"If you don't wait for me before crossing that road, Stewart, I will see that your PlayStation never sees the light of day again!" I yelled out, scurrying after the eleven year old.

Becky let go of my hand and hurried after her brother, