After three days of mounting anxiety, Wednesday the thirteenth of July finally came, and Harry was up and awake before anyone else in the house. It was only six in the morning, but he couldn't stay asleep. He walked down to the kitchen and waved hello to the elves before fixing himself some eggs and toast. The elves clucked their disapproval of Harry's cooking but had learned that their new master would not be swayed into simply sitting down and accepting their labour.

Harry was just finishing a glass of pumpkin juice when he heard the floo chime. Rising out of his seat he drew his wand. Harry had been informed by Remus and Sirius that no one but them knew that they were staying at Potter Manor. Harry crept around the corner; wand pointed in front of him when he saw movement.

'Expelliarmus!' Harry shouted at the moving figure. A wand flew out of the man's hand and soared through the air towards Harry. With the hand of the seeker, Harry wrapped his fingers around the wand and drew it close to himself as he kept his Holly wand pointed at the figure.

'Identify yourself!'

'Oh dear.' Came the surprisingly alarmed voice of Albus Dumbledore.

'Oh! Professor, my apologies, I didn't know you had access to Potter Manor. I thought you were an intruder.' said Harry, lighting his wand with a Lumos spell.

The headmaster wore a concerned expression and was staring at the wand clutched in Harry's off-hand.

Harry, taking the hint, gently handed the wand back to Dumbledore. 'Sorry, I just figured I should disarm first and talk later.' said Harry sheepishly.

The twinkle returned in the professor's eyes as he smiled slightly. 'No, no that's quite alright Harry. In fact, well done. Though you should probably verify my identity.' Dumbledore said, peering over his half-moon spectacles at Harry. He still hadn't accepted his wand.

'Oh, er… What did you tell me you saw in the mirror of Erised?' Harry figured this was a personal enough question to confirm that this was, in fact, the real Dumbledore.

'I believe I told you I envisioned myself with a pair of socks?' said Dumbledore.

Harry nodded and smiled. 'Well, here, follow me. The elves could probably get you some breakfast. How are you? Er, Professor.' Harry felt extremely uncomfortable with the headmaster in his home and didn't quite know what to do. What bothered him even more was the fact that Dumbledore had yet to accept his wand. Harry, deciding that the professor was not going to take it back, wrapped his fingers tightly around it and held it in his wand hand. Suddenly, a golden swirl of magic erupted from the tip of the wand and surrounded Harry. A warm tingling sensation ran up his arm and deep within his chest. Magic was flowing through him and the wand was the conductor. Harry's eyes widened as he glanced up at Dumbledore, shock etched across his features.

'Ah, yes, that will be… a bit of an issue.' said Dumbledore, chuckling slightly. 'Perhaps you should follow me.'

Harry simply nodded as he followed his headmaster through his own home.

'Mum, what the hell is happening with this wand?'

'I have absolutely no idea Harry. Your magic is certainly more… awake, let's say. Let's just hope Professor Dumbledore can explain some things.'

Dumbledore seemed to know his way around the manor and Harry figured he must have visited before, considering the fact that his father and Dumbledore must have been close to have lent the invisibility cloak to the man. He led Harry into the dining room which until now had not been used due to the lack of need for a thirty-person table.

Dumbledore sat to the left of the head of the table and gestured for Harry to sit across from him.

'I am assuming you would like an explanation as to why my wand has reacted to you in such a way.' said Dumbledore.

'Yes, my Phoenix wand threw out a load of sparks when I held it for the first time but your wand did way more than sparks.' said Harry, frowning slightly.

'That would be because the wand you are currently holding belongs to you, and only you.' said Dumbledore. He, too, was frowning.

'What? I already have my wand. It chose me, I like my wand.' Harry blurted out.

Dumbledore's frown curved up into a smile. 'Yes, and that wand will continue to function… acceptably. However, your new wand will have taken its place as your primary wand.'

Harry furrowed his brow and tried to understand what the professor had just explained to him. 'Professor, I can't say I know much about wand-lore, but shouldn't the wand choose the wizard? I mean, I only disarmed you.'

Dumbledore grimaced. There was no way out of explaining what the boy had just done. Waving his hand around the room he cast multiple silencing and privacy charms before muttering under his breath and tapping Harry on the top of the head with his outstretched finger. When he looked into Harry's confused gaze Dumbledore explained what he had just done. 'I have performed a Fidelius Charm over the information I am about to share with you. I have identified the two of us as secret keepers, seeing as it is now your secret to share. Do you understand how this charm works, Harry?'

'From what I understand with what happened to my parents, only the secret keeper can share the secret. It's sort of in the name,' said Harry.

Dumbledore chuckled. 'Yes, but there's more to it than that. The secret, that being the object or location, or subject of the secret, is buried and hidden deep within your magical core. A weaker form of fidelius would store the information in the mind. While that form of protection is still quite safe, it can still be found through an ability known as Legilimency. Do you know what Legilimency is?' at Harry's nod, he continued. 'I have performed a more advanced form of fidelius, the same as the one your mother performed on Mr. Pettigrew.' Harry growled. 'That way, the only way for your secret to be released is by our word, or writing, alone.'

