Chapter Two:
Something has been taken
From deep inside of me
A secret I've kept locked away
No one can ever see
"You're going to America?"
Harry nodded, and the flight attendant smiled at him. "How old are you?"
"Seventeen," Harry muttered, staring down at his plate of food.
"Well why are you flying alone?" she asked sweetly.
"I don't wanna talk about it," Harry whispered, shaking his head.
The flight attendant nodded, her reddish-blond bouncing around her beautiful face. "I understand. Leaving the past behind, right? Running away from home? You look familiar."
His hand automatically went to his forehead, which was covered with his unruly hair. He sighed.
"I think I saw you in the paper," she smiled. "Oh, yes, it was you. You did something amazing.. I can't remember what. I'm sorry. I know you must get that a lot."
Harry nodded again.
"I'm Cloe," the flight attendant said, holding out her hand. "Nice to meet you."
"I'm Harry," Harry whispered, trying his best to smile.
"If you need anything, just ask me, okay? I'll take care of it," Cloe chuckled, walking back to the front of the plane.
Harry let out a low hiss. She was friendly. and reminded him of Ginny, with her long reddish hair and almost glowing smile. Damn, why couldn't these thoughts just leave him?
"Harry, I need to tell you something," Ginny whispered, glancing nervously around the room.
"What's wrong?" he asked, an eyebrow raised. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," she muttered. "But-Harry, I've been keeping a secret from you. For five years. And-I wanted to tell you so badly, but I couldn't find the courage."
Harry smiled. He already knew what she was going to tell her-it was so obvious, everyone knew, and no one cared.
"I-I have a. a crush on you," she stuttered, avoiding his eyes.
Harry pretended to be shocked. "Really?" he asked, pulling an amazed face. "I always thought you just didn't like me! I mean, you never talked to me, and went silent whenever I was in the room."
Ginny couldn't help but chuckle. "Come on, Harry, I'm serious! I've liked you for five years, and I never had enough courage to tell you."
"I know," Harry whispered, pulling her into a hug. "Everyone knows, Gin. Did you think I wouldn't notice?"
"Why didn't you say anything?!" Ginny exclaimed, pulling back.
Harry shrugged. "I wanted to see if you'd have enough courage to tell me," he smiled. "I just wanted to make sure you really liked me that much."
He wiped a tear away from his cheek as the memory ended. Why had he told her? He should have known it would have put her in danger.. Things would have been different if they had just stayed friends.
He picked up his headphones, willing the memories away. He didn't want to think about it anymore; he was sick of living like this, drowning in his own sorrow and self-pity.
"You love her."
He shook his head vigorously. "I hate her."
The look of horror on Ginny's face intensified. He knew there was nothing he could do to save her, but it was worth a try. But it hurt Harry to see her look so mortified, because of him. He could have said something else, just as long as no one hurt her.
"Oh, is that so?" Lestrange sneered, twirling her wand amuzedly. "Then you wouldn't care if we killed her right now, would you?"
He didn't answer. He was staring determinedly at Ginny, trying to let her see how sorry he was. She turned her head.
"Harry, don't be brave for me!" she shouted. "You can't save me.. Just find a way out!"
"I don't know what you're talking about," Harry said icily, trying his best not to let his emotions show. "I hate you, Weasley, I always have."
Rookwood sneered. "We all know you're lying, Potter. You can't hide love."
"Well you've become a master at it," Harry muttered.
"CRUCIO!"
He fliched, waiting for the spell to hit him. But there came no pain.
A deafening scream filled the air, and his eyes shot open. Ginny was sprawled on the floor, twitching madly.
"GINNY!" he shouted, trying to reach her, but the ropes that held him stayed strong.
The plane landed safely on the runway twelve hours later. Harry rushed out of the plane, eager to be alone for a while.
"What's the hurry, Harry?" Cloe asked, walking with him as he entered the airport.
"I just. just bad memories, I guess," he sighed, sitting down on a bench nearby.
Cloe nodded. "Leaving your old life behind. You know, that's how I came here. I wanted to get out of England."
"Why'd you leave?" Harry asked, looking up into the woman's amused face. "What happened to you?"
"Well," Cloe sighed, "For one, my parents split up. It wasn't very fun. I had to switch houses every three weeks, most of the time meeting them without my mum or dad around, but when they did meet.. Let's just say, it wasn't pretty. Then there was the growing threat of Sirius Black, and all the other Azkaban escapees and ex-prisoners. My mum wanted us to move to Australia, but-"
"Wait," Harry exclaimed, his eyes wide. "You-you said Azkaban! How did you know?"
Cloe smiled. "Well, simple. I'm a witch."
Harry's jaw dropped. "Really? Why did you say."
"Oh, that I didn't know who you were?" Cloe asked, smiling at him. "I didn't want any other passengers finding out. Just in case they heard, you know. And you were in the Muggle paper, so I thought it'd be a good thing to say."
"Then you must know why I'm here?" Harry scowled.
"Of course I do," Cloe sighed, frowning. "I just want to tell you- I'm sorry for what happened to al your friends. But at least You-Know- Who's gone now, right? He can't hurt anymore people anymore."
Harry nodded. "I-could you call me James here? I came here-to America-to leave my life behind.. I don't want to be reminded of it."
"Of course," Cloe smiled warmly. "James."
