Disclaimer: JKR owns the wonderful world of Harry Potter!

A/N: So here is the last chapter! I am so sad to see it end... But I love the conclusion that I brought it to. Just remember this is not the last you will be seeing of these characters! I've got the story of the baby's birth finished and I am working on story after that which will find the next generation of children at Hogwarts... And it is going to be just as interesting as this one! Plus I might do a couple of one shots featuring the characters is this story just to give you all a look into the lives of the characters you and I have all grown to love!

So I hope you all love this last chapter and thank you all deeply from the bottom of my heart for loving this story and my first published fan fiction! It means a lot you all took a chance and read this story and enjoyed what I did with it.

HAPPY READING! :)

Aftermath: Chapter 22

"Hermione, it is time for you to get into your dress." Her mum said from the hallway. "Everyone is here and waiting and Dumbledore said there is a half-hour until sunset."

"Thank you Mrs. Granger. She is almost ready." Ginny responded.

Hermione looked at herself in the mirror. She was in a satin robe while Ginny put her hair in a ringlet up do. Tonks carefully applied some makeup to her face. Mrs. Weasley was on standby with the tiara and the other two girls were all ready. Hermione smiled at the face in the mirror and imagined what Sirius' face was going to look like when he said her. She opened the box and put on the necklace and earrings.

"Those are beautiful and will match the tiara well. Now get into your dress and we can get your hair finished." Tonks said as Ginny took the dress off the hook and unzipped it. Hermione stepped into it and Tonks zipped her up. Ginny used her wand to make the sizing adjustments, which rather than taking it in, she had to let it out a bit. Seems Hermione put on a bit more baby weight since she got the dress.

Ginny let Mrs. Weasley in and she affixed the tiara to her hair and helped with the veil. "Now you have something old and borrowed with this tiara and something new from your mum last night. Now you just need something blue."

"Don't worry mum, we picked her a few blue flowers for her bouquet. She has it all covered." Ginny said.

"Good. Now I am going to go and get my seat. You look beautiful dear. Congratulations."

"Thank you Mrs. Weasley. Is my father ready?"

"Yes he is. Now take a deep breath and go and marry your man." The four women chuckled as Molly walked out. Hermione looked at herself in the mirror and began to cry. She was the luckiest woman alive. Hermione took a deep breath and picked up her bouquet.

"Okay I'm ready." She said. And together the three of them arm and arm walked out of the bathroom and waited in the hall for her father's signal.

XXXXX

Sirius ran his hands through his hair as the music began. "You look faint, Sirius." Harry said with a sigh.

"Nah, I'm good I just want to get this done with."

"It will all be over soon my man." Remus said. "Hermione is ready and she loves you, just focus on her and soon you will be husband and wife." Remus said slapping him on the back. Sirius dressed in a simple pair of black slacks and a white button down shirt took a deep breath and opened the door. He watched Dumbledore walk the white aisle barefoot and Sirius laughed. Leave it to Dumbeldore! As soon as Dumbledore was in the designated area, he followed. He saw the face of his friends… No… His family as he went and stood next to his old Professor dressed in ocean blue robes.

He turned to look at the door of their house waiting for the moment he would see her. Remus and Tonks came out of the door after him. They walked the same aisle as he did and took up post on the right and left sides. Harry and his wife were next following the exact motions of Remus and Tonks. He could already here the faint cries from some of the people in the audience and he saw Hagrid, who just made it in time for the wedding blow his nose. The music that surrounded their wedding changed as he saw Hermione on the arm of her father walk out of their shared home. Everyone stood as they watched her walk to him.

A few tears escaped his eyes as he saw his beautiful bride in a beautiful dress. A thousand thoughts ran through his mind, but the most dominate one was how did he get so lucky. The gentle breeze blew the dress around her and he could see the ever expanding baby bump of hers under the gown. How was this possible? How was she his? She grinned like a mad woman as she walked her way to him. The walk seemed to take forever, but at last her father and she stopped in front of him.

Albus cleared his throat, "who gives this woman to this man?" He asked.

"Her mother and I do." Mr. Granger said and then he kissed her cheek and went to sit with his wife.

"You all may be seated." Albus said with a smile. Sirius looked into Hermione's tear filled eyes and knew without a doubt this was his destiny. "We are here this evening to join these two souls in blessed wedlock. I was given the most magnificent honor of being asked to be the one to perform this union and I gladly accepted. Many years ago when this beautiful woman who is standing before us was a young girl, her wonderfully big heart wouldn't let an innocent man be sentenced to something worse than death itself. With my permission I allowed her to go back and alter the course of their lives. I knew then and there in that moment that one day I would be standing in front of their dearest friends and family joining these two as man and wife. Love known no bounds and this union here today is the perfect example of that; taking destiny into their own hands they have discovered that no matter how different two might seem on the outside; if there is love within their souls they can make it through anything.

"Miss. Granger, a muggle born witch and Mr. Black, a pure-blood wizard decided to give their love a chance and get married here today is a duel muggle and magical wedding. In keeping with this request I am not going to allow this man and woman to share their vows. Mr. Black."

Sirius' heart began thumping loudly in his chest. He had to take in a few deep breaths before he could begin. "I only have one thing that I want to say to you Hermione. Thank you for taking a chance and saving me. It is true that you did save me from a horrible fate, but that one act of kindness changed my whole life. You are the warmest, loving and caring woman I know. You took a chance on me at your own risk and no one every stood up for me like that. I knew then that I was going to marry you some day. You gave me a second chance at life and love and for that I will always be indebted to you. I promise with all that I am to always be there for you in every way that you have been there for me over the years. I will never give up on you, our love, or our life together. I will love and cherish you with every fiber of my being and together be one soul. I love you, Hermione." He said. Not all of the words came out like he wanted them too, but he thought he did really well. It was hard for him to express his feelings, but he knew she would know what he meant.