'Writing?'

'You can write out the secret on a charmed piece of parchment if you wish.'

Harry nodded and looked up at the headmaster expectantly. The house was perfectly silent. If anyone but he and Dumbledore stood in the impressive dining room, they'd think it was an empty manor. It was a haunting sensation. Harry's wolf senses were running on overdrive as he analyzed the headmaster's worried and tired expression.

Sighing, Dumbledore began to speak. 'That wand you are holding there, Harry, is a very special wand. There is no other that can match it. That wand has power over all other wands. It is won by fair play. By defeating the previous master. Just now, in your sitting room, you disarmed me, correct?'

Harry's jaw dropped but he nodded.

'Tell me, Harry, have you ever heard of the Elder Wand?' Dumbledore looked into his student's started gaze and figured there was a good chance that Harry, who had been brought up by muggles, had likely never heard of the Tales of Beetle the Bard.

'No, sir.' said Harry quietly.

'It is an ancient wand, which has been passed down not through family, but through violence. It has been held by many dark, and light wizards and witches over the centuries. It goes by many names, but those are all irrelevant to this conversation. Harry, what you must understand is that that wand, the one you are holding, the Elder Wand, belongs to you.' Explained Dumbledore.

Hundreds of questions were flowing through Harry's mind as he gaped at Dumbledore. So he settled on the one that mattered most. 'Why me? Also, how is it mine any more than it was yours?'

Dumbledore sighed, once again berating himself for not having told Harry more about his lineage. 'Because you are, as far as I can tell, the sole living descendent of the original owner of the wand. It responded to me, yes, but it was not an unbeatable wand as it was always rumoured to be. Only a Peverell will be granted with the true powers of… the wand.'

Harry isn't stupid, he noticed Dumbledore's hesitation, and he was starting to piece together a puzzle that he figured the headmaster had no inkling as to how many pieces of said puzzle Harry actually had. First of all was the name Peverell, which Harry had already claimed ownership over at Gringotts not three weeks prior. The second was the fact that the goblins had implied that Harry's possession of the cloak through family was the evidence that supported his Peverell blood. And the third, and most interesting realization, was that Dumbledore did not want this information to get to Harry.

'So, what about the cloak?' asked Harry. To his surprise, the headmaster blanched.

Albus Dumbledore felt the blood drain from his face as he heard Harry ask about the cloak. How could he know? How could he possibly know about the Hallows? Though, perhaps the boy did not know. Perhaps he was simple jumping to conclusions. He had meant to track down the final Hallow. He had a fairly good idea of where it was, or rather more importantly, what it was, but he had meant to save that for the opportune moment. For nearly a year now Albus had known that Harry Potter was a Horcrux. At least, he strongly suspected the boy was a Horcrux. After experimenting with the diary over the summer of 1993, he had determined that yes, indeed Tom Riddle had created a Horcrux. But upon further thought, it made absolutely no sense to leave an object as precious and irreplaceable as a Horcrux in the hands of a mere follower, to be used as a weapon. Yes, Albus knew that the diary was intended to cause harm, but that only further proved that Tom Riddle was truly lost. If he could so carelessly throw a piece of his soul around, there must be more. There must be contingencies. And so Albus had watched Harry, had thought back on how the boy had reacted to Quirrell's presence, and it had all slipped into place. Harry was carrying a piece of Tom Riddle's soul within himself. Whether Voldemort had intended to do so or not was neither here nor there, what mattered was finding a way to remove the Horcrux. Though Albus had attempted to find ways around the inevitable, he had finally come to the conclusion that Harry Potter had to die. And so he had vowed to find the Resurrection Stone, wherever or whatever it may be, and give it to Harry before his death. So he could finally accept his parents' love, so he could gain the strength he'd need to move forward, and accept death as an old friend.

But if Harry knew about the stone, he was certain that the boy would not give up until he could find the artifact. Albus knew all too well the desire to speak to fallen loved ones. He could not afford to allow Harry to fall into the sorrowful depths of false-hope and obsession with the Deathly Hallows. The boy had to die, and the stone was imperative in convincing Harry of his role in this horrible predetermined upcoming war.

It was then that he noticed something that shocked him to his core. Forcing himself not to become too hopeful, he reached up and pointed to Harry's scar.

'Harry, what's happened to your scar?' he said, reacting to the faded white lightning bolt. Stark contrast to the once angry shade of red it had always carried.

Harry noticed the change in subject but figured he might as well get answers to some of his other questions. 'Oh yeah, ever since Remus bit me it's sort of faded. And…' Harry paused, looking up at Dumbledore and wondering whether or not he should share this information. 'It feels like there's this great presence lifted out of my head. Like, before I didn't react to things, or show much emotion, but now I'm all… I don't know, happy and loud and… For the first time in my life, and I can't explain why, considering the fact that I've never felt this way… but I feel like myself. I feel… lighter.'

