Through the dark [H.S]

7

"Louis, wake up... we are here" Emily gently said shaking his shoulders. She wondered why all One Direction members were sleep addicted. She had been up the whole night thinking and overthinking about Harry, about her life, about nothing. Tired and sleepless, she was now clutching the blanket around her cold body.

"C'mon Louis...we have to find Harry" she insisted. That word seemed to work subconsciously on the lad, who instantly opened his eyes.

"Yes...I'm ready, let's go!" he jumped to his feet, his hair a complete mess.

"Okay...let's go" she smiled him back.

"So this is the place where the two of you had sex for the first time?" Louis asked. They were slowly walking on the deserted beach, eating the sandwiches Emily had prepared for them. The rising day was bright and clear, especially where the grey sea touched the light blue sky.

"Haha no! What's on men's mind all the time?"

"Oh, you did it on the couch I slept on! How disgusting! Really" Louis said laughing and pulling his tongue out. Emily gave him a small bump.

"Actually we didn't do it till much later. Much much later" Emily whispered. They were entering the small town from the same path she had done years before and this gave her a strange feeling.

"Really?"

"Yeah" she said, keeping on walking.

"That friend of mine is really a dork. How could he resist such a nice girl?". Emily stared at him: was it a real compliment? She couldn't exclude that there was a hint of sarcasm in the lad's words.

"Louis...what...what if I'm wrong and he's not here?"

Louis stared at her back and then gave her one of his enchanting smile, while the first rays of sun illuminated of a bright, ripe orange his shoulders.

"If you feel like he is here, then he must be here. I believe in you Emily, I believe in your love".

"Thanks Louis" she said, swiftly sweeping away few tears that burnt like fire from her sleepless eyes.

"But I tell you, you really look like crap this morning, so maybe it's better you are wrong". That was so typical of him. Emily couldn't hold a laugh which vanished in the streets of the still asleep city.

"This place is pretty cool" Louis commented. With a skip of her heart, Emily noticed it hadn't changed that much. There were still the same white houses and the marine atmosphere was untouched. It only looked like the city had developed in a more tourist place, as there were more shops and pubs than she remembered, Emily thought, giving a gasp when she recognized the place where she had her first meal out with Harry. It was a small fish and chips, that made delicious food...or maybe was it Harry's company that made it so good? She tried not to show Louis her feelings. He was reacting quite well, but she was worried of what was going inside him. They were still loving the same man, after all and it would have been rude to show him the places where Harry had his path separated from his forever — to stay with her. Louis was walking through the streets that had brought the love of his life away from him, when he was at home hoping they would start their "happy even after" once he had gotten back. Pointing the pub and describing all the things Harry had told her, the way they had looked at each other would have been like adding salt on fresh wounds. An nobody deserved that, even if Louis had never made her life easy.

"Good morning, lady". Emily turned to the sound of an almost otherworldly voice. There was an old man, walking alone like a ghost in the deserted streets. He was wearing a suit that came directly from the previous century and was carrying himself quite unsteadily on a old-fashioned walking stick.

"Maybe you don't remember about me...". Emily dug back in her memory till that face became familiar all at once! The hat seller, she remembered while her heart started beating fast. That man was the seller from where Harry had bought his first fedora with her! How could he even remember her? He was so old she didn't expect to find him alive...

"Yes, I do remember you!" she said smiling broadly and shaking his hands. Louis was gobsmacked.

"Where is your husband?" the old man asked.

"Well...he...how do you know that that man became my husband?" Emily asked him back, making the old man giggle a bit.

"Oh girl...while you were looking at the shop, he kept glancing at you. "Isn't she beautiful?" he asked me "leaning towards my deaf ear. The look he had in the eyes when he said those words could lead only to one thing...an old man knows these kind of things" he answered winking. Emily was overwhelmed with emotions: that drawback to the first, wonderful days of their relationship was too much for her.

"I must go now...it's time to open my hat shop" the man added and step after step he vanished behind the corner.

"What was it?" Louis inquired. He had turned gloomy again, but the only thing Emily felt was her heart aching in her chest.

They had been walking for hours now. The sun was high and hot, invading the sea city with all his strength. They been walking far and wide, but no traces of Harry.

"Why don't we stop to drink something before we try with the castle?"

"Oh, great there's even a castle! This city is bigger than it seems" Louis grunted. The tiring stroll had only worsened his mood. They sat at a cute, colourful pub at the corner of the main square and ordered some lemonade to refresh themselves. They knew they needed a better plan, but they did not know where to start from. Absentminded, Emily stared at the square: tourists and local people going to work or shopping were filling it, sweating under the insolent sun. All at once she noticed a particular group of people, a group that she knew pretty well: girls! There was a dozen of them chatting animatedly in the middle of the square as if they were organizing something.

"I know how to find Harry!" Emily exclaimed. Louis almost spit his lemonade.

"What?"

"Let's follow the fans!" she shouted out with the brightest smile ever.

*************

Hi! How are you? Tonight I dreamt of Louis 0.o it was pretty weird, we were chatting like old friends and I can't really remember...still...XD

I'm such a lazy mood today *rain rain rain* I don't know how I'll make it till the end of the day; maybe I should go back to bed! but if you are reading this, please drop a line! every comment is welcome!

ps: please notice that I avoided to make Harry say "Isn't she lovely..." even if I was so tempted...!