A/N: I dedicate this to bluelarries because you are still there at the fourth story and I feel really honoured😆

@a@a@a@a@

The third week started with an unexpected announcement. Before the students even had time to settle, the headteacher's voice sounded through the speakers, telling everyone to gather in the auditorium.

Louis had to laugh as Harry buried his face in his hands, always getting embarrassed when his father's voice was heard in the whole school like that. Louis could understand why. Harry's father spoke so slow and deliberate that it was ridiculous. It sounded always rehearsed even when it was not, and his emphasises were over the top.

Fortunately, not many people knew that Harry was the headmaster's son. They did not keep it a secret necessarily, but Mr. Styles was careful not to treat Harry any different from the other students.

Louis and Harry waited for Liam, who had already gotten out his school books, being the always good student.

On their way to the auditorium, they met Eleanor, Leigh-Anne and Jesy. Louis had grown to like their company. He knew Harry also got along with them really well, although sometimes Louis caught him getting uncomfortable, but when Louis threw him a questioning glance, his best friend just shook his head in dismissal.

Finding a seat beside Niall and Liam, they waited until the noise had settled and the headteacher started to speak.

"Welcome, dear students." Harry hid his face in Louis' shoulder as his father started to speak. Louis let out a giggle and laid an arm around his best friend before focusing on Mr. Styles again. "... good start into the new school year. You probably have noticed a few changes. I'm sure you have welcomed the girls in our wonderful, intellectual school. I, as the headteacher, want to again welcome you girls wholeheartedly. I feel really honoured to call you a part of this school now..."

Louis nudged Harry and pointed at a girl two rows in front of them. Harry giggled when he saw a paper ball in her hair.

Louis grinned at him and held up a small piece of paper. Harry did not know where he had conjured that from but it was not important. Harry started laughing harder, especially when Louis ripped off a piece off the paper and formed a small ball.

"Ssh..." Liam hissed. Louis hid the paper and put on an innocent face which only made Harry catch another laughing wave. He tried to stifle it by burying his face in Louis' shoulder.

Once Liam's focus was on Mr. Styles speech again Louis aimed and threw the small paper ball. The ball landed in the hair of the girls' neighbour. Harry made an amused weird duck sound and quickly covered his mouth. Louis gave him a proud grin.

Harry's answering smile was cut short though when he caught the eye of his father. Anyone else probably would not have noticed, but Harry knew his dad had seen them not listening and he was also aware that there was going to be some kind of punishment. Harry nudged Louis and pointed at his father and Louis nodded in comprehension.

Harry smiled apologetically and tried to catch on what was going on.

"...will be. Therefore we have Mrs Wanke and Mr Busse here, who are using this experiment for their PhD. Good luck from all of us, by the way." The head teacher turned to the students again. "I hope it goes without saying that we will offer the two of them any assistance needed and make them feel welcome on our school grounds."

"Which experiment?" Harry asked Louis who just shrugged in response so he repeated the question to Liam.

"If you had listened you would have known." He just said, shushing Harry before he could ask any further questions.

"Mrs Wanke and Mr Busse will come to your classes during the day so you can all fill in the sheets. Please be truthful and don't copy from others." He let his stern gaze sweep over the crowd of students. "Now you can go back to your classes. Have a nice week and learn successfully."

The auditorium filled with rustle and excited chatter as the students made their way back to the classrooms as slowly as possible.

"Zayn, my buddy." Louis said, laying an arm around said boy's shoulder. "You definitely want to tell us what's going on, don't you." Zayn rolled his eyes and brushed Louis off smoothly. "Asshole." Louis muttered. Then he turned to Niall with hopeful eyes.

"No." The fake blonde said before he Louis could ask. "You should have listened."

"Lord, what uptight friends we have." Louis complained, then turned to Harry and hugged him tightly, preventing them from walking. "That's why you're my favourite."

Harry pressed his grin to Louis' shoulder.

"Boys, come on, you'll be late for class." Liam said. The boys sighed sadly but obeyed.

