JULY 27th
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Harry groaned and opened his eyes weakly. Everything was blurry. Harry had no idea where he was. He couldn't remember anything. He tried to sit up, but couldn't. Harry reached out one of his arms and felt around for his glasses. Finally, he found them. He slid them onto his nose and everything came into focus. Harry was lying in a bed. He was very tired and felt awful. He looked around. There was a man laying next to him, on top of the covers. Harry recognised him as Sirius. Harry opened his mouth to talk, but instead let out a deep, flemmy cough. He tried to stop coughing, but couldn't. Sirius stirred next to him, then lifted his head off the bed. Harry continued to cough. Sirius sat up quickly and turned to face Harry. He smiled.
"Hey kiddo..." He said wearily. Harry continued to cough. It was beginning to hurt. Sirius hastily grabbed a glass of water of the nightstand and tipped some down Harry's throat. Harry choked on the water for minute, then caught his breath. He closed his eyes and rested on the pillow, trying to calm himself. After a minute, Harry opened his eyes again. Sirius was staring at Harry with a mixture of concern, worry and happiness. Harry stared back.
"What's going on?" Harry asked hoarsly. Sirius sighed.
"We found you in the cave in Hogsmade..." He said quietly. For a minute, Harry stared blankly at him. Then, everything came back to him. Harry groaned and closed his eyes.
Sirius hesitated, then reached out a hand. He rested it on Harry's shoulder.
"I lost track of the days...how long was I gone?" Harry asked finally. Sirius stared at him.
"T-two weeks." He choked. The pain was coming back to Sirius. The torture of not knowing where Harry was. Harry opened his eyes and stared at Sirius. His hand, which was resting on Harry's shoulder, was shaking slightly. Harry noticed the tears glittering in Sirius's eyes. He realised how hard it was for Sirius.
"I...I'm so..." Harry began. He didn't know this would be so hard for Sirius. Sirius waved a shaky hand and shook his head.
"That doesn't matter. You're back now and you're safe." Sirius choked. Harry smiled weakly. Sirius smiled too. A single tear rolled down his cheek. He managed to keep the rest back. Sirius was in the shower when Harry began to not feel so well. He felt really tired and weak. His stomach was doing flip flops. Harry closed his eyes and rested a hand to his head. Everything seemed to be swirling. Even with his eyes closed, Harry felt like he was spinning. He slowly lowered his hand and pressed it to his stomach. What was wrong with him? Harry sighed and rolled over. He pressed half his face into the pillow and covered himself with the blankets. He was suddenly very cold and chills were running up and down his spine. Harry shivered and buried himself deeper in the blankets. He heard the water in the shower turn off, then the bathroom door open. There was a moment of silence, then... "Harry?" Sirius asked nervously. Harry grunted. He felt like he was going to be sick. Sirius crossed the room in his boxers and leaned over Harry. "You okay?" He asked softly. Harry shivered again. "I'm really cold..." Harry said, his teeth chattering together. Sirius pressed his hand to Harry's forehead and immediatly pulled it away. "You're burning hot!" He said, rubbing his hand. Harry groaned and buried himself deeper into the blankets. Sirius bit his lip. "Harry, come out from the blankets for a second." He said quietly. Harry's teeth were chattering. "No. It's too cold." He said quietly. Sirius sighed. He pulled the blankets back from Harry. Harry began to shake furiously. Sirius realised that Harry was really cold. He quickly covered the teenager again. After a minute, Harry stopped shaking and his teeth stopped chattering. "Are you still cold?" Sirius asked, unsure what to do. Harry sighed. "No..." He said quietly. Sirius pressed his hand to Harry's head again. He immediatly pulled it back. "I don't like this...you spiked a fever." He said quietly. Sirius disappeared into the bathroom and appeared a minute later with a damp cloth. He rested it on Harry's forehead. "You aren't dehydrated anymore...but you still have pneumonia. Maybe that's why you've got a fever..." Sirius said quietly. Harry sighed. His stomach was still doing flip flops.... Sirius ended up calling a doctor. Dr Bodenchuck told Sirius that Harry was simply going through what people with pneumonia go through. He told Sirius to make Harry drink lots of fluids and to rest. He would get better. Sirius grumbled about something after the doctor left. Harry didn't catch what it was about. Sirius waved his wand and a large goblet of pumpkin juice appeared. He passed the goblet to Harry. "Drink all of that." He said quietly. Harry grimaced and pulled a face. He put the glass back on the nightstand. His stomach did another flip flop. "Harry, you need to drink lots of fluids!" Sirius said, forcing the goblet back into Harry's hand. Harry shook his head quickly...he felt his stomach turning. Sirius sighed. Harry clapped a hand to his mouth. Sirius realised why Harry didn't want the juice. It upset his stomach. "Oh god..." Sirius said. He bit his lip as Harry's free hand grabbed his stomach. Harry closed his eyes and took a couple of deep breaths. He lowered his hand from his mouth and sighed. "How about some water?" Sirius asked, scrunching up his nose. Harry rolled his eyes. Sirius waved his wand and the pumpkin juice turned to water. Harry began to gulp it down. Just then, there was a tap on the window. Sirius looked over. Hedwig was fluttering up and down, clutching a letter. Harry smiled. He hadn't seen Hedwig in a long time!