Albus could have cried with glee at the description the boy had just given him. He was certain, absolutely certain that his curse scar was nothing more than a scar. That the Horcrux within Harry had vanished. Yes, he would have to check on things, but for now he let himself bask in relief at the thought that maybe, Harry Potter would survive this war.

'Harry… I do not know what to say. In brief terms, I had strongly suspected you had a piece of Voldemort's soul in your mind, but from what you are describing to me, I believe this piece has been removed.'

'Harry! Ask him about Horcruxes!'

Harry had absolutely no idea what a Horcrux was, and though taken slightly off guard at the headmaster's teary-eyed smile he was still rather curious. 'Er, professor, what's a Horcrux?'

The smile fell from Dumbledore's face as he thought back to a conversation he had recently viewed in the memory of a retired Hogwarts professor. 'Where did you learn that term, Harry?' Dumbledore tried to take the quiver out of his voice as he feared the worse.

'The voice, in my head… from the werewolf.' Harry was pleased to see recognition spread across Dumbledore's face. 'It's my mum, she asked me to ask you what a horcrux is.'

Relieved beyond measure, Dumbledore smiled kindly. 'Yes, well, I can't say there is any way around telling you about this now. Seeing as… well… A Horcrux is a piece of your soul, which has been separated from the body, encased in an object. So, essentially, even if the body is destroyed, the soul lives on. This provides a sort of immortality. Until the Horcrux is destroyed, your spirit cannot move on. If you have a horcrux, one can in theory, be reborn. With a new body.'

A sudden flash of anger came from deep within Harry. 'If you knew about this, why couldn't you tell me? I think I'd like to know if I had a piece of Tom Riddle's soul embedded into my skull!'

'Yes, and you'd be right to be angry with me. The thing is Harry, as far as I was aware, the only way for your horcrux to have been destroyed was with your death.' said Dumbledore sadly.

The flash of anger grew and enveloped his body. Being a werewolf was extremely detrimental to one's emotions. 'So, you were just going to raise me like a pig for slaughter? You were going to tell me at the last moment, were you? You'd wait until I'd have made friends, maybe had a wife and kids to tell me that Voldemort couldn't die until I myself was dead. How the fuck am I supposed to fulfill a prophecy if I'm dead!' Then, after a few seconds pause, Harry added. 'Sir.' contritely.

Appropriately chastised, Dumbledore let out a a long sigh. He did not know how Harry had found out about the prophecy, but at this moment it did not matter. The boy had shown a level of maturity well beyond his years, and with his newfound condition, it was imperative that he understood his place in this future-war. Resignations aside, Dumbledore opened his mouth to speak. 'I am very old, Harry, and therefore very wise. However, I'd say this is another one of those cases in which I have overestimated my ability to refrain from caring. The reality is, no matter how difficult this may be to believe, I care about you. And though that is not a weakness, it can blind someone's common sense. For instance, I never once noticed the treatment you were receiving at the hands of your relatives.'

Harry blushed and rubbed the back of his neck. He really hated when people brought this up, he had been lucky to have avoided it in conversation with Remus and Sirius so far.

'Madame Pomfrey came to me shortly after the end of term and disclosed her findings on your back. An apology is worth nothing for what I have put you through, Harry, for I am the one who insisted that you be placed with your aunt. I could have given guardianship to Remus, or Andromeda Tonks. Instead, I condemned you to a childhood of suffering. Therefore, I will not apologize. From what I've seen, you don't appreciate pity, and I believe that all you will see out of an apology from me is that it is, as the muggles say; "too little, too late." And it is Harry. I have taken too long to realize such things.'

Harry was surprised at the headmaster's honesty. Though he was incredibly relieved that he hadn't attempted an apology. Harry didn't think he could stand an apology from the man at the moment.

'Another aspect of who you are that I refused to see was just how mature you have grown to become. Whether that be due to your upbringing, or because of your last three years at Hogwarts, you are no regular thirteen-year-old boy. You have been through more horrendous, gruesome, tragic experiences than the majority of the Auror corps. And yet I never once allowed myself to see the young man that you have become. I have made mistakes, Harry, and me being me, my mistakes tend to be rather disastrous. You may appear thirteen to others, though I daresay your condition has nullified that a bit, but you are not young at heart. Nor are you young in the soul. And I must accept that.'

Dumbledore let out a long breath and looked intently at Harry Potter. He found that the young man before him was looking up into Dumbledore's eyes with an expression of shocked respect. He was afraid to wipe that expression off his face.

'My most grievous mistake, however, had been me having kept the Prophecy from you. You asked in your first year why Voldemort went for you and your parents, and I lied. I convinced myself that you weren't ready. Which, I must say you may not have been ready to hear that you are destined to be a killer at age eleven. Alas, we'll never know. Then, in your second year you saved another child touched by Voldemort. Another student who can no longer enjoy the simplicities of being a child, and yet I still held the prophecy from you. I am grateful that one of your guardians has disclosed the contents of the prophecy with you, because he has likely saved many of us from terrible suffering. Suffering that would have been caused by me.'

Tears were forming in the corners of Dumbledore's eyes, but he pushed forward.

