Unchanging [h.s. au]

twenty-five

HARRY'S POV

"My dad killed my brother."

My hands stiffened on the wheel at her words. I was appalled, but at the same time, wildly intrigued. Figuring she was still drunk and unguarded, I decided to gently prod for more information.

"What do you mean?" I tried to make my voice sound indifferent.

"He crashed our car." Her eyebrows scrunched up as she thought of the memory. "He was driving us home and decided answering a business email was more important than his own damn children."

A felt a wave of sadness ripple through my body.

"I could have saved him." She looked out the window as she spoke. "I was right next to him in the car and tried to help him out but I was too weak. I was just too weak and now it's my fault he's gone."

Her head hung ashamedly and her body began to shake with sobs. I was sure her drunkenness was was only making this emotional situation worse.

My heart broke at her words. There were obviously many details to the story that I didn't know about, and I knew if I asked her more questions now, she probably wouldn't remember any of the conversation.

I quickly pulled into the driveway of my house and reached over to hold her face.

"Hey, hey," I murmured. "Let's talk about this tomorrow. It's been a rough night. Let me help you inside so you can rest, okay?"

Her lip quivered as she looked at me but she nodded her head.

I helped her out of the passenger seat and led her upstairs to my bedroom. Before I even got her to lay down, she attempted to pull her shirt over her end and ended up getting tangled up in it.

I sighed. "Clara, why can you not keep your clothes on?"

"This isn't comfy!" She pouted.

I quickly reached into a drawer for one of my own cotton shirts. "Here, let me help you."

I gently tugged her arms out of the shirt and guided her body into the new one.

Satisfied with her level of comfiness, she happily stumbled to the bed and flopped onto the pillows.

I reached out and smoothed her hair away from her sweaty face. She was still beautiful. A beautiful, broken girl.

"Harry?"

"Hm?"

"Don't leave me," Her soft voice cut through the darkness.

I scooted closer and laid down next to her.

"I won't. Promise."

CLARA'S POV

My eyes felt crusty as I cracked them open. Sunlight hit my face and caused the pounding in the back of my skull to intensify and my limbs felt too heavy to move.

I rolled over and groaned.

"Good mooorning," Harry's voice sang.