out of my cage // rachel & travis

[Deleted]

The world had been surrounded by darkness for as far back as he could remember. After 5 years locked away in the depths of Azkaban, time had become a figment of his imagination. After so long, he had forgotten about the sensation of sunlight kissing his skin, or the crispness of fresh air when it filled his nostrils and diaphragm. The sounds of birds chirping. These simple human privileges had become foreign to him after 5 years locked up behind bars. He never thought he’d see the sun, green grass and trees, or bright blue skies ever again. These were wonders of the world he took for granted as a free man. But after precisely 1,832 days in Azkaban, he was freed. 

This was never supposed to happen.

Sixteen hours ago was the collapse of Azkaban. Sixteen hours ago, Travis Smith got his magic back. At first it was an incredibly strange feeling. As if his body has suddenly been switched 'on' like a light. The powers were there all along, hibernating deep in his core, diminishing into a dark void inside of him. It was miraculous moment, a complete adrenaline filled frenzy all around him. He wasn't scared. Fear wasn't an emotion he felt, ever. Either way, he wasn’t going to stay while the Auror's and workers tried to figure everything out. There was no way in Hell he, or anyone else with an Azkaban sentence, was going to stay around when they had this opportunity to prison break. Everyone had the same idea when the walls came crumbling down around them. The deafening quietness was filled with maniac laughter all around. People were disappearing into thin air as soon as their magic returned. It was a glorious moment. He knew it was a mistake, but he had nothing left to lose. Rachel was at the back of his mind amongst it all, but since he didn't know where she was located, he couldn't take a chance. So, he apparated.

Travis had to think hard about a place he knew he could apparate to without being immediately traced from Azkaban. Muggle London would be safe because it was crowded with the hustle and bustle of the city. He apparated to an alleyway of a large chain retail store where he used to shoplift, which to his luck, was closed early on the weekends. Travis was able to get the back door open easily. His first plan was to get out of the convict clothing before anyone else saw him, and burn the evidence of his Azkaban attire. Travis moved with an ungodly swiftness, as if he hadn't ever stopped the hustle. Within seconds he found a black hoodie and jeans, tearing them off of the clothes rack and changing himself. He found a large black trash bag and started filling it with items that he knew he'd need for the night, along with the Azkaban uniform he'd be burning later. His eyes scanned the large store scavenging the home goods aisle, he needed blankets...food and water...he grabbed an extra pair of clothes for Rachel; a shred of hope that she had gotten away with everyone else too. 

Then, alarms started to blare around him, lights flashing wildly. The burglar defense system finally sensed motion.  His heart leapt out of his chest, spooked by the commotion, he wasn't willing to risk his newfound freedom so early. Especially not to stupid Muggles. He disappeared into thin air, the large black trash bag in tow. 

Travis apparated to the only place he knew Rachel would think to go. Their hideout was an old abandoned cottage in the French countryside that they would visit when they first came to Europe. They liked it because it was secluded and a great hiding place whenever they needed to get away. A while ago they agreed to meet up there if things ever went bad during a heist. He hoped she'd think of that now. No Magical folk were going to walk up on them here, they'd have to be more worried about Muggles finding them. This time if they had he'd probably just kill them. There was no taking chances. 

He apparated outside of the old, abandoned cottage, opening the locked door with a lazy wave of the hand. It was dark in the inside and he immediately coughed from the dust swirling in the air. At least it still appeared to be uninhabited and forgotten. He shut the door and was immediately greeted by silence. It wasn't a peaceful feeling anymore, but he was relieved to be away from his cell. Travis went over to the old abandoned bedroom that was still decorated with a bed set and dresser, which was very outdated and dirty. With a wave of a hand, he cleaned the bed to the best of his ability, plopping himself on it and allowing his body to sink into the mattress. He hadn't slept on a bed with a blanket in over five years. Despite his heart still pounding out of his chest from the adrenaline coursing through him, he was able to drift into a very deep sleep for the first time he could remember in a very long time.

Sixteen hours had passed...which would be hard to judge exactly how much time had passed, since he didn't have a watch, or any sort of way to tell time - that was one thing he should have stolen earlier. Travis was currently in a deep slumber, sprawled out on top of the bed dreaming about nothing, eyes flitting under his lids. Birds were chirping outside in the trees as the sunlight leaked through the old, torn up curtains of the abandoned cottage...

