Yes, I know, once AGAIN, I do not own anything but the plot. *double sigh*

Stepping Sideways

Chapter Five: Learning to Live

Harry felt as if he were coming out of a fog. He tried shaking his head, as if to clear it, but it seemed too heavy to move. Slowly but surely, his vision cleared, and he realized he was lying on the Weasley's sofa.

'What happened?' He wondered, scratching the back of his neck, which was itchy. Suddenly, Harry realized, he was itchy all over. Starting to sit up, Harry noticed a warm weight on top of his feet, and nearly choked on his tongue when he realized what, or who, it was.

'What in the world is he doing here? What happened?' Harry sat up rapidly, startling Sirius so much he fell off the couch. Sirius started to glare at Harry in his dog form, but was overjoyed when he realized Harry was awake. Sirius started barking loudly, bringing Bill, Charlie, and Mrs.Weasley running in, looking anxious.

"Oh, Harry! Your awake!" Mrs.Weasley ran over and gave him a motherly hug. Bill and Charlie just looked relieved and grinned as Ron and the Twins ran in. Ginny followed, but more slowly and hesitantly.

Harry looked at all of them, his eyes puzzled behind his glasses, all the while scratching his legs and arms.

"What happened?" he asked, finally voicing his thoughts. "One minute I was flying, then everything went black, and I woke up here, all itchy." Harry started to attack the back of his neck, emphasizing this last statement. The others looked nervously around at each other, before Ron spoke up.

"Well Harry, after you lost consciousness, Ginny flew under you and caught you." Harry shot a surprised look at Ginny who was silent, trying to hide behind everyone else. "Then Charlie brought you back to the house, where Mum gave you a breathing potion, and then Dumbledore came, with Si . . . Snuffles. He helped you, I guess, we couldn't tell. Then he told us what . . . what was wrong, and left. Snuffles is staying with us for a while."

Harry nodded, but wasn't satisfied. "What HAPPENED though? Why did I lose consciousness?" He looked at everyone, and started scratching his elbow. "Dratted itching!!"

Mrs.Weasley smiled gently. "One second Harry." She turned to Ginny, who shrank back even more. "Ginny, can you get that magical No-Itch lotion I gave you a few weeks ago?" The girl just nodded and ran upstairs. They only waited a few moments before Ginny clattered back down the stairs, and gave her mother the bottle.

Mrs.Weasley put a small amount on her fingertips, "Here, Harry." Harry held out his arm, but before she could do anything, Bill suddenly cried out. "Wait, Mum!!" He grabbed the bottle from her hand, Harry and Mrs.Weasley froze. Bill sighed, and pointed at something on the back of the bottle.

Under the ingredients, it read 'Fluxweed'.

Mrs.Weasley sighed and lowered her hand. Harry just looked puzzled. "What? What is it?" "Well, er, Harry." Ron started. "It turns out you are" Fred continued, "allergic to" George added, "Er, Fluxweed." Ron finished. Harry looked slightly perturbed.

"As in the plant Fluxweed? The one we use all the time in potions class?" Everyone nodded.

"I see." Was all Harry said. "The relaxing potion. That's what triggered it off, wasn't it? Relaxing potion has a very high potency of fluxweed." He looked up, right into Ginny's troubled eyes. " Good thing you caught me, eh' Ginny?" The younger girl shook her head adamantly.

"It's my fault. I gave you the potion! You could have died, falling of your broom. It's my fault you're all itchy! It's my fault you almost dies today, it was MY fault that YOU almost DIED THREE YEARS AGO!" She delivered the last of this in a hysterical sort of yell, before bursting into tears and running up the stairs.

Harry sat there feeling slightly stunned. Wow. Ginny still blamed herself for what happened in the chamber, and that Harry did almost die. But he was alive, and it WASN'T her fault. Harry suddenly felt an unexpected rush of guilt. He had never taken the time to really get to know Ginny. They may have talked a total of maybe half an hour in the years he had known her.

