Song: Sedated by Hozier

"I'm staying with you, that's final" Louis said firmly, though his words were muffled by the toothbrush lodged between his teeth, toothpaste threatening to spill from his mouth.

"Just go, don't miss classes because I'm in a shitty mood" Harry replied with a dull voice. He was curled up in his bed, hair matted against his forehead with his hands clutching the duvet right up to his chin. His eyes hurt, every blink he made feeling dry and restricted, lacking any moisture from the continuous hours of crying during the night after experiencing another of his terrorising nightmares.

November 21st.

"You being in a shitty mood is all the more reason for me to stay" Louis stated, pausing to spit his toothpaste into the sink. "Lessons will be boring without you there anyway. I'll have nobody to take the piss out of" he teased, turning the cold water back on to rinse out his mouth.

"And you think I want to be taken the piss out of today? When I'm in a shitty mood?" Harry scoffed, rolling over to face the doorway of the bathroom. Louis was stood in the doorframe wiping his mouth with a white towel, the only garment of clothing on his body being a pair of loose sweatpants. His hair was still a tousled mess from sleep, and a lack there of, but Harry couldn't deny the 'style' suited him. "I don't think I'll be a very amusing participant in our bickering today"

"Nonsense" Louis threw the towel to the floor, causing Harry to roll his eyes at his antics, knowing he would be the one to pick it up again. "I think our bickering will cheer you up. You've said it yourself, our arguments are rather entertaining"

Though they had adapted to their newfound friendship over the past few weeks, it was still common for them to argue over insignificant things from time to time.

Louis still complained when Harry woke up too early in the morning, and Harry would shout at Louis for never hanging his clothes back up in the wardrobe. Harry often liked the window open, going on tangents about the benefits of fresh air and his hatred for a stuffy room, whilst Louis couldn't stand the winter cold and would dramatise his body temperature until Harry would finally give in and close the window.

Just last week, Harry had found the remaining cigarettes that Louis had stolen from his father, and proceeded to flush them down the toilet. Of course when Louis found out he had been livid, something Harry still didn't understand as the boy wasn't an active smoker, and had refused to talk to Harry for the rest of the day, sulking in his bed, his eyes shooting him a glare every so often.

"You don't even smoke Louis! Why are you so bothered? It's not like you're addicted"

"That's not the point! What if I did want to smoke, hm? I'm not going to fish them out of the bloody sewer!"

The argument had ended by the morning, when Louis had stopped him by the door before class with a reluctant 'I forgive you', his tone still sharp and snipped, his head tilted up as he strutted past him. Harry had only laughed in return.

"Your education is more important than cheering me up. You can do that when you get back from classes, I'm not going anywhere" Harry mumbled, sighing as he turned his head to look at the ceiling.

Louis walked out of the bathroom towards Harry's bed, and sunk down on the mattress besides him. "You sound like a damn parent" he quipped with a grin, rolling his eyes when Harry still refused to crack a smile. "Oh come on, you know as well as I do I already know everything I'm about learn in class"

Harry flicked his eyes to Louis and rested them there as he released a heavy huff through his nose. "I still feel bad though. And I won't be good company. You'd be better off spending the day with Liam" he moved his arm up and placed it behind his head, propping it up slightly. "I'll just end up bringing your mood down"

It was the dreaded anniversary, the worst day of Harry's year, and like the previous ones he didn't feel up to doing anything else but lay in bed, soaking up the warmth and thinking only of the pillow under his head.

On this day, lavish suits and beautiful melodies couldn't capture his attention. He steered clear of his sketch book, fearing his hand would draw an image he couldn't bare to see. Death was a prominent topic in movies and books, so even the most simple forms of entertainment weren't an option of distraction.

His bed was safe. Almost. It was safety he could endure at least.

"Liam's no fun when his attention is solely on Zayn" Louis said, dipping backwards until his upper body was resting on Harry's legs. "You won't bring my mood down if I'm too busy bringing yours up"

"Just go to class. You can cheer me up when you're back" Harry replied, stubborn as ever.

For someone so keen to spread positivity and check in with everyone, Harry couldn't seem to receive the same treatment. Louis was beginning to think he wanted to feel down, wanted to stay the black hole, otherwise known as his bed, and wallow in his own self pity; but he shook that thought as quick as it came.

"I'm not leaving whether you like it or not" Louis said, his own stubbornness matching Harry's. "So, you have two options here. Talk to me, let me distract you, or, I can go sit in my bed just like you're doing now and we can both waste the day away in silence"

Silence is what he got, but only for a moment, as Harry seemed to ponder his options.

There was an obvious choice of course, but when your mind was stuck in the past and you felt like weight of the world was on your shoulders, it became difficult to make decisions  that you didn't want in the first place.

