The Beast (Harry Styles)

Chapter Five

The Beast had been given a second chance;

And she looked human with just once glance.

But Adeline was something more,

There was something there Harry adored.

Maybe it was her selfless act;

Or the way she spoke with fact.

Either way Harry was suddenly smitten;

His redemption, his saving, could now be written.

~.~

Harry had led me from the hallway on the left, up the staircase in the middle of the entrance room. 

"That side," he pointed west, "is off limits. You may go anywhere but there; that is private."

"Well mentioning its limitation just makes it much more appealing; now my curiosity seems to have spiked," I joked lightheartedly. But Harry didn't seem to take it that way. 

He stopped in his tracks. 

"I said, you do not go into the West Wing. Got it?" Harry didn't turn around, but with his tone of voice, I knew he was trying to control anger.

"Got it," I muttered and Harry continued to walk up more steps into the part of the castle I assumed would be the East Wing. 

Falling only two steps behind him, I walked almost side-to-side with Harry in order to see all of the East Wing.

There were many paintings, each of different scenes. They were held on very light pink walls that seemed white with the light shining on them from the huge glass windows on the right side of the hallway. There was the occasional small wooden table with a bouquet of flowers, all of them roses. The floor was a dark blue carpet, lined with visible gold stitching in the pattern of basic diamonds. Each door we had passed with white with different gold symbols and object thinly painted on them.

Its beauty was no less than that of the entrance room, and I was sure my mouth was slightly agape in amazement of it all.

"The painting are beautiful," I complimented as we continued to walk down the memorizing hallway of the castle. I caught completely up with Harry, and we were walking side to side.

"They're original," Harry replied.

I looked up to Harry, finding his gaze on me with a small smile upon his lips. Shyly looking forward, I focused my sights on the paintings.  "I didn't take you as the painting type," I admitted honestly.

"I don't strike you as the kind to enjoy fine art? To enjoy detail and beauty? I thought you've noticed I've taken a small liking to you already; that is quite the obvious example." Against my better judgment, I met Harry's eye again, and as I did, he winked and his smile widened.

I felt my cheeks heat up; a rose color with no doubt now gave color to my cheeks.

Harry had taken a complete 180 to what he had just been a few minutes ago. I sighed audibly at the memory of his brief moment of anger.

"I'm sorry for earlier," Harry apologized, as if reading my mind.

"No, it's okay; I provoked you. I should be apologizing to you."

"Well, I should apologize for holding your brother captive and now you," Harry playfully retaliated. "It's one big apology fest!" 

I laughed a little at this, and looked up at Harry. His grin was huge, a little lopsided, and absolutely adorable. . .he was quite adorable.