Petunia poked her headinto Harry's room to find him fitfully asleep. She was glad to see that he was not tossing and turning. She had waked a few times in the night to find him thrashing and muttering to himself. It pained her to see him like that. He looked better though. She had also forced him to eat a bit yesterday and today which gave him a bit more color. He was still terribly pale, but it was a start. She just hoped this… what was his name… Lupin person could do better. She closed the door and made her way downstairs. She straightened the perfect living room as she waited for the doorbell to ring. This Lupin fellow was supposed to arrive today to discuss Harry. Although he was one of his type, and she was not thrilled with the idea of allowing another of them into her house, she insisted that they know that she had enough decency to keep an orderly home. The doorbell rang and she hastily answered it.

"Mrs. Dursley I presume?" the man asked courteously. Petunia had expected some ill-mannered, silly dressed scoundrel who would make a mockery of her and her family. Remus Lupin was not what she expected.

"Yes, are you Mr. Lupin?" she questioned. He nodded curtly. "Please, come in," she let him in. He stepped over the threshold and waited for her to lead him to the living room instead of taking off and wandering about as she thought everyone like him did. They entered the sitting room and she took an armchair while he hesitantly sat on the sofa. She examined her guest most curiously. He appeared to be about her age with premature grey hair and many scars crossing his face. His clothes left much to be desired, worn and patched as they were, but at least he wore normal clothing. It seems that at least one person was capable of looking normal. If she did not know better, she would have said that Remus Lupin was a perfectly normal person who just happened to have a risky job. What did he do for a living anyways? Perhaps she should not allow Harry to be near him.

"So, Mr. Lupin-" she began.

"Please, call me Remus, Madam," he corrected her. He also had manners.

"Alright, Remus, how do you know Harry?" she questioned.

"I was a friend of Lily, James, and Sirius. Later, when Harry was 13, I was a professor at Hogwarts," he explained. She nodded in understanding.

"You say you were a teacher. What happened?" she pressed. Lupin became nervous, she could tell, and avoided her gaze.

"I resigned due to… health issues," he answered vaguely.

"What types of health issues? I cannot let my nephew enter a harmful situation Remus, I'm sure you understand," she explained. He nodded, his thoughts whirling.

"I-uh… just a long term illness that flared up. It is… under control at the moment," he assured her. She did not reply, but pierced him with a gaze that clearly said she was not satisfied. "Please, Mrs. Dursley, I assure you that no harm will befall Harry. Precautions will be taken to ensure that he is safe. It is nothing important," he pleaded. She conceded.

"And what do you currently do?" she continued her interrogation.

"I am working at a book shop at the moment," he answered, relieved to be on safe territory.

"Have you ever been incarcerated?" she attacked him.

"No, but I should remind you that his godfather spend twelve years in prison," Remus pointed out.

"Yes, but you're not his godfather and I have some say in this, and I will not allow Harry to be around an unsavory people," she snapped. Lupin inclined his head in respect. "Thankfully, you do not appear to be in that category," she told him.

"Thank you Madam," he replied with a genuine smile.

"Now, you said you were friends with Sirius, that was his name right?" she verified. Remus nodded with a stony expression. "So, you were well aware of the… situation?"

"More so than some, I am not sure what it was I missed," he admitted.

"What do you think happened that made Harry so upset over this?" she asked, genuinely interested. Again Remus avoided her eye, this time to look past her at some memory.

"I imagine everything played a part in this. The lose of his parents and now his godfather, the tournament, Umbridge, Voldemort's return; it was just too much for him. I'm willing to tell you everything I know Mrs. Dursley, but what I want to know is what you know," he demanded. She shook her head sadly.

"Not much, just that this lunatic went after the Potters and couldn't kill Harry, and now he's lost his godfather and thinks it's his fault," she said, realizing how little she knew about her nephew. It was pathetic.