Harry released another sigh, his tally for them since he woke up was growing, and he swallowed thickly. "What did you have in mind?" He asked, not entirely caring for the answer.

Louis' lips spread out into a bright smile and he shot back up into a sitting position, his right arm leaning on Harry's thighs as he stared down at him. "I've heard there's a lake not far from school-"

"I'm not getting locked out again" Harry quickly interrupted.

"It's still on school grounds, idiot, don't interrupt me" He warned, but his voice was still warm and teasing. "It's in the woods. I thought we could go check it out. Students swim there during summer"

"But it's winter"

"Stop making excuses, I never said we would swim" Louis corrected, shaking his head at Harry's brazen attitude. "It could be good for you to go on a walk, have some of that fresh air you seem to love"

"You mean oxygen?" Harry's lips quirked up slightly, "Yeah, most humans do love that"

"Jesus" Louis let out a long breath and rolled his eyes, "I never knew someone could be so wittily sad"

Harry did tend to become quite sarcastic when he was sad or annoyed, he couldn't help it. It were as if he had no brain to mouth filter during times like these. "Maybe that's how I deal with it" he shrugged.

"Well deal with it in another way, there's only room for one diva between me and you" Louis smirked, and when Harry smiled he felt like he had made the biggest achievement of his life. "Get dressed, you're coming with me"

Harry raised a brow as he watched Louis stand up again, "I never agreed" he pointed out.

Louis made his way around Harry's bed and pulled open the wardrobe. "You didn't have to" he said as he flicked through the hangers, looking for something warm enough to brave the cold weather.

He wasn't particularly fond of his own idea, dreading the thought of leaving their warm room to tiptoe around mud and puddles of rain from the night before in search of a lake; but there weren't many options when trapped in a Victorian style boarding school with little to nothing to do.

He needed something that would keep Harry distracted for at least a few hours. The common room wouldn't do, as he knew boredom would settle in after one game of pool. There was nothing much to do but talk in the library and their room. Movies were a disaster waiting to happen, and they had been shopping so many times now that they barely had any room to store their belongings.

A walk was his last resort, and it was free of anything that could potentially send Harry spiralling into a panic attack. That was a good enough reason for him to suggest it- that and the fact that he knew Harry enjoyed walks; enjoyed anything that would propel his health and add a few years onto his life.

They were in no rush, not like they were most Tuesday mornings when they had a teacher waiting for them to begin their tiring physics lesson. Today all that was waiting for them was the hidden lake that so many students had gushed about during breakfast or dinner. The lake that students would only visit during off days when they were granted sunshine that would blaze down on their wet skin, a time where some would take the opportunity to show off their figures in hopes that their crush was watching from afar, and others would clutch their stomachs until they were hidden by the water.

Louis longed for a hot summers day. It would have made his 'job' a lot easier if he could use that water to his advantage. He could have persuaded Harry to join him in the lake where he would then splash water into his face, erupting a water fight that he knew would have been the perfect distraction. They could have jumped from the stone ledge that everyone had been talking about, plunging into the water after a hesitant step that would end in fits of laughter and screams of 'I want to go again!'

They could have had childish competitions of 'who can hold their breath for the longest' and pushed one another into the water unsuspectingly. They could have raced from one side of the lake to the other, another lighthearted competition that he knew Harry would have taken too seriously. He'd be accused of cheating, even if there were no possible way of doing so, and Harry would pout at him until he finally gave into a rematch.

That would have to wait for summer. But for now, as long as he could keep the frown of Harry's face, he would settle for a walk and the mystery in finding the lake without the aid of a third year student.

"Are you ready to go?" Louis asked as he waited by the doorway, clad in a pair of black jeans and a long sleeved t-shirt that was hidden by a hoodie, which was then hidden by a coat. If he had owned a pair of gloves he would've worn them, but unfortunately the sleeves of his hoodie would have to suffice.

"Yeah" Harry nodded, wearing a pair of black Gucci trousers that Louis had advised him against. With that, he wore a similar long sleeved t-shirt that was layered with a thick, wool sweater and his Gucci coat that Louis had bought for him, which again, Louis had advised him against.

"Are you sure you want to wear that?" Louis asked, his eyes scanning Harry's outfit before landing on his face again. "You don't want them ruined"

"How would they get ruined?" Harry looked down at himself with clueless, unbothered eyes. "We're only going on a walk"

"Yes, in the woods Harold" He emphasised the nickname and leant against the doorframe.

"Like I said, Lewis, it's only a walk" Harry quipped, the corner of his lips tugging up as he bushed past Louis, leaving the room.

