Harry Potter sat on his bed at Grimmauld Place, watching Neville pack his belongings. Neville had stayed with them for the past couple of weeks and was ready to head home. Harry had hoped that Neville would stay for the rest of the month of July, but he understood his best mate's reasoning. Maybe they would see each other again on their birthday.

Since his arrival at Grimmauld Place, Harry had found it strange to have people care about him. Sirius talked to him several times a day. Remus would sit and have a quiet conversation with him during dinner. Hermione was always there, talking to him and encouraging him. Cassie would sit outside with him in the backyard and they would talk about their lives before Hogwarts.

While he had been nervous about seeing Healer, it warmed him to the core that Sirius was proactive in his care. Harry knew his godfather carried a heavy burden of guilt that could be seen in Sirius's grey eyes. Harry hoped it would eventually disappear. At first, it was strange to hear someone knock on his door and ask him how he was doing, but he soon got used to it. Even craved it.

He wasn't forced to do all the cleaning. Dobby was in charge of that. The excitable house-elf found no qualms about taking on such an enormous task of the upkeep of Grimmuald Place. Kreacher helped, but continued to grumble and curse whenever someone was near him. Despite the Weasleys being Purebloods, Kreacher didn't have many nice things to say about them either.

Not that Harry could blame him.

Harry interfered when Kreacher snapped at Hermione one day, calling her a filthy mudblood. Harry had always hated that word since the moment it escaped Malfoy's mouth. They came across the insane house-elf when they passed him on the stairs as they left the kitchen. As Hermione passed by him, Kreacher called her a mudblood under his breath. Her quiet gasp was all Harry needed.

"What did you call her, Kreacher?" Harry seethed, stopping his climb.

He ignored the sharp tug on his arm and turned around to stare at the insane house-elf. Kreacher froze on the next step and turned his large head to glare up at Harry. For a moment, no one spoke until Kreacher snarled and turned around.

Harry felt another sharp tug on his arm, which distracted him. He stumbled a little, falling into Hermione. The raven-haired wizard whipped his head around to look at the retreating house-elf. "Kreacher!" the house-elf grumbled and stopped. "Don't ever speak to her like that again."

The house-elf hissed and continued his journey to the kitchen. Harry watched as the house-elf pushed the kitchen door open before slamming it behind him. Only then he finally turned around to look up at Hermione. They were so close that even in the dim lighting, he could see her eyes shining with tears.

He gulped and pulled her to him, embracing her. She stiffened against him for a second before relaxing. They stood there on the staircase, hugging, until she finally pulled away from him and wiped her eyes. They stood there awkwardly for a moment before Hermione grabbed his hand and pulled him up the stairs. Neither of them spoke as they climbed the two floors to the library. It never crossed Harry's mind that he initiated the hug.

The sharp slam of a trunk brought Harry from his woolgathering. His head snapped over to Neville, who was closing his trunk. Neville crossed the room and plopped down on the bed, making both of them bounce. Harry was going to miss Neville. He was loads better than Ron or the twins.

"I promise to return," Neville spoke up, giving Harry a nudge.

"I know. You're loads better than Ron…" Harry chuckled.

"Speaking of him, I haven't seen him much."

"Neither have I. I think he prefers to stay at the Burrow," Harry replied.

Neville snorted softly, shaking his head, "Maybe he will stay out of your hair."

"One can only hope," Harry muttered, shaking his head and rising to his feet.

Neville rose with him and crossed the room to his trunk. He pulled his wand from the holster and, with a flick and a wave, his trunk shrunk to fit in his hand. He reached down and plucked it off the floor, and shoved the trunk in his pocket. As he rose to standing there was a soft knock on the bedroom door.

Both boys turned to look at the door as it opened, revealing Hermione. She was clad in a denim skirt and a white shirt. Her hair was tied up in a messy bun. Harry thought she looked quite pretty. It was nice to see her in something other than her Hogwarts robes. Especially in a skirt. As she leaned against the opened door, Harry's eyes widened as he realized Hermione was a beautiful girl.

He knew she was a girl. His mind drifted to the image of her in the periwinkle blue dress at the Yule Ball the previous year. He remembered how his jaw dropped at the sight of her. Later on that night after the ball, he berated himself for not asking her before Viktor Krum did. After that night, he swore he would be more attentive to her.

Harry gulped and nodded at his revelation. He wasn't sure if he fancied her, but he finally realized that she was pretty. He could count on her to be there for him whenever he needed her. She had saved his life more times that he would admit.

"Neville, your Gran has already firecalled," Hermione said, giving a quick glance at a thunderstruck Harry.

Neville sighed and shook his head at his Gran's antics. Harry smirked, knowing that Sirius would be just as impatient for him to come home if he had been away for nearly two weeks. It warmed him knowing that Sirius would do that for him. Neville gave Harry a wave and bypassed Hermione, who was standing there by the door watching Harry.

