Oh man, oh man! It really has been so long since I last updated my other stories.
Do not fear my readers! I have already started typing out chapter 5 for TtL.
This plot bunny got stuck my head one day when I was showering and I just had to type it out immediately. It may become a multi-chap fic, but it will remain a one-shot for now just like Be Careful Of Where You Go.
I hope you all like it!
Normal disclaimers apply. Non-Betaed so all mistakes are mine.
Harry picked his way through the empty streets, the dawn light breaking from behind the skyscrapers, illuminating the pavement beneath his feet. Worn, oversized sneakers scuffed the concrete on every step, soles worn and the hole-filled cloth patched up with pieces of duck tape. Harry sighed softly, running a dirty hand through his equally dirty hair, pulling it away from tired eyes hidden behind large, round spectacles. His small shoulders were weighed down by a bulging backpack, straps frayed and an awkwardly bent paper clip wrapped around the slider as a make-shift pull tab. Hiking the backpack higher up his back, Harry quickened his steps- it wont be good for him to get caught by the police patrolling on their morning rounds.
Turning sharply down an alley between two redbrick buildings, Harry climbed a dumpster to jump-grab the first rung of the pulled-up ladder on the side of the building. Swinging back and forth, Harry propelled himself over the short brick wall separating the houses and the abandoned warehouse behind, landing with a short forward roll to absorb the shock. Harry scurried across the cracked, dusty pavement, bordered by dried, yellow grass. He was never that comfortable being in such open areas, utterly indefensible. Harry grabbed the padlock chaining the front door shut and gave it a good jangle, the chain link hooked by the lock clicked open, slipping around the rusty metal to the floor with a loud clang and a small cloud of dust. Harry quickly slipped past the doors and closed them, re-locking the padlock through a small pull-down panel beside the handles.
Harry had just set his bedding down on the floor at the back of the warehouse when he heard the door creak open and heavy boots thudded noisily on the floor, the creaking half-rotted wood echoing loudly in the large building. Harry froze like a startled rabbit before bursting into action. Between one second and the next, he had grabbed all his belongings and stuffed them into his bag, before darting straight into the less-used parts of the warehouse.
Broken windows high above his head allowed light to shine on his path as he ran from room to room, looking for another way out. Harry was so concerned with escaping unnoticed that he never took note of the floorboards under his feet cracking dangerously. Then, they gave away, causing him to tip backwards into the hole with nary a squeak past his lips. Harry screamed as he fell, arms and legs flailing wildly, heart pounding and nearly hysterical with panic. The wind was whizzing past his ears, pulling at his clothes as he continued to free-fall. Then, somehow the air around him changed, becoming lighter. He breathed harder, trying to take in enough oxygen, but the air kept on thinning until he was left gasping, hand clutching his throat, head feeling light and vision darkening at the corners. Then, the world became dark.
Harry came to with a loud groan, head aching and his throat feeling like it had been put through the dryer. Harry tried to sit up, only to collapse back onto the ground with a cry, hands grabbing his pulsing head. It felt like it was going to burst, the light seeping through his eyelids sending painful lances through his skull. He curled up in a tight ball, knees pressed against his forehead, trying to stop the pounding. He swallowed convulsively, coughing when his throat muscles seized and choked him. Harry felt himself gag and hack, each cough causing another painful throb through his head. He whimpered, his cough persisting until he managed to make enough saliva to swallow properly. Panting, Harry sat up carefully, wincing with every stab of pain, and turned slowly to drink in the place he had landed in.
Beautiful.
It was the only word Harry thought of. The circular cavern was huge, reaching as high as The Shard in London and wider than the length of two football stadiums. It was carpeted by rich brown soil and lush, soft grass. Harry stared, amazed at the towering evergreen trees dotting the cave, some even growing out of the walls with their leaves branching outwards majestically, curling towards the ceiling, all sorts of fruits and flowers growing between the leaves. Flowering stalks and shrubbery painted a rainbow of colours across the entire area as far as his eyes could see. Some of the flowers and leaves glowed faintly in the dim light, their shapes and sizes varied, ranging from long, thin petals hanging downward like the branches of a willow tree to thick broad petals and leaves casting shade on their surroundings, some oval shaped and others sharply curved. He could hear the rush of a waterfall somewhere in the distance and smell the clear scent of unpolluted air. It smelt sweet and settled light and gentle in his chest.
