Harry closed his eyes and clung to Remus' robes as they spun in front of hundreds of fireplaces before the Weasley's house came into view.
Harry landed face first in The Weasley's living room, before even getting up hearing a small shriek that sounded too much like Hermione.
Looking up, none other than Hermione was sitting on the couch before him, rushing forward to his aid.
What was she doing here already?
Before Harry could even so much as greet his best friend, Remus had him by the back of the robes pulling him into the kitchen where Molly was hovering over the stove.
" Hermione- what's… oh my! Harry! What's going on? Is everything okay?" Molly asked anxiously, abandoning whatever she was stirring over the stove and running over to where Remus had pushed Harry into a chair by the table.
Harry saw Hermione standing behind the wall separating the kitchen and living room. He wished she would go away… he didn't want her to hear what was going to be said. It would just make her sad, and frankly he couldn't stand that. He needed his best friends to be happy, he wanted them to be happy… something he couldn't be.
" Molly," Remus said before she had the chance to pull one hundred questions on Harry, " We need to talk in a separate room, but you," Remus ordered sternly pointing to Harry, " stay here."
Molly gave a worried glance back to Harry over her shoulder as she followed Remus outside- the wooden stirring spoon still grasped in her hand.
Harry sat back in the chair with a frustrated sigh, forgetting Hermione was still hiding behind the wall.
Antsy and desperate to be anywhere but where he was, Harry got up and kicked whatever it was he could which happened to be the island in the middle of the kitchen.
How could this be happening to him? What did he do to deserve to have the pressure of good and evil pressed upon him? He was either going to become a murderer- or be murdered. He had lost three people he loved dearly and needed, and he was only fifteen, what more could happen?
With a particularly vehement sigh and punch to the wall, he turned back frustrated to return to his seat, but instead of turning to an empty room, Harry turned to see a white faced and shocked Hermione, her breathing shallow and uneven as if she were about to burst into tears at any second.
" Hermione- I am so sorry, please don't cry…" Harry said immediately taking a few steps toward her when he saw the damn of tears welling up in her eyes.
Harry was shocked with himself. He hadn't felt anything but anger and emptiness from the moment he saw Sirius' go down, but right now- right then, Harry's heart filled with love for his best friend.
Maybe I am going to be okay after all, I mean, I still love my friends.
Stamping her foot and trying to regain her composure, Hermione bee lined it straight for Harry and hugged him tight around the waist. For a few seconds Harry's heart felt lighter, hope welling up in his chest that everything would be okay.
" I'm so sorry that you have to go through all this." Hermione whispered softly into Harry's ear. " I wish I could make everything okay again."
Harry's heart broke at the defeated tone in her voice. It wasn't the Hermione he knew- it was someone else. Sudden understanding dawned on him… how selfish had he been? Hadn't he realized that he wasn't the only that had lost someone in the last few weeks? Hadn't he realized that Hermione, Ron, the Weasleys, and Lupin did too… that they knew and liked Sirius too?
" I know you would Hermione." Harry said rubbing her back protectively, for the first time since they had become friends actually holding each other for support.
This was the most Harry had said to someone in the last week and there was no one he would rather be talking to than his best friend- except Ron maybe.
They pulled a part and Hermione and Harry brushed their clothes off, not looking each other in the eye mumbling about finding Ron. After all, it wasn't every day they hugged each other…
" Where's Ron?" Harry asked curiously as a diversion tactic, noting the absence of his other best friend and the rest of the family of red heads he was now not so opposed to see.
A slight smile played across Hermione's lips at Ron's name and Harry made a mental note to ask her about it later. Could it be true that both of his best friends finally realized they both had a crush on each other and were on their way to actually admitting it?
It's about time anyways.
" He's outside playing Quidditch with Ginny and the twins." Hermione said looking out the kitchen window. It had been a beautiful day, and the sun had just begun to go down, the sky turning the most magnificent shades of purple and light blue.
Harry smiled. He and Ron still hadn't been able to find a way to get Hermione on a broom. It wasn't fear that kept her grounded… just the fact she would rather be doing something else- hanging out with Lavender or Parvati, reading or writing as she's been doing an awful lot of lately…but Harry and Ron was determined to get her in the air.
With a small smile, Harry realized that for the first time in weeks, he was happy. A chance of having fun was finally presented to him, and he finally got to indulge in it.
Remus and Molly sat outside on the swings, a beer in their hands watching Molly's children zoom carefree around in the warm summer evening.
" She told me he hadn't eaten anything in a week, he hadn't even left his bedroom. She said he just sits in there all day, starring off into nothing." Remus said quietly, watching the sun reside and day turn to night, sadness apparent in his voice.
" They let him go a week without food?" Molly said tranquilly, although from years of friendship Remus could hear the fury coating her tone. " Those no good- damned Muggles!"
Remus would have been taken back hearing those words from such a sweet lady, but then again, Harry was like a son to her.
Both adults remained quiet for a moment, longing for the day Harry could be carefree again, and then having to silently wonder if that day would ever come.
" Well," said Remus standing up, " I trust that you will have Harry for the night and see to it that he eats a proper meal while I go talk to Dumbeldore about this."
" Of course." Molly said taking Remus' outstretched hand to help her up.
" Make sure to tell Dumbledore I will have Harry for as long as he will allow it." Molly said as an after note. " The kids and I love having him around."
Mr. Weasley had been off on another mission for Dumbledore for the last three weeks and Remus could see the longing in Molly's eyes as she thought about him.
" I will." Remus assured her as he entered the kitchen, thoroughly surprised to see Harry and Hermione in a carefree discussion, the outlines of a smile etched Harry's face which soon faded as soon as Remus and Mrs. Weasley entered the room.
" Well, Harry, I'm off to see Dumbledore about something, you will be staying here for a while." Remus said in a mater of fact way, but was relieved when he got no backtalk from the boy- honestly he didn't know what to do with the boy when he put up a fight.
Harry's face had mixed emotions playing on it, happiness the most notable, once again surprising Lupin.
" Really? I can stay here for a while?" Harry asked so softly his voice was almost inaudible.
" For now- yes." Remus said, not wanting to break the boys spirits but not wanting to get his hopes up, he added, " I'm going to see about how long exactly, though."
As Remus feared, Harry's solemn looked returned to his face. The boy was quicker than a bird sometimes, catching onto the downside of things before others.
" I'll be back later." Said Remus, seizing Harry in a tight embrace, to Harry's shock. Harry hadn't expected Remus to show such signs of affection, he never had before, but then again, Harry assumed he had needed some comfort of his own, and Harry was it.
I'm all he has left of his three best friend of course he's going to like me.
What Harry didn't know was that like was a small word for what Lupin felt for Harry, ever since the day he was born.
What Harry didn't remember was all the times Lupin and Sirius would kidnap Harry from his parents and take him everywhere and anywhere.
What Harry didn't know was that Lupin would soon become the only real family he ever had.