Author's note: Wow, the very last chapter. Exactly one year ago today I first posted this story, thanks so much to everyone who has stuck with me through it. As quite a few people know, this story (as well as 'Rescued by Remus') are my favourite ones to write and so I was hoping to hold onto this one for a bit longer but I realised it was coming up to it's birthday and I want to finish it on the anniversary I started it. So I am…sadly.

Please do review, even if I posted this several years before you read it. Because I shall still be on the site somewhere and reading/replying to them.

I want to dedicate this chapter to Morphox, who is an absolutely amazing (UH-mazing, lol) friend, writer, sister (!), inspirer, encourager, sympathiser, comforter, sneak-peak reader and does-this-sentence-make-sense?-answerer. Luv you!!!!

Chapter 10: Four Years later.

"Daaaaaad!" Seventeen year old Emerald Black yelled down the stairs. "Have you seen my automatic refill quill? I can't find it anywhere and I only bought it yesterday!"

"I thought you packed absolutely everything last night?" Sirius Black's exasperated voice floated back to her.

"Well, I forgot I bought it while we were getting Harry's stuff in Diagon Alley. I packed everything apart from that."

"Well, I normally have to keep sending you parcels of things you've forgotten anyway. If I find it, I'll send it on for you." Sirius promised, his voice sounding slightly strained at the reminder that this year he was going to be in the house alone during Hogwarts term as Harry would be starting his first year.

"But I will need it before then!" Emerald protested.

"You can borrow mine." Eleven year old Harry Potter offered, suddenly appearing in the landing, a big trunk towering behind him. "Can you help me get my case down the stairs?"

"You'll need yours. You have to do a lot of work at Hogwarts and you'll be surprised how fast quills run out!" Emerald laughed at Harry's horrified expression as she dragged the trunk down the hall and then proceeded to yank it down the stairs, seemingly unbothered by the massive bangs it made as it fell down each one.

"But I'll be able to do the work, won't I?" Harry ran after his 'sister', looking worried. "You went through all the textbooks with me and Sirius taught me how to turn a matchstick into a needle like you said you had to do in transfiguration and-"

"You'll be fine, Harry, you're a very clever boy." Sirius remarked, sticking his head out of the kitchen and sending the panicky boy a soft smile. "Just concentrate on having fun."

"And don't get too hurt by the troll." Emerald added, wickedly. Before turning to go back upstairs.

She laughed as she took a last glance at Harry's shocked expression, before disappearing into her bedroom.

"t-t-troll?" Harry said weakly.

"You have to fight it to get sorted into your house. You want to know what house you should be in, don't you?" Emerald shouted from upstairs.

"I don't think I could fight a troll." Harry murmured to Sirius, looking rather pale.

"I absolutely promise that there are no trolls at all." Sirius comforted, taking pity on the boy.

"But maybe it's changed since you went there!" Harry protested. "You went a very long time ago!"

"It was not a long time ago! I am still in my prime!"

"Does prime mean you're nearly an old age pensioner?" Harry joked, giggling as Sirius caught him in his arms and proceeded to tickle him mercilessly.

Sirius laughed as he watched his godson wriggle around in his arms but his laughter didn't reach his eyes, what was he going to do for nearly four months? Christmas was such a long time away. It always hurt when Emerald went, but at least he had had Harry for company. Now, he was going to be so lost.

With a sigh he helped Harry, who had been rolling around the floor desperately trying to get away from the fingers which were making his sides tingle so much, back to his feet.

Harry bit his lip as he stood looking at his godfather who seemed uncharacteristically solemn as he stared at Harry, as if trying to absorb every detail of his appearance. Usually, Sirius didn't let him up until he was begging for mercy. Why had the man ended the tickling game so prematurely?

"I promise that Dumbledore would never let a troll into the castle." Sirius assured him at last, returning to the previous conversation.

"Awww, Dad! Don't tell him too much about the sorting. It has to be a surprise! Don't ruin it." Emerald suddenly appeared in the kitchen again, her appearance now transformed. Her long, charcoal hair, which usually hung unrestrained in a curtain around her shoulders, was tied back in a high pony tail. Her Hogwarts uniform gleamed with freshness and the Gryffindorian lions were decorated with a small sewn on 'E' which Emerald had taken to sewing onto all of her clothes using the same emerald colour thread. A shiny 'Headgirl' badge was pinned in pride of place on the front of the dark robes.

"Do I look okay?" She asked, self consciously fingering her badge.

"You look beautiful, Em. You're going to be a great head girl." Sirius turned away suddenly, his slate grey eyes bright.

"Do you have to change into your uniform now?" Harry asked, looking at his watch and then down at his jeans in alarm.

