Surrender [Harry Styles AU] - DISCONTINUED

1. pretty pictures & tainted skin

 Emily

"It's small," Emily wonders aloud, standing in front of her new home with a taped up box in her arms. Her new coat she bought especially for the move is bundled tightly against her torso, and she doesn't think she's ever felt this cold in her life. She's only been in London for a few hours and she already hates it; hates the people, hates the weather, hates having to leave her home to live here.

 "It's only temporary," her Mother, reassures, kissing the top of her head before ascending the few steps to their new house. Emily sighs, her breath condensing in front of her in the cool air, the mist disappearing within seconds.

 Emily skeptically eyes her surroundings, noticing the way the houses along her new street all looked somewhat the same. The road was lined with plain houses, mediocre colours, overgrown front lawns and tilted letterboxes. It's a typical neighbourhood, she thinks, and she huffs out another breath because she's only been here for a few minutes and she already hates it.

 "You see that hill over there?" Her Dad comes to stand next to her, fingers pointing to a dirt path at the end of the road that leads up a steep walkway, "That's Oakwood Hill. Apparently it's got some great views, you should take your camera and see what's up there."

 Emily smiles, because somehow her Dad always seems to know how to cheer her up. Maybe it's because he's her Dad, and he always seems to know what's best, whatever the situation be. But maybe it's because he knows that she loves Photography, and has been ever since she was gifted a vintage polaroid camera for her fifteenth birthday.

 She was glued to the piece of equipment for months, and once her parents realized how much it was costing to keep replacing the film, they decided to buy her a proper one for her sixteenth birthday, the type of ones that were heavy to hold and looked intimidating to use.

 Emily was thankful that her Dad had reminded her, the camera carefully stowed away in her hand luggage so she was able to take her mind off things during the flight. Flicking through photos of her old home was hard, but it helped when there was turbulence. She took it out and snapped pictures of the passing streets on the drive to the new house, willing herself to get over the fact that London was her new home, and she would be staying here for a long time.

**

"I'm going out," Emily announces, wrapping a thick, cream scarf around her neck and tucking the ends inside her new jacket. Her scarf doesn't match her coat, but she's too annoyed to care considering the floor of her new bedroom is covered in unopened cardboard boxes.

 She glances outside through the window, the clear sky calling for a camera to be pointed at it. It's turned to a light hue of orange, and she knows the sun is just about to set. If Oakwood Hill has a nice view, the lighting will be spectacular, sunsets are great to capture, and she needs to clear her mind for a bit.

 "Where are you going?" A small voice asks, and Emily points her camera to her family huddled in the lounge with the fire blazing next to them. Click.

 "I'm going up the hill at the end of the road, I want to take some photos of the sunset," she beams.

 "Can I come?" Noah whines, eyes rimmed with plea.

 "Maybe another time, yeah?" Mum swoops in, able to see the want to be alone radiating off her daughter.

 "Okay," her brother sighs, "Make sure your shoes are clean before you come back inside."

 Emily grins and exits the house, not caring about the cold or the wind whipping through her hair. She hangs the camera around her neck, stuffing her now free hands inside her pockets and walking briskly to the end of the street. It's a little weird for there to be a random hill at the end of the road, but she thinks London is weird too, so maybe it's okay.