Run Away
Disclaimer: No... don't own it! Only the little slip of paper siting beside me which reserves my book 6! So... no... don't own it!
Summery: Takes place during the 5th book. What if Harry didn't heed Dumbledore's warning to stay at Headquarters? Harry's missing, the Order is in a panic, and two frantic Marauders are on loose. Now it's a race against time to find the Boy-Who-Lived before a fate much worse than death befalls him.
AN: Wow! Good response to the first chapter! I love to hear from all of you so... PLEASE REVIEW! I'm begging you! I've looked at the hits section on my bio page and so little of you have reviewed! Please, please, please! To those of you who did review THANK YOU SO MUCH! Chocolate frogs and butterbeer to all of you! I hope you enjoy this!
"Are y'u s're yeh don't want an 'ot chocolate, Neville?"
Stan kept waving a ticket in Harry's face while he desperately tried to hurry to the back of the Knight Bus. After slowly progressing three blocks away from Grimmauld Place, Harry had summoned the bus with a wave of his lighted wand, counting himself especially lucky that magic was allowed during the Christmas holidays.
"No thanks, Stan. I just need to get to the corner of Magnolia Crescent and Privet Drive." Harry told the pimply conductor, already feeling the knot in his throat tighten slowly.
Stan shook his head, "'Onestly! You 'Ogwarts students don' know a bloody drink when you see one any'ore! Why drink Butter'eer when your could 'ave a nice 'ot chocolate?"
Harry took a seat on the furthest bed in the back of the bus (which was covered from front to back in garish Christmas decorations and even the purple beds had holy wrapped around the bed posts) and nervously folded the invisibility cloak up so that the burgundy material which lined the inside showed it's face. He hoped that that portrait of Sirius's grandfather would tell Dumbledore about his leave taking... things were already hard enough without him showing up on the Dursley's doorstep.
"Sirius..." Harry mumbled to himself, scrubbing his eyes with a vigour.
It wasn't that he wanted to leave, it was because he had to. What if he woke up one morning to find best friends lying in a puddle of blood? Or Remus lying sprawled on the kitchen table, a knife embedded in his back. What then? Harry shuddered, he could almost feel Sirius's look of horror and shame of him written so clearly on his face like am opened text book.
And that feeling, that dirty and uncleanly feeling that seemed to overtake him when in the company of others. Harry wanted nothing more than a shower, a scalding hot shower so that he could scrub off this invisible dirt. He was a snake... a slithering cold blooded animal that only thirsted after innocents.
"OI!"
Harry jumped off the purple bed with a jolt and clutched the invisibility cloak to his chest as Stan gave him an odd look.
"We're 'ere, Neville, cross walk between Magnolia Crescent an' Pr— "
"Thanks, Stan." Harry said, pushing a few sickles into the conductor's hand.
He got off the bus and made his way steadily towards number 4 Privet Drive, a feeling of the utmost dread churning in his stomach.
Sirius Black hardly ever lost control off his feelings, he was not an easy man to read. On the rare occasion that he was caught off guard, depended largely on the situation. The foremost being when he'd found out Lily and James had died and then when he had lost Pettigrew from right under his fingertips. And now there was another event to add to his growing list of 'lost control' situations.
Harry Potter was missing.
No, his godson was missing.
And Dumbledore was against him going to retrieve his godson.
"Now you listen to me." Sirius growled at the fire place while Dumbledore watched him, not a single glimmer inhabiting his gaze. "I will not just sit here in this hole, while my godson is going off to those pigs and a madman is trying to get at his head!"
Dumbledore heaved a heavy sigh that only served to put Sirius's anger up a notch. "Sirius, I know that you care about Harry very much and that you wish to retrieve him from family, warranted that he is there in the first place —"
"Of course that's where he's going!" Sirius snarled, only barely being restrained from diving into the fireplace by Remus's tight grip. "Only just the other day Harry told me he felt responsible for Arthur's attack! This is what happens when you don't tell the kid anything."
"I have my reasons for Harry not being informed about the situa — "
"DAMN YOUR REASONS YOU OLD —"
"Sirius!"
Remus swung Sirius around to look at him. Sirius seemed to be in danger of popping something and his eyes were widely erratic. He then glanced over at the headmaster and saw him bowing his head in the flames.
"We will go get Harry." Remus told the two men. "That is to say that Sirius and I will go and fetch Harry from the Dursleys. I'm sure that Sirius will take extra care in his appearance, Albus."
Sirius glanced at the headmaster, "I'm sorry, Albus... but you must understand that I am Harry's godfather and that I have a certain responsibility. And you can't keep so many secrets from him either. Harry has a right to know."
Dumbledore looked up his eyes still a bit solemn, "Yes, I too extend my apologies to you. I can't say that Harry will be informed about everything, but I shall do my best."
Sirius nodded, and then both Marauders stepped through the floo to the residence of Aberella Figg.
Privet Drive looked as it always had, although the fresh layer of snow upon the street made it look like a Christmas card more than anything else. Harry stepped up to the front door of Privet drive (which, as every other house on the block, had the Christmas tree sitting in the window with evenly distributed on the blue green branches) and rang the door bell, hoping for once in his life that he would be able to stay at Privet Drive.
The door opened almost immediately to reveal a happy looking Vernon Dursley wearing a maroon pullover and a glass of sherry in his hand. His guise changed when he caught sight of who was on his doorstep.
"You!"
"Me." Harry returned dully, "May I come in?"
"What are you doing here, boy?" Vernon hissed. "You're not supposed to be back for another ruddy six months!"
Harry sighed wearily, "I'm sorry to interrupt your holiday, sir. I just need a place to stay until I've figured things out, and then I promise I'll leave you and your family alone."
Uncle Vernon watched him shrewdly for a few moment before stepping aside and letting Harry pass. "You will stay in your room?"
He nodded.
"And not ruin our holiday."
He nodded again.
Vernon seemed satisfied. "Fine. You may help your self to a minimal amount of food, other than that, stay out of our way."
Harry nodded again as he stepped into the house and caught a glimpse of Aunt Petunia and Dudley (who must have been on break and looking even fatter than usual) before climbing up the stairs to his room.
It was just as dark and bare as normal, clothes still half in and out of the closet and books covering his bed from his escape back in Autumn. Harry sat down the cloak and went over to the window pane and stared glumly out at the falling snow. This was going to be one of his worst holidays, even if it was by choice... he was going to be miserable.
Or so he thought.
The doorbell rang, and then...
"Hello, I'm looking for my godson?"
Hello all! One more chapter left! I hope that you enjoyed this chapter... Please Review!
Saph Starlet