'I have attempted to manipulate your life so that you could live a childhood you had long ago departed from. I had everything planned, and like you have said, I might as well have raised you like a pig for slaughter. Now that your horcrux is seemingly gone, that plan is no longer necessary, and I am eternally grateful for that. If anyone deserves to live a life that is full, it is you, Harry. I would understand completely if you never trusted me again, and I would allow it. But before you do so, let me make you a promise.'

Dumbledore reached out and placed his hand over Harry's, staring intently into his deep green eyes.

'I am never going to interfere with your life unless you tell me to. It is not by life to meddle with, they are not my choices to make. If you ever find yourself seeking guidance, my door will always be open to you, Harry.'

Harry nodded vigorously. His anger at the man had not disappeared but had transformed into a newfound determination. Albus Dumbledore trusted him to make his own decisions. He trusted him to act rationally, to be mature and to handle situations as he believed adequate. That was more than could be said for how many would treat him. It was a long and prolonged silence before Harry spoke.

'I don't trust you, professor. From now on, I ask you to be honest with me. I ask for you to share any information that you deem important for my fulfillment of the prophecy. We need to work together, and while yes I'm mature, I have only been in the wizarding for three years. I don't have the influence you do.' Harry paused. He wasn't very good at this, and if Dumbledore was treating him as an equal in this moment, he might as well do the same. 'I want to work with you, professor. When the time comes… I will.'

Dumbledore nodded and smiled. 'Now, about your cloak. I will make the assumption that it works for you in the way it is intended. That is to say, true invisibility. No magical eyes or sensory charms can track it if you are the one using it.'

Harry frowned. 'The Marauder's Map shows my location when I've got the cloak on.'

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled. 'And who helped design such a marvelous magical device?'

Harry couldn't help but smile. Of course, if another Peverell descendant had designed the map, the cloak would reveal itself.

'I recommend that you keep your new wand a secret from your friends. Do use it in your classes, but if they ask where you got it, tell them your old wand was damaged beyond repair.' said Dumbledore conspiratorially.

'Yes professor,' said Harry. It would not be a good idea to tell the world that he was in possession of an unbeatable wand. Then, a thought that hadn't occurred to Harry came to the forefront of his mind. 'Hang on, if it's an unbeatable wand, how was I able to disarm you?'

Dumbledore smiled as he rose to stand. 'I believe you already know the answer to that. You are its true master, it belongs to your blood. And I daresay it approves of you.'

Harry's lips tugged upwards momentarily before he frowned again. 'That still doesn't make sense. The first owner of the wand must have been a Peverell, and evidently, he lost a duel.'

Dumbledore held up his hand. 'Ah, but that is where history can fill in the blanks for us. The first brother's throat was slit while he slept. The killer gained possession over the wand. If the original owner was awake, the wand would never have failed.'

Harry snorted despite himself. 'Alright, so I can't sleep in peace for the rest of my life then.'

'Another reason to keep this quiet.' said Dumbledore. 'I am sure that if someone attempted to track down ownership of the wand, they would come to find that I am it's master. Let us keep it that way. The world will never know that you, Harry Potter, are the true master of the Elder Wand.'

Harry nodded as he watched the headmaster leave. 'Professor, why did you come in the first place?'

Dumbledore chuckled. 'I was merely checking the protections around the manor. I am pleased to see that it is unplottable. An easy way around underaged magic if I do say so myself.' He peered over his half-moon spectacles with a smile. 'I must return to Hogwarts now. I have a meeting with Professor Snape.' And with that, Dumbledore flooed back to the school.

Harry stood in the common room with a dazed expression. In the course of fifteen minutes his world had been turned upside down and had had so many questions answered and yet none were satisfying the overwhelming amount of new questions pooling within his mind. It was his mother who focused her questions on one topic.

'Harry, this horcrux situation, I have a very bad feeling about it.'

'You know, even after his long speech he didn't really explain what they are. Not really.'

'I know! Christ this is irritating. I only knew the term because of this obscure book I read on soul magic when I was training for the Department of Mysteries. All I know about them is that it's a piece of your soul that lives outside of the body.'

'Yeah, and that's pretty much all he told us in return. I'm sure he knows more.'

'Definitely. Well, we might as well push that thought out of our minds for now. You have a date to prepare for, young man.'

Harry jumped up off the couch and bolted up the stairs. How could he have forgotten? His mum had a great way of taking his mind off of the unpleasantness of his life. He supposed it had something to do with the fact that the werewolf was taking the form of a voice of comfort. He nearly bowled through Remus who had to jump out of the way. Harry ran into his room and shut the door. Immediately, he began pacing.

'What should I wear? Should I dress up or be casual? Is it really a date? I don't know. It seems like she just wants to hang out. Oh mum, what am I going to do!'

Lily laughed. 'Definitely dress casually. Cargo shorts and a white t-shirt maybe?'

'Don't laugh! Ugh… Yeah, you're right. Casual is better.'

