Easier to Run chapter ten
For some reason, nothing seemed okay or alright. Everything seemed wrong, and out of place. Nothing was the same as it had been back in Los Angeles, or England. And he knew why.
Harry had made a point of distancing himself from everyone else. He didn't want to get hurt again, and he knew that if he let someone else get close to him, he would be. So he stayed silent and alone, spending most of his time in his hotel room or the back of a deserted restaurant as he thought about nothing.
But being alone felt different. He had never had a chance to just sit, thinking, without being disturbed by anyone. The only time he ever had alone time was when he was back in the Dursleys' house, and that was a painful loneliness.
Thoughts of his old life in England kept running back into his mind. He tried to concentrate on something else, perhaps getting a job in Portland or running even farther north, but the memories continued to haunt him.
"I don't want to think about it anymore," he whispered, rubbing his temples. "I don't want to remember. I want it all to go away."
There was a loud knock on his hotel room door. He jumped slightly. He hadn't been expecting anyone to bother him – but he was glad they did. It was the only way he could take his mind off his old life.
He opened the door slowly, eyes still half-closed. But his eyes widened as he realized who was standing in front of him.
"How... h-how did..." he stuttered, shocked.
"We need to talk." Todd stepped into the hotel room without waiting for an invitation.
"How'd you find me here?" Harry finally managed to sputter.
"It's amazing how far a simple picture can get you," Todd replied, pulling out a small sheet of paper from his jacket pocket. He handed it to Harry, and sat on the couch.
"But...."
Todd sighed. "I'm the only one who knows you're here, you don't need to worry. I didn't tell anyone and I don't plan to. But Cloe and Draco are going crazy with worry. You really scared them."
"Well, I... I didn't know anyone really cared about me," Harry whispered.
"Of course we do!" Todd exclaimed. "Why do you think I came here? I wouldn't come all the way across a state and a half just to find someone I don't care about!"
Harry sat down on the couch at the opposite end of Todd without saying a word.
"I just want to ask you a few things," Todd said quietly. "In L.A. you were Michael Smith. So were you in Ashland. But when I got up here, when I asked people about you, they started calling you Zerek. But there's no record of either a Zerek Cunningham or a Michael Smith, either in England or America. What's going on?"
Harry didn't answer. He couldn't believe that Todd could have figured this all out. No one could figure that all out on their own.
"How do you know all this?" Harry asked quietly.
"Cloe's friend back in England works with the Prime Minister," Todd shrugged. "He helped me out."
Harry smiled slightly.
"I don't know why you're doing all this, and I'm not going to stop you," Todd said after a long moment, standing up. "I just want to remind you of one thing. You had a life back in L.A. You had friends. You had people you could talk to, and hang out with. I just don't see why you'd give all of that up, just because of a mistake kiss."
He started for the door. Harry looked up at him. "You came all this way, just to tell me that?" he asked.
Todd shrugged. "What are friends for?" Then he disappeared down the hallway.
Harry exhaled deeply, releasing a breath he didn't even know he was holding. He never knew anyone cared about him so much. He couldn't believe that someone he hardly knew would drive across two states just to find him. Maybe his old life was worth more than he had thought.
A redhead rolled to a stop a table away. He moved his wheelchair right to the edge of the table and pushed the chair away. Soon a waitress walked toward him and spoke to him for a brief moment, then moved back to the bar.
Harry took a long swig of his firewhiskey. The fierce burning in this throat was more of a comfort than a burden. Something seemed too familiar about this guy. But he couldn't be... could he?
Harry watched the redhead for a long while, perhaps two hours, before he realized how late it was. He looked out the window. It was pitch black outside; he couldn't even see the broken lamppost directly outside the window. The redhead didn't leave the table the entire time.
New thoughts flashed through Harry's mind. What if it was? How would he react at talking to his best friend again? Would he be mad? After all, Harry had just left – never checked to see if anyone was still alive, just ran. What would he think? He just didn't know what to think, what to do.
Finally, the redhead pulled a coin pouch from a navy blue bag that hung from the armrest of his wheelchair and dropped a sickle on the table. Then he pulled his wheelchair back and pushed it towards the door.
Something snapped inside Harry. He had to know. He couldn't just sit back and watch this man leave the bar, without even knowing who he was. It would be a terrible mistake.
He jumped up and ran after the redhead, who was already opening the door. He felt as if he couldn't breathe, couldn't speak, and suddenly couldn't move. He just stood there for a long moment, before he realized the redhead was almost out the door.
"Ron!"
"Todd! Where have you been?"
Todd hesitated for a moment when he saw Cloe, but then dropped his keys on the shelf next to the door and strolled into their flat. "Out," he replied calmly. "Have you found Zer – Michael yet?"
