Harry was alone the next day, Thursday, as Sirius was sleeping off a hangover, although he did get an owl—all Sirius had been able to do, headachey and nauseous, was just one pawprint on a piece of parchment folded over. Harry still liked it, and he hung it up in his room.

Friday was when Sirius and Remus came to call.

"Hello, Harry," said Remus, smiling, as Sirius bent down to hug Harry. Sirius's hair was untidy again and he looked like he hadn't had a shave since Wednesday's dinner date. But that was the combination of scratchy stubble, Old Spice and very thin but strong arms that Harry had come to associate with Sirius's hugs, and he wouldn't have it any other way.

"Nice to see you," Harry replied—and then, like on TV, "What can I do you for?"

"We had some important things to discuss," Sirius replied. "First of all…I want to apologize for whatever happened Wednesday night. I don't remember it all that well, but Remus says I rather overdid it on the gin cocktails."

"I told him he should set a better example," said Remus.

"Don't worry," said Harry, grinning. "Thanks to Sirius, I know definitely not to get that drunk."

"Yeah, Remus," Sirius added. "I may not be a great example, but I am a terrible warning, at least."

"Well, I suppose I can't argue with that." Remus sighed, but smiled. "Sirius, you said you needed to ask me a big favor?"

"Yes…let's sit down," said Sirius, gesturing to the couch. They did, and he continued, "Mr. Glacier called yesterday. He told me he was able to set up a court date for this Wednesday, which means I most likely will be moving in with Harry."

"Wonderful, but what does that have to do with me?" asked Remus.

"Dumbledore said that part of the reason he put Harry here with the Muggles is so Death Eaters wouldn't be able to find him," Sirius explained. "So now that Harry will be living with me, he might be less safe from that threat. But if nobody could find us but you, it wouldn't be a problem…Hear what I'm saying?"

"Oh yes." Remus nodded. "I understand."

"So what do you say?"

"What do I say?" Remus smiled warmly. "I'd be honored, Sirius."

"Thanks, mate," said Sirius, and they embraced. Harry, however, was confused.

"What are you two talking about?" he asked.

"Harry, do you know what a Secret-Keeper is?" Remus asked.

"No…I don't think so," said Harry. Very vaguely, he remembered Sirius mentioning it to the goblin at Gringotts, but he hadn't understood from the conversation what it actually was. All Sirius had said was that he would have been the worst pick for Secret-Keeper—too obvious…

"It's a very complicated spell, also known as the Fidelius Charm," Sirius told him. "It involves the concealment of a secret inside one person—this person is known as the Secret-Keeper. Unless the Secret-Keeper tells the secret, nobody but them can ever find out the secret. So if Remus was our Secret-Keeper, no Death Eaters could ever find us. Even if they walked right into our house and we were sitting on the couch, they would see the room as empty. Or…something like that."

"The point is, while I'm your Secret-Keeper, no one with bad intent can find you unless I tell them," said Remus, "and I won't."

"Not even Dumbledore," said Sirius. "Just in case he gets any ideas. You know, he wasn't so happy about Harry moving in with me."

"I won't tell anyone unless you wish me to tell them," said Remus evenly.

"Okay," said Sirius. "You can tell Barbara, so she can come visit us."

"No," said Harry, before he could stop himself, "don't!"

"What?" said Sirius, looking surprised.

"It's…it's not safe," said Harry, feeling worried. He didn't want Sirius to know he didn't like Barbara, but he didn't want Remus to tell her where they lived, either.

"I think it's very safe, seeing as she's a Muggle," said Sirius, but Harry noticed Remus was frowning.

"Would you mind getting us some drinks, Harry?" Remus asked.

Harry knew that when adults sent you to get something, they just wanted you out of the room. So he nodded and left without asking Sirius and Remus what drinks they wanted. When he got to the kitchen, though, instead of getting the drinks, he listened at the door.

"I am not telling that girl a thing," Remus was saying firmly. "Sirius, can't you see what's going on?"