Breathing slowly, Harry relaxed and tipped his head back, his headache slowly ebbing away as he rested backwards on his palms. Opening his eyes, Harry gasped at the sight that met his eyes. The ceiling of the cave was sprinkled with gems that glittered in the dim light. They were a constellation of twinkling lights, their core lighting up with inner fire that pulsed to the beat of a silent drum. Looking closer, Harry realised that these gems were embedded in every rock and stone that created the landscape, emitting their own soft glow, bathing the cave with light. There were some gems that were larger than others and there were others that glowed a different colour the longer Harry stared at them, shifting from emerald green to cobalt blue then to a fiery orange. Harry sank back onto the ground, eyes closing to half-mast as he remained mesmerised by the sight around him, completely forgetting about the aches and pains that plagued his body. Harry closed his eyes and let his exhaustion pull him under.
Soft touches brushed his forehead and arms, dragging Harry away reluctantly from his deep slumber. Eyes snapping open, Harry sat up quickly and his attention was immediately arrested by the figure in front of him. The figure was cloaked in an aura that made it hard for him to focus on a specific detail on their body. With his eyes constantly sliding away from them, Harry only received a vague impression of a calm smile and warm eyes. He saw flashes of red and brown and felt a near overwhelming presence that left him speechless. Suddenly shy, Harry ducked his head to stare at his lap intently, self-consciously picking at his old and filthy clothing. He was abruptly very aware of the two days worth of city grime that coated his skin and the smell of garbage and sweat that lingered on him. A warm touch to his chin had him raising his head to face the warm presence.
Look up child. There is no shame in running, in surviving.
The voice was as warm as their presence and the words were spoken with such conviction and power, Harry could not contradict them. He could feel them looking at him with more kindness than he had ever received before and felt his broken and battered heart beat just a little stronger in his chest, his throat swelling with so much emotion that he could hardly breathe. He closed his eyes and leaned into the warm sensation cupping his face, touch-starved, and soaked up the comfort given so freely.
Harry could hardly believe that he hadn't woken up from this dream yet.
Slowly, he felt the ever-present aches and pain in his body being drained away and turned his face to tuck it in the corner of the warmth. The sigh that left his mouth came out more as a sob than anything else as Harry felt tears pour down his face, his chest tightening until he was choking under all of the feelings that he had kept buried deep in his heart.
He cried out all the unfairness he felt being so hurt in his childhood that fending for himself on the streets seemed infinitely better. He cried out the jealousy that he harboured for those children in loving households where their relatives don't abuse them on a daily basis. He cried for all the times he stole and fought and lied to survive.
Harry cried into them who had wrapped themselves around him in comfort, body shaking and hands clenched tight in his lap. His face was pinched in quiet agony and silent tears leaked down his face in streams, dripping steadily onto the ground between his thighs.
Hush child. You are safe now.
Harry gasped at the firmness in their words and could not bring himself to drag up even an ounce of disbelief against them. Fresh tears slid down his face as he cracked a small smile at them, a smile that shone like the first rays of sunlight after a typhoon. Relief poured through his veins and he felt himself relax into their touch, safe and content. A soothing sensation slid around his heart to slot itself perfectly into one of its gaping holes and Harry somehow felt lighter than he had in years. He felt himself being scooped up and curled himself tighter around his protector, feeling emotionally drained. As he slipped off into his dreams again, there was a quiet murmur beside his ear.
My name is Hashmal, child. No one shall keep me from you ever again. With me, you will never be alone.
Woah, what a chapter. This is sort of an AU of my AU in TtL.
Confession: I borrowed the character Hashmal from FFXII so he's not mine. *Sigh*
Harry is always so sad in my mind-scape, the poor thing. Life is looking up for him now though.
Like I said, this was a one off thing that I have no plans as of yet. So I might make this into a multi-chap.
It's slow going so far for chap 5 for TtL, I'm still considering which direction to take Harry on.
If you see any mistakes or have any questions about anything, feel free to drop me a pm or a short review.