"You all right, Harry?" Hermione asked, closing the door quietly and crossing the room to sit down beside him. Harry instantly felt her warmth as she scooted closer to him.

"Y—yea," he stuttered as his brain tried to reboot. "Gonna miss Neville, that's all." He lied to her. He hoped she didn't catch on.

Hermione turned her head toward the door before turning back to Harry. "You'll be fine. I'm here during the daytime," she said, giving him a grin, but it faltered a bit. "You'll also have Cassie too."

Harry stared at her, nodding mutely. For a second, it sounded like she was happy that she was going to be here during the day hours with him. Then she changed her tune a bit. A brief thought crossed his mind as they sat there in silence for a minute. Did she fancy him? Harry peered at her, noticing nothing different about his best female friend.

Now that he was beginning to realize his own feelings for his bushy-haired friend, he felt a tinge of panic. How was he supposed to act now? He didn't want to make a fool of himself and proclaim anything to her lest he be rejected. His thoughts traveled to the prior year when Ron made an issue of Hermione dancing with Viktor. Harry had thought their former friend might have fancied Hermione, but said nothing.

Harry shifted on the bed, trying to discreetly scoot away from Hermione, but failed when she tipped over onto his arm. They both laughed, with Hermione giving Harry a small slap on the arm. A growl from his stomach interrupted what he was going to say. He blushed when Hermione's eyes widened with mirth as she looked down at his stomach.

"Hungry Harry?" she asked, a smile forming on her face.

"Suppose so. It's nearly lunchtime," he groused, rising to his feet.

He turned around and stuck his hand out to her, hoping she would take it. When she did, he gave her a wide smile. She returned it as she rose to stand beside him. He noticed she was shorter than him. Emerald eyes caught chocolate ones as the two teens stared at each other. Harry didn't know how long they stared, but when his stomach growled again, he cursed it. The dark-haired wizard gave a sigh before he gave a tug at his hand.

Hermione chuckled at him and followed behind Harry as he led them from his bedroom. The hallway was dark as they stepped into it. Harry felt Hermione's warm fingers as they took each step down toward the kitchen. Part of him cursed the Black Family on how they built Grimmauld Place. The kitchen was in the basement. He had half a mind to call Dobby to take them downstairs.

Halfway down the stairs, they found Cassie heading up toward the bedroom she shared with Hermione. Harry and Hermione slowed their steps as she came closer. He frowned, seeing her discreetly wipe her eyes. Neville must have left Grimmauld Place, leaving a tearful Cassie behind. She froze seeing them and gave a watery smile.

"Hey Cassie," Harry whispered as Hermione released his hand, much to his displeasure, and embraced his sister.

The girls stood there for a moment before they broke apart. Hermione stepped back and found Harry's hand again, giving it a tight clench. Like most teenage boys, Harry wasn't equipped to deal with a weeping girl. He gave her a shaky smile and placed his hand on her arm, giving it a light squeeze.

"Neville's left," Cassie whispered. "I think I'll head to our room," she said a little more clearly.

Giving them a smile, she stepped past them and kept walking. Harry wanted to turn and chase her down, but when he glanced at Hermione, she shook her head at him. He gave her a frown, but nodded his head in defeat.

"I knew they were close, but not that close," Harry said absently.

Hermione nodded her head, her wavy brown hair falling into her face. "These past couple of weeks have brought them closer."

"I think we should figure out how to spend a week at Neville's this year. I know his Gran is more strict than Sirius, so they'd have to tone their relationship down," Harry said, giving Hermione's hand another tug as they continued down the black narrow steps.

"That would be fun, you know? Neville's talked about his greenhouses and while Herbology isn't my best subject, I'd love to see what he's got," Hermione agreed as they stopped in front of the kitchen door.

As Harry pushed the door open, he could smell the aroma of bacon and eggs. His stomach growled again, making him painfully aware of how hungry he was. Since his arrival at Grimmauld Place, it had taken many days before his body adjusted to eating normally. He was glad about it. Harry led Hermione over to the table and pulled her chair out for her. Reluctantly, he let go of her hand, not noticing Sirius watching them.

Harry took his seat beside Hermione, who flashed him another smile. Mrs. Weasley bustled around the long dining room table, setting plates of food down in front of each of them. Harry looked up to see her pause and frown. He figured she was looking for Cassie. He wanted to ignore Mrs. Weasley's frown and concentrate on his bacon and eggs, but he huffed quietly to himself and turned to look at Hermione.

"Mrs. Weasley, Cassie is in her room. Neville just left," Hermione explained before sending Harry a smile.

