So here's the next chapter! I hope you enjoy it :) Thank you to all those who reviewed and for your kind words of encouragement, it's very motivating to know you like the story :) It makes me want to write more! And thanks to those who favorited/followed as well.

Hikari Nova: Thank you for the suggestion, in this chapter I am now using "marks" for speaking and 'marks' for thoughts. Though there's hardly ever any thoughts, so it should not be too confusing.

Kazztar: I'm afraid I didn't understand what you meant in your review about McGonagall and Sirius. Did that mean that you liked the way I wrote those parts or didn't? Or was your comment just a ramble against the books?
I too always found it odd that McGonagall didn't help people decide what electives to take, so I figured it had something to do with school policy. Some parents wouldn't like the teachers influencing their children, especially the pureblood fanatics that could be scared of teachers telling students Muggle Studies is useful, so to me it makes sense that it could be forbidden. But yes, I also think the way Hogwarts does somethings is f*cked up.
Regarding Sirius, I always imagined his place as a flat, but that's just a question of interpretation. I think you'd need a "decent bit of gold" to buy any house or flat. It's said in the books that brooms are incredibly expensive, and a flat would definitely cost more than that, so they are definitely not cheap. Anyway, the reason he didn't go there can also be interpreted in different ways, and I used the one about Sirius' mind not being in its optimal conditions because it fits my story, since that will make it easier for him to get smarter as his mind heals.

ObsessedWithHPFanFic: I'm glad you liked my take on Harry v/s the Dursleys! This chapter doesn't have a lot of that, but it will be a continuing theme in the story, as Harry slowly overcomes his traumas.

Mysteria Malfoy: Thank you! Unfortunately, those questions will keep being a surprise until he goes back to Britain muahahaha (that's my evil laugh)

Anyway, on with the chapter!

DISCLAIMER: I don't own anything you recognize from the HP Universe. I don't make profit from this story.

Chapter 13

"Dame una cerveza por favor" (Give me a beer please) Pablo told Harry, and Harry promptly picked one from the cooler and gave it to the older boy. Anto grabbed one from his other side and asked another teen to open it before sharing it with Harry. The couple and their friends were gathered around a bonfire they had started on the beach, celebrating Harry's birthday and the fact that they could be out doing something forbidden. Even though he didn't know these teens very well, Harry was thoroughly enjoying tonight. At midnight they had sang him happy birthday, and some of them had given him gifts. He'd been quite touched, even when most of them had been chocolates and alcohol. They didn't know it, but this was the first birthday celebration he'd ever had, and he very much appreciated the gesture. Receiving everyone's presents by owl had always been something really nice that he looked forward to, but never quite the same as this, having everyone sing to him and give him gifts in person.

"Tomorrow at lunch my family will celebrate, so you have to be there" Anto teased him on the way back, walking fast and pulling his hand up their street. Tía Ana and Tío Hernán had been quite strict about them returning home at half past one, and they had only been allowed past one o'clock as an exception because of his birthday. Anto had forbidden Harry from telling her parents about their relationship, explaining that if they did they wouldn't let the two teens out of their sight. When Anto had gone on vacation with José and Carlos they had gone crazy, even sending Señora Inés to spy on them, and Anto hadn't even kissed Carlos. If they knew that she and Harry were together they would never let them be alone, not even for the Spanish lessons. Harry was quite content being allowed to go wherever he and Anto wished during day and night, and hanging out in her room whenever they wanted, so he had quickly agreed.

"Wow, I've never had a party before and now I'll have two" Harry commented happily, and Anto's head whirled back so fast towards him he thought she would get a neck sprain.

"What?" she asked him shocked. Harry belatedly realized that they had never talked about his relatives, so she didn't know how much he hated them. He was so used to telling her, or her magically knowing, everything about him, that it surprised him that there was something so big that she didn't know.