@rachel

[Deleted]

Rachel hated life in Azkaban prison. Every second felt drawn out, agonizing. It took less than a week for her to lose the desire to do anything, stuck in the darkness of her cell, alone. She missed Travis. She knew she was in a section of the prison where everyone was in solitary confinement, but that didn't help her feel better about it at all. As the days and weeks and months dragged on and on, she lost all sense of time, all caring of anything. Rachel would think she was going crazy, that time wasn't passing at all, but a few times every day they brought her food. Crappy, disgusting food, but she would eat anything. 

After five years stuck there, she was certain she'd lost her mind. All real remembrances of her life before lost their color, she even dreamed in black and white. Her thoughts were disjointed, unconnected and she became practically unresponsive. Other cellmates would try to talk to her through the walls sometimes, but she stopped answering. She didn't care. There was only one voice she wanted to hear again, and she'd been informed that she would never see or hear from him again. 

Then, something happened. As she was lying in her cot, staring into the blackness of the ceiling, a strange sensation started to fill her. It took Rachel only a moment to recognize it. Her magic? Almost simultaneously, explosions shook the foundations of the prison and she hurried to her feet. She didn't know what was going on- quite frankly, she didn't care- but she was going to get out of here. If she had her magic, they couldn't stop her. Using her wandless magic, Rachel blasted the door to her cell open, laughing at how good it felt. She tried to apparate, but she couldn't for whatever reason. So, she started blowing the doors off of all the cells around her, rolling her eyes at the other inmates who apparently couldn't free themselves. If she had to find an entrance or exit somewhere, it would be best to not be doing it alone. This way, she could use the others as a distraction and get away herself. 

As she moved down the corridor, she saw a light ahead and her eyes widened. The wall of the prison was gone! Perfect. All the inmates she'd freed, along with many others who freed themselves, were streaming toward the light. She could hear the sounds of a fight again and tried to apparate. No dice. She'd have to get closer to the wall, or maybe even go outside before she could apparate. A voice in the back of her mind whispered that she hoped Travis was all right, that he found a way to escape as well, but Rachel didn't let herself dwell on those thoughts. Travis was smart. He could take care of himself. She had to get out. She charmed her clothes to turn blue instead of the white and black stripes, hoping that would make her less of a target since she didn't look like everybody else.

Rachel tried to appear small and insignificant as she drew nearer to the open space. There were aurors and ministry officials, all battling against the inmates, who fought fiercely to free themselves. Rachel stepped to the edge of the wall, not fighting or drawing any attention to herself. Even so, a ministry woman spotted her and started heading her way. Rachel was prepared to fight, but she didn't want to do so here. She spun, trying to apparate again and exhaling with relief when she finally found herself in the middle of the city. There were people all over, but to Rachel's dismay the woman from the ministry was there as well. She must have grabbed her somehow.

She shrieked, pretending to be scared of the woman as she pulled out of her grip and took a few steps away, pretending to trip and fall to the ground. "No! Leave me alone! I won't go back there! Help, somebody help me please!" No-maj's were practically useless against magic, she knew, but Rachel also knew that they could be a great distraction. The woman following her would likely hesitate to openly use magic in such a crowded street, especially with Rachel pleading for mercy and looking as abused as she did. This should work out to her advantage. 

Rachel wasn't too surprised when the woman hesitated, her eyes darting around to the muggles who were all staring at her. A couple of strong men stepped forward, between her and the woman. One of them held his hand out to Rachel, helping her to her feet. She gave him a sweet smile, eyes darting at the ministry woman like she was still scared. "Please don't let her take me," she whispered. The man nodded, turning to his friends who were all glaring at the woman. As soon as their attention was turned, Rachel smirked at the woman before apparating again. She didn't care that all the no-maj's who saw her would need to be obliviated. At least the woman couldn't know where she'd gone. 

This time, Rachel apparated to a country lane beside a cemetery in France. Before her last heist with Travis, she'd hidden her wand away where no one would get it. She always did that before a job. Rachel had full confidence in her ability to perform magic without one, so she kept it somewhere safe. She walked inside the graveyard, looking for a specific tombstone. When she found it, she dug just around the corner of the stone, pulling her wand out from where she'd hidden it and smiling at the sight. 

