Gone Missing: Looking for you

By: Love Seth

Mid-afternoon Harry's body ached from sitting in the house. He wanted to get out, stretch his legs a bit. His dad was at the ministry and his mum had decided to sleep all day, while Seth was down in his room.

Harry slipped on his tennis, they were tied just right so he could just slide into them. He grabbed his jacket and headed out the door without much thought to it. Figuring if anything was going to put him in danger his dad wouldn't of trusted him to be by himself.

The wind blew cold on Harry's face. Winter was drawing close and the air smelled dry and crisp. Like it does right before a snow storm. But there wasn't a cloud in sight. There wasn't a person in sight either. At least the only people he saw were in cars and not dumb enough to walk outside when it was cold.

Harry walked the block to the muggle grocer and gas station. Cars were lined up, waiting in lines to get the cheapest gas around. Harry vaguely thought of how Mr. Weasley would find it quite amusing to watch all those muggles as they sat impatiently in their car as the jerk they are waiting for takes their precious time.

"Harry!"

Harry turned just outside the gas station door. He was on his way to the picnic table to sit on top of it and 'people watch'. One of the most entertaining things to do when you just want to relax, be alone, and take everything in all at the same time.

Sam was walking towards him. A great smile on his face, "I've been meaning to catch you! I never see you around!"

Harry shrugged and walked all the way over to the table and sat on top of it. It was placed right in front of the window to the gas station, on the side walk where various pop and ice machines were located.

"I haven't been around much I guess," Harry said, resting his elbows on his knees and watching a elderly woman ask a gas station employer to pump gas for her.

"Oh. What's been going on?" Sam asked, sitting down next to Harry.

Harry looked at him like he had gone off his rocker. Why in hell would Harry tell him anything. He hardly knew him and he couldn't take chances with strangers these days.

Harry shook his head and turned his eyes back to the old woman, who was now handing the worker a tip.

"You like to stare?"

"I wouldn't really call it that, but do call it what you please," Harry said, his voice dull.

"Well, want to do something?" Sam asked.

"Like what?" Harry asked, not looking at him, and secretly thinking he really had no intention what so ever to do anything with Sam. If he got caught by his father outside of the house he was dead, and if he was caught with Sam you might as well pick out the coffin and dig the hole.

"I don't know. I told my parents about meeting you. My dad didn't have a clue to what was going on and my mum, well- she just feels sorry for you I suppose," Sam said.

Harry rolled his eyes back for a second. Being able to picture Sam talking to his mum and dad about him. It was something he really didn't need to know about.

"Actually the person who seemed most interested in you was my uncle. He happened to be there when I was talking to Mum. He's my Mum's brother. Always seemed really interested in how you killed You-Know-Who,"

"I didn't kill him," Harry stated.

"Hmm. I don't know. Well, if you came back to my house we could play Quidditch,"

Harry's head turned, "How?"

Sam smiled, "We have the best indoor Quidditch pitch. I practice everyday,"

"You do! I'm never been to one of them, that would be just totally sweet if we had an indoor Quidditch field. How do you hide it? Is your house like, huge or something?"

"No. From the outside it looked completely normal. Normal size I mean,"

"Oh, I'd love to see it," Harry said, growing excited and looking at Sam with a smile on his face. All that changed in a split second when he remembered how he wasn't even supposed to be outside the house, Harry's smiled faded and he looked away from Sam again, "I can't,"

"Why?" Sam asked.

"Because I have to head home. I shouldn't be out here anyway," Harry said, getting up and shoving his hands in his pockets. Growing depressed because what he really wanted to do was go see Sam's house.

"Well, if you change your mind here's my number," Sam said, pulling out a piece of parchment, ripping the end off, and writing a 10-digit number on it before handing it to Harry, "You know how to use a phone, right?"

"Uh," Harry said, taking the number from Sam, "Yeah, of course I do,"

Sam smiled, "Great then. Maybe I'll see you around, Potter."

Harry nodded a bit before turning from him, "Bye." Harry said just before he took off down the road in a jog.

"Dad's looking for you!" Seth shouted at Harry when Harry came through the door.

"Does he know I was gone?" Harry asked, pulling his shoes off and quickly making a dash for the couch in order to make it seem like he had been there the whole time.

"I don't think so. I told him I thought you were down in your room, but he is still down there," Seth said, sitting in the rocking chair that was beside the couch in the living room.

Harry narrowed his eyes, "How long has he been down there?" he was starting to relax now.

"I dunno. Ten minutes," Seth answered, looking towards the stairs.

Harry got up and slowly walked towards the stairs, stopping at the top of them. He listened but heard nothing. So, he started walking down to his room. His door was open and he could see his dad's shadow from the light coming in from the window.

Walking closer Harry saw he was standing at his desk, looking at something.

"What are you doing?" Harry asked.

James jumped and looked around at Harry, "You scared me," he said.

"Sorry," Harry said in a low voice, the kind that was just sort of a reflex and it didn't have much meaning.

"It's okay. I was just curious to where you were. I couldn't find you. Seth said you were down here but you weren't,"

"I was upstairs- and what are were you looking at?" Harry asked, shoving around James to look on his desk, but nothing seemed to be out of place. He looked back to his father.

"Nothing," James said, "I looked upstairs. Did a search of the house and I couldn't find you,"

Harry didn't take in James's bait. He knew exactly what he was trying to do- get a confession. But Harry knew better, as long as he didn't say he was out of the house James couldn't prove it without truth potion, and even then Harry bet he could get away with it.

"What were you looking at so long?"

"I heard you and your brother made up," James said, walking over to the window and peering out it.

"Why are you changing the subject?"

"I'm not. I told you I wasn't looking at anything. I'm glad your brother and you have made up, though. Then maybe you guys can go back to Hogwarts Sunday night,"

Harry didn't say anything, just looked around. His temperature rose as he had the gut feeling his dad was keeping something in the dark.

"Who's that boy?" James asked, pointing out the window.

Harry looked up and walked over to the window beside James and looked at where he was pointing to. He saw Sam walking down the sidewalk, hunched over and guarding his face from the wind with his jacket.

"I don't know," Harry said, going over to his bed and lying flat on his back.

James didn't look like he believe him, "Want me to go ask him if he knows you?"

Harry sat up in bed now, "What is the matter with you? You're acting all psycho!"

James didn't say anything, but looked a bit taken back, "I'm going to go back to see Sirius. I'll be home soon to make sure you are still here,"

Harry grew angry with James as he left him there speechless. Harry wanted to go after James but when he finally did get up James had already left.

I know you most likely want to know what is up with James, but you will find out next chapter. Reply if you want another one(chapter) by tomorrow (Feb. 20th).