Harry and Jenna are on a shopping trip. She's tagged him in about 15 million selfies and they have a ridiculous amount of bags surrounding them. Harry looks meltingly gorgeous and if I could erase her big smug head from the picture, it would be amazing.

To my extreme annoyance her friends have commented stuff like; "omg babez who is that????? hes lush" and "IS THIS THE GUY YOU WERE TELLIBG ME ABOUT OMG WHERE CAN I GET ONE THO ❤️😍😍"

Charlie has been talking about Laura for about 10 minutes and I'm trying to arrange my face in a sympathetic manner but my eyes keep travelling to my phone screen.

I did send Harry a causal whatsapp message and to my disbelief, the little frog has left me on read.

I would just leave it. I'm not a super possessive bitch who can't stand people talking to her man, but given that Jenna has just posted a picture of her and Harry in a pink love heart bubble, I don't think I'm out of order here.

"... But I suppose it's up to Laura. I can't do much more than that, can I?" Charlie sighs and looks at me. I realise with a stab of guilt that I haven't even been listening. I realise he's waiting for me to speak. I take a long sip at my coffee, trying to think what to say.

"Er... Right. So... Why don't you ask her to the university ball as friends and just see-"

"I can't because of Andrew-"

"Who's Andrew?"

"The guy she's left me for??... Rix, you haven't been listening have you?" Charlie grins suddenly. "What's up?"

"Nothing." I feel ultra guilty now.

"No, come on. What is it? Your fingers are twitching towards your phone like it's magnetic. What's happened?"

With a sigh, I tell him about Harry and Jenna, trying to sound as causal as possible but Charlie can see right though it. Despite the fact that he looks tired and full of his own worries, he listens attentively.

"Ouch, Jenna though." He shakes his head. "There's a poisonous snake if ever there was one. Harry needs to be careful if he's after her."

"He's not." I snap, a bit too quickly.

"Woah." He holds up his hands. "I didn't say he was. I'm just saying that she'd eat him for breakfast and spit out the bones."

"Yeah." I scowl into my coffee. Charlie changes the subject and we spend the rest of the hour talking about our essay and the ball. It's next weekend and Charlie is about as enthusiastic as I am, which isn't much at all. If possible, I'm looking forward to it even less when Charlie tells me that instead of having a band, this year it's an open mic for students to sing between the DJs tracks.

"Urgh, I can't sing-"

"Yeah, don't inflict that on us." He grins cheekily. "I reckon they've done it to save money. Why pay for a band when a load of drunk students will do the job?"

"I don't know why they need to save money, the ticket prices were ridiculous this year. I wouldn't have even bothered if Harry wasn't so keen." I grumble as we gather our things together.
We carry on chatting all the way to the bus station before parting ways.

For one horrible, stomach churning minute, I think I've lost my phone. I spend several anxious seconds groping my jeans and patting myself down like I'm at airport security, before my fingers finally close on it.

Harry still hasn't replied to my message, despite the fact that he's been online again.

Git.

I trudge home, imagining a series of increasingly mean-spirited things happening to Jenna. I'm just playing through a fantasy where she gets arrested for shoplifting on front of Harry when I suddenly realise that I'm home. I was so wrapped up in my thoughts that my feet just carried me subconsciously.

My day goes from wonderful to absolutely frigging marvellous when I slip my shoes off and step immediately in a neat pile of squelchy cat sick Dave has left for me in the dark hall.

I can feel myself getting worked up into a foul mood but I try and scale it back. I don't want to lash out at Harry, not after our stupid argument last night.

In fact, I reason, as I shove a pizza in the oven and grab a beer from the fridge- I should be encouraging Harry to have friends. I don't like Jenna, but then, Harry doesn't like Charlie. After Harry was forced to say what he really thought of me in front of that Janet Dream Factory woman, I've really got nothing to worry about. Even if Jenna tried something Harry wouldn't go in for it.

My jolly mood becomes more and more strained as the hours tick by. When Harry finally arrives home, at 8:30pm I force my face into a beaming smile, although I'm still fuming that he hasn't replied to my message.

Finally, I hear him in the hall making a huge fuss of Dave before he enters the room. He spots me and his face lights up. I'm pretty much rendered powerless at the sight of his dimpled grin.

"Hello Hendrix." He unwraps his scarf, still beaming at me.

"Have you had a nice day?"

"Yeah. It was ok. I missed you though." He shrugs.

My heart lurches at his causal, honest innocence. Why does he have to be so cute?

"I bought you something." He pulls out a small bag and presents it to me like a toddler proudly showing off a painting.

"You shouldn't have Harry, you should save your money for yourself-"

"I want to spend it on you." He says earnestly.

I slowly open the bag to find a black velvet covered box inside. Harry nods at me and I flick it open to reveal a silver bracelet with 3 tiny charms attached.

"It's a charm bracelet." Harry says, sounding almost anxious. "Every time an something happens in our lives I'll buy you another charm and then it'll tell our story. Then if you ever feel sad you can look at it and think of nice memories."

"Harry..." Shít, I actually feel like crying. "This is lovely. It's so thoughtful." I hold the bracelet up to inspect the charms on it.

"See, the rose is to represent you, because you're beautiful... And that one represents me-" He points at a little triangle and it takes me a minute to work out what it is.