He shot her a grateful smile before picking up his fork and stabbing his eggs. He watched as the runny yolk oozed onto his plate. Harry cut his eggs while listening halfheartedly to Sirius and Remus talking about the upcoming Wizengamot meeting. He ate quietly, snug by Hermione and wondered to himself about the upcoming school year.

With Sirius taking care of him now, how would that work out for school? He knew the Headmaster was determined that Harry follow some kind of plan that the Headmaster established long ago. He could tell by how Dumbledore wanted him to go back to the Durselys. Though, Dumbledore never said why Harry had to go back.

The kitchen door swung open, and Ron came running into the room. His hair was a mess and his clothes askew as he slid into the seat across from Harry. Within seconds, Mrs. Weasley had a heaping plate of food placed in front of the redhead. Harry watched in abject horror as Ron grabbed a fork and started shoveling food in his face.

Harry turned away, disgusted, and looked at Hermione, who was frowning at their former friends' behavior. The dark-haired wizard turned to his Godfather, who was frowning as well. It wasn't anyone's fault that Ron was late for breakfast. Harry slowly laid his fork beside his half eaten plate of food and pushed the plate away.

Didn't Mrs. Weasley teach him manners?

Once breakfast was over for the ones who arrived early to eat, Harry glanced at Sirius, who rose from his chair and pushed it in before wandering around the table to stop at Harry's. Harry felt Sirius place his hands on the back of his chair and lean down.

"Meet me on the first floor in the parlor," Sirius whispered into Harry's ear. Harry gave him a nod, letting Sirius know he understood him.

Harry turned his head to see his Godfather step out of the kitchen, calling back to Mrs. Weasley for a fine breakfast. Harry snuck a glance at Mrs. Weasley, who smiled at the closed kitchen door. Seeing as he was done, Harry rose from his seat and pushed the chair in. He gave a small smile to Hermione. She flashed him a smile, but he could see the worry in his eyes. She must have heard Sirius earlier.

Harry pushed the kitchen door open and stomped quietly up the narrow black stairs to the first floor. His stomach twisted as he realized what Sirius was talking about. He was waiting on Harry to talk about the Mind Healer Harry had picked a couple of days ago.

Harry was sitting in his bed with a Quidditch magazine open when Sirius stuck his head in. Harry knew what Sirius was here for. It was for Harry's choice of Mind Healer. The young wizard waved to his Godfather and glanced over at his night table at the small stack of files.

The night that Sirius gave him the larger, now smaller, stack of files, Harry diligently went through each of them until he found a few his magic liked. He figured the faster he did the job, the quicker it was over.

"Hey pup, do you have the files for me?" Sirius asked, taking a seat on his bed.

The bed dipped to his Godfather's weight as Harry chucked his magazine on the opposing pillow he was resting on. He reached over to the night table and plucked the three files and handed it Sirius. Sirius looked at him with a tinge of confusion.

"It probably should be one file, but my magic responded to the other two. I'm not sure why," Harry explained, leaning back onto the soft pillows.

He watched as Sirius opened them up and read through them. Harry reached over for the magazine because he didn't want to disturb his godfather. He was halfway done with the article when Sirius blew out a breath.

"I see what you mean," he began, waving the files at Harry. "My magic thrummed with this one." he said, showing Harry the file.

"Maybe this one is meant for you? You know, having separate Mind Healers."

Sirius shrugged, "Maybe." His Godfather rose from the bed, shuffling the files. "I'll take these and send the owls, all right?"

Harry nodded, "All right."

Now that he was on his way to the sitting room, he just knew that one of the Healers responded. Be his luck, it was the one that he picked for himself. Harry stopped at the closed doors of the sitting room and heaved a big breath. He felt his nerves flare up at the prospect of meeting someone like this and talking. He crossed his arms and rubbed them, trying to calm himself down.

Harry hoped that whoever was on the other side of the door wouldn't judge him. He was afraid of people knowing. One slip of the tongue to the wrong person and everyone in Magical Britain would know about his home life with the Durselys. Once he got himself under control, Harry heaved another large breath and summoned his Gryffindor courage and placed his hand on the door. He gripped the snake's door handle and twisted the knob around until the door opened. Inside were his Godfather and a witch. She looked to be about Sirius's age, with dark hair that seemed almost black. Harry couldn't tell what her eyes looked like, but her voice sounded pleasant. On the floor beside her was a small bag.

Harry cleared his throat, catching their attention. The witch and wizard ceased their talk and turned toward a frightened Harry. He gripped the doorknob tightly, afraid to let go of it. He saw as Sirius took a step toward him, his face calm and his voice soothing.

"Harry, this is Miranda Schultz. She's a private Mind Healer. You picked her for yourself, remember?" Sirius soothed as he stepped in front of Harry.

