A.N. thank you to all of you who reviewed!!!!!

Malena

The minute Harry walked into the Burrow he was pulled into a tight hug.

"Harry dear! I'm so glad you're okay!" Mrs. Weasley cried, sobbing onto Harry's shoulder. Hermione and Ron were laughing in the background. Harry was using all of his self-control not to pull away, like he had done with others like Sirius. He just wasn't ready to be so… close. Instead he chose to say something less mean than 'Mrs. Weasley, please get off of me.'

"Umm… M-Mrs. Weasley? You're getting my shirt kind of… wet."

This caused his two friends to start laughing even more. Mrs. Weasley held Harry by the shoulders.

"Harry? Are you getting enough to eat? You're awfully thin! You need to sleep too. Ron, why don't you go put Harry's things up in your room so he can save his strength-"

"Mrs. Weasley, I'm f-fine," Harry said. "Really."

"Are you sure? Would you like some lunch?"

"No, Mrs. Weasley. Thank you f-for offering." Harry slowly stepped away and followed Ron and Hermoine upstairs.

"We were really quite worried about you Harry," Hermione said, putting her hand on Harry's shoulder, causing him to flinch.

"Yeah, I don't think I've seen Ginny cry so much," Ron said thoughtfully. "Oh, and she'll be wanting to talk to you, Harry. She was in hysterics when I told her you were coming…"

"I think he means to say that he was worried too," Hermione said, rolling her eyes. "Harry are you all right? You haven't said much."

"I'm just… happy to b-be here," Harry said. "Can't really think of anything to say."

"Oh, okay then," Ron said, grinning. "Here we are!" Ron pushed the door to his room open. It was still glowing a brilliant orange from all the posters and Chudley Cannons' merchandise. Pig, Ron's owl, was flying around his tiny cage, begging to be let out.

"Your bed's over there," Ron said, motioning to the camp bed set out on the floor. Hermione was staring at Harry vigorously, but Harry chose to ignore this. Instead he set down his things and sat on Ron's bed.

"Dad needs to ask you something too," Ron said. "Something about electricity or something. And amazingly *gasp * Hermione didn't know the answer."

"Mr. Weasley almost electrocuted himself yesterday. They got a new car, in case you didn't know," Hermione told him hastily. "He asked what caused it, and since I didn't see it I couldn't tell him."

'She didn't know,' Ron mouthed. Hermoine saw him and scowled.

"Ron I think that-"

Harry spoke up before a fight could get started.

"Where are Fred and G-George?"

"Eh? Oh, they're in their room or something."

All of a sudden there was a loud explosion from one of the lower levels. Harry jumped up.

"Yep… they're in their room."

"I see they're b-b-back to their normal p-pranks."

"Yeah, ever since you got out of Az…." Ron trailed off when Hermione gave him a stern look.

"When I got out of Azkaban?" Harry provided.

"Er… yeah. Well, now they're back to their normal state and everything is right again," Ron said hurriedly. "D'ya want to go downstairs now?"

"Um… okay."

The three of them left Ron's orange room and went downstairs without saying another word.

~*~

When they arrived downstairs they found that Bill had come for a visit.

"How're you doing Harry?" He asked, shaking Harry's hand.

"I'm doing good," Harry said. He noticed that Bill had made another alteration to his appearance. His hair had been bleached, but it was still as long as ever.

"HARRY!" Two voices yelled from the doorway. Suddenly Harry found himself shaking hands vigorously with Fred and George.

"How are you doing, old chap!" Fred exclaimed.

"I'm-"

"Wonderful! Now, come! We have to show you something that we just invented-"

"Oh no you don't!" Exclaimed Mrs. Weasley. "You are going to de-gnome the garden like I asked you to yesterday."

"Aw, mum! Come on, Harry's here and-"

"Ron, you will be helping them," Mrs. Weasley said, pointing at her other son. "It'll go faster that way."

"Um… I can help," Harry said softly.