"No, you'll get changed on the train. I have to call all the prefects together for a meeting on the train so I probably won't get time to change unless I do it now."

"I think I'll just see if Remus is ready." Sirius muttered, his voice gruff. He kept his head turned away from his children as he disappeared into the fireplace.

"Was Sirius crying?" Harry asked in concern.

"He's going to miss you a lot." Emerald remarked. "I think it's getting to him."

"He'll miss you too." Harry pointed out earnestly, still conscious of the fact that the girl battled with jealousy on occasion. "Do you think I should stay?"

Emerald's eyes widened. "Are you mad? Everyone goes to Hogwarts! You can't not go! Sirius will be fine. He was on his own during term time for two years before you even came. He'll have Remus."

Harry nodded glumly, still not perking up. "Emerald…what if…what if no one likes me?"

Emerald snorted.

"Don't do that! I mean it! What if I can't make any friends? What if I'm really bad at my lessons? What if they decide I'm a squib?" Harry's insecurities tumbled out.

"You can turn a matchstick into a needle." Emerald reminded him. "And you already know more than muggleborns so you're at an advantage anyway."

"What if I don't make any friends?"

"Everyone is friendly at Hogwarts, besides no one else will know each other either."

"I don't want to be stuck by myself." Harry mumbled.

Emerald sighed. "Well, remember me telling you about Charlie Weasley?"

"The boy you're going out with?"

"Don't say that outloud here!"

"Sirius has gone to Remus's!"

"Just shush about it, he might come back suddenly!"

Harry pulled a face. Emerald had been going on about Charlie for the whole summer. But she had been resolute that the over-protective Sirius couldn't know about it.

"Anyway-" Emerald glared at Harry as if the interruption had been all his fault. "Charlie's little brother is starting this year and I've met him and he seems fine. Charlie is going to come with his parents to drop all of his siblings off and so you can go and talk to him, his name's Ron, okay? Which will distract Sirius long enough for me to…"Emerald blushed. "To see Charlie."

"You mean snog him?" Harry asked coyly.

"Snog who?" An amused voice cut in suddenly and both Emerald and Harry spun around just quickly enough to see Remus step out of the fireplace.

"Shhh, Uncle Remus, please!" Emerald pleaded, shooting a glare at Harry.

"Uncle Remus!" Harry yelped, racing across the room and into the man's arms in an enthusiastic hug.

There was a chuckle and Sirius Black stepped out of the fireplace too, smiling at his friend and godson and the cute sight they made. "All grown up," he whispered.

Suddenly remembering the conversation he was having Harry turned back round to Emerald who was running through a lengthy packing check-list. She was smiling as she saw the Marauders Map right near the top, that would be Harry's next year once she had left. She would give it to him this year but she would need to sneak out to see Charlie…

"But I can't just go up to him and talk to him!" Harry protested.

"Why not? He's the same age as you, he loves Quidditch like you, he's quite shy. Just say hi and introduce yourself and I'm sure you'll get along fine. I'll introduce you if you like."

"I'm not a baby!" Harry seemed mortally offended, much to Sirius and Remus's amusement even though they weren't following the conversation.

Emerald shrugged. "Fine, introduce yourself then."

"Sirius said you'd lost your ink-refilling quill and I had a spare at home." Remus held it out to her, smiling as the girl threw her arms round his neck.

"Thank you, Uncle Remus! You are a god send!"

"We ought to be getting to the station, Sirius." Remus pointed to his watch. Even though they were flooing, they could only floo to a wizard residency near the station so they would still have some walking to do. It would attract too much attention for witches and wizards to suddenly pop up out of nowhere at Kings Cross.

Though they still attracted a lot of attention walking through streets with owls and trunks, at least the family knew how to dress properly; which is more than can be said for certain people they knew.

"Already?" Sirius whimpered. "But can't we have five more minutes to-"

"No, Sirius. You don't want Harry to be late on his first term." Remus sent his friend, who turned away from everyone again at the mention of Harry's first departure, a sympathetic look.

Remus came to see Emerald off every year, mainly because that was the only way she would get there on time (Sirius would try to put off leaving to the very last second and used every excuse in the book) but also because Sirius needed the support. This year was different though, Remus thought he might need support as well when he had to wave Harry off.

--

Sirius was still trying to think up something they had forgotten to do or another viable excuse for returning to the house when the family finished the ten minute walk and arrived at King's Cross station.

"Platform 9 and ¾." Harry murmured, having been to wave Emerald off a few times before and already knowing how to get on to the platform.

"There's Cha-the Weasleys!" Emerald announced, suddenly darting through the crowd towards a family of redheads.

"Who?" Sirius asked in confusion.

"They have a boy the same age as me." Harry explained. "Emerald is going to bring him over for me to talk with him."