Sirius left Harry's side for a moment and went to let Hegwig in. He pushed the window open the the snowy owl soared in. She landed next to Harry. Hedwig dropped her letter and hurried over to Harry. Harry smiled weakly and began to stroke the beautiful owl. Sirius grabbed the letter and tore it open. He read it, his head bobbling back and forth. "Alright..." He said, nodding. Harry watched as Sirius scribbled something at the bottome of the letter then stuffed it back in the envelope. He called Hedwig over to him. The owl reluctantly left Harry and allowed Sirius to tie the letter to her leg. She then took off again. Sirius sat down next to Harry. "Who was the letter from?" Harry asked as he reached for his goblet. SIrius was staring into space. "Hmm?" He asked, scratching his chin. Sirius flashed back to reality. "Oh no one..." He muttered. Sirius stood and headed for the bathroom. "Just my real estate agent sending me the final papers for our house." He said as he disappeared. Harry stared after him. Sirius had bought a house? Harry thought more closely about his words...'Just my real estate agent sending me the final papers for our house.' Harry focused on one words...our. He immediatly tried to get out of bed. "What?!" He yelled. Harry broke into a coughing fit. Sirius hurried into the room and over to Harry's bed. Harry was slapping his chest. Sirius tipped some water down his throat. Harry choked, then took some deep breaths. He stared at Sirius. "Our house?" He whispered. Sirius bit his lip and nodded. "The day we brought you back, Fudge talked to me. He told me that I was granted full custody." He said with a smile. Harry stared at him. "I d-don't h-have to go l-live with a D-D-Dursley?" He asked, his eyes full of hope. Sirius shook his head. "You never have to see a Dursley ever again." He said quietly. Harry smiled. Sirius wrapped his arms around Harry. When they separated, Harry's eyes were watering. "Um...when can we move in?" He laughed.
Sirius smiled. "Whenever we're ready." He laughed. Harry grinned. "I guess we have to go shopping then..." He said. Harry scrunched up his nose. Sirius stared at him like he was nuts. "Are you nutters?" He laughed. Harry stared at Sirius quizzically. "What?" He asked wearily. Harry didn't have much energy. Sirius rolled his eyes. "We're wizards! All we have to do is get a Magical Buying Guide and point to the things we want...and we have them!" He explained. Harry nodded weakly. Everything was starting to spin. Harry looked at Sirius and there were two of him. Sirius realised that something was wrong. Harry was trying to focus his eyes, despit the fact he was wearing his glasses. "Harry?" Sirius asked, grabbing Harry's shoulder. Harry fell backwards onto the pillow. His eyes closed....
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Harry opened his eyes. His head hurt. There was something cold resting on his forehead. Harry groaned. The cold thing was removed and Harry's glasses were slipped on his nose. Harry looked around. Sirius was crouch down beside him with a damp facecloth. Harry sat up. "What happened?" He asked, rubbing his eyes. Sirius sighed. "You passed out. Probably from the fever." He explained. Harry groaned and nodded. Sirius rested a hand on Harry's shoulder. "I wanna get you out of here as soon as possible. I don't think being cooped up is helping you much." He said quietly. Harry sighed. "Now, if we go to the house now, I can furnish your room and stuff and do the rest of the house while you sleep." Sirius said. Harry shrugged. "Whatever floats your boat..." He mumbled. Sirius smirked. "Come on smart arse. Up you get." He said, grabbing Harry under the arm. Harry went and sat down on his trunk and rested Hedwig's cage on his lap. Sirius rested a hand on Harry's shoulder and they disapparated with a loud pop.