Something has been taken
From deep inside of me
A secret I've kept locked away
No one can ever see
"You're going to America?"
Harry nodded, and the flight attendant smiled at him. "How old are you?"
"Seventeen," Harry muttered, staring down at his plate of food.
"Well why are you flying alone?" she asked sweetly.
"I don't wanna talk about it," Harry whispered, shaking his head.
The flight attendant nodded, her reddish-blond bouncing around her beautiful face. "I understand. Leaving the past behind, right? Running away from home? You look familiar."
His hand automatically went to his forehead, which was covered with his unruly hair. He sighed.
"I think I saw you in the paper," she smiled. "Oh, yes, it was you. You did something amazing.. I can't remember what. I'm sorry. I know you must get that a lot."
Harry nodded again.
"I'm Cloe," the flight attendant said, holding out her hand. "Nice to meet you."
"I'm Harry," Harry whispered, trying his best to smile.
"If you need anything, just ask me, okay? I'll take care of it," Cloe chuckled, walking back to the front of the plane.
Harry let out a low hiss. She was friendly. and reminded him of Ginny, with her long reddish hair and almost glowing smile. Damn, why couldn't these thoughts just leave him?
"Harry, I need to tell you something," Ginny whispered, glancing nervously around the room.
"What's wrong?" he asked, an eyebrow raised. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," she muttered. "But-Harry, I've been keeping a secret from you. For five years. And-I wanted to tell you so badly, but I couldn't find the courage."
Harry smiled. He already knew what she was going to tell her-it was so obvious, everyone knew, and no one cared.
"I-I have a. a crush on you," she stuttered, avoiding his eyes.
Harry pretended to be shocked. "Really?" he asked, pulling an amazed face. "I always thought you just didn't like me! I mean, you never talked to me, and went silent whenever I was in the room."
Ginny couldn't help but chuckle. "Come on, Harry, I'm serious! I've liked you for five years, and I never had enough courage to tell you."
"I know," Harry whispered, pulling her into a hug. "Everyone knows, Gin. Did you think I wouldn't notice?"
"Why didn't you say anything?!" Ginny exclaimed, pulling back.
Harry shrugged. "I wanted to see if you'd have enough courage to tell me," he smiled. "I just wanted to make sure you really liked me that much."
He wiped a tear away from his cheek as the memory ended. Why had he told her? He should have known it would have put her in danger.. Things would have been different if they had just stayed friends.
He picked up his headphones, willing the memories away. He didn't want to think about it anymore; he was sick of living like this, drowning in his own sorrow and self-pity.
"You love her."
He shook his head vigorously. "I hate her."
The look of horror on Ginny's face intensified. He knew there was nothing he could do to save her, but it was worth a try. But it hurt Harry to see her look so mortified, because of him. He could have said something else, just as long as no one hurt her.
"Oh, is that so?" Lestrange sneered, twirling her wand amuzedly. "Then you wouldn't care if we killed her right now, would you?"
He didn't answer. He was staring determinedly at Ginny, trying to let her see how sorry he was. She turned her head.
"Harry, don't be brave for me!" she shouted. "You can't save me.. Just find a way out!"
"I don't know what you're talking about," Harry said icily, trying his best not to let his emotions show. "I hate you, Weasley, I always have."
Rookwood sneered. "We all know you're lying, Potter. You can't hide love."
"Well you've become a master at it," Harry muttered.
"CRUCIO!"
He fliched, waiting for the spell to hit him. But there came no pain.
A deafening scream filled the air, and his eyes shot open. Ginny was sprawled on the floor, twitching madly.
"GINNY!" he shouted, trying to reach her, but the ropes that held him stayed strong.
The plane landed safely on the runway twelve hours later. Harry rushed out of the plane, eager to be alone for a while.
"What's the hurry, Harry?" Cloe asked, walking with him as he entered the airport.
"I just. just bad memories, I guess," he sighed, sitting down on a bench nearby.
Cloe nodded. "Leaving your old life behind. You know, that's how I came here. I wanted to get out of England."
"Why'd you leave?" Harry asked, looking up into the woman's amused face. "What happened to you?"
"Well," Cloe sighed, "For one, my parents split up. It wasn't very fun. I had to switch houses every three weeks, most of the time meeting them without my mum or dad around, but when they did meet.. Let's just say, it wasn't pretty. Then there was the growing threat of Sirius Black, and all the other Azkaban escapees and ex-prisoners. My mum wanted us to move to Australia, but-"
"Wait," Harry exclaimed, his eyes wide. "You-you said Azkaban! How did you know?"
Cloe smiled. "Well, simple. I'm a witch."
Harry's jaw dropped. "Really? Why did you say."
"Oh, that I didn't know who you were?" Cloe asked, smiling at him. "I didn't want any other passengers finding out. Just in case they heard, you know. And you were in the Muggle paper, so I thought it'd be a good thing to say."
"Then you must know why I'm here?" Harry scowled.
"Of course I do," Cloe sighed, frowning. "I just want to tell you- I'm sorry for what happened to al your friends. But at least You-Know- Who's gone now, right? He can't hurt anymore people anymore."
Harry nodded. "I-could you call me James here? I came here-to America-to leave my life behind.. I don't want to be reminded of it."
"Of course," Cloe smiled warmly. "James."