Draco shook his head. "Looked all over town. Think he left. Must've figured we'd be looking for him. Common sense."
"It's nearly midnight, Todd," Cloe sighed. "We've been looking for you, too. You've been gone for two days!"
Todd sighed also and fell onto the couch. "I just don't wanna talk about it, alright? I haven't been getting into trouble or anything, I swear. I was just out for a drive."
Cloe rolled her eyes. "Whatever. Draco's crashing on the couch tonight, he had a little too much to drink earlier, and I'm not trusting him home alone."
"'Scuse me," Draco mumbled, slurring his words slightly, "but 'him' is right here. Don't hafta act like I can't hear you. Besides, I'm fine. I 'ave a couple potions at home that'll sober me up."
"Draco..."
"Cloe..."
Todd laughed.
"Come on, Cloe, I'm not gonna go get in a car crash or anything, I only had two drinks. Please?"
"I'm sure he'll be fine, Cloe. He's a responsible adult, just like you," Todd said in a sarcastic tone.
Cloe mock-glared at Todd and rolled her eyes at Draco. "Fine. But if you get in trouble, don't call me if you get thrown into jail or something."
Draco smiled and hugged her. "See you tomorrow. Don't worry, I'll be careful walking home." He ran out the door.
"At least call a cab!" Cloe called after him.
When Draco got out onto the street, he slowed down. He felt so lightheaded, he wished he had called a cab. It was ten blocks back to his hotel, and he already felt like he was going to collapse. But something seemed to urge him to keep walking, to get back to his hotel room as soon as he could. He didn't feel safe for some reason. He thought perhaps it was the drinks he had had, perhaps they were the reason he felt so jumpy. But something just wasn't right. And then he heard it.
Footsteps. He could feel someone behind him, hear the quiet tap of shoes hitting pavement. He stopped. The footsteps continued for a split second, then halted. Draco walked forward another ten yards, then stopped. This time, the footsteps sped up. Draco spun around and pulled his wand out his pocket. He was shocked.
"Snape?" he asked. "What are you doing here?"
A/N: Hope you liked it! I know I did. I'm having so much fun with this story, it's almost insane how much fun it is. I'll get started on the next chapter soon, but it'll be pretty hard to write.
TTFN, Deathdragon4
For some reason, nothing seemed okay or alright. Everything seemed wrong, and out of place. Nothing was the same as it had been back in Los Angeles, or England. And he knew why.
Harry had made a point of distancing himself from everyone else. He didn't want to get hurt again, and he knew that if he let someone else get close to him, he would be. So he stayed silent and alone, spending most of his time in his hotel room or the back of a deserted restaurant as he thought about nothing.
But being alone felt different. He had never had a chance to just sit, thinking, without being disturbed by anyone. The only time he ever had alone time was when he was back in the Dursleys' house, and that was a painful loneliness.
Thoughts of his old life in England kept running back into his mind. He tried to concentrate on something else, perhaps getting a job in Portland or running even farther north, but the memories continued to haunt him.
"I don't want to think about it anymore," he whispered, rubbing his temples. "I don't want to remember. I want it all to go away."
There was a loud knock on his hotel room door. He jumped slightly. He hadn't been expecting anyone to bother him – but he was glad they did. It was the only way he could take his mind off his old life.
He opened the door slowly, eyes still half-closed. But his eyes widened as he realized who was standing in front of him.
"How... h-how did..." he stuttered, shocked.
"We need to talk." Todd stepped into the hotel room without waiting for an invitation.
"How'd you find me here?" Harry finally managed to sputter.
"It's amazing how far a simple picture can get you," Todd replied, pulling out a small sheet of paper from his jacket pocket. He handed it to Harry, and sat on the couch.
"But...."
Todd sighed. "I'm the only one who knows you're here, you don't need to worry. I didn't tell anyone and I don't plan to. But Cloe and Draco are going crazy with worry. You really scared them."
"Well, I... I didn't know anyone really cared about me," Harry whispered.
"Of course we do!" Todd exclaimed. "Why do you think I came here? I wouldn't come all the way across a state and a half just to find someone I don't care about!"
Harry sat down on the couch at the opposite end of Todd without saying a word.
"I just want to ask you a few things," Todd said quietly. "In L.A. you were Michael Smith. So were you in Ashland. But when I got up here, when I asked people about you, they started calling you Zerek. But there's no record of either a Zerek Cunningham or a Michael Smith, either in England or America. What's going on?"
Harry didn't answer. He couldn't believe that Todd could have figured this all out. No one could figure that all out on their own.