"Well then, it seems there is a lot to be said. I hope you have a while Mrs. Dursley, because this will take some time. Voldemort is a wizard trying to purify the wizarding world so that pure-bloods will rule the magical world. He views non-magical people and people with a non-magic parent as subhuman. His war against our world was terrible. You could not trust anyone and people lived in constant fear that he would come for them and their families. Then, a prophecy was made about a boy who would bring about his fall. This was given to Voldemort who went after Harry, as it fit. I will admit, I know not the contents of the prophecy. Well, when Voldemort went after Harry, Lilly pleaded for his life and in the end, died to save Harry, this caused Voldemort to not be able to touch him so when Voldemort tried to kill Harry, the curse rebounded on Voldemort, turning him into something barely alive. No one fully understands it to this day. That is of course when Harry came to live with you. In that time, Sirius Black was convicted of murder of thirteen people, including our friend Peter Pettigrew. It was thought that Sirius gave away the hiding place of Lily and James too. I know, it sounds like it doesn't matter, but it will be important.

"The first two years of Harry's education, I do not know much about, just that he met with Voldemort twice and faced quite a bit of danger. Then, his third year, I met him. That year Sirius escaped from prison, the first to do so in fact and supposedly came after Harry with the thought of resurrecting Voldemort. These creatures called Dementors were stationed about the school. I take it you know what a dementor is. Good. Well, they attacked the school train and later a Quidditch match, which Harry passed out at. He needed a way to fight them, so I gave him private lessons to teach him this skill. During these, we became quite close do to the fact that I knew his parents and he craved whatever information he could get of them. In June, right after exams, Harry and his friends encountered Sirius. During this, I managed to show up and stop Harry from attacking an innocent man, and we proved that Sirius was in fact innocent and that it was Peter who was the criminal. We captured Peter, Sirius and I wanted to kill him, but Harry would not allow it, noble boy, and as we made our way back to the castle, Sirius offered to have Harry move in with him. Unfortunately, I had an attack on that night and so Peter got away and Sirius remained a convicted man. Hermione and Harry ended up traveling back in time to keep Sirius safe.

"The next year, there was a tournament between two other schools which Harry was entered, against his will, into. He was too young and Hogwarts had another champion, but he was under a magical contract so he had to compete. Everyone felt that there was something sinister at work here. On the last task, Harry and Cedric Diggory were transported to a graveyard where Cedric was killed and Voldemort was resurrected with the intention of killing Harry. He managed to escape through sheer luck and was terrified. How does he compare now to last summer?" Remus asked.

"Far worse this summer, though I do remember hearing him talking about a Cedric boy in his sleep. I thought it was a friend of his and he was just having bad nightmares. Oh my god, if only I'd know. And this year, does it get worse?" she asked with concern.

"Sadly yes. When Harry stayed with a bunch of us for protection, he had quite the temper. I think part of it was the trial. He was not so bad afterwards. During the summer, he and Sirius really connected. I know Sirius was quite taken with him and talked about getting his name cleared and bringing Harry to live with him. Anyway, Harry returned to Hogwarts, where there was a new teacher, Professor Umbridge. She is a truly wicked woman who is, in my opinion, just a horrid as a Death Eater. She tormented Harry because the Minister led a smear campaign against him and Dumbledore, thinking that they were trying to overthrow him with talk of Voldemort being back. His classmates did not trust him, he was constantly attacked in the paper, and his teachers were being tormented on his behalf. His home became a nightmare for him I imagine. Well, this teacher destroyed his favorite class, and would not let them learn anything useful so he and his friends started an organization to learn to defend themselves, the D.A. From what I heard it was the only bright spot in his life then. Also, he mentioned that he was having visions about Voldemort. Dumbledore realized he has some kind of mental connection with the him and that if Voldemort found out about this, could invade Harry's mind. Another teacher was ordered to teach Harry to block the path, but he and Harry hate each other so that just did not work and Harry never learned. Well, in June, Harry received a vision of Sirius being tortured at the Ministry. Harry checked that Sirius was not home, and was led to believe that Sirius was actually gone. He and his friends managed to escape to the Ministry where they were met by Voldemort's followers, and eventually Voldemort himself. That professor managed to alert our group and we arrived on scene. Sirius joined the fight to save Harry and was killed in the process," he ended his tale. Petunia sat in stunned silence.