Louis had only let out an exasperated breath before closing the door to their room carelessly, letting the heavy wood swing towards its frame as he let go of the handle halfway.

Harry had already started walking down the empty hallway, void of students that were in the class the two of them should have been in. When Louis had caught up with him, he turned his head to look at him and asked, "Won't we get caught leaving the school?"

Louis shook his head, "I doubt it. The only teachers that could punish us are in class anyway, so even if someone saw us, nothing would happen" he reassured, but from the way Harry had asked he could tell the boy didn't care if they got caught or not. He hadn't wanted to go on a walk in the first place.

Outside, after they'd managed to 'escape' the school just as Louis' had said they would, there was a chill in the air that penetrated through even Harry's thickest coat and Louis' triple layers, though fortunately it wasn't raining. The gravel path leading towards the woods was damp from the previous rainfall, and its usual grey stones appeared a deep black; almost blending into the natural, muddied ground surrounding it.

The path began right at the bottom step of the schools stone entrance, first rounding the Roman-like fountain in the centre of the front yard where Cars would drop in and out, or off to either side of the building where one direction could take you to the football pitch, and the other could take you onto the more 'sophisticated' grounds of the land.

The latter was where the two were heading, with their destination set in the woods that took up the majority of the land but also harboured the golf pitch, the squared, maze like hedges that concealed the garden of flowers, and the Olympic worthy track that seemed never ending; an infinite circle to run.

With each breath the two took, a cloud of foggy air would follow from their lips, dispersing into the bitter atmosphere. Frost crunched beneath their feet, the first signs of a snowy winter, and the sky was a sheet of white, almost blinding to look up to.

Though it was cold, everything felt still. There was no rain, hail, sleet or snow hammering down, or wind that would cause ear ache and messy hair. It was almost as if time had stopped. The trees were frozen still, not a branch in sight moving, it was complete silence other than the sounds of their footsteps and birds chirping away from above, the only students in sight were miles away playing rugby on the main pitch, and even Louis hadn't uttered a word yet, nor had Harry.

"I never asked" Louis broke the silence, his steps in sync with Harry's as they drew closer to the entrance of the woods. "What did you do for bonfire night?"

Since their final conversation on the day Louis arrived back at the school, they hadn't spoken much about the events during the time he was gone. They had briefly gone over Louis' bruising, what had happened, and how it had felt both being away and being alone, but the morning after, it were as if Louis had never left in the first place.

He hadn't asked what Harry had done, he only knew a few details from the other lads who came to see him later on in the day, and then life had gone back to normal; wake up, classes, hang out with the boys, dinner, study, sleep.

Harry had helped Louis' cover up his bruises, stealing some of his sisters makeup, to avoid suspicion of the teachers and their friends. By now they had healed up pretty well, the swelling had gone down and all that was left was a faint hue of yellow washing over his skin. This didn't stop Harry asking how they were every day of course, 'Any pain? Want some more tiger balm? Am I hurting you?' It was relentless.

At the same time though, it was endearing. He hadn't received that kind of affection since his mother, having someone check in on him almost every hour, having someone take care of him with both physical and mental treatment. Harry's attitude was heart warming. He was like an angel, always wanting to please, never satisfied until those around him were content. Louis didn't quite know what he had done to deserve such kindness.

"Nothing" Harry replied simply, his eyes fixed on his shoes as they walked ahead. They had both chosen to wear older shoes that they wouldn't mind getting dirty due to the mud, which usually would mean a pair of wellies or old trainers, but in Louis' case it still meant sacrificing a pair of designer shoes. Harry would have leant him a pair had it not been for their differing shoe sizes.

"You must have done something" Louis furrowed his brows, "What happened to the bonfire School were organising?"

"I didn't go" Harry shrugged, stuffing his hands into his coat pockets, his fingers already feeling numb from the cold. "I just slept through the day to be honest"

"Why didn't you? Surely Niall and the other lads went"

"They did, I just wasn't feeling up to it"

He remembered it clearly. One minute the room had been pitch black, the next he was blinded by lights as Niall, Liam and Zayn had barged into his room with yells about bonfire night.

'Get out of bed already! Come celebrate'

'There's nothing to celebrate'

'It's bonfire night mate, of course there is'

'I'd rather stay in bed than celebrate some guy who wanted to burn down the House of Lords'

"But you were so excited for it" Louis remembered how Harry had invited him, with a blush covering his cheeks and a hesitant tone. "Did you have a cold or something?"

Harry sniffed, the tip of his nose a pink-ish colour as the cold nipped at his skin. "Something like that"

From Harry's reluctance to answer his questions on the subject, and his clipped, dismissive responses, Louis decided it would be best to leave the conversation there. He was wary of upsetting him, and he had to chose his words with careful precision as to not spark any unwanted emotions; his aim today was to cheer Harry up, not dampen the mood.

