Masterpiece [h.s]

twenty one

Aurora nervously fidgets with her fingers, her dark eyes glancing over at Harry every now and again.

He's so relaxed with his beer and his pizza, his feet up on her coffee table. And she knows that the moment that she tells him her secret he'll be livid. She doesn't want to upset him, but she's also tired of keeping things from him.

Harry's pretty much her only friend and she doesn't want to lose him when he finds out through someone else.

"I'm seeing your brother."

The words are out in the open far quicker than she wanted them to be. Aurora bites the inside of her cheek and drops her head so that she's looking at the floor and not the disappointment and anger in his eyes.

Harry's fingers tighten around the bottle and his knuckles are so white. Aurora's afraid that it'll break at any moment.

His voice is calm, but laced with a dark undertone as he responds, "You're what?"

Aurora keeps her head down and twists her fingers in her lap. She doesn't say anything.

His eyes sear through her skin and she can't breathe because she's waiting for him to scream and to start throwing things.

"Aurora...answer me."

Her hands are shaking and she still won't look at him. "I'm seeing your brother, Harry."

Harry sighs deeply and sets his beer bottle on the table. His hands run through his hair and his eyes are shut tight.

"Why? Just tell me why, Aurora?"

Again, Aurora keeps her mouth shut and takes a few deep breaths to calm herself.

Harry waits patiently and he does the same because he knows how frightening he can be when he's angry.

"I...it wasn't my intention at first. But he kept coming around and he told me why he did all of those things to you...why he tried so hard to ruin your life...And I don't know, Harry. It just kind of happened. I didn't want to keep it from you anymore because I knew how mad it would make you."

Harry remains silent for the longest time.

"What was his reason?"

Aurora finally looks at him, her eyes sad. "Harry..."

"Aurora."

She sighs and runs a hand through her dark hair, a habit that she picked up from him years ago. "Back in grade school you stole the girl he wanted and it became a pattern. You took his happiness so he wanted to take yours. Just so happens, I was actually one of the girls that you stole once upon a time and...well...he's really nice to me, Harry."

"He's been the world's worst brother and the world's biggest asshole, all because a girl that we both liked chose me over him?"

Aurora nods and Harry laughs dryly. The idea is ridiculous and he has a hard time believing that was the reason behind Sam hating him. Hell, that would make him a big baby if it was true.

"I don't believe that one bit."

Aurora nods and continues to look at him like he's the messed up one. "Well, it's the truth. He said he isn't sorry though, that, I'm sure you believe."

Harry looks at her, really looks at her. "Are you with him because he looks like me?"

She doesn't answer immediately and that's all that he needs to know.

Harry sighs and picks up his beer, taking a long swig before he gathers the words he wants to say to her so that he doesn't sound like a complete asshole. "Don't hurt him even more to satisfy your own heart, Aurora. It'll only make him worse than he was before. He's still my brother, even if he hates me."