"No, no, Harry dear, you're our guest! We don't want you working."

"It's q-quite all right Mrs. Weasley," Harry continued. "It's no trouble at all."

"Well…"

"Come on Harry," Fred said, grabbing Harry's arm and pulling him out the door. Ron and George followed closely afterwards, leaving only Mrs. Weasley, Bill, and Hermione in the room.

Hermione had sort of a frown on her face.

"Is something wrong, Hermione?" Mrs. Weasley asked.

"He's changed, that's all…"

"I know, I know…"

~*~

"So, Harry. How's life?" Fred asked, flinging three gnomes over the fence.

"It's… okay," Harry replied, grabbing a gnome that was trying to run from him.

"Just… okay?" Ron asked. "In our third year you were ecstatic because you thought you were going to live with Sirius. And then the D… er…never mind."

"I'm not saying it's bad or anything! It's wonderful! I just don't know how to fully d-describe it…"

"Don't worry, we understand," Fred said. "You've gone through a rough time. We're here for you." He clapped a hand on Harry's shoulder and caused Harry to flinch. "There's nothing we can't face! Except bunnies. Pink, fluffy bunnies…" Fred shivered slightly.

"Er… right," Harry said, giving a short laugh. "Let's get back to those gnomes."

~*~

It had to be almost one in the morning. Harry was lying on his stomach with his face in his pillow.

What is going on? I've never had trouble sleeping at Ron's house before, Harry thought.

"SNORT! Snchooff…" Ron was snoring loudly. Harry picked up a comic book and flung it at him.

"Bob stop it…" Ron moaned in his sleep.

Harry stopped for a moment. "Bob?" Ron simply rolled over and continued snoring.

Harry laughed slightly and got out of his sleeping bag, going downstairs to get a drink of water.

He was on the second landing when he heard voices coming from the kitchen.

"I'm just so worried about him Arthur!"

"I know, Molly."

Harry walked down a few more steps until he was as close as he could be to them.

"He's just gone through so much," Mrs. Weasley was saying. "I can't stand to think about it all."

"Well he's a tough boy," Mr. Weasley replied. "He seems to be handling it all very well."

Harry sank down onto one of the steps.

"You weren't there, but when he first came in and I hugged him he was so tense…"

"You told me that already."

"And did you see at dinner? He hardly ate anything, and he's so thin already. I'm worried about him, Arthur."

"We're all worried about him."

Harry gave a soft sigh, and brought his legs up against his body.

"He looks so tired and distant. I can tell that he's trying to act normal around us, but he's just…" Mrs. Weasley sighed now. "I don't know…"

"It's going to be alright," Mr. Weasley said. "At least he's here and not at Azkaban."

"True… But have you seen his eyes?"

"Yes, many times."

"They've changed though. They aren't the same brilliant green. They're sort of dull looking, and they don't seem to focus on anything anymore."

"Molly, like you said, he's been through a lot. You can't expect him not to change…"

"I know."

"Come on dear," Mr. Weasley said. "You've had a hard day. Why don't you go back up to bed and I'll bring you some tea."

"Oh, all right."

Harry could hear the scraping of the chairs and he quickly and quietly scrambled back up to Ron's room.

So they were worried about him. Worried enough to talk about him in the middle of the night, while everyone else was asleep. Were they all this worried about him?

Harry remembered the way that Ron and Hermione didn't dare say the words "Azkaban" and "Dementors" around him. He remembered how everyone kept asking if he was okay, even though he kept assuring them that he was fine.

Harry sat down on his bed.

"Why can't everyone believe that I'm fine," Harry whispered aloud.

Because you're not, said the voice at the back of Harry's head. Harry ran a hand through his unruly hair and whispered, "You're right…"

~*~

Ron awoke to sun pouring in his window. He blinked sleepily, and turned over to go back to sleep, but something caught his eye before he could slip back into slumber. Harry. He wasn't on his bed anymore, but instead he was tucked into a corner.

"Harry? Wassamatter?" Ron mumbled softly.