Today Harry was like a China doll, fragile and delicate, always on the verge of collapse and with one wrong move Louis feared he would break into millions of tiny pieces. He would save his questions for Niall, the wooden nutcracker he wouldn't need to glue back together.

They stopped walking once they reached an old, iron gate that lead into the woods, the metal spotted with bronze patches where it had worn down over time. It creaked as Louis pushed it open, and he gestured for Harry to go ahead first, the space only big enough for one person to fit through at a time.

Ahead of them was a long path that stretched so far into the distance that it seemed never ending. Either side of the path was a land of tall trees soaring high into the air, a home to wide life such as squirrels, wood mice and blackbirds. The majority of the surrounding ground was dirt shielded by pine cones, leaves and twigs, though in the distance you could faintly make out patches of pansies and primroses, the colours that brightened up the dim area.

"Do you even know where we're going?" Harry asked, his voice sounding louder amongst the peaceful quietness of the woods. There was no chatter amongst friends, or shouting of teachers, only the birds singing in the trees up above, and the echo of wood being pecked at.

"Honestly, no" Louis shrugged and looked around, releasing a long but calmed sigh. "I'd say we just follow the path" he suggested, turning to look at Harry, "Can't really go wrong with that"

Harry pursed his lips and nodded slowly, "If we get lost, I swear I'll shove a pine cone down your throat"

Louis let out a breathy laugh and began walking again, "If we get lost, you and your pine cones will be the least of my worries"

His biggest worry right now was the weather. It didn't look like it was going to rain, and the weather forecast promised a cloudy day, but British weather was unpredictable. One minute the sun could be shining down, not a cloud in sight, and the next you would be drenched head to toe with hailstones pinching at your skin.

"Remember when you broke my vase on the first day here" Louis said as Harry fell in step besides him, "You were a clumsy little shit from day one"

Harry hummed in agreement and smiled at the memory. He was terrified when he had seen the fine glass topple over, even more so when he saw Louis' expression; pure hatred and anger. He had thought he was done for. "I can still pay you back for that, now that you know I have money"

Louis shook his head, "I didn't like the thing anyway. It was ugly. Like something you would see in your grandparents house"

Harry chuckled, "But you got so mad at me for it! You even slapped me, multiple times"

"Only because I was scared my father would kill me for it. It may have been ugly, but it was damn expensive" Louis explained, dodging a puddle of mud as he walked, "I'm sorry I slapped you though, that may have been a tad dramatic"

"A tad?" Harry quirked a brow, sending a slight smirk before he looked back towards the ground. "I think you're the most dramatic person I've ever met in my life"

"And I think you're the most arrogant person I've ever met in my life, and that's saying something with a father like mine" Louis shot back, though his words were harmless. What once would have been insulting comments that fired their feud, were now only an element of their witty banter.

"I highly doubt anyone could be more arrogant than him. Your father takes pride in it" Harry said as he hugged his coat closer to his sides, "You once did too"

"I'm a changed man" Louis tilted his chin up, his eyes closing slightly as he exaggerated his words.

"That you are" Harry smiled. "I'm glad I could be a part of it, even if the majority of the time you hated me"

At this point, Louis was beginning to question if he had ever truly hated Harry in the first place, if he had mistaken his need to act accordingly to his farthest wishes for a petty disliking of the boy. He realised, unwontedly, that if there were ever a time in his life where he really did hate Harry, then they wouldn't be able to get along so well as they did now.

"Hate is a strong word" Louis replied after a moment, "You've said so yourself"

"But am I wrong?" Harry questioned, his face blank and his tone passive.

Louis chewed at the inside of his lip and fixed his gaze on the muddy trail, "Maybe" he shrugged, "I wouldn't know myself"

A crease formed between Harry's brows, his eyes flicking towards Louis, "How wouldn't you know? You would know if you had hated me or not" the words leaving his own mouth didn't make sense to his ears. He must know. He does. "Are you sure you don't know, or you just won't admit it?"

"Well admitting I never hated you would make my previous actions seem rather harsh, wouldn't it?" Louis looked up to find what looked like a confused expression, like Harry didn't know what to say. "If I never hated you then- well, I'm just a prick aren't I?" He swallowed thickly, swallowing his own pride. "I was rude to you without any reason to be, I was so caught up in what I thought I should be doing, what my father taught me, that I didn't even think for one second that I could've been hurting you. If I never hated you, I have no excuse for my shitty behaviour"

He rarely ever regretted anything. He didn't regret being so dismissive of others, of taking the maids for granted, or sneaking out to play football as a kid, or being so selfish with his money. His careless attitude often forbade him from feeling regret of any kind, and there were few things on his list that he did. He regretted not spending more time with his mother, not standing up to his father sooner, being too strict with his sisters, and now, he regretted being so cruel to Harry when he never deserved that kind of treatment.

