Leighton was a parking lot attendant for a car rental company in Bristol.
His job was dull and boring, at least, that's how he saw it.
Every day, he handed car keys to all sorts of different people, listened to their grand travel plans, and then had to feign admiration while he remained stuck in this parking lot, watching cars co and go.
The sky was gradually darkening. Leighton glanced at his watch. If the company's salespeople hadn't brought in any new custors to pick up a car, then in five minutes at most, he could hand over his shift to the old drunkard on night duty and call it a day… another monotonous day in an endless cycle.
However, just as he was convinced no one would rent a car this late and began packing up his things to leave, soone lightly knocked on the glass window of his booth.
Leighton paused. He looked up and saw five people standing outside the booth, seemingly having appeared out of nowhere.
At the front was a tall man wearing a dark blue T-shirt and black shorts. His black hair was tied into a short ponytail, and he had the kind of face you'd see on a TV star.
Beside him was a boy who looked no older than ten, with ssy black hair and dressed in brand-new children's clothes, with the tags still attached.
The boy was excitedly examining his outfit, like a kid from the countryside seeing new clothes for the first ti.
And behind them were two people.
One was a lanky, pale young man, and the other a short, fat middle-aged man with glasses.
Their clothes also looked freshly bought, and up close, you could even sll the distinct scent of new cotton fabric.
The pale young man was carrying what appeared to be a sleeping girl on his back.
"Are you Mr. Leighton?"
The man with the short ponytail smiled as he spoke.
Leighton snapped out of his scrutiny and slid open the small window of the booth.
"That's ."
"Mr. Mills sent us here. Here's the paperwork for the car."
As he spoke, the ponytailed man handed over a car rental agreent through the window.
Leighton took the docunt, skimd it with practiced ease, and then picked out a key from the counter.
"Volvo 240 station wagon… License plate CV 219. It's parked in spot 076."
After handing the key to the man, Leighton chanically recited the usual instructions and return date, though his eyes kept drifting to the mismatched pair behind him… the tall, pale man and the short, bespectacled one.
Leighton couldn't see the face of the girl the tall man was carrying, but he always felt that there was sothing indescribable weird about these two people. Their outfits were perfectly normal, yet there was an inexplicable strangeness to them.
But before he could dwell on it, the ponytailed man led the group into the parking lot to find their rented car, disappearing from Leighton's view just as his shift was about to end.
The man with the short ponytail, of course, was Severus Snape.
After smuggling Patty out of Badminton Estate, he imdiately regrouped with Harry and reunited with Sanguini and Worple. He quickly stopped them from attempting to use Apparition for an imdiate escape.
"From now on, put away your wands and do not use any magic… not even the simplest Levitation Charm."
"Why? Shouldn't we be moving as fast as possible?" Worple couldn't help but ask.
"Any use of magic leaves traces, especially Apparition, which can be traced to its endpoint." Severus led them to the nearest phone booth, where he found the number for a car rental company.
Before picking up the receiver, he said to Sanguini and Worple, "In fact, if the Aurors did not just consider themselves as wizards and only considered magic, they could've identified you as the culprits on the first day. But they rarely consider that they can use things that Muggles can use. The long-standing influence of the Statute of Secrecy has warped their thinking, causing them to believe that wizards and Muggles are entirely separated."
"But the truth is, Muggles use tools, and those tools can be used by anyone. That's not like magic, which only works for specific people. Obviously, most people still don't realize this, which isn't good for wizards as a whole. But for us right now, it's the perfect way to stay hidden."
"Rember, you have to act like real Muggles. I'll handle getting us new clothes and renting a car. Worple, go to Gringotts and take care of sothing for ."
Severus directed Sanguini and Worple while dialing the car rental company, arranging to et a salesman nad Mills to finalize the rental paperwork.
Then, the four of them split up efficiently.
They temporarily settled Patty in a small inn, with Sanguini and Harry staying behind to watch over her. Worple went to Gringotts to handle business with a vault key Severus had given him, while Severus went out to arrange Muggle-related matters, including buying clothes and renting a car.
Eventually, they regrouped at the inn.
"I did as you said, opened a new vault in my na and moved the potion from the original vault into it."
Worple handed the vault key back to Severus, clearly having pieced sothing together.
"Is that the potion that'll wake Patty up?"
Hearing this, Sanguini, who had just changed out of his robes and put on the new clothes, looked over eagerly.
"Mr. Snape… y-you planned this in advance?"
"But that potion still needs at least four more days to brew." Severus held up the rental agreent he'd finalized that afternoon, "Let's go. Sanguini, you carry Patty on your back. Rember to let her hair down to cover her face."
He led Harry, Sanguini, and Worple, who are now dressed in normal Muggle clothes, to the rental company's parking lot. After obtaining the car key from the attendant, the four of them, along with Patty, boarded the spacious, boxy-looking station wagon.
Harry sat in the front, while Sanguini held Patty in the back with Worple.
The vampire and the wizard, who had never been inside a Muggle car before, were fascinated by everything inside. Even the door handles were objects of study for them.
"Don't touch anything randomly."
Severus warned, though he himself spent a long ti examining the controls from the driver's seat.
After all, it was a car from the 1980s, with right-hand drive, so Severus had to re-familiarize himself with it.
This made Harry, who was watching from the side, terrified.
He had always believed his teacher was omnipotent, capable of anything... but the way Severus was fumbling now...
"Hold on tight. We're setting off!"
Finally, Severus turned the key and started the engine, shifting the gear lever with surprising familiarity!
But just as Harry let out a relieved sigh and reached for his seatbelt, the car lurched violently and stalled before moving even half a ter!
The car fell into an eerie silence.
After a long pause, Sanguini tightened his grip on Patty and cautiously suggested, "Maybe... a broomstick would be a better choice..."
"Or a flying carpet." Worple added helpfully.
"I just released the clutch too quickly." Severus muttered, restarting the engine to cover his embarrassnt, "Don't worry. I dare say no one in the Wizarding World understands driving better than I do!"
This ti, he successfully backed the car out of the parking space and slowly drove out of the parking lot.
But every ti Severus changed gears, the car would jolt violently, forcing Harry and the two in the back to grip the handles above the doors tightly!
"Mr. Snape, where are we going now?" Sanguini asked nervously.
Severus, who is now one-handing the steering wheel as he gradually got used to the car's rhythm, rolled down the window and rested his other arm casually on the door.
As the wind rushed in, tousling his black hair, he said cheerfully, "We can go anywhere during these four days as long as we don't get caught by the Aurors. Also, Eldred, don't forget to keep writing your book. You said it'd be finished in three days at most. Put your literary skills to work… we'll need your masterpiece!"
Worple had already opened his notebook and was now tugging at his hair in frustration.
"I'm trying to focus!"
At that mont, Sanguini spoke up softly.
"Can we go to the Cotswolds?"
Hearing the sowhat familiar na, Severus couldn't help but raise his eyebrows. Before he could recall exactly where that was, Harry, who had obediently fastened his seatbelt, leaned over and reminded him.
"That's where Miss Patty's family ho is. There's a farm there. Sanguini promised her he'd take her back one day."
Severus laughed.
"I rember there's a huge tulip field there too, isn't there? Perfect for a picnic! Let's go… off to the Cotswolds!"
Sanguini's eyes reddened again as he held Patty, looking deeply moved.
Upon noticing this, Harry quickly tugged at the hem of his new shirt protectively.
"You can't wipe your nose on my clothes again! These are brand new… Professor just bought them today!"
There was a burst of hearty laughter in the car as it drove out of Bristol in the dusk.
The fugitives' journey had begun.
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