"Er, my relatives kind of hate me because of my magic, they think I'm a freak so they've never taken me anywhere or celebrated my birthday" he explained nervously. He didn't want her to feel bad for him, even though he wasn't planning on downplaying the Dursleys' treatment anymore. In the two sessions he had had with Carmen this week he had delved deeper into what they had done to him, and it had helped him see how abnormal it was, how it could be classified as abuse to minors, and how it had impacted his self worth in many ways he hadn't even thought of. Carmen had told him the first step to counter that would be acknowledging that they had been horrible to him instead of being ashamed of it as if it was somehow his fault, so he had resolved to try to do that from now on.

"Wow" Anto said, coming out of her speechlessness "I found it odd that you'd never done any normal things before you went off to magic school, but I just assumed you relatives were really boring or something".

"That's also true" Harry quipped, relieved that the moment had not become too emotional at his revelation.

"I'm sorry Harry…here I've been complaining to you about my parents all the time, and you haven't even had a birthday celebration. I feel horrible," she said dejectedly. Harry groaned internally. He wanted to enjoy his birthday, not have a discussion about the Dursleys.

"I had one now, and I'll have another one tomorrow" Harry tried to cheer her up "and you have the right to complain, everyone is bothered by different things…are your parents are kind of psycho sometimes" he grinned. She swatted at him playfully, and he quickly hugged her.

"I don't want to ruin my birthday talking about family issues, is that ok?" he asked her gently, when he saw she was about to say something sympathetic. Anto smiled at him softly and nodded.

"Yeah, that's a good idea" she replied. He kissed her slowly and she responded passionately, butterflies shooting through him like lightning. He didn't think he would ever get tired of that feeling. Her hands were running through his hair enticingly, and his were clutching her back and caressing her waist. He felt the unexplainable urge to bring them down to her bottom, and he wondered whether that was acceptable. He had done that once on accident the day after their first kiss and she had shifted away, but now they had spent nine days as an official couple, kissing whenever they could and talking about everything and nothing. He debated whether to do it or not while kissing her, and the urge only got stronger. He didn't want to be rude or do anything she was uncomfortable with, but he thought maybe now she trusted him enough to go a bit further. He settled for caressing the upper hem of her shorts and she kissed him a little harder, bringing her hands down to his back. His heart leapt, interpreting that as a yes, and brought his hands a little lower. She didn't stop him, so with a thrill of excitement he caressed her all the way down, and she moaned softly into his mouth. An ecstatic feeling shoot through his chest and he kissed her harder, moving his hands more firmly. The fabric of her shorts felt soft in his hands, and feeling her bottom under them was addictive. She moaned again in pleasure and put her hands under his shirt, running them through his bare back and rushing another set of exciting feelings through him. Though he had felt her hands on his back whenever he'd snogged her in a swimsuit, this felt so much more intimate, and he smiled against her lips.

"I really like that" he whispered to her softly, looking at her happily and bringing his hands to her hair.

"Really?" she smiled, looking equally happy.

"Really" Harry confirmed, and leaned in to kiss her again. She dodged him slightly, and laughed mischievously when he looked at her quizzically. She kissed him this time, and he responded enthusiastically. They stayed like that a few moments, and then she pulled away and told him they should continue on their way home. A little dazed, he followed her, kissed her goodnight and went into his bedroom.

Hedwig, Pigwidgeon and another owl had arrived while he was gone, and he promptly untied the letters in their legs, the last owl flying off immediately. He put treats and water for Hedwig and Pig, relieved that he had left the window open and hoping Tía Ana and Tío Hernán hadn't been in his bedroom while they were there. The messages were letters and presents from Sirius, Ron and Hermione, which he decided could wait until the morning. He wasn't too eager to read their non-informative notes and ruin this amazing night with the anger that was sure to come. This had been the best birthday of his whole life, and he still had twenty-two hours of it to go.

