A/N: I paused to write a new scene (half this chapter) and it ended up taking 2 months. *shrugs and mumbles incoherently*

Chapter 11

"I can't believe I caught a cold! I hate being sick," Harry lamented.

It had been a couple days since the rainy confessions, and he was feeling miserable. Harry was in bed wearing a hoodie – something Zahra didn't even know he owned – his hair was a mess, and he was surrounded by his laptop, phone, box of Kleenex, a half-eaten bowl of soup, a teapot and cup, a couple books and magazines, and charging cables. The dark circles under his eyes were extreme, but that didn't stop him from video-chatting with Zahra.

"How are you liking the tea?" she asked.

"It's amazing, thank you! And the eucalyptus oil is saving my life – I've been steaming with it and it really helps… I miss you."

"I miss you too."

"Do you have any plans for a grad party?"

"Not really. I guess we could go to the prom. Would you be alright if you came with me?"

"I would love to come with you. Also, I don't really remember my grad; partied way too hard. Let's do a small trip after all that – it's going to be a surprise and I'm pretty sure you haven't been there, so it will be new for both of us."

"I can't wait," she replied, beaming.

Just then Brady entered the room. He was wearing a medical mask – partly to keep from catching Harry's cold and partly to be dramatic – and carrying a package. Harry noticed it as soon as he had finished rolling his eyes at his assistant.

"Hey Zahra, Brady's got some stuff for me to deal with – sorry I have to go. Call you later?"

"Alright." She put her lips to the camera.

Harry blew her kisses in return and shot an embarrassed look at Brady once the call was ended. "That mask isn't hiding anything from me, just so you know."

"I'm containing my inner joy for you with great effort," Brady countered, though it was more his amusement at their displays of affection.

"Is that it?"

"Straight from the courier," he replied, handing it to Harry.

"I still can't believe you got this out of the States."

"It helps to know the right people."

Zahra checked her appearance in the mirror – her floor-length fuchsia gown shimmered in the light. Today was grad day with all the ceremonies. Earlier in the day had been the diploma ceremony with all the speeches, formal photographs, and flying grad caps. Her family had all been there, and Harry and Brady snuck in, so as not to cause a scene. This evening was prom; there would be a few more speeches, but it was mostly about the glamour and dancing.

Even though the safe option would have been to go with a couple girls she knew, Zahra couldn't imagine going with anyone other than Harry. It wasn't that she wanted the attention of walking into the event with someone famous, she just wanted him to be there on this big night for her. It was always possible that no one would recognize him…

Her phone notification went off – Harry had just arrived.

I'm here. Gonna meet your parents

Wait what?

Isn't it a thing for the guy to meet his date at the bottom of the stairs after an awkward chat with the parents?

I guess…

See you in a minute then ;)

He was bold, there was no denying that. Zahra took one more look at her makeup; hopefully the hours of Youtube tutorials had paid off. She slipped her feet into her high heels and left her room. Her mother was waiting outside and clapped her hands together excitedly.

"Don't you look pretty! I thought that choice was too modest, but it's really quite becoming," she enthused.

"Um, thank you." Zahra wasn't used to this amount of gushing.

Just then, the doorbell rang out; Harry was officially here.

"Is that your date?" her mother asked. "Is it Derek?"

Zahra just looked at her. She wanted to be upset, exasperated that after all that had happened Derek was still her mother's ideal. She wanted to yell out everything that she had been holding in the past two years – how she felt lost in this new country, rejected in favour of the new family, left on her own to navigate some challenging high school years. But really, it didn't matter anymore. If her mother had regretted having a child young and then chose to start a new family later on, that was her decision. Maybe one day they would be able to talk about it, but tonight, this exact moment in time, Zahra felt like this whole chapter had closed.

"I think he wants to say hello before I come down," Zahra replied simply.

Her mother rushed downstairs and Zahra paused at the top, listening to the exchange below.

"Are you Zahra's date?" her stepfather asked, sounding confused. "I think we were expecting someone else."

"Perhaps, but I'm the guy she asked. My name's Harry. Harry Osborn."

"Are you the guy she's been hanging out with?"

"We're good friends."

"You look familiar – I guess you go to her school?"

"I'm actually in Berlin for-"

"Wait," her mother interrupted. "Did you say Harry Osborn?"

"That's correct."

"Not related to Oscorp though, not that Harry Osborn, right?" her nervous laughter followed.

Now was the perfect time to make an entrance. Zahra carefully descended the staircase, being careful not to trip. She immediately caught Harry's eye, and with him distracted the rest of the attention was diverted to her presence.

He grinned broadly. "Shall we?" Harry asked, offering his arm.