She thought she knew where Travis would go if he was able to escape, but Rachel was so tired. She wasn't sure if she could apparate without splinching herself, so she decided to use her looks to her advantage again. She transfigured her clothes to look worn and beaten, hiding her wand in her boot and then walking to the nearest house, staggering when she got near enough she thought the inhabitants might be able to see her. She leaned against the door, knocking. 

A woman answered the door, eyes wide when she saw Rachel. She spoke in French, asking Rachel if she was okay. Good thing Rachel learned French years before. She nodded, lying to the woman and telling her that she just ran away from an abusive husband and needed somewhere to stay the night. The woman instantly agreed, the look in her eyes pitying. She showed Rachel to a room, where Rachel fell asleep almost immediately. 

She slept soundly for a few hours, before the nightmares came. Rachel woke up in a cold sweat a few times, but forced herself to go back to sleep. It had been so long since she'd actually slept on a mattress. Despite the comfort, she still woke up before the rest of the house did. Light was just starting to come in through the window when Rachel got up. She heard the groan of a floorboard above her and apparated. She didn't want to see that woman again, and now that she was rested, she could see Travis. If he escaped as well. 

Rachel saw the house and approached slowly, her eyes searching for any sign of movement inside. She was ready to fight, but hopefully she wouldn't have to. She crept up to the front door, slowly opening it and cringing when it squeaked loudly. She wanted to sneak into the house! Hopefully anyone inside wouldn't hear. Stepping inside, she closed the door quickly behind herself, cringing when it creaked even louder and then shut with a loud sound. Rachel took a deep breath before she glanced at the room. There was a thick layer of dust over everything, no sign of someone in the main room of the house and her heart dropped. Travis hadn't escaped. She closed her eyes, leaning back against the door and taking deep breaths. Now what would she do? She wanted to cry, but she needed to think. What was her next move?

@travis

[Deleted]

Somehow he had slept through the night, not stirring once in his sleep. It was as if his subconscious mind was aware that he wasn't at Azkaban anymore, allowing him to sleep the most peacefully he had in five years. His eyes flickered open at the sound of the front door quietly closing, and the creaking floor board. Someone entered the cottage. Every fiber within him was now completely alert, and he lay dead still as he tried to listen closely. Travis prepared himself to face whoever it was, thinking of a story he could make up, or deciding if he should kill them right then and there. He desperately hoped that it was Rachel, if it wasn't, he probably would kill them out of sheer disappointment.

Pushing himself off of the mattress with the palms of his hands, his feet met the floor and he stepped into the doorway, not waiting another moment to confront them.

The breath was taken out of him when he saw who it was. It was Rachel. Her back was against the door and she looked like she was going to cry. Travis didn't waste any time, instantly closing the distance between them to pull her into his arms hard. "You remembered." he said, his tone filled with a complete sigh of relief as he cupped her face for the first time in five years. "Nobody followed you, right?" he asked her quickly, looking into her eyes with, what was that, concern? He couldn't believe this was happening. It better not be a dream, that would have been the ultimate disappointment. 

@rachel

[Deleted]

Rachel was trying to take deep breaths, to figure out what her next move would be. Without Travis, everything felt empty though. He was the one person who understood her, who wanted her around. What if he died trying to escape? Her mind conjured up all sorts of reasons and excuses for him to not be here, each one more terrible than the last.

She was so lost in her thoughts, Rachel didn't realize she wasn't alone until someone was right in front of her, pulling her into his arms. She recognized him instantly. "Travis," she breathed, wrapping her own arms around him tightly. He was here! She nodded against him when he mentioned her remembering, too relieved for words. Travis was here; she could relax. She smiled softly as he cupped her face in his hands, loving how it felt to have him touch her again. At his question, she nodded firmly. "Nobody," she promised. "I wouldn't have come here if I thought someone was." Rachel reached up slowly and touched his face gently, her eyes searching his. "I ... thought I'd never see you again," her voice was soft and quiet again as she memorized his features once more, taking him in. Five years was too long. He was obviously much more thin than she remembered, his eyes looking exhausted and worn and his hair longer than she'd ever seen it before, but Rachel couldn't care less. He was here with her and that was what mattered. 

