The Psychic Runaway

Chapter 3- The New Bonnie and Clyde

------------------ absolutely nothing.

Forthright and her cohorts became so overwhelmed with surprise, they resembled victims of a Petrifying Charm. Harry was just as surprised to see his room vacant, but a wave of both relief and curiousity sweeping over him helped minimize the effects of said surprise. He was glad that Emily somehow had gotten to safety, but at the same time Harry was starting to feel regret and even abandonment- he didn't get to say goodbye, and neither did she.

Was Harry ever going to see her again? This new feeling of loss began to sink Harry's spirits, although the sinking was soon checked by the fact that if Harry wasn't going to see Emily again, then neither was Forthright. For no sooner had the group discovered Emily's absence in Harry's room then one of Forthright's men burst through the doorway.

"Detective! We've searched the whole residence- she's completely disappeared!" he reported urgently.

This news snapped Forthright out of her spell. After throwing her gun onto the ground in a blight of fury (and accompanying it with some unladylike words) Forthright spun around and collared Harry. "You incompetent excuse for a child!" she roared. "Do you know what this failure's gonna cost me? I could get my badge taken away, or worse, my gun! In all the years I've been on this force I've never met anyone as pathetic and stupid as you!"

Once again Harry suppressed his desire to injure the detective- or at least in a physical way.

"And in all my years in this hell of a life I've never met someone as ugly and deceitful as you!" Harry retorted.

This made several veins appear at Forthright's temples. Harry could see a wish to inflict on him severe injuries burn in her eyes, which was why Harry was for once a little glad (and by little, so miniscule it didn't change his view of them in the slightest) that the Dursleys existed, else Forthright might've actually followed through on said wish.

"Detective?" Vernon inquired, speaking for the group now standing in the doorway. "Did your mission succeed?"

The Dursleys' presence made Forthright loosen her grip on their nephew.

"Apparently I have underestimated Emily's brilliance, so I'm afraid that justice won't be served till another day," the detective replied, her lip bristling as she did so.

The Dursleys gave Forthright their sympathies, with Petunia even offering to house the group for the night to help them regain their strength. Both Harry and Forthright were relunctant to have her accept this offer, Harry even more so. He could barely stand Forthright's presence as it was, but to have her poison linger in the air while Harry was sleeping would be fatal. Thus Harry hoped with all his might that she would leave, although his hopes weren't so strong as to make him completely ignorant and speak his hopes aloud. Unfortunately, this was one wish that the gods relucted to grant, for Petunia (to Harry's horror) persisted on her invitation so fiercely that Forthright accepted it.

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After Aunt Marge was comfortable settled into Dudley's room, and after Forthright and her companions were provided with pillows, blankets, and other necessities for their stay in the living room, the Dursley house joined its neighbors in settling down for the night. Or almost all the house- Harry's eyes refused to close until he figured out where Emily had scurried off to. He knew that she was old enough to take care of herself, but this situation was starting to bring out Harry's protective side. What if she got stuck in another pipe? What if when she was running Emily tripped and broke her angle? What if midjump over a fence her pants snagged, leaving her to dangle there helplessly until morning? These fears led Harry to finally put on his glasses, throw on some clothes, and go search for her.

The first thing that Harry did was throw open the window. Although he was willing to go out and search the entire neighborhood if necessary, Harry figured that the best way to conserve energy and time would be to scan the area from his roof. That way he could find Emily, help her escape safely, and get back to his room before morning. Or perhaps even earlier than that- no sooner did he climb up than he saw the toe of a sneaker peeking out from behind the chimneytop, and heard some indistinguishable mumbles. With bated breath, Harry slowly peered around the chimney to find "Emily!" Harry exclaimed, both thrilled and amazed beyond belief at this discovery. "Don't tell me you've been up here all this time!"

Emily looked up with eyes as wide as a startled deer. But when she recognized who was speaking to her Emily relaxed and even smiled. "Yeah," she replied sheepishly. "I knew I had to get out of there like hellfire, but with you being so nice to me and all, the least I could do was stick around and say goodbye."

Although the realization that Emily was going to indeed leave made Harry downcast, he shook it off (with the help of a sense of pleasure in Emily's good view toward him) and started to ask for some answers.

"But Emily- how were you able to do that?" he began, taking a seat beside her. "Forthright had dogs and almost a dozen guys after you. Surely one of them would've found you."

