A/N: Do you hate me yet? Sorry friends. I've probably just experienced the most stressful year and a half in my life, so I kind of just backed away from writing. But I miss it, and now that things have begun to settle down, I've been itching to get back into it. Hopefully, to those that are still reading, I can get this story done by the end of July or August :)

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. Duh.

Previously:

Ron laughed loudly behind them. "Yeah Hermione, let the man breathe." They turned to look at him. "Hey, mate."

"Hey, Ron," said Harry, grinning widely.

He was back where he belonged.

Dumbledore had left, and Harry had just finished telling everyone what had happened with Fudge, and they were all roaring with laughter. Even Mrs. Weasley was chuckling a little bit.

"Brilliant, Harry," said Sirius, beaming. "I still can't believe he actually wanted your help after everything he's done, but you handled him well. You really didn't need our help."

Harry smiled. "Thanks, Sirius. I didn't expect to see Umbridge there, though. She seems like a nasty piece of work," he said.

Remus' eyes hardened.

"She is," he spat. Everyone looked at him in shock. "She's pushed through a lot of legislation in the past few years that makes it almost impossible for me to find a job."

"What?" exclaimed Hermione. "What do you mean?"

"Every werewolf needs to be registered with the Ministry. But those records were always sealed. You need special permission to access them. Umbridge forced through a law saying that employers must check those records in their background checks or have their licenses pulled. At which point prejudice kicks in, and most of my kind can't get a job. And that's only one of the laws she's pushed through."

"That's completely ridiculous," snapped Harry, disliking Umbridge even more. "There's nothing wrong with you!"

Remus smiled gratefully at him.

"You'll find that you are one of few who think that way," responded Remus.

"You could always ask Dumbledore for your job back!" said Ron.

"You should," said Ginny, smiling at him. "You were the best teacher we've ever had. I know everyone in my year misses you. Well, except the Slytherins, but who's counting them?"

The boys and Sirius snickered, and even Hermione's lips twitched a little.

"It's a lost cause, you lot," said Sirius, shaking his head at Remus. "I've been trying to convince him for weeks that he should go back."

"Parents will not want a werewolf teaching their children," said Remus sadly, shaking his head.

"Since when does Dumbledore care what parents think?" said Harry bluntly. Remus turned to him with a raised eyebrow. "What? It's true. Dumbledore does what he wants. At least think about it, Remus. You really were the best teacher we ever had, and with everything that's about to happen, we need you."

Remus smiled at Harry. "All right, I'll think about it," he said.

"I'm going to hold you to that," teased Harry, and everyone chuckled.

Sirius shook his head, but his eyes were light.

"Unbelievable," cried Sirius. "I've been badgering you for weeks, and one word from Prongs Jr. over here, and you're already agreeing. For shame, Remus!"

Everyone snorted, but Mrs. Weasley interrupted the joking.

"All right, you'll all have plenty of time to catch up before school. Boys, Ginny, Hermione, come help me with dinner," she said.

They all groaned but got up to help anyway. Harry told Mrs. Weasley he'd join her in a minute. She nodded and went to work.

"Prongs Jr.? Really, Sirius?" mocked Harry when everyone had left the table. "I don't think Mum would have liked that too much."

Sirius and Remus chuckled. "You'd be surprised," he said, grinning. "When you were a baby we called you Prongslet."

Harry brightened. "Really? I was always under the impression she never really like your pranks or the names that went with."

"She didn't like our pranks when we went too far," said Remus, smiling. "She always said she just barely tolerated us, and didn't know what possessed her to marry James, but your mother had a great sense of humor. She loved a good joke or prank, just as long as it didn't hurt anyone."

Harry smiled. "I can't say I blame her. Honestly, who'd want to put up with you lot all the time?"

"Hey!" exclaimed Sirius and Remus, trying but failing to look indignant, their smiles slipping through.

Harry grinned at them and went to help Mrs. Weasley.

Sirius followed Harry with his eyes, and he smiled when he saw him joking around with the Weasleys and Hermione. He could tell that Harry was still haunted, and he wondered if that would ever go away. Realistically, he knew that it wouldn't. Harry was a victim of the war now, and Sirius couldn't change that. Even if he had raised him, he didn't think that he could have prevented Harry's past from repeating itself. Some things were just meant to happen.

"He's all right, Sirius," said Remus. "Or at least, he will be. He's a tough kid."

Sirius turned to Remus. "He's not really a kid anymore, Remus."

"No, I don't suppose he is," he agreed. "But that doesn't mean you can't give him a good time still. Harry needs to have fun this summer; he needs to be around those who love him. And more importantly, he needs you."

Sirius gave him a questioning look, and Remus laughed a little.

"You still can't see how much he looks up to you, can you? Harry trusts you above any other adult," said Remus. "He opens up around you, and that's not something he normally does. Trust me, I taught him for a year."

Sirius smiled as he turned back to watch Harry. "I never really understood why. He agreed to live with me moments after he realized I was innocent. He didn't even know me."

"You broke out of Azkaban to protect him," said Remus. "No one had ever really made that much effort with Harry outside of Ron and Hermione. And I think he realizes that. Plus, above all else, you were always honest with him. You've never kept secrets, and you've never treated him like anything other than who he really is. With all the secrets and lies, and all the attention he gets, that means a lot."

