Weeks had passed. Days had been and gone. His cold had gone. He was feeling much better actually.

Sirius came up regularly to check up on him and from that he had learnt a little more about the house he was in.

Apparently it was Sirius's! He had inherited it after his parents died but by the way that the man talked about the place he was none too fond of it. In fact it sounded a lot like he hated the place.

It hadn't taken much to keep Harry from wandering around the building. He hadn't even left his room for the first week he had been there - that is, the first week that he had been ‘conscious' in the house - and he had only started walking to the end of the hall in the last half of his second week there. He was eating his meals in the kitchen now but he still checked around every corner before turning it.

He had spent a total of four and a half weeks there and Remus and Sirius had looked after him during that time, with the odd visit from the Headmaster and Mrs Weasley, and it was from them (when he eventually had plucked up the courage to ask) that he had learnt that the house was ‘hidden' by magic. That only the ‘Secret Keeper' could tell someone where to find it and that that Secret Keeper was Dumbledore himself.

Apparently the house was currently being used as Headquarters for some sort of Organisation against Voldemort but Remus had changed the topic rather hastily when Sirius had mentioned the fact.

It annoyed Harry. He was the one that was always, always! Caught up in these things and yet would anybody ever tell him why? Of course not! Because that would make too much sense!

Ron and Hermione had been writing to him a lot lately as well. It made sense he supposed. They would be worried after hearing nothing from him for so long. It was a disservice to them as a friend not to write back telling them about everything that had happened but it was difficult to write anything more than ‘I'm okay thanks. Don't worry. See you later. X'

Not much of a detailed account but it's not like they were telling him anything either!

Sirius had mentioned inviting them both over for the last few weeks of summer if Harry was feeling up to it. It would be nice, he thought. He hadn't seen them in ages and it would be nice to try and regain some kind of ‘normality'. Pretend that nothing had happened. Act like nothing was different.

‘Yeah,' the bitter thought in his mind spoke. ‘Act like nothing's different. Like your not some out-of-control monster created by mad scientists in a secret, underground laboratory!'

‘Funny... I never thought that those places really existed. Then again, I never used to think that magic really existed either and now I have the most evil, bad-tempered wizard in the world after me. Heck! Why not bring on the aliens and I can have a real field day!'

Just as his thoughts were turning bitter again a knock at the door sounded startling him and causing him to dive under the covers of his bed instinctively.

The door opened as he silently berated himself for his ‘childishness' but he did not poke his head out of the covers until he heard a voice next to him.

"Still a bit jumpy are we?" the voice chuckled.

It helped... Instead of treating him like some delicate and helpless little child like everyone else seemed to be doing Sirius had taken the opposite approach. Instead of tiptoeing around Harry, Sirius had sat calmly and patiently day after day, reassuring him that he was okay now and coaxing him out of his self-withdrawal.

When Harry had finally given in to his gentle encouragement and light teasing and started actually talking to his Godfather, Sirius had really made an effort to get Harry back on his feet.

He had made light conversations that always followed the theme of ‘when you're well enough' and ‘once I get you out of this room.' No ‘if's,' no ‘perhaps when's,' just, ‘when you are well again,' like it was only a matter of time before it was so.

He'd even had the chance to get to know his Godfather a little better in his ‘healthier phases' and heard stories about him and his father when they were younger. Like the time when Sirius had botched up is animagius transformation and had to live with a tail for a week!

In fact. He hadn't dwelled half as much on past events as he probably would have done if Sirius hadn't been there. There was still one question that he wanted to ask however. One thing that he wanted to know. But he didn't dare ask.

Sirius and Snape had never been two to get on well.

"Yeah," Harry admitted reluctantly.

Sirius just smiled down at him. "You should get ready," he stated eagerly. "I have a surprise for you downstairs."

With that he left the room. Harry was left sitting half hidden and perplexed on the bed. Surprise? He wasn't sure that he was up to finding any surprises but Sirius had already left.

Slowly and with partial reluctance and apprehension Harry rose from the old bed and made his way into the en-suit bathroom to wash is face and brush his teeth.

After getting dressed he poked his head cautiously out of the door to make sure that the coast was clear. Of course it would be but . . .

It seemed to take an age to reach the kitchen door. This was a very old house and Harry had to stop and take a few breaths to calm himself at every creak and groan that the ancient structure made. Only Gryffindor bravery and the thought of keeping his Godfather waiting kept him from fleeing back to his room and gave him reason enough to force himself forwards.

‘I can do it,' he told himself fiercely. ‘I can do it!'

To his greatest pride and relief his shaking hands eventually made contact with the firm, sturdy wood of the kitchen door.

After taking a number of breaths to ready himself Harry pushed open the door and gasped at the sight before him.

---???---

"Idiots! How could you loss the signal!?"

"I-I-I d-don't kn-n-now Sir. I-It just- just vanished!"

"Send out a search team! I want them found!"

---ss-ad---

"Anything?"

"Nothing..."

"I'm...I am so sorry, Severus."

----hp----

"Surprise!"

Harry was stunned. He didn't know whether to run into the room or away form it.

Red and gold streamers hung from the ceiling, balloons of the same colour hung, lay and floated in every visible space. Remus and Sirius stood by the kitchen table wearing party hats and a spectacular pile of delicious looking food lay out before an even bigger pile of brightly wrapped presents.

"Wha-?" stuttered Harry nervously.

"Happy Birthday Harry," Sirius said gently but enthusiastically.

"Happy Birthday" echoed Remus.

"My birthday?" queried Harry as Sirius made his way over to the door to meet him.

"Well, actually, you missed your ‘real' birthday because you were asleep in bed. Dozy pup," joked Sirius. "But today is exactly twenty days since your birthday so we thought that we'd celebrate it today instead."

"Oh," was all Harry could say in response, not really understanding why ‘twenty days' mattered more than any other number of days.

"Are you okay, Harry?" asked Remus softly.

"Yeah," Harry assured him, while trying to convince himself that he was. "Yeah I'm okay. Thanks."

He smiled up at Sirius who seemed to be delighted at his Godson's response and gently coaxed him into the room to sit by the table.

The food smelt delicious and although he didn't have much of an appetite at the moment Harry couldn't help but lick his lips at the sight and smell of the meal before him.

"So. What is it to be Young Master Potter?" asked Remus in a very formal voice after throwing a towel over his arm.

Harry couldn't fight the slight smile that tugged at his lips.

"What?" Sirius cut in, in mock alarm. "And I thought that this was an ‘all you can eat buffet' if I had know it would be formal I would have worn a suit."

At this Remus turned on the man, back still straight and towel over his arm as if he was a haughty waiter. "No suit? I am afraid that this is a celebration for those of high status and class only. You, Sir, shall have to leave."

Sirius threw a smirk at the now silently laughing Harry before continuing on with their little play. "Leave? Me? How dare you! Anyway, what's wrong with me?"

Remus smirked himself before stating in his ‘uppity' voice, "We do not allow ‘pets' in the restaurant."

Harry really was laughing now. Tears forming at his eyes.

"Ah!" exclaimed Sirius suddenly. "There it is!"

"There's what?" questioned Harry, his laughter replaced by confusion.

"Your smile. I knew we left it here somewhere," smiled Sirius.

Harry smiled back. A genuine smile this time. For all that was bad in the world, at least he had some sort of a family to be there for him.