Hello,

I'm The Demon Lady, known as Autor Demon Lady on ArchiveOfOurOwn, and this will be my first attempt at Fan Fiction. I disappeared for a while, but I am back and I swear never to leave you guys again! Let's get straight to it!

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, WAY too much paperwork involved, I just happen to love writing.

1. How it All Started

July 31, 1996

11:17pm

The street, lined with picture perfect cookie cutter houses on both sides, was eerily quiet. Not even a breeze broke the heavy silence that weighed down the neighborhood. As the minute hand clicked over it was as if the evening itself released its breath as a pulsing green glow shone in the night. The brilliant emerald green light likened to heavens own glow, marred only by the sickly sheen it took on when it hit rusty bars in the window.

After several minutes the glow slowly started to diminish. Soft waves growing smaller and smaller, its own tide being pulled back into what might once have been a proper bedroom. By the time the first rays of dawn shimmered over morning dew the last of the green had retreated back into the young boy passed out on a pallet on a dirty floor.

LOVELOVELOEVLOVELOVELOVELOVE

Due to the familiarity of the smell and the harsher glare these lights always seemed to cast, Harry knew that he was on his usual bed in the hospital wing of Hogwarts School of WitchCraft and Wizardry. Every bone, every inch of skin, every hair on his body hurt, he felt like he had been stretched and pulled and boiled in magma before being shoved back into a too small body.

"Ouch! My favorite part of Hogwarts. Why else would I spend so much time here? Really, I should just take up Madame Pomfrey on her, offer of having a bed set aside just for me. Kidding or not, it's not as if it would go to waste."

Harry continued to babble to himself in his head. With his eyes closed against the light and the cool sheets below him he could almost pretend his body wasn't dying and his brain wasn't trying to spear fish his every thought.

"Well, my boy, it can't really be that bad now, can it?" Harry heard Dumbledore ask through the screaming that he was pretty sure was only in his head. Suddenly, a cooling wave washed over him, pouring down from the Headmaster's wand. He could practically see the twinkling eyes of the headmaster through the cavalier tone of his voice.

Harry opened his mouth to say something, but decided against it at the last minute. Whether it was self-preservation, respect, or just the fact that he thought his throat would crack apart and bleed if he tried to force any sound past it, he settled for cracking his eyes open enough to look affronted at Dumbledore through his, distractingly thick, lashes.

Nevertheless, Dumbledore continued in just as carefree a voice. "Now then Harry, if it was really all that bad would Poppy really be letting you leave her care to go to Grimmauld Place?"

Harry ignored the dry burn of his eyes and the protestation of his muscles as he shot up, eyes wide, mouth open making a cracking sound when he tried to speak, the smile on his face feeling big enough to break it in half.

Not quite strong enough to hold himself up no matter how excited he was, he fell back again, this time making sure to be in a more upright position. He turned eagre eyes to the Headmaster, silently begging him to say he meant it.

"Yes, young Harry, but while I am happy that you are so excited to go, there is just one thing I feel you should know." Dumbledore trailed off a little at the end, as if unsure how to say what came next.

"If I'm with Siri whatever he says can't be that bad. Hell, Siri or no, I've faced Voldie and come out better than ever, try me." Harry thought smugly, looking expectantly up at the headmaster.

A jovial note entered the headmasters voice, forced though it may be. "There is another occupant that will be staying with you the duration of your stay at Grimmauld Place. You already know him quite well I would say." He quickly dropped all the false cheer from his voice and turned cold eyes on him, his voice suddenly subtly harsh, "I hope you do not let your previous interaction color the way you act around him. You are mature enough to deal with this. Lord Lucius Malfoy will be there. I know this shouldn't cause too many problems." Suddenly, he was all good vibes again, as if that moment of intensity was nothing at all, like he had imagined the whole thing.

Harry was at first stunned into silence, gaping like a fish, crickets sounding in his head.

Harry calmy lifted his heavy arm to pick up the glass of water waiting on the table by his bed. He took a few long cool sips of the soothing water. Every movement slow and calm, as if the Headmaster was not waiting for his reaction. After he had quenched his thirst and soothed his throat he carefully replaced his glass and straightened himself on the bed before turning calm eyes to an impatient Dumbledore.

"YOU WANT ME TO SHARE MY HOME AND MY TIME WITH SIRI WITH SOME TWO-BIT METRO SEXUAL DEATHEATER!"

A bit of the earlier coldness added a sharp edge to the Headmasters voice, apparently that wasn't in his head. "Yes my boy, that would be the man. I expect you to treat him with respect! He is important to the order, and as such, he is important to you. If nothing else you will tolerate him." With the same uncomfortable speed as before any stern demeanour disappeared as if it had never been. "Besides Dear Boy, he must not be as terrible as you might think. He has risked life and limb to betray Voldemort in order to protect young Draco. I do not mean to cause you undue stress, but surely you can handle such a minor sacrifice in the name of the Greater Good." False compassion radiated from the man.

"Of course, because I haven't already sacrificed enough in the name of the Greater Good. At least I'll have Siri. I can tolerate Blondie for his sake." Harry inwardly pouted. Dumbledore left unvoiced his fear that the two Gryffindors would amp up each others hate rather than calm their tempers.

LOVELOVELOVELOVELOVELOVELOVE