Harry nodded his head slowly, his eyes wide with fright. He didn't want Sirius to leave, but he knew Healer Schultz would make him leave. The younger wizard released the doorknob and flexed his hand. Sirius placed his hands on Harry's shoulders and the younger wizard released a breath he didn't know he was holding.

He let Sirius usher him further into the room to stand in front of Healer Schultz. Her face was friendly, unlike some of the Doctors he had met in his youth. He could feel Sirius's warm support behind him. Harry thrust his hand out to her. She smiled warmly at him and took his offered hand, shaking it.

"Mr. Potter, it's nice to meet you," she said, her voice warm with genuine interest.

"It's nice to meet you too, Healer Schultz," Harry returned politely, amazed that he didn't stutter.

"Shall we sit down and talk?" she asked, waving toward the sofa and chairs.

Harry and Sirius shared the sofa while Healer Schultz took a seat in the chair across from them. Harry was immensely glad that Dobby cleaned this room and updated the furniture and color theme. It would have been rather depressing to sit and talk to a Mind Healer with the gothic snake decor.

She gave them a bright smile. "So this is what we're going to do…"

An hour later, a shaky Harry rose from the sofa and gave Healer Schultz a wave of his hand as he escaped from the parlor, narrowly missing Sirius as his Godfather stepped into the room. As Harry climbed the stairs to the second floor, he paused mid-step and wondered if Hermione was in the library. He heaved a sigh and looked down. His hands shook a little from his talk with the Healer.

He knew the longer he did this, the worst of his memories would surface. The truth of his home life with the Durselys would come out, and he didn't know if he could handle that. He really didn't want people to know about it. Harry shuddered lightly, trying to shake off the stress that would come with everyone knowing.

He spun around and gripped the black handrail and traveled down the narrow steps until he stepped onto the first floor. The massive double doors to the library were open, inviting all to come inside. Above the double doors was a phrase in Latin that Harry was too lazy to translate. He stepped through the double doors and peered around the massive library. He didn't see anyone in the library, but walked inside, anyway.

He wasn't much of a reader. Having to read all his school books was enough, but maybe he would find something that interested him. Not that he was a poor student, but the urge to read wasn't his forte. He walked toward the first row of books and looked up. It was several shelves high, filled with books that looked old.

Harry reached up and plucked a book off the fourth shelf and wiped his hand over the cover. It read Advanced Jinxes and Curse. Harry raised a black eyebrow at the title. This wasn't something he would find at Hogwarts. Walking crisply across the library, Harry rounded the couch to halt.

Hermione was propped up against pillows with a large tome placed against her bent knees. She was so absorbed in the book she didn't know he was standing there staring at her. A warmth filled him as he stood there watching her read. He came here looking for her and found her. He could feel the lingering emotions from his session fade away as he stood close to her.

Harry looked down at his book and pondered why he was in the library. Hermione always pushed him to do his best, encouraging him constantly about learning more. He smiled and gave the spine a squeeze.

Maybe he would try it her way and study. Besides, there were only so many Quidditch books.

Mustering his Gryffindor courage, Harry took the last two steps and sat down gently on the worn, dark green couch. He leaned back and opened his book to the table of contents and read the list when he felt a small pair of feet push against his thigh. Harry paused his reading, lowered his book, and turned his head to see Hermione starting inquisitively at him.

Harry gave her a tiny smile and placed his book in his lap. He lowered his head and looked at the book cover. He felt the couch dip as she placed the book aside and scooted over to him. She surprised him by resting her head on his shoulder. Sneakily, her hand came up to entwine their fingers. Harry and Hermione sat there in silence for a few minutes.

"My session today wasn't bad, but Healer Schultz is going to make me talk, whether or not I like it," he whispered, his voice pained.

He felt Hermione squeeze his hand in comfort. He returned the squeeze and turned his head toward her and gulped. They were sitting so close that he could breathe in her vanilla scented shampoo that she used. He backed away a bit when she turned her head toward him. They locked eyes, communicating silently. He could almost hear her voice in his head.

Harry wasn't sure what was going on or how they got there. He stared into her chocolate eyes, searching for something. His brain hiccuped when she ran her tongue over her lower lip. He didn't know why his brain stopped working. He had seen her do the same gesture plenty of times and it didn't rattle him.

Harry flicked his eyes toward Hermione's lips and gazed at the plump flesh and briefly wondered what they felt like. He lifted his eyes in time to see hers lower. He resisted the urge to smile when he figured out that she was looking at his lips! His heart stammered in his chest and he realized something was about to happen.

Before Harry could figure out what was about to happen, his world shifted as he was jerked back and tossed in the silver and green Queen Anne chair. Shouts were heard as he focused on his addled brain. Ron Weasley stood there, his face red as the Hogwarts train. His hands were balled into fists as he heaved large breaths.

