One By One (One Direction Fanfic)

Dinner

*Harry's POV*

I could practically feel the awkward rising in the room. Maybe I was imagining it though. I tend to do things like that when I need to go on a run but need to think of an excuse to leave. I need a reason to justify leaving in my head because the people around me certainly didn't need one. I just left and started to run. The feeling of branches snapping beneath my hooves or grass flattening or dirt moulding to my hoof print made me feel free. The wind was messing with my hair and I was running so fast everything around me was a blur. I barely even noticed Niall zooming along beside me. He could fly pretty fast no wonder humans never caught them even when they tried to. I just ran and ran and ran.

*Liam's POV*

There was a knock on the door and I jumped to my feet. I guess it’s an automatic reaction, hunter problems.

"Calm down Liam."Faylinn said opening the door and backing up.

"I need food Faylinn."A girl said. Her head was adorned with a tangle of green snakes and she wore shades over her eyes. Green scales ran up and down her arms. She had some sort of sack dress on tied with a golden rope around her waist.

"Well what do you have here?"She said looking around the room at Zayn, Louis and me."They're cute."Her snakes hissed their agreement and she laughed."Just give me some vegetables and I'll be on my way back to Mamá and Patéras."I knew enough about what she was to know she was talking about her parents.

"Yes, of course Livana, right away."Faylinn said scurrying about and flying all over the place gathering stuff for Livana. She sprayed fairy dust everywhere causing me to sneeze.

"What are you three cuties doing here?"Livana asked leaning against the wall. We stayed quiet and she hissed at us. Faylinn shoved a basket into her arms shooing her out the door.

"What was that?"Louis asked and Faylinn shook her head.

"That would be Livana and she's a gorgon."Faylinn said."To keep her family alive she gets food from me and in return she doesn't attack me."In case you're wondering what a gorgon is, they're those medusa things from Greek mythology that turn people to stone. Nasty things they are and they're ruthless. They really couldn't care less about other mythical creatures or humans. They do what they want when they want to and leave the council or hunters to clean up their mess.

"She's scary."Louis said."I really hope she doesn't come back."

"She won't."Faylinn said."She's got enough."

*Eleanor's POV*

I walked home. I needed to get my legs back anyway since I was always a little wobbly after spending so long in merform. People recognized me but didn't approach me. They just stared and whispered while looking at me. I heard some of the things they were saying like.

"Do you think it's true?"

"Oh the poor girl dating a freak for so long and not even knowing it."I clenched my fists and kept walking. If they only knew I was one of those so called 'freaks'. I would've given anything to just take one swing at her, but I knew I couldn't. When I walked into my apartment it was dark. I had to flip on the lights to see and I found a letter sitting on my coffee table. It was old paper with a red wax seal. The writing on the front of it spelling out my name was an old beautiful style of curled writing that only came from one place. I knew who it was from and I didn't want to open it. It was from the council, specifically my Aunt. She'd never approved of anything I did, ever. I went to human school when she thought I should go to merschool. I didn't become a council member like she wanted me too. I reluctantly broke the seal on the letter and opened it. It read as follows:

Dear Ellie,

It's been so long love. I haven't seen you since you lost your first guppy scale. I hear you've gotten yourself a merman and from what's in his record he seems like an OK one. That revealing to humans charge does bring up some worry for me Eleanor, please be careful. It seems that he is involved in a scandal involving an entire group being outed. I'll give you some advice Ellie do whatever it takes to protect him. I'm sending another package dearie and it'll have something very special in it that will help stall the media. I know you can do this love.

Aunt Tracy.

Another package? I was confused by her actions. She'd never done this before. The only thing in that letter that told me it was indeed my Aunt Tracy was the part where she looked through my boyfriend's file at the council house. Suddenly a cloud of dark blue sparkle filled powder puffed up into my face. I coughed and waved it away, it was worse than fairy dust. The small brown paper wrapped package was tied with twine and it said 'you're welcome' in the same swirled hand writing. I untied the knot in the twine and slid the paper off. My eyes widened when I saw what was inside. I had to call Danielle about this. I looked at the clock, 11:38, it was too late. Oh well, she could deal with being woken up, this was important.

*Louis' POV*

"Here Louis, I'll help you onto the chair so you can eat with us."Faylinn said. For not having many visitors she sure did have a big table.

"No, it's OK. I'll eat on the floor. I'll just slide off the chair anyway."I said pushing her hands away from my arm. She pulled the chair out and Liam grabbed me under the arms hoisting me into it.

"Liam put me down."I said gripping the arms of the chair in fear. Liam held me in place so I wouldn't slip while Faylinn wrapped a scarf around my stomach tying it around the chair. She then did the same thing with another scarf wrapped around what would be my thighs and tying it under the chair.

"Now you won't slide out."She said patting my shoulder. I was baffled at this. Most people were content to just let me sit in the corner and eat by myself but not Faylinn. Oh no, she was determined to include me in everything she could. It was a pleasant change. Harry came through the door his hair sticking up in every which way."Oh food's ready."He said smiling. Niall shot through the door, zoomed past him and landed in his chair with a huge grin on his face.

"Look what Faylinn thought up for you Harry."Liam said as she took away the chair Harry wouldn't be able to sit in. She placed a stool on the table flying up to place his plate on it. She beamed at him like a proud schoolgirl as he walked up to his revised place setting. It was the perfect height for him.

"How did you know?"He asked a confused look on his face. He was definitely baffled also since he was probably used to people being perfectly content with him eating off their highest book shelf.

"Liam told me how tall you were."She said."I just measured up from there. I didn't want anyone to be excluded."Niall was looking at her with this look on his face, pure adoration. I smiled to myself. Niall's got it bad.

"Dig in people."She said sitting down beside Niall. He smiled at her then began to stuff his face. The food was good and Faylinn was a remarkable hostess for being where she's been. I was grateful for what she'd done. For the first time this entire experience I felt normal, truly, perfectly normal.