Emily smiled again, this time having some knowledge that Harry didn't yet possess. "Oh, just a simple Disillusionment spell. No worries....and, erm, Harry? There were never any dogs. That was just some ruse Forthright used to make her seem official. Figures she'd do something like that, though."

Harry became taken-aback, both by Emily's words and by the fact that Emily had known this fact before he did. "You mean- Forthright's an imposter? How's that possible?" "By her favorite paradours- deceit and a hell lot of practice spreading it around," Emily responded darkly. "Don't get me wrong- Amelia really is Amelia Forthright. But her version of the story absolutely reeks with lies. For example, she isn't a cop, at least not in the Muggle sense. She's one of the higher-ups in the Ministry, and all her flunkies are nothing more than some of her department people. It's true that I lost my family last year....."

Here Emily's voice wavered a bit, and as she hurriedly wiped her eyes Harry noticed for the first time that her eyes were bloodshot and puffy (no doubt from tears previously shed in Harry's absence). This made Harry soften a great deal towards the girl, and harden a great deal towards the woman who had made Emily suffer.

Finally Emily regained herself, and continued her explanation. "It's also true that Uncle Remus saved me from the massacre. So there's no way in bloody hell I'd repay him by just throwing away my values and killing that godawful woman, no matter how bad she treated me. Although the night I ran away I felt ready to. Not only did she take me away from the last person on earth who cared for me- who, by the way, never once took to the bottle and who made the house look like shit only to keep people like Forthright from finding me- but she spits on my family's memory like it was nothing, and insults and otherwise persecutes me any time she could."

"And to top it all off," Emily continued, her voice by now hardened by irk at the remembrance, "this locket Forthright's mother supposedly gave to her-"here Emily showed Harry the incriminating locket since returned to its rightful place around her neck "- was really my locket given to me by my mother. It didn't matter that it was the last relic of her I had, and thus very valuable and essential to my existence. It also didn't matter that the locket has neither an A nor an F, but an E, so it can't possibly be hers naturally. No, she just stole it to piss me off- and it worked. I got fed up with her and chewed her out. She got mad at me for standing up to her for once, and, along with slapping some very venemous insults on me, tried to actually smash the locket. That was why I tackled her, not because I was wildly out of control. And when it ended it wasn't me pointing the wand at Forthright, but vice versa, with Forthright declaring that at long last the rose was going to be crushed, and she was going to have the honor of preparing it for the one who'd do so."

"Of course, I had no idea in hell what she meant, but judging by the fury sparkling in her eyes she was going to try something drastic, and so I had to get out of there- and fast. I got out my wand and blasted her with a Stupendous Charm." At this the corners of Emily's mouth twitched into what resembled one of her pretty smiles, at least until she pointed out, "I thought I could just grab my stuff and get out of there long before she'd recover, but there was one things I didn't prepare for in time- Mr. Peabody."

With the mention of the man's name, Emily's mood darkened once more. "It was almost like he Apparated right in front of me, which upon looking back was probably what happened. But in any case, his appearance- physical and magical- made me stop in my tracks. He was as tall and skinny as an elm tree (perhaps he had some giant blood in him) with dark hair, smooth skin, a pinstripe suit, and a pair of cokebottle glasses. I couldn't tell you his exact age, but Peabody seemed to be about 35 or so. But apart form his enormous size, the thing that made him stand out was the style of glove."

This made Harry perk up. "Glove? On which hand?"

"Hm? Why, both of course," Emily answered. And I remember them most distinctly- they were black leather with green snakes contricting the gloves as if they were alive. Don't know why- after all, I usually don't take the time to stare at people's clothes," Emily interjected, seeing the question forming on Harry's lips. "But if I had to put a finger on it, I'd say it was because Peabody used one of them to slap me to the ground, inquiring if I was leaving so soon."

"Normally I wouldn't take any time at all to recover from something like that, but just the sheer force of his assault took the wind out of me. Peabody took that moment to tie me up with an Incarcerous spell, which was right on time for Forthright to finally snap herself out of it. As soon as she saw me she laughed right in my face.

'Well, well, well- the little brat is all bark and no bite after all,' she spat triumphantly. 'I say we give her a beating worth remembering.'

Peabody gave his consent, adding that 'after we do so, I will find and deliver the rose to its owner, and you will contact the Daily Prophet and tip them off about the apocolypse.'