"I guess I'm a prick too then" Harry said, breaking Louis out of his thoughts at the unexpected answer. "I've already said I never hated you, and I acted like a dickhead just because I thought you hated me. That's not a valid excuse either"

"But it is" Louis disagreed, "You acted in a way that the majority of people would. You didn't take my shit and you stood up for yourself. You didn't deserve to be treat that way just because you walked into the wrong compartment on the bloody train"

"You do have an excuse though. You only gave me shit because you were taught that it was okay to do that. You didn't care at the time because your father made you think you shouldn't" Harry explained, his words slow and careful, pausing a few times as if to form the sentences in his head before he spoke them. "I'm not saying what you did was right, nor were the things I did, but you didn't know any better"

Louis wished he had known better. He wished he hadn't listened to his fathers manipulative words and latched onto them so dearly. Those heartless teachings that he never second guessed, because it came from his father, and his father knew best. He wished he wasn't so utterly terrified of going against his word, that the feeling of nausea hitting his throat, the shaking of his hands, the panicked, scolding thoughts whenever he 'did something wrong' would come to an end.

He wished he had listened to his mother.

"Anyway" Harry bumped shoulders with Louis, and he looked up to see a barely there smile, "We shouldn't dwell on the past. It happened, we can't change it" Harry shrugged and looked forward again, ahead of them was a dangerously large patch of mud coating the path, a disaster waiting to happen for someone with two left feet. "Right now we should be more worried about crossing this"

Louis followed Harry's pointer finger, which was gesturing to the mass of mud covering not only the path, but the surrounding areas of grass too. They stopped walking after a moment, their toes just brushing the edge of the swamp-like mass, and similar expressions of conflict appeared over their faces.

"So, do I offer you I piggy back now or should we just accept defeat and head back?" Louis asked, a teasing lilt to his voice, thick with sarcasm and humour.

"I doubt even you could make it over this" Harry replied with a grin, "Though my feet are rather sore, I'll take you up on the offer if we do happen to make it past. You could carry me to the river"

"If we ever find the damn thing" Louis rolled his eyes towards the outskirts of the mud, "We could try walk around it if you even want to bother, there's no say we won't face plant though" he walked to the edge of the path and carefully stepped onto the muddied grass. Just that step alone caused a squelch, his foot sliding slightly as he applied more pressure, and he withdrew it immediately.

"If you can't even make it one step then god knows how I'll make it around" Harry chuckled.

Louis hummed, his foot prodding at different areas of the grass to find a safe spot. "Yeah, I'm sure you'll regret wearing that outfit. I did tell you not to wear it" he looked over his shoulder briefly, sending a smirk in Harry's way, "That coat will be brown once we make it back to school"

"It'll only be you at loss though, you paid for it" Harry quipped as he walked over to him. Louis placed his foot on the ground, a spot that seemed relatively harmless to the naked eye, only his confidence in his choice was faulted as his foot slid easily to the side, a quick pace that has Louis' legs spreading as if to do the splits and his balance to wobble. He let out a throaty squeak in surprise, his eyes widening, and his arms shot out to the sides.

If Harry hadn't been there to steady him, his hands grasping Louis' biceps, then he was sure he would've been drenched in mud. "And you were so sure that I'd be the one to fall" Harry laughed, carefully helping Louis step away from the mud and back onto the path. "Who's Bambi now?"

"Oh please, you'll always be Bambi" Louis turned to face him and brushed off his coat as if he really had just fallen into the mud. "That was just a lack of better judgement"

The corner of Harry's lip turned up, his dimple appearing, "Oh yes, because the great Louis Tomlinson couldn't ever be clumsy now could he"

"Do you want me to shove you into the mud?" Louis tilted his head and gestured towards the floor, "Because right now I have no problem doing so"

"I'd just take you down with me" Harry shrugged, his tone playful, "So go ahead, try it, but don't think you'll return to school looking presentable"

"I could catch you off guard" Louis stepped forward, one hand snaking its way between Harry's elbow and his waist, "Shove you when you're not expecting it" he slowly walked around Harry, until his body was placed behind him, a little off to the side with one leg propped forward ahead of Harry's own. "You'd have no time to react" he swiftly hooked his foot around Harry's ankle and pulled his leg backwards whilst propelling Harry forward using the arm around his waist.