Back in class, Louis grinned at his seat neighbour, "Hey Luke."

The blonde looked at him suspiciously. "Yes?"

"Really cool, the experiment, right?" Louis said nonchalantly.

"Yeah?" Luke was still suspicious.

"Well... This experiment, the PhD students..." Louis looked at him hopefully. Luke stared back blankly.

"For god's sake. What do you want from me? Just say it."

Ashton leaned forward from the other side of Luke. "He wants your di-" He was cut off by a pained sound as Luke elbowed him. "What? I just wanted to say... dictionary."

"Sure." Luke rolled his eyes.

"Can you please tell us what this experiment is about?" Harry spoke up. "We were... Prevented from hearing that part."

"Don't tell them, Hemmings." Liam said from beside Harry. "It's their own fault."

"So?" Luke frowned. "Everyone misses announcements now and then."

"That's my boy." Louis clapped Luke on the shoulder. "You're my new favourite."

"Heey."

"After Harry, of course." Louis added.

Before Luke could inform them though, the teacher shushed them to continue the lesson. Louis and Harry also did not have time to inquire about the announcement between the first three periods so the had no idea what would happen when the PhD students Mrs Wanke and Mr Busse entered their classroom in the third period.

The two best friends sent each other nervous looks. But as it turned out, they only got a sheet where they had to answer personal questions.

"Please answer truthfully." Mrs Wanke said. "Remember, If you don't you're only cheating yourself. And no copying. None of the answers will be used against you and nobody will know except for us. Not even the teacher will know. Sorry Mrs Burgstett."

Louis and Harry looked at each other in confusion but shrugged and turned to the sheet in sync.

Harry noticed Liam frequently glancing at the paper of his seat neighbour Sophia. He frowned. Liam normally was not one to cheat. Harry wondered what this was about. He decided to say nothing and turn to his own question paper again.

@a@a@a@a@a@a

"This whole fuss just to find a project partner?" Louis asked in disbelief after Niall had finally explained to them what this was all about. All five of them were seated in their room again. "Why didn't you tell us? Harry and me could have answered the same!" Harry nodded in agreement.

Niall rolled his eyes. "This is exactly what we were trying to prevent. You're together 24/7. You need to meet other people. Besides, the point of this experiment is to find your perfect project partner, and they tried to make it gender neutral so there is a high chance that we could get a girl."

"But I don't want a girl." Louis exclaimed. "I want Harry." A huge, giddy grin spread over Harry's face and he cuddled into Louis side where he was welcomed with opened arms. The looks the other boys exchanged went unnoticed by the pair.

"Also," Harry said after he was able to look away from Louis' deep blue eyes. "Why is Liam allowed to cheat but not us?"

"Liam cheated?" Niall wondered.

"I did not." Said boy defended but his reddening cheeks were telling a different story.

"He copied from Sophia." Harry said.

"I did not!" Liam repeated, even more flustered.

"Ooh, Liam has a thing for Sophia..." Niall grinned teasingly.

"I do not." Liam tried, but it came out weak.

"It's okay, Li. I get it. Sophia is pretty." Niall assured. "I personally would go for Barbara from art class. She's hot."

"Hmm..." Liam made a thoughtful sound. "I think she comes across a bit... full of herself, but it could just be me."

"She's maybe just confident." Zayn joined. "It can be hot if girls are confident."

"So who would you go for?" Niall wondered.

"Well, maybe Perrie from Maths class. Barbara is hot too. Nice ass."

Louis grimaced. "Don't talk about girls like that."

"What?" Niall asked. "We're just stating what we're thinking. Nothing wrong with that."

"Yeah, but if I imagine someone talking about my sisters like that..." He made a face.

"What would you like in a girl then?" Zayn wondered.

"Uuh..." Louis looked at Harry for support. "I don't know. Never thought about it. Harry?" His best friend also shrugged cluelessly.

"Come on." Liam said. "There must be something you would like your girlfriend to have."