"Ron! What the hell?" Harry shouted, pushing himself off the chair and coming to his feet.

Hermione gave a small squeak as Ron whipped his body around and pushed himself toward Harry. Bewildered, Harry flicked his eyes toward Hermione. She rose slowly from her spot on the couch. Harry turned back to an irate Ron. His old friends' eyes were dark from the fury that shone in them.

Ron poked him hard in the chest, causing Harry to wince. "You tosser! You could have any girl you wanted, but I find you cozying up to Hermione?"

"She and I are just friends!" Harry defended, his hands balling into fists. "And what do you care? You haven't been friends with us in over a year!"

"Ron…" Hermione said softly, coming up behind him. Harry shook his head to ward her off, but she ignored him.

Ron whirled around, his face contorted with anger. He growled at her as his eyes raked over Hermione's form. Harry stepped around the small dark oak coffee table when Ron took a closer step toward his former female friend. Harry wasn't sure what Ron was up to, but he would not let Hermione take the brunt of their former friends' anger.

Harry didn't see it as rescuing Hermione but preventing her from being physically hurt. Harry had taken the brunt of Vernon's fist plenty of times in his day. The dark-haired wizard stepped in front of Hermione, blocking Ron's advancement toward her.

"Harry!" she shrieked, her voice laced with annoyance. He didn't hear her. Harry stood in front of Ron, who was still huffing.

An ugly snarl escaped Ron's lips as he grabbed Harry by the arm to push him to the side so he could advance on Hermione. When Harry refused to move, Ron shoved him with a shoulder.

"You're a fucking scarlet woman!" Ron shouted at Hermione. "You prance about here coming in and out of that fucking Muggle world flaunting yourself," Ron shouted at her.

Harry felt small fingers grip the back of his shirt tightly and held fast. He knew that Ron's words hurt Hermione immensely. The dark-haired wizard narrowed his eyes at Ron and stepped forward into the redhead's space.

"You keep your nasty words away from Hermione!" Harry snarled at Ron, his anger growing quickly.

"She's a slag, Harry!" Ron protested, his face losing some of the redness. "If it hadn't been for that stupid fucking cat of hers in third year, we'd still be friends."

Harry looked at Ron in confusion. He remembered how Crooks chased the Rat around the tower most of the year. "This has nothing to do with Crookshanks. You know for a fact that your stupid rat was Peter Pettigrew. This has to do with you and your selfish, jealous ways, Ron. Remember, you're the one who bailed on me last year when my name came out of the Goblet. Not Hermione and certainly not Neville nor Cassie. YOU."

"Longbottom can go fuck himself. Sneaking in on my spot as best mate," Ron spat, his eyes narrowing again.

"Again, this has nothing to do with Neville. This is about you," Harry defended his best friend. He sighed and pushed his fingers through his hair. He was done with Ron's bullshit. "You know what, Ron, go fuck yourself and leave me and my friends alone."

"No!" Ron shouted. "This is about you betraying me for her and Longbottom."

Ron snarled at him, his anger clearly showing on the redhead's face as he made a stupid split decision. He took a closer step toward Harry, their eyes locked together in anger. Harry moved to block Ron from looking at Hermione. The redhead snarled again, letting his anger dictate his decisions.

Harry didn't see it coming until Ron's fist connected with his jaw. Searing pain rang through Harry's head at the impact. He stumbled back and bumped into Hermione, who promptly fell onto the couch. Harry swallowed a tiny bit of blood and, before he could think, he raised his fist and punched Ron in the jaw.

The crack of bone as Harry's fist impacted Ron's face reverberated around the room. Before Ron could launch himself at Harry, Harry pushed his former friend back away from himself and Hermione. Fury boiled in Harry as Ron rubbed his jaw, blood seeping from his nose as he stared at Harry with hatred.

A sudden crack startled both boys. Harry turned around to see Sirius standing by the large double doors, his wand dangling loosely from his left hand. A frown marred his face as he stood there observing the two boys. Harry flicked his eyes toward Hermione, who gave him a tiny smile and he sighed inwardly, knowing that she wasn't harmed.

"I don't know what is going on, but someone better start explaining," Sirius said, coming into the room. He walked into the library and stood by the large ornate circular table, and pocketed his wand.

Harry glanced at Ron, who sneered at him. A look that Sirius caught. Harry ran his sore fingers through his hair and winced at the sudden pain. His jaw was hurting and opening his mouth was going to be a bitch. Who knew that Ron packed a punch?

Ron opened his mouth, but one look from Harry shut him up. Harry turned back to Sirius and his expecting glance. He was waiting for an explanation. It wasn't like Harry to engage in hand to hand combat with anyone. Even though wizards used magic to fight, sometimes a fist fight happened.