Forthright became offended. 'Mr. Peabody, what makes you think you deserve the honor of delivering his prize?'

Peabody took equal offense at her words. 'I'm his closest companion,' he growled. 'It only makes sense that as such I'm the one to help His Darkness proceed with the ritual.'

Apparently Peabody stepped on Forthright's toes with that argument, for she wasted no time in retorting, 'I don't care if you're a hair in His Darkness's left nostril! I was the one who received the rose- I should take it home!'

'The only reason you got the rose,' Peabody hissed maliciously, 'was because I found it for you! Thus I have the right to deliver it to His Darkness and get my reward!'

"As those two nits argued over some indecipherable (and, as far as I could see, totally worthless) topic, I of course was trying to escape," Emily said. "I had scanned the room for any sharp corners, but unfortunately they were all too high for me to use safely and discreetly. However, I did spot my wand, lying right in my line of vision. Thus I gave it a mental summons, and thankfully I caught it without being noticed. Then I tilted it in my direction, until I could feel it poking at my bindings, and set myself free with a whisper of Diffindo. With that I grabbed my locket and sped like the damned to the fireplace, where I threw out some Floo Powder for home before either of those ingrates could stop me. Unfortunately, I heard Peabody yell something spell-like after me, which -now that I think about it- was probably what made me get stuck in your pipe."

As Emily began to conclude her story, Harry noticed that her voice was starting to change again. Instead of being hard and bitter, the words that tumbled out next began to sound frustrated and even tear-filled.

"Then Forthright comes chase me down, giving me no rest," Emily said, chin starting to quiver. "Then she lies about the whole story and insults my honor, my godfather, even my sanity in front of complete strangers (that not meaning you, Harry). All because she can't stand the fact that I, unlike the rest of the world, don't want to bow down and worship her for eternity. I, unlike the rest of the world, don't want to have to fall on my knees and beg just to get some food from the fridge. I, unlike the rest of the world, want to honor my daddy's memory and think of him as a human being, not some slob or kook or worse, a criminal. I, unlike the rest of the world, have never known what it's like to.....to.....to have some real jolly good cheer." With that, Emily's defenses finally cracked, and her shoulders shook with sobs as Emily hid her face in her knees and cried.

At this pitiful sight, Harry's shoulders started to ache with a generous share of Emily's burden. His heart went out to her for miles at the thought of all the suffering she had endured. At least Harry had Hogwarts and his friends to look forward to each summer- Emily had absolutely no one to turn to anymore (Emily could always go home to Lupin, but she would lead that fucked-up wrench of a human being right to him and start the whole thing all over again, and Harry was almost positive that Emily would never choose to add more troubles to her already troubled life- at least willingly). Plus no one could cry like that without feeling any true emotion behind it, and so that provided even more evidence that Emily wasn't a liar (if there was still, and Harry would be surprised indeed if there was still, any part of him left that remained skeptical about her honesty). These arguments stirred up a deep and profound sympathy within his heart, one that yearned to be expressed but was held back by a hesistant and unexperienced brain. He had never interacted this much and in this way with a girl before, and so Harry wasn't sure what action would seem most suitable for the moment (not too eager-seeming, yet not too reserved and distant). Finally, Harry went out on a limb and reached out and patted her gently on the back, kindly letting Emily have her emotional tirade in peace.

After a few moments, Emily no longer felt so distressed and upset. Wiping off her eyes once more, she thanked Harry for listening to her problems so graciously.

"No problem," Harry replied modestly, feeling his ears start to pink as the two of them stood up.

Emily then cleared her throat. "I'm having a good time here- really I am. But, erm, I think it's best- if I leave now. I wouldn't want Forthright to catch you with me." She turned to leave, but then faced Harry again. "I know I've done this probably a million times already, but I just wanted to say- thank you. For everything." With that, Emily reached over and threw her arms around him.

Harry became frozen stiff with shock. Oh my God, Oh my God, Oh my God! he panicked, his skin refusing to stop switching from hot to cold and back now that it had begun doing so. Harry had no idea why he was acting so nervous- lots of people had hugged him before, and it wasn't like Emily was implying a desire for romance or anything. Yet his heart was going 100 miles an hour and he was clamming up every time he'd try to speak! Harry also had no idea what to do in response to this phenomenon. Nobody, not even Cho, had inspired so much zest and longing in his heart before, and so Harry never knew if he was capable of feeling such strong emotion as this or what to do if (and now when) those emotions proved their existence. That was why Harry's brain became torn between two questions- should he peel her off (gently), and perhaps offend Emily amoung other consequences? Or should Harry succumb to a new feeling that had by now overtaken his fear and confusion, and let her hold on? Finally, Harry surprised even himself and returned Emily's embrace.

