Harry

Louis wrapped his arm around my shoulder as we headed up the stairs after Marco and Thalia. Marco was talking and a frown spread across that beautiful face of hers. I felt a pang in my stomach as she pouted those perfect pink lips of hers. How was it Thalia was beautiful even when she frowned?

"Nicely done keeping Thalia distracted all day,” Louis chuckled, disrupting my thoughts. "When did Marco tell you?"

"Tell me what?"

"Wait...so you don't know?" Louis broke into that mischievous smile of his. "Oh man..."

"Don't know what?"

"What'd she say?" Liam cut in. "I mean obviously she took the whole friends thing well seeing as you're still alive but-"

"Hold on," Louis frowned. "Friends? What happened to Operation T.A.H.U!"

"Operation what?" I hissed.

"Tommo thinks he's being clever," Liam muttered. “And yes Lou it’s friendship not relationships now!"

"Come on...Thalia and Harry Unite!” Louis continued. "T.A.H.U!"

"What are we super heroes or something?" I laughed. "Do we fist bump and magically save the world with our love?"

"Exactly!" Louis smirked. "Niall wanted it to be Operation Get Harry and Thalia Back Together but that made a shitty acronym so-"

"Well you all can cut it out cause Thalia and I are just-"

"SURPRISE!"

We had followed Marco and Thalia into the great hall where a crowd of people stood waiting for us. The noise was near deafening but I will never forget the look of joy on Thalia's face when she saw her family standing before her.

I watched in surprise Marco set Thalia down and the kids nearly tackled her to the floor. And, much to my annoyance Marco, simply stood at her side and watched. I couldn't help but think if it were me, I'd be picking up little Millie and chasing around Archie, clowning around with Hugh-

"Haz," Liam tugged at my shoulder. "C'mon."

After one last look at Thalia I turned to follow Liam to the corner. Louis held out a glass of wine for me and I took it gratefully.

"Feeling awkward yet?" Louis chuckled.

"Nope...I've had too much wine." I replied before taking a sip. I was going to have the worst headache tomorrow.

"There you idiots are!"

The three of us turned to see two of Thalia's foster sisters wandering over. Elaine looked the same as ever with her long red hair pulled back in a loose bun. Her freckled face broke into a smile as she pulled us all into a hug. The second, Maeve, had traded her normally fire-engine red hair for a pastel colored purple. She hugged the others, but eyed me warily.

"Are we still mad at him?" Maeve asked?

"Nope!" Thalia cried as she bounced over. I was momentarily stunned by her appearance, the excitement of seeing her family had lightened her features making her even more beautiful. She turned towards me with a genuine smile and I felt my heart skip a beat. "Harry and I had a heart to heart while we were locked in the cellar and-"

"Locked in the cellar?" Elaine frowned.

"Don't worry, we managed to make it out alive," I smiled.

"Yeah I thought for sure Thal would have killed him in those eight hours but hey...what do ya know!" Louis beamed.

"Eight hours?" Elaine hissed angrily at Thalia.

"How did you not murder him?" Asked Maeve seriously.

"Wine," was Thalia's answer.

Maeve rolled her eyes and pulled her sister into a hug. A second later Thalia was pulled away by Marco to join the rest of the party leaving us in an awkward silence.

"I still don't trust you," Maeve muttered quietly. Her glare sent chills down my spine. "I don't knew what you gave her to make her believe your lies but-."

"They're not lies," I shot back.

"Well...you should know that just because Thalia falls for those curls doesn't mean we will."

"Stop being so protective!" Cried Louis as he ruffled Mae's hair and pulled her into a hug. "Thalia's a big girl...she can handle it."

"That's just it," Maeve said shooting me a glare. "I don't know if she can."

"Mae," Elaine hissed. She took Maeve's arm and attempted to pull her away.

"Yer a wizard Harry," Maeve cried. "Stop casting spells on my friend!"

"Hmm looks like Maeve is team Marco," noted Liam.

"Oh will you all cut it out!" I cried angrily. “Look, nothing is happening or is going to happen between Thalia and I. She's made it perfectly clear she's happy with Marco. So stop with this charade will you?"

"No," Louis shot back. “I won’t let you give up on the best thing that ever happened to you.”

After shooting him a glare I turned to find a distraction. Louis was being stupid by inventing this whole - what was it? T.A.H.U. plot to get Thalia and I back together. Yes, I still loved her. But it was obvious she loved Marco now. The closest I could get to keeping her in my life was through friendship, so that's what I did. Liam and I had it all worked out and clearly this was the best option for everyone.

I began wandering around the edge of the room in search of something that could distract me from thoughts of Thalia, however this proved to be very difficult.

The party turned out to be a smash hit and there she was in the middle of it all. Thalia. I have never seen her smile so much. She seemed to touch all corners of the room and no one, not even Nicola, could muster so much a frown. It was Thalia's moment and we had just come to bask in her glory.

I watched her interacting with her siblings and it was though nothing had changed. She was still the Thalia I knew and loved. No matter how hard Marco tried to get her to wear his fashion statement pieces or prompted her to compose herself in public, she remained true to herself.

"There you are!"

I turned to see Mackenzie, Thalia's foster sister and Niall's girlfriend of two years, bouncing towards me. She held up her arms for a hug and I obliged with a smile. Kenzie was a little ray of sunshine with an attitude no one can resist.

"What are you doing over here all by yourself?" she asked?

"Just standing," I shrugged. "Admiring the party..."

"Alrighty then Mr. Wallflower," Mackenzie frowned. "Why aren't you hanging out with your new girlfriend?"

"She's not my-hang on, how did you know about that?"

Mackenzie sipped her wine before replying innocently, "Thalia may have mentioned it..."