Harry woke up the next morning feeling energized, blushing at the not so innocent dream he'd been having about his girlfriend, and decided to open his friends' presents before waking Anto to do their daily jogging, yoga and Spanish lesson. Ron's and Hermione's letters were just as bare as always, and though that definitely made him angry, it wasn't as bad as it could have been. He was sure he would have been furious enough to throw the presents away had he been at the Dursleys', but considering how good his own summer was turning out, nothing could make him that angry. Maybe it was okay that he wasn't receiving all the news…after all, he wouldn't be able to do anything about them from this country, and not knowing them avoided him a lot of stress. This thought startled him greatly, seeming unfamiliar in his mind. One month ago, he would have never thought this way, but apparently experiencing freedom had slowly changed him. Did it make him a terrible person to believe this change wasn't a bad thing?

The first thing he noticed was the uncharacteristic lack of a present from Hagrid, which meant he was probably unreachable, doing who knows what for Dumbledore. 'It's probably one of the many things no one sees fit to tell me' he thought bitterly. He hoped his part-giant friend was all right, and that his mission was not too dangerous.

Ron had given him a Cannons Quidditch jersey, bright orange with a white number ten stamped on the back. It was probably the brightest item of clothing that Harry would ever own, and he laughed inwardly at Ron's attempt to convert him into a fan. It did annoy him a little that Ron was trying to push him into something instead of trying to search for something he thought Harry would like, but the boy-who-lived tried not to focus on that thought. Maybe the redhead was just oblivious and genuinely thought Harry would like the present.

Hermione had predictably gotten him a book, and though any other year he would have dismissed it, this time he welcomed "Dueling for Dummies" happily. She had probably figured that it would be of use to him to learn how to fight now that Voldemort was back, and he wholeheartedly shared the thought. On their last duel he had come out alive due to sheer dumb luck, and the connection of the twin cores, but he couldn't count on that advantage every time. Hopefully reading this could help him learn some new tricks, though he couldn't use magic to practice until he went back to Hogwarts.

He started reading Sirius' letter and his heart stopped, reading the same two sentences in the middle over and over again. 'I don't like my current house, so I'm looking for a new home. I hope my best friend and my godson will want to move in with me, it would be boring to be alone'. It was said casually and not mentioning names for safety purposes, like all his letters were, but the meaning was unmistakable, and Harry's spirits soared. Sirius wanted him to move in with him, and it would be entirely possible if he were freed after the trial. He was his godfather after all; he had rights to Harry's custody, didn't he? Surely more than the headmaster did. Harry wondered how Sirius had managed to find a way out of the cave, but it didn't really surprise him. He had been able to escape from Azkaban and buy him a firebolt under everyone's noses after all. He started writing back immediately, barely glancing at the Quidditch gloves his godfather had gifted him. 'Don't worry Snuffles, I'm sure your friend and your godson would love to move in with you'. He would finally have a home. He couldn't wait.

Sirius carefully examined the document listing his properties, crossing out the last one he had visited. Though Andromeda's idea of finding a place to live had been excellent, so far he hadn't found a suitable one. He had immediately ruled out his own apartment and Uncle Alphard's, which were too small, and right after he had deleted Great Aunt Cassiopeia's, Great Uncle Pollux's and Grandfather Arcturus' manors. He did not want his home tainted by any memories of relatives he had hated, and anyway, he remembered those houses and they had been way too pureblood-and-proudish for his tastes. He wanted to feel comfortable and peaceful in the company of Harry and Remus, not haunted with annoying portraits sprouting family values and pureblood mania, so they were not an option. That left him with five choices, two of which were beach houses in Greece and Portugal. He would definitely look into those if he was set free as holiday getaways, but with his status as an escaped fugitive he wasn't eager to register in the international floo or ask for ministry authorization to make an international portkey, so that would have to wait.