@travis

[Deleted]

Travis hadn’t felt simple human touch in what felt like an eternity. So, when Rachel wrapped her arms around him, his first instinct was to flinch, but it wasn’t because of her. Human contact had become foreign to him after so long, he forgot what it felt like to hug and have her close. Admittedly, affection was something he was never big on the begin with, probably because because he didn’t get enough hugs or affection as a child. But eventually after having Rachel in his life for some time, that changed; they had embraced and much more, plenty of times. His arms wrapped around her and he held her body into his hard, breathing her scent he had been deprived for so long. "If I wake up and this is all a dream, I'm going to kill myself." he said with a faceful of hair, which was morbid considering he meant it.

His paranoia lifted knowing that he could trust Rachel when she appeared confident she wasn’t followed. He nodded, knowing he could believe it. She was smart, she wouldn’t jeopardize their freedom now that they had it. The blonde studied his face, making him suddenly vulnerable, but he allowed it, taking the moment to study her own. She looked paler, frailer, and older, but she was still beautiful. His hand cupped the back of her head, holding a hand of blond hair.  “We were never supposed to see each other again. This was never supposed to happen.” he told her, looking into her eyes, re-memorizing the golden flakes. Travis leaned in, pressing his lips against hers for the first time in so long, he lingered before pulling away but not releasing her from his arms. "Do you know what happened at Azkaban? Who caused the explosion?" he asked her, wondering if she had any more information that he did. Travis knew nothing. His magic came back, and he was out, risking the chance of splinching.

@rachel

[Deleted]

Rachel shook her head against him as he held her tightly, not liking his comment that this could be a dream. "No," she whispered. She couldn't let herself even think that this was a dream. She dreamed for five years of seeing him again, she refused to believe that this wasn't real. Besides, how could it not be real when she could feel his warmth surrounding her, his breath moving her hair as he spoke. He was here, standing in front of her. There was no other option. This was real. 

As Travis spoke, confirming what she already knew, that they weren't ever supposed to see one another again, Rachel smiled ever so softly. They weren't supposed to see one another, but they were. Miraculously, both of them escaped Azkaban. She melted into him when he kissed her, sighing at the familiarity. It was five years since the last time Travis and her kissed, but it still felt like yesterday. He didn't let her go when he slowly pulled away and Rachel looked up to him, tilting her head to the side a little when he started asking questions. "I don't know much. I just know that with the big explosion I got my magic back. One of the walls of the prison was gone. I headed that way with other inmates and when we reached it, there was a battle going on. I only watched for a few seconds before apparating away, but there were people fighting inmates, and it seemed like others were fighting as well. I think ... the explosion was what gave us out magic back and someone did it on purpose," Rachel was really thinking this all out as she spoke, but it was all conjecture. She didn't know anything for sure. "And the ministry didn't expect it to happen at all, or none of us would have gotten out." She hesitated a moment. "I don't really know what happened though, I'm just guessing. A woman did follow me when I apparated, but I got the muggles to help me escape and leave her behind." Rachel smirked, figuring Travis would be proud of her for that. "Then I got my wand and waited the night to see if anyone was following me before I came here. How did you get out?" Rachel was sure his story was similar to hers, but she didn't care. She just wanted to hear Travis' voice. 

@travis

[Deleted]

Everything felt so surreal. Travis wasn't sure what he was supposed to do in society now as an escapee. All he knew was that he'd have to keep his head down and lay low while the ministry tried to figure everything out. Returning to Azkaban wouldn't be an option, not without another epic chase, probably leading to death this time. 

