A/N: Do you really think I could resist the lure of the 100th chapter? The song is Sail the wildest stretch by Powderfinger.

Chapter One Hundred

Epilogue

If you had your time over again
Would you do it all the same?
Down through all the twists and bends
Are there moments you'd erase?

Chris had died that day. There was no coming back from it, Sirius had realised, in a family where death was rarely definitive this death, this one, this one was final. Chris was gone and Sirius should know, he tried every spell he could think of found in the Book of Shadows and the Founders Library, the Black Library and lastly the Malfoy Library (stopping just short of using the dark arts (Shades' knife at his neck had been a great dissuader))

The world had rejoiced at the death of Voldemort, hoisting Harry and the memory of Christopher Black on their shoulders as they did.

Neither Harry nor Sirius could take it. At Gabrielle Zabini's behest Sirius took Blaise and his son's bodies to America and buried them together in the Halliwell plots.

And in America they stayed, Harry, Sirius, Regulus and Shades... all living in the Halliwell Manor, Harry working with Shades to continue the Halliwells' demon fighting legacy, both attacking their mission with such a ferocity in an attempt to stave off their guilt, attacks on the manor were truly few and far between.

Would you just leave me standing
in the doorway frozen through?
Waiting on the coldest comfort from you

Sirius mourned. He locked himself in Chris' bedroom and sat in darkness until he felt strong enough to get up and open the curtains. He would have starved if Reggie hadn't apparated in with food, staying with him until he ate.

He tried to convince his older brother that this pain, this gnawing, gaping hole in his chest, would pass. He would feel whole again. He would smile.

Sirius blasting him through the door convinced him that the older man didn't quite believe him.

And if your course could be reset
Would you steer your ship my way?
Or would you sail the widest stretch
Just to feel the force of the waves?

Seven and a half Months after Chris' death

1329 Prescott Street

"Hermione," Ron said patiently, for what felt like the hundredth time as they walked up the footpath on Prescott Street, "you don't have to do this."

Hermione looked down at the small bundle in her arms, with dark hair and startling green eyes, she smiled, just like his father.

"I know Ron. But it's what Chris would have wanted." She said with a sad smile.

"He's been gone seven months and we're still doing what Chris wants!" Ron snapped.

Hermione smiled, "Yes Ron. Because, this is my son, mine and Chris' and I've made my choice. CJ stays with Sirius."

Christopher Blaise Halliwell-Black, that's what she'd named her little bundle of fluff, her son. Barely a couple of weeks old she'd made the decision for the both of them, she wasn't ready to be a mother and she knew, she knew that if she couldn't do it, and Chris wasn't able to do it... Sirius. Sirius was the one person he would want to raise their son. The only thing she didn't know was how Sirius was going to react to the news.

Would you just leave me waving
On the dock as you pull away?
Savouring the bitter taste

A great roar rose up from inside the manor, starling little CJ, the baby's bright green eyes opened and he began to wail as they neared the house, the front door of the manor flew open and out rushed a familiar figure.

"Mione! Ron!" Harry laughed, "Great to see you!"

Hermione could only watch wide eyed as smoke billowed out the front door of the manor, Ron looked at her, his eyebrow raised as if to say, 'And this is where you want to leave your son?'

"What's going on?" Hermione asked.

"Demon vanquish." Harry grinned at them again, it was only then she noticed just how much the wizard had grown in the months they'd been absent, he looked like a man now, "It got a little messy."

CJ cried again, demanding attention and soon, the Boy-now Man- who lived's attention was drawn to the bundle in her arms, "This must be the baby! Can I hold him?"

"Is the demon vanquish over?" Ron asked.

"Did you not see the plumes of smoke?" Shades had appeared out of thin air, as he so often did, "Vanquish over, baby now."

Hermione placed the baby into Shades' open arms, watching the assassin's face light up as he looked upon the small child, "Hey there baby boy. How are you?"

Hermione smiled, "His name's Christopher Blaise Halliwell Black."

Shades smiled, "Christopher Blaise...that's perfect." He passed the small bundle to Harry and embraced Hermione, "Congratulations."

Hermione pulled away, looking down, "CJ is why we're here."

"I don't understand?" Harry said, not taking his eyes off CJ, Hermione and Ron could see the raised eyebrows regardless.

"You'd better come in then." The quartet turned, seeing Reggie standing on the steps of the house, his eyes lighting up as he took in the sight of his Great- Nephew.

And if the mirror don't reflect the illusion you made
You could stop and take a breath
To feel the damage's weight.

"You don't want him?" Harry frowned, "He's your son!"

Hermione took a deep steadying breath, "It's not that I don't want him Harry. It's that I can't raise him. I'm not ready."

"So what? We're just supposed to mind him til you are?" Harry asked bitterly.

"No." Hermione shook her head, "No you're missing the point! I can't provide a life for CJ... I'm not ready and I know... I know that Chris would want Sirius-"

" My brother would not leave Chris' room at all if he did not need to occasionally use the bathroom." Reggie said sadly, "I'm afraid he's not in any condition to be raising a child."

"How about we let him decide?"

Fade into silence

Knock, knock.

"You're going to have to answer that Dad."

Sirius looked up into the emerald green eyes of his son. His son that had sacrificed himself for the good of the wizarding world. A son that for fifteen years he hadn't known existed. A son he'd never be able to hold in his arms again.

"I don't want to." He said sullenly. Pressing his pale complexion into the dark crumpled sheets, "Go Away!" he shouted.

The spectre chuckled, "It could be important."

"Sirius? It's Hermione. Please open the door; I need to talk to you."

"See Dad? I told you it was important." He smiled knowingly.

"What's going on?"

Chris shrugged, "I'm in your imagination. Not hers, how'm I sposed to know? Get. Up."

"Sirius, please."

"Don't keep her waiting Dad. She's a mother now I'd expect."

A baby's sniffling could be heard on the other side of the door, followed by Hermione's soft coos.

"See. I told you."

Picking up his wand, Sirius pointed it in the direction of the door, "Alohamora." He mumbled the door opened with a soft click and a gasp when she took in the sight of the wizard, his dark, greying hair was a tangle of knots, his skin almost as deathly white as the first time they'd met.

"Oh Sirius." She murmured.

"Look out Dad, here comes the pity sigh."

Hermione sighed as she readjusted the baby in her arms, "I have someone I want you to meet." She said softly, "This is Christopher Blaise Halliwell Black." She paused, offering the baby to him, "CJ, this is your Grandpa..."

The spectre of Sirius' imagination looked over his shoulder and smiled, "Well, isn't he a keeper?"

Sirius nodded, smiling as the baby opened his eyes, "Hi there baby... I'm your grandpa, I am."

"Sirius... I needed to talk with you."

He cradled the baby close and looked up at the baby's mother, "Yes?"

She sat down beside the older man; "I'm not ready to have a baby Sirius..." she trailed off as he tensed, "I'm just not. I can do a lot of things, but be responsible for a child? Someone so utterly dependent on me? I can't."

"She really needs to stop doubting herself." Chris murmured.

"You shouldn't doubt yourself Hermione..."

She seemed to gather her resolve, "I'm not doubting myself Sirius. I'm making the right decision for my son. He needs someone who can look after him the way he needs to be looked after. He needs someone who can cope." She pulled a scroll of parchment from her bag, "I want you to adopt him."

"What?" he half yelled, startling CJ, turning his attention back to the baby as he began to bawl, when he eventually calmed down Sirius stared at Hermione, "I couldn't."

"Yes, you could."

"Sirius, deep down I think Chris would have wanted you to raise the baby if neither of us could, you're his dad and he thought the world of you."

"I did you know. Still do."

"As do I." She continued, "There's no one else I want raising my son. No one else."

Sirius stared down at the baby, could he raise a child? Could he really? His son just died. And that son, the entire time he was in his care seemed to raise himself. How could he look after his grandson and not spend the entire time fearing the boy was going to die just like his Daddy?

"Comes with the territory Dad. Parents, grandparents too are supposed to worry."

The baby's eyes opened wide, yawning, and as Sirius looked into those baby emerald eyes he was smitten. He swallowed and nodded,"Alright."

Chris beamed at him, "That's it Dad. I knew you could do it." He climbed off the bed as Hermione opened the window, walking toward the light outside he turned and smiled at his father again, "Don't give up Dad. Don't ever give up. I trust you. I love you. Look after my son." With that, he turned, walking into the light until it grew so bright he could barely stand to look.

When the light died down Chris was gone and so was the incomprehensible grief he'd found himself wallowing in. Looking down at his grandson he felt hope for the first time in months.

He had hope.

If you had your time over again
If you had your time over again
Would you sail the widest stretch?
If you had your time over again

A/N: So, this is it. The real end. The absolute last chapter of What if you weren't a Halliwell and it's truly a bittersweet moment because I'm happy Chris' story has reached its conclusion and I'm almost sad to see it end. But all good things must come to an end as they say and this is ours.

Thank you for reading... =]