Harry gasped and his arms flailed out in front of himself as he squeezed his eyes shut, ready for the impact- only it never came. He opened his eyes again hesitantly, and realised that the arm around his waist had never been removed, it was holding him in place at a tilted angle towards the floor, his left leg still out in the air behind Louis' own.

"See" Louis smirked and pulled Harry back up, "You wouldn't even be quick enough to take me down with you" he stepped out from behind Harry and saw the look of shock still hadn't left his face. "Oh don't look so surprised"

"You could've dropped me!" Harry screeched, slapping Louis' chest softly with a pout on his face.

"But I didn't" Louis said with a toothy grin.

"But you could have"

"Maybe I should have"

"Maybe I'll do it now"

"You wouldn't dare"

They stared each other down for a moment, challenging looks across their faces, waiting for one to falter. And it was Harry, who let out a huff that condensed into the air like fog. "I suppose we should head back"

And what would we do if we headed back? Read? Draw? Watch a movie? Play table tennis? That would only distract him for so long. I'll be damned if mud is what stops us.

"No. It's only mud" Louis shook his head, "What harm would it do" he walked to the other side of the path. Maybe it's not so bad over there? "Just follow my footsteps, I'm sure we can get across"

"Louis, I'm not so sure" Harry replied slowly, flinching as Louis placed his foot down only for it to slide again. "Is a river really worth this?"

"I said we would find it so we will" Louis took another careful step, and this time he was successful, his foot not moving an inch. "See, this will be a piece of cake"

"Now isn't the time to be stubborn" Harry said with a roll of his eyes, but his legs moved on their own accord, taking him towards Louis. "Or cocky"

"And now isn't the time to be a pussy either" Louis smirked over his shoulder, taking another hesitant step, "You coming or not?"

Harry sighed and shook his head to himself, placing his foot atop of Louis' own footprint like the boy had instructed him to do so, "If I face plant in this mud, I swear to god I'm pulling you down too"

Louis laughed, grabbing onto a nearby branch to stabilise himself as he took his next step, "I thought you would enjoy that, think of it as a mud facial they do at those fancy spas" the branch swayed under Louis' forceful grip, and his body made the same motion for a moment until he set his foot back down. "You do like all that health shit"

"Yes, Louis, artificial mud masks are wonderful" Harry huffed as he took another step and he glanced down at the mud beneath his feet, "This, however, would probably give me a rash"

"Oh quit whining Harold" They were nearing an area of the ground that was almost entirely brown, the patches of grass that had aided their steps gone, and Louis' legs were shaking with the effort of keeping his body upright. "I'm sorry you want to keep your skin in check but rashes are the least of my concerns right now"

Louis stopped walking, his eyes raking the floor in search of his next move, only there were none in sight that he reckoned could keep him from falling on his ass. "Keep going, my feet are slipping" Harry urged from behind him, the mud beneath his feet moving due to the prolonged pressure.

"I would if there were anywhere to fucking go" Louis replied, his foot sliding away from its position no matter how many times he brought it back. "Shit" he muttered under his breath.

"Louis I swear to god I'm going to fall any second now if you don't move" Harry said, rushing his words at a faster pace than Louis had ever heard.

"I can't, just hold on a minute would you" Louis said, exasperated, his tone sharp with frustration. "Take my arm" he ordered, offering it to Harry without turning to look at him.

"I'm kind of busy trying to keep my balance here without your weight dragging me down too"

"Just take it for Christ's sake" Louis shot back, waggling it a few times until he felt a firm grip around his forearm. "Finally" he looked down and pressed all his weight into his right foot, anchoring himself. "Make sure I don't fall whilst I try step over there, then I'll help you across"

Harry was wondering how Louis thought he would be any help keeping him from falling whilst he was struggling to keep his own legs from sliding, but he brushed that thought away and agreed, knowing he didn't have a better idea.

Once he was sure Harry was holding on tight, Louis lifted his left foot and quickly moved it ahead. His right foot was slipping backwards, and his left was now sinking into fresh mud. He knew he had made the wrong decision as soon as his foot had hit the ground, and he only hoped that Harry was stable enough to keep the two of them up.

"Louis step back again" Harry said, straining to hold Louis up as the boy wobbled, his feet moving further and further away from one another. His own stance was starting to fail, his upper body swaying backwards and forwards in his effort to hold onto Louis, and he realised they would've been better off trying to turn back the way they came.

"I can't!" Louis shouted. He felt as if he was on a slip n' slide, standing on a plastic tarp covered in washing up liquid and water, unable to control his movements whilst he flailed to stay standing.