Travis listened with unbroken interest when Rachel explained how she escaped, surprised when she explained how many people around her seemed to get away around her too. This was a true prison break. Her story about tricking the muggles to help her caused a chuckle pass his lips, he nodded his head, suddenly tickled by the fact. "Well done." he congratulated her, rubbing a hand on her back. "You had a much more eventful prison break than I did." Travis told her. Thinking back to less than twenty four hours ago, he wasn't sure where to start. Everything happened so fast he could barely remember the details. "The walls came down around me and people were running and yelling. Some people were screaming and laughing like maniacs, crazy shit." he said. The idea gave even Travis chills. Some of those people were never meant to get out. Travis knew he was supposed to rot away in his cell like the monster that he was. He continued, "My magic was instantly back once the walls went down. I apparated to Muggle London and got supplies for the night before coming here." Travis explained with a breath, holding Rachel close to him. It was amazing to have her close to him again. Then, something that she said stuck out to him, his head cocked to the side, "Where did you get your wand back?" Travis asked her, somewhat surprised, forgetting that she had buried it before the final heist. Something he used to make fun of her for, but look at her now, he sure would be sorry for not taking the extra precaution. His wand was confiscated when he was arrested, never to be seen again.

Rachel Lee Smith

[Deleted]

Rachel couldn't help but smile back as Travis congratulated her, his words meaning more to her than anything else would have in those moments. It was almost like she ached for his approval, to know that he still cared what she did. She needed to know that he cared, that five years in prison hadn't pushed between the two of them and that Travis still wanted her around. Sure, she could probably assume that after the way he kissed her, but those five years affected Rachel's self confidence more than she would ever admit out loud. 

He admitted that his prison break wasn't as eventful as hers and Rachel as glad for it. She listened raptly as he explained. Travis continued to hold her close as he spoke and Rachel found herself resting her head on his chest, closing her eyes and listening to the sound of his voice. She nodded when he mentioned the laughter. She heard that too, though it sounded further away from her than it had to him. Even so, it had been creepy. She glanced up to look at his face when he mentioned supplies. "What kind of supplies?" Maybe he had food? She hadn't eaten since breakfast the day before and while there were worse things, Rachel was hungry. If not, they'd figure something out. 

Then he was asking about her wand and she gave a small smile. She was glad she'd hidden her wand, but it was a bitter kind of happy, knowing that Travis lost his when they were arrested. "I buried it in a cemetery, a few hours away from here. Some random, tiny little town that no one would pay attention to." Rachel frowned, "I wanted to come back last night, but I was so exhausted I wasn't sure if I could do it without splinching myself." She leaned forward again, resting her head on his chest and listening to his heartbeat. Even that was amazing to her now and she just wanted to stay here as long as she could, try to convince herself that this was real. 

@travis

[Deleted]

"All that matters is you're here now." Travis told her, pressing his lips to the top of her head, holding her tightly into him. Such physical displays of affection was something he wouldn't have done so tenderly five years ago, but this was a new beginning. The feel of her warmth and body contact soothed his tired soul. When she questioned further about 'supplies', he could tell by the look on her face that she was hungry. He wished he was able to grab more. Travis stepped over to the black trash bag on the floor in the livingroom and emptied it on the coffee table. There was protein bars, chips, water bottles, other random dry food, and booze. There was also as a ladies hoodie and athletic pants he managed to steal for her, his shred of hope for her to show up.  Travis extended a protein bar at her. "I wasn't able to grab much once the alarms went off...gave me bad juju so I left." Travis admitted, a bit annoyed by the fact now. This wasn't going to be enough for them, not even for just today. He got the essentials for now though. Travis swallowed, "We need to think of a plan." 

Rachel Lee Smith

[Deleted]

Rachel felt herself relax further when Travis told her that what mattered was that she was here now as he kissed her head. He wanted her here. Him saying so was exactly what she needed in those moments. Ever since she'd reconnected with him, Rachel knew that she needed him in her life, but she couldn't help but doubt that he felt the same way. It was a constant concern for her, though she never said or did anything to show it. Travis liked when she was confident and strong, so she thought it was better to not show weakness at all. She didn't say anything in response. It was obvious by the way she was clinging tightly to him that she felt the same. 

At her question about supplies, Travis stepped away, walking towards a bag she hadn't noticed before. He dumped it out, revealing a bit of food, drinks and some clothes. Rachel brightened a bit at the sight, moving closer to the coffee table. She could get out of her prison jumpsuit. Sure, she charmed it the other day to look blue instead of striped, but the charm was starting to wear off and she was excited at the prospect of wearing something else. Travis held out a protein bar and she took it, removing the wrapper almost immediately and taking a bite. She hadn't had something like this in ages and tried to enjoy it, but it was gone far too quickly. She looked over at Travis and smiled "That's okay. At least you thought to get food." She'd been so focused on getting away and getting her wand that she hadn't even thought that way.