No sooner had he done so than Harry became completely overwhelmed with that new feeling- comfort. He had never before felt such a sense of warmth, of contentment, of thankfulness for life before, and yet the feeling became familiar to Harry so quickly that it seemed like it had been there for all his life. Plus Emily was warm....so warm.....Feeling a smile start to creep onto his face, Harry sighed deeply, his nose delighting over the now noticeable scent of lavender. Oh yes, Harry thought as the lavender became sweeter. I could definitely get used to this.....

At long last, Emily pulled out of the embrace. "I'm really sorry to do this now, Harry, but- I have to go." With that, she turned around and proceeded to climb back down the roof.

Instantly the spell lost its hold over Harry- or at least began to produce negative effects. For no sooner did Emily start her descent than Harry was overcome with a feeling of loss. She just couldn't leave him alone like this, not after blocking up his water pipe, leading a psycho cop and her pals to his neighborhood, and drenching him with the sweetest-smelling lavender ever made. Up until now Harry was certainly entranced by the pretty creature, but as he watched her disappear something about Emily began to make the thought of her absence almost unwelcome. Perhaps it was her dry and cynical sense of humor. Perhaps it was the (adorable) venerability she showed when she cried, an occurrence that arrested Harry's complete attention even more than when she talked. Or perhaps (and this made his Inner Voice gasp and ferociously berate him for being so shallow) she was just so freakin' hot. But whatever the reason (or reasons), Harry felt such negative emotion toward Emily exiting that he blurted out "Emily! Wait up- I'm going with you!"

Instead of seeing Emily's head pop back over the edge like he expected (or even hearing the sound of Emily's voice), what Harry experienced next was hearing a rustle, a muffled scream, and a crash. Instantly alarmed, Harry peered over the edge to see Emily lying face up on the lawn below. "Emily! Emily- are you okay?" he hissed urgently. His appeal, however, went unanswered. This threw Harry into a panic, and as he frantically scrambled off the roof he feared for the worst. Please God, Harry prayed as he rushed to her side. Just let her be unconscious. Don't let her be what she might be.

As Harry shook her by the shoulders, his Inner Voice proceeded to only add to Harry's wounds. I tried to warn you, you ninny, but you wouldn't listen. You thought you were too good for me, too mature and self-controlled to need me. And so what do you do, wiseguy? You scare the girl out of her senses- again!

Harry obviously didn't appreciate this, but his mind was too occupied with the situation before him to say much more than Do you mind? Just shut up and let me handle this, will ya? With that, Harry pulled out his wand and gently tapped Emily with an "Ennervate."

Emily's eyes immediately fluttered open, making Harry breathe a secret sigh of relief. "Uhn....what happened?" she wondered as Harry helped her up. "I feel like the Knight Bus just ran me over."

"Actually, that was what I was going to ask you," Harry replied. "Do you remember anything of before you fell?"

Emily became thoughtful. "Well, I remember saying goodbye to you. I started climbing down your ivy, and you said...." Suddenly she stopped, blushing at the remembrance of Harry's words. This occurrence, while making Emily seem even cuter than before, made Harry ashamed of himself. He almost began wishing she never heard it, but it was too late. She had heard his question loud and clear, leaving Harry to suffer the consequences of this awkward moment.

Emily seemed to have guessed Harry's embarrassment, for she hurriedly began forgiving him. "It's allright, Harry- really," she said. "I mean, I'm sure you couldn't help saying what you said. It's my fault that I wasn't gripping the ivy hard enough anyway."

Harry became taken-aback. "You mean- you aren't....you aren't offended?"

Emily became equally surprised. "Offended? What kind of person would I be if I was offended at the simplest compliment?" she teased, a little bit of disbelief resonating in her voice along with amusement.

Harry's spirits immediately shot up again. However, he had quickly learned from his past mistakes, so this time he knew better than to exercise a lack of self-restraint. Thus Harry showed less eagerness than he felt when he asked her, "So I can suppose you wouldn't mind granting my request?"