"How do you know all this?" Harry asked quietly.
"Cloe's friend back in England works with the Prime Minister," Todd shrugged. "He helped me out."
Harry smiled slightly.
"I don't know why you're doing all this, and I'm not going to stop you," Todd said after a long moment, standing up. "I just want to remind you of one thing. You had a life back in L.A. You had friends. You had people you could talk to, and hang out with. I just don't see why you'd give all of that up, just because of a mistake kiss."
He started for the door. Harry looked up at him. "You came all this way, just to tell me that?" he asked.
Todd shrugged. "What are friends for?" Then he disappeared down the hallway.
Harry exhaled deeply, releasing a breath he didn't even know he was holding. He never knew anyone cared about him so much. He couldn't believe that someone he hardly knew would drive across two states just to find him. Maybe his old life was worth more than he had thought.
A redhead rolled to a stop a table away. He moved his wheelchair right to the edge of the table and pushed the chair away. Soon a waitress walked toward him and spoke to him for a brief moment, then moved back to the bar.
Harry took a long swig of his firewhiskey. The fierce burning in this throat was more of a comfort than a burden. Something seemed too familiar about this guy. But he couldn't be... could he?
Harry watched the redhead for a long while, perhaps two hours, before he realized how late it was. He looked out the window. It was pitch black outside; he couldn't even see the broken lamppost directly outside the window. The redhead didn't leave the table the entire time.
New thoughts flashed through Harry's mind. What if it was? How would he react at talking to his best friend again? Would he be mad? After all, Harry had just left – never checked to see if anyone was still alive, just ran. What would he think? He just didn't know what to think, what to do.
Finally, the redhead pulled a coin pouch from a navy blue bag that hung from the armrest of his wheelchair and dropped a sickle on the table. Then he pulled his wheelchair back and pushed it towards the door.
Something snapped inside Harry. He had to know. He couldn't just sit back and watch this man leave the bar, without even knowing who he was. It would be a terrible mistake.
He jumped up and ran after the redhead, who was already opening the door. He felt as if he couldn't breathe, couldn't speak, and suddenly couldn't move. He just stood there for a long moment, before he realized the redhead was almost out the door.
"Ron!"
"Todd! Where have you been?"
Todd hesitated for a moment when he saw Cloe, but then dropped his keys on the shelf next to the door and strolled into their flat. "Out," he replied calmly. "Have you found Zer – Michael yet?"
Draco shook his head. "Looked all over town. Think he left. Must've figured we'd be looking for him. Common sense."
"It's nearly midnight, Todd," Cloe sighed. "We've been looking for you, too. You've been gone for two days!"
Todd sighed also and fell onto the couch. "I just don't wanna talk about it, alright? I haven't been getting into trouble or anything, I swear. I was just out for a drive."
Cloe rolled her eyes. "Whatever. Draco's crashing on the couch tonight, he had a little too much to drink earlier, and I'm not trusting him home alone."
"'Scuse me," Draco mumbled, slurring his words slightly, "but 'him' is right here. Don't hafta act like I can't hear you. Besides, I'm fine. I 'ave a couple potions at home that'll sober me up."
"Draco..."
"Cloe..."
Todd laughed.
"Come on, Cloe, I'm not gonna go get in a car crash or anything, I only had two drinks. Please?"
"I'm sure he'll be fine, Cloe. He's a responsible adult, just like you," Todd said in a sarcastic tone.
Cloe mock-glared at Todd and rolled her eyes at Draco. "Fine. But if you get in trouble, don't call me if you get thrown into jail or something."
Draco smiled and hugged her. "See you tomorrow. Don't worry, I'll be careful walking home." He ran out the door.
"At least call a cab!" Cloe called after him.
When Draco got out onto the street, he slowed down. He felt so lightheaded, he wished he had called a cab. It was ten blocks back to his hotel, and he already felt like he was going to collapse. But something seemed to urge him to keep walking, to get back to his hotel room as soon as he could. He didn't feel safe for some reason. He thought perhaps it was the drinks he had had, perhaps they were the reason he felt so jumpy. But something just wasn't right. And then he heard it.
Footsteps. He could feel someone behind him, hear the quiet tap of shoes hitting pavement. He stopped. The footsteps continued for a split second, then halted. Draco walked forward another ten yards, then stopped. This time, the footsteps sped up. Draco spun around and pulled his wand out his pocket. He was shocked.
"Snape?" he asked. "What are you doing here?"
A/N: Hope you liked it! I know I did. I'm having so much fun with this story, it's almost insane how much fun it is. I'll get started on the next chapter soon, but it'll be pretty hard to write.
TTFN, Deathdragon4