All right, well I'm sorry I haven't updated in a while, but if you'll give me a moment I'll explain myself:

I started to write this chapter on November 27th, but on that particular day my best friend informed that her cat died. So of course I mourned because my friend had suffered the loss of a beloved pet, and I was sad for her. This in turn brought back memories of when I lost my dog, Lady, and added to my depression for that day.

I tried to continue this story on the 28th, but I received news then that my great Aunt Mary passed away from cancer that same afternoon...that sent me into an emotional fit that I could not pull myself out of. I couldn't bring myself to write, and so I continued mourning.

I would have started and finished this on the first of December, but I couldn't because of the fact that I was told that my grandfather, who has a heart condition, drove by himself down to Kentucky to attend the funeral of his late sister. This set me off, because with the loss we recently have faced this year (my great grandfather, my grandpa's dad, passed away this July, and now with my great aunt Mary, my nerves were severely strung) I simply couldn't bare the thought of something happening to him while he was on the road or in his hotel room alone.

I didn't mourn, then. When I went to my room for the night, I balled. For hours straight I simply cried until my eyes were swollen and I was void of any energy. When I awoke the next morning, my eyes were red and swollen, and there were bags underneath my eyes like I'd never had before. I told my mom I was having stomach cramps that day and didn't go to school.

I really wanted someone to hold me and tell me that it would be okay. But I was too mad at my family for never telling me my grandpa left, and I never like running to friends with such confessions and expecting intimacy from them in turn.

And so that has been my week. I hope you all understand.

Birthday Wishes, Part I: The Trouble with Blueberries

The Past

Sirius tiptoed gracefully into the bedroom that contained his sleeping godson. It was July 31st, and that meant that the day was going to be full of fun, company, cake, and presents.

Today, Sirius' godson was turning sixteen, and his intentions were to make this Harry's most memorable birthday ever.

The streamers were already strung in the sitting room and kitchen, and a plethora of magical balloons and wizarding decorations were all in place for today's main event.

At first, Sirius worried if he had gone too far with the celebration, but then he remembered that this was Harry's first birthday with his true family (as if Sirius would have ever counted those atrocious muggles his family), and because it was Harry, he deserved the best.

That was exactly what Sirius intended to give him.

He waited at the foot of the bed, just in case Harry stirred.

Nothing.

Sirius grinned broadly and twiddled his fingers in anticipation.

Then, suddenly, with a roar and a bound he came crashing down on top of...

...a mesh of pillows?

Frowning, Sirius pulled back the covers on the half of the bed that he wasn't occupying to find that that had been the only thing underneath the sheets!

"Huh, the old jailbreak trick," Sirius mused outwardly. "And I fell for it."

"Yes, you. Of all people!" came a voice from the closet. As Sirius whirled his head around, he was met with the image of his godson flying at him over the foot of the bed.

Harry landed on top of him with a very hearty "oomph!"

"Gotcha!" He hollered, leaping away from Sirius' grasp in time to avoid getting a fist nudged into his unruly mop of black hair.

"Me of all people?" Sirius roared in laughter. "What's THAT supposed to mean?!"

But as Harry came around the foot of the bed once more, Sirius leapt after him. He wrapped his left arm around the boy's neck and firmly buried his right fist into the nest of jet black hair that sprouted from his crown in what was, any would realize, an affectionate display of fatherly/son-like play.

"Say it!" Sirius demanded with a grin on his face, his knuckles scraping Harry's head.

"NO!" Harry protested through his laughter.

"Say it!"

"NO!"

"Say UNCLE!"

"AUNT!"

"UNCLE!"

"AUNT!"

Before either of them knew it, they were rolling on the carpeting laughing. Tears streamed down Sirius' face while he held his sides, as though to prevent himself from exploding. Harry was in a similar state, his face reddened from the force of his own chuckling. It was a good number of minutes before either of them could speak again.

"So...was that your original plan?" Harry asked between deep gasps for air.

Sirius breathed in and out a few times before nodding.

"Didn't quite work out how I hoped," Sirius admitted, "but it'll do."

"Oh," Harry breathed. "I'm...glad."

Sirius grinned, reaching over to pat his godson's head.

"So...ready to turn sixteen?"

Smiling, Harry rolled onto his back and sat up. "I guess. I just hope this year will be slightly less eventful than the last."

Sirius grinned. "Make that two of us."

They both made their way downstairs. Harry noticed at once the colorful decorations and the balloons, and he gawked at the presentation.

"Wow, Sirius!" he said, gaping. Then, his countenance took on a more puzzled expression, and he asked; "isn't this all a little much?"

"For you?" the man answered with a smirk.

Harry rolled his eyes and shook his head. "Please don't tell me you invited all of the Order here to celebrate."

"Not all," Sirius stated in a very matter-of-fact tone. Then added; "only half," when Harry had left the room.

An indignant "I heard that!" erupted from the corridor that separated the kitchen from the sitting room, and Sirius couldn't help but snigger in amusement. Yeah, he heard it. But Harry should have known better than to think that Sirius would do less than this for him. Harry was the only thing Sirius had in his life that he could spoil, and in turn, Sirius was the only thing Harry had to rely on as a parental figure for such lavish treatment. And, due to the fact that Harry had received such grotesque care from his past guardians, Sirius felt that he should make up for it. He also wanted to make up for having never been there.

In reality, Sirius wanted to make up for a great number of things, and to him it felt like Harry was the only ground through which he could channel such acts of confession; and only through which he could gain salvation.

It was foolish, but Sirius was well aware of the fact that very little of what he did made sense. Least of all to himself. Yet he had his reasons, and that was enough basis to continue on with the motives he had already established.

A few minutes later, a knock sounded at the door.

"Harry, could you get that?" Sirius asked.

"Yeah all right, sure." Came the mock annoyed voice. Sirius grinned, shaking his head while he sorted through some of the breakfast plates that he had prepared (with some help from Mrs. Weasley). "Who would be coming at this early in the morning?" He suddenly asked, nearing the door.

Sirius shrugged, scratching his head while he pondered over the presentation of some bear claws. "I don't know. One of the Weasleys?" He paused, rounding on some muffins. "Or all of them," he added quietly so that whoever was at the door wouldn't hear.

"Oh, Hello Remus!" came a surprised statement a few seconds later. Sirius grinned. He should have known!

"You sound surprised to see me Harry," Remus stated in an ever so friendly fashion. One that, Sirius often wondered, if he reserved it simply for Harry, since he never used that tone with anyone else. "Did you think I'd forget?"

There was a hesitant chuckle. When Sirius stepped into the corridor he found himself grinning at the image of them embracing in something like an uncle-to-favorite-nephew manner.

"Now Remus," Sirius stated. "You know that if you forgot-"

"You'd hunt me down, I'm sure," Remus finished whilst holding up a hand to stop Sirius in mid-sentence. Harry laughed, taking Remus' coat (without him really realizing it) and then leading their small entourage back into the kitchen. "So, who else is bound to arrive?" he asked, clapping his hands together as he nestled himself down into a chair across from Harry at the main table.

"Whoever Sirius has invited, I'm sure."

"The whole Order?" Remus asked with a raised brow. Harry laughed while Sirius merely frowned.

"Not the whole Order," Sirius snapped in slight annoyance.

Harry snickered, adding; "only half."

This earned him a muffin: thrown directly at his head. Remus laughed while Harry sat picking blueberries out of his hair the rest of the morning, openly "criticizing" that the berries weren't properly distributed in the batter and that the frosting was too runny. This cause Remus to only laugh harder, and made Sirius search for something new (and more properly cooked) to throw.

Harry, of course, was saved by the doorbell.

It was Hermione Granger this time. And her first question; "Harry, are those blueberries in your hair?" caused those who were waiting in the kitchen to roar in laughter.

Sorry I'm going to have to cut it short there. It's about 1:06am right now, and I'm so tired I'm beginning to hallucinate.

Night all. I'll try to update sooner next time.