The end is here!

Chapter Twenty: Epilogue

Sirius grumbled and rolled over, muttering her name as he felt for her warm body next to him. His fingers were met with only cold sheets and he sighed and buried his head into her pillow, trying to smell the apple shampoo of her hair and the sweet scent that was her. He hadn't realised how much he'd missed his witch until he woke up alone. Usually they'd be ignoring the ringing alarm clock as they slowly made love right now, their bodies warm under the morning sunshine that shone onto their bed. Then they'd tremble into the most blissful orgasm together, let another hour slip by as they cuddled and kissed and then had lazy sex again. Waking up to see her sleeping in his arms was the kind of moments he lived for, but she wasn't there with him now and it made his chest ache and his fingers twitch to just hold her.

He held the pillow instead and closed his eyes, wishing she'd get home soon, because fuck, he wanted her in every sense of the word and missed her so much it was making him sick. Remus would be highly amused if he saw him acting like his soppy dog counterpart as he was now, and Fred would definitely laugh and tease him relentlessly, but he didn't give a shit. It was their wedding anniversary. She was supposed to be home.

Soon he was up, showering and flinging open his wardrobe. He told himself he was putting on his maroon shirt because it was a summer colour, not because Hermione always loved to wear it around the house. She looked so sexy in his shirts.

By a quarter to eight he was creeping into the first bedroom across the hallway. The curtains were shut, making the deep purple of the walls look almost black in the darkness. Sleeping on her bed was his little daughter Evie. She was five years old now and grew more and more like Hermione with each passing day. She had her teddy bear, Honeycomb (named after her favourite ice cream flavour at Florean Fortescue's in Diagon Alley), tucked under her arm as she slept, muttering softly under her breath. Sirius couldn't help but grin. Often when he came to wake her up she was sleep talking, and he thought it was adorable.

He knelt down on his knees and stroked her hair, which was wavy and fell in loose ringlets past her shoulders, like Hermione. It was dark chocolate and in the sunshine the roots shone a gorgeous auburn, and her eyes were the prettiest honey brown and squinted when she giggled. She was just like her mummy in personality too; she liked to read books and had her own mini library collection in her room which was full of every story a little girl could want. Her favourites were wizarding fairy tales from The Beedle and the Bard, such as Babbitty Rabbitty and the Cackling Stump and the muggle Cinderella, both of which Sirius and Hermione took turns to read to her every night before she went sleep. And inevitably, having two of the cleverest parents that had graced Hogwarts floors, Evie could already magically change the colour of flowers in their garden and had learnt from Teddy Lupin how to enlarge chocolate cookies. Teddy and Evie were very close. Once or twice Remus had occasionally joked that they'd be married one day, but Sirius didn't find half as amusing as he did. She was his little princess and would always be his little princess.

Evie rubbed her eyes and slowly sat up, blinking. "Daddy? Is it time to get up now?"

"Yes it is baby," he said with a smile, "Come and give me a morning cuddle!"

He opened his arms wide and she crawled towards him in her pink pygmy puff clad pyjamas, giggling when he picked her up and smothered her rosy cheeks with kisses. "What will it be then princess? Porridge? Toast and jam? Fried eggs? Or a big full English with sausages and bacon?"

"You know, daddy!" she tittered happily, "I have porridge with lots and lots of sugar on top!"

There was a distant yell of "I want sausages and bacon!" from next door and seconds later Wilfred Alberic Black burst through the door. He was only three, and already his son was a carbon copy of him with dark whippy hair and grey eyes and a mischievous smile to boot. He had cheeky charm, dimples, and a tiny scar on his cheek bone from crashing his miniature motorbike in the patio when he was two. He had a deep gash in his cheek and there was blood everywhere, but Willy didn't shed a tear. He stood with his chest puffed out and held onto his mummy's hand as she healed the cut and kissed him all better. To this day he still refused to let her remove the scar magically because he said it was cool and made him 'a big boy like daddy'.

He was wearing broomstick clad pyjamas and holding his toy hippogriff (appropriately named Buckbeaky) in his hand. His hair was cutely sleep tousled and he was jumping up and down, staring up at his father with barely concealed excitement in his eyes.

"You want what Willy?" Sirius asked with a smirk. He knew exactly what.

Willy ran and slammed into his dad's leg, tugging at his trousers with such strength he nearly pulled them down. "Sausages daddy, sausages!" he pulled harder and Sirius barked with laughter.

"Alright, alright, c'mere you rascal."

He swooped him up with his arm and threw him over his shoulder as his sister giggled next to him.

"So porridge with lots of sugar, sausages-"

"And bacon!" Willy yelled.

"Alright, I was coming to that you cheeky bugger-"

"Mummy said bugger is a rude word! I said it to Albus and - and she sent me to the naughty mat…"

Harry and Ginny had finally married and had their first, Albus Severus, who was the same age as Willy. The two terrors were already best friends and partners in crime, just as Sirius and James were back in the day. Willy was so funny too. He seemed to do outrageous things and then come up with some long and logical reason for doing them. It drove Hermione mad because she knew he'd got that from her. No words could ever describe how proud he was of his boy, every day, for being more of a troublemaker than he was.