"That was nice of her." Remus remarked, smirking as the second eldest Weasley boy whispered something to the teenager who laughed loudly. As if anyone could miss what was going on there, but Sirius evidently could as he was just clutching Harry's hand as if he would never let go.

"Sirius?" Harry whispered, trying to ignore the staring his forehead was receiving.

Sirius bent down to the boy's height. "Hmm?"

"What if…what if I get into Slytherin?" Harry sounded as though the idea pained him and his eyes searched his handsome godfathers face as he waited for the answer.

Remus tactfully pretended to be engrossed in the train timetable.

Sirius took his time in answering. He wanted to tell Harry that he was a Gryffindor, that only Snivellies got into Slytherin. But looking at Harry's desperate face Sirius couldn't put that sort of pressure on him.

"Then Slytherin will have gained an excellent student, won't they?" Sirius murmured back, hugging his godson tightly. "Whatever house you're in, I'll be proud. Understand?"

"I love you, Sirius." Harry muttered into the man's shirt.

"You write every week, you hear me? Every single week so I know you're eating properly and Snivellous isn't giving you a hard time and you aren't working too hard and-"

"I'll write every day." Harry promised.

Sirius laughed. "No you won't, but weekly. Okay?"

Harry nodded, still pretty sure the letters would be daily. He didn't need to ask his godfather to know he would reply to each one of them.

"Ron, this is my little brother; Harry." Emerald announced cheerfully.

Sirius shot to his feet and Harry swiped at his wet eyes hurriedly.

"Hey." The boy said, smiling friendly. Harry couldn't help noticing the smudge of dirt on the end of the nose and wondering how he got it there of all places.

"Hi." Harry whispered back, his face reddening.

Ron fidgeted, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. "Do you…erm…follow Quidditch?"

Harry brightened. "It's the best game ever!"

Ten minutes later Harry and Ron were in a big discussion about which position was the most dangerous.

"But seekers get the most injuries!"

"But chasers get bludgers aimed at them!"

"The train's about to leave." Remus broke in suddenly, speaking rather loudly considering Sirius was standing right beside him.

Harry quickly realised why when Emerald and Charlie suddenly appeared from behind a large bulletin board, both looking rather red-faced and crumpled. Luckily for them, Sirius didn't appear to have noticed.

"Now make sure you tell me if Snivellous is being too hard on you, make sure you try your best but have lots of fun, okay? And-"

"Harry needs to get on the train, Sirius." Remus reminded him quietly.

Sirius's face fell and he quickly swept Harry into a hug, releasing him only for Remus to do the exact same thing. Harry's face burnt and he looked over at Ron, convinced the boy would be laughing behind his hands. But Ron's mother, a friendly, round woman, had him in a tight hug too.

"I'll make sure he gets a nice compartment, dad." Emerald promised as she returned her dad's hug.

"And make sure you write too!" Sirius demanded. As Emerald moved on to hug Remus.

Emerald rolled her eyes. "Yes, dad."

Remus sighed as Sirius watched Emerald grab Harry by the hand, to the boy's horror, and lead both him and Ron into a train carriage.

Harry turned back just before disappearing inside and waved mournfully. Remus's heart ached as he saw his friend's heartbroken expression.

"They'll be back at Christmas," he offered.

"Christmas is a long time away." Sirius retorted.

There was silence until the train's whistle blew shrilly. Both Sirius and Remus raised a hand in farewell even though they knew Harry and Emerald probably wouldn't see them from that distance.

"Harry's going to love Hogwarts." Sirius murmured, a sincere smile gracing his face.

"And Emerald will enjoy her final year." Remus agreed.

"Headgirl." Sirius remarked proudly. "She'll love that."

"Bossing everyone around." Remus laughed.

The two began to walk slowly back to the floo.

"They'll be fine, Sirius."

"I know." Sirius replied confidently.

"You will start your auror training tomorrow, so it isn't like you aren't going to be busy."

"I still don't see why I can't just join again. I've been through training once. I haven't forgotten that much." Sirius whined.

"And I'll be starting my book on lycanthropy." Remus mused.

"We'll all be doing something."

"And we'll all be happy." Remus said firmly, trying to erase the sadness Sirius felt at seeing the train leave. "Emerald and Harry will both be happy at Hogwarts."

"I know they will. We all will." Sirius agreed. "I think I've finally accomplished it, Remus."

Remus frowned in confusion. "Accomplished what?"

"Harry is as much a part of the family as Emerald is, and he knows it. I still love Emerald just as much as before and she knows it. I'm going back to the job I love. You're finally doing what you always said you were going to do… We have it, we finally have it."

"Have what?"

"Our Happily Ever After."