Sink or Swim

16

Harry's POV

April 12th, 1912 - 11:48am

I left my room with a huge smile on my face. Fred had left early in the morning to meet with Millicent and I had just left to go meet up with my fair lady.

I smiled as I walked through the hallways, remembering the lustful details of last night as they flooded through my mind. The way she responded to my kisses, my touches, everything just made me fall for her even more.

It's what made me realize that I had slowly but surely begun to fall in love with her.

The same girl that I used to feel sorry for for not living properly, the girl who used to despise being associated with people less privileged than her had somehow made her way into my heart. And I was more than willing to hold her there.

I whistled to myself as I made my way to her deck, hands shoved into the pockets of my breeches, with the wind blowing my hair to and fro.

I found her standing alone, looking out to the ocean. I smiled as I creeped my way up beside her. I leaned over to plant my lips to her cheek, laughing slightly when she jumped to look at me.

"Oh," she breathed, "Hello."

I chuckled, placing my hand on her back, "hello."

She smiled and bit her lip, "my mother and father are nearby. I don't think it's wise if-"

She stopped herself and looked back out to the sea. I tilted my head and leaned forward, a small smile on my face.

"After what happened last night," I whispered, "are you still going to hide me princess?"

She sighed and fiddled with her hands, looking over at me unsure, "I just, don't think this will be as easy as I thought it would be. Look, Harry, I love spending time with you, I do."

"But?"

I didn't like where this was going.

"I just don't want to risk anything happening by-"

"What do you mean? What risks?"

She bit her lip and looked at me, wringing her hands together as she glanced around for her parents, "they're not fond of me associating myself with...lower class people. I don't want to separate from you but-"

"Then don't," I urged, feeling quite the urge to kiss her in front of her parents right now just to show them what we had.

"It's harder than that," she sighed, "they've given me so much. I don't want to let  them down or anything and it's just difficult for me to decide what to do."

I licked my lips and stepped forward, gently holding her hands in mine as I brushed my fingers along her skin, "what do you want to do?"

She looked up at me. 

"I mean," I sighed, "do you want to stop seeing me? If you think that's best then tell me and I'll leave you alone for the duration of the voyage."

"No," she immediately replied, causing my heart to flutter, "no of course not."

"Then be with me," I whispered, stepping closer to her, "we don't have to tell your parents. We don't have to tell anyone."

She bit her lip as I reached up and tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. She finally looked up at me and nodded, "okay. Okay."

I smiled and leaned down to kiss her, smiling against her mouth when she wrapped her arms around my neck. I heard people murmuring as we walked by, one woman even cooing at our affectionate behavior but I was too wrapped up in Jane to even care.