In a last effort to keep himself warm and dry, spotless of any mud, Louis pushed his feet down and used his leverage to spin around until he was facing the direction of which they came from, ready to sprint back towards the path. Only it seemed Harry had his own plan, as Louis' arm was yanked backwards, and he came tumbling into the boy with no time to stop himself and no possible way to stop the inevitable.

With the force of their crash, both were knocked from their positions, their feet sliding away with the mud, and all they could do was let out pitiful screams as they fell towards the ground, down the slight slope between the grass and the path, and into the swamp like area to their side.

They landed in a tangled mess of limbs, chest to chest, legs interlocked, arms trapped between their bodies and the ground beneath them. Louis winced, his chest heaving with Harry's weight atop of him, and could only stare at the trees above as he pushed Harry onto his side. "Okay" he breathed out heavily, grimacing at the feeling of wet mud covering his cheek, "You were right, that was a bad idea"

Louis wasn't expecting Harry to start laughing. The boy who had complained about falling, getting rashes from mud, threatening to pull Louis down with him, had started to chuckle throatily, building up to a full blown fit of giggles, seeming as if he couldn't stop. A smile broke out onto Louis' face, his lips twitching to hold back his own laugh until he couldn't resist letting it out; Harry's laugh was contagious, Louis swore of it.

The sight would've been quite ridiculous to an onlooker walking by; Two boys laying in mud, their clothes ruined and hair a mess, laughing as if they were watching a comedy playing in the sky.

"I think we can safely say that was the most stupid decision we have made since arriving here" Harry said whilst his laughter was calming, his lips set into a wide smile as they stared at the sky. "Now we have to try get up again without slipping"

"I hadn't even thought about that" Louis chuckled as he tried to sit up, the mud under his hands disgusted him, but he ignored the feeling as he concentrated on his arms not sliding beneath his weight.

Harry's laughter had only just died down when Louis hands slid backwards, causing his upper body to fall back to the floor with a squelch of the mud and a thump as his head hit the ground. He couldn't help the laughter from bubbling away a second time, as he watched Louis' pathetic attempts out of the corner of his eyes.

"Oh fuck off, I'd like to see you try" Louis grumbled, but his tone still held amusement. He placed his hand on Harry's shoulder and used the solid surface to push himself back up into a seated position, and only then did he see the absolute mess the two of them were in. His entire legs were covered in mud, the thick substance seeping into the fabric of his pants, and the right side of his torso was in a similar state. His shoes were ruined after only two months of having them, and he was sure his hair would be a nightmare to wash once they returned to their room.

Harry had mud coating his forehead and left cheek, some of it clinging to his eyebrows and running through his hair. The navy blue of his coat was now a deep brown, his wool sweater surely stained, and Louis was now proven wrong when he had thought Harry's favourite pair of white vans couldn't possibly get any dirtier.

Harry grabbed Louis' knee and pushed up into the same position, "Let's just help each other out of this, yeah? I'm freezing and we both need a shower" he leaned forward and shuffled around until his was on his knees, his hand now resting on Louis' shoulder as he tried to stand up.

"I'm using the shower first" Louis stated, wincing as Harry gripped harshly onto him as he pushed himself up, "Too many times have you tripped me up on the way to the bathroom"

"Oh but isn't this day meant for cheering me up?" Harry smirked, wobbling slightly as he reached full height, Louis still on the floor by his shoes, "Surely you would be kind enough to let me shower first? This was your idea after all"

Louis rolled his eyes, one hand on the floor and the other clutching the fabric of Harry's trousers as he tried to stand up, "You're a manipulative little shit aren't you"

Harry helped Louis stand, facing one another with hands tightly secured on one another's biceps, their legs shaking to stay up, "I learned from the best" Harry replied with a grin, staring at said person.

Louis shook his head as they started taking baby steps towards the 'clean' part of the path from which they came from, "if there's anyone you should not be learning from, it's me" his eyes widened as his foot slid to the side again, but thankfully this time Harry managed to keep him up, "You're fine as you are"

"Just fine?" They swayed against each other as they waddled across the mud, feet half sunken with every step. "If you're going to compliment me, you could at least use a better word than fine. How about, amazing, talented, handsome, kind, funny?"

"Yes, styles, you're all that and more" Louis reluctantly replied, more bothered about making it back onto the path than compliments.

"And more?" Harrys lips quirked up.

"Yes" Louis heaved as Harry almost fell, straining to pull him back up, "You're a pain in the ass, clumsy, annoying and one hell of a narcissist" Harry's smile was replaced by an offended pout, "Now can you please just focus?"