"I don't know," Harry began. Sirius raised a black eyebrow at him. Harry shrugged. "I came in here after my session and was planning on reading when I found Hermione sitting on the couch doing the same. We were just….," he paused and looked at Hermione before continuing, "talking when Ron came in and pulled me off the couch. He started yelling at us and then punched me."

"Nonsense!" A female voice cried from the double doors. Molly Weasley marched into the room and stood beside Sirius. He cast her a disdainful look before turning back to Harry.

"It's true, Mrs. Weasley!" Harry exclaimed, rubbing his jaw.

"Ronald Weasley, explain!" Mrs. Weasely demanded, staring hard at her son.

"Mum, he hit me!" Ron wailed instead of telling the truth.

"You hit me first!" Harry snapped angrily. "You walked in here and pulled me off the couch and tossed me into the chair. Then you rounded on me and Hermione."

"Rounded on Hermione?" Sirius interrupted, glaring at Ron.

Harry rubbed the back of his neck and looked at Hermione. Before he could open his mouth to explain what he meant, Hermione finished the tale.

"Harry and I were sitting on the couch when Ron came in and pulled Harry away from me. They had a few words... well, Ronald had a few choice words to say about me…" Hermione began her tale.

"He called you a slag and a scarlet woman, Hermione," Harry interrupted with a huff.

She narrowed her eyes at him before continuing. Neither of them missed the disdainful looks coming from Sirius. "Then suddenly, Ron hit Harry on the jaw and, well, Harry hit him back. It was becoming a shoving match when Sirius showed up."

Molly Weasley turned her head toward Ron, her blue eyes narrowing dangerously. "Is that the way of it?"

"Mum…!" Ron protested, wiping the blood off his upper lip.

"Ronald!"

Ron shot Harry a hateful look before turning back to his mother. "Yea," he moped, lowering his head a bit.

"Out of this room and up to the one you're staying in, young man," Molly snapped, pointing her finger toward the opened double door.

Ron grumbled something incoherent before pushing past Harry roughly and headed out of the library. A minute later, Molly followed him out, muttering to herself.

Sirius turned to look at Harry and shook his head. "I don't approve of fighting…. even if," he paused, raising a hand to stop Harry's protest, "even if the git deserved it. How's your jaw?"

"Sore," Hary said, giving it another gentle rub.

"Dobby!" Sirius called. They waited for a second before they heard the cracking pop of Dobby's arrival.

"Master Harry Potter Dogfather, you called?" Dobby asked, wringing his hands together.

Sirius gave the small house-elf a smile. It was a far cry than his attitude toward Kreacher. "Dobby, we need a pain relief potion and bruise salve."

Dobby nodded his head eagerly and snapped his fingers. A small clear vial appeared in one hand and a small grey pot in the other. Harry eagerly took the pain relief potion and chucked it back, gagging at the taste.

Dobby's eyes widened when he realized the potion and salve were for Harry. "Master Harry Potter, sir, is injured!"

"I'm fine, Dobby. Just a bruised cheek," Harry reassured his elfin friend. Dobby nodded his head sadly and popped out. Sirius gave each of them a nod before he exited the room as well, leaving the two teens alone.

Harry turned to Hermione and blushed, remembering how close they were earlier. He fiddled with the small pot before he flopped back onto the coach and turned to look at Hermione. She was giving him a small smile, but sat down beside him.

"How did it go from me asking you about your Mind Healing session to a fight?" she asked absently.

Harry snorted, "Not sure. Things are never boring, are they?"

She gave a small chuckle, "Never will it ever be." Hermione scooted onto the couch, closer to Harry, and leaned her body against his. After Ron's verbal abuse, she didn't want to stay here all the time. She missed her folks.

"I think I'm going home to see my folks," she blurted.

Harry jerked and peered at her. A jolt of shock and sadness overlapped his emotions. He didn't want her to leave. He was getting used to seeing her every morning for breakfast and during the day hours.

When she saw the forlorn look on his face, Hermoine reached over and placed her hand on his arm. "I'll be around during the day hours when they're at work," she promised him.

Harry sighed in relief. She wasn't fully leaving him alone this summer. He didn't know if he could handle her being gone from him for the rest of the summer. He gave her a smile and reached for his abandoned book. Her eyes read over the worn title, and she gave him an approving nod of her head. Harry cracked open the book as she reached for hers. Hermione rested her head on his shoulder as they sat there in companionable silence.

What they didn't see was Ginny Weasley standing by the door, watching them.

Later that afternoon, Hermione packed her things to head back to her parents. The Weasley's promptly stayed out of it. None were around but the twins. The rest went back to the Burrow to witness Ron's punishment for fighting with Harry earlier.

Hermione was passed around and embraced by everyone there, including the Weasley twins, who made a huge show of fake sobbing and wiping tears as Hermione walked out the door with Remus. He would apparate her back to her home and return.