Considering this, he only had three options, one of which he had already checked and been unsatisfied with. It was a cottage near the seaside in Dunbar that was so cozy and welcoming it was hard to believe it had ever belonged to the Black family, but it only had two bedrooms, which would make it impossible to live with both Harry and Remus. It had a small yard inside the wards where Buckbeak could stroll happily, but it was probably not big enough to build a whole new bedroom and bathroom. Oh, well. If the other two locations weren't suitable the cottage could serve as temporary accommodation while he bought a new house, or built one in the large portion of land in Liverpool that he apparently owned. After all, Harry would only be here for a small part of summer, and Remus wouldn't mind staying at Grimmauld for a few weeks and moving in after Harry went to Hogwarts.

Sirius sighed and memorized his next destination, Gardenia's Manor in Salisbury. This search was more tiring and slower than he had expected, and he now understood why Andromeda had suggested starting immediately. Between the preparations for his trial, the appointment at Gringotts and the order meetings he hadn't been able to inspect the properties until now, even though it had been nine days from his cousin's idea. At least Remus was already on board, though it had taken some days to convince him. Sirius was sure that secretly his werewolf friend was as sick of Molly's shrill orders and cleaning schedules as he was.

He brushed the soot off his clothes and looked around the big entrance hall with a feeling of foreboding, already sensing he wouldn't like this place. An hour later he was convinced he had been right. The mansion was eerily similar to Malfoy Manor, with its many wings, floors and bedrooms, formal gigantic dining room, sitting room, gardens and ballroom, crystal chandeliers and frowning portraits everywhere. The only upside was that it had it's own Quidditch pitch, but it simply wouldn't make up for the solitude and hostility of the place. He simply couldn't live here; it was precisely the type of house he wanted to avoid. Even the two house elves he had met were stuck up and judging, much like Kreacher was. No, this house would only serve if someone wanted to play Quidditch or when Remus wanted to roam the grounds during the full moon.

He sighed again and checked the other address, which was a townhouse in Bradford. It had probably been too optimistic to expect the Blacks of all people to own comfortable places to live, but at least the small cottage would definitely be better for Harry than Grimmauld Place, and his strongest wish was to give his godson a comfortable life with him. He wondered what he was doing now for his birthday, surrounded by people he had only met a month ago. He would probably be feeling alone and frustrated at the lack of news, though his letters so far seemed to suggest he was in a decent mood. He wished he could be with Harry today, but at least his godson would be getting his present on time. Hermione had badgered them about sending them three days in advance, having calculated how long they took to reach Spain, which Sirius had grudgingly admitted was a good idea before complying.

The flames dropped him on a decently sized formal sitting room, and he jumped in surprise when two house elves appeared, one ancient and one normal.

"Hello Master Sir, I is being Flippy and this is Flippy's son Sassy" said the old one in a respectful tone "It has been a long time since someone has come to visit, would Master like a tour?"

"Yes please, my name is Sirius" he introduced himself quickly. At least these house elves seemed nicer than the other ones, which suggested the house was less dreary. They brought him around while telling him about the history, which to his surprise was actually interesting. Apparently it had belonged to his great-uncle Marius, who had been a squib. He had been disowned, but his parents had gifted him the house so he could live comfortably without getting in their way. 'Who would have thought the Blacks had a squib relative' Sirius mused while listening. He had known nothing about the scorch mark next to his grandfather.

The townhouse was beautiful but homely, and its two floors were quite practical. In the first floor it had a spacious kitchen, the formal sitting room he had seen, a dining room, an informal living room, a guest room and a bathroom. On the second floor there were three bedrooms, each with their private bathrooms, and a study with desks and shelves full of books. It also had a clean, big basement and a large yard included inside the wards, which were very powerful. No death eater would be getting in, and they could add the fidelius for additional security. It was absolutely perfect. Harry, Remus and he could be incredibly happy in this home.

"I think I will be staying here" he told the house elves in wonder, not bothering to contain the excitement that was spreading across his chest. He couldn't believe he had found exactly what he needed. He hadn't even fixed it, but he loved it already.

