~*~

Harry turned abruptly on his back and stared at the ceiling.

"I said you won't like it. Now you are mad at me," Draco said sadly and turned on his side to look at Harry.

"No, I'm not mad at you, but I should leave," Harry said, emotionless, like he had spoken so often before they came here.

Draco panicked at hearing this hopeless and cold voice again. He had almost forgotten about it lately. "What? No, Harry. I said it was private. You shouldn't have heard this all."

Harry stood up and looked coldly at Draco. "No, it was good that I finally heard the truth. I hinder you from healing and feeling happy. That's it. I knew it before and now I have the proof. I will leave this camp. If you are a friend you won't tell anyone. This camp is the right thing for you, and I'm just acting as a millstone around your neck. I wish you luck, Draco. You have been the best friend I've ever had. Please don't tell anyone that I'm leaving." The coldness in his voice had left upon seeing Draco's desperate expression and tears.

"No, Harry, please don't leave me! Don't leave me alone," Draco screamed between sobs.

Harry looked sadly over his shoulder while already grabbing the door handle. "You are no longer alone, Draco. You don't need me any longer."

~*~

Frantically, Harry stuffed a jacket and the two apples he had in his room into his backpack. Karim was meowing nervously and strode around his feet. For the third time, Harry lifted the confused looking cat and placed him on the windowsill. "Don't make this harder than it already is, Karim." Harry fought against the tears that were already starting to form in his eyes. The pain about leaving Draco was overwhelming. In one jump, Karim was again between Harry's feet and meowed loudly. "Shhh, Karim, you will alarm the others," Harry said as he maneuvered himself around the black cat and went over to the window. He wished he could take some water with him, but the adults were still sitting in the kitchen, and Harry had no vessel to fill in the bathroom. He also didn't want to waste more time. The others would wake up soon, and then Harry would have no chance to escape.

The fresh morning air hit Harry's face when he looked out of the window. The farmyard was deserted, and Harry stepped on the windowsill. Karim started to paw at Harry's legs. If anyone had been in the yard, they would have heard Karim's loud meowing, but luckily nobody noticed him. Sadly, Harry looked at the black cat that moaned miserably now. "I'm sorry, Karim. There will come another one to look after you." With those last words, Harry started to climb down the rain drain.

"Damn," Harry cursed when he cut his hand on the drain. It was bleeding lightly, but steadily. Quickly, Harry wrapped his handkerchief around the wound and looked for a way to escape. Cautiously, he crept closer to the big farmhouse until he reached the end. With big steps and in a bowed position, he ran over to the stable. He had just reached it when he heard voices.

"I will go inside and see how far the others are," Black Hawk said.

"Sure. I will finish feeding the horses and then come in as well," Red Horse answered.

"When they don't need my help for preparing breakfast, I will be out and help you. I just have to check if Light Arrow and White Cloud are still occupied with the Doc."

"Still needing your morning cigarette, Black Hawk? Don't let Light Arrow catch you," Red Horse said, laughing deeply, and Harry could hear heavy footsteps heading away from his hiding place. Harry pressed himself against the stable walls and didn't dare to move.

"That's why I only smoke far away from the farmhouse, my friend," Black Hawk muttered under his breath.

Harry's heart was beating so fast that he feared he would collapse. If Black Hawk turned around, he would see Harry standing there with his backpack and surely would put two and two together. It seemed to be Harry's lucky day because Black Hawk went over to the main house without looking backwards. The moment he went inside, Harry ran to the backside of the stable and pressed himself against the wall to breathe deeply. That was close to a catch, Harry thought, still breathless.

When he could breathe normally again, Harry looked around. Wherever he looked, there was free land. Only a few trees were randomly distributed and could hardly give any shelter from unwelcome eyes. Harry's only chance was to run as fast as he could and that he did.

Harry's chest burned. He was sweating; even though it was still early in the morning, the sun was heating the air. With no shelter from the sun and the running, Harry felt the heat burn him from out side and inside. He cursed that he didn't have his hat with him. Without it, he would hardly survive a day in this outback, but the Stetson was hanging beside the main door like the hats of all the others.

His hands ran through his sweaty hair and he glanced back towards the farm. The area was hilly and the farm had almost vanished behind a hill. Harry ran for a few more minutes, and when he turned around again, the farm was gone. Holding his side because of the stitches, he slowed down and continued to walk.

The feeling of loneliness overcame him and the tears ran freely now. The farm was gone, but so were Severus and Draco. Severus was his only real anchor to this world; the only person he felt safe with. Light Arrow could help him through the nights and Harry felt safe with him as well, but it was different. He didn't like the old man like he loved Severus. It was that kind of love you had as a child when you thought your parents were the universe and everything they did was right and nothing could happen to you when they were around.

Harry knew this was stupid, and he couldn't explain why he felt like this about Severus. When they were in the dungeons of Malfoy's Mansion, it was always Severus he hoped would come and rescue them. In the end, it was Severus as well as many others, but what counted was that Severus was there for them, even after they were found. For Ron and Neville the help had come too late. Harry knew that Severus had tried everything to find them, and he would have killed all the Death Eaters alone if he would have had a chance to do it. Now he was alone, more alone than he was in the dungeons, and it was an awful feeling.

Draco's tear-strained face appeared in front of Harry's vision. The feeling of loneliness was accompanied by guilt. It was his fault that Draco felt so miserable now, but it was for the better. He was preventing Draco from going on and enjoying his life. Harry had realized that this morning and for him it was the ultimate sacrifice for Draco to leave him so that Draco could have a new and better life without him. For Harry, there was no rescue. That's what he told himself over and over again. Only the pain in his chest made him wonder what had changed in him the last week. Why was he feeling so bad by leaving the farm, his friend and the only father figure he had left? Why did it even bother him? One week ago, it wouldn't have hurt like this; Harry was certain about that. It would have felt good to know that Draco was safe and happy and that he would go and kill the Death Eaters, even if it meant dying himself during this act. But now, the pain in his chest caused by the feeling of loneliness was overwhelming. He wished he could go back and bury himself in Severus' or even Light Arrow's arms, forgetting all the pain and worry, but he couldn't do that. He was alone, and he had to survive alone.