Harry stood alone in the doorway as she walked out of the house. His mornings and late nights were going to become lonely. It was now just him and Cassie. He and his sister were close, even before the announcement a few weeks ago, but it wouldn't be the same. Maybe it would be a good time for him, Sirius, Remus, and Cassie to get to know one another.

The dark-haired wizard sighed heavily and turned around to see Sirius standing there watching him with a knowing look on his face. Harry blushed and mumbled under his breath about nosy people and headed up the stairs to his room. He loved having his own room, and a very spacious room at that, but did it have to be on the fourth floor?

Cassie was on the second floor with half the Weaselys, and Sirius was parked right across from Harry. He climbed the narrow black staircase until he reached his room on the fourth floor. Entering his room, the gaslights lit up. He closed the door and walked over to his bed before flopping down. In a few days, he was going to have another Mind Healer session. He just hoped it would go better than the last.

A week after Hermione left to spend time with her parents, Harry rolled out of bed sleepily and fumbled for his glasses sitting on the bedside table. He slipped them on and stumbled through the dark room until he entered the loo. He removed his glasses and quickly splashed cold water on his face. The cold water woke him up fully.

Once he was done, he dressed and headed downstairs to the basement kitchen. His stomach rumbled louder the closer he got to the kitchen. He heard laughter on the other side of the door and remembered that Hermione said she would arrive today. With a big grin on his face, Harry excitedly pushed the door open.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" came shouts from everyone in the kitchen.

It startled Harry, hearing everyone shout at him. Then his brain kicked in. It was his birthday. Now that he remembered, he forgot to send Neville his gift. Suddenly, he felt bad, but looked around the room and spotted his best mate. A pair of arms wrapped around his neck, pulling him close in a tight hug.

"Happy birthday," Hermione's voice whispered in his ear, sending a shiver down his spine. When she released him, he wished she would hug him again.

Seconds later, he was wrapped in another pair of arms. Cassie's smaller frame held him for a second before releasing him. Harry gazed down at his younger half sister and gave her a bright smile. She gave his arm a squeeze before moving away from him. Hermione stood beside him, her hand slipping inconspicuously into his. Harry surveyed the kitchen, seeing Sirius, Remus, the Weasleys, minus Ron, and Neville.

His eyes landed on Neville, who gave him a wave. "Mate, if you think I'm going to hug you, you're wrong." The boy said, eliciting a laugh from everyone in the room.

Hermione tugged Harry over to his seat. Sitting down at the table, Harry leaned back as Mrs. Weasley sat a large plate of breakfast foods in front of him. His stomach growled as his nose inhaled the aroma of food. Since his arrival at Grimmauld Place, Harry's appetite and ability to eat more food returned with a vengeance.

Everyone around him took their seats, with Hermione gracefully taking a seat to Harry's right as Neville scored the seat on the other side of the birthday boy. Harry snorted softly to himself. There were two birthday boys at the table, but Mrs. Weasley smothered only one. When the time was right and the teens could escape, Harry vowed to make sure Neville knew he wasn't forgotten.

Unbeknownst to him, Hermione had already planned for a double party for both boys. With Cassie's help, they invited several of their classmates to join them at the Burrow later on. When she broached the subject to Sirius, he was willing to let them use Grimmauld Place, but was wary of people knowing where he lived. Instead, they conversed with Mr. Weasley, who gave them a definite yes to his home.

The only hiccup in his birthday breakfast was Ron coming down the stairs and snatched a plate from his mother's outstretched hand. Barely hiding his disgust, Harry tried to not watch Ron shovel food in his mouth. The Boy-who-Lived noticed that once Ron sat down and started eating, everyone slowly stopped eating their breakfast food. It was enough to turn one's stomach. Half an hour later, Harry rose from the table, feeling full. His three closest friends rose with him and followed him out of the kitchen.

When they reached the library, Harry closed the door tightly and plopped down on the half moldy green couch and waited for Hermione to take a seat beside him. Neville sat down in the chair beside the couch and smiled when Cassie sat down on his lap. Harry raised an eyebrow at his best mate but said nothing when Neville blushed lightly.

Hermione sat down and slipped her hand in his and gave him a bright smile. "I have another surprise for you," she said happily.

"Oh?" Harry asked, looking from Neville to her, "what is it?"

"Well," she began, blushing a little, "it's actually for you and Neville."

At hearing his name, Neville perked up to listen.

"Later today, we're all going to the Burrow to celebrate both your birthdays," she explained, hoping that Harry would be all right with the decision. "I asked Sirius if we could do it here, but he was afraid of people learning he'd escaped from Azkaban. Mr. Weasley said it was fine with him we use the Burrow for the party, I hope you don't mind?" she said in a rush.