"Sassy and Flippy will be happy to finally have a new master!" exclaimed Flippy "When will master move in? We can have the rooms ready".

"In a few days, I need to add some security charms first" replied Sirius pensively. He would have to ask Bill to check exactly what the effects of the wards were and modify them to avoid any accidents. If the ones at Grimmauld place were anything to go by, he could risk someone tearing a limb or worse if he didn't. He would also need to add the fidelius, as Harry needed all the security he could get. He would ask Andromeda to be the secret keeper. She was loyal to a fault, but not involved enough in the war that the death eaters would target her or even suspect her, and she would never be at risk of dying in battle. He hoped she agreed. If she did, Sirius and his makeshift family would finally have a home.

"Cumpleaños Feliz

Te deseamos a ti,

Feliz cumpleaños Harry,

Que los cumplas feliz (Happy birthday song in Spanish)"

Harry looked at Anto's family, in wonder at his second birthday song of the day. His birthday had never been so celebrated in his life, and though it felt nice, it was also a little unsettling. He blew the candle; giddily realizing that it was the first he'd ever done that, and posed for the picture Tía Ana was taking of him and the rest of her family.

"Open our present!" Marta told him excitedly, and he chuckled and did so. It had a brand new bathing suit that Harry strongly suspected Tía Ana had bought, assorted shaped biscuits and a childishly drawn card wishing him Happy Birthday.

"We made the cookies and the card," Laura told him proudly, and Harry thanked them sincerely, quite touched that they had made the effort for him. He opened Tía Ana and Tío Hernán's present next, glad to find the A1 level Spanish book and exercise workbook, and confused to find an envelope with a receipt on it.

"Wow, this will make our classes so much easier" Anto commented looking impressed at the books "It has everything I've been teaching you and plan to teach you".

"We signed you up to take the A1 level exam when we go back to Madrid at the end of the summer, that way you can have a certificate when you get back for you to show your family how much you learnt" Tía Ana told him smiling indulgently, obviously thinking that would please him. "You have to go to the institute on that date with the receipt and your passport". Harry laughed inwardly at the idea of the Dursleys being proud of him for learning elementary Spanish, but thanked her anyway. The books would be really good for practice, and it wouldn't kill him to do a test. Maybe it would actually be of some use in the future, and he was curious to know how much he had learnt anyway.

"Here's my present" Anto told him, and gave him a small parcel. To his disappointment, it was only a belt, if a pretty one. 'I hope you like it' she told him nicely, and he looked at her in surprise. He understood that she was trying to disguise their relationship from her parents, but he thought she was overdoing it. Even if he knew it was fake, her impersonal tone bothered him a little, as did her bland present. He didn't know what he had been expecting, but certainly not this.

"Thank you" he told her, smiling warmly for her parent's sake "it's very pretty". He put it on carefully, and found it fitted him perfectly.

"Cut the cake!" ordered Marta excitedly, oblivious to his internal conflict. He did, to everyone's cheers, and sneaked a few looks at Anto while the others served themselves. She was paying him no attention, and he felt disappointment creep into his stomach. Maybe she wasn't pretending for her parents' sake…maybe she regretted letting him touch her last night. Or maybe she was angry with him for doing it. What if he had ruined their relationship? The despairing thoughts continued all through lunch, and he was relieved when it was over and he could go to his room instead of pretending everything was perfect. He lay on his bed for a few minutes, thinking about it. That couldn't be it, he reasoned. Anto had been perfectly fine this morning when they had done their sports and Spanish class. So it had to be something else… maybe he was just overreacting, and she simply hadn't thought of anything better to get him. This thought disappointed him, but at least maybe he hadn't ruined everything.

"So, did you like my present?" asked Anto, bouncing into his room without knocking. Harry sat up to greet her and masked his disappointment. There was no point in being rude, and she seemed genuinely interested in his answer.