"Daddy where's mummy?" Evie asked, fidgeting with his collar. She'd done it since she was a baby.

"Well she's in Paris isn't she princess, the ministry said she had to go as part of her job."

Hermione now was Head Healer at St. Mungos. Stanley left a few weeks after she split up with him and transferred his job to a wizarding hospital overseas. She was highly praised for work she did in the institution and Sirius couldn't be prouder of his wife, but it just hurt that she had to make a compulsory trip to Paris for some shitty research in French skele-grow potions when they were supposed to be celebrating five years of marriage together. This of course was why he had awoken alone that morning for the first time since their wedding night.

"I miss her," Evie whispered.

Willy nodded, "I want a mummy cuddle," he muttered, curling into his neck.

Sirius should have expected this. It was, after all, the first time his children had been away from their mother for longer than the normal working day, so of course they were going to miss her just as he was. He sighed and kissed both of his kid's foreheads. "I want a mummy cuddle too. She'll be home in-" he glanced at the clock on the wall, "seven short hours. Now let's make that breakfast ay?"

He set them on the floor so they could sit down at the table in their special places. Willy always insisted that he was in the chair closest to the oven, so he could watch the food inflating as it cooked. Evie liked to sit in the blue chair, because since they had explained to her the Hogwarts Houses her heart had been set on Ravenclaw, and Sirius always sat opposite Hermione so that he could tease her with games of footsie. But then it wasn't such a wise choice on his part because once or twice she had 'accidentally' nudged him where the sun didn't shine.

Evie's porridge was in the microwave and he was half way through cooking the sausages in the pan (yes, he had learnt to cook now) when the telephone started to ring.

Willy's little legs wriggled to the floor and he raced to the phone in the hallway shouting, "Daddy the fo, the fo, the fo-!"

"Willy come and sit down!" scolded Evie, sitting at the table and setting the perfect example.

"That's my girl," Sirius whispered, dropping a kiss to her head. Evie grinned with dimples and cuddled into his side, not wanting to let go. "Let me answer the phone and then I'll be right with you alright princess? And if you look out for mummy's owl in the window she might send a letter to say how much she misses us." He winked at her and kissed her once more before he left to find Willy. He found him seconds later, trying to jump up and reach the phone. It was an ambitious effort by his boy considering he stood only about a head taller than his knee.

He grinned and scooped him up with a kiss to the cheek. "A few more years maybe squirt. Hello?"

"Sirius!? It's me."

"Hermione?" her name was a gasp on his lips, and immediately he heard the scrape of a chair in the kitchen as Evie rushed towards them shouting 'mummy!', and Willy clung onto his neck and pressed his head to his dad's to try and hear her voice.

"I'm just about to head to the hospital now, but I wanted to ring you before I go to say happy anniversary, and that I love you so, so much."

"Oh baby I love you too, with all of my heart, happy anniversary," he was nearly crying for fuck's sake, how was it he was nearly crying? "You left twenty one hours and… thirty minutes ago and already I'm lost without you - me and the kids. We want mummy cuddles."

"I want a mummy cuddle!" Willy yelled down the phone.

Hermione started laughing and crying at the same time. "I want daddy cuddles and Evie cuddles and Willy cuddles too. I love you. Put me onto the kids quickly, love."

"I love you; alright, you want to speak to mummy Willy?"

Willy nearly snatched the phone off of him. Evie stood on the ground, standing on her tip toes with her lip trembling as she faintly heard her mother's voice, but not enough to hear what she was saying. Sirius soothed her by stroking her hair and holding onto her little hand in his. "You can speak to her after Willy, I promise princess."

She nodded and leant her head on her dad's leg, waiting patiently as her brother spoke.

"I've been playing with Buckbeaky and flying my br- broom with daddy … no Daddy's cooking sausages… hmm… no I want chocolate do they have chocolate in p-p…" he wrinkled his nose and looked at his daddy.

"Paris," Sirius whispered.

"Paris?" he asked. Hermione obviously replied yes because he was grinning. "Thank you mummy … love you lots too… yeah… with big jelly tots too."

Sirius barked with laughter and Evie giggled, then with another kiss he took the phone off of his son.

"No Mummy said its Evie's turn daddy."

"I know, I'm passing it to her you cheeky monkey-"

"Oh." Willy covered a hand over his mouth to stop the giggles and let himself be lowered to the floor.

Then Sirius lifted his little girl up so she could hold the phone and talk. "Mummy? I miss you … yes, when I went to bed daddy read to me … errrrr… 'A Little Red Hood Riding', no wait I shall ask daddy…"

"'A Little Red Riding Hood'," he clarified with a smile and a slight shake of his head. She was too adorable sometimes.