Harry and Sirius were in the middle of a large empty room. Harry didn't have time to admire the greatness of the room, his stomach was doing flip flops again. "Sirius..." Harry said as he pressed a hand to his stomach. "Okay, okay." Sirius said. He thought for a minute, then waved his wand. "Okay, you're room should be ready." He said with a smile. Harry nodded. He scrambled to his feet. Sirius gripped Harry's arm and led him up an elegant staircase. Harry wasn't noticing all the little things that made this house special. Sirius led him through a door and into a beautifully decorated room. The walls were painted dark blue with silver trim. There was a large, double bed. with hangings that were tied back. The covers were both silver and blue and the bed was decorated with stunning pillows. There was a large desk and a dresser, as well as a few silver armchairs. Harry smiled weakly. Cold sweat was starting to form on his brow. Sirius noticed this and how pale Harry had become. "In to bed..." He said quickly. Sirius led Harry over to the bed and pulled back the covers. Harry crawled under the blankets and covered himself. "I'll be back to check on you in a bit. Try and sleep maybe..." Sirius said with a small smile. Harry nodded and Sirius closed the blue hangings around the bed. Harry drifted off to sleep.
He woke a few hours later and rubbed his eyes. He felt a bit better. Harry climbed out from behind the hangings and went over to his trunk that had been placed in the room. Harry unlocked it and pulled out a pair of sweatpants and the red t-shirt Sirius had given him a few days ago. Harry got changed out of his pajamas and made his way down the stairs. Harry gasped. The room that they had arrived in, was now fully decorated. There were couches, chairs, paintings, plants...everything. Harry marvelled at this and continued through the house. He came into a large kitchen. There was a cool table with swivel top chairs. The kitchen was painted a vibrant red. Sirius was enjoying a cup of coffee. "Hey kiddo...feeling better?" He asked softly. Harry smiled weakly and nodded. "A bit..." He murmured. Harry was looking around. "Oh, I er...did a bit of decorating while you were asleep. Everything's done." Sirius explained with a smile. "It's great and...this house is huge!" Harry laughed. Sirius shrugged. "I like the size. I like the options of all the rooms." He explained. Harry nodded. He sat down at the table. "What do you want to drink? Pumpkin juice, water..." Sirius trailed off. Harry scrunched up his nose. "I'm not really thirsty." He sighed. "I don't care if you're thirsty! You're going to drink something!" Sirius said with a smile. Harry sighed. "Alright...er...I'll have some water I guess." He muttered. Sirius nodded. He waved his wand and Harry watched as a goblet soared from the cupboard and over to the fridge. The fridge door opened and a bottle of water appeared. The lid unscrewed and hovered in mid air while the contents of the bottle were drained into the goblet. The goblet soared towards Harry while the empty bottle flew under the sink. "Cool..." Harry murmured as he sipped from his goblet. Sirius smiled.
JULY 30TH ****************************************
Harry was slowly getting better. He had the odd fever, and coughed alot, but that was pretty much it. He shuffled down the stairs and into the kitchen. Sirius was reading the newspaper. Harry went over to the fridge and wrenched it open. He sighed and grabbed an apple. He closed the fridge and plopped down at the kitchen table. Sirius smiled, but never removed his eyes from the paper. "What?" Harry asked as he bit into his apple. Sirius shook his head. "Nothing..." He said quietly. Harry stared at him. "What?" He asked, more forcefully. Sirius sighed and folded the paper. "You act like nothing happened!" Sirius said, a small smile on his face. Harry stared at him. "What are you talking about?" He asked, dumbfounded. Sirius shook his head.
"You were gone for two weeks...got really sick and now look at you. You've been back for...what? A week? And, you're just back to normal old Harry!" Sirius laughed. Harry shrugged. He went to take another bit of his apple, but broke into a coughing fit. After a minute, it subsided. Sirius sighed. "Some people are coming over tomorrow for your birthday." He said as he got up. Harry nearly dropped his apple. He forgot that tomorrow was his birthday. "Uh...tomorrow isn't a good day Sirius!" Harry said, shifting in his seat. He thought he saw Sirius smile, but then figured he'd imagined it. "Tomorrow'll be fine." He said quietly. Harry stared at Sirius. "They're gonna half to be gone before..." Harry began. Sirius turned and looked at him. "Tomorrow will be fine." He said again, more forcefully. Harry saw a twinkle in Siruis's eyes. "O-okay." Harry said. "I'm gonna go lay down..." He added, eyeing Sirius. Sirius nodded and Harry climbed the stairs to his room. NEXT DAY....HARRY'S BIRTHDAY ****************************************
Harry yawned and stretched out. His bed was so comfortable. A smile danced across his face. For the first time, Harry was glad it was his birthday. He didn't even care that that night was his transformation. Harry shuffled down the stairs, not bothering to pull on a shirt. He was just wearing his boxers. Harry rubbed his eyes as he entered the kitchen. "Morning..." He mumbled. No answer. Harry focused his eyes and looked around. He immediatly turned a deep shade of red. Sirius, the Weasleys, Hermione, Abby and Lupin were standing in the kitchen. Hermione was blushing furiously, as were Abby and Ginny. Sirius was laughing. Harry turned on his heal and stormed up the stairs. He was both embarrased and angry. He slammed his bedroom door and dove under the covers.
