This was a contest entry I did for the HP Message Boards. I didn't have anywhere else to put it, so I put it on here. Anyways, hope you like!

Disclaimer: Do you really think I own it? PFFFT.

Escape

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It was the same routine, over and over again. He'd never told anyone about it, and most likely he never would. It was his escape, the only way he could face harsh reality. It was his support, his strength, what he looked to should he feel like giving up, or just plain giving out. It was his main source of comfort. It was basically what drove him to do all the things he was supposed to do.

It was his parents.

Like he did every morning before the last, Harry Potter woke up and trudged down the stone cold stairway of Godric's Hollow, shivering and squinting in the harsh morning light. He'd been living there since the end of his sixth year, and had been incredibly surprised to find that it wasn't as bad as he thought it would be. All it needed was a good clean-up and voila, he had a house. All to himself.

He liked to think the old house held many memories. Memories of his parents. Memories of when his life had been care-free and happy. He imagined the old, rotting walls held memories of his first Christmas, of when he said his first word. Memories of when things had been normal.

But if the house held those kinds of happy memories, then it also held the fateful day when his life had taken a turn for the worse. The day his parents had been killed. It made his blood run cold.

After eating a small breakfast, he slowly walked towards the bare living room and let his eyes rest on the cardboard box that sitting next to the only wooden b chair/b he owned.

Slowly, he approached it and once close enough to reach, he collapsed on the chair and began to frantically search through the box until he found what he was looking for.

It was a videotape.

Just like he did every morning since he found the dreaded box in his attic, he approached the old television that he had charmed into place and popped the video into it.

Arm trembling, he pressed the on button and sat back on the floor to watch, shivers running up and down his spine.

The screen was fuzzy, but became clear as the seconds passed. Harry could hear voices shouting at each other, then the screen became clear and he could see three people, grinning like lunatics on his TV.

Harry's breath caught in his throat. The marauders where on his television.

" Hurry up Moony! The charm on that thing's gonna wear off soon!" a tall, black haired boy said.

"Well if you would have just let me cast it then we wouldn't have to worry about that, now would we?" a bodiless voice responded. Remus must have been the one doing the filming.

"Oh Shut up."

They were standing outside by lake, and Harry could see the forbidden forest in the background of the shot. In the screen, Harry saw his father and Sirius engage in a series of complicated cartwheels and backflips for a couple of minutes until they ended up falling into the icy lake water that was behind them with a loud splash.

The camera shook and Harry could hear Remus' throaty laugh filling the screen.

Then, everything went blank.

Harry took a deep breath, and stared at the blank screen for a few seconds.

Then, a faraway shot of the Gryffindor common room filled the screen. It was exactly the same as how it had been when Harry had occupied it, with insignificant differences. This time, he could hear hushed voices, and Sirius' voice whispered:

" Did the charm on this thing work? Good. Now…be quiet!"

The person holding the camera was unmistakably traveling down the boys' dormitories, because Harry recognized the winding staircase.

" Right now, " Remus' voice said, brimming with excitement " We're trying to see if we can film a moment that will surely go down in the history books, a moment to be remembered for all eternity." The camera then swiveled over to him, and Harry could see that he was crouching at the foot of the stairs, and carefully peering into the common room.

"Oh don't be so dramatic Moony. " Sirius' voice whispered. He must have been the one doing the filming this time. "It's just Prongs asking Evans out for the millionth time."

Remus grinned and looked into the camera. "But this time she'll say yes."

The camera then slowly moved over to the common. Harry now saw that it was empty, save for two people.

His parents.

James and Lily were standing by the fire, they both looked very nervous. Harry could hear shuffling noises through the screen and he guessed it was Sirius trying to get a better shot.

James said something to Lily, and he took her hand. Lily's face went from fear, to surprise, and then to glee in a matter of seconds.

Harry's heart began to feat faster and faster. He couldn't even blink. He knew what his father asked. And he knew what her answer would be.

Then she smiled, and nodded. Harry heard Remus' and Sirius' shocked gasps.

Now it was James' turn to go from shocked to gleeful. He grinned and before Harry knew what was happening, he saw his father pull Lily towards him and lock his lips with hers.

Harry didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

They kissed for about an entire minute before Remus jumped out of his hiding place, whooping like an Indian. Sirius must have done so too, because the screen began to shake, and it went from the boys' stairway, to the middle of the common room. James and Lily jumped and separated instantly.

"It was about bloody time!" Sirius' voice said, while his parents' figures came closer and closer.

The shocked and horrified look on James' and Lily's face was priceless.

"You prats filmed that?' James asked, wrapping an arm around Lily's waist.

Remus, who had plopped down on the couch behind them, rolled his eyes. "Of course" he said, as if it where the most obvious thing in the world.

Lily scowled, but then she grabbed the nearest item within arms reach and threw it at the camera.

Harry saw what it was a second before it disappeared out of view. It was a pair of fuzzy mittens. He couldn't help but grin.

"Wow. That really hurt. I'm dying from the pain, Evans." came Sirius' sarcastic voice.

"Oh, go die somewhere, Black." Lily answered, resting her head on James' shoulder. James wrapped his arm around her possessively again. They smiled at each other.

"Good Lord. I'll just leave before the sappiness of it all kills me." Remus said, getting up from the couch and smirking.

"I think I'll leave too." Sirius' voice said. "C'mon Moony, lets leave these two lovebirds to their joyous snogging."

Harry saw James make a very rude hand gesture with his middle finger before he turned back to Lily and kissed her again, they both got very into it.

"You two make me SICK." Remus said in a mock-affronted voice.

Lily broke away from James and smirked. Harry could see her green eyes shining in the fire from halfway across the room. "Leave. NOW" she hissed, pointing towards the boys' dormitories.

"Yes mother." Sirius retorted. The camera then moved from Lily and James by the fire to Remus standing by the stairs.

"We'll film some more tomorrow. They'll be at it again then." Remus said to the camera.

"It's Evans and Prongs, bof course/b they will." Sirius' voice replied. The camera started traveling up the stairs, but then it swiveled one last time to the common room.

Lily and James were sitting by the fire, kissing tenderly.

Harry swallowed the lump in his throat.

Then the screen went blank.

Sighing, Harry forced himself off the floor and pressed the off button on his television. He could have watched more, but he always stopped himself after exactly the same amount of time. After putting the tape back into the box he walked over to the kitchen and busied himself with a bteapot/b.

Harry stared out of the kitchen window at the peaceful day that was unfolding. He thought about what he had just seen and grinned. He wasn't worried. Because after all, Remus was right.

There was always tomorrow.

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Thanks for reading, please review.