"Nothing Ron," Harry sighed. "Go b-back to sleep."

"No, seriously, what's wrong?" Ron replied, sitting up in his bed. "Dreams? Do you want me to go get you a glass of water? Or maybe I can get Mum and-"

"Ron, forget it, go back to sleep."

"What's the matter Harry?"

"You asking 'what's the matter,'" Harry snapped.

Ron frowned slightly. "What do you mean."
Harry sighed again. "I'm t-trying to get my life back together. Everyone is… just… nevermind."

"No, go on, tell me."

"Well, everyone keeps acting like I'm ready to go off at any moment. And that's not helping. At all."

"We're not acting like that!" Ron said indignantly.

"Ron, you can't even say 'Azkaban' in front of me," Harry said, looking at his friend.

"Well, we were worried about how you would react," Ron said. Harry snorted. "I mean… you went to Azkaban. A place where only the worst criminals go, no offense-"

"None taken."

"And someplace that only seems to live in nightmares, but you've been there. Hell, I thought you were going to die the first week you were there. No offense."

"None taken."

"But seriously, I remember how you fainted during the third year because of them… and we were just really worried that you wouldn't be… you. That'd you be so different. That's probably why we're acting like that."

"Okay… I kind of understand."

"Good. Now, you okay?"

"Better than before. I just have one question."

"Shoot."

"Who is Bob?"

Ron blushed deep red and muttered something under his breath that Harry couldn't hear.

"Pardon?"

"Okay, you cannot tell Hermione what I am about to tell you," Ron said, getting off his bed and sitting in front of Harry. "When I was three years old I was really really weird."

"You still are."

Ron gave a sarcastic smile and said, "Well, I had this imaginary friend, named Bob. And we would go everywhere together and-stop laughing!"

Harry was shaking with laughter in the corner he was still sitting in. Ron reached up and tried to swat Harry's head, but he ducked out of the way.

Harry stopped for a moment, and said, "That's the one thing I c-can't quite deal with normally yet…"

"What?"

"Touching. I'm serious, when I first arrived it t-took all the self discipline I had not to pull away when you and Hermione hugged me…"

"All right then. No problem. Just have to restrain from beating you up…" Ron sighed and pretended to be sad. Harry gave a sarcastic smile and chucked a pillow at him.

"Hey!"

"Oy! Breakfast!" Shouted Fred from downstairs.

"We'll be right down!" Ron bellowed back. "C'mon Harry. Let's go to breakfast."

And the two friends ran downstairs to be with the rest of the Weasleys.

~*~

Harry was a bit disappointed to be leaving the Burrow. Sirius had told him that they would be able to arrange more sleepovers if Harry wanted to. Harry sighed as he put his bag into the back of Mr. Weasley's car that he had recently taken apart and put back together. Mr. Weasley had been most eager to show Harry all of the new magical gizmos that were installed.

But now the new car was far from Harry's mind. He had missed his friends while he was at Azkaban, even if he hadn't realized it.

"Ready to go?" Mr. Weasley asked everyone. There were groans and moans of consent, and the car started up and they were on their way.

20 minutes later…

"Harry, you really must come visit us again," Hermione said. "I missed you so much." She looked like she was going to hug Harry again, but Ron grabbed her arm and said, "Look at that bird!"

"What bird?"

"Whoops! It's gone…"

Harry grinned at Ron and then turned to look out the window.

"We're almost there," Harry said softly. "Just around this bend…" Harry trailed off as he looked at his home. Or rather, what was his home.

Smoke was billowing slowly from the cracked and burnt pieces of wood. A singed frame of the house was still standing, although it was rather lopsided and horribly bent in places. Several of the trees around the house were burnt as well.

"What… happened?" Asked someone who was in the car.

Harry's eyes had fallen on something lying in the grass. It was an animal, with long, burnt looking hair, and it wasn't moving. It was a big, black, dog. It was-

"Sirius…" Harry exclaimed softly.