Unchanged - A Zarry fanfic

Prologue

Five years earlier

Harry’s POV 

It was an August morning and I was lounged in front of the television flicking through the channels for anything good to watch. I had stopped on the music station when Liam joined me in the living room, already showered and dressed. He was a sharp contrast to me, half asleep and only in my boxers. 

Liam was my half brother. Our mother had been dating his father when she gotten pregnant with Liam at only 19. Unfortunately he had died in an accident when Liam was barely 6 months old. When Liam was 2 years old our mum had met, dated and married my father, and eventually became pregnant with my twin sister, Helen, and me. We were born about 5 months after Liam’s 3rd birthday. My dad wasn’t around much. He was always jetting off on business trips. Liam had sort of become the man in the house even though he’d just turned 17, taking care of the rest of us.

“Why’re you dressed so early?” I asked him. He chuckled at my drowsy voice.

“I’m meeting up with the lads.” He replied, ruffling my hair.

“The lads as in..?”

“As in Zayn and Lou.” I felt my throat tighten a little.

“Are they coming over after?” I asked, what I hoped was nonchalantly. Liam shrugged.

“Might do. Why?”

When our mum had married my dad she and Liam had moved in with him. Originally, Liam hadn’t settled into his school very well. In his first year he wouldn’t say a word and had therefore been held back a year. He’d been bullied and teased for never speaking. One day, Zayn had noticed Liam being teased about his dad dying and had stood up for him against the playground bullies. Since then they’d become best friends, spending almost everyday together. Louis they became friends with about 3 years ago, when they were starting year 9.

Zayn came over very often. He was laidback – the kind of guy that wasn’t really fazed by anything. He never judged. He was incredibly artistic – the opposite of Liam and me, the brainy brothers – constantly doodling on anything he could. Our mum was extremely fond of him, not least for what he did for Liam all those years ago. She wasn’t the only one. I always got a little nervous around Zayn. It wasn’t that I didn’t like him – in fact it was just the opposite. Seeing him just made worry a little more about how I was dressed or what my hair looked like. And whenever he said my name I felt a shiver run through my body. But I had to remind myself that I was his best mate’s 13-years-and-7-months-old baby brother – nothing else.

I shook my head in an attempt to seem unaffected.

“No reason. Just asking. You know how Helen gets.” I added that last bit in, rolling my eyes.

“Oh god, Haz, can you please keep her away from us if they do come over?”

I laughed.

“Don’t worry she’ll be out of your hair soon. We both will.”

Liam chuckled again before getting up and, grabbing his car keys, leaving the house. 

As soon as I heard the front door slam shut I jumped off my place on the couch and sprinted to the bathroom. I quickly stripped off and showered. Once I was done I dried off and grabbed Helen’s hair dryer. When my hair was dry I tentatively picked out a tub of lotion that belonged to either my mother or sister or maybe they shared it. I scooped out a handful and rubbed it all over my body. 

Tying my towel around my waist, I made my way to my bedroom. When I had pulled on fresh underwear I picked out a pair of khaki trousers and a shirt. Then I stepped out of my room and examined myself in the corridor’s full-length mirror. I shook my head at my reflection. Why did I even bother?