"All this… all this at only fifteen?" she whispered. She truly knew nothing about the boy. No wonder he did not consider her a fit aunt. Well, she would make it up to him now. She went to say something, but screaming from upstairs disturbed them. Before she could think of moving Lupin was halfway up the stairs. She ran after him.

XXXXXX

Remus quickly found Harry. He threw open the door to find Harry screaming in his sleep, thrashing dangerously. He grabbed the teen and pinned him to the bed to ensure that he would not hurt himself. Harry fought harder, screaming for Sirius. His heart broke.

"Harry, Harry, wake up!" he demanded. He repeated this several times before the terrified green eyes looked up at him in confusion.

"P-Professor?" he questioned.

"Yes Harry," he assured him, loosening his grip.

"I'm sorry," Harry cried, shooting up and embracing the man. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to… it's my fault," he sobbed into Lupin's jumper. Remus quickly hugged Harry back, saddened my the display.

"No Harry, no… hush, it's not your fault. You are not to blame," Remus assured him firmly.

"I am… I should have listened to Hermione. She knew it was a trap," he insisted.

"You were scared… you wanted to save him… you did nothing wrong," the former professor told him sincerely.

"But he didn't have to die. I killed him… you all hate me," Harry wailed. Remus firmly held the boy away from him so he could look him square in the eyes.

"Don't you ever say that Harry James Potter! You are not at fault here! Sirius chose to go, and he knew the risks. Believe me, he would never hold you responsible for this, and neither do I! You were not fully aware of the situation and therefore could not make a logical decision and so you have nothing to blame yourself. Come on Harry," he added a bit more cheerfully, "if anything, you gave Sirius the chance to live one last time. His biggest fear was fading into nothingness. He went out fighting, and fighting for something he was willing to die for. I know you're sad, I am too, but you should not beat yourself up over this." Harry swiped at the tears that fell down his cheeks, and nodded in understanding. "Better?" Remus asked.

"Not really," Harry mumbled.

"Well, we're going to get you better soon," Lupin assured him.

"What are you doing here?" Harry asked, suddenly realizing he was still in Privet Drive and Lupin shouldn't have been here.

"I called him here," Aunt Petunia sounded from the door. The two men turned their attention to her, having not realized that she was there the whole time.

"You… but… really?" Harry stammered.

"Yes, based on what you tried to tell me the other night, I knew I could not help you, so I sent a letter to someone who could. Mr. Lupin was kind enough to offer his assistance," Petunia explained.

"Are you going to take me away?" Harry asked brightly, his eyes shining for the first time in weeks. Lupin glanced up nervously, unsure how to answer. That had not been discussed.

"Well, I don't know… that hasn't been mentioned. Your aunt and I were talking when you started screaming. I doubt it though Harry. I think your aunt would like you to stay here for a bit," he guessed.

"No! Please, I can't stay here. I'm miserable here! I don't belong here. I belong in the wizarding world, in your world, in… his world," Harry begged. Remus sighed and looked up at Petunia questioningly. He would love to take Harry with him, but he could not provide a decent life for the boy. Perhaps he could send him to the Weasleys'. Then again, Petunia seemed ardent on watching him.

"Harry," she stepped in, "it would be rude to impose yourself upon Mr. Lupin." Clearly she misinterpreted him.

