BRAVADO - Larry ✔️

2. Traitor

"We have to go back for him. I can't believe we just left him there!" Leah cried as she paced back and forth from the room where her, Niall and Liam were currently back in.

The team wasn't saying anything but weren't happy to hear that their leader didn't make it back.

"We had no choice Leah! Harry would've wanted me to keep you safe, I'm sure he's glad I did it, I was only protecting you-"

Niall's words were cut short when Leah suddenly jerked her angry gaze at him. It was amazing how much they looked alike.

"I don't need protecting from anyone, I can handle myself, but Harry-"

"Harry can handle himself too." Liam intervened from where he was sitting, no doubt in his voice as his gaze flicks from Niall to Leah. "We can't go back there, if we asked for him back, no political status on us; it's most likely they'll kill us if they haven't killed him already."

Leah looks away as she bites her nails, a dirty habit she picked up over the years, worrying mostly about Harry to care that her nails were becoming non existent. She turned back to Liam.

"What do you suggest we do?"

"Well," Liam starts getting up from his seat. "It will take time that we might not have but if someone was to leave now...he might be saved..." Liam rambled on himself before snapping himself out of his planning and looking at Leah.

"I think the only person that can save him now is Charlotte. I can go to her, I'll leave tonight and tell her what has happened. If there's anyone that can help Harry now, it's her." Liam states as he grabs his jacket and sword, placing it in his belt loop as he heads for the door. Niall follows him.

"Wait Liam, you can't just leave. We need you here." Niall tried to reason with him, not thinking he would be able to see another close friend disappear, maybe not to be seen again.
"Especially now more than ever, besides. We don't even know where she is right now."

Liam sighs as he turns around, a look of pure exhaustion taking over his features.

"It's our only option Niall. She's in Lancashire, where most of her army is. Holton said he has friends up there that are working with her." Liam stated as he descended the steps of the small cottage in the woods, pulling up his hood to shield himself against the harsh downpour.

He turned around just before disappearing into the black of night with words of promise that he would be back as soon as he can. Niall and Leah could only hope as they stayed in the cottage, fearful of both their friends' lives.

**

Harry's POV

My feet dragged along the marble flooring as the soldiers brought me inside Louis' house and through the long and narrow, carpeted hallway. I attempted to struggle out of their grips only to receive a kick to the back of the shins and their grip being tightened around my arms. I winced when one of the soldiers hands gripped my hurt shoulder but he didn't move his hand, keeping it there until we stopped walking.

When we stopped I looked around me, noticing the rich decor and high ceilings. Something I never had growing up. When my eyes fell on a figure with his back to me and sitting at what looked to be a desk, my breathing increased slightly as my heart began to beat out of my chest. The feeling of being so close to death made me frightened but I stood my ground with a blank look as the man slowly stopped whatever he was doing and turned around.

This was Louis. The Louis that we were told could kill you with the click of his fingers, the Louis that could turn you insane just by looking into his eyes. The Louis that was sick and power hungry would send you into a coma if he touched you. None of it seemed true. It seemed like stories and lies because when I locked eyes with Louis, he looked...human.

The soldier that dragged me out of the portal took me by my bad shoulder, making me snap out of my daydream and let out a strangled yelp in pain as he dragged me closer before finally shoving me forward for Louis to inspect. Louis watched the ordeal with a curious look that no doubt frightened me but I didn't show it. The soldier then walked and stood to my left in front of me.

"What do we have here then?" Louis asked and my heart jumped at his high pitched, sudden voice. The curiosity heavy as I stared ahead of him, refusing to look at him.

"The leader of the rebellion sir." The soldier responded and my eyes widened at that.

"No that's not true I'm-"

A loud smack could be heard in the silent room as the soldier slapped me across the face, my face scrunching up in pain as his ring snagged on my open wound, causing tears to prickle at my eyes. I blinked them away.

"Liar! I heard the other rebels talking about not leaving their leader behind." The man sneered in my face, daring me to speak to cause me more pain. Louis all the while watched the ordeal, an unreadable expression on his face as he looked at me. Taking me in and trying to figure me out.

The soldier stared me down until I looked away, knowing that what I said to him wouldn't lessen my already doomed faith at the hands of Louis.

"That's what I thought." The soldier muttered as he walked behind me before pulling my hair back so that I was looking at Louis rather than at the ground. I winced at the harsh action before focusing on the man in front of me who seemed to be frowning.

"Stop it Max, hurting him is not going to do anything only make everyone really uncomfortable, but I know you take pleasure in it." Louis scolded and the grip on my hair loosened until Max stepped back until he wasn't touching me at all.

"Very well, what would you have me do to this traitor?" He spit angrily as he glared at me but I stared at Louis, waiting for him to make his final judgement of how I was to die. I most likely looked like a deer caught in headlights and closed my eyes briefly to calm my breathing.

Louis came closer to me until his face was only inches away from me. The grip on my arms from the other soldier loosened. It looked like he too were very much afraid of Louis but I stood ground, staring into Louis' intense gaze until I became cross eyed.

He ripped off one of his gloves, revealing the white flesh of his hand. I let out a breath, fanning his face as I continued to look at him and hope he won't touch me.

Don't touch me. Don't touch me please.

"What is your name?" He asked as he took off the other glove, not leaving my eyes and my mouth went dry.

"Harry." I say slowly. "Harry Styles."

"Tell me Harry. Harry Styles, did my sister send you?" He asked, tossing his gloves on the desk before turning back to me, a questioning look in his intense eyes and I furrowed my brows.

"No, we don't..I don't follow her rules, the way I should...I-I believe in something different." I curse myself for stuttering but stop when Louis tilts his head in curiosity at me, a smile hiding behind his features.

"Oh? But you are her number 1 pawn, are you not?" Louis questioned. "She wouldn't like to hear her number one in command is betraying her-"

"-I'm not I'm...I'm pawn number 356 or whatever. I'm a nobody to her. I'm just an ordinary freedom fighter.." My voice trails to a whisper as his hand starts to hover over my face and I hold in a scream as Louis hums.

"So what do you believe in Harry?" He asks slightly distracted as his hand and eyes hovers over my cut cheek and bleeding head.

"What are you doing?" I gasp out slightly afraid as I watch his hand falter on touching my face, it's as if he realises what he's doing and shuffles back, putting back on his gloves and showing me his back once again.

"Put him out back with the others until I decide what to do with him." Louis says coldly and all too quickly I'm being dragged again. This time I'm not going down without a fight.

I shake out of the loosened grip on my hands, swiftly turning around and kicking back the two soldiers as my hands were tied.

Louis looked back at me suddenly almost amused by my attempts at freeing myself but Max quickly approaches me, not giving me time to turn to him as he lands a punch straight at my jaw, sending my body flying to the side and onto the cold hard floor, hitting my head before everything went dark.

**