*Downstairs*
"Oh dear..." Mrs Weasley giggled. Sirius sighed. "I'll go get him. He's just being a prat!" He laughed. Sirius heaved himself out of the chair and headed upstairs, leaving the guests to chat. Sirius knocked on Harry's bedroom door. No answer. He opened the door a bit. "Harry?" He asked, stiffling his laughter. A pillow zoomed across the room and hit Sirius in the face. "You little bugger!" Sirius laughed. He sprinted across the room. Siruis grabbed Harry's wrists. Harry struggled, but Siruis was stronger. Harry was smiling. "You arse! You know I wear my boxers to bed and you knew that everyone was gonna be hear!" He growled. Sirius smiled. "First, watch you mouth. Second, you usually throw some clothes on!" He laughed. Harry scowled and tried to break free of Sirius's grip. "Throw some clothes on and entertain your company." Sirius laughed. He scrambled to his feet. Harry groaned and rolled off the bed. Sirius exited the room and went downstairs while Harry changed into his red, weathered t-shirt and his beige shorts.
Harry appeared in the kitchen and scowled as he saw Hermione blush.
"Harry Birthday Harry dear." Mrs Weasley cooed as she hugged Harry. Harry forced a smile and thanked her.
"I was just about to make some breakfast for everyone Harry. Why don't you and your friends go off and mess around?" Sirius asked as he opened the fridge. Harry shrugged and led his friends outside. Fred and George were quick to go to the large clump of bushes where Harry told them a door was hidden. Harry shoved his hands in his pockets and walked around the large yard. Ron, Hermione and Abby sprinted to catch up with him.
"How're you feeling?" Ron asked awkwardly. He knew how sick Harry had been.
"Better...Sirius would freak if he knew I was outside though. Probably wanted us to go into the den or something." Harry sighed. Hermione became very serious.
"You probably shouldn't be outside." She said strictly.
"Oh Hermione, sod off. Let him breath some fresh air." Ron mumbled. Harry noticed that Abby was being really quiet. Ginny had discovered the pond full of fish and called Hermione over. Hermione left her friends and went to see Ginny.
"Oi! Ron, come here! Look at what these knomes have built!" George called. Ron too dashed away. Harry glanced at Abby. She was staring at her feet as she walked. Harry led her around to the back of one of the big trees so they were hidden from view.
"What's wrong?" He asked as Abby leaned against the tree.
"You used that chain, didn't you. That's how you got to Hogsmade." She said quietly. Harry stared at her. Abby lifted her head and their eyes locked.
"Well..." Harry began awkwardly.
"It's my fault you were so sick!" Abby cried. She had tears welling up in her eyes. Harry didn't think she would have been worried.
"Hey..." He said softly. Without thinking, Harry brought his hand up and rested it against her cheek. Abby sighed.
"It wasn't your fault. It...it was my problem. It had nothing to do with you." Harry said quietly. He didn't know what he was doing... Abby smiled weakly. She wrapped her arms around Harry's neck and rested her head on his shoulder. Harry hesitated, then wrapped his arms around her waist and returned the hug. Harry sighed.
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In the house....
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Sirius was just emptying a pot of water into the sink and he glanced out the window. Harry and Abby were inbraced in a hug...a tight hug. Sirius sighed as he watched...
The morning slowly progressed. They all ate their breakfast outside, as it was such a lovely day. Harry noticed Sirius shooting him weird looks. He had no idea what those were about. After breakfast, Sirius, Mr and Mrs Weasley and Lupin had tea in the living room while Harry showed everyone around the house. Slowly, the group started to thin out. Fred and George had left the tour and double back to the den where there were a load of Zonkos tricks. They lost Ginny when Harry pointed out the games room. There were loads of muggle things in there. Now, it was just Ron, Hermion and Abby. He showed them to his room, which had been tidied. (You'll find out who tidied the room in a bit). They all plopped down on the large bed. Harry was sprawled on and Abby was sitting beside him, her lower back grazing his arm. Ron was sitting cross legged at the end of the bed, flipping through Harry's quidditch scrapbook. Hermione was sitting with one leg tucked under her, her eyes wandering around the room. Ron and Abby got into a very heated discussion about quidditch. Harry felt like he had something in his throat. He let out a small cough, which turned into a coughing fit. Abby watched, eyes wide with worry as Harry hurried from the room. She hurried down the stairs, past the adults, and into the kitchen. Harry grabbed a goblet and filled it with tap water. He was still coughing. Before Harry drank from the goblet, he put his hand to his mouth to stiffle a cough. When he pulled it away, there was blood on his hand. Harry's eyes became very large. "Sirius!" He yelled between coughs.