Harry dug through his dresser and pulled out an average pair of beige shorts and pulled on a plain white t-shirt. He looked himself over in the mirror before running back downstairs. His hair had grown quite a bit since he'd last truly paid attention to his reflection. It looked similar to Sirius's hair, only less curly and more wavy. It reached to the bottom of his jaw in length. Harry decided that he actually liked his new look. It made him appear much older than he actually was and gave him a sort of rugged adventurous look.

'Don't ever think those words again. Christ, living inside your head may become a bit of an issue if you start thinking the way James used to talk,'

Harry laughed out loud and ruffled his hair so that it didn't hang in front of his face. His green eyes glowed slightly, which he knew was a rare trait that his mother had once possessed.

Checking his watch, he realized that he still had three hours before he'd have to start his walk into the village.

'You can't just pace in your room for three hours sweetheart.'

'Watch me.'

'Go downstairs and talk with Remus and Sirius. I'm sure they could give better advice than I.' Lily was lying. She knew that whatever advice Sirius was going to give would be ridiculous, but she couldn't help but suggest it to Harry. 'Oh, how I wish I could talk to James right now. He's probably clawing at himself with advice to give you.'

Harry smiled ruefully before exiting his room and heading to the kitchen. There, he found Sirius and Remus bickering like an old married couple over a plate of eggs.

'Hello boys.' said Harry, grinning from ear to ear.

'Fuck off Harry.' said Sirius, frowning at his godson's happy demeanor.

'Woah woah woah! Padfoot, enough with the hostilities. What's the matter? Is it the flees?'

Sirius glared at Harry before turning back to his eggs.

'Sirius had a bad night.' said Remus, trying desperately not to laugh.

'Well come on then! Fill me in!' Harry said as he sat down next to Remus.

'Basically, Sirius decided to have a nice walk as Padfoot before he came across a pack of wild dogs.' Remus paused to calm himself. 'These dogs… they were quite interested in Padfoot. Found him… charming?'

Sirius growled as Harry started laughing along with Remus.

'Please… please tell me nothing happened.' said Harry.

'Of course nothing happened you stupid sod!' yelled Sirius.

Harry continued to laugh as he spooned some eggs onto his plate. He wasn't nearly as nervous about his day now that he was around his family, but he still felt like asking for advice only boys could give.

Clearing his throat, Harry looked up at Remus and Sirius. 'I need advice. Like… what do I do?'

Sirius's frown immediately flipped upside-down as he grinned evilly at his godson. 'Don't get her pregnant.' he said, before turning back to his plate.

Harry gaped at Sirius in disbelief. 'I am not going to- Where would- Why would you even get the idea that we would even do anything like that! It's not even really a date!' Harry sputtered.

'Oh, and that too. Don't tell her it's not a date.' Said Sirius, still smiling into his eggs.

'What? But she didn't really ask me out, she just gave me her number.' Said Harry.

'Right, she gave you her number. You see, my dear, dear boy… Today is a test of sorts. She's gauging whether or not you're good enough. Do you meet her standards? Are you interesting? Today is only a date if she enjoys it. Time spent together after this might be considered a date. Do you understand?'

Harry stared at Sirius for a minute before scrunching up his face in concentration. 'So I need to impress her? What like some kind of mating ritual?'

Remus snorted into his pumpkin juice as he actively attempted to avoid the conversation. Sirius just stared at Harry in shock. 'Harry, I don't think you know what that means in the Wizarding World.' Said Sirius

'WHAT? There are mating rituals in the Wizarding World? Like, between… people?'

Sirius grimaced 'Pure-Blood dragon shite we'll explain it later if you care all that much.'

Remus cleared his throat, fighting back a smile. 'So, you want advice?'

Sirius looked to Remus with a sceptical look 'Have you ever had a relationship last longer than a couple of months?'

Remus looked abashed. 'I can't have a long-term relationship! Whenever they find out, they leave Padfoot. It's not realistic for a werewolf to be in a relationship.' As the words left his lips, he realized he had majorly dropped the ball. Turning to Harry he saw hurt and disbelief etched on his face.

'So, what the hell is the point of me even going out.' said Harry quietly.

Sirius threw Remus a disgusted look before turning back to Harry. 'First of all, Harry, Remus is a fucking idiot.' He glared at his friend. 'He's always stopped himself from applying to jobs that he's qualified for or broken it off with amazing girls because he's too fucking insecure to accept who he really is and move on with it. There are going to be people in your life who fear you. There are going to be people in your life who turn their backs on you for what you are. But that is no reason to turn your back on them. The people who fear you or leave you aren't worth it, and that is all you have to think about.' He looked at his godson appraisingly. 'Do you understand?'

'Yes.' Harry mumbled.

Sirius sighed and looked up at Remus. He was glad to see regret on his face before turning back to Harry.

