The Gryffindor common room's fire was slowly dying. Everyone had been in bed for hours, and the common room was empty except for one student. A student by the name of Harry Potter. No, Harry Potter was not asleep, he was wide awake, staring transfixed at the fire, waiting for his Godfather, Sirius Black, to pop up in the flames. Except, he wouldn't. Ever again.

An hour or so later, the first couple of students started to trickle down and kept casting strange glances at Harry. The Chosen one, as he was now being called, wouldn't respond to anyone, or move his eyes away from the fire. Colin Creevy, frightened by his hero's behavior, hurriedly ran to the 5th year dormitory to retrieve Ron, who, like the other boys were on there way down.

When Ron arrived, he saw a sort of crowd had formed around Harry, who looked pained. Hermione was kneeling next to him, looking worried.

"I think he's having a sort of panic attack" Hermione whispers, and Ron kneels down too.

"Should we get someone?" Neville asks, glancing at Harry. Hermione hesitates, but then Harry glances at Ron, confused.

"It's all my fault" He whispers, and Hermione, hurriedly, shakes her head.

"Harry, stop. You known just as well as I do, that Sirius would have wanted to go down fighting. He was eager for any chance to get out of the house" She says, but Harry seems to have not heard her.

Ron and Harry had been friends for five years, but Ron had never seen Harry cry. But, yet here it was. The boy who lived, did have a breaking point and everyone in the common room that morning, was terrified to know it. Everyone in that room had been hurt in the war, but none as much as Harry. No one could even compare to Harry.

"Hey" Ron say quietly, not knowing how to react. His best friend had been through so much, especially in the last 24 hours.

"Go get Dumbledore" Hermione whispers to Neville, who runs off.

"I don't n-need Dumbledore" Harry hisses at her, "I need Sirius" This is the last coherent thing Harry manages before he bursts into sobs. Ron, hesitantly pulls him into a hug, and Harry slides off the chair, eager for the embrace. Ron sees Hermione rub Harry's shoulder, and the crowd around Harry start to feel awkward, witnessing such an intimate moment, shared between the three best friends.

"It's okay to cry, Harry" Hermione says, soothingly. Harry doesn't respond, but a second later, Neville, breathing heavily, returns with, Remus Lupin.

"Ran into him on the way" Neville manages to breathe out. Harry looks embarrassed to be having this emotional breakdown in front of his friends, and the people that needed him to be strong. He wills himself to stop crying, as he pushes himself away from Ron.

"Harry" Lupin says, softly, and Harry is reminded that Lupin has now lost all his best friends. Two to death, and one to greed.

"It's okay to feel upset. You loved Sirius, as did I. Love differs you from him. It makes you stronger" Remus tells Harry.

"I don't f-feel stronger" Harry chokes out, his throat feeling raw from crying.

"Not yet, Harry, but you will," Lupin smiles bitterly, "You will"

And now, 20 years later, as Harry sits with his family, his wife making dinner in the kitchen, he does understand. And love, he decides, has made all the difference.

Something I wrote when I was bored... Review? (: