Chapter 3 "Back to Grimmauld Place"

Harry stepped inside, feeling a sudden emotion of sadness. Ron and Hermione had ran down the steps to greet him.

"Hey Harry! Was your flight okay? You have to tell me everything about how you got to escape from your aunt and uncle!" said Ron all in one breath.

Hermione ran over to him and wrapped her arms tightly around his neck to give him a hug. Hermione's act was soon followed by a very tight hug from Mrs. Weasley, who wouldn't let go of Harry.

Harry couldn't understand it, everyone around him was beaming at the sight of him. "Why are they all smiling? We are all in the house of someone who has just died! Why are they all so happy? How can they be so happy here? " Harry asked himself in his thoughts.

With a forced smile, he said, "I think I'll go on up to my room, if that's ok. The flight was very tiring for me. G'night."

Everyone's smiled had faded as they silently watched Harry gloomily slumped off towards the room he'd once slept in last year. His friends he left downstairs were all hoping to have a little bit of a welcoming party for him. All of them couldn't understand why he wasn't more happier that he had left Privet Drive and was now with the people who cared about him. No one except for one of them, knew exactly how Harry felt.

Harry stayed in his room for the remainder of the night, and when he was just about to drift off to sleep, he was suddenly awakened by a knock on the door.

"Harry, can I come in?" said a quiet voice.

But before Harry could reply the door opened and then closed again, and Lupin went over and sat on the bed across from Harry.

"Harry--" but before Lupin could finish, Harry interrupted.

"You don't have to say anything, I know what you're going to say already. You're going to say that it's okay to be sad and I'll just have to deal with being here," Harry sighed, still laying on his bed.

"Oh really? Well, can you just hear me out?"

"Alright..."

"Harry, I know how you feel, really, I do. I know you hate being in this place, just as your godfather did when he was here. I hate being here too. But we are just going to have to deal with it for right now, no matter how painful it may be."

Harry sat there silently, listening to what Lupin had to say. Everything so far, was what he predicted Lupin would say.

Lupin continued, "it's been very hard lately for me too, but I've been trying very hard to hide it, but I might as well come clean with you. It kills me to be here, you don't know what it's like, watching as your best friends have died, leaving you behind. And there's nothing I can do to change that. And you know I smile and laugh, but they aren't real, I just do it so everyone thinks I'm okay and nothing's wrong. And I know that it has to be very hard for you, especially, no matter how hard you try to cover it up. You've lost the one man, who has been like your father for the last 3 years. And I know you loved him like a father, and I know he loved you like you were his own son. And no matter how much you deny it, you're really upset about what happened a few months ago."

Harry sat there, trying to fight back tears, but it was a losing battle, and he was sick of hiding it. He had a burning feeling in his throat, and there were tears flowing freely down his face. He opened his mouth to say something, but he couldn't speak. After trying so hard to talk, he finally got out, "I—miss—Sirius."

Lupin looked at Harry, Lupin eyes were watery and wet too. He didn't say a word. He got up and sat on Harry's bed, and gave Harry the biggest, most caring hug he had ever had. It was a fatherly hug. They both sat there, tears falling from their eyes, as they comforted each other silently.

After what seemed like quite a long time, Lupin straighten himself up and said, "well, I think it's time you went to bed now. Goodnight, Harry."

But just as Lupin put his hand on the doorknob to turn it, Harry quietly said, "Thanks, Remus."

"Anytime, Harry."

And just as the doorknob had clicked back shut, Harry was asleep again. He had a dreamless sleep, which was exactly what he needed. He woke up feeling better than he had all summer. Although he still felt horrible, it felt good to finally have someone know how he really felt. He got up, dressed and went down for some much needed breakfast.

Just as Harry walked in the room he was greeted by Lupin who was reading the Daily Prophet.

"Morning, Harry! Did you sleep well?"

"Yeah I slept okay, thanks," Harry replied awkwardly, feeling a little embarrassed about Lupin seeing him cry. Although he did respect Lupin for acting as if last night hadn't happened.

"Harry, would you like anything to eat, dear? Eggs, bacon, sausages?" said Molly as she was cooking for everyone else at the time too.

"I'll have a little bit of everything! I'm starved!" said Harry, who was very hungry since he hadn't eaten any dinner last night.

No sooner had Harry come down, Hermione and Ron had entered the kitchen.

They ate their breakfast listening to Harry's story of how he got here, since Ron had been begging him to hear it. Ron sounded a little upset about it afterwards, since nothing bad or funny, for that matter, happened to the Dursleys'.

"Well, Ron, I'm glad that no one was hurt and that Harry got here okay." said Hermione.

"Oh, c'mon Hermione, didn't you want the least little thing to happen to that git cousin of Harry's?" said Ron.

For the first time here, Harry smiled, but it was quickly wiped off his face, because just at that moment, a creature he the most utmost loathing for, walked into the room.

"Good morning, Master," Kreature replied to Harry.

Harry shot one of the meanest looks possible towards the house-elf. "Go away, Kreature!"

Kreature willingly left the room muttering to himself as loud as the normal voice, as always. Hermione looked as if she was about to say something to Harry, but bit her tongue when she saw Ron glare at her.

The rest of the morning Harry, Ron, and Hermione talked about their summer so far. Hermione had gone to Paris again, and looked really brown. Ron hadn't gone anywhere, (who seemed a little angry that he didn't) was more freckly and was even taller and more lankier. Harry kept wondering to himself if he should talk to his best friends about Sirius. He now had a glazed look from wondering what to say, and hadn't taken in a word Ron said.

"What? Yeah..."

"Are you okay, Harry?" said Ron, who sounded a little worried.

"Yeah, Harry, is there something on your mind?" added Hermione.

It seemed as if they had already known what he was thinking before. Sounding a little nervous, he said, "Er...I forgot what I was going to say."

Hermione and Ron gave him a suspicious look, as if they knew he was lying. Feeling even more uncomfortable, he added, "I was just...thinking about...H- Hogwarts, that's all."

He had the feeling that his best friends wanted to talk to him about it, and were trying to get him to open up every chance they got. But Harry wasn't about to give in yet.