"Yeah, it's very nice" he told her politely. It did not come out as convincing as Harry wished, but there was nothing he could do about it now. He was sure Anto had seen right through his answer.

'No, you didn't, but that's ok, because it wasn't my real present' she told him mischievously, making him perk up immediately. So the belt was in fact an attempt to keep her parents out of the loop.

"Really?" he asked enthusiastically, relieved that her present wasn't so impersonal. He should have known. She knew him too well and was too sweet with him to give him something like that.

"I'm offended you thought so little of me, I'm not that boring" She told him, mock hurt and turning her nose up at him. He smiled abashedly and poked her, making her turn towards him again.

"So where's my real present?" he asked her curiously. Anto picked up a parcel that he hadn't noticed from behind his bedside table, and handed it to him. To his amazement, it had a beautifully drawn and written letter, a small teddy bear with a birthday hat, and a framed picture of the two of them that one of their beach friends had taken last week. It showed both of them from the waist and upward in their swimming gear. He was standing behind Anto, with his arms around her middle and the sunset of Barcelona behind them. But what most drew his attention were the expressions on his face. He was used to his girlfriend's happy smile, but his own smile in the picture was more radiant than he had ever seen in the mirror before this summer, and he was astounded at how happy he looked. He didn't think the change in his mood was so evident, but now he could see it clearly.

"Wow, it's beautiful," he told her amazed, and hugged her tightly "Thank you, this means a lot to me". He looked at her, getting lost for the millionth time in her blue eyes and kissed her gently.

"Read the letter later, I don't like it when people read them in front of me" she told him quietly.

"Ok. I would ignore you, but you're the best girlfriend in the world so I can't" he said cheekily.

"I'm your only girlfriend," said Anto laughing, and he pulled her close and kissed her again. He was glad her parents had decided to delay the trip around Spain in favor of staying in Barcelona, so they still had another week left there. He didn't think Anto and he would have as much time alone when they were travelling with her family, and he would very much miss it. He wanted to be with her as much as he could.

Dumbledore was getting worried. If Harry and his family didn't come back by the ten of August, he wouldn't be able to spend the necessary three weeks a year in his house to recharge the blood wards. There was still time until then, and he was sure Petunia was perfectly aware of the situation, and would definitely ensure they made it on time, but he would still send a letter to remind her just in case. If they didn't return and the wards didn't recharge Harry would have to stay somewhere else, and Dumbledore definitely didn't want that. He started writing the letter to Petunia, ensuring his meaning was very clear about them needing to return before ten days. It was key that Harry stayed with the Dursleys, since it made him more easily malleable and ignorant, as he saw Hogwarts as his home and Dumbledore as his savior.

If he got a real home it wouldn't be so easy, though the headmaster knew he had to prepare for that eventuality. If Sirius was freed on his trial then he would definitely file for custody of Harry and he would easily win. The dog animagus was the second choice for custody in James and Lily's will after all, right after Alice Longbottom, who was Harry's godmother. That was not a claim Dumbledore could contest without declaring Sirius an unfit guardian, and he was not about to do that. That would be terribly unfair, and it would also earn him Sirius' enmity, which was not something he could afford when Voldemort was the biggest threat.

Against his war strategic instincts, the headmaster did care a lot for both Harry and Sirius, and he knew it would do them both good to live together. At least they would be at Grimmauld Place, surrounded with people who were completely loyal to the cause. Even if the idea that Harry could start trusting and getting attached to other people was worrying, Dumbledore could not think of a better solution at the moment. With any luck, all of his preoccupations would be useless if he succeeded in finding a solution to kill Voldemort's horcrux without Harry needing to sacrifice himself. He hoped he found something soon.

I hope you liked it! Please review and tell me what you think or what you would like to happen!

By the way, for those of you who like Ginny and romance, I invite you to check out my other story "When Ginny met Dean".