"Yes but I did not like it when the big bad wolf eat the grandma … ate the grandma… no … that's mean … yes but do you have enough money to get me sweeties mummy?"

"Course she does darling," Sirius said, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear and holding her tight.

"Okay…" Evie said, smiling kindly, "thank you mummy… I hope the people are nice to you… love you lots too… bye-bye."

Evie handed him the phone and snuggled into his neck. "Thanks princess. So how are you getting to the hospital darling?"

"I have their floo address," Hermione said, "though I don't know which floor I'll land in, it'll be a nightmare trying to find my way to the accidental magic floor…"

"You're wonderful at speaking French though love, I'm sure you'll fine…"

"Hmm, I hope so," she muttered, sounding worried. "Anyway, I have a surprise for you later..."

"Really?" He hiked Evie higher in his arms and readjusted the phone, getting excited. "What is it?"

"No Sirius, you'll have to wait until tonight."

"Oh baby-"

"Have you booked us a dinner reservation?"

"Naturally, but I can cancel it if you just want to … er … stay in and…" he glanced at the kids, still hanging onto every word, and cleared his throat, "stay in and you know… cuddle."

"Cuddle," Hermione repeated with a laugh. "Okay after we put the kids to bed. You know I like cuddling."

"I like cuddling too, I'll owl and cancel the reservation. And you know what I love baby? Your pussy…cat."

"Sirius!"

"Mummy doesn't have a pussycat!" Willy said loudly.

"Pussycat daddy?" Evie said, eyes wide, "Are we getting a pussycat?"

"Have fun explaining that one, darling," Hermione practically sang. "I have to go, have a good day and be good. I love you."

"I'll try, I love you. Oh, and by the way, when you get back into England apparate to the Burrow, Molly's having a picnic over on the hills."

"Sounds great, I'll see you there then. Love you."

"Love you more than firewhisky, and my motorbike, and my leather jacket, and more than Quidditch and amazing hot sex in the morning."

He thought he'd said it quick enough that his kids wouldn't catch the last part, but he was wrong.

"What's sex?" came Willy's voice again.

"Sirius, stop it!" Hermione hissed.

"That one was a genuine mistake, love."

"Right, well I really am going now, kiss the kids from me and wish me luck."

"I will baby. Good luck, you'll be perfect, you're always perfect. I love you."

"I love you."

When the kids were finally fed their porridge and sausages, washed, dressed and had eventually stopped asking their daddy what 'hot sex' was, Sirius, Evie and Willy headed over to the Burrow. They often spent days over there, letting the kids run wild in the forest and hills of the beautiful English countryside. They would eat cheese and ham sandwiches, the kids drinking pumpkin juice and the adults sipping elderflower wine as they all sat and watched the pastel sun set over the trees. Sirius, Remus, Harry, Ron and the twins helped the kids play Quidditch with toy brooms while Ginny, Tonks and Luna lounged in their chairs, gossiping, talking and laughing about work, their husbands and their children. For they nearly all did have children now; Harry and Ginny had Albus, then there was Teddy, now seven, and his little sister Marlene who was two and also a metamorphous, and finally Luna and George. The pair had fallen in love after she started working part time at the Weasley Wizard Wheezes joke shop, and they married soon after and had a curly blonde haired baby boy called Eli. He was already hilarious.

After all they had gone through in the Order, it was an unspoken wish on all the parent's hearts that their children would grow up together, and they were. In the best of ways.

"Merlin says eat the worm!" Willy chanted, and all of the children squealed and pulled faces as Teddy took the slimy worm out of Willy's fingers and dangled it above his mouth.

"Ergh, Teddy!" Albus cried, "you're going to be sick!"

"No I'm not! I'm as brave as a knight!"

"You're still going to be sick," Albus said.

"Teddy don't," Evie began, covering her hands over her eyes. "It's moving, look!"

"Relax, Evie!"

Without another word Teddy dropped the worm into his mouth and proceeded to chomp quickly, squeezing his eyes shut and jumping up and down as he did. His hair turned a pale green. Albus pulled a face and stuck his tongue out in distaste, while Evie kept her eyes clamped over her eyes, waiting for someone to tell her it was over. Willy, on the other hand, was clapping his hands happily and pealing over with giggles. "Teddy's eating a worm! Teddy's eating a worm! Yum-my! Yum-my! Yum-my!"

Remus was standing at the back of the house having a chat and a butterbeer with Harry when he heard the chant. It was due to his lycanthropy that he could hear it and also due to his lycanthropy that he could sprint so quickly, so when he realised what exactly little Willy had said, he shot away so fast that for a moment Harry lost sight of where he had went. It wasn't till he saw him standing atop of the hill dragging his protesting son behind him that he realised.

"You do not eat worms Teddy!" he yelled, "you know that full well! Your mum is going to go absolutely berserk when she finds out!"

"But dad we were playing Merlin says-!"