Harry looked at his best female friend and gave her a wide smile. He wasn't angry with her for planning the party behind his back. In fact, he actually found it wonderful that she would go to such lengths to give them a party. He would have to remember to pay her back for her kindness in September.

"Th-that sounds great!" Harry exclaimed, giving her a surprise hug.

He felt her stiffen for a second before she relaxed and returned the hug. It was part of his twice a week Mind Healer sessions. While he wasn't comfortable initiating contact with someone, his Healer told him it would benefit him if Harry tried to initiate contact with those he cared for the most. He never noticed the look Hermione gave Neville and Cassie.

Two hours later, Harry shook the soot from his robes as he tumbled out of the floo at the Burrow. Harry looked around the familiar abode and smiled before stepping aside to let the next poor soul fall out of the floo. A few minutes later, everyone from Grimmauld Place arrived shaking soot off them before they dispersed around the house and land.

Sirius, coming as Padfoot, barked loudly and ran outside to chase a few gnomes that were sneaking around Mr. Weasley's strawberry patch. Harry followed his godfather out of the house and laughed, seeing Sirius snatch a gnome in his teeth and chuck the small creature. Mrs. Weasley bustled around her home instructing everyone but Harry and Neville to clean up.

Harry climbed on top of the old picnic table and sighed as the bright July sun beamed down on him. He could hear the bustling of people working behind him and felt guilty that he wasn't helping. He would have, but he was afraid of Mrs. Weasley's stinging hex on his arse. A few minutes later, he heard his name being called. Turning his head, he watched as Ginny walked over to him with two bottles of butterbeer in her hands.

He said nothing as she climbed up on the table and sat extremely close to him. Harry didn't really want her to sit close to him and scooted away as she handed him an opened bottle. He took it and frowned at her.

"Are you excited about your party?" she asked, leaning close to him.

Harry shifted away from her a little, setting the bottle on the other side of him. "It's a party for Neville and I," he reminded her with a little scowl.

Her eyes narrowed slightly at him, but recovered quickly. "Well, I hope you have fun. Why don't you drink your Butterbeer? It's hot out," she said, taking a swig of her own drink.

"I'm not particularly thirsty right now, thanks Ginny," Harry said as politely as he could.

He sighed to himself when she didn't get the hint to leave. As they sat there, he looked around the backyard of the Burrow and wished she would leave. While he had nothing against the youngest, Weasley, he wasn't overly fond of her either. To him, she tried too hard to get him to notice her. Plus, it didn't help that he nearly had a panic attack because she sat beside him instead of Hermione.

Speaking of Hermione, he twisted his body around just in time to see her coming out of the back door of the house and headed in his direction. He sighed in relief at seeing her coming closer to them. Ginny must have noticed his disinterest, because she whipped her head around and frowned at seeing Hermione.

"Harry if you're ready to come inside, everyone is waiting for you," Hermione said, stopping in front of him and holding out her hand.

Harry gratefully took her soft hand and stepped down the picnic table. Ginny sighed noisily and climbed down too, but before she went into the house, she grabbed the tainted bottle of Butterbeer and snuck it into the house with her. She would eventually get him to drink it and would give him a birthday kiss.

Her plan proved to fall flat, as no one would leave Harry alone for the remainder of the afternoon. Once inside the house, Harry stumbled back from the sheer number of people crammed into the off-center house. His breath quickened, but he felt a warm hand squeeze his gently, reminding him he wasn't alone. He turned to give Hermione a grateful smile and strolled into the kitchen.

Harry was pulled away from Hermione and ushered into a seat beside Neville, who didn't look pleased by all the people there. Apparently, word had gotten out that Harry Potter was having a birthday party and it seemed half the Wizarding world showed up for it. Harry and Neville shared a look but figured it wouldn't hurt to seem like they were having fun.

An opened bottle of Butterbeer landed beside Harry's fork as a plate was set in front of him. He looked up to see Ginny walk off, ducking under the large cake Mrs. Weasley had sat in front of both boys. Harry and Neville sat there, grimacing slightly as everyone sang 'Happy Birthday' to them before slicing up the cake.

The presents were plentiful for both boys. It surprised Harry that he received anything from the people there, except for those he considered close friends and family. While many of his and Neville's gifts were cards with gift cards inside for their favorite shopping places, he received clothes, books, a broom polishing kit and, even as a joke, a crystal ball. He even found a hair brush buried in the mountain of gifts that would tame his hair.

As the party ended several hours later, Harry grabbed one box that held his gifts and followed Padfoot, Remus, Cassie, and Hermione to the Weasley's Floo. Neville left earlier with his Gran, promising to write and visit again before the school year began.

The opened bottle of Butterbeer remained on the table, untouched.