Harry had been pouring over books for days. He had scoured the Black, Malfoy, and now the Lestrange libraries. Rabastan was sitting behind him snacking on some chips that were supposed to be Harry's, but Harry had apparently 'ignored them too long'. Harry had just rolled his eyes and continued working.

"Going on the books you have read I have no conceivable idea what you could be trying to do. You asked Barty for three of the weirdest books I have ever heard of from the Dark Lord's library. You scoured through the Malfoy library taking five of the most unrelated books. That book is light, but the last four were practically black magic. I am so confused." Rabastan finally complained as he flipped through the book Harry discarded. Harry glanced up at him.

"Why would I tell you what I was up to?" Harry asked with a tilt of his head. Rabastan shrugged.

"Because you don't really keep secrets? If you are asked a direct question you usually answer it if not completely." Rabastan explained putting his plate down and not acknowledging the house elf that took the plate. Harry glared at him and thanked the elf politely.

"As far as you know I don't keep secrets. You just don't ask the right questions." Harry said finishing writing a sentence on his stack of notes. He kept having to stop his work in order to take care of one thing or another so he had started taking detailed notes of whatever he read. He was nowhere near close to his answer, but he had the foundation of how it would work. He half expected to have to create a spell for this. He couldn't find one that worked exactly how he wanted it to. He had even tried potions, but none of them mentally aged the body down and none of them for as young as he wanted.

"Draco said you don't like to lie." Rabastan pointed out.

"Don't like to and don't are two very distinct phrases. I lie only when it is needed." Harry said easily.

"What are you doing, Harry?" Rabastan asked again, his voice was slightly worried. Harry looked up at him.

"You're worried. Why?" Harry asked, confused. Rabastan made a point to annoy him whenever he was at the manor, but Harry never asked why. He figured that he was lonely. Harry was the only one who took the time to talk to the prisoners other than Narcissa who spent much of her time caring for Bellatrix. Rodolphus never really left Bellatrix's side unless Severus was in the manor. Rabastan was probably left alone for large periods of time.

"Because you admitted you lied to me," Rabastan said sitting down across from Harry instead of lingering sitting on the table getting in the way of Harry. He had been pointedly in the way before.

"Why do you care?" Harry hissed out tired of all the questions. He wanted to be left alone. He was good at being alone. He was good at the mind games of politics as well, but he wasn't good with genuine concern. He wasn't good at making friends. He made his friends first year and then just maintained those friendships. The closest he had come to making new friends was when he and Victor Krum had started having pick-up games during the Triwizard tournament. He had Susan, Neville, Ron, and Draco. That was all he needed.

"Because you are a phenomenal liar. I have seen the way you dance around everyone here. You never say more than you need. You never say anything important. You give just enough to make people think you have told them everything and then you walk away having told them nothing important. You wouldn't admit you lied to me. That slip up means that you are off your game, and you can't be off your game in the shark tank." Rabastan said softly. He sounded so serious and concerned that Harry actually listened to what he was saying.

"You've been studying me. That's what all of this was about? The annoying me. The following me around. You were gathering intel?" Harry demanded. He felt a shot of anger festering in his chest. He wanted to lash out at Rabastan. He wanted to make him hurt so he would leave him alone.

"How else do you make friends with someone like you?" Rabastan shot out. Harry froze at the words. He felt seen in a way he didn't like. All of his friends knew his moods as well. They knew just how to navigate his moods and he knew the same for them. Rabastan was right and it hurt something deep inside him. He was still not normal even in the wizarding world. He was still a freak.

"I can't tell you what I am working on," Harry whispered. He looked down at his notes. Rabastan was too closely linked to the Dark Lord. Even if he could sell it just right he would never pick him over the Dark Lord. Rabastan glanced down at Harry's notes. He nodded once and walked away looking upset. Harry couldn't tell why, but he was grateful for the silence.

He finished up his work and floo'd home. The manor felt strange without Rabastan behind him making comments and eating his snacks. He didn't stop to talk to Sirius and Remus like he usually would, just took the steps two at a time up to his room. He knew they would come looking for him around dinner time. He flung himself on the bed and tried not to scream in frustration. Rabastan had hit too close to home. Harry hadn't felt solid in his friendships since the time Draco had told him that he didn't act like his friends were his friends.

