A/N: Hey, all. This is a story that I've had in the works for a while. It just struck me one day and wouldn't leave me alone. Hope you all like it!
A warm breeze blew swiftly across the dusty landscape, and eventually settled to reveal a gas station. It was a little run down, but it was still in use. A young toddler sat in the shade of the overhang, playing in the sand by himself. A young woman spotted the toddler, checked on her own child in her car, and approached.
"Hello, little one. What's your name?" She asked quietly. Large green eyes stared up at her, and the young boy smiled shyly.
"Harry Potter, ma'am." He mumbled. The newly named Harry kept his head down, and kept his hands in his lap. The woman was confused for a moment, because his voice was different. He had a foreign accent that she couldn't quite recognize.
"Well, Harry, I'm Sarah. Sarah Connor. And he," she pointed to her car where a young boy peered out of the window. "is my son, John. Would you two like to play for a little while? I'm going to go get something to eat inside, so you can join us." She offered. Her son, John, would normally think that this was out of character for his mother, but she always had a soft spot for young children.
Sarah brought young Harry over to her car, and let John out.
"Hi there! I'm John; what's your name? Why do you have that scar? My momma has some scars too, and they're pretty small, just like yours!" John managed to exclaim that all in one breath, making the smaller boy's eyes widen worriedly.
"'M name's Harry Potter, John. I-I've had this scar since I was born, I think." He stuttered out, glancing between the store Sarah had entered, and John's curious face.
"You sure do talk funny." John stated bluntly. He meant to harm or offense- children rarely do at that age. They simply stated what they noticed.
"Well, you talk funny to me too, John. I'm from England, across the Altantic Ocean!" Harry said proudly, smiling briefly before fading back into nervousness. John's face screwed up in confusion.
"I think it's Atlantic, Harry, but that's awesome! I'm just from here in the United States; my momma and I move around a lot. She says we can't stay in one place for long, because we're being chased by something." John sobered at the last statement, looking down to his scuffed up sneakers. Harry frowned, and patted his new friend's shoulder gently.
Suddenly the two young boys were joined by Sarah, who herded them to a picnic bench nearby to eat lunch. "So, what were you two boys talking about out here? John, I hope you didn't harass Harry with questions…" She trailed off, giving John a mock-glare. The boy held up both of his hands in a show of innocence.
"It wasn't me, momma!" He exclaimed. Harry smiled slightly, and shook his head.
"No, ma'am, he didn't. He's my new friend." He stated happily, patting John on the shoulder once more. Sarah smiled at the awe on John's face.
"Now, Harry, I must ask. Where are your parents? They must be worried." She asked. Harry's smile faded fast, and his shoulders drooped once more.
"M-My parents died in a car crash when I was a baby. I've been living with Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon since then. They left me here for a moment, and said they would be back soon." He explained quietly.
"Harry… how long ago did they say this?" Sarah asked softly.
He fidgeted, delaying his answer. "Since… this morning." Harry murmured. Sarah went stock-still, her eyes frozen on the yellow-grey bruise she hadn't noticed before on the back of Harry's neck. "I'm sorry, 'm sorry, 'm so sorry, please don't tell Uncle Vernon I told you that, I don't want you to get in trouble too!" Harry sprung up suddenly, tears pricking at his eyes in sorrow. He rushed to Sarah's side, fluttering his small hands over hers, patting them gently. She snapped out of her trance, turning to him abruptly.
"Harry, Harry, don't worry. I won't tell Uncle Vernon about anything. I actually wanted to ask you something." She said, holding his small hands in hers to stop the frantic fluttering. She didn't notice the slightly higher-than-normal warmth that emanated from his palms.
"What is it?" Harry asked curiously.
"Would you like to come with us? John and I? I don't think Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon are coming back, Harry, and I'm so sorry for that." She wrapped her strong arms around the frail boy's shoulders, squeezing lightly.
It took him a moment, but he quickly hugged back, and said nothing about the fact that Sarah noticed two little drops of moisture on her shoulder. "C-can I please? I don-don't wanna sleep under the stairs any more." He murmured into her shirt. John stood, and wrapped Harry in a tight hug too. John wasn't sure what was going on, but he knew his new friend needed comfort.
Once they parted, Sarah nodded firmly, and gathered everything of theirs. "Alright, first thing we need to do is go to the nearest clothes store, and get you some more outfits. You won't last long on the road with just one pair of pants." Harry nodded, scrubbing at his eyes. John almost imitated the action. "Well… scratch that. First thing we need to do is find you two a place to sleep." They both nodded, making Sarah laugh. "Alright you two, into the car. Go ahead and sleep; I'll wake you both if we come across a motel."
They clambered into the Jeep, John gathering the blankets and pillows around both of them. They were both soon lost in the blanket flood, and Sarah started to drive.
A/N: Alright, there's the first chapter. Let me know what you think 3