Disclaimer: These disclaimers get rather redundant, so this is the only one you will find in this story. J.K. Rowling owns Harry Potter, the boy and the book.
The Dursleys were trying a new tack this year: being nice. Harry wasn't quite sure what to make of them cautiously coddling over him, but it put Harry on edge. Aunt Petunia kept smoothing his hair whenever possible, and Uncle Vernon kept making silly jokes and nudging Harry to make him laugh. Something was obviously up - the Dursleys strange new affection seemed very forced. He wanted to tell them to just quit it, that he didn't like them any better than they liked him, but, strangely enough, he couldn't bring himself to do that. They were the only family he had left, and besides, with Dudley on a vegetarian diet, it was somewhat satisfying to slowly nibble his bacon while Dudley's eyes practically popped out with hunger. Still, teasing Dudley wasn't nearly as satisfying as it used to be. Harry had far more serious things to occupy his time. Like Sirius's death. With Sirius gone, he had lost the only father figure he had ever known, and he had lost any hope of escaping the Dursleys. Harry had considered joining the Weasley's halfway through the summer, but even the thought of the Burrow couldn't raise his spirits. Harry had no desire to be around people who would pity him, or remind him of Sirius - he wanted to be as far away from the wizarding world as he could get. A little voice in the back of him mind told him he was running away, but he chose to ignore it. Thus, Harry resigned himself to a summer of Aunt Petunia's artificial fawning, and Uncle Vernon's pathetic jokes, and Dudley's drooling over his bacon.
The Dursleys were trying a new tack this year: being nice. Harry wasn't quite sure what to make of them cautiously coddling over him, but it put Harry on edge. Aunt Petunia kept smoothing his hair whenever possible, and Uncle Vernon kept making silly jokes and nudging Harry to make him laugh. Something was obviously up - the Dursleys strange new affection seemed very forced. He wanted to tell them to just quit it, that he didn't like them any better than they liked him, but, strangely enough, he couldn't bring himself to do that. They were the only family he had left, and besides, with Dudley on a vegetarian diet, it was somewhat satisfying to slowly nibble his bacon while Dudley's eyes practically popped out with hunger. Still, teasing Dudley wasn't nearly as satisfying as it used to be. Harry had far more serious things to occupy his time. Like Sirius's death. With Sirius gone, he had lost the only father figure he had ever known, and he had lost any hope of escaping the Dursleys. Harry had considered joining the Weasley's halfway through the summer, but even the thought of the Burrow couldn't raise his spirits. Harry had no desire to be around people who would pity him, or remind him of Sirius - he wanted to be as far away from the wizarding world as he could get. A little voice in the back of him mind told him he was running away, but he chose to ignore it. Thus, Harry resigned himself to a summer of Aunt Petunia's artificial fawning, and Uncle Vernon's pathetic jokes, and Dudley's drooling over his bacon.