Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

Chapter 14: Runaway

Ridley spent most of her afternoon in town. She would not allow herself to think of going back to the manor because that would remind her of why she didn't want to be at the manor in the first place. So, she kept herself busy by walking around the small town and looking in all the stores.

As the moon rose high in the sky, Ridley knew she had to return.

She hoped to sneak in quietly, but the door creaked as she opened it. Ridley stepped into the hallway nervously and closed the door behind her. It was just her luck that a drunken Snape was standing in the entryway, ready to blast any intruders away.

Snape waved his wand, and Ridley was knocked backwards. She hit the door hard and fell to the floor. "It's just me!" she exclaimed. "It's Ridley!"

"Why are you coming back this late?" Snape growled.

"I didn't realize I had a curfew," Ridley answered hastily. "I'm sorry, sir."

"Likely story," Snape muttered. He grabbed her arm and yanked her too her feet. "You selfish brat, thinking you can come and go as you please after I open my home to you!"

"I didn't mean it," Ridley pleaded. "Neither do you."

"You know what my father would've done to me had I ever come home this late?" Snape asked, snarling.

"N-no, sir," Ridley answered quickly. She grabbed her wand and threw her arms up to protect herself as Snape advanced closer. In a burst of accidental magic, he was flung backwards. Ridley held her breath. He was unconscious.

She was done. She couldn't live in fear anymore. Quietly, she snuck up the stairs and into Hailey's room. Finding a piece of parchment, she wrote a farewell to her sister.

"Hailey," she wrote, "I am sorry for leaving suddenly without any explanation. I promise I will meet you back at Hogwarts if I do not make it to Sirius's house for Christmas. I hate to do this, but trust me when I say I have no choice. Just promise me one thing. Stay in your room at night and keep the door locked. With love, Ridley."

She placed the note on her pillow. As quietly as she entered, she left. Snape was still on the floor. "I'm sorry," Ridley said as she opened the door. "Goodbye."

The walk into town gave Ridley time to think about what she was doing and doubt herself. Years ago, Ridley would've never abandoned Hailey, especially in a dangerous situation. Perhaps it was selfish, what she was doing. Ridley had never thought of herself as selfish before, but maybe she deserved to be selfish for just a little while.

She shivered in the cold. In her rush to leave, Ridley hadn't thought to grab a jacket. She pulled her sleeves over her wrists and brought her arms close to her.

The town was quiet. Ridley walked by the now closed dinner where she had met Lance. She smiled to herself at the warm memory. The address was still clear on her hand. She had no other place to go.

Ridley wandered around the residential area with no idea where she was going, hoping to come across his street. She walked for hours in circles, unable to find anything. She walked until she thought she would collapse.

Ridley stumbled back into town again and found the park. With no other alternative for the night, she curled up on a bench, trying to keep herself warm.

Hailey awoke to the unfamiliar feeling of parchment under her arm. She grabbed the note sleepily and read it, rubbing her eyes.

Hailey blinked once in shock. She read the note again. Suddenly wide awake, she leaped out of bed, screaming for Snape. She sprinted down the hall and took the stairs two at a time.

He was sitting at his usual spot, eating and glaring at his food. He looked up alarmed as Hailey burst in, waving around the note. "Ridley's gone!" she yelled.

Snape snatched the note and read it, his eyes widening with each word. "Where in the world did she go?" he asked quietly.

"Not to Order headquarters, and I seriously doubt she would've gone to Dumbledore."

"We must inform Albus and set out a search. In the mean time, we must prepare for the worst," Snape said, the fear clear in his voice.

"What exactly is the worst?" Hailey asked uneasily.

"She has been captured by Death Eaters."

Hailey's stomach plummeted. "I see," she said softly. Her mouth was dry. She didn't have the words to express her fear.

Falling down, down to the ground, yet they still wouldn't stop-

Hailey shook off the flashback. She hated to think of Ridley, her beloved sister and protector facing the same thing Snape had.

Numbly, Hailey joined the potions master in the fireplace. She flinched when the flames erupted around her, carrying her safely to Hogwarts.

She followed Snape silently and sat as he explained the situation to Dumbledore. "That is indeed troubling," he said, holding the note in his shaky hands."

He handed the note back to Hailey, who read it over again. The last sentence, the one about locking her door, confused her. Perhaps she was referring to a Death Eater break-in, but there was no way both she and Snape could've escaped that untouched.

Was it odd only to her?

She expressed these thoughts to Dumbledore. "I do not know the inner workings of Tom's mind," he said. "But it is possible that he is playing mind games. He loves to mentally torture his victims and watch them break."

The cold in his voice said more than his words ever could. He was angry, but he was also afraid.

"Or it is possible that Miss Ridley really has run away."

"Where would she go?" Snape demanded. "And why? That's not a possibility."

"She would never leave me," Hailey said quietly. But would she? Had she underestimated her sister? She had the urge to sit down and cry, but she didn't. She looked Dumbledore straight in the eyes and said, "When I find her, I'm going to kill her."

Snape put his hand on her shoulder, comforting and reassuring her. "We will find your sister. I promise."

Ridley squinted into the sun. The day was warmer, but she still ran her hands up and down her arms. Christmas was in five days. How was she going to survive?

She couldn't go back. Hailey would have found the note by now. She would alert Snape, and they would be searching for her. She wasn't safe in town. She had to move on.

A young girl was sitting at a fountain, running her hands in the water. She looked seven or eight. Ridley crossed the park to her. "Hello," she said.

"Hello," the child replied. "I don't have any money."

Ridley blinked. "What?"

"I saw you sleeping on the bench."

"Oh." She blushed. "Actually, I was wondering if you could tell me where this is." She held out her hand, showing her the faded but still legible address.

"The Overmayors? They live in a secluded area on the other side of town." The girl explained the various turns Ridley would have to take to get there.

"Thank you so much," Ridley said. Her stomach growled noisily. She hadn't realized how hungry she was. But she had to move.

She walked quickly and with purpose, keeping her eyes peeled for Snape and Hailey. She didn't see them, thank Merlin for that. 'How am I going to face my sister after this?' Ridley wondered.

She passed the school and the sign informing her she was crossing onto private property. The trees became thicker, much like the path between Snape's manor and town. A small house came into view. Ridley ran towards it with relief.

Lance was standing outside, sweeping the porch. He looked up when he heard her footsteps. "Ridley?" he asked. "You really came! Hey, are you alright?"

Ridley leaned against a wooden beam for support. "Lance, I'm so sorry, but I have nowhere else to go," she said. "I'm running away. Just until Christmas, when I can find my godfather. I need a place to stay."

Lance hesitated for a minute. "Well, I live alone with my dad and little sister. I suppose they won't mind. I did invite you hear after all. Why don't you come inside?"

He opened the front door wide, and Ridley stepped in. It was warm inside. Instantly, she relaxed. "Are you sure the police won't come looking for you?" Lance asked. "We've had some trouble with runaways before. Little Laney's found two girls who needed a place to stay for a short while."

"Positive," Ridley lied. "I left a note to tell my sister what I was doing. I should've told her, but she would have only tried to stop me."

"My dad isn't home right now, but let me call him and let him know you're here," Lance said, disapearing into the other room. Ridley followed him and stayed in the doorway, watching him talk on the phone with his dad. "Everything's good," he said after he hung up. "So, why did you run away?"

"He's a drinker. He hurt me and didn't remember," Ridley said. It was probably best just to tell the truth.

"Yes, Laney's friend had a dad like that," Lance said.

"Are you certain I won't be a bother?" Ridley asked.

"Positive," Lance said, smiling. "My family loves to help people out."

Lance fixed Ridley breakfast, and they sat together at the table as she ate. Ridley explained her complicated family, and admitted that she had lied about her first Uncle being dead. She didn't want to lie anymore than she had too because she didn't want to try to keep up with them all.

The front door opened, and a voice filled the house. "Lance, I'm home." A young girl ran into the kitchen followed by her father. Ridley recognized the blonde curls.

"You!" she exclaimed. "Why didn't you tell me you lived here when I asked for directions?"

Mr. Overmayor looked down at Laney. "Why didn't you tell me a girl asked for directions to our house?" He shook his head. "You must be our guest, Ridley?" he asked. Ridley nodded. "Welcome to our home."

"Thank you so much, sir."