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Harry groaned and opened his eyes weakly. Everything was blurry. Harry had no idea where he was. He couldn't remember anything. He tried to sit up, but couldn't. Harry reached out one of his arms and felt around for his glasses. Finally, he found them. He slid them onto his nose and everything came into focus. Harry was lying in a bed. He was very tired and felt awful. He looked around. There was a man laying next to him, on top of the covers. Harry recognised him as Sirius. Harry opened his mouth to talk, but instead let out a deep, flemmy cough. He tried to stop coughing, but couldn't. Sirius stirred next to him, then lifted his head off the bed. Harry continued to cough. Sirius sat up quickly and turned to face Harry. He smiled.
"Hey kiddo..." He said wearily. Harry continued to cough. It was beginning to hurt. Sirius hastily grabbed a glass of water of the nightstand and tipped some down Harry's throat. Harry choked on the water for minute, then caught his breath. He closed his eyes and rested on the pillow, trying to calm himself. After a minute, Harry opened his eyes again. Sirius was staring at Harry with a mixture of concern, worry and happiness. Harry stared back.
"What's going on?" Harry asked hoarsly. Sirius sighed.
"We found you in the cave in Hogsmade..." He said quietly. For a minute, Harry stared blankly at him. Then, everything came back to him. Harry groaned and closed his eyes.
Sirius hesitated, then reached out a hand. He rested it on Harry's shoulder.
"I lost track of the days...how long was I gone?" Harry asked finally. Sirius stared at him.
"T-two weeks." He choked. The pain was coming back to Sirius. The torture of not knowing where Harry was. Harry opened his eyes and stared at Sirius. His hand, which was resting on Harry's shoulder, was shaking slightly. Harry noticed the tears glittering in Sirius's eyes. He realised how hard it was for Sirius.
"I...I'm so..." Harry began. He didn't know this would be so hard for Sirius. Sirius waved a shaky hand and shook his head.
"That doesn't matter. You're back now and you're safe." Sirius choked. Harry smiled weakly. Sirius smiled too. A single tear rolled down his cheek. He managed to keep the rest back. Sirius was in the shower when Harry began to not feel so well. He felt really tired and weak. His stomach was doing flip flops. Harry closed his eyes and rested a hand to his head. Everything seemed to be swirling. Even with his eyes closed, Harry felt like he was spinning. He slowly lowered his hand and pressed it to his stomach. What was wrong with him? Harry sighed and rolled over. He pressed half his face into the pillow and covered himself with the blankets. He was suddenly very cold and chills were running up and down his spine. Harry shivered and buried himself deeper in the blankets. He heard the water in the shower turn off, then the bathroom door open. There was a moment of silence, then... "Harry?" Sirius asked nervously. Harry grunted. He felt like he was going to be sick. Sirius crossed the room in his boxers and leaned over Harry. "You okay?" He asked softly. Harry shivered again. "I'm really cold..." Harry said, his teeth chattering together. Sirius pressed his hand to Harry's forehead and immediatly pulled it away. "You're burning hot!" He said, rubbing his hand. Harry groaned and buried himself deeper into the blankets. Sirius bit his lip. "Harry, come out from the blankets for a second." He said quietly. Harry's teeth were chattering. "No. It's too cold." He said quietly. Sirius sighed. He pulled the blankets back from Harry. Harry began to shake furiously. Sirius realised that Harry was really cold. He quickly covered the teenager again. After a minute, Harry stopped shaking and his teeth stopped chattering. "Are you still cold?" Sirius asked, unsure what to do. Harry sighed. "No..." He said quietly. Sirius pressed his hand to Harry's head again. He immediatly pulled it back. "I don't like this...you spiked a fever." He said quietly. Sirius disappeared into the bathroom and appeared a minute later with a damp cloth. He rested it on Harry's forehead. "You aren't dehydrated anymore...but you still have pneumonia. Maybe that's why you've got a fever..." Sirius said quietly. Harry sighed. His stomach was still doing flip flops.... Sirius ended up calling a doctor. Dr Bodenchuck told Sirius that Harry was simply going through what people with pneumonia go through. He told Sirius to make Harry drink lots of fluids and to rest. He would get better. Sirius grumbled about something after the doctor left. Harry didn't catch what it was about. Sirius waved his wand and a large goblet of pumpkin juice appeared. He passed the goblet to Harry. "Drink all of that." He said quietly. Harry grimaced and pulled a face. He put the glass back on the nightstand. His stomach did another flip flop. "Harry, you need to drink lots of fluids!" Sirius said, forcing the goblet back into Harry's hand. Harry shook his head quickly...he felt his stomach turning. Sirius sighed. Harry clapped a hand to his mouth. Sirius realised why Harry didn't want the juice. It upset his stomach. "Oh god..." Sirius said. He bit his lip as Harry's free hand grabbed his stomach. Harry closed his eyes and took a couple of deep breaths. He lowered his hand from his mouth and sighed. "How about some water?" Sirius asked, scrunching up his nose. Harry rolled his eyes. Sirius waved his wand and the pumpkin juice turned to water. Harry began to gulp it down. Just then, there was a tap on the window. Sirius looked over. Hedwig was fluttering up and down, clutching a letter. Harry smiled. He hadn't seen Hedwig in a long time!