He sat up after the urge to scream finally left him. He needed to see his friends. He cleaned himself up a bit from being in the library all day. He barreled down the stairs knocking loudly on the door before he walked into the kitchen. He had learned his lesson the first time he had walked in on them snogging in the kitchen. He only needed to see that once before he started announcing himself before he entered any room.

"I am going to head over to Neville's, is that okay?" Harry asked, ignoring how close Remus was standing to Sirius who was sitting on the counter. If he didn't acknowledge it then he didn't have to think about it.

"Of course, pup. Make sure you are home by dessert." Sirius said in his best parental voice. Frankly, Harry didn't know why he tried to change his voice. Harry knew the rules. He was always home by the time dessert was served. Harry walked over to the floo tossing some powder into the fire.

"Hello, Madam Longbottom. Is Neville free?" Harry asked politely when he saw Augusta walk into the room having been notified by the house elves that there was a floo call coming in.

"Hello, Mr. Potter. You are in luck. He just finished up in the greenhouse." Augusta stepped back to allow Harry through the floo. Harry quickly said his formal hellos before barrelling off towards Neville's room.

"Nev! You better have something fun for me today!" Harry teased. People tended to forget that Neville was there so he always had the best gossip. He only told the group because he knew they would never talk about it outside the group. Harry had put his foot down and made sure Draco couldn't use it against the people who had told Neville otherwise they wouldn't get any more gossip.

"I am going on a date with Luna Lovegood." Neville babbled out obviously nervous. Harry beamed at him. This was exactly why he had come to Neville. Neville always knew just how to make him feel like a normal teenager. Ron was always surrounded by family that Harry wished he had. Susan was his girlfriend and love her as he did he needed a friend right now not his girlfriend. Draco was stressed from having the Dark Lord in his house so that wouldn't help him.

"That's amazing! You should bring her out with the group the next time we go see a movie. I don't know much about her." Harry said, easily plopping himself down on Neville's bed. Neville smiled shyly. When Ron had started dating Hermione they hadn't gotten the same welcome. Harry and Hermione still snarked at each other whenever in close proximity. Harry didn't like her. He thought she was too bossy and set in her ideals of authority figures. Harry was always suspicious of authority figures. The only ones he liked were his parents and Susan's aunts. The rest were dubious at best.

"You sure? Most people think she's a little odd." Neville warned.

"Draco is a narcissist. Ron is a lazy strategy master. You have a green thumb for every plant you come across. I am the boy who lived. Susan is a goddess in human form. We're all a bit odd. Did you hear Draco is hanging out with Astoria Greengrass? I hear they are considering a betrothal contract between the two of them. I think he has finally met his match." Harry said with a grin.

"You know Susan would smack you for saying that about her. She already thinks you are feeding her ego too much." Neville warned. "Also I did hear about that. You know the gossip in pureblood circles. Maybe he will stop pouting over you and Susan now."

"Yeah, but I'll keep doing it anyway. What do you mean pouting over Susan and me? Draco doesn't pout over me." Harry asked tilting his head. Neville glanced at him in surprise then couldn't help but laugh. Everyone but Harry knew that Draco was arse over teakettle for Harry. Harry had never really shown interest in anyone, but Draco was obvious.

"You seriously don't know? Draco had been head over heels for you since about third year."

"No? Really? Third year? That's the year I was trying to get over my crush on Ron." Harry mumbled softly.

"Ron? Oh, this is too good. You had a crush on Ron? It makes so much sense when you say it out loud." Neville couldn't hold back his laughter now. He was holding his sides trying to keep himself from getting a stitch in his side.

Harry shook his head. It was a long time ago and he wasn't embarrassed about it anymore. He had been going through a sexuality crisis for all of third and fourth year. He was glad that Susan waited until fifth year to ask him out.

"It's not that funny. Don't tell Draco! If he had a crush on me I don't wanna make him feel bad." Harry warned. Neville chuckled still trying to get his amusement under control.

"I won't, but I really wanna be there when he does find out. Maybe I'll tell it at your wedding." Neville teased.

"I don't know about that. I don't want to think about marriage." Harry said quickly. He didn't like the thought of tying himself to anyone for life. Magical weddings were a little stricter than Muggle ones. Unless someone was unfaithful or abusive they were hard to dissolve.

"You don't want to marry Susan?" Neville said surprised. Most people saw Harry and Susan as a power couple. They were best friends before they got together and they still acted like best friends even after they got together.

"Nev, please, let's not talk about my relationship right now. Tell me about Luna." He said and Neville wisely dropped the subject.