Emily's cheeks blushed a deeper color. "With all the authority you can possess," she smiled. "But just to warn you, Harry, the whole Ministry's probably looking for me by now. If you come with me you risk-"

Emily didn't get to spell out what risks such a venture would impose. For Harry suddenly put his hand over her mouth and pulled her back against the wall. When Emily understandibly started to protest, Harry shook his head and urgently put his finger to his lips. Finally after a few moments, Harry let her go. "Sorry if I scared you," he whispered. "I just thought I saw Madame Skank looking at us."

Emily's face immediately flushed white. "What?! Oh my God- are you positively, undoubtedly, absolutely sure?" Emily panicked.

"Trust me- I could recognize those stoney eyes from a mile away," Harry responded grimly.

Suddenly Emily gasped, becoming both determined and a bit frantic. "Well then what are we standing around for?" she demanded. "If she's seen us, we need to leave im-"

SNAP! Before the pair knew it, someone had ensnared them in a giant cacoon-like net, the product of a sharp "Contantimus!" encantation. As Harry and Emily desperately struggled to find a way out, their captor let out a shrill triumphant laugh, revealing said captor to be Forthright herself. "Poor little fool," she addressed to Harry. "I tried to tell you she wasn't innocent. But you refused to listen to me, instead allowing yourself to be sucked in by that vixen's lies. So the only good that will come of this will be for me, when I turn in two criminals instead of one!" With that, she laughed again, and (judging by the ensuing silence) went inside to brag about her new feat.

While Forthright was undoubtedly feeling proud of her accomplishment, Harry and Emily were growing short of temper, Emily in particular. As she struggled to make a hole in the net, both physically and magically, Emily spewed off a series of curses on Forthright as well as a good number of foul expletives. Harry felt by all means the same frustration; however, his Inner Voice began for the first time to provide some helpful advice.

What are you doing?! it reproached furiously. If you want to get out of here before Her Royal Fatness comes back, as well as to score some points with your Juliet, try blasting out with your Patronus Charm.

The wheels began turning inside Harry's brain. Of course- why didn't I see it before? Harry wondered, pulling out his wand and saying a prayer before the Voice could butt in with another dose of cycnicism. Hermione had said herself that the Patronus Charm was advanced magic, and considering how well Harry used it three years ago, his since-advanced magical studies should help him do an even better job now. And even if it doesn't counter Forthright's spell, Harry concluded as Emily took notice of his wand and inquired of his actions, at least I have a chance of impressing Emily. Harry then concentrated on that happy sight of his parents in the Mirror, and bellowed out the due encantation with all his might. A silver and majestic stag charged forth from his wandtip and gashed a large enough opening through Forthright's bindings to set them free. Seeing as how they were suspended in the air by several feet, this sudden release threw the pair in complete shock as well as subjected them to the time-worn phenomenon known as gravity.

Oof! Harry recovered from the fall to find himself only inches away from Emily's shoulder. Before she could blush or before Harry's heart could start warping into hyper-drive again, however, they were put on alert by the sound of approaching footsteps. "Hurry, boys," Forthright shouted, her voice starting to grow shrill. "If I know that brat she's trying to escape even as we speak!" Harry lost no time in reacting- he grabbed Emily's wrist ("Come on!") and started running towards the fence seperating the frontyard from the back. Deciding that it was too time-consuming to unlatch the gate- especially after spotting Forthright spot them and shriek "I knew it! After them, you fools!"- Harry instead kicked it down and raced through the gap. "Accio trunk! Accio cage!" he shouted, trying to be heard over Forthright's screeches and the sound of various encantations being uttered to target him. Finally (and Harry wasn't sure himself how he had thought of this, although he later attributed it to the urgent situation and the memory of his third-year experience) Harry raised his wand high above his head and thus summoned the Knight Bus.

The purplish-blue of the vehicle never looked so welcoming to Harry as it did now. However, his voice seemed to prove the almost complete opposite, for when Stanley Shunpike began reciting his dull and hackneyed greeting Harry responded with a snappish "Not now, Stanley! There's a talking walrus after us, so cut the shit and step on it!" Stanley didn't need to be told twice, for he instantly relayed it to Ernie, who in turn slammed the doors shut (narrowly cutting off the entrance of Harry's baggage) and pressed the gas pedal to the floor, thus speeding off into the night.

*End Chapter 3*