Sirius snorted. "Secrets and lies are understatements. I can't believe Dumbledore never told him about the prophecy."

Remus nodded. "I can see his reasoning behind it. Harry never really had anyone to protect him, and I suppose as he got to know him better, he took on that role."

Sirius shook his head. "It was dangerous. I know that he wanted to protect him. When he and Ron were fighting last year, I wanted to go over to Hogwarts and hex Ron, and that was over a petty, teenage fight. But he was upset, and I hated that I couldn't do anything to help him.

"Believe me, I understand wanting to protect him. But there's a point where we have to realize that keeping Harry inside a bubble won't work. And with Voldemort's return, that time is now."

Sirius turned to him.

"I wasn't kidding when I said you should really ask for your old job back. I want someone at Hogwarts I trust completely to be there for Harry," he said. "And I want someone there that he can talk to. I know you said that he opens up around me, but he trusts you as well. With some time, he'll be completely open with you too."

Remus looked at him in surprise.

"I have things to do for the Order," said Remus.

"Harry is more important than reaching out to werewolf packs," said Sirius.

"I never said he wasn't," said Remus softly, looking over at the boy.

Sirius looked over at Harry as well, and he smiled as he and Ron started pelting the girls with potato peelings. Ginny was laughing, and though she was looking at them in disapproval, he could tell Hermione was amused as well.

"It's good to see him messing around," commented Remus. Sirius nodded. "I do think you're right. He does need someone at Hogwarts. But do you really think that I'm the right person?"

"Who else but you, Remus?" asked Sirius, smiling a little. "I trust you with my life, and I would trust no one else with Harry's."

Remus looked at him gratefully. "All right. I'll talk to Dumbledore. Merlin knows he hasn't found a new teacher yet."

"I doubt there's anyone left crazy enough to take the job…except you, of course," he said cheekily.

Remus responded by smacking him across the back of his head.

"Ow!"

After they had finished helping Mrs. Weasley prep for dinner, they mostly went their separate ways. Harry, however, stayed downstairs with Sirius. Hermione had not so subtly forced Ron from the room, whispering that they should give him and Sirius some time to themselves, and the two chuckled as Ron grumbled but followed Hermione.

Harry was content for the first time in months, so he didn't say anything at first. It was Sirius who broke the silence.

"So how are you, Harry? Really?" he asked.

Harry grimaced a bit. "All right, I suppose."

"Harry…"

He sighed a bit. "I don't really know, to be honest. Sometimes I can forget it all, but other times…it's hard I guess. I can't help but wonder what Voldemort is up to; it's been so quiet. I've tried to follow the news but it doesn't seem like anything is happening."

"That's because there isn't. He's lying low. We think he's doing it to see which direction the Ministry is going to go. And he has other plans as well," said Sirius lightly.

"What other plans?" asked Harry urgently.

"Slow down, kiddo," he said. Sirius laughed at Harry's look of annoyance. "Relax, it's just an expression. And his plans…his plans have to do with the prophecy."

"What?" asked Harry, sitting up straight.

"I said relax," said Sirius, putting a calming hand on Harry's shoulder. "It's okay. He won't get it. But his goal is to hear the rest of it."

"But how do you know he won't get it?" asked Harry nervously.

"Because the only people who can retrieve a prophecy from where it's stored are those whom the prophecy is about," explained Sirius. "Anyone else who touches it will be cursed, not that he knows that. But they're stored in the Ministry, and he can't very well just prance into the Ministry of Magic."

Just then, the door opened and about 10 people filed in at once, including (to Harry's immense displeasure) Severus Snape. He sneered when he saw Harry and Sirius.

"And as usual Black, you always say too much," said Snape.

Harry expected Sirius to take the bait, but to his surprise, he didn't.

"What I tell and don't tell my godson is none of your concern, Snape," said Sirius calmly.

Snape wasn't backing down, however. The others watched in silence, and some rolled their eyes. Harry got the feeling this happened a lot.

"Tell me, Black, does it make you feel important, passing on information to a fourteen-year-old?" replied Snape, and Harry tensed as he felt himself getting angry. Fourteen or not, he had seen and done things most adults hadn't.

Sirius must have sensed Harry's anger because he stood up and placed a firm hand on his shoulder. Harry could Sirius was far from happy, and he was rather impressed that he hadn't cursed Snape yet. It wasn't that Snape had said anything insulting; it was more of his tone. Mocking and condescending as always, but there seemed to be a special loathing reserved just for Sirius.

"Harry, please go upstairs and join your friends. They're probably in Ron's room; it's the third door on the right. I'll get you when the Order meeting is over," he said calmly.

"But—" he protested, but Sirius gently squeezed his shoulder and turned Harry to face him.

"Harry," said Sirius sternly, and he was slightly taken aback by Sirius' solemnity. He knew better than to argue, though.

He nodded and sent him a small smile.

"See you later, then," he replied.

He left the room, but before he did, he saw the shock on Snape's face, and he had to smother his laughter. Whether Snape was shocked that Sirius had rebuked Harry or because Harry listened, he didn't know. But he enjoyed the response either way.