"Your turn, Miss. Granger."

He watched Hermione choke up a bit, and push a tear away from her eye. "Sirius, all of my life I thought I had to be a strong, emotionally barren woman to survive. I never found it easy to show what I felt. I always followed a strict set of self-imposed rules because I thought in order to become someone amazing I had to. Circumstances change though, and when I let my emotions out, in the aftermath you were the only one there. You picked me up when I fell down and you held my hand as I struggled. You never gave up on me. You changed my life for the better. You made me realize that I didn't need fame and fortune to be an amazing person. You showed me that I am an amazing person. You made me realize that for too long I was living a life I thought I had to, not one I wanted to." More tears fell from her eyes.

"By giving me your love, letting down your guard and letting me in, you showed me that I needed you just as much as you needed me. You made me realize that I want to be an amazing wife and mother; I don't need fame, and I don't need to save the world. You let me save you and in return you saved me. I promise that for the rest of my life I am always going to be there for you when you need it. I am always going to pick you up when you fall down and hold your hand when you struggle. I will celebrate with you during the good times and seek comfort from you during the bad times. And every day I am going to remind you just how much I love you and just how wonderful of a person you are. I love you, Sirius Black." She finished. He held onto her hand as her vows rang in his ears. He didn't understand what he did to deserve this wonderful woman and all the kind things she said, but he did understand love. And he knew they loved each other.

"Now the rings." Albus said turning to Tonks and Remus. "In muggle tradition these rings are an outward remembrance of the internal vows and love they have shared here today. Sirius please put this ring on Hermione's finger." He said handing the ring to Sirius. With a shaking hand he slipped it onto her finger. "Your turn, Hermione." Hermione took the ring and put it on his finger.

"Now for the magical binding of this ceremony." Albus took out his wand and tapped Sirius's hand; a green light hovered above it. He did the same to Hermione, she emitting a red light. With a wave he twisted to two separate colors together until they turned radiant silver in the air and then exploded covering the two of them in gold dust. "A beautiful pairing a wonderful match." Albus looked at the two of them with tears in his eyes and Sirius and Hermione both looked at the beautiful colors in the setting sky. "Sirius Black, you may now kiss your bride." Albus said. He didn't need telling twice. Carefully he ran his finger down her right cheek and then down her left, and ever so gently he pulled her face to his. When their lips met his body filled with sparks. The kiss was light and sweet and the sensation he felt would be one he would forever remember.

"It is the greatest honor for me to introduce you to, Mr. and Mrs. Sirius Orion Black!" All of their friends and family exploded with clapping and whistles and Hermione and Sirius walked back up the aisle. Everyone threw rose petals at them and offered their congratulations. "You are the most amazing creature I've ever met, Hermione Black! I am so happy you are my wife." He whispered in her ear.

"I am only amazing because of you, love." She responded and then threw her arms around him to kiss him again.

XXXXX

Hermione and Sirius walked their way to the table they were going to sit at with Harry, Ginny, Tonks and Remus. Once there, Remus handed them a glass each. "A toast to the new Mr. and Mrs. Sirius Black. May their life be filled with the wonders of love and best wishes for a happily ever after." He said clanking their glasses together.

Albus waved his wand and filled the plates of the guest at the party. Everyone ate their meal, drank some of the most delicious drinks and shared in the celebration of love and laughter. In turn they came up in groups of twos and threes to congratulate them and compliment them on how wonderful the ceremony was. Once everyone finished with their meals, speeches were made by almost everyone in attendance. Some were sweet and sappy, while others were comical.

Hermione and Sirius cut the cake and took pleasure in smashing it in the others face and then they signaled Fred and George for the music. "Now, the bride and groom are going to share their first dance." Fred said, as the two of them walked into the dancing area. George used his want and made the bags glow bright from the candles in them, and Hermione and Sirius twirled around and around in the warm sand. Soon everyone was dancing with everyone one and more drinks were shared. Stories of love, family and friendship passed around. People laughed and people cried and people passed out on the sand.

Soon it was time for the party to end and for people to return to their homes. The beautiful wedding that took six weeks to prepare was destroyed in six hours. After they used their wands to clean up the rest of the mess, Sirius took Hermione's hand and walked her to the edge of the sand. Water was licking their toes. There together they danced to the music in their hearts under the bright moon and the twinkling stars.

"I love you, Sirius. Thank you for being my hero. I wouldn't have been me if you didn't save me." Hermione said as they finished spinning.

"Hermione, we saved each other. We both were lost and together we helped find each other. Love is such a wondrous thing."

"It truly is, Sirius. It truly is." And if their baby was agreeing with them it kicked in her stomach. It was just a little flutter, but it was there. She grabbed Sirius' hands and wrapped them around her so they could share in the magic of the moment. He laughed when he felt it kick and then tilted her chin up so he could kiss her lips.

"I love you, Mrs. Black." He said placing his hands back on her stomach.

"I love you too, Mr. Black." She said laying her head backwards on his shoulder. They both turned their heads to the moon and looked at it reflect off the water. It was beautiful. And there standing in the sand, her feet nestled between Sirius with water kissing their toes she felt that her life was complete. She was no longer stuck in searching for a way out of the shambles of her life. She lived through the downfall and she survived the aftermath with the help of them man who had his arms wrapped around her. Hermione Jean Granger-Black's life was complete and rather than digging her way out of a mess, she held her head high and looked forward to her new forever.

THE END!