AUTHOR'S NOTE: This is just a refresher/reminder, in case you forgot or missed the note in the first chapter. ***PLEASE DO NOT POST SPOILERS IN THE REVIEWS.*** I appreciate detailed reviews, but it isn't fair to the readers who haven't read the story yet to spoil it for them. I appreciate PM's, too!

It was August 31, 1991—tomorrow, Harry would be boarding the Hogwarts Express and going to Hogwarts for the very first time. He was both very excited and very nervous, so he could barely sit still for the whole day.

Currently, he could be found talking on the phone with Hermione. Once again, he had brought the phone into his room and plugged it into the wall, then dialed her phone number, which he now knew by heart. He was too full of nervous energy to stay in one spot, so he paced around and around his room as he talked. It seemed he had lost track of time, though, because soon enough his bedroom door flew open and there was Sirius, who gestured for Harry to put the phone down. Harry shook his head and glared.

"Put it down, NOW!" Sirius mouthed.

"Just a moment, Hermione, Sirius wants something," said Harry, then, covering up the receiver, he demanded, "What?"

"Several things," said Sirius, crossing his arms. "Will you hang up that phone?"

"FINE," Harry groaned, then told Hermione, "Listen, I've got to go…see you on the Hogwarts Express tomorrow?"

"For sure," Hermione agreed. "Goodbye, Harry."

Harry's stomach jumped inexplicably when she said his name, and in such a nice tone. Then he was brought back to reality by Sirius glaring at him.

"What?" Harry said again, feeling annoyed beyond belief.

"You talk on that thing for hours and hours every single day, that's what," Sirius grouched. "The phone bill was astronomically high this month."

"Oh, don't be so cheap!" Harry snapped. "We have plenty of money, you know that!"

"That doesn't mean you need to blow it all on stuff you don't need," Sirius said back. "I don't think it's a good idea for you to bring this thing into your room anymore."

"HEY!" said Harry indignantly as Sirius used his wand to Summon the phone. It unplugged itself from the wall and flew into Sirius's hands. "That is SO unfair!"

"Not unless one of us has started crapping money, it isn't," said Sirius, shoving the phone into one of his enchanted pockets. "And you can't count on me, because no thanks to that medicine, I'm barely crapping anything at all."

"Is that why you're so grumpy?"

"No," said Sirius, glaring. "And for another thing—why did you post a sign saying 'Enter and Die' on your room door, dare I ask?"

"So nobody comes in," said Harry, like this was obvious. "But apparently you can't read."

"Harry James, you are treading on VERY thin ice here!" Sirius barked.

"I cannot believe you just middle-named me!"

"Listen, Harry…" Sirius sighed; Harry heard the bedsprings squeak slightly as he sat down on the bed. "You're not really acting like yourself, you know. If you've got any problems, I'd be happy to help. Really."

"I'm fine," Harry said firmly. "I haven't got any problems."

This wasn't entirely true; his main problem was that he had all these new feelings all of a sudden that he couldn't explain, but he didn't want them to stop, because they weren't bad feelings, they were just…weird. And even more confusing, only one girl made them happen. But there was no way Harry was going to tell this to anyone, not even Sirius. It would just sound too stupid…and Sirius probably wouldn't be able to help anyway. Obviously, Harry was the only person on Earth to experience such feelings, ever.

"Well…okay," said Sirius, looking like he didn't quite believe Harry. "But I'm your godfather, okay? Just keep in mind, I'm here if ever you need me."

"Thanks," Harry said quietly. "You know I'll always need you, Sirius."

"That means a lot to me." Sirius smiled slightly. "You'd better get your trunk packed. You don't want to be throwing everything together at the last moment."

Sirius squeezed Harry's shoulder, stood up, and left the room.

…

Several hours later, when Harry was just about done packing, Sirius entered the bedroom again. He sat down on the bed and watched Harry for a moment, then handed Harry one twenty-pound note.

"What's this for?" Harry asked.

"It's so you can order some pizza for yourself or something," Sirius said, a little uncomfortably. "Barbara invited me to spend the evening with her, since we haven't had a lot of time to spend together recently. You don't mind, do you?"