"What do you mean?" Sirius demanded.

"Haven't you matured at all, Sirius?" Remus snapped. "I know how you operate! As soon as you start to get in deep, you're going to go running off with your tail between your legs, like you do every single time!"

"Remus, give Barbara a chance! She's a delightful person!"

"Oh really?" said Remus in a steely voice. "What's her last name?"

"Well, it's—" There was a pause. "Look, surnames aren't as important in the Muggle world!"

"And that too! What is this thing you have for Muggle women? I always thought you were doing it to spite your mother—"

"Don't mention my mother!"

"When are you going to grow up?" Remus said back. "Your focus should be on Harry right now! I know it was lonely in Azkaban—but you didn't have to go out and get another playmate!"

"Another what?"

"You heard me! She's just another girl who fell for your looks and charm, and you damn well know it. I know exactly what holds the relationship together, Sirius—and you can't keep doing this! You're not seventeen anymore! What you have to do is love a girl for who she is on the inside—and I don't know if you're capable of even doing that."

"I am not that shallow!" Sirius protested.

Remus gave a derisive snort. "If you weren't shallow, you would have had a relationship in school that lasted more than six months."

Harry stuck his head into the living room where the two adults were talking. It looked like Remus had made Sirius feel a little ashamed of himself.

"Look, Remus, I can't," he said, almost helplessly. "I never could. I don't know why. I'll meet this girl I really like…and she likes me…and everything's fine. It's all wonderful. But then there comes that time where you have to talk about where…"

"Where the relationship is going," said Remus.

Harry was by now very confused by their conversation and by the look on Sirius's face. When Sirius was with Harry he always protected him and never let anything hurt him. Harry always felt safer when Sirius was around. But now Sirius looked like he was the one who needed some help.

"Right," said Sirius. "But I don't know, Moony. I just don't know what it was that stopped me. There would be this wonderful, sweet, pretty girl—and then things just fall apart. I'm like one of those toxic men."

"No, you're not." Remus both looked and sounded as though he was choosing his words very carefully. "Do you think…do you think perhaps you were just afraid of getting hurt?"

There was a very long pause; Sirius stared at the ground, and Remus put one hand on his shoulder. Harry could not have taken his eyes off the two of them if he tried.

"Why would I be afraid of getting hurt?" said Sirius finally, still not looking up.

"Because you have been hurt, Sirius," Remus told him. "You know what I'm talking about, don't you?"

Harry thought for a minute that Remus was talking about Sirius losing James and Lily—but that couldn't be, because apparently Sirius had been flighty in relationships long before that…

"Yeah, I do," Sirius admitted, and Remus seemed melancholy. "But I've already sworn to myself I would never become my mother. I'll never treat Harry the way she treated me. I'm his only chance at a relatively normal childhood, after all."

"I knew all that, Sirius," Remus said delicately. "I know you'll never be anything like her. But ever since James told me about your parents, I knew why you always went for girls like Barbara—girls who weren't interested in meaningful relationships with you. It's because…well, because that's what you're used to. If your mother never loved you—how could any other woman? I'm just seeing the same pattern as when we were in school, and I'm worried."

"That can't possibly be correct," Sirius told him. "I'll be fine—"

"Barbara isn't good for you, and I don't think she's good for Harry, either," Remus interrupted. "I'm sure being in a relationship that's stable and meaningful will freak you out. But you'll be better off for it. Just get off this ride before it crashes like the others do."

"I'll think about it," said Sirius reluctantly. "But that breakup will likely seem out of nowhere."

"Just tell her it's because of your new job, remember?" said Remus. "But I can't say it now, because it looks like we've got an eavesdropper."

Harry had been caught. But he didn't want Sirius to know what he'd heard.

"I wasn't eavesdropping," he lied. "All I heard was that Sirius has a new job. Why does he need a new job if he's so rich?"

"It's a surprise," said Remus, and he smiled.

"Nobody ever tells me anything," mumbled Harry, and he went to get the drinks.