in my busy schedule which consisted of overworking myself, was rather difficult but we've managed to squeeze the coffee in. For today. I'm meeting Gordon for coffee today.