"The hallows from Harry Potter." I smile.

"Yeah." A faint flush has crept up his cheeks. He touches the last little charm, a little sliver cat. "And that one is Dave."

I stare down at it, completely overawed.

"You do like it, don't you? I can change it-" Harry begins in a worried voice.

"I love it." I sit up suddenly and pull him tightly towards me, unable to tell him just how precious he is. I wrap my arms around him and press my face into his hair.

There's a pause before he gives a shy little laugh and tentatively wraps his arms around me.

***

Despite Harry's adorable gift, he's spent 2 of the last 4 evenings with Jenna. She keeps calling and texting him. She even tagged him in a minions meme on Facebook, some lame ass shit about the finding the right person and the right time.

I'm trying to grit my teeth and pretend it's all cool, especially as Harry seems to think she's lovely. Apparently she's in Hufflepuff too (I doubt it) and is a massive Potterhead (double doubt it.)

They did a 'Which magic wand would you have?' test together, but I could have told Harry that the only magic wand she's interested in is the one in his trousers.

So all in all, I'm not overly thrilled when Harry announces that when I go and meet Charlie on Thursday night, Jenna suggested that they go to the pub together.

I've been in a grumpy mood all day, not eased by the fact that Dave let Harry roll him up tightly in a blanket and make a cat burrito out of him, when yesterday he scratched me for burping next to him. (Dave that is, not Harry)

We both start getting ready at the same time. Harry is finished before me and as I step out of the bathroom I stare at him.

I've never wanted to be a banana before in my life but here we are.

Harry insists on walking me to the pub where I'm meeting Charlie and before turning back round and walking to a different pub to meet Jenna.

Charlie is happy to see me and as full of banter and funny stories as usual but something doesn't feel right. I don't want to be here with him, I want to be with Harry. I wish it was Harry sat here being his usual cute self.
After an hour I glance down at my phone. There's a text from Harry;

I miss you x

Two hours crawl by. Charlie has already drunk 3 pints and I'm getting vaguely worried as he orders whisky.

Despite the fact that he's been trying to put a brave face on it all week, it suddenly hits me how cut up he is about all this stuff with Laura. He isn't usually a really big drinker but he's knocking them back tonight.
"Hey, no need to drink so fast." I say lightly, pressing my hand on his arm.

"What? Oh." He looks down at his drink then smiles wonkily at me. "Sorry Hendrix, my brain is just fried at the minute." He shakes his head and toys with his glass. My phone pings and I quickly check the message.

Do you want to go home and watch Stranger Things? I'll make popcorn

There's nothing I want to do more than sit in my PJs, snuggled up with Harry and binge watching Netflix, but Charlie doesn't seem in a great mood right now and I can tell he wants to talk.

That sounds amazing, but I can't leave right now. I'll meet you back home later xx

I'm not the greatest friend in the world. I'm abysmal at advice. To me, being mega comforting is patting someone tentatively while they have a major breakdown.

Despite my protests Charlie drinks some more. While I'm happy to listen to him talk about his problems, I'm not so thrilled about when he starts to get rowdy and begins glaring at people nearby. It's so out of character for him and I'm not sure I like drunk Charlie.

To be honest I feel relieved when I finally convince him to go home. As I hold the door open and wait for him to stagger through, I'm already thinking about the text I'll send him tomorrow to tell him not to be embarrassed about getting a bit tipsy and that I'm here if he needs to talk.

After walking though the crowded smoking patio I pull Charlie over to the taxi rank. Whilst usually every taxi in the universe is waiting there, tonight there isn't a single one.

Typical.

The noise of chatter from the patio is grating on me and I'm freezing. I just want to go home. A loud cluster of people from a nearby pub cross the road, talking and laughing.
Charlie is swaying. I've never really seen him properly drunk before. Annoyingly, I'm going to have to take him home in a taxi then loop back round to get home myself. He's in no state to go alone in a cab. Hope I've got enough money on me-

"Rix?"

"Yeah?" I sigh, glancing at him.

"I just..." He sighs then quick as a flash he grabs my hand in his and pulls me towards him. He wraps his arms around me. It happens so quickly. He lowers his head to mine and presses a damp kiss to my lips. I jerk my head back and his eyes jolt open. Before I can move he brings his lips back down but I twist my head away.

"Rix?"

"Charlie." I sigh, scrunching my nose up at the whisky on his breath.

"I thought-"

"You didn't think." I mutter. He's still holding me tightly to his body and our faces are just inches apart.

He sighs and blows a gust of warm whisky breath in my face.

"Ok buddy, imma need you to back the-"

I don't get to finish my sentence.

"Hendrix?!" I turn and it feels like it's in slow motion. To my horror, Harry and a smirking Jenna are stood directly to our right.

I can see how this must look. Me and Charlie away from everyone else, wrapped tightly together with our faces almost pressed together.

"Harry!" I pull Charlie's hands off my waist and turn to him.

He stares wide-eyed at us just as Charlie slumps back with a drunken hiccup. Harry looks so wounded it actually hurts me.

"Harry this isn't-" Before I can finish, he turns and stalks away, with Jenna just behind him.

Before they blend into the crowd she turns and winks at me. With a little wave of her fingers, she disappears behind him.

***

Dedicated to theycallmelexi20 thanks so much for reading my stories xxx