Title: Fall- back

Chapter seven: That's with a 'Z'.

Rating: T

Summary: After the war Harry moves to Lima, Ohio to try and live a normal life as just another invisible teenager. You know what they say about best laid plans, though. KH/HP

Disclaimer: Anything you recognise…. Isn't mine. Though I probably wish it is. Now I'm sad.

AN: Hi all!

Here I am with chapter seven, in which you will meet the person that knows Harry's identity. More about that at the bottom.

Also; I love you guys so, so much! Over a 100 reviews? Seriously? That's amazing! You guys rock.

Larger AN at the bottom. Enjoy!

The next day, Harry went to school in high spirits. He had survived an afternoon with a Muggle in a magic infused house, Remus had somehow miraculously managed to get Teddy's hair to stay brown (though Harry supposed he should ask about how he had done it, Teddy didn't really seem all that pleased this morning when he woke up with brown hair) and he had a few delicious muffins with him in lieu of lunch (he hadn't told Remus about that particular fact and had thrown in an apple to soothe his own guilty conscience). All in all, that day was shaping up to be a good one, already.

Of course, all good things must come to an end. This time it happened quite early in the day. Harry was just opening his locker to get his books for his next period when the locker was slammed shut. A rather large arm had entered his field of sight and was keeping the locker closed. Not sure if he really wanted to find out who the arm belonged to, Harry hesitatingly turned to face its owner anyway. The girl he found there was certainly not what he had expected. Nor did he expect her to stare at him like he was some sort of animal that would probably taste very good with a little barbecue sauce.

"Er, hi?", he tried when the girl kept staring at him after a few minutes. The girl removed her hand from the locker and crossed her arms across her chest.

"Hi," she said in a tone that told him he'd better not interrupt whatever she was about to say. He didn't.

"Let me get right to the point. I know who you are and you have something I need."

Harry was confused. "Er, do you need to borrow a pen or something? What's your name anyway?"

The girl looked at him, not impressed.

"Laren Zizes. That's with a 'Z'."

Harry nodded slowly. "Okay. What do you need, Lauren?"

"I know who you are," she repeated.

"Yes, you mentioned," Harry responded, trying his best to ignore the brief flare of panic that had started to tighten his chest area. "And I remember you sitting at the table the glee club was seated at when Artie introduced me, so I'm not surprised you know me."

She didn't look all that impressed with him. "One, I'm not a member of that stupid glee club. It's lame and I was only at that table because I want me some of the Puckasaurus."

Harry wrinkled his nose, trying his best not to picture that particular couple in his head. Lauren ignored this and continued talking.

"Two, don't give me that crap. I know exactly who you are, Mr Chosen One."

The feeling in Harry's chest tightened even further. "How?"

"My cousin went to school with you," she shrugged. Harry raised an eyebrow, not remembering having gone to school with someone called 'Zizes'.

"I'm sorry, I don't think I recall a 'Zizes' in my year."

"She wasn't in your year," Lauren responded, and Harry racked his brain even further to try and remember the name. Lauren cut his thoughts off, however. "And her name wasn't Zizes, either, but Clearwater. Penelope Clearwater."

The name rang a bell in Harry's head, but he had trouble putting a face to it. Then, he suddenly recalled Fred and George Weasley teasing their brother Percy about a girl he had been dating, called Penelope Clearwater. Fleetingly, the image of the Ravenclaw Head Girl in his third year flashed through his mind. He recalled her as being tall and slim with beautiful brown curls.

"Right, of course," he said, "Penelope, I remember her."

He hesitated for a second. "The family resemblance is-"

"Non-existent, so don't give me that bull," Lauren cut him off once again and Harry briefly wondered if she'd ever let him finish his thoughts or sentences.

"Okay," he sighed. "What do you want then?"

"Are you still friends with the Weasleys?" she asked, not answering his question.

"I am," he hedged, not sure about her intentions towards the family that had practically adopted him seven years ago.

"I need you to get me in contact with the twins," she said in a no-nonsense tone of voice. Harry was immediately on edge. He didn't really know this girl, but something in him told him that introducing her to Fred and George would end in disastrous results.

"What for?" he asked her carefully. She looked at him as if he were stupid.

"For their products. You know their store, Weasley Wizarding Wheezes? I need some of their stuff to keep my rep up."