Sirius left Harry's side for a moment and went to let Hegwig in. He pushed the window open the the snowy owl soared in. She landed next to Harry. Hedwig dropped her letter and hurried over to Harry. Harry smiled weakly and began to stroke the beautiful owl. Sirius grabbed the letter and tore it open. He read it, his head bobbling back and forth. "Alright..." He said, nodding. Harry watched as Sirius scribbled something at the bottome of the letter then stuffed it back in the envelope. He called Hedwig over to him. The owl reluctantly left Harry and allowed Sirius to tie the letter to her leg. She then took off again. Sirius sat down next to Harry. "Who was the letter from?" Harry asked as he reached for his goblet. SIrius was staring into space. "Hmm?" He asked, scratching his chin. Sirius flashed back to reality. "Oh no one..." He muttered. Sirius stood and headed for the bathroom. "Just my real estate agent sending me the final papers for our house." He said as he disappeared. Harry stared after him. Sirius had bought a house? Harry thought more closely about his words...'Just my real estate agent sending me the final papers for our house.' Harry focused on one words...our. He immediatly tried to get out of bed. "What?!" He yelled. Harry broke into a coughing fit. Sirius hurried into the room and over to Harry's bed. Harry was slapping his chest. Sirius tipped some water down his throat. Harry choked, then took some deep breaths. He stared at Sirius. "Our house?" He whispered. Sirius bit his lip and nodded. "The day we brought you back, Fudge talked to me. He told me that I was granted full custody." He said with a smile. Harry stared at him. "I d-don't h-have to go l-live with a D-D-Dursley?" He asked, his eyes full of hope. Sirius shook his head. "You never have to see a Dursley ever again." He said quietly. Harry smiled. Sirius wrapped his arms around Harry. When they separated, Harry's eyes were watering. "Um...when can we move in?" He laughed.
Sirius smiled. "Whenever we're ready." He laughed. Harry grinned. "I guess we have to go shopping then..." He said. Harry scrunched up his nose. Sirius stared at him like he was nuts. "Are you nutters?" He laughed. Harry stared at Sirius quizzically. "What?" He asked wearily. Harry didn't have much energy. Sirius rolled his eyes. "We're wizards! All we have to do is get a Magical Buying Guide and point to the things we want...and we have them!" He explained. Harry nodded weakly. Everything was starting to spin. Harry looked at Sirius and there were two of him. Sirius realised that something was wrong. Harry was trying to focus his eyes, despit the fact he was wearing his glasses. "Harry?" Sirius asked, grabbing Harry's shoulder. Harry fell backwards onto the pillow. His eyes closed....
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Harry opened his eyes. His head hurt. There was something cold resting on his forehead. Harry groaned. The cold thing was removed and Harry's glasses were slipped on his nose. Harry looked around. Sirius was crouch down beside him with a damp facecloth. Harry sat up. "What happened?" He asked, rubbing his eyes. Sirius sighed. "You passed out. Probably from the fever." He explained. Harry groaned and nodded. Sirius rested a hand on Harry's shoulder. "I wanna get you out of here as soon as possible. I don't think being cooped up is helping you much." He said quietly. Harry sighed. "Now, if we go to the house now, I can furnish your room and stuff and do the rest of the house while you sleep." Sirius said. Harry shrugged. "Whatever floats your boat..." He mumbled. Sirius smirked. "Come on smart arse. Up you get." He said, grabbing Harry under the arm. Harry went and sat down on his trunk and rested Hedwig's cage on his lap. Sirius rested a hand on Harry's shoulder and they disapparated with a loud pop.