Rachel reached forward to grab the clothes on the coffee table, smirking over at Travis, "and real clothes." The fabric was soft and smooth and Rachel admired it. She knew it wasn't really really nice fabric, but it was so much better than what she was wearing right now. Rachel set it down on the couch and quickly unzipped her prison jumpsuit, taking one arm out and reaching for the new shirt when she saw how thin her arm was. She paused, eyes widening as she started feeling suddenly self-conscious. She knew she'd lost a lot of weight in prison, but she hadn't really cared when she was in Azkaban. It wasn't like anyone there could see her, or like they'd care if they could. She never thought she'd get out of that place, but now that she had ... she didn't want Travis to see her this way. Rachel pulled the jumpsuit up again to cover her shoulders, her eyes flicked up over to where Travis stood before she grabbed the pants he'd gotten for her as well. "I'll ... be right back," she muttered, starting to move toward where she knew the closest room was so she could change quickly. Maybe Travis wouldn't care about how she looked right now, but she did. She didn't feel pretty, or even healthy and she didn't want to draw attention to that fact, though maybe she already had. 

@travis

[Deleted]

Travis wasn't really watching her too closely as she started to change herself, he was too busy tearing the wrapper off one of the protein bars. But then he noticed her stiffen up after starting to remove her jumpsuit. Cocking his head to the side, he shot her an almost confused look. For all of the years he knew Rachel, she had never been a prude. "If there's something I haven't seen, I would throw a dollar at it." he said with an eye roll, pulling her toward him. As the jumpsuit fell down a bit more, the intensity on his face grew to a more serious look.

He couldn't stop his hazel eyes from widening at her emaciated condition. She looked so thin and fragile, he was pretty sure he could break her. "What the f*ck happened to you? Did they not feed you?" Travis asked quickly, trying to hide the shock from his voice. It wasn't often he'd show so much emotion, but this caught him off guard. He thought he lost weight, but after seeing Rachel, it wasn't that much. His fingers trailed down the curvature of his spine, eyebrows threaded from concern by her current condition. Upon first seeing her, he had noticed how skinny her face was and she felt frail in his arms, but he didn't realize the severity of the situation. "We need to get real food."

Rachel Lee Smith

[Deleted]

Rachel wasn't sure when Travis started paying attention to her changing, but shortly after she lifted the jumpsuit to cover her shoulders again he teased her a little. Rach forced a small smile, trying to show she wasn't angry or trying to hide anything from him, but she was. There was no question about that. She was too busy grabbing the clothes, her only thought to escape the room and change somewhere else to really realize that he was reaching for her. The next thing she knew, he tugged her closer and the jumpsuit fell from her shoulders again. Rachel glanced up to see Travis' expression just for a second before she looked away. She couldn't meet those shocked eyes right now. 

He started asking what happened, whether or not they fed her and Rachel still couldn't meet his eyes. She nodded shortly before answering him. "They did, but ... I got sick a while ago. Pretty bad. I couldn't keep anything down for the longest time, no idea what I had." The guards hadn't cared much either. They hadn't said anything about her not eating most of her food or about her coughing. Maybe it was common for inmates to stop eating after a while, or for them to get sick. "Then when I finally got over it ..." she trailed off for a bit, shrugging. "I wasn't really hungry." Rachel looked at the ground still, shivering when Travis ran his fingers down her spine. His touch made her continue, even though she didn't really want to. "I didn't think it mattered really. I mean, I was supposed to die there anyway." Honestly, she'd lost all motivation to try when she got sick. She had no reason to think she'd ever escape or that Travis would see her like this. "Sorry," she mumbled, still not daring to look up at him. 

She waited for Travis to say something, and eventually he did, telling her that they needed to get real food. "Do you have a plan yet?" Rachel asked. She'd do whatever he wanted, except stay behind. She didn't want to be apart from Travis again. 