"Yeah, well dad says you were being a silly twit!"

Remus sent Teddy off to his mother, who was sitting on a picnic blanket with Luna and looking anything but pleased. Then he went to search for his best friend. He found him lounging on one of the garden chairs along with Fred, laughing into a firewhisky glass. "Sirius, your son just dared my son to eat a worm, and he did!"

Sirius blinked and exchanged a look with Fred before they both slapped their knees and roared with laughter.

"It's not funny Sirius! It's not funny at all! That worm was probably filthy with germs!"

His oldest mate drained the rest of his glass and set it down on the table with a thud. "So is your dick when you haven't had a shower Moony."

"Pads," he groaned, trying to ignore Fred's sniggering, "stop being crude, that is disgusting-"

"You know what else I think is disgusting? Eating a worm." Sirius started chuckling again.

"Pads-"

"Alright, fuck!" he said, coughing and sipping his drink, "I'll have a word with him."

"Good, because if you don't I'll tell Hermione and let her sort it out."

"Leave Hermione out of this," he growled.

"His wife is a touchy subject at the moment," Fred told him.

"Oh," Remus said, taking a seat, "You missing her that much?"

"Miss her?" he crossed his arms with a huff, looking very much like his son when he was having a sulk. "I don't function properly without that woman. It's our fucking wedding anniversary. Five years."

"I know mate, Dora told me this morning. Congrats."

Sirius glowered at him and dug the heel of his boot into the ground. "Thanks."

His eyes followed his children as they played in the sun... how Willy was pretending to be a tiger and roaring (he did that a lot), and how Evie would look over at Teddy, sitting on the picnic blanket, and blush shyly whenever he grinned at her.

Sirius turned sulky again. "I just wish she was here."

"It's shitty," Fred agreed, "couldn't she have asked Kingsley to schedule it for another day? He's the minister for magic, he could've pulled a few strings surely-"

"She didn't want to bother him. I would've asked him - you know, to pull a favour for me but Hermione said she'd just do it to get it out of the way…"

The kitchen doors sprang open from behind them, and the voices of two women were heard, chatting animatedly and laughing. One sounded like Ginny, and the other-

Someone tapped his shoulder, and he dropped his head to the back of the chair so he could see behind him. She had long waves of chocolate hair that blew in the breeze, glowing sun kissed skin and a simply beautiful smile, and he twisted in his seat so hastily that he knocked the table and a glass smashed on the floor. She was here - in a summer maxi dress instead of her healer uniform. The woman that stole his breath away.

His wife.

"Hermione! What-?!"

Instead of walking around his chair he barged it over and Hermione squeaked in surprise, though she really shouldn't have been. He was usually quite rough when they'd been away from each other for a while. He pulled her against his chest and hugged the breath out of her, then pulled back on her hair so he could find her lips and kiss her desperately, and very hard. She loved his kisses more than most things, but he was being more possessive than he'd been in a long time and she was feeling slightly uncomfortable.

"Sirius-" Their friends were around them and she was smiling too much now for kissing.

He pulled back, resting his forehead against hers. "I'm sorry love, I'm sorry, I've just missed you like fucking shit…"

"He has Hermione," Fred said to her, eyes wide and nodding.

"I know," she said, looking back at her husband with a tender smile, "It's been horrible."

"Why are you back so early?" Sirius asked, searching her face, "Was this your surprise? I'm surprised!" he said, chuckling and going in to kiss her softly again.

She kissed him back, shaking her head, "The Head healer in the French hospital told me to go home after…" she bit her lip and sighed softly, "I wanted to tell you when we're alone. It's big news."

He held her tighter to him, lips kissing briefly again, kissing, always kissing. "I'll wait for tonight then. I'm just happy you're home with me and the kids. We'll stay in and order a takeaway tonight and-"

"Yes," Hermione said quickly, shutting him up with another kiss. He knew she thought he was about to say something about what exactly they'd be doing tonight, because when he looked at her he saw she was blushing. He simply smirked and winked at her, saying nothing at all.

"Evie! Willy! Mummy's here!"

"Mummy!"

Evie came running down the hill, hurtling towards her mother with her dress blowing out behind her in the breeze. Hermione knelt down, ready and waiting for her daughter's leap into her arms; the one she did every day when she arrived home from work.

They were both giggling when she did it, her little arms wrapped around her neck and her mummy's hugging her close. Hermione showered her faces with kisses and stroked her long hair, smiling when she realised it smelt of her own shampoo - apples. Sirius had obviously given her the wrong shampoo in her bath last night. It only made her laugh.

"I've missed you so much darling, and look at you in your pretty dress!" she cupped her cheeks and kissed her nose, wishing she had a camera about just so she could snap her daughter looking so cute. "I've got you some special, special sweeties for you at home…"

"Yummy! Does Cinderella eat sweeties mummy?"

"Of course she does baby…"

"What about Prince Charming … does he?"

"Yes, Prince Charming loves sweeties too… where's your brother, darling?"