'No, none of that mumbling insecure shite. You are going to be the best damn werewolf in the world and a thumping good wizard at the same time. You are going to prove idiots like the Ministry, or moronic werewolves, that you're just as normal as the rest. Just… every once in a while, you have a bit of a temper.' He was glad to see a small smile play across his godson's face. 'So, when you go out with this girl today, you're going to enjoy it. You're going to have fun. You're going to treat her with respect and be yourself. Stop with all this "everyone hates me, the world is against me". Be confident in yourself! Look in the mirror and nod your head and say to the mum in your head that you're a fucking great werewolf.' Sirius slammed his fist down on the table. 'Because you're going to be fucking awesome.'

Harry chuckled, which quickly escalated into loud guffaws. 'Thank you, Padfoot.'

Sirius smiled at Harry and then waved towards the door. 'Now go shower. Smelly snogging is not a particular favourite of mine.'

Harry laughed and rose from his seat before leaving the room.

Sirius turned to Remus. 'And you take that advice as well. You need to set an example. The fact that the thirteen-year-old son of your best friend must come around to convince you of that is fucking ridiculous. You're smarter than that Remus.' And with that, Sirius got up and left the kitchen.

Remus sat and stared at his half-finished breakfast. Sirius was right. He needed to set an example. His head in his hands, he thought to the number of times he had said that to himself over the past few weeks. Yes, he knew he needed to be there for Harry. Why was it so difficult to put years' worth of self-loathing away just to be there for him? Not a day passed where Remus didn't regret his actions in June. Which would always be followed by the logical side of his brain telling him off for blaming himself when not even Harry did. It was a constant battle within his own mind and he himself was the loser on both sides. He was certain that Harry's werewolf taking the form of Lily was what kept Harry so calm and pleasant. Remus had long wished for his voice of reason to change, but no such event had ever been recorded. Who could Remus trust so completely as to let them into his own mind and act as the most rue and diluted form of reassurance. He had always thought that Sirius would become his werewolf's voice if the voice could change; but after that night, the night the war ended, Remus had lost all hope in Sirius being able to replace his mother in his own head. After Sirius had been confirmed innocent and the world seemed to shift back to normalcy, Remus still knew that Sirius wasn't the one he was looking for. This was all being made under the presumption that the form of ones werewolf could change. And, more importantly, that the voice could represent someone currently living. Both Lily and Hope were long dead, how would the connection function if the werewolf manifested itself as someone with a beating heart, soul and mind?

He was being ridiculous. Blaming a voice in his head for his pathetic nonsensical actions. Remus had to show Harry, prove to Harry that being a werewolf was not the life sentence so many thought it to be. Rising from the kitchen table, a flick of his wand to clean the dishes and vanish the food, and he walked out to take a long stroll through the grounds.

The hours dragged by as he listened to his mum describe how she liked to be treated on first dates and how to treat a girl you barely knew. She explained in great length that there is a subtle but impactful difference in talking to a girl just to talk or talking to a girl so that you can convey the message of actually wanting to get to know her. Harry sat on his bed and asked some of his questions out loud, and others in his head. The longer he sat there the more confident he became. In reality, he just had to be himself. So that's how he left the grounds of Potter manor and began the long walk into town.

Harry arrived at the corner café and put his hands in his pockets to avoid fidgeting. He tried to look casual but every time his mum laughed at his actions he cracked a smile. And that was how Elizabeth found him.

'Eager and early then?' she said, smiling back.

Harry shuffled a bit and nodded. 'Yeah… Had nothing better to do so I figured I might as well come here with you.'

'That was rude, I shouldn't have said that.'

'Prat.' she said, laughing. 'Well, where do you want to go first?'

Harry, relieved that his random burst of… whatever that was, hadn't affected Elizabeth looked around for something that piqued his interest. His eyes settled on the docks. He pointed towards them. 'The docks. I've never spent much time by the sea.'

Elizabeth smiled again and grabbed Harry's hand. He was initially taken aback, stood stock still as she tried to pull him across the road in a rush. Harry, realizing that she was pulling him and not holding his hand, relented his werewolf strength and followed her towards the docks. Once they arrived across the street Harry and Elizabeth quickly made their way onto the wide wooden docks.

She never let go of his hand.

Harry's brain was firing off an impossible number of incoherent thoughts as he followed Elizabeth around. Harry's initial concern over how he would act around her was quickly dispelled as he fell into the natural sensation of blissful oblivion as she told him about the different fishermen and told stories about how she grew up waiting for her dad to come home from the ocean every day. One statement broke through Harry's confident haze, however.

'My uncle on my Mum's side works at some boarding school in Scotland, so we only ever see him over the summer. He's a creepy bloke but I don't have to put up with him.'

Harry laughed off the growing worry over a possible connection to Hogwarts. 'I know all about creepy uncles. Mine used to set his sister's dogs after me because he didn't like me. The amount of times I was chased up trees…' Harry smiled at the once terrifying memory. 'Looking back, it's kind of funny.'

Elizabeth laughed. 'Quite some magician if you can't even tell the dogs to lay off.'

'Well, I wasn't trained up yet. I wouldn't consider myself a canine tamer. I like cats.'

'You like cats?' she said incredulously. 'Pathetic.' Harry just laughed. Happy that she wasn't holding back playful insults.

