Wow, I haven't updated in forever. I'm really sorry for that but I've had a ton of family issues and I lost my initial outline for this story when changing computers. I have plenty of excuses, but I really don't think you want to hear them. Regardless, here's the next chapter. My beta hasn't had the chance to look at it yet but thank my friend Katie for looking at it for me. She's amazing.

So, after many months of waiting, (I promise it won't be this long of a wait EVER again especially since I already have the next chapter almost finished) here it is!

BY THE WAY ~ the HGHGHG's are page breaks. I'm too lazy to put those lines in anymore.

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. If I did, would I be writing this?

July 28th, 1990

Dudley Dursley, if James Potter hadn't had the reaction that he had to Voldemort on that fateful Halloween night, would have been Harry Hunting that very moment of that day of his life. Had James not stood his ground, Dudley would have been very over weight instead of being the slightly large athletic child that he was. Now, he towered over his peers in school but instead of being the school bully, he was known as the gentle giant that tried hard in school in an attempt to impress his mother instead of dreaming to follow his father's footsteps in becoming a bully to all, especially those who didn't have the capability to defend themselves.

No. Instead, Dudley Dursley was lying on his bed, staring at his ceiling, and gathering his courage to finally confront his mother. For over a year, he'd been contemplating whether he should tell her that he didn't like the way that his father treated her. On one hand, according to his cousin Harry Potter (who had returned to play the marriage game again with his friends Ginny and Ron), husbands were supposed to be nice to their wives, treat them with respect, and most importantly, love them. None of which, Dudley thought, he saw from his father's example. On the other hand, each point that he just brought up that his father failed to do, his mother did. His mother treated her husband like a god, and sometimes she seemed happy doing so – as long as his father wasn't violent.

Finally, on that day, he decided enough was enough. Last night, his father had slapped Petunia in the face so hard that she was thrown into the kitchen table after an especially nasty fight. It was now seven in the morning and he had been up all night making his final decision. This time, he wasn't going to back down unlike the numerous times he'd tried before. Today, he was going to tell his mother that he hated Vernon Dursley.

GHGHGHG

"Mum?" Dudley Dursley asked his mother who was crouching over the small garden that held her prized tomatoes in the back.

"Yes, Dudders?" Petunia Dursley said to her son as she put down her small shovel and removed one of her gloves in order to wipe the sweat that was dripping down her face off. She looked at him expectantly and smiled.

Suddenly, looking in her eyes, Dudleys harsh words receded and he lost the courage to say what he had in mind. Instead he simply looked at her cheek where a huge purple bruise looked like it had been poorly covered with pale pasty cover-up and asked, "Why are you married to Dad if you never have any fun?"

GHGHGHG

July 31st, 1990

Dear Harry,

Happy Birthday! It's not a Hogwarts letter, but just think - in a year, you'll be getting your Hogwarts letter today! As well as one from me, of course.

You've finally caught up to me! Now that we're both ten, we only have one more year until we get to see each other. I can't wait for Hogwarts. Maybe we'll get to meet up in Diagon Ally before school! I've sent your birthday present as well. I got you some Honeydukes chocolate and a Puddlemere United jersey. They're amazing and you know it. They beat the Chudley Cannons any day no matter what your friend Ron thinks! Have a wonderful Birthday! Hopefully your mum will finally let up on her broom rules.

Draco Malfoy

GHGHGHGHG

"Happy Birthday to you!"

"Cha-cha-cha"

"Happy Birthday to you!"

"Cha-cha-cha"

"Happy Birthday dear Harry, Happy birthday to you!"

Harry opened his eyes groggily as his mother sang to him to wake him up as she did for each of his birthdays. For the last five years, Sirius has insisted on being her back-up. Each year, he tries to open his eyes a little faster so that he can see the weird dance that Sirius has made to go with the song. Currently, Sirius was singing a very off-tune version of "How old are you?" while shaking his butt in Harry's face. Harry watched as both his mother and Remus laughed in the doorway. Seeing Remus, he jumped up and ran to him to give him a hug.

"Remus!" Harry shouted.

"That's the thanks I get? You know I work my butt off every year to come up with a new dance for you and as soon as you wake up you hug Remus instead of me." Sirius pouted jokingly.

"I'm sorry Sirius. I'll give you a hug now!" Harry said as he let go of Remus' waist.

"Ah, that's okay, kid. Happy Birthday." Sirius said as he opened his arms to give Harry a huge hug.

"Alright, alright. Harry, get dressed quickly so that you can eat breakfast. Your birthday party is in four hours. Molly was kind enough to put it together for you so we aren't going to be late." Lily said as she left the room with Remus following her.