"Actually, I would love to have you come with me, but Harry, I think you would be terribly bored with me. Perhaps I could contact the Weasleys for you. I'm sure Mrs. Weasley would love-"

"No," Harry stopped him. "Don't get me wrong, I love the Weasleys and Mrs. Weasley has been wonderful to me, but I just don't want to face them right now. She sees me as a child and I need someone who I can talk to about everything and not have them try to shelter me. Besides, you were their best friend and I just… I want to go with you," Harry argued.

"I'm okay with that, but it's up to your aunt," he admitted. Two sets of eyes turned to face her.

XXXXXX

Alright, whatever kind feelings she had towards Remus Lupin were gone. How dare he put her on the spot like that! She was torn between what to say. Sure, Vernon and Dudley would be thrilled to be rid of him for the whole summer, but she was his aunt. She had a responsibility to take care of him and make sure he was doing well. How could she do that if he was gone? She had a debt to repay for all the years of torment.

"Aunt Petunia," Harry approached her, eyes pleading. "Please, I need this. I know you want to help me, but I can't stay here as a misfit. I need to be back amongst my world. I need to see my friends again and just know that they don't hate me. Please, let me go. I will forever appreciate this." Those eyes, they were so much like hers, it was tormenting.

"Fine, you can go," she conceded. If he truly believed this would help, then she would allow it. "But, on one condition." Harry looked at her intently.

"Yes, anything!" he agreed eagerly.

"I want a letter from you once a week telling me everything I should know about. If you are unhappy or want to come back, though I doubt that, let me know," she admitted. Harry's face split in a thankful smile and, for the first time in his life, he hugged his aunt.

"Thank you Aunt Petunia," he told her honestly. He let go and started scrambling to toss clothes in his trunk.

"Mr. Lupin, shall we allow Harry to pack in peace?" she suggested, secretly communicating a need to discuss this.

"Of course," he replied, getting her message. The two adults went back downstairs, one looking considerably more cheerful than the other.

"This is tough for you isn't it?" Remus asked, recognizing her grim look.

"Amazingly, yes, it is. Normally I am eager for his friends to come, get him, and just pretend he isn't there, but the other day when he looked at me, I saw Lily staring back accusingly and I just felt I needed to do more. I finally start acting like family and he runs off. I just feel like I am doomed to forever be a failure. However, if this helps him and he'll be happy, I am willing to go along with it as long as he does write. Now, Remus, I want you to know that I expect nothing more than the best for Harry. I do not want to hear that he is being cast aside or poorly treated. If you can't deal with it, send him home, but do not-"

"Mrs. Dursley, I assure you, nothing of that nature will happen. I care for Harry most ardently and would die for him. He's my friends' son and godson, I could never harm him. Believe me; should he figure it out, he could probably push me around. But really, should anything happen, I will let you know," he assured her.

"Thank you," she said simply. Harry bounded down the steps with his trunk and Hedwig.

"Ready to go Harry?" Lupin asked.

"Yeah, you?" he asked back. Lupin nodded and rose to his feet.

"Mrs. Dursley, thank you for your hospitality. We shall be off now, and should we need your assistance, we will let you know," he dismissed himself.

"Bye Aunt Petunia, I'll write in a week," Harry mumbled awkwardly. She nodded to them and watched as they left, but quickly Harry ran back one last time. "And thank you, this means the world to me. I… I take back what I said about you before," he told her and ran back out. Tears misted her eyes.

A/N- So thank you to everyone that commented! Yeah, Petunia is ooc, she had to be, but you won't see much of her anymore so the horror is gone. So next chapter, might be up tomorrow, dunno, might be a stretch with homework and whatnot, but I will try. After tomorrow, I won't have much time to update until after finals and even then I might get a chapter done a week. Sorry for how long it will be in advance. Okay, to the peeps who I could not send back comments to:

James: Thanks for the comment! Glad you liked it!

Qwertz: OMG the spelling and grammar were good!!!! THANK YOU! Yeah, usually that's an issue… as I said, Petunia had to be ooc but glad it's not an issue to you.