Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, or any characters related to J.K. Rowling's universe.

Author's notes: After reading the Order of the Phoenix, I was a bit disappointed that Rowling didn't focus more on Lupin's reaction to Sirius' death considering that Sirius was the last of Remus' best friends who died, and that he is now the last Marauder (Wormtail doesn't count). This, then, is a story focusing on how he deals with the pain with the help of Harry.

Unexpected Needs

Chapter 1: An Unexpected Visitor

            A young boy was lying in his bed simply staring at the ceiling of the house at number 4, Privet Drive. At first glance, nothing would seem too abnormal about the boy besides, maybe, his unusually untidy hair that would never, ever lie flat. One would never consider that this boy was, in fact, a wizard and the most famous wizard at that. Even those who knew young Harry Potter for who he truly was would not have recognized him in his current state of being. Food and sleep deprived, he was a mere shadow of the vibrant persona he had most recently carried in his 5th year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Even his usual meager state from living with the Dursley's every summer paled to his condition now. Of course, the death of one's godfather will do that to a person.

            Sirius Black having recently died (or so everyone had assumed when he fell behind the veil) at a time when Harry had needed him the most took a heavy toll on Harry's heart and soul, not to mention the toll it was taking on his body. Refusing food and sleep for a month, he was starting to look like a ghost. Pale skin stretched across bone, he seemed too far gone to save and even near death. He even would have welcomed death, if only for fleeting moments, to be reunited with his godfather who he still wasn't convinced was completely dead. It was in this stupor that his Aunt Petunia found him in, day after day, at breakfast, lunch, and dinner time.

            Usually, it was Vernon who came to loudly rant at Harry that the food was ready; however, since the events of last summer, Petunia had pitied Harry immensely once she realized the impact that his world had on her own world and what truly horrifying things there were therein. Not to mention the fact that since the threat on Vernon at the train station, he had hardly come near the boy, let alone ranted at him. Petunia approached the bed slowly and said in her most gentle voice (which still sounded like a sick pony), "Harry, dinner is on the table if you'd like some."

"No thank you," was Harry's immediate reply, the same one he had given every time this summer and though Aunt Petunia took pity on Harry, she was losing her patience with this response. This time, she lost it completely.

"Damnit boy, eat something! I'll not have you lying around like a corpse all summer, not under my care! Get up! Get up, or I'll drag you down to the table and force feed you!" When Harry didn't comply she did just what she said she would. Grabbing Harry's arms she whisked him out the door, down the stairs, and to the table where she called for Dudley to help. Dudley, of course, still being petrified of Harry from last summer, simply stared at his mother in horror and continued eating his own meal and watching TV. Vernon was not in the house at the moment, having gone to buy some lawn fertilizer. The drought was still on, after all.

At this moment in time, Petunia would not stand for insolence, especially not from her own son, so she practically screamed at him, "Dudley, get over here and help me this instant!"

            The young blob never moved so quickly.

            "I'll hold his mouth and you administer the food."

            Normally, Dudley would have taken this opportunity to shove the food into Harry's mouth as hard as he possibly could. However, being frightened of him and, at this moment, his own mother, he simply did as he was told, although with much nervous jiggling of fat. After the food was in, Petunia forced Harry to chew and swallow; and to make sure he didn't throw up, she put duct tape around his mouth after they had forced Harry to eat all the food she had made. Then she tuned to Harry and stared him straight in the eye.

            "If you do not start eating like a regular person, I will tie you to this chair and force feed you every meal for the rest of this summer. Do you understand!?"

            Harry, who had been somewhat more than taken aback at his Aunt's most recent behavior, quickly nodded his head, and when Petunia let him go, he immediately rushed up the stairs and slammed the door behind him. The next few days were spent in fear of Petunia who, whenever Harry would come down to eat, would stare at him over her hawk like nose in the shadow of the kitchen corner looking extremely like an evil killer in a slasher movie.

            Now, one would think that Harry, being the wizard he was, would have threatened to hex his aunt for this treatment. However, in his current emotional state, this option didn't cross his mind as quickly as it would have, say, when he blew up his uncle's hideous sister Marge three summers ago. When the thought finally did cross his mind, his conscience wouldn't let him do it on account of his aunt actually doing something halfway decent for him once in his life. Very soon, Harry's health had made a vast improvement, though his heart still needed mending.

            All too quickly, Harry found his birthday upon him. The wealth of presents from his friends didn't cheer him up any. Though he was appreciative of Hermione's gift, the book Advanced Dueling Spells, Ron's wealth of candy and food, the rest of the Weasley's various gifts (including a couple new products from Fred and George), and Hagrid's usual misspelled birthday cake, it brought him little comfort knowing he would not be receiving anything from Sirius. He did send his thanks and replies, along with his current living conditions (which he had remembered to send to the Order over the entire summer), but not with the usual gusto he had in the past. The only present that got even a little smile out of him was the sour ball, one of the new products from Fred and George, which caused his head to shrink for five minutes before he countered it with the included nullifying potion.

            After he sent Hedwig out with the replies, he lay back down on his bed and resumed his old hobby of staring at the ceiling. The last thing he expected was to hear a ring at the door. He knew that Vernon was out for at least three more hours, so this was definitely an unexpected visitor. He listened as Petunia opened the door and gave a little shriek in the process. Then he heard a low mumbling that he couldn't immediately decipher accompanied by a nervous Petunia directing whoever it was toward his room. He got up immediately, grabbed his wand, and stood ready for whoever was about to walk into his door. The handle slowly turned, and the door opened revealing…

You don't get to know until next chapter.     Please review.