Sirius, unlike his friends, remained in Harry's room as the boy still had his arms surrounding him. Sirius smiled to himself as he said, "Harry. Your mother's right. You do need to get dressed. But make sure you wear that Quidditch shirt that I see there in the corner." Harry felt Sirius' arm removed from him. He watched as Sirius pointed to his new jersey he had secretly gotten earlier from Draco, before his mother had come in to wake him up.

Harry blushed quickly and looked up at Sirius. "I got that from… um… I…"

"Calm down, kid. Don't worry about it. You know you can't lie to me because I see right through you." Sirius said as he smiled down at his Godson. "And I like whatever friend sent you that. He's got good taste in Quidditch teams." Sirius said as he winked at Harry. Harry let out a huge sigh before Sirius continued his thought from earlier. "Anyway, make sure you wear that jersey and a pair of muggle jeans." He said mysteriously as he walked away with a smirk on his face that would have made James proud.

GHGHGHG

Sirius wasn't stupid. He knew of only one child whom Harry would know that would be a Puddlemere fan. Every member of the Black family, save Andromeda who changed her allegiance to the Hollyhead Harpies after her best friend got recruited, was a fan of Puddlemere United, especially Narcissa.

He was proud of his Godson for being friends with Draco despite the constant prejudices that surrounded him. While he hoped that Harry wouldn't get hurt by corresponding with Draco (he was still a Malfoy – even if he was just a kid), he worried for Draco. He assumed that Narcissa was helping to cover up the pen-pal's letters but there was only so much Narcissa could do for the boy without Lucius throwing a fit. He had a small shred of hope that the mess Lucius created would show up on his door step – just as his own father's mess had shown up on James'.

GHGHGHGHG

"One more step." Harry heard his Godfather say.

"I really hope this is worth it, Sirius." He said back. He was already on the Weasley's property, an hour before his party was to officially start, because Sirius had wanted to give Harry his gift away from muggles. What Sirius hadn't mentioned on their way over, was that he was going to blindfold Harry the moment that he reached the Weasley's front door.

"Oh, believe me, it will be." He heard Remus say from behind him.

"Ok, I'll take the blindfold off on the count of three. One," Harry's heart lept in anticipation. Sirius' gifts were always the best, "two," Sirius placed his hands on the tie of the blindfold, "three!" Harry felt the scratchy blindfold leave his face as he opened his eyes. In front of him was the newest version of the Nimbus line of broomsticks, the Nimbus 1999. Harry let out an admittedly girlish squeal, making everyone in the room laugh. He grabbed the broomstick and looked at his mother with pleading eyes.

"My gift, Harry," she said as she pulled something from behind her back, "are these riding gloves." Harry's excitement soared. "But, you cannot ride the broom without Sirius or Remus in the air with you, and you cannot take the broom to school with you next year, understood?"

Harry managed a quick, "Yes ma'am!" as he grabbed the broom and grabbed the gloves out of her hand. A train of red-haired children had formed by the time that he stopped abruptly and turned around and ran back towards his mother. He quickly enveloped her in his arms, with a quick "Thanks so much, mum," and grabbed a laughing Sirius' hand and dragged him out the door with him. He was going to fly on his own broomstick alone for the first time ever.

HGHGHG

People who Harry didn't even know had showed up to wish him a Happy Birthday, though. Dumbledore, whom he had met on a few occasions, showed up with a very nice half-giant named Hagrid. Neville, a boy who had turned ten only the day before he had, also showed up even though they'd never met. Harry had never seen so many Wizards in his life. Fortunately, none of them embarrassed themselves by fawning over him like every wizard he'd run into with his mother on special occasions when they went to wizard restaurants. A man named "Mad-eye" had scared him with a speech about "constant vigilance". It was worth it though when he watched his mother yell at the poor old man. Tonks, someone he'd met only a few times before, was the same age as Charlie and was Sirius' cousin. He had always been entranced by her different hair colors as a child and they still managed to entertain him.

Now that the main party was over, though, only his family and the Weasleys remained. His family had made the decision beforehand that he would open his presents after his guests had left as some of them couldn't afford what others could. He'd received more than one broom cleaning kit, a cool gadget called a "Remembrall" from Neville's grandmother, a defense book from Mad-eye, but nothing from Ginny. Something that he couldn't stop thinking about. In fact, it had gotten to the point where he was in the Weasley's backyard all by himself, leaning away from the house against his favorite tree. He went over in his head what he possibly could have done wrong in the past week that would have upset her but nothing came to mind.

"Hello, Harry." He heard a young girl's voice say from behind him.

He spun around quickly to see the young redhead's face. "Hey, Gin."

"How did your birthday go?" She asked as she sat down next to him.

"Pretty well."