Harry and Sirius were in the middle of a large empty room. Harry didn't have time to admire the greatness of the room, his stomach was doing flip flops again. "Sirius..." Harry said as he pressed a hand to his stomach. "Okay, okay." Sirius said. He thought for a minute, then waved his wand. "Okay, you're room should be ready." He said with a smile. Harry nodded. He scrambled to his feet. Sirius gripped Harry's arm and led him up an elegant staircase. Harry wasn't noticing all the little things that made this house special. Sirius led him through a door and into a beautifully decorated room. The walls were painted dark blue with silver trim. There was a large, double bed. with hangings that were tied back. The covers were both silver and blue and the bed was decorated with stunning pillows. There was a large desk and a dresser, as well as a few silver armchairs. Harry smiled weakly. Cold sweat was starting to form on his brow. Sirius noticed this and how pale Harry had become. "In to bed..." He said quickly. Sirius led Harry over to the bed and pulled back the covers. Harry crawled under the blankets and covered himself. "I'll be back to check on you in a bit. Try and sleep maybe..." Sirius said with a small smile. Harry nodded and Sirius closed the blue hangings around the bed. Harry drifted off to sleep.
He woke a few hours later and rubbed his eyes. He felt a bit better. Harry climbed out from behind the hangings and went over to his trunk that had been placed in the room. Harry unlocked it and pulled out a pair of sweatpants and the red t-shirt Sirius had given him a few days ago. Harry got changed out of his pajamas and made his way down the stairs. Harry gasped. The room that they had arrived in, was now fully decorated. There were couches, chairs, paintings, plants...everything. Harry marvelled at this and continued through the house. He came into a large kitchen. There was a cool table with swivel top chairs. The kitchen was painted a vibrant red. Sirius was enjoying a cup of coffee. "Hey kiddo...feeling better?" He asked softly. Harry smiled weakly and nodded. "A bit..." He murmured. Harry was looking around. "Oh, I er...did a bit of decorating while you were asleep. Everything's done." Sirius explained with a smile. "It's great and...this house is huge!" Harry laughed. Sirius shrugged. "I like the size. I like the options of all the rooms." He explained. Harry nodded. He sat down at the table. "What do you want to drink? Pumpkin juice, water..." Sirius trailed off. Harry scrunched up his nose. "I'm not really thirsty." He sighed. "I don't care if you're thirsty! You're going to drink something!" Sirius said with a smile. Harry sighed. "Alright...er...I'll have some water I guess." He muttered. Sirius nodded. He waved his wand and Harry watched as a goblet soared from the cupboard and over to the fridge. The fridge door opened and a bottle of water appeared. The lid unscrewed and hovered in mid air while the contents of the bottle were drained into the goblet. The goblet soared towards Harry while the empty bottle flew under the sink. "Cool..." Harry murmured as he sipped from his goblet. Sirius smiled.
JULY 30TH ****************************************
Harry was slowly getting better. He had the odd fever, and coughed alot, but that was pretty much it. He shuffled down the stairs and into the kitchen. Sirius was reading the newspaper. Harry went over to the fridge and wrenched it open. He sighed and grabbed an apple. He closed the fridge and plopped down at the kitchen table. Sirius smiled, but never removed his eyes from the paper. "What?" Harry asked as he bit into his apple. Sirius shook his head. "Nothing..." He said quietly. Harry stared at him. "What?" He asked, more forcefully. Sirius sighed and folded the paper. "You act like nothing happened!" Sirius said, a small smile on his face. Harry stared at him. "What are you talking about?" He asked, dumbfounded. Sirius shook his head.
"You were gone for two weeks...got really sick and now look at you. You've been back for...what? A week? And, you're just back to normal old Harry!" Sirius laughed. Harry shrugged. He went to take another bit of his apple, but broke into a coughing fit. After a minute, it subsided. Sirius sighed. "Some people are coming over tomorrow for your birthday." He said as he got up. Harry nearly dropped his apple. He forgot that tomorrow was his birthday. "Uh...tomorrow isn't a good day Sirius!" Harry said, shifting in his seat. He thought he saw Sirius smile, but then figured he'd imagined it. "Tomorrow'll be fine." He said quietly. Harry stared at Sirius. "They're gonna half to be gone before..." Harry began. Sirius turned and looked at him. "Tomorrow will be fine." He said again, more forcefully. Harry saw a twinkle in Siruis's eyes. "O-okay." Harry said. "I'm gonna go lay down..." He added, eyeing Sirius. Sirius nodded and Harry climbed the stairs to his room. NEXT DAY....HARRY'S BIRTHDAY ****************************************
Harry yawned and stretched out. His bed was so comfortable. A smile danced across his face. For the first time, Harry was glad it was his birthday. He didn't even care that that night was his transformation. Harry shuffled down the stairs, not bothering to pull on a shirt. He was just wearing his boxers. Harry rubbed his eyes as he entered the kitchen. "Morning..." He mumbled. No answer. Harry focused his eyes and looked around. He immediatly turned a deep shade of red. Sirius, the Weasleys, Hermione, Abby and Lupin were standing in the kitchen. Hermione was blushing furiously, as were Abby and Ginny. Sirius was laughing. Harry turned on his heal and stormed up the stairs. He was both embarrased and angry. He slammed his bedroom door and dove under the covers.