The two best friends looked at each other.

"Blue eyes, I think." Harry said, not looking away from Louis. "Funny, loud, pretty smile."

Louis and Harry smiled at each other. The other three boys looked at them in disbelief. "You literally just described Lo-"

Niall jumped up and slapped a hand over Liam's mouth to stop him from finishing the sentence. "What about you, Louis?" He asked.

Louis frowned, thinking hard about a dream girl. "Umm... I like if someone can calm me down. And curly hair. I definitely like curly hair."

"Eleanor has curly hair." Zayn pointed out.

"I guess?" Louis said.

Niall watched his best friends curiously, then pulled out his phone. He went on Google and typed in. 'Can two boys love each other?'

Turned out his research had to wait though because the door opened and Eleanor, Leigh-Anne and Jesy walked in. "Boys, what are you doing, holing up inside? It's a beautiful day." Latter said.

"We're in California." Zayn said. "The sun is almost always shining."

"Yeah," Louis agreed. "Rain is beautiful here."

"Come on, don't be lazy " Jesy said, tugging on Zayn's arm since he was the closest to her.

Reluctantly, they followed the girls upstairs until they reached the rooftop terrace where they sat down on the deckchairs, overlooking the school compound.

"You see that group there at the lunch tables?" Eleanor pointed at a group of people. "I bet that blonde girl and that curly haired boy are gonna be project partners. They're always together."

"Maybe." Jesy said. "But that doesn't have to mean anything."

"I agree with El." Leigh-Anne said. "You see how they interact? They're in sync."

"Yeah, but do you see that Logan guy?" Harry asked.

"That asshole who thought girls couldn't play basketball?" Leigh-Anne asked.

"Yeah." Harry pointed at him. "I bet he's hoping to get a really nice looking girl but in the end he gets this really smart girl from chemistry class. They always battle and fight each other. It would be so funny if they got together."

"Yeah. It would be funny." Leigh-Anne agreed. "What about that boy?" She pointed at a blonde guy who was just getting off his bicycle.

"Oh, I know him." Harry said. "He's quite cute. I bet he's gonna get a super nice girl."

"Like that one?" Eleanor pointed at a group of three girls on a bench.

"Maybe." Harry said. "Or maybe one of you."

"Or maybe you, Harry." Zayn threw in. "You're acting quite like a gossiping girl."

Everyone just laughed. "I think this Jade from music class would be great for Harry." Eleanor said. "They would be cute together."

Niall watched thoughtfully as Harry just laughed awkwardly and Louis glared at Eleanor, inching his chair closer to his best friends'.

"I think Eleanor and Louis would make a cute couple." Jesy grinned, obviously teasing and making Eleanor blush.

"I agree." Liam said. "He just confessed that he likes curly hair."

"Leigh-Anne also has curly hair." Eleanor pointed out, still blushing.

"I also have curly hair." Harry grumbled, arms crossed.

"And the most beautiful of them all." Louis grinned at him, ruffling through Harry's hair, making him keen.

"We were talking about potential couples." Jesy complained.

"Why can't talk about anything but girls and couples anymore?" Louis wondered.

"He's right." Harry said. "Let's talk about important stuff. Like politics. Or climate change. Climate change is really important to talk about. Especially now with this idiot Trump as president. That stupid guy has no clue. Like, natural change? Fake news? Really? Like all these natural catastrophes in western America and Asia are always just natural. And most of the climate change does not even reach us first."

"I quite agree." Leigh-Anne said. "My older sisters' friend is in Africa for one year. I forgot which country. But their seasons are getting all messed up the last few years. Like, when there's supposed to be rain season, there is no rain and the other way round."

"Yes, and the desert is expanding. Mrs Burgstett told us." Niall said, excited that he could contribute something clever to the conversation.

"It's called desertifikation." Liam said, being the all knowing he was.

"Hey, you see that guy? Isn't he cute?" Jesy asked.

Everyone groaned.

A/N: The real shit is going to start soon;)