A/N: My first post of 2006! I can't believe I've put this off since August. Sorry! Anyway, here's chapter 13. Enjoy!

Jarno: Hmm... where to begin. It's my story firstly, so what I want to happen in it happens in it. Secondly, you obviously know nothing about a child growing up in a home where they were never loved and were treated like an animal their entire childhood. If you did, you would know that no matter how old a child gets, if they've been abused physically, or mentally in Harry's case, since the time they were a year old, they will never have the courage to completely fight back. Yes, they might get mad, so mad they can feel their own blood boiling, but trust me. I'm someone who is very close to a person who has been abused by her stepfather for years, someone in Harry's position is not very likely to fight back. Lastly, I am sorry you don't like my story. I know I'm never going to write a story that everyone on this site likes. However, no one made you read it. There was nobody standing behind you twisting your arm, forcing you to read it. So if you don't like this story, tough. Go read something else. There, now you made me waste almost half a page on you...

The Hour Before Dawn: Thank you. I'm glad you like it. I hate it when people on this site just take the characters JKR created and make them into something totally opposite of themselves. Keep reading!

disclaimer: i own nothing

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Harry sat up in his four-poster bed with a piece of parchment, a quill, and a bottle of ink in his hands, the curtain pulled around the bed. He had gone straight to the boys' dormitory after his experience in the Forbidden Forest without any explanation to anyone; they didn't deserve it. Harry sighed and began his letter to Sirius, who had after all survived the encounter two years before when he fell behind the veil. Luckily, he had been found soon enough and, though it took many days and specially trained medical wizards and witches, eventually fully recovered.

Dear Sirius,

How have you been? Sorry I haven't written in a while. I'm doing all right. I've had a bit of a misunderstanding with Ron and Hermione. Things aren't like they used to be between the three of us. I really miss it sometimes. I keep thinking of all the times we used to have and sometimes feel the longing for them again.

Anyway, what I wrote to you for is not to complain about my, what seems like, hopeless friendships. The strangest thing happened tonight. I took my dad's invisibility cloak and went outside to the lake. I saw Snape come out of the castle and go into the Forest. I thought it was suspicious so I followed him. We went so incredibly deep into that bloody forest. About a half hour later Snape stopped in front of a cloaked figure. It was dark so I didn't have a great view of it, but my scar hurt so badly, I felt like I was going to go blind. I noticed later it was him. You know who I'm talking about. He's back, Sirius, just like I was told. But I didn't know he would already be this close to Hogwarts. I don't mean to worry you, but I knew you'd like to know. I'll try and write more often. Talk to you later.

Harry

Harry rolled up his letter after rereading it and set off to the owlery to send it out. On his way there, he ran into Ron who tried, unsuccessfully to talk to him.

"Harry, I want to talk to you," he said. Harry said nothing but shook his head and continued walking straight.

"Come on! I wanna talk to you about what happened," Ron pressed on. "You know you can't avoid me forever." Harry wheeled around to face Ron who almost walked right into him.

"I can damn well try!" Harry insisted firmly. "Do you have any idea whatsoever how it feels to see your best friend with the girl who you have always l- er- I mean, your best friend being with your other best friend? It's so incredibly awkward."

"Harry, if that's all this was about, you wouldn't be acting like this. There's more to it than the awkwardness," Ron stated. Harry looked into Ron's eyes for a moment, unsure of what to say because he knew Ron was right. Saying nothing, Harry turned and continued his way to the owlery. Ron, to Harry's surprise, did not follow.

"Harry!" Ron called from behind. "Come on mate! Harry!" Harry didn't turn around.

He continued to the owlery and when he arrived, sent out his letter, hoping Sirius would reply. Harry exited the owlery after a few minutes and started back to the Gryffindor common room, hoping he wouldn't meet Ron again along the way. Luckily, he didn't and was able to make it to the boys' dormitory without any confrontations. He heard Ron come in about an hour and a half later, but his curtain was pulled so Ron wouldn't see he was still awake. Harry didn't sleep at all that night.

The next morning at breakfast, Hermione, surprisingly, seated herself next to Harry without Ron behind her. Harry didn't look up at her but knew what she wanted to talk about.

"Harry, are you ok?" she asked. He was quiet for a moment, but he knew she could see right through him. "Because if you have a problem with me and Ron being together, I could-"

"No, Hermione," Harry said boldly, turning to face her. "That's not it. I had a bad experience yesterday and I don't feel like talking about it. It's not about you and Ron. And even if it was, there's nothing you'd be able to do about it. You like him, he likes you. And I don't want to get in the way of that." Harry began to rise from the table but Hermione grabbed his arm.

"You're not ok, Harry. Tell me what happened," she said, and from her voice Harry could tell that she really did care, but he couldn't tell her. He couldn't tell her about the Forest. He couldn't tell her that the fact the she was with another guy was eating away at his soul every day of his life.

"Really, Hermione, I'm fine," he said and pulled his arm away before striding out of the Great Hall, leaving Hermione alone to wonder what Harry himself had been wondering earlier: would things ever be the way they were before?

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A/N: there's chapter 13! Hope you like it. Let me know what you think. I'll post chapter 14 shortly.