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Chapter 7

I had to focus long and hard on the ceiling fan above me before I could finally calm down. I couldn’t even collect my thoughts and my stomach hurt so badly. Please don’t get me started on my head. It was pounding.

“Thank you, Harry. I really needed this.” Louis said. I could feel his gaze on the right side of my face. I willed myself to turn having used literally all my energy laughing at the fact that I had just sprayed him and our meal with a shower of mushrooms.

I smiled softly at him. I hadn’t felt this happy in such a long time. The buzz was coursing through me as I reciprocated the thanks and stood up, trying to regain some strength.

“Come here and give me a hug before I go to sleep.” I said after stabilizing myself. He stood there tentatively, and for a moment the back of my mind was screaming all the cowardly thoughts that I had managed to vanquish this night.

That’s too much.

He doesn’t want to hug you.

He didn’t enjoy this at all.

You aren’t strong enough for that.

“You’ve slept for nearly the whole day, Harry!” He said jokingly. The fears in my mind kept coming strong and fast.

He’s making an excuse.

Leave now.

“Just get over here and hug me!” I said in a mock frustrated tone in an effort to dismiss the thoughts in my head and to maintain the joking atmosphere.

The hug was different. It felt sickly familiar and it churned something low in my stomach. Not in the usual way contact does from him. It was nice. It reminded me of home and comfort. I felt like he had so much to say in his mind, but managed to translate it all through body language, and I understood every bit of it.

I hugged him back even more for all it was worth.

I felt his head move back slightly until his lips were parallel to my cheek. His hot breath was radiating over the expanse of skin and it took every ounce of me not to tense up. His lips pressed softly and briefly onto my cheek.

Pleasedontblushpleasedontblushpleasedontblush I chanted over and over in my head, but the smirk on Louis’ face said that my mantra wasn’t working.

 “Good night, Haz. I’ll see you in the morning.”

“Right, uh night to you too, Lou Lou.” I managed to stammer out.

To make matters worse, I walked straight into the dining room only to realize it wasn’t my bedroom, then having to awkwardly turn around and go into my room. I could feel Louis beaming from behind the door. That smirking bastard. God, I loved that kid.

I had a feeling it wouldn’t take me long to fall asleep. I could feel my eyelids already drooping as I brushed my teeth. By the time I got to my bed, I nearly collapsed into the comfort.

If being exhausted from laughing with Louis felt this good, I can only imagine what it would feel like being exhausted from having hot-

“UGH.” I groaned out loud at how far I had just let my mind wander.

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This was the first night in a while that I had gotten a peaceful night’s sleep. Sure, having a dream about getting one of your best mates off isn’t exactly ideal, but I was feeling quite numb and sort of in a happy lull of calmness that I didn’t feel like ruining. I rolled over and looked at my clock.