Chapter Five

AN: I'm very sorry this chapter took so long but I've been trying to get this out for months and couldn't come up with anything I thought was good. I'm finally happy with this chapter, I hope you all like it.

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The truck tumbled along the dusty country road, bouncing with the uneven ground as the dust behind it trailed like a bride’s train. Inside, two dark haired boys could barely be seen. One was cheerfully chatting, seemingly unaware of the shorter boy’s death grip on the door’s arm rest and apparent mission to become one with the seat as he drove. The other was looking at the apparent unending rows of corn around them, panicked.

“-tonight with mom and dad.” Clark said laughing. “I mean, you should have seen the way mom jumped when the little girl turned out to be an old lady.”

“Um, Clark.” Harry began. Eyes drifting again along the road and the blurred green that were even indecipherable to his trained—from seeking and dueling––eyes. “Clark,”

“Yeah, Harry?” Clark asked, turning his head to look at him. Harry clutched the arm rest harder, knuckle turning while.

“Can you look at the road?” Clark gave a confused look but glanced back quickly before turning his attention back to him. Harry decided it was probably wiser to say something quickly than keep his cousin waiting and die in an automobile accident. “How much longer do you think this will take?” He asked, fearing they had fallen into some magical hell of unending corn stalks in all directions except the road.

“Not much longer before we hit the main road.” Clark said cheerfully. “It usually doesn’t take this long but since we went to the farmer’s market this way is quicker.”

Harry nodded. The market had been interesting but now he wished it had been in Smallville that week if only so that Clark would drive like a sane man. “Where are we going to eat lunch?”

“A small diner,” Clark said as if it were simple. Harry gave Clark a perplexed gaze. Harry had not seen much of Smallville but it indeed lived up to its name on many things. Small was not the kind of small Harry was used to given the amount of space available to Americans. “It’s run by a few friends Mom knows from church,” he added. “It’s not that bad. You cannot come to here and not eat at a diner.” He said empathically.

“As long as it’s good. I’m starving.” Clark smiled.

“Don’t worry, it’s better than anything you can get at Metropolis, believe me.” Harry, having only eaten that hotdog, couldn’t verify the validity of this statement.

It was around this point of the conversation that Harry spotted the main road.¬¬––
Thank, Merliln! –– and Clark began driving like he wasn’t on a suicide mission.

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When the town came into view, Harry had already been told what he would order. Clark looked extremely excited about today and he didn’t know the reason. The truck pulled to a slow stop along the downtown portion of Smallville. It was a busy Sunday afternoon and Harry was surprised to see so many people. They were most he’d seen in a days.

Passing several small shops, most of which had not yet opened, Clark led him to a slightly crowded shop. Entering, Harry spotted several small tables in between several booths. Clark smiled at the hostess who meted them.

“Hey, Mandy.” he greeted to the blonde haired girl. The girl’s face turned settled into a sour expression.

“Clark,” She barked, her voice deep and clearly unhappy. She gazed at Harry. “Who’s the pipsqueak?” Harry bristled but Clark merely laughed.

“He’s my cousin, Harry.” Harry smiled politely at Mandy who merely gave him a casual glace.

“The usual?” She asked Clark.

“Yeah, that’d be good.” She didn’t bother answering just led them to a table facing the street. Harry and Clark sat as she handed them a couple of menus.

“Billy will be with you in a minute.” She said in a bored tone. “Remember to enunciate.” She told Clark with a warning glare before giving a fake smile to Harry. “It was good meeting you, Henry.”

“Harry.”

“Whatever.” She said as she left. Clark smiled at her as she left and Harry gave Clark an annoyed look.

“Don’t mind her, Mandy. She’s always like that.” Clark said as his grin turned sheepish.

“Who is she?” He asked curiously.

“We go to school together,” Clark said before beaming. “we’ll go after lunch to the school and see it. How does that sound?”

Harry nodded. “Sounds good, mate.” He said honestly curious. He didn’t know what muggle secondary schools were like, much less those in America. He couldn’t quite remember how they were suppose to be aside from basic structure. Harry frowned, it was times like these that he often disliked the fact that the muggle and magical world were so different. He looked at Clark and felt something with in him twist.

Why hadn’t he gone to the Kents? They were the family he always wanted when he had grown up. The simple answer was Dumbledore. He knew. Dumbledore expected Voldemort to come back and had sent Harry to be raised in England. Secrecy was another reason. Petunia had already known about magic but it was clear Martha hadn’t and if she had died Harry wasn’t sure the blood protection would extend to Clark as it would with Dudley.

“What’s wrong?” Clark asked, interrupting his thoughts. Harry looked up. “Don’t say nothing.” Clark said.

“Just thinking about mum,” he said honestly. “I wonder how she would have liked being here.”

Clark nodded. “I sometimes wonder what my parents were like and what they would’ve thought about here.” Clark said eyes slightly saddened.

“I don’t understand.” Harry said giving him a confused glance.

“I’m adopted.” Clark said easily. Harry’s face was surprised, quite surprised by the news. Clark waited for his reaction but something like understanding went through his face before he spoke again.

“So Aunt Martha and Uncle Jonathan aren- ” Clark gave him a sharp look.

“They’re my parents. Not my biological parents but my parents. I just wonder about them.” He said looking at Harry as if waiting for a different reaction.

Harry looked shamed. “I didn’t mean it like that.” He said his eyes drifting. “It’s just a complicated thing.” He finished looking frustrated. “I just thought for the longest time I didn’t have family.” He gave him a smile. “Then I found out I had a godfather recently and now you lot.” He said looking odd. “It’s just a lot sometimes.”

Clark nodded, relaxing. “Mom would sometimes talk about you but I guess it didn’t really hit me I had a cousin until now.” It was at that moment that Billy arrived. Harry ordered quickly from the large nosed, red haired teen and looked fascinated as he rattled to order off to the cook, whose Jamaican accent sounded stranger more than his English one did in the small diner.

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Clark smiled at Harry; he looked very interested in Smallville High. His eyes peering through his dark rimmed glasses couldn’t hide his curiosity. Clark was glad Harry hadn’t changed how he had acted around him after he had discovered he was adopted. Looking at Harry, baggy clothes and looking extremely grateful toward his family, that Clark didn’t regret his family for one bit. Strange powers and meteorites aside, he knew he had grown up normal and in a happy home.

The day had been doing great so far. Clark was proud to say he had not taken any pills at all. He was hoping the day would continue like that but of course things never went that way with him. As soon as he had though the day would go one well, he knew Murphy’s Law would be enacted that very moment and day. Things were too calm for his life and on his trip with his cousin into town would need to be ruined one way or another.

It did not surprise Clark at all then to see a white snowy owl screeching at him with a letter attached to its leg. In clear green letters his name was spelled out. Harry looked at the bird with a panicked gaze and tried calling for it, it appeared, and Clark would have not have heard it without his super hearing because Lex Luthor chose that very moment to tear into the parking lot.

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AN: What did you think? Like it? Hate it?