A/N: So sorry for the wait! I don't have internet at my house so I'm having to travel to a cafe to use the access. Romantic, I know--writing in a cafe. Unfortunately it means slower updates. No worries though! I am back to writing. I am now five chapters ahead. I will be posting a couple today. These next couple (this one aside) are going to be a bit of fluffy filler. I want to resolve a few relationships before I delve into the meat of the story which is really exciting! This chapter is a little short, but the next one will be much longer, promise!

Also (sorry this is a long note) I would like to thank all of you that have been reading/adding to you faves/reviewing my story. I realize that my not acknowledging you until now is extremely rude and ungrateful. I apologize. The reviews are all very kind and I love reading them. They encourage me to write more! *wink wink* Please keep the comments coming! I am going to stop now and let you guys read, but again, THANK YOU!--Caprican

Harry stared at the ceiling not really seeing it. His mind was miles away while his gut was busy twisting itself with nerves about the following evening. Will she come? he asked himself over and over. He shook his head, berating himself for lingering on the single question. A more important one would be 'What am going to say to my best friend of seven years that I nearly knocked out?' or 'Why did my family suddenly move into hiding?' but his mind would not focus. Rolling over onto his stomach, he tried to steer his thoughts, only to find that his mind had no interest in being guided.

"Knock, knock." James entered the room without waiting for a response and sat on the edge of Harry's bed following his eyes to the crimson wall that had a magically painted golden snitch fluttering across its smooth surface. "Did the snitch do you wrong?"

"What?" Harry asked in surprise.

James chuckled. "You are watching the snitch as if its done you a personal wrong."

"Just thinking?"

"Care to share?"

"Do you?" Harry countered.

"I asked first."

Harry lapsed into silence, not rising to the occasion.

"Your mum is worried about you."

Nothing.

"She thinks you are sick."

Harry let out a bitter laugh. "You could say that." James waited, knowing that he had just poked a pin sized hole in a dam that was already at its breaking point.

"Dad, I think I messed up." He pushed himself into a seated position.

"Well, I know that you have a younger sister downstairs that would agree."

Harry rolled his eyes. "Well I did punch her boyfriend."

"Boyfriend?" James raised his eyebrow in question. No one had mentioned to him that Kate had a boyfriend for a reason. Unlike his hot headed son, James would simply tease her ceaselessly. Yet the fact that she was dating was somewhat disturbing. She was, after all, his little girl. "Who is it?"

"Ron."

James let out a relieved laugh. "Ron? As in the Ronald Weasley?"

A smile slowly spread across Harry's lips and before he knew it, he too was laughing out loud along with his father.

"Well, not that I can condone it, but I don't blame you for socking him," James finally managed to choke out, wiping tears from his eyes. "I take it you haven't reconciled?"

"No, I got distracted after that."

"Ah." It was a knowing sound. "Must be a mighty powerful distraction to take come between you and your best mate." He glanced at his son who was now picking at a thread on his golden bed spread. "A girl?"

"You could say that…." Harry trailed off, falling once more into brooding.

"Harry, you're not…it's not…I mean…it's not a bloke—"

"No, no, Dad, she's a girl. She's just..." Harry's stomach knotted uncomfortably as he thought about Hermione once more. He decided on the spot that telling his dad about her before anything happened was a bad idea. Plus he didn't want to waste the opportunity to speak with his father about their sudden move.

"She's just…?" James prompted.

Turning to face his father, Harry ignored his question and steamed forward. "Did Sirius write you?"

James sighed, knowing where this road was going. "Yes, he did."

"And?"

"Listen, if it were up to me I would love to explain to you what happened."

"It is up to you. You are my Father, you know. I need to know. I'm of age. What's the problem?"

James studied his son's face for a moment wishing that he could tell him about what had happened that night. He wanted so much to trust him, but his boy was still a boy and was not ready. "Many things. But you should know something."

Harry's eyes looked up expectantly his eyes wide with anticipation. "Yes?"

"What happened first term cannot happen again." James ran his hands through his messy hair. "I will tell you this, and this is more than you should know. Sirius and I were on a mission that led us to believe that we were being watched by the government and You-Know-Who."

"That's nothing new, though. We have been watched since you and Mum joined the Order before I was born. You guys have been fighting him for nearly a decade."

"Yes, but he seemed to know where to find us, which he shouldn't be able to."

"Why?" Harry pressed.

"That is all I am going to tell you."

"But—"

"Take it or leave it, Harry. This is not a game. It is more pressing than ever that you and your brothers and sister lay low. For some reason we are being targeted, hence the secrecy. Which," he cut the boy off before he could interrupt, "I expect you to carry on. No one need know that you know anything, understand?" Without waiting for confirmation, James stood and left his son to silence.

~*\/*~