"Well…" Harry wasn't sure if he minded or not. Sirius didn't say it, but Harry felt that he was the reason why his godfather hadn't had any alone time with his girlfriend. But still, this was the last night before he went to Hogwarts. Shouldn't he be spending it with Sirius, who he wouldn't see again until Christmas vacation?

"I understand," said Sirius, looking a little crestfallen. "I can make some dinner for us here, if you'd like that better."

"No, it's okay," said Harry reluctantly. "You deserve to have a night with her."

"Really?" Sirius brightened. "You mean it?"

"Yeah." Harry smiled a little when he saw that Sirius looked happy too.

"All right then." Sirius bent down and gave Harry a hug. "Here's Barbara's phone number, in case you need to contact me. Just order a pizza, watch TV and be good, all right?"

"I will," Harry promised.

"I'll be back around ten," Sirius told Harry, and he left.

Harry, meanwhile, ordered the pizza; there was enough left over for some cinnamon sticks and one can of pop. The pizza place said they would send someone to the flat within thirty minutes to an hour, so Harry settled down in front of the TV and tried to find something to watch.

But he couldn't concentrate; he became bored very quickly. There was nothing on TV, and his trunk was already packed. Sirius was spending the evening snogging Barbara…what would he do?

Then it hit him.

Harry ran to the phone and dialed Hermione's number again.

"Hello?" she said, picking up.

"This is Harry," he said. "How would you like to spend the evening with your best mate? Sirius is out with Barbara. He just told me to eat pizza, watch TV and be good."

"Could we eat pizza, watch TV and be good together?" Hermione asked. Harry could tell she was grinning.

"Of course," Harry told her. "You just have to leave by about nine-thirty."

Hermione's mother allowed her to come over, although Hermione didn't mention that Sirius wouldn't be there. She was there within ten minutes. Harry buzzed her into the building.

"Good evening," said Hermione, walking into the flat. To Harry's surprise, she was already dressed in the girls' school uniform—she had a white button-down like Harry's, but instead of pants, she had a pleated skirt, white stockings and Oxford shoes.

"You're wearing your school uniform," Harry pointed out.

"I know," she said, smiling. "I was so excited for school tomorrow, I wore it all day long."

"Hang on a minute," said Harry. Hermione waited out in the drawing room while Harry tore into his room, changed into his slacks and button-down shirt, and emerged from his bedroom again.

"Now we're both in uniform!" Hermione smiled. "When we get Sorted into Houses, we buy our ties and school sweaters at the bookstore. I've heard they have tons of House Pride stuff in the bookstore…By the way, I like your Gryffindor socks."

"Thanks." Harry beamed. "Sirius bought them for me in Diagon Alley."

Harry and Hermione sat down on the couch and waited for the pizza. Harry asked Hermione if there was anything he could get her.

"I'll just wait for the pizza, like you," she said. "Is there anything good on TV?"

"No, but there will probably be some so-bad-they're-good soap operas if we look," Harry told her. She grinned, and they looked through the channels until Harry found a show he knew—it was one Aunt Petunia loved to watch. It was so smarmy it would make the average person want to throw up in their own mouth, but that was the perfect kind of program Harry and Hermione loved to bash.

"I can't believe he proposed to her with a ring in a cake," Hermione commented, rolling her eyes. "She could have choked to death on that."

"How lame," Harry agreed.

Just as they were scorning the cheesy way everyone else in the restaurant clapped when the female lead tearfully accepted the ring, the doorbell rang. The pizza guy was here. After paying him, Harry realized he had a problem.

"What's wrong?" Hermione asked.

"It's just…when I ordered this, I didn't know you were coming over," Harry explained. "I only ordered one soda."

"I don't like soda, anyway," said Hermione. "My parents are dentists, remember? I'll just get myself some water from the kitchen."

Hermione got her glass of water, and sat down next to Harry on the couch. Her hand grazed his by accident when he grabbed his soda at the same time she put her water glass down; that now-familiar jumping feeling in his stomach returned. Not only that, but his heart was now beating very fast, and he felt significantly light-headed. He wondered if he was getting sick again.

