1906 [h.s.]

fifteen

"Are you angry, pet?" Harry mused from the other side of the desk, trying to go back to his old ways, and if I had had any time to waste in that moment I would've surely glared at him. He'd already said that there was no way out, but I wondered if he felt it in an even more definite way now that he knew that, for him, there wouldn't have been a way out for sure. He sighed, stepping away. "Let me know when you give up" he said, a hint of resignation in his voice.

I ignored him and opened the drawer in the middle, hoping that it would've been the right one, finding a single folder inside. Even though I had never seen it before, the black letters at the top of the stained paper rang a bell inside my mind almost instantly.

Project Black Widow.

I recognised almost instantly the same words I'd seen on Harry's file and the initials on the door, a sudden shiver running down my spine. I read the three words a few times, trying to memorise them, and looked up, Harry was standing next to the door, with close to no interest in whatever was going on. I sighed in disapproval and took the paper out, the black words as magnetic to me. I opened the folder just to realise that it was empty. I threw it on the floor angrily and sat down with a defeated sigh.

"I'm never going to find a way out!" I cried exasperatedly, hearing Harry's faint chuckle in response.

"What have I told you?" He asked, harsh sarcasm in his voice.

"Shut up!" I exclaimed, "I can't believe you! Wouldn't you want to escape as well if you were me? Why would you want to be stuck here like this!"

He raised an eyebrow. "I've been stuck here for a very long time, if there was a way out I would've found it."

"Haven't you thought that maybe there's a reason why you can't find it?!" I hissed at him, widening my eyes when I realised how wrong my words must've sounded to him. I'd referred to his apparent constant hopelessness when it came to that search, but it was no doubt he'd understood it in a completely different way. "Is that why you let me come inside? Not to be stuck here alone?!" I added, trying to cover up my previous words.

He widened his eyes as soon as he took in my first sentence, betrayal flashing through his green irises before he gave me a cold look. "Firstly, I haven't let you do anything. Forgive me if I don't spend the day of freedom I have next to the front door" he said sarcastically.

I seethed at the reply, anger flashing through me. I knew he was sad, and hurt, and I knew he was just trying to let it out in some way before it consumed him, but I just couldn't agree with how negative he was being. My hope was the only thing that still kept me going, it was the only thing that could've taken me home, and he was inadvertently trying to crush it, just like his had been. "Can you stop being such a bitch, talking to me as if I were a fucking child?"

"Maybe you are a fucking child."

"You really did have me fooled, acting so well the whole fucking time! It's nice to see you're just an asshole like everyone else" I hissed at him in anger.

"Have you gone mad?" He replied, shocked, staring me down. "I stayed with you, trying all I could not to have you get taken or killed and this is how you repay me? I am not supposed to parent you only because you were that stupid to go inside an empty house! I could've gone away and let them take you, but not only I decided to protect you, even if I wasn't obliged to, I saved you as well! Could you be a little grateful? It isn't my fault you're here." He glanced out of the window. "The rain has started to fall. Come with or stay here, I don't care" he said before exiting the room.

With an annoyed sigh I followed him, knowing that I wouldn't have stood a chance without him. I knew I should've told him I was sorry, but I was way too proud to let him know that he was, indeed, right. At the same time, though, the idea of having to spend 24 hours in a place I didn't know, surrounded by dangerous people, with him being angry at me scared me to no end. What if he had decided he had had enough?

I sighed again and rushed towards him, stopping myself right before attempting to grab his wrist. "Wait!"

"What?" He snapped, turning around fast.

"I'm sorry" I whispered in defeat, and his features relaxed.

"It's fine" he said quietly. "I shouldn't have lost my temper as well. It's only... so much to take in. I should have not got angry at you for something you have no fault in."

I looked down, sighing. I knew it was difficult for him, it had been stupid of me to push him like that when I knew he was already on edge. "Nah" I admitted. "I deserved it."

He gave me a little smile, that didn't reach his eyes. "You did."

We kept on walking, but our silence didn't last long, because I spoke again.

"So, tell me something else about you" I asked him, trying to continue the same conversation of before, and he furrowed his eyebrows.

"What would you like to know?"

"What's your favourite kind of music?" I asked, saying the first thing that crossed my mind.

"I don't have a particular interest in it. And you?" He asked back.

"Rock, mostly" I replied, and he gave me a confused glance.

"Uh, good?" He said questioningly.

"You don't know what it is, do you?" I said sighing.

He shrugged. "I do know what is a rock, however I am not quite sure it's what you're talking of."

"You know what, just drop it" I replied, not being able to stifle a little laugh at his words. "I keep forgetting when you're from. Maybe you should be the one asking the questions."

"I wouldn't know what to ask."

"Just something normal. I don't know, ask me what's my favourite book, or my favourite colour. You know, things like that."

He nodded warily. "What's your favourite book?"

"I lowkey love the Harry Potter series. You aren't allowed to tell anyone though, I should be supposed to like adult things."

"I don't know what that is, your secret is safe" he replied, stopping to open a door. "We should get in now. I lost my count while talking to you."

I followed him into the room. "It's great. The movies are great as well."

"Movies?" He said confusedly.

"Do you not know what a film is?"

"I know films exist. I have never seen one though."

"What?" I exclaimed, confused. "Never?"

"Is it that bad?" He replied.

"No" I said, "Just unexpected I suppose." I stopped myself right before suggesting we could've watched one together one day if we'd managed to leave, knowing that it could've never been a possibility for him.

He didn't say anything, but I heard him sitting down in the darkness.

"How many hours do we have?" I asked him.

"I'm not quite sure. From three to one, I suppose, it could be anywhere in between."

I searched for the wood of the door and I sat down with my back against it, noticing that I had sat next to Harry only when I felt a freezing cold brush my arm. "Sorry" I muttered, moving to the side to make sure I wouldn't have accidentally grazed him again. "Alright then, I have all the time I need to tell you all about Harry Potter. I know you didn't even ask, but you're welcome anyway."