"I'm glad. Did you get the presents that you wanted?" She asked as Harry smiled about Sirius' present.

"I love the broom that Sirius got me. It's awesome."

"That's good." She said as an awkward silence sprung up between the two. Looking down at her crossed legs, she asked "I'm sorry I didn't put your present in the main pile Harry, I know that's why you're upset." Looking up at her, Harry tried to keep his surprised look off of his face. Ginny dug into her pocket and pulled out a square white piece of fabric. "I'm sorry that it's not much, but here you go." She said as she handed Harry the piece of fabric.

Harry took it with gentle hands. He looked down at it, unsure of exactly what it was. In one corner, in red and green thread, someone had embroidered HJP, his initials. "It's a handkerchief. I didn't have any money to buy anything for you so my mom helped me make this. It has your initials on it, see, right here." She said as her small finger pointed to the spot on the fabric. "My mom helped by casting a self-cleaning charm on it. It will stay clean no matter what." Ginny said with a smile on her face, proud of her work.

Harry gleamed at her, thankful for the small momento. "Thanks so much Gin, I love it. I'll always keep it with me, even at Hogwarts."

Ginny blushed as Harry leaned over and gave Ginny a small kiss on the cheek. "Happy birthday Harry. I hope it was wonderful." She said as she leaned into him and they stared at the landscape together.

GHGHGH

"They are absolutely adorable."

"I could have told you ages ago that they would end up together."

"Not to mention that Harry managed to beat James' 'falling in love with a red head' record."

"Would you two shut it?" Lily said with a smile.

"Don't really want to." Sirius replied with a grin as Remus chuckled at his friends' antics. Sirius checked his watch. "Unfortunately for you two, I'm due at the ministry for a hearing in twenty minutes. I should be going."

"Would you like to represent the Potters again today, please?" Lily asked.

"I already sent the letter because I assumed you'd want to stay." Sirius said.

"Thanks. Something about sending someone to Azkaban simply doesn't have a nice ring to it today" Lily said with a grimace. Although she felt privileged to be a muggleborn on the Wizengamot, she was only holding Harry's place as the rightful Potter seat holder.

Sirius said his goodbyes and grabbed some of the floo powder above the fireplace and headed to the ministry. "You know, Lily," Remus said, looking at the young couple outside once more with a smile, "Harry has something that James didn't."

"Oh, really?" Lilly said, amused. "And what would that be?"

"A girl who will say yes the first time he asks." Remus said with a smirk.

Giggleing at the memories at James' failed attempts to woo her, she smiled and said, "That may be, but James had something that I fear Harry won't."

Remus turned to her with a serious face, "What do you mean?"

"I don't think he'll have the confidence to ask her the first time! Infact, I'm willing to wager that they won't be together until Harry's fifth year." Lily said to Remus, not noticing a pair of redheaded twins that were sneaking up on their conversation.

"Really, now?"

"Yes. I don't think Harry will have enough confidence to ask the girl until his fifth year."

"Well then," Remus said with a smirk, "I bet you two hundred Galleons that Harry not only asks her before his fifth year, but that she says yes the first time he asks."

"Excuse me Mr. Lupin, Mrs. Potter," Fred said

"But we couldn't help but overhear," George continued,

"That you're making a wager over when our little sister and your protégée will be getting together."

Lily and Remus looked at each other and then back at the two twelve-year-olds. Remus was about to turn them down, not expecting Lily to agree with letting underage wizards bet on anything, when Lily said, "Okay. But, you have to be over the age of seventeen when we give you the money or you give us the money."

Fred and George looked at eachother, silently communicating in their own way, before Fred said, "We'll take the deal as we don't think that they'll get together before we turn seventeen anyway!"

"Yes," George said, "we project that Harry and Ginny will get together in the middle of their sixth year but Ginny will be dating others before Harry dates others."

Lily and Remus smirked. That will never happen. Lily never dated anyone but James and James couldn't date anyone but Lily. Thinking the same thing as Remus, Lily said, "We'll take the deal. Loosers pay the winner or winners two hundred galleons each."

Smiling, Gred and Forge walked away, planning what they would do with their winnings.

GHGHGHGHG

An obnoxious ringing began to fill her ears as Lily woke up and looked at the clock on her bedside table. It read 12:24. Who could be calling at this hour?

She grabbed the phone that was sitting next to her alarm clock. "Hello?"

"Lily, thank god." She heard a panicked voice say.

"Petunia?" Lily said as she sat up. "What's wrong?"

"It's Vernon. Lily, he hit Dudley. Is that extra room still available?"

CLIFFHANGER! please review! It's so much easier now that you don't have to click an extra button. You just have to type and submit! Thanks! I appreciate your feedback!