He usually played on top of the hill with Albus, but she couldn't see her little boy there now. Glancing at Sirius she could see that he was standing up and searching his eyes across the landscape for him too.

The two boys were lying on their tummies in the shade of the large tree. They hadn't noticed, or maybe didn't seem to care that their clothes were filthy, or that they had several leaves stuck in their hair. Willy even had a small twig in his, which Albus thought was very funny indeed. He tapped him on the shoulder, trying to get his attention.

"Willy, look! Look what I can do!"

When Willy was watching, Albus closed his eyes and frowned in concentration, then seconds later his short jet black hair shot past his shoulders.

Willy's eyes grew wide and he clapped his hand over his mouth and started giggling, "You look like a girl!"

Albus started giggling as well and swishing his long hair over his shoulders, probably impersonating his mummy. "You do it too!"

Willy's giggling stopped and he shook his head, suddenly shy. "I can't."

"Why not? I can do lots and lots of things, but mummy and daddy say-"

"Hey!"

Both of the little boys scrambled up, Albus looking considerably innocent, even with his long hair; they both visibly relaxed when they saw it was Teddy who had spoken, and next to him was Evie, who was crinkling her nose at the state of her brother's clothes.

"What are you doing?" Teddy asked.

"Mummy and daddy are looking for you Willy."

"We doing magic!" Albus announced proudly.

"Well then you have to be very careful," Teddy said very seriously, sounding scarily similar to his father. "You can't lose control of your magic because the muggles might be able to see us if we do."

Evie was suddenly holding Teddy's hand and nodding, and Willy bowed his head to his shoes, his cheeks blushing. "But I can't do anything," he muttered, scuffing his feet.

His sister skipped over to him and hugged him close, whispering into her ear and trying to cheer him up, as she often did. "You will soon Willy, I promise."

"Yeah, don't worry Willy!" Teddy said, ruffling his hair, "My dad says your mum Aunt 'Mione is the cleverest out of everyone! And your dad," he started to grin, "your dad got into loads of wand fights with mean people at Hogwarts and beat them all!"

Willy scrunched his nose and wandered away from them and over the top of the hill to where his parents were. They were sitting on chairs with all the other grown ups, surrounding the picnic blanket. His daddy was holding Marlene and laughing with Uncle Harry, so he crawled onto his mummy's lap and buried his head into her neck.

"Mummy," he whimpered, clutching onto her.

Hermione immediately broke conversation with Ginny and cradled onto her boy, frowning in concern. "There you are! I've missed you," she went to stroke his hair and frowned slightly at the twig, swiftly taking it out. "What's the matter darling? Why aren't you playing with Albus?"

"Don't want to. He grow his hair and I …" his lip trembled and hid in her neck again, "I can't."

"Grew his hair, Willy, and why do you want to do that? Your hair is lovely," she stroked his dark locks which were shiny and shaggy like his father's.

He shook his head, "no. I can't do magic and I won't go to Hog – hog-"

He couldn't say it, but Hermione knew what he meant, and she kissed him and rocked him as he cried. It broke her heart when he cried, because he was such a brave little boy that when he did cry, she knew he was sad. Sirius heard his son's cries out of fatherly instinct and turned to his wife, all laughter gone from his face as he saw the tears welling in his boy's eyes.

"He thinks he won't go to Hogwarts," Hermione mouthed at her husband as she soothed a hand down Willy's back. "Sweetie, magic doesn't always show till your eleven, you know that. And there's nothing wrong if you don't do magic. Nanny and Granddad don't do they? Millions of people don't, and they're still happy. They can do nearly everything we do, and they have a much better taste in clothes."

Willy gave a humph and snuggled further into her arms. Hermione glanced at Sirius for support, and he nodded and gave Marlene to Fred, who was more than happy to take her.

"Willy, why don't you go and play with daddy?"

"Just me and daddy?"

Sirius stood up and knelt in front of the chair, arms reaching out to tickle him under his arms. Willy giggled and squealed at his father's intrusions. "Just you and me," Sirius growled into his hair, making him squeal louder.

"Okay," Willy said, scrambling from his mum's lap.

"Er Willy, doesn't mummy get a kiss before you go?" Hermione asked, pouting her lips and pretending to be sad.

Willy grinned and fell back against her, kissing her cheek. "Love you mummy."

"Love you baby."

She watched his little legs run back to his father, how he giggled hysterically when Sirius easily picked him up and kissed him, threw him up in the air and caught him, then swung him on his shoulders and bounced up and down as he clung on. Sirius was most attractive when he was with their children; he was a natural and the reason why Willy's tears soon dried on his soft cheeks. She could hear him talking to Willy now as he strolled away. "Your name has been down to go to Hogwarts from the minute you were born, and any stupid arse that says you won't be a great wizard will have me to answer to…"

Excitement flashed in Willy's eyes and he held onto his dad tighter; to him, and to most little boys, their dad was their hero, and for Willy Sirius definitely was. He thought his dad was the greatest wizard out of them all; could fight anyone, could solve anything, could make the scariest growling noises when acting the Big Bad Wolf in their bedtime stories, had the coolest flying motorbike and could turn into a black dog to play with him. No other person, except maybe her, could cheer him up quite like Sirius did. Hermione didn't realise Ginny was speaking to her until she waved a hand in front of her face and laughed. "Hello? Anybody in?"