Tears were blurring his vision, and not only was his chest burning, but his head as well. Sobbing, he went on his way to nowhere. He had no clue were he was or in which direction he had to go. He hadn't cared to memorize the position of the sun to orient himself. The farm wasn't in view any longer, and so Harry just walked on, disoriented.

Meanwhile in the Camp

"Dad, Severus, you have to come up to Draco! He is crying and I can't calm him down. Something must have happened. It's serious," Rose said, agitatedly.

She hadn't even finished the last sentence when Severus stormed past her up the stairs and the rest of the adult and Doc Martens followed him.

"Draco? Draco, what's wrong?" Severus asked worriedly while sitting down on the bed and laying his hand on Draco's shoulder. He was surprised when Draco spun around and threw himself on him.

"Don't leave me alone," Draco sobbed. His voice was hoarse, and Severus knew that he must have been crying for some time.

"I'm here, Draco, and I won't leave you. Calm down." Severus drew gentle circles on Draco's back and listened carefully to the heart wrenching sobs of the boy. He hoped Draco would calm down. Never had a nightmare affected Draco that much, and Severus had a dreadful feeling that it wasn't a nightmare that had unsettled Draco like this.

"Draco, what happened?" Severus asked calmly. Rose sat down beside them, but she and Severus both knew that her magic could only work when the one who it was directed at was willing to take it. Right now, Draco was too shut down for her magic.

Draco just shook his head with his face still against Severus' chest.

"Draco, you can tell us. We are here for you," Rose said and laid her hand over Severus' on Draco's back. Severus' other hand was resting on Draco's head and gently stroking the blond hair.

More sobs wracked Draco when he tried to speak.

"Severus," Doc Martens said softly and handed Severus a vial.

Severus recognized the calming draught and took it. Gently, he shifted Draco to give him the vial, but the boy clawed at him like his life depended on it. "No, don't leave me! Don't leave me alone!"

Severus looked at Light Arrow for help, but the old man gestured to him that he should be the one handling the situation. "Draco, please, I need to give you a calming draught, so you can tell me what is bothering you." Severus sat the vial down on the night table and gently pried Draco's hands from his clothes, but Draco refused to lift his head.

Rose gently stroked Draco's head and drew the hair out of his face. "Draco, let us help you. You will feel much better after you drank the potion."

Still sobbing, Draco let Rose gently pull his head backwards until he lay back against her. Severus let go of Draco's hands and grabbed the vial.

Draco felt Rose behind him, but when Severus let go of his hands, he panicked and didn't know what do to with his hands.

"Shh, Draco. I'm here, and I won't let go of you," Rose said , one hand on Draco's forehead, gently pressing Draco backwards against her chest while the other hand closed over his trembling hands.

"Drink this for me, Draco," Severus said softly and lifted the vial to Draco's lips.

Still sobbing Draco tried to drink the potion, but when it was halfway down, he choked. Rose shifted him forward, and Draco immediately grabbed for Severus' robes again to pull him close.

"No, Draco, first you have to finish the potion." Severus pressed the vial to Draco's lips again, and this time Draco managed to drink it fully. The moment he was finished, he launched himself at Severus again and buried his face in his robes. "Okay, Draco, now calm down and tell me what happened." Again Severus started to draw calming circles on Draco's back and eventually he felt Draco's sobs lessen. "What happened, Draco?"

"He is gone... He left me.... He thinks he is... he thinks he is making me sad and worried, and so he said he had to leave. It's all my fault." Again Draco started to sob helplessly, potion or not.

Severus looked around. Draco didn't have to say whom he was speaking about. Everyone knew it. Black Hawk passed Light Arrow on his way out and said. "I'll take the pickup."

Light Arrow nodded and patted Black Hawk's shoulder. Seeing Severus' conflicted expression, Light Arrow said, "You are needed here, Severus. Black Hawk will take care of Harry." Severus knew that the old man was right, but that didn't stop the feeling of guilt coming up. Again, he wasn't able to take care of Harry. He had to decide who needed him more, or more importantly, whom he could take care of best at the moment, and that was Draco. Draco was distressed and he needed a person he felt totally safe with. That could only be Harry or him, and Harry had his own problems right now. Severus knew Black Hawk well, and he was sure that Black Hawk would take good care of Harry. He couldn't have gone far. The next town was too far away, and there were no dangerous animals around during the day. Severus was sure that Harry was in no serious danger, only in emotional misery, and Black Hawk would handle that well. With this thought in mind, he drew Draco closer. "It's okay, Draco. He will come back. You will both be okay. Just calm down, I won't leave you."

Draco nodded into Severus' chest. He felt safe with Severus, and Rose's calming magic that was flowing into him through the hand that she had rested on the back of his head was calming him even more. Nothing could hurt him at the moment and he knew that they would get Harry back as well.

Draco hadn't realized that there were more people in his room than Rose and Severus, and he didn't notice when Light Arrow and Doc Martens left the room. Crying Horse had made sure that the other kids didn't disturb the scene and had ushered them down for breakfast. When Black Hawk passed the little group in the kitchen, he just said, "You have to take over my duties today, Crying Horse. I don't know when I will be back."

"Sure. Take care," Crying Horse said and then tried his best to cheer up the worried looking teens.