Anywhere

Author: Darkness-Fades-dtwc

Summary:  Based on the song, Anywhere by Evanescence.  Harry knows he and Severus can't be together for obvious reasons.  He's a student and a hero for saving the wizarding world, not to mention, he's expected to have a "normal" life which means he's expected to marry some nice witch and have a few kids.  Severus is his teacher and a spy and an ex-Death Eater.  Everyone opposes their relationship and Harry just wants to be happy with the one he loves.  So where do they go, the muggle world, and New York at that.

Rating: R

A/N:  I wrote the first few chapters of this when I was very bored one day.  There are two versions: This one which has multiple chapters and a shorter version.  You guys are getting the longer version cos I like it better.

Chapter 1:  We're Leaving Here Tonight

Dear my love, haven't you wanted to be with me
And dear my love, haven't you longed to be free
I can't keep pretending that I don't even know you
And at sweet night, you are my own
Take my hand

The past eighteen months for Harry James Potter have been, in one word: Hell.  Ever since he, along with many other people, defeated Voldemort, nobody has left him alone.  The press hounded him at all hours wanting to know what was going on in his life.  When word got out that not only was their precious Boy-Who-Lived-to-Defeat-Voldemort was gay but was also involved with a teacher, things got even worse.  The whole of wizarding population had expected him to settle down and marry a nice witch, have a few kids and live a "normal" life.  Harry would never have a normal life.  All he wanted was to be happy and be with the man he loved and who loved him.  Was that too much to ask? 

The day before he was to graduate (and give a compelling speech in front of the student body about something he didn't care about), Harry thought of the perfect idea.  He would leave.  Wouldn't show up at graduation, wouldn't give a speech, and if he had his way, there would be one less professor in attendance as well.

Four pm found Harry running through the halls of the school down to the dungeons and barging into his office.  Gasping for breath, Harry waited until he could breathe before launching himself at his lover.  "I'm not going to graduation tomorrow."  He stated,  "I'm leaving. Tonight.  I don't want to be put up on a pedestal and praised for something I couldn't have done without the help of so many other people.  I'm tired of the way people look at me. And you.  I'm getting as far away from here as I can."

Severus Snape gently slipped from Harry's arms.  He was heartbroken.  Harry, his beautiful, wonderful Harry, was leaving him and going far, far away.  Harry was everything to him.  For almost two years, this man-boy had been his everything.  He was the reason why he woke up in the morning. 

"What do you mean you're leaving?  You're just going to leave here and everything behind. You're going to leave me behind?"  He tried to keep his composure and not cry in front of him.

"I could never leave you behind, Severus.  Yes, I'm going to leave and go somewhere where I could start over and just be…me."  He sighed. He raised a hand a lightly stroked the man's cheek.  "Haven't you ever just wanted to leave?"

"Of course I have.  I just want to know how you could throw away two years together just because you don't want people to judge you." 

"I'm not throwing away two years.  These have been the best two years of my life."  He smiled thinking about all the plans he and Severus made.  After graduation, they would move into Severus' ancestral home in Cornwall.  "You think I'm going to leave you behind and forget all about you?"  He realized what the other man must have been thinking.  Severus nodded, his control faltering and a tear falling.  Harry wiped it away.  "Run away with me.  We'll go live in the muggle world.  We'll be happy. No one will bother us."  He said enthusiastically.

Severus sat down on his desk and peered into nervous green eyes.  If he said 'no' he may lose the one thing in his life that meant the most.  If he said 'yes' he would be leaving everything he knew behind.  "You're serious!?  I wish I could, love, but this is where I belong.  Everything I know is here." 

"I'm dead serious.  I don't want to leave you but I just can't stay here anymore.  Let's go far away.  Just us.  We can have all those things we talked about.  I have more than enough money to live comfortably and you have your inheritance.  You can write for one of the potion journals and do all the pointless research you love so much."

"You haven't thought this through.  And how are you just going to leave before graduation.  What about your speech?"

"I didn't write the speech and I don't need to think it through."

"You won't be able to stand me after a while."

"Yes, I will.  I love you too damn much to leave you behind.  I wouldn't know what to do with myself.  You keep me focused.  Please, Sev, I don't want to have to leave you."

Severus thought for a few minutes about what Harry was saying.  He didn't have anything left for him here besides teaching.  Then again, they would be living in the muggle world and he'd have to learn all new things.  Losing Harry was one of his greatest fears.

"I'll go."  He whispered.  Harry beamed at him and started placing tiny kisses all over his face. 

"Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.  I love you so goddamn much!"  Harry was ecstatic.  Harry took out an envelope with a wax seal on it and placed it on Severus' desk.  The Front read:

                                    To: Hermione Granger

                                           Seamus Finnigan

                                          Virginia Weasley

Ron had unfortunately been lost during the war and never got the chance to tell Hermione how he felt.  Not long after the end of the war, Hermione and Seamus had gotten together and were planning on renting a small flat in London.  Ginny was the closest Harry ever got to having a little sister so he saw it fit to include her.  The letter was simple.  It stated that he had left and not to contact him, he would contact them and not to let anyone know where he was.

"You should go gather your things."  Severus suggested after penning a quick letter to Dumbledore stating that he quit and not to contact him.  He left a letter for Draco, telling him to look after his home in Cornwall until he returned, whenever that may be. 

Harry took out a shrunken trunk and tiny owl cage with a shrunken Hedwig inside it.  "I've already packed and have taken the liberty to pack most of you books.  All you need to do is shrink them and pack your clothes and whatever else you own."

The couple spent the next few hours packing Severus' remaining belongings, shrinking then and placing them in a trunk.  "We'll need to stop off at Gringotts."  Severus said, rubbing small circles on Harry's back as they sat on the couch in front of his fireplace.

"I've taken most of the money from mine and converted it to muggle money.  Do you need to go to your vault?"  Harry asked, leaning against the solid form of his boyfriend. 

"I just have to convert some money and empty my personal vault that I've been keeping my yearly salary in.  How are we getting to wherever it is that we're going?" 

"We're going to New York and we'll be taking a plane.  There's a fair sized wizarding population there and others not too far away from it.  We'll stay in a hotel until we find a flat."

"Isn't this all going to coast a lot of money, Harry?"

"Yes, but we should be able to afford it.  I can find work."

"As long as you're sure about this, I am too."

It was nearing ten o'clock and Harry thought they should leave.  Taking one last look at the place that they had both come to think of as home, they walked to the apparation point hand in hand and apparated to Diagon Alley to retrieve some money from Severus' vault.