*Downstairs*
"Oh dear..." Mrs Weasley giggled. Sirius sighed. "I'll go get him. He's just being a prat!" He laughed. Sirius heaved himself out of the chair and headed upstairs, leaving the guests to chat. Sirius knocked on Harry's bedroom door. No answer. He opened the door a bit. "Harry?" He asked, stiffling his laughter. A pillow zoomed across the room and hit Sirius in the face. "You little bugger!" Sirius laughed. He sprinted across the room. Siruis grabbed Harry's wrists. Harry struggled, but Siruis was stronger. Harry was smiling. "You arse! You know I wear my boxers to bed and you knew that everyone was gonna be hear!" He growled. Sirius smiled. "First, watch you mouth. Second, you usually throw some clothes on!" He laughed. Harry scowled and tried to break free of Sirius's grip. "Throw some clothes on and entertain your company." Sirius laughed. He scrambled to his feet. Harry groaned and rolled off the bed. Sirius exited the room and went downstairs while Harry changed into his red, weathered t-shirt and his beige shorts.
Harry appeared in the kitchen and scowled as he saw Hermione blush.
"Harry Birthday Harry dear." Mrs Weasley cooed as she hugged Harry. Harry forced a smile and thanked her.
"I was just about to make some breakfast for everyone Harry. Why don't you and your friends go off and mess around?" Sirius asked as he opened the fridge. Harry shrugged and led his friends outside. Fred and George were quick to go to the large clump of bushes where Harry told them a door was hidden. Harry shoved his hands in his pockets and walked around the large yard. Ron, Hermione and Abby sprinted to catch up with him.
"How're you feeling?" Ron asked awkwardly. He knew how sick Harry had been.
"Better...Sirius would freak if he knew I was outside though. Probably wanted us to go into the den or something." Harry sighed. Hermione became very serious.
"You probably shouldn't be outside." She said strictly.
"Oh Hermione, sod off. Let him breath some fresh air." Ron mumbled. Harry noticed that Abby was being really quiet. Ginny had discovered the pond full of fish and called Hermione over. Hermione left her friends and went to see Ginny.
"Oi! Ron, come here! Look at what these knomes have built!" George called. Ron too dashed away. Harry glanced at Abby. She was staring at her feet as she walked. Harry led her around to the back of one of the big trees so they were hidden from view.
"What's wrong?" He asked as Abby leaned against the tree.
"You used that chain, didn't you. That's how you got to Hogsmade." She said quietly. Harry stared at her. Abby lifted her head and their eyes locked.
"Well..." Harry began awkwardly.
"It's my fault you were so sick!" Abby cried. She had tears welling up in her eyes. Harry didn't think she would have been worried.
"Hey..." He said softly. Without thinking, Harry brought his hand up and rested it against her cheek. Abby sighed.
"It wasn't your fault. It...it was my problem. It had nothing to do with you." Harry said quietly. He didn't know what he was doing... Abby smiled weakly. She wrapped her arms around Harry's neck and rested her head on his shoulder. Harry hesitated, then wrapped his arms around her waist and returned the hug. Harry sighed.
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In the house....
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Sirius was just emptying a pot of water into the sink and he glanced out the window. Harry and Abby were inbraced in a hug...a tight hug. Sirius sighed as he watched...
The morning slowly progressed. They all ate their breakfast outside, as it was such a lovely day. Harry noticed Sirius shooting him weird looks. He had no idea what those were about. After breakfast, Sirius, Mr and Mrs Weasley and Lupin had tea in the living room while Harry showed everyone around the house. Slowly, the group started to thin out. Fred and George had left the tour and double back to the den where there were a load of Zonkos tricks. They lost Ginny when Harry pointed out the games room. There were loads of muggle things in there. Now, it was just Ron, Hermion and Abby. He showed them to his room, which had been tidied. (You'll find out who tidied the room in a bit). They all plopped down on the large bed. Harry was sprawled on and Abby was sitting beside him, her lower back grazing his arm. Ron was sitting cross legged at the end of the bed, flipping through Harry's quidditch scrapbook. Hermione was sitting with one leg tucked under her, her eyes wandering around the room. Ron and Abby got into a very heated discussion about quidditch. Harry felt like he had something in his throat. He let out a small cough, which turned into a coughing fit. Abby watched, eyes wide with worry as Harry hurried from the room. She hurried down the stairs, past the adults, and into the kitchen. Harry grabbed a goblet and filled it with tap water. He was still coughing. Before Harry drank from the goblet, he put his hand to his mouth to stiffle a cough. When he pulled it away, there was blood on his hand. Harry's eyes became very large. "Sirius!" He yelled between coughs.