"Thalia told you?" I asked in disbelief.

"It was after the so called 'bar incident'. She used some very colorful words to describe your new beau...should I be worried?"

"Nicola and I aren't together," I assured her. "We're...well I'm not really sure what we are at the moment..."

Mackenzie shrugged, "I just wanted to make sure you weren't doing it to piss off Thal."

"I'm not."

"Good," she smiled. There was a moments silence as we stared out at the party. Thalia was now introducing Marco to her family and I instinctively turned back to Mackenzie.

"How long are you here for?" I asked.

"Only a week. I think Tilly was invited to stay longer though."

"I heard the Conti family was quite enchanted by her," I smiled.

"She does have that effect on people."

"Harry!" Nicola's voice called. "This little lady and me have been looking for you everywhere!"

"Harry!" Cried little Millie as she ran up to me. Thalia's youngest foster sister had on a little pink dress with a giant bow pinned to her hair. I scooped the six year old up easily and rested her on my hip. Damn she was growing up fast.

"There she is!" I smiled. "How are you princess?"

"Upset," Millie replied, crossing her arms and putting on a frown.

"Upset! What for?"

"You didn't come to my birthday party," Millie answered.

"I told you I couldn't love, I'm so sorry. Did you at least get my present?"

"Yeah," Millie said, breaking into a smile. "Kenzie gave it to me. Thank you."

"See! I was there in spirit!" I smiled. "And now I have a whole week to make it up to you!"

"You are so spoiled Mills," Mackenzie laughed.

"She is adorable!" Beamed Nicola.

"Millie have you met my friend Nicola yet?" I asked. I turned to see Nicola looking at me with a strange smile.

"Yes! She's nice. She said she would give Layla and I makeovers tomorrow!"

"Makeovers!" I cried. "Can I come?"

Millie let out a screech. "But you're a boy!"

"So?" I laughed. "Hey Princess, do you know that Nicola is the sister of Thalia's boyfriend?"

Millie thought for a moment before saying, "so...if you all got married...we could be related?"

Mackenzie and Nicola burst out laughing while I attempted to maintain my composure.

"Uhh yeah, I guess so," I replied, unable to hide a nervous laugh.

"Alright missy lets get back to the party!" Mackenzie said as I set Millie down gently.

Nicola's arm wrapped around mine in an instant. Her body pressed against mine as she purred in my ear, "seeing you with kids is such a turn on."

I let out a chuckle in response for I was unsure what to say.

"You were close with her family weren't you?" Nicola continued.

I looked out onto Thalia and her siblings, feeling an intense sense of longing. Archie, Leo and Hugh seemed to be animatedly telling Niall and Louis a story. And judging by the way Archie was kicking his feet I could easily guess the subject was soccer.

“Yeah,” I smiled. “I was.”

Thalia had thrown her head back in a laugh at something Hugh had just told her. God I missed that laugh. It was her loud, carefree, snort when she’s finished kind of laugh that made everyone in the room smile along with her.

“Mind if we talk a minute?” Nicola asked. Her gentle squeeze on my arm brought reality crashing back.

“Of course,” I replied, looking down at her with a smile. As she began pulling me away from the party I asked, “everything alright?"

The second we reached the hallway Nicola pushed me against the wall. Her lips crashed onto mine as my hands instinctively found her waist. Nicola's confidence had been what attracted me to her in the first place and her continual power to turn me on is the reason I stayed with her (as well as the crushing fact that she was the next best thing to Thalia). Nicola deepened the kiss and laced her fingers through my hair. I pulled her close, grinding her hips on mine. Lust controlled me when I was with Nicola, and she knew it.

Just when she had me practically begging for more she broke the kiss and pinned me to the wall.

“Should I be worried you spent an entire day locked in the cellar with your ex girlfriend?” Nicola asked, her chest rising and falling as she breathed heavily.

“Wh-what?” I stuttered, momentarily stunned. “No. No, of course not.”

She brushed her lips against mine as she grinded into me. I leaned forward to kiss her once more and she pulled back.

“Are you sure?” she teased. “You two seemed awfully cozy…”

“We just talked things over,” I insisted. “She’s forgiven me for being an ass and we agreed to set aside our past for you and Marco.”

Nicola surveyed me up and down before a small smile spread across her face. She leaned in, kissing me deeply and igniting my lust once more. Damn she knew how to use that body of hers.Her kisses traveled down my neck and towards my ear. As she ground her hips into me once more she gave my hair a small pull.

“Then I expect to see you in my room tonight Styles,” She purred. “Maybe if you’re a good boy we can finished what we started…”

My breath caught as Nicola pressed her body against mine once more. After a kiss on the cheek and a wink she turned back to the party, her hips swaying tauntingly as she walked.

Once I was alone I ran my hands through my hair and attempted to pull myself together. Could I really do this? Nicola, the most attractive Italian super model, was practically throwing herself at me. Could I really sleep with her out of blind lust? Of course you can Harry don’t be stupid. But Thalia’s face filled my vision and I felt myself grow weak. Could I really do that to Thalia again? But I wasn’t with Thalia! So why was this even a debate? Thalia was taken and I was single. Why shouldn’t I have a little fun?

After a deep breath I pushed the hair out of my face and returned to the party. Everything about this situation was wrong, but I knew I was going to walk into it anyway.

Notes

Looks like Haz is making poor decisions...again. How do you think Thalia will react to Harry hooking up with Nicola after the way she treated her? And how do you think Marco will like the ex's becoming friends once more?

Glad to have the whole fam back in the story, hope you all are too! Sorry about that cliff hanger, but really that was nothing compared to what is coming up. Hope you're ready ;)

And how about those votes? I'm considering holding the next chapter hostage...