Zahra's parents continued to gawk as they walked out to the waiting vehicle. To her surprise, it wasn't the usual estate car Brady drove; instead a silver Ferrari waited in its place.

"We're going in this?"

"Yeah, it's a little over the top, but this is a special occasion," Harry replied.

"Wow…"

"Brady is playing invisible bodyguard tonight; he's going to follow in the other car and basically wait around outside the venue like he usually does when we go somewhere. I told him it wasn't necessary, but after the Cynthia incident he's not taking any chances. He basically read me the riot act before we left. I'm responsible for not letting anything get out of control tonight – that's the short version."

"Thank you."

"My pleasure."

He went to steal a kiss, and was abruptly stopped.

"Harry, my makeup!"

He laughed and kissed her hand instead.

Although other people had arrived in fancy vehicles, the Ferrari caused a bit of a stir. Though Harry seemed oblivious to the attention, likely because he was used to it, Zahra could feel her confidence rapidly disappearing as she tried to ignore the stares. As she took his arm and they walked into the venue, the whispers of onlookers were less than subtle.

"Is that Zahra?"

"The girl who left after that scandal?"

"Who is the guy?"

"Does he go to our school?"

"He looks familiar…"

The speeches were set to begin in only a few minutes, so Zahra and Harry found their table and settled in. There was another couple at their table; she didn't recognize them, but they seemed friendly. Once the formalities were finished, Harry suggested they check out the refreshments. He could likely sense that she wasn't eager to join the crowd on the dance floor just yet. The atmosphere felt very similar to the many times they had gone out dancing together, the lights and music much like at the clubs, with the exception of the dry bar.

"No alcohol?" he joked with the bartender who was fixing his 'mocktail'.

Zahra burst into laughter, while the bartender rolled his eyes, only adding to Harry's bemusement. They didn't notice a few girls staring at them, until suddenly they had come right over.

"It's Zahra, right?"

"Mhmm," was her non-verbal response.

"Is your date from another school? We don't know him."

"Uh, yeah, he's not from our school."

"Well, are you going to introduce us?"

Zahra felt Harry's hand on her back, no doubt having noticed her anxiety. "I'm Harry," he interjected.

"Harry, huh? Has anyone ever told you that you look a lot like Harry Osborn – you know, the super-rich heir?"

He shrugged nonchalantly.

One of the girls held up her smartphone in his face. "Are you sure? Because this looks exactly like you."

"And what if I am?" Harry countered.

The girls looked at each other and giggled. "Well, you know how to have a good time. Did you bring anything that could help us have a good time?"

Zahra felt her jaw drop. How blatant could a person be? They seemed to have completely forgotten her presence though she was standing right there, and were totally absorbed in what they believed was a celebrity aura.

Harry's piercing gaze didn't even flicker. "You're hoping I have a flask of hard liquor in one pocket and dope in the other. Lame."

The girl who had asked the question looked as shocked as though she had received a slap, yet redirected her fury toward Zahra. "Pretty ironic that you would bring someone like him to prom – after you got Derek in trouble, you start hanging out with this notorious playboy."

Just then Derek approached, likely having heard his name mentioned. "Everything alright here?" he asked, despite the obvious tension.

"That's Harry Osborn!" one of the girls blurted out.

"Yeah, I know," he replied.

"What? You know?"

"Of course. Don't make drama, we're all here to have a good time."

The girls retreated, leaving Zahra and Harry standing there with Derek.

"Thanks," she murmured. "I can't believe people still think I'm a snitch."

"It doesn't matter what they think. You know what happened, and I know what happened. You spoke up back then and I'm glad you did." Derek turned to Harry; "Just a head's up – those girls are going to tell everyone about you."

"I know. Are you asking me to leave?"

"No. I can see how happy Zahra is with you. Let's just enjoy prom night."

"I can agree with you on that."

Derek excused himself and it was just the two of them. Harry took her hand and prompted Zahra's attention.

"Hey, are you alright?"

"Maybe I shouldn't have come…" she mumbled.

"And regret missing your final high school activity? Not for them, they aren't worth it. I hate having to say it, but Derek is right – people are going to have their opinions whether they're accurate or not. But you don't have to prove yourself to them. Do you regret asking me as your date?"

"No! You're the best part about tonight. I get to do this with you."

"I'm sorry about all the drama I bring, but leave that part to me. You just focus on having a good time."

Finally, Zahra smiled. "Alright."

"Now, if you're ready, how do you feel about dancing?"

Harry led her out to dance floor as if she were a princess. A few people, having heard the rumours, asked if he was Harry Osborn; he dismissed some rude people and took photos for polite ones. The couple from their table ended up being some of the nicest that they met. Zahra ended up having a wonderful time, and Harry made sure that beautiful smile didn't leave her face.