"Alright alright" They were relieved as they neared the end of the mud, the clear path just a few steps away, "I just thought, if I'm going to die by slipping on mud, I might as well get a few nice last words out of you"

"Perhaps I should have added dramatic to your list of qualities too" Louis quipped, helping Harry over a puddle of rain that had formed in a small ditch. "If you don't shut up it won't be the mud that kills you"

"You'd never kill me, you like me too much"

"Whatever you say"

Louis let out a sigh of relief when he finally stepped onto the path, a trail of muddy footprints left behind him. He reached out for Harry's hands and helped him over, and harry being harry, he almost slipped last minute. Had it not been for Louis' tight grip, he would've fallen for the second time.

"Thank god" Louis wiped his fringe away, his hair stuck to his forehead with mud. "I guess the river can wait until summer"

"You have mud on your cheek" Harry pointed out, as if Louis weren't aware.

"Really?" Louis gasped in faux shock, "However did that get there?" He exclaimed, his voice thick with sarcasm as he gestured around his face.

Harry shook his head with a smile and stepped forward, his hand reaching out until the pad of his thumb rested under the corner of Louis' eye. "Enough sarcasm from you" he swiped his thumb across his skin, all the way up to his temple, before drawing his hand away to show Louis. "Wouldn't want you getting a rash either" he teased, wiping his thumb off on his already ruined jumper.

Louis quirked a brow and raised his own hand up, "If one swipe is enough to stop an oncoming rash then I guess I owe you the same" his own thumb trailed along the sharp line of Harry's jaw, his other fingers only just brushing his ear lobe, before pulling away and wiping it off on Harry's jumper. "It's a mess anyway" he added, referring to the purple wool, when Harry swatted his hand away.

With their clothes now damp from the mud, and the cold wind doing nothing to keep up their body temperatures, they quickly made their way out of the woods and towards the school. Along the way they had a brief debate on who should use the shower first, reluctantly Louis gave in, made joking comments about one another's appearance, and Harry relentlessly teased him about how stupid his idea was to try and walk around the mud, though still acknowledged Louis' efforts to cheer him up.

It irked Louis that his plan had failed, that they didn't find the river, and he felt somewhat disappointed that he hadn't been able to complete the one thing he could think of to keep Harry distracted the whole day. He knew Harry was content, he had said it himself, and that in hinds sight a river that they could only look at would've bored them after a while, but he still couldn't help but feel as if he had wasted his time when he could've put his efforts into another option.

Harry's happy. That's what counts.

They had just made it round the corner of the building, the entrance only a few steps away, when they noticed a shiny black Range Rover parked at the side of the fountain.

"Please tell me that's not your dad" Harry muttered as they drew closer to the vehicle, his brows furrowed and his lips turned down.

"No" Louis shook his head with his own look of confusion, "My dad doesn't own a car like that"

A man with greying hair wearing a fitted black suit stepped out of the car and immediately rounded it until he stopped at the boot. He hadn't seemed to notice Louis or Harry, and continued to pull out various sized suitcases, some black and some pink, with the designer label 'Chanel' printed on the fronts.

A moment later, the back door opened, and out stepped a fashionable looking girl with long, blonde hair and soft, glowing skin. She wore black skinny jeans paired with a black turtle neck bodysuit, a wool black cardigan layered over the top and heeled black boots with a silver buckle detail. In her hand she held a small, black leather bag and around her wrist was a shining, silver bracelet. She had a soft smile as she looked up at the building, and even the way she closed the car door was graceful.

Louis hadn't a clue who she was, but he already knew her arrival was going to cause havoc.

"Maybe it's the new girl everyone's been talking about?" Harry assumed as he took in the sight of her.

"Probably" Louis agreed just as the girl caught sight of them. She seemed to squint her eyes a little, her gaze fixed on Louis, before a look of surprise crossed her face and she made her way over.

"I wasn't sure because of the mud" Her eyes held amusement as she looked at the mess they were both in, "But you're Louis Tomlinson, right?"

Her voice had obvious confidence to it that Louis was surprised by. For a start, people that recognised him often seemed shy when first meeting him, and he didn't expect a new student to be so bold in their introduction. "Yes" he nodded, "Sorry, I'm a bit of a mess right now" he looked towards Harry to see the boy bite back his smile, "Who are you?"

"A bit is an understatement" She chuckled, her eyes once again flicking to the mud coating his and Harry's outfits, "I'm a new student here, my names Gigi"

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Author notes:

A bit of an abrupt ending to this chapter but I hope you liked it! Gigi has finally arrived, what do you think will happen?

I wasn't exactly sure what do write for this chapter at first. I was planning on skipping ahead in time a little bit, but then realised that the date (Anniversary of Harry's parents' death) was important so I felt I had to include it. Things will get more interesting from here though! 

Again, sorry for the wait, and I hope you enjoyed! Please don't forget to vote and leave your opinions.

Love you all xxx