Disclaimer: I in no way shape or form own any of the Harry Potter characters or settings.

A/N: If you were confused by the first chapter which I know you must be, this should explain everything.

A/N: The characters might seem a little OOC in this chapter (Tonks is acting as a sort of mothering figure). I know it sounds odd but...Oh, just read it.

Enjoy!

Harry felt like someone had been running a movie in his head and had just now pulled the plug. Then like a light had been turned on in the darkness, Harry became aware of where he was, and this time when he opened his eyes, it was for real.

Harry was lying on his back and could see the fuzzy shadows of his furniture against the opposing wall, but he felt too weak, too tired to reach for his glasses. It was around two o'clock in the morning; he closed his eyes, he was so very tired.

A drop of icy water splashed on Harry's sweaty forehead just as he was slipping off back to sleep, his body recoiling from the shocking cold. Then what seemed like a tidal wave of icy water crashed over his head, his body giving a shiver that reverberated throughout him. Harry opened his eyes again, wondering where the water had come from.

Was it raining?

No he was inside;

He was safe in bed;

He was back on Privet Drive, there should be no water, thought Harry still half asleep, despite the sudden introduction to water.

Something pink, Harry could see something pink in his peripheral vision on his right side; it was swaying back and forth and strangely resembled a porcupine, Harry turned to right to see Tonks, and then more ice water as she mopped his forehead with a wet cloth.

Of course, how could I of forgotten the past couple of weeks so quickly, thought Harry.

Now almost fully awake the memories came rushing back to him, a whirlwind of events swam in Harry's head, wrapping themselves around him, strangling him in his own thoughts. Than it stopped and a deep depression settled in his gut, it was a side effect from the 'Pick-Me-Up Potion' that Harry took twice a day. 'Pick-Me-Up Potion' was a wizarding remedy for depression that worked ten times better than chocolate. But it had some annoying side effects, one of them being the temporary forgetfulness of unpleasant memories and another one being strange dreams.

At least it had been Harry's own dream this time and not one of Voldemort's thoughts, Harry had had his fair share of those the first two nights he was back on Privet Drive.

--------------------------------------------------

Harry didn't get much sleep during his first night back at the Dursleys, he kept slipping in and out of a dream; he was in Voldemort's snake again and it was going to attack. But Harry didn't care this time. 'So what if the snake attacked, so what if the victim bled to death', Harry had thought to himself; he could feel Voldemort trying to pull him, pull him into the images he had fabricated.

But Harry thought as long as he stayed awake Voldemort couldn't force those images on him, that plan didn't last too long. The next night Harry who was exhausted from the day's activities of being tormented by his cousin fell into a dead like sleep. He had fallen in to the Dark Lord's evil plan and as Harry slept Lord Voldemort leapt onto his mind like a hungry wolf on a wounded animal.

The things Voldemort had shown him that night were too horrible for words. Harry had woken up with his scar burning so furiously he had become violently sick. And it was after this experience that Tonks took up residency at the Dursleys, it was also at this time that Snape -though sour towards Harry- had agreed to resume the Occlumancy lessons at seven o'clock every night.

--------------------------------------------------

"Harry" –"Harry"- Tonks's voice cut through Harry's thoughts- "Harry, you need your rest, we're going to Diagon Alley tomorrow for your school supplies. Tonks handed Harry a beaker of 'Pick-Me-Up Potion' and made her way back to bed. Harry drank the potion slowly, letting the tingling happy sensation fill him from head to toe before setting the empty beaker on his night stand.

Tonks was already asleep on Dudley's old mattress at the foot of Harry's bed; the Dursleys had given it to her more out of fear than kindness. Harry could hear her snoring softly, he lay back on his pillow and let the steady rhythm of her breathing loll him to sleep.

It felt to Harry that he had just dozed off when Tonks shook him awake later that morning, but he felt surprisingly refreshed which was a not-so-bad side effect of the 'Pick-Me-Up Potion'; in a potion induced good mood Harry proceeded to get out of bed, and dressed for a day at Diagon Alley. The morning went by quickly and by lunch Harry and Tonks were riding the Knight Bus to London.

Tonks usually Apparated into Diagon Alley, but having Harry with her she had to use the wall behind the Leaky Cauldron, she hadn't done this since she was at Hogwarts.

She has tried a hundred times and has tapped almost every bloody brick in the whole bloody wall, Harry thought to himself, he was getting impatient, he would tap the bricks himself but that might embarrass Tonks and he was too grateful to do that. So Harry stood back and waited.

Tonks finally tapped the right bricks in the right sequence, causing the wall to grind open, revealing the wizard market place.

"Well..." Said Harry, "Let's get a ruddy move on, you already spent half the day tapping bricks".

Tonks had to suppress a giggle when Harry said this for he had done a very impressive imitation of his uncle. Walking through Diagon Alley, Tonks made a mental note to herself to stock up on more ingredients for the 'Pick-Me-Up Potion', it was becoming quite apparent that that the dose Harry had taken earlier was wearing off.

Harry walked through Diagon Alley looking at his feet, it hurt him to see all the happy families shopping, excited for a new school year.

"Wotcher Harry!" A familiar voice rang out from the noise and bustle, it was Ron's voice. But Harry wasn't in the mood to talk, he pretended not to hear his friend and turned to walk in a different direction, he found a bench and sat down to think.

Ron can't possibly understand what I'm going through, thought Harry No one can.

Ron didn't see the look on Sirius's face as he disappeared behind the veil, that pained expression, those big unblinking eyes.

I didn't even get to say 'Goodbye'.

A tear started to roll down Harry's cheek as this final thought entered his mind, and before he could lift a hand to wipe it away more started coming. Harry sat there, tears streaming down his face and on to the cobblestone, he had had moments like this before but never in public, and it didn't matter, it was happening now and he was powerless to stop it.

To Harry, the people bustling around, shopping for cauldrons, quill, and books seemed very distant, their sounds drowned out by his sobbing his tears of pain and grief were now joined by tears of anger, anger at himself for being so weak and selfish.

Sirius wouldn't have wanted it this way. Sirius wouldn't want me to shed tears for him, thought Harry. He would want me to go on with my life, to be happy, to keep his name alive by causing Snape as much aggravation as possible without getting expelled. A smiled threatened Harry's lips.

But how, thought Harry. How can I be happy when anything-anyone that ever made me happy is taken away?

And who will be next? Lupin? Tonks? Hermione? Ginny?

Harry feared for all their lives, and the thought of losing any of them made him sob harder. A light tap on shoulder ceased his tears, but he shook the hand that tapped him away, he couldn't face anyone right now. But the tap came again, more persistent, Harry turned around prepared to tell whoever it was to leave him alone, but when he saw Tonks standing in front of him he stood, up the tears returning and he sobbed, burying his face deep into her chest.

He's like a small child, thought Tonks as she gave him a reassuring hug.

Harry tightened his grip around Tonks as though afraid if he didn't he'd lose her too.

Tonks gave Harry another reassuring squeeze before leading him out of Diagon Alley.

A/N: I almost cried while writing this chapter.

Please Review!