She blinked and turned away from her husband, "Sorry. What did you say?"

Ginny just grinned. "You're awful you know that? How is the sex that good that you can't stop ogling-"

"Ginny!" Hermione glanced around them and lowered her voice, "don't talk so loud! I've been away from him, I'm allowed to look-"

"Stare," the red head corrected.

"Oh shut up!"

"Alright 'Mione keep your page number," she popped a crisp into her mouth and quirked an eyebrow. "So in answer to my question…?"

"Yeah, yeah it's incredible. Always has been…" she gazed into the distance at her husband. He was holding the toy broomstick steady so Willy could climb onto it, her favourite smirk gracing his lips. She let out a long sigh and smoothed over her wedding ring. "You know, tonight really couldn't come soon enough…"

"Hmm… how often do you have it would you say?"

Hermione looked sheepish and quickly bent down to get a sausage roll from the packet.

Ginny knew what she was doing and started laughing, "No," she nudged her with her foot, "come on!"

"Well… we have set times. They are usually in the morning before the kids wake up, and then when the kids are in bed and we are relaxing on the sofa..." the blush was creeping back again, "where we would have the long-day-at-work cuddles that turn into something erm…more," she closed her eyes in embarrassment. "So I – I suppose most days really…" she let out a laugh of mortification at how much she was revealing. "I'm sorry."

Ginny shook her head and stared at her as if she was mad. "Don't be daft, you can give me some pointers with Harry! We struggle to do it twice a week!"

"Hmm, but Harry probably isn't as horny as Sirius," she said quietly, rolling her eyes. "I doubt any man is as horny as Sirius. It's his doing that I'm a mother of two at the age of twenty seven, and he knows it."

Her friend grinned. "It's nice though, I've never seen either of you happier. Are you going to have any more kids, do you think?"

Little Marlene, with bubble gum pink hair, crawled up her legs and settled on her lap, and Hermione wrapped her arms round her as she spoke. "Yes, I want one more and Sirius wants one more. He'd like a whole Quidditch team of them if he had his way," she sent her an exasperated look which Ginny laughed at, "what about you and Harry?"

"We'd like a couple more. Albus is already raving about Hogwarts, and I don't want him to grow up so fast. Harry's not exactly helping by decorating his room in Gryffindor colours…"

Hermione nodded in agreement, "I know, Evie already wants to be in Ravenclaw."

Luna, who was singing to baby Eli in his pram, raised her head to her friends, her eyes bright and twinkling. "Really!"

"Bed!" Sirius said again.

"But daddy, I want a glass of milk-"

"You've just had one, now it's time for bed."

He waited for Willy to climb onto his bed, and when he did, he closed his eyes and raised his head to the air in silent thanks. It usually took Willy much longer to settle down – sometimes ten minutes just to get into him into his pyjamas, let alone into his bed. It had been a long day of playing, laughing and generally being a terror for Willy, and he must have been exhausted. Sirius looked pointedly at him and pulled up the duvet, covered in Quidditch broomsticks. "Under the covers as well, mate."

Willy slid inside, dropping his head to the pillow. "Bed time story time!"

"Alright." Sirius knelt on the floor, his head close to his son's and began to recite one of his favourite stories. "There once was a pure blood wizard named-"

"Sirius!" Willy yelled excitedly, obviously having recognised the story.

Sirius grinned, "You got it in one, son. His family was one of the cruellest families around. They were bad people who thought they were better than everyone else, and they believed bad things and tried to make Sirius believe them too. He didn't like them one bit. One day, when he was old enough Sirius went off to the most magical school in the world called-" he pressed a finger to his boy's lips, "shhh…" he whispered, "called Hogwarts. There he met the best friends of his life, and they called themselves the Marauders-"

Willy clapped his hands and cheered at this. He had heard many stories from his daddy about the adventures of the Marauders, and he and Teddy were both in awe of the things their father's got up to.

"…They could change into animals and were strong, brave wizards who stood up for the good and fought against the evil, but the evil was too strong and one horrible day Sirius was thrown into a cold jail…"

"They stupid…" Willy muttered, crossing his arms over his chest. He never liked this part of the story.

Sirius stroked his hair, "I know son. Young Sirius was in there for a long time, and he grew very weak, but he never gave up on the good in the world. Many years passed and one day he became strong enough to change into a dog-"

"Snuffles!"