"Yeah, I don't think I can do that," Harry answered, preparing to walk away from her.

"Why not?" she asked with a look in his eyes that told him he'd better have a good reason or there would be hell to pay.

"Because," he answered carefully, "Because it would be a breach of the Statue of Secrecy. It's not allowed to let a Muggle have magical artefacts, especially if they will be used on other Muggles."

He was a little proud of himself for thinking that up on the spot. He was sure there had to be a grain of truth in there somewhere, and it's not like Lauren Zizes would actually know the contents of the Statue of Secrecy. Hell, Harry didn't know the exact contents of it and he had had to live in a tent with Hermione when she had been studying the blasted thing. All he knew was that Muggles finding out about magic was a big no- no.

"Really, that's it?" she asked him, incredulously. "You're not even going to try?"

Harry pretended to think about it for a moment. "No."

She sputtered at him for a bit, obviously not used to being denied anything. After a minute of Harry watching her amusedly, she seemed to gather her wits around her.

"You do realise I could just, like, out you to the school, right?"

Harry snorted. "As what, a wizard from a magical school next to an enchanted forest?"

"Yep, exactly," she answered, though she didn't seem as sure as before. Harry shook his head and turned around.

"Good luck with that," he tossed over his shoulder at her, knowing full and well that she would never try and do that in fear of ruining her own reputation. As he turned the corner, he felt triumphant.

The triumphant feeling didn't last long. After his final class for the day (Chemistry, yuk.) he had been summoned to the guidance councillor's office. She had sat him down, big eyes wide with concern for him and had fired rapid question at him for about thirty minutes about his home life, and how he was settling in at school and had he made any friends yet? Harry was thankful when she let him go, since he had trouble taking her and her big eyes very seriously. The eyes reminded him a bit of professor Trelawney.

Feeling properly chagrined at having spent thirty minutes of his life he would never get back in a guidance councillor's office, he stopped by his locker to grab the books he'd need to do his homework out of. When he stepped away from the locker to walk out of the school and go home, he bumped into someone, sending them both off kilter.

Steadying himself and the person he had caused to come to an abrupt halt, he noticed it was Kurt that he had run into.

"Oh, sorry, Kurt," he said apologetically. "I didn't really watch where I was going."

"That's alright," Kurt said to him, eyes suspiciously damp. "I saw you nearly juggle the batter bowls yesterday, I know you're a bit clumsy."

Harry grinned a bit at that, until he noticed the dampness in Kurt's eyes.

"If it's alright, then why do you look like you're about to cry?"

Kurt seemed a bit embarrassed to be caught out on that and tried to hide it a bit by rubbing his cheeks.

"Oh, it's not you," he explained. "I just need a bit of a break from the guys in glee."

Harry's eyes narrowed some. "Why? Are any of them giving you trouble or anything?"

"It's not like that," Kurt answered. "Not really, at least. We're up against this new team in the next competition and they're all boys, so of course Puck made a crack about them being a gay school and how I would fit in just right and stuff like that. Then he suggested I go spy since I'd fit in you know? And none of them would listen to my ideas, and they are genius!"

Harry took a moment to take the whole spiel in, a bit amazed at the amount of words Kurt just spewed out.

"You know," he said, "Just because Puck said it, doesn't mean you have to do it."

"Yeah, I know," Kurt sighed. "But I did say I would do it, and I'd look like a joke if I didn't, so I guess I'm going."

"Or…." Harry said, wondering why he got a tingle down his spine when Kurt looked up at him with a gleam of hope in his eyes, "Or, you could join me for coffee at this little shop I found the other day and just tell them you got caught tomorrow or something."

Kurt smiled at him. "I like the way you think, Harry."

"I have my moments."

So…. Lauren! Only one person guessed correctly, that person being Lady Constance Malfoy Hummel, who still hasn't replied to the PM I sent her about it. So, if you read this, reply?

Also, this is obviously the moment in time where Kurt makes a decision that will cause him not to meet Blaine at this point, as he doesn't go spying on the Warblers. Don't fret though, Blaine will make an appearance eventually.

So, what did you think? Liked it, hated it, loved it, want to throw rotten vegetables at me? Let me know!

Till next time!

-Robin.