@travis

[Deleted]

When the blonde explained getting sick and not having an appetite, ultimately apologizing for her frailness, unable to meet his eyes. Travis shook his head at her apology, the look on his face showing that it was unnecessary. "That's not your fault." He stated gruffly, his lips formed a straight line, "We aren't going back there. I will die before either of us go back there." he said, attempting to meet her gaze, as if staring at her would help him summon up some sort of master plan. He sighed, shrugging, "I don't know what to do." Travis said with a sincereness in his voice that almost made him sound worried, but he didn't want his face to show it. "We need to lay low. We could pickpocket a few muggles to get cash for actual dining, or grab and dash some outdoor markets. We just can't be noticed, once anything weird happens we gotta get the f*ck out." Travis urged her, a sinking feeling at the pit of his stomach. When had he gotten so soft? Azkaban had really messed him up.

Travis was never one to admit to not having a plan, but this time he really didn't have one he was confident in. A weird feeling of dread welled up inside of him. Having this newfound freedom was a miracle, but knowing that he was on the run gave him an awful feeling of being trapped. Something the man had never been familiar with. He didn't want to be recognized or noticed by anyone. The trick would be to lay low while they got their new lives sorted out. This was an incredibly foreign feeling to him...Travis was used to feeling invincible. Now, with this second chance, they needed to be smarter.

Travis held her for a moment as he silently pondered a little further. "You got any ideas?" he asked her, hoping that she would have something clever up her own sleeve. They used to work great together, all it would take was some easing into.

Rachel Lee Smith

[Deleted]

Out of the corner of her eye, Rachel could see that Travis was shaking his head while she apologized. He told her in a deep voice that it wasn't her fault and Rachel finally looked up to him, her eyes widening when he said that they wouldn't go back. She nodded firmly, agreeing with his declaration. She didn't want to ever go back. Death was definitely preferable. "Me too," she answered back, trying to make her voice sound firm.

Travis admitted that he didn't know what they should do, his voice sounding different than she'd ever heard it before. He explained how they needed to get food somehow, but that they needed to lay low and that he didn't want to take any risks. Rachel nodded thoughtfully, thinking. "We need to do it together too," she added. She didn't want Travis to go anywhere without her right now. What if he got caught or something happened? She'd never know, and that wasn't acceptable to her. 

Rachel sighed when Travis pulled her in close again, melting against him as her mind raced. She couldn't come up with anything that was risk-free, but was anything risk-free for people in their situation? Sure, it was their fault, but that still didn't make it easier to deal with. "I think ... I'd much rather pickpocket and buy food than risk stealing food," she admitted softly, "unless we went at night after the shop was closed. Then we could freeze the alarms and the cameras and take whatever we wanted." Rachel shrugged, giving a harsh half-laugh as something else occurred to her. "We could also ask for money. I could say I just escaped from an abusive house and need money so I can get away and take care of myself. I highly doubt anyone would really remember that." Honestly, that idea didn't appeal as much to her, because it meant letting people see how unhealthy she was right now, and it would definitely be a blow to her pride, but she didn't have enough money now to be able to have pride. "What do you think?" she asked, looking up at him but not pulling away at all. Honestly, Rachel would do whatever Travis thought was best.

@travis

[Deleted]

His world was spiraling and he barely felt like he could hang on. Everything was going to be harder now. He couldn’t be reckless like he used to be, uncaring about any consequences. Five years in Azkaban and he faced the consequences, he didn’t want anymore. Travis nodded when the blonde said that she didn’t want to pickpocket. ”Pickpocketing is risky right now.” he agreed, looking down at the ground. Merlin, he never thought he’d be against stealing what wasn’t his. Years ago he’d feen to steal from anyone without getting caught. Now he was like a dog with its tail between its knees. Travis didn’t feel like himself.

When Rachel put out the idea of some sob story for Muggles, he nodded his head along to her words, though he wouldn’t personally pan handle. It was more of a pride thing. ”That could actually work.” Travis said, looking around the room for any signs of items they may need. He couldn’t think straight still. Being out in the real world was a complete haze. ”We gotta decide if we wanna keep coming back here as a home base or keep moving...” Travis said, sitting on the edge of the bed. ”Whatever we end up doing, we will do it together.” Travis reassured her since he could tell from her tone before that she was concerned.

@rachel