"And he escaped. He swam across the ocean and ran for many miles, until he got back to the one place he felt happy and at home… Hogwarts. But Sirius had to be very, very careful. The evil people were still running after him and trying to put him back in jail; they told everyone nasty lies and said that he was the bad one, when all he had ever done was try and protect the people he loved. One night when he was staying in the Shrieking Shack, he saw a young maiden that called him Mr. Black-"

"Mummy!"

Sirius chuckled and nodded. "Mummy. The maiden was named Hermione and she was the cleverest muggle born witch of her age. She was the first person in a long time to treat him like he was real and Sirius cared for her very much. Years passed and he watched her grow into a woman, the most beautiful woman in the whole world, and Sirius fell in love with her. He would've done anything for her but she wasn't his to have, and that scared him because he wanted to protect her from the evil tyrants in the world. So…"

"He told her?" Willy piped up, happiness making his eyes bright.

Sirius stroked his son's soft hair and grinned. "He did. Sirius told her that she was his princess, and that he would love her forever and ever. Hermione said she loved him too and they got married, had a little girl called Evie and a little boy called…" he frowned as if he was trying to remember, and Willy giggled and pulled on his daddy's hand.

"WILLY!"

Sirius barked with laughter, "Willy, and they lived-"

"-happily ever after," Willy whispered, smiling.

Sirius nodded, smiling the same smile. His son didn't know that the order was somewhat mixed up, but that didn't matter, because the ending was still true. Sirius leant forward and pressed a kiss to his cheek. "Night, night Willy. Sleep tight."

He stood on his feet and switched the light off, but Willy quickly sat up again.

"Daddy, check for the monster under the bed-"

Sirius knew he was going to say that, he worried about the monster most nights; he shook his head firmly. "I've checked mate, there's no monster in the house and if there is daddy will fight him."

"Promise?"

"I promise," Sirius said, kissing him again, "now go to sleep. Love you lots."

"Love you daddy."

Hermione had already read Evie to sleep and he crept in to kiss her goodnight too before making his way to their bedroom. Hermione was already in bed with the sheets pulled up around her bare shoulders, reading a book. He shut the door behind him and quirked an eyebrow. "Are you naked already?"

She looked up with a blush and closed her book, "erm… maybe…"

Sirius's smirk grew, and he prowled towards the bed, unbuttoning his shirt. "Well then, I'd better catch up then hmm?"

Fuck, he was as hard as a brick and he hadn't even seen her body yet. He sat on the edge of the bed, pulling off his socks when Hermione slithered behind him, wrapping her arms around him and trailing soft kisses along his jaw and down his neck.

His eyes drifted shut and he groaned at her innocent caresses, loving that he could feel her erected nipples against his back, loving that goosebumps scattered her skin when he touched her; the effect they had on each other was startling, and when it became too much for both of them he turned and latched onto her lips in a fierce kiss that pushed her back on the bed.

She stripped him of his clothes and rubbed him with those hands, and somewhere along the way he was staring at the ceiling watching with black, hungry eyes as she straddled his dick. How did that happen? My, my how the tables had turned… He gripped onto her hips, his voice a cracked groan.

"Baby you're killing me…"

"Hmm… that wasn't my intentions…" she dropped a kiss to his lips and sprang off of him, darting to their en suite bathroom.

He raised his head from the pillows then, squinting at her as she left him. "What?" his voice was hoarse, and he was breathing hard, "Hermione I said you're killing me I didn't say stop-!"

She turned back to look at him.

He was stretched out on his back, gloriously naked with his tattooed chest and cock slung upwards, a slow, haughty smirk sliding across his lips when he saw that her eyes were dark and fluttering. He was sinfully sexy, and there was no getting away from it- such an arrogant arse, but he was her arrogant sexy arse, therefore she glowed with love.

She pranced back over to him and dropped a kiss on his lips, "I stopped because I need the loo."

He growled and caught onto her arm, yanking her and making her topple back on top of him, "you aren't going anywhere Mrs. Black."

He started to kiss and suckle her neck but all she could do was laugh and push him away. "Do you want me to release my bladder on you?!"

He didn't answer that, and she nodded firmly, her point made. "Well then."

Foreplay passed in a blur of tremors and whispers and exhaled breaths, and then he was pushing her legs up and telling her that he was going to show her how much he loved her. He promised it as he slid his cock up and down over her wet lips, and hissed it as he slowly sunk himself inside her. Dark shadows of their anniversary moonlight were breaking through the curtains and glowing onto the master bed, and their bodies were mere silhouettes in the darkness now. The red wine covers were kicked down to their toes, and the loud ticking of the grandfather clock on the landing went long ignored as they rubbed bodies and kissed lips, slowly making love.

"Sirius…" she was sobbing in want, her body writhing beneath him, "harder, please harder."

He shook his head and held her tighter. "No love, I want to feel all of you. I want to feel your pussy clench around my cock as you cum." His stubble scratched her as he leant down, smirking deliciously against her neck, and she gasped and breathed small sounds as he sucked on her pulse point and that bit in between her collar bone that he knew made her all his. "Come on baby, let go."