Aunt Petunia's favorite smarmy soap opera was soon over—and a romantic comedy, North to Alaska, was scheduled to come on immediately afterwards.

"Do you want to watch it?" Harry asked tentatively.

"If there's nothing else on." Hermione shrugged. "I don't really mind."

So they watched North to Alaska, which wasn't actually half-bad. When she reached for her drink, he held out his hand to stop her.

"Watch what I've learned to do," he said. "Wingardium Leviosa!"

Hermione beamed as Harry used his wand to guide the water glass into her hand. Harry took the spell off the cup as she caught it.

"I'm impressed," said Hermione, and Harry's stomach just about did a backflip. It felt great.

Hermione and Harry both got a little sleepy as the night went on. Hermione leaned her head on Harry's shoulder, which made him feel like every one of his internal organs was going to explode. His hand found hers, sending what felt like an electrical current up his arm. She might have been watching the movie, but he wasn't paying any attention to it at all…

"Harry! HARRY!"

The movie was over. Harry was awakened by someone shaking him; he panicked when he saw that it was Sirius, and he looked absolutely livid.

"Oh my God—I can explain!" Harry said quickly, but it was no use.

"I'm sure you can," Sirius said coldly, then he turned to Hermione. "I think it's about time for you to go home, Hermione."

She didn't need telling twice. One minute later she was downstairs and hailing a cab.

"Honestly, Sirius, I didn't mean to—" Harry began, but Sirius cut him off.

"What do you mean, you didn't mean to?!" he shouted. "I set certain rules in my flat, and I expect them to be obeyed! I didn't say you could invite a girl over!"

"You didn't say I couldn't!" Harry said back.

"Harry James, don't you talk back to me!" Sirius snapped. "First the phone, now this—what has gotten into you?!"

"NOTHING!" Harry yelled. "You're one to talk—spending the whole evening snogging your girlfriend!"

"I thought you were okay with that!"

"I WAS," Harry hollered, "until YOU got angry with me for doing what YOU said!"

"When did I say you could invite her over?" Sirius demanded.

"You said to eat pizza, watch TV and be good," said Harry, "and that's what we DID! Unlike you—I bet you two didn't let go of each other for even one split second!"

"Harry…" Sirius sank back down onto the couch, suddenly looking more exhausted than Harry had ever seen him. "You're right. I'm sorry. I should've spent the evening with you, not Barbara. I'm trying to make up for ten years' worth of lost time with you here, and…I guess my girlfriend's flat isn't really the best place to do it."

"But you're right too," Harry said glumly, sitting down next to him. "I could've called you."

"I'd have appreciated that."

"But you know…" Harry looked up into Sirius's eyes. "We really did just eat pizza, watch TV and be good. We watched North to Alaska."

Harry didn't mention how when they were eating pizza, he had used his powers to levitate her drink to her. He didn't mention how amazing it had felt when she leaned her head on his shoulder and when their hands touched. He didn't mention how they had just fallen asleep in front of the TV together…He didn't mention how he would have loved it if that night could last forever.

There was a very…long…silence. Harry didn't realize his godfather had been watching him until he finally spoke.

"All right," said Sirius, and Harry was both relieved and shocked to find that his tone was much gentler. "I understand. And about the phone bill—I'm sorry for yelling at you about that. It isn't a big deal."

"It's just…I like hearing her voice, y'know? I love it when she says my name." The statement was out of Harry's mouth before he could stop it, although to be fair, he didn't realize it was true until he actually said it out loud.

"I get it," said Sirius. "Now come on, it's time for you to go to bed. We've got to rise with the sun tomorrow, remember."

"Aren't…aren't you going to punish me?" Harry asked in disbelief.

"Oh, I don't think that will be necessary." Sirius was finally grinning again. "Because what you've got is punishment enough."

"What? What have I got?" Harry demanded.

"Nothing," said Sirius, and he handed Harry a Sleeping Draught. Harry recognized his "trying-not-to-laugh" face. "Just drink this potion and get to bed. I'll see you in the morning."

"Um…okay," said Harry, confused as all hell yet glad to have escaped punishment. Slowly, he made his way back to his bedroom, sipping the potion as he went.