You don't know you're beautiful A Harry Styles Fanfaction

~3~

The next day I wake up from Mini poking me under the chin with her wet nose, which increases into a real tickling attack on my throat and armpit, once she realises I'm awake. I laugh and try to shove her of me, not being quite successful due to her not insignificant weight and me still being half asleep. I take a look at my phone, it's already half past ten.

"Oh my, I'm sorry Mini. I don't know why I slept this long, you have every right to wake me up."

Normally I wake up naturally around eight o'clock and then go out with Mini. Why didn't Mom wake me up earlier? She must be already of to work, but, being her unofficial assistant, I should be with her there. But I guess she wanted me to sleep in, this being the first day of my holidays.

Mini follows me as I scuffle into the beautifully furnished living room of our little apartment. A note on the old wooden table confirms my thoughts and tells me my Mum will come and get me in two hours to grab lunch and take me to our new workplace. I inform Mini that I'll be ready any seconds and decide that my morning tea has to wait until I've been out with my sweet, uncomplaining dog.

As I really only plan on walking out Mini and not interact with anyone, I change my shorts into soft leggings and throw a wide grey woolly jumper over my sleepshirt, then I take my coat and shoes and nearly forget to take the key card for the door with me, being a bit in a hurry since Mini seems overly eager to finally get out.

Just as the evening before I turn to left and strode towards the sea. Again, it is there, soft glistening grey water, hardly to distinguish from the also grey sky. But before I can fully enjoy the view, I get distracted by someone shouting my name. It's my Mom, and she's coming towards me, traversing the wide drive of the big manor that caught my attention the day before.

A happy grin spreads on my face as I realise what this means.

"Hey Mom. Is this the house we're going to work in? It's so awesome, I already spotted it yesterday. I mean, obviously, it's impossible to miss it, its so big. That's what she said." Those last words I only mumble towards Mini, who walks just beside me and wags her tail as response.

"Yes it is, and you will love it even more once you've seen it from the inside. This is gonna be a huge job, a lot of work but also boundless possibilities for unique design." I can see her eyes shining bright, she's already completely in love with the project and probably can't wait to sketch her first ideas and show them to the owner, hoping he'll be just as thrilled as she is.

"Sounds great, can I see it? Is the owner also here?" Now I regret not having dressed a bit more professional. On the other hand, my pants are grey and not that unfashionable and nobody can see that I still wear my sleeping shirt and no bra.

"Yes of course, we will meet the owner on Wednesday, until then we have the house to ourselves and can explore it and create first ideas. I'm just not sure about Mini, you don't have a leash with you, do you?"

"No I don't, and I probably should go for a long walk with her first, she deserves it after letting me sleep that long."

"Then off you go, and maybe just leave her in the apartment before you come back, I don't want to risk having her hair flying all around in this big house. Here, I got a second key to give to builders or my assistant." She smiles bright while handing me the key. "If I'm not in the house once you get back, I'm doing groceries so we don't have to got out for food every day, but feel free to explore everything, I'm excited for your first impression."

"Nice, thanks, can't wait to see it form the inside. Come on Mini, lets go."

The whole walk I try not to imagine the insides of the manor to vividly, I don't want to get stuck on unrealistic features or be prejudiced if the rooms can't live up to my vision.

But that just deepens my curiosity and so I only feed Mini and drink a glass of water before I hasten back to the manor. Only as I stand right in front of it, I suddenly hesitate, intimidated by the heavy wooden double swing door. It has an iron handle, I try it before searching for the key, and the door swings open, easier than I would have expected. I enter a big entrance room, stepping on an old dusty rug. The walls are covered with dark panels, and since there are no windows in this room, the only light comes from a doorway on the other side of the room.

"Mom?" I say into the silence, but somehow I don't dare to speak up really loud, it doesn't seem appropriate, it's like standing in a museum. Also, she could be anywhere in this big building. I cross the room and come into something that can only be descript as a big hall, with a huge staircase going up into the second floor, which splits up in a left and a right part as it goes up. Here, the walls are covered with old tapestry in a really dark green, but two big windows let in the daylight and brighten up the atmosphere. On both sides are three doors, some open, some closed, and I hesitate a moment, not knowing which room to explore now.

In the next hour I wander trough the manor like it's a wonderland, discovering amazing things wherever I go. The kitchen is big enough to cook for a whole school class, and it even features absurdly huge pots, pants and other kitchen utensils, I couldn't contain myself and had to peek in the big wooden cupboards. Some rooms are almost empty, while some are still provided with dusty, old, delicate looking furniture.

It takes a lot of self-control to not jump into the soft rose canopy bed I have just discovered in a particular big bedroom, but I really can't risk crushing it and probably myself with it into a heap of dust. Although crushing myself also would have saved me the trouble of telling Mum, or the owner even. I giggle, as a picture pops up in my mind, me, completely covered in powder, having splitters of wood everywhere, trying to apologize to an old, aristocratic looking man for breaking his grandmothers bed.

"Who's there?" I hear a dark voice ask. I shriek and jump back from the door, behind which I can hear someone moving now. My heart races and my first impulse is to turn around and run, but somehow I am frozen and stare at the door that probably leads to another washroom with golden taps, if I can take any clues from the last big bedroom. My thoughts and my heart seem to have a bet on who can race faster. My Mom said the owner would only come the day after tomorrow, so it can't be him. What if its someone who is squatting in here? But even then, it wouldn't be likely for him to be a danger to me, and maybe it's just the agent or someone who also has a job in here. The first shock is fading, I probably have lost myself a bit too much in this relict of another time or I wouldn't have panicked like this. Now I am wondering why the man isn't coming out of there, maybe he really has no permission to be here? But why would he say something then?

My curiosity gets the upper hand and with two determent steps I am at the door, only just at that moment it opens, and I startle again, backing up. My brain needs at least two seconds to process what I'm staring at, or rather, who I am staring at. And that sounds like a short amount of time, but it can be really long. He stars back at me, like he is waiting for a reaction. Or maybe, still an answer to his earlier question. But the realisation that I'm looking right into Harry Styles beautiful face doesn't help at all, and I just stay frozen, not knowing at all how to act or what to say.