She was breathing sharply now, her back arching as she groaned. "God, you feel so amazing, I love you…"

"I love you," he whispered back, "so much. Cum for me baby, milk my cock with your sweet, tasty juices, I need to feel you..."

He was thrusting harder now, his balls slapping against her with every thrust, making her back arch and eyes flash as she cursed with need. He barked out a laugh even as he huffed and clenched his jaw, trying to restrain from coming himself; Hermione only ever swore during sex, and it turned him on more than anything. He watched her as she bit her lip and rolled her eyes to the back of her head… she always looked so sexy when she did that.

"Sirius… Sirius…!" she grabbed on to his arse and pushed helplessly against it, wedging his cock impossibly deeper inside her and making them both cry out. Her nails dug painfully into his skin and he hissed and grabbed onto a bobbing breast, pinching the nipple before putting it into his mouth, sucking with no abandon. "Cum!" he growled.

Her breath hitched and she squeezed her eyes shut, "Sirius I'm coming, I'm-!"

He could feel the change in her body, the beginning of the shakes, and he pulled her mouth to his and kissed her as she trembled and pulsed around his cock. She was squeezing him so tight that her heart beat felt like his, her panting breath like his air, her sweat his own. She was so beautiful when she came, and he tried to tell her but his voice was too cracked, his eyes too heavy. He was on the brink, and he couldn't hold out for much longer.

Hermione was whispering in his ear. "Cum inside me Sirius, please cum inside-"

He was thrusting so hard that the bed frame slammed against the wall, and all he could think about was her pussy and how wet and perfect it was, and then his balls were tightening and he was coming inside her, yelling her name to the heavens.

He slumped against her, crushing her breasts to his chest as she wound her limbs around him. His forehead rested on hers, and their eyes were closed, and all that was heard was the slowing thud of their hearts and the heavy pant of breaths. They stayed in that blissful silence for a long while, their sweat cooling on each other's skin.

He buried his nose into her hair and kissed her temple.

"What were you going to tell me earlier? The surprise?"

He gently raked his nails down her back, smiling when her toes curled and her eyelashes fluttered like an angel's. She opened her eyes slowly to him and ran her hand soothingly down his chest. She felt so relaxed, so at peace with the world that nothing could break her smile. Nothing.

"I'm pregnant again," she said, pursing her lips happily.

Sirius's eyes widened and his large hand slid from her breast to her abdomen, "you're-?"

She nodded, laughing quietly at his face; he looked so funny when he was shocked, because it was rare that anything ever shocked him. It was top entertainment when it did. "I found out this morning; that's why they sent me home early. So I could tell you. Sirius…" she cupped his cheek and gazed into his lovely grey eyes, "We're having another baby."

"Oh shit," he breathed, searching her eyes, "oh shit, that's amazing, that's so fucking amazing…" he started to shake with laughter and she laughed along with him.

"I know."

"We're having a baby," he said again.

"I know."

"You're perfect," he whispered, then quieter, "you're absolutely perfect." She squeaked as he abruptly rolled them onto her back, kissing every bit of her he could find and making her squirm and laugh whenever he nuzzled all her ticklish places. "And you're so beautiful and sexy and all mine forever-"

"All yours," she said, fingers twined in his hair as he kissed her abdomen where their baby grew.

"I'm so happy Hermione," he murmured against her skin.

"I know, I am too." She ran her hand along his tight stomach, along all the inked tattoos, and the trail of hair that ran down in-between his legs. She was his, and she was so in love, and she was utterly happy. She said it simply and she said it from the heart. "You're my soul mate."

He smiled handsomely at her and sunk down to nuzzle her neck and nibble her ears, chuckling when she hummed and mewed. "And you've always been mine."

Sirius and Hermione knew that this was their 'happy ever after' ... the life they were living every day with their wonderful children. After all they had been through together - the arguments, the tears, losing her once before his very eyes - they both knew they would never take their love for granted ever again, and they just knew, without having to say it, that they would remain together in love and happy to their grave and whatever lay beyond that. They were meant to be, like mistletoes at Christmas and Mrs Weasley's apple pie on Sunday's, and it was that simple. And all of it was because of one night on Halloween many years ago...

Thank fuck for repercussions.

We got there in the end! If any of you were wondering, Willy's middle name is Alberic after the wizard who created dungbombs - Alberic Grunnion - and their unborn baby will be a boy named Regulus Alphard Black. I didn't mean for it too be so long but Evie, Willy, mummy Hermione and daddy Sirius... - I just couldn't stop. I love this ship with my whole BEING so it was worth every word and I hope you agree! Thank you to everyone who's ever read this, and all of those who have reviewed. It means so much. I have a new Sirmione fanfic in the works (I have actually planned this one!) which is very different and unique, so this is by no means goodbye. In the words of Willy, I love you all lots with jelly tots. :) xx