Bill finally spoke through the thick silence, "Let her cool down a little bit . . . so, what do you guys want to do now, now that Harry has decided to join us once again?" Everyone let out a tense sort of laugh.

"I know!" Said George, with a wicked sort of grin, and he sent his twin a knowing glance. "It's sort-of a muggle game."

"But a great one!" Fred added.

George grinned even bigger. "Now Harry, you have probably heard of it." He cleared his throat. "I believe the muggle's call it . . ." He paused for dramatic effect.

"A Water balloon fight?"

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Harry crouched behind his 'base', which happened to be a set of bushes, along with about 30 water balloons.

"Ready . . ." He heard Fred yell.

"Set . . ." yelled George.

"GO!" they both yelled at the same time. There was a moment of silence, and suddenly Harry heard a strangled yell. 'Aha!' Thought Harry, 'The war has begun!' He peeked over the bushes and saw a flash of red hair to his right, he aimed, and threw a large, green water balloon in that direction.

Ron yelped in surprise when a water balloon hit him in the back of the head. He spun around, but didn't see anyone. He crept toward a patch of bushes, thinking it would be a great hiding spot, but was hardly two feet from it before he was pelted with two more balloons.

Harry doubled over with nearly silent laughter at the look on Ron's face. Ron was drenched and had a look of shock on his face. He peeked over the bushes once again, but Ron was gone. He stood up a little farther, looking around. Suddenly, was hit with water balloon in the back of his head. He gave a yell as Ice Cold water poured down his back.

"RON!" He gasped, and spun to see the smug look on Ron's face. Luckily, harry dodged the next throw. HE grabbed one of his balloons, and got Ron square in the face, giving him time to run. Unfortunately for him, he ran right into the middle of the field, and was instantly pelted with five or six balloons.

Harry quickly ran another direction, hiding behind a large oak tree. He grabbed another one of His balloons, (Which were magicked so they would appear where he was), and lobbed it behind a likely hiding spot. Sure enough, Charlie yelped in surprise this time.

The battle went on before Harry decided he would take a rest. He held out his hand in the time-out signal and walked over to the tree where Sirius was laying.

Harry leaned up against Sirius's warm animagus body, feeling very content. Ginny wandered over and sat beside him. "Give up already, do you?" She grinned at him. "That's what you think!" Harry pulled out the hidden water balloon in his hand, and popped it over Ginny's head.

The red headed girl spluttered for a moment, looked at Harry's mischievous grin, before pulling one out of her pocket and smashing it on Harry's chest. Harry shook his body like a dog, and got both of them even more wet. Sirius growled at them, clearly wanting them to stop getting him wet.

Harry gave Ginny a look, and she gave it back. They both pulled out some ammo (AKA Water balloons), and stood up before throwing them at Sirius's still form. The dog jumped at least two feet into the air, while Harry and Ginny doubled over with laughter.

The animagus started advancing on them slowly, giving a slight growl. Harry grabbed Ginny's hand and they ran Sirius at their heels.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

By the end of the day, everyone was exhausted and had nearly forgotten about the earlier that morning. Nearly.

Right after dinner, Harry decided to go up to bed, feeling more tired than he normally would have. On his way up the stairs, he missed all the worried looks that followed him.

"Will he be ok?" Ron asked his mother.

"Yes, He'll be fine. Dumbledore said he would be tired." Said Mrs.Weasley, who was absentmindedly petting Sirius's head. Sirius looked extremely content.

"We'll let him sleep in again tomorrow. He needs it." Said Mr.Weasley, who had come home before dinner, and had been told everything.

Meanwhile, upstairs Harry was crawling under his covers, feeling very tired, but once again very content.

"Night." He muttered to Hedwig, and for a second night in a row, he fell asleep with a smile on his face/

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

There you go! Hope you enjoyed! Please review! Thanks to everyone who has reviewed! LYA!

~ BabeyRachey

Preview of the Next Chapter:

Harry stared at the letter as though it were a bomb. Slowly he opened it, and in there was one small slip of paper. HE went white as he read . . .