They kept walking around town and she continued to introduce Harry to the local population. After nearly five hours, Harry figured Elizabeth was probably hungry. Pointing towards a small seafood restaurant which was advertising lunch that she had showed him earlier, Harry asked. 'Do you feel up to some lunch?' he asked, suddenly nervous.

She looked up at him. 'I don't have any money for lunch.' she said quietly.

'I've been told I'm not supposed to let a pretty girl pay.' replied Harry casually. Then he felt his face heat up as he blushed furiously. 'Fuck that was pathetic.' he said out loud.

Elizabeth just laughed. 'Your flirting could use some work, Potter. Yeah alright, take me to lunch.'

'Offer her your arm.'

Harry offered her the crook of his arm and rearranged his blushed face into one of smug contempt. Grinning, Elizabeth wrapped her hand around his elbow, and he guided her into the seafood restaurant.

Harry chose the most basic choice he could find. Not because he had a dead-set intention on being bland, but because he didn't recognize anything else on the menu. Harry, not being one to ask for help, simply accepted his predicament and ordered fish and chips. Elizabeth stared at him funny before looking out the window.

They enjoyed their meal in a companionable conversation. Occasionally sharing stories about their education (of which Harry had to modify many details) and talking about the events of the day. Eventually, Harry asked for the bill, and they got out and walked to a bench that overlooked the sea.

'You're a funny bloke.' she said after a while.

'Like, funny as in funny funny? Or funny as in odd.'

'Hmm.' she hummed before turning to him and smiling. 'You're weird. But in a good sort of way.'

'I have no idea what to do with that information, but I'd say weird in a good way is better than bland.' said Harry, smiling back.

'So, how do you like it here? What do your parents think about it. I haven't seen anyone around who looks anything like you.'

Harry was bristled slightly at the mention of his parents, but he passed through it. 'I really love this town... village… whatever it is. Everyone is super friendly, and it seems like a great place to grow up.' Harry looked out to the ocean longingly.

'It was amazing growing up here.' she sighed, staring at Harry's side profile. He really was uncommonly attractive. 'I wouldn't trade it for anything else.'

Harry let out a breath and turned back to her. 'As for my parents, well, they died a long time ago. I never knew them; I was just a baby. I grew up with my aunt and uncle but recently I've moved in with my godfather and his friend. They treat me like an equal which is nice but… I don't know. It would have been nice to grow up here. It's so alive and different. Its great.' Harry said all of this while staring deep into her bright blue eyes. Her pupils were dilated, and Harry wondered what that meant. He heard his mum distantly at the back of his head snickering.

She broke eye contact and looked down at her hands. 'I'm sorry Harry. I didn't mean to bring them up or anything.'

Pity. Harry hated it. He never knew his parents, and while he knew that they hadn't known each other long enough for her to know that he'd prefer blunt honesty over pussyfooting around the problem, but he still felt somewhat irritated.

'Don't feel bad about it. I never knew them. Sure, I miss them, but I love my life and I've got great friends and I get to meet great people.' Harry tucked a strand of hair behind her ear subconsciously. 'So, all in all, don't hesitate to bring them up. I'd rather you feel alright talking to me about anything than be forced to hesitate.'

She looked up from her hands and stared into Harry's eyes. Damn, he had really nice eyes. She could have sworn they glowed a little. The sun was setting and despite the somber conversation she couldn't help but think that this would be a great time to kiss him.

'Why is she looking at my lips?'

'She wants to kiss you.'

'Oh, that sounds nice.'

'Alright, so you want to angle your head a bit so you don't bump into her nose. Slight movement, nothing too big…'

Harry tilted his head ever-so slightly and continued to look straight into her eyes.

'See if her lips part a bit… there. Okay she knows what you're about to do. Goodluck.'

Thinking about the few times he'd seen couples kissing at Hogwarts, Harry threw all caution to the wind as he leaned in and closed his eyes. His lips met hers and his brain lost connection to the rest of his body as his instincts seemed to take over.

Harry's thoughts, however, were incredibly loud. Her lips parted some more and he deepened the kiss.

'Put your hand up at the back of her head…' Came the distant passing words of his mother in the back of his head.

Harry brought his hand up into her hair and around the back of her head. She must have made some sort of noise because Harry smiled into her lips as they continued to kiss.

Very suddenly, she pulled away and looked up into Harry's eyes with a worried expression. 'Oh Harry, I'm sorry… I- I'm not supposed to kiss anyone until I'm eighteen I- I shouldn't have done that I'm sorry.' She made to pull further away but Harry grabbed her hand.

'It's alright, Liz. Really.' said Harry. Praying that his use of her nickname would solidify her belief in his understanding. 'I grew up with very strict religious relatives, I understand. If you think about it, it's my fault for not asking first. So, if your mum or dad finds out, blame the specky git.' He pointed at himself.

'Specky?' she said, tilting her head in confusion.

'I used to have glasses. I... er, got contacts recently.' Harry explained.

'Oh.' She looked over his shoulder and a smile pulled at her lips. She laughed lightly and looked back up at Harry. 'I really do like you Harry, but you go to a boarding school most of the year, and well, I've still got two years before I'm eighteen so I think we should just be friends. I really would like to be your friend though. I had so much fun today.'

Harry smiled. 'Yeah, I'd be alright with that. I like you a lot but you're right. Boarding school is sort of impractical. I don't have loads of friends, and I'm going to be here all summer, so I'd love to have you as a friend. You can show me some of those mug- er, some of those board games you told me about. I wasn't allowed to play any as a kid so maybe next week we could do that?' Harry asked, hopefully.

She smiled. 'Yeah, next Wednesday I'll show you some board games. And thanks for moving away from calling me by my full name. It's easier to just say Liz.'

'Well, I was tripping over Elizabeth, so I figured I'd shorten it for my idiotic male brain.' laughed Harry. He glanced down at his watch. 'I need to get home. Thank you for today, really. I'm glad you want to be friends.' Harry squeezed her hand and got to his feet. 'Do you want me to walk you home? I don't remember exactly where you live.'

'Need a map, Potter? Clearly you weren't listening to me as I gave you the tour.' Elizabeth teased.

'Alright. My services are no longer available then. Have a safe walk home.' Harry mock saluted before turning around to walk away.

'Such a prat.' she said, shaking her head. 'Come on Harry. Walk a girl home.' She laughed when Harry turned around before she finished her sentence. He was too nice to not walk her home.

Harry arrived at Potter manor nearly an hour after sunset. The sky was still lit somewhat as the unfurled clouds were scattered about and tinged with deep purply-orange. He walked up to the front doors and pushed them open.

'Still wearing your shoes, Potter?' said Sirius, sitting on the bottom step, grinning at his godson.

'Er... Yeah? Why wouldn't I?' said Harry, confused.

'Oh the naivety of the young.' Said Sirius, shaking his head. 'Come on then, tell me about it.'

Harry led Sirius into the common room where they found Remus reading a muggle novel. He turned his head up to Harry and Sirius and grinned broadly. 'You've been gone for a while.'

Harry explained the events of the day. He told them everything he learned about the town, how many people he met and how he and Elizabeth are the only kids in the whole village. When Harry mentioned that she's sixteen Sirius laughed so hard he was clutching his sides on the floor. Saying something on the lines of 'Potters dating older women.' And 'had to pick one with experience.'

Then, Harry explained how she isn't allowed to kiss anyone until she's eighteen and Sirius sobered immediately. 'You mean to say that you hung around a girl you can't snog for the whole day?'

Harry blushed.

'Ohohoho… Harry-Harry-Harry. You didn't break her parents' sacred rule, did you? Were you so devilishly handsome that she couldn't retain herself against your exquisite Potter charm?'

Harry grimaced. 'I didn't know she wasn't allowed!' he cried. 'How was I supposed to know? She was just looking at me and the sun was setting, and I just sort of… I don't know! Mum told me to tilt my head a bit and her lips parted so I took that as an open invitation! Then we were kissing but then mum said to bring my hand to the back of her head, and I don't know what my right hand was doing but I guess it went around her back and she sort of opened her mouth a bit and we just started snogging and then she pulled away and was all ashamed and… UGH!' Harry finished in exasperation. 'I mean, why would you look up at me like that and look all kissable if you aren't even allowed? And then she kissed me back and made this funny sort of sound! I mean… What the fuck is a bloke supposed to think? She might as well have spelt it out for me and there she is backing away.'

Sirius and Remus were both roaring with laughter. Remus sobered first and looked up at Harry with a teary smile. 'You didn't complain though, right? You took it well and respected her actions?'

Harry threw him a dirty look. 'Yes of course I did. She said she liked me but wanted to be friends and I was happy to oblige. I'd love to have a friend here at home and she's fun. I don't have a crush on her or anything…' Harry paused. 'Not really anyway.'

Sirius smiled. 'Well, some of them slip through your fingers I suppose; but friends is good. Did you agree to hang out again some other time?'

Harry smiled. 'Yeah. Next Wednesday.'

'Well, successfully unsuccessful then. Get to bed you're going to start aching over the next week. Full moon is next Friday.' Said Remus, grimacing slightly at being forced to bring that up. Harry needed to sleep a lot over the next week and a half. If he didn't, he could die upon the first transformation.

Harry nodded sadly and waved goodnight before rushing up the stairs to write a letter to Ginny.

'"She made a funny sort of sound"' Sirius said in a mocking high pitched voice.

Remus laughed, hard. 'Kid made a girl moan into his mouth at age thirteen. I don't know what to say to that.'

Sirius leaned his head back and sighed. 'It feels good to be able to laugh like this.'

Remus looked up at his brother in all but blood. Sirius rarely mentioned his time in Azkaban, but Remus couldn't help but agree. 'Yeah. I'm so happy to have you back Padfoot.'

They sat in companionable silence staring up at the ceiling before Sirius chuckled.

'We have to give Harry the talk soon.'

Remus groaned.

'