Carmen - H.S

Chapter 4

I'm very insecure about this chapter cause I feel like it's a bit awkward but I like the way Harry is in this book and I've already written up to like chapter 10 so I can't change the plot and sorry if this is disappointing but I'm disappointing so the story matches me and ok bye just read it and comment.

Something was different today. She glanced at Ron. She glanced at his desk. She glanced at the chair that was underneath her. All the same. So why did things feel so... different? Something was floating in the air; a change, new and apparently invisible. It was driving her mad.

"Are you even paying attention to me?" Ron growled, but he was squirming like a puppy in his shiny, new chair, and his words lost most of their effect.

"Yeah, yeah," she sighed, waving a dismissive hand in his general direction. He swore in frustration and shoved his face into his hands in an attempt to regain composure. It wasn't working.

"I have a lot of shows and recording sessions lined up for you next month," he finally continued. She groaned loudly, cutting off his next sentence.

"I don't want to work again," she whined. She sounded exactly like the child she was. "I need a break."

"I already gave you a break."

"Two days is not a fucking break!" she protested shrilly. Her cheeks were splashed with small dots of red, her eyes narrow, glinting stars in a flushed midnight sky. His heart pounded foolishly, and he nearly shrank back from her.

"Look, Carmen," he began slowly, going for the nicer approach. "I know that you're tired. It's been a long couple of months for everyone."

He paused for a moment to examine her expression. Thankfully, she seemed to have calmed a bit, and some of the anxiety began to leak from his brain. How could he have stooped to a point where this pint sized crumb of a girl was able to strike bolts of fear into his very soul with just one sentence? Or maybe he'd always been this pathetic.

"There's going to be a lot of hard work ahead of you," he said, trying to smile winningly. But a man like Ron wasn't capable of smiling like that. His face looked like a wolf's, pulling back its lips to expose glistening teeth or a cruel, discarded mask. Definitely not a smile.

"But that's okay. Soon, after all this craziness, you'll be able to relax and enjoy the rewards of all your efforts. And you'll be glad you worked so hard to get there." 

There. That sounded convincing enough. Although, it didn't really matter what he thought of his own little speech. He was waiting on her reaction. At first, her face was stony; ambivalent rock that shone with a cold beauty as if bathed in early sunlight. Then gradually, she began to soften and uncrossed her arms. She still didn't meet Ron's gaze.

"Whatever," she huffed, and coming from Carmen, that was as good as, if not better than, a sincere apology. So he beamed at her genuinely.

"Great. Now, your first show will be at-" The door swung open, stopping his words. It seemed like he was always being cut off. His life was one long interruption, he thought as the person strolled into the room. 

He was tall. That was the first thing she noticed about him, as she couldn't catch a clear glimpse of his face. She craned her neck to see him better and was met with a pair of green eyes. They were vibrant and intense, but they only met hers for a second before latching onto Ron. He seemed nervous and twiddled his long thumbs restlessly as he prepared himself to speak.

"You wanted to see me?" His voice was slow and deep and soft, sprinkled with bits of gravel. He was British. How odd. She'd never met someone like him in this office before.