GANG // H.S

Chapter 24

After a while of riding in silence, we finally arrive back at camp, and as we are riding in past the tents, I spot a familiar little face amongst the crowd.

"Melody! It's Melody!" Carolina's sweet little voice squeals as she jumps from her position on Niall's lap to start running after our horse as it quickly trots along.

Harry pulls the horse to a stop once we are outside his tent and jumps off before holding his hands out as an unspoken offer to help me down.

Once I am down, I turn to see that Carolina has caught up to us, and without warning throws herself at my legs, crashing into me as she wraps her arms around me.
I stumble back and wince at the pain shooting from my ankle before Harry catches me, steadying my body.

"Easy girl! No hello or hug for me?" Harry questions jokingly, crossing his arms across his chest and poking his bottom lip out.

Carolina laughs and releases my legs, running past me to jump into Harry's arms.

"My god you're getting big!" Harry grumbles as he squeezes her, swaying her from side to side. My heart warms at the sight in front of me, and I find myself smiling at the both of them in their embrace. Harry's eyes land on mine and I quickly divert them, my smile almost instantly dropping out of embarrassment.

"What's Melody doing here? Is she your girlfriend?" Carolina innocently asks Harry once they pull away from their embrace, causing me to choke on air.

Harry's eyes land on mine again and he raises an eyebrow before chuckling, "No, Carol, Melody here just dropped by to visit", he lies all while holding my gaze the whole time, "She's going to be staying with us for a while until everything goes back to normal".

Carolina nods her head slowly like she is registering the information he just told her. Suddenly, she turns to face me and grips the bottom of her dress, holding it out to me. I notice it to be one of my old dresses that I brought her that day I was taken; oh how that seems like a lifetime ago now.

"Oh my goodness it looks beautiful on you! I knew it would" I gush and she smiles shyly, doing a little spin to show off the beautiful print on the skirt.

"That's one of your old dresses?" Harry asks, his tone sounding irritated all of a sudden.

"Yes" both Carolina and I answer at the same time, and we both look to each other and giggle.

"You shouldn't be wearing that" Harry narrows his eyes towards Carolina, and I frown, confused with where he's planning to go with this. "You have your own clothes".

"But Melody doesn't wear them anymore! She said I could have them. They're pretty" Carolina defends herself.

"Do you think Father would be impressed if he saw you wearing such a thing?" Harry seethes without warning, causing Carolina to stomp her foot into the ground angrily.

"Daddy's gone!" Carolina suddenly yells, "And I can wear what I want! You are not the boss of me! You're just a mean, mean brother". She looks at me with angry tears in her eyes before she turns and runs back the way she came, not looking back.

"Was that really necessary? She's a child, not to mention she's your sister" I ask him in disbelief. How did things go so pear shaped in such a short space of time? How could Harry change the mood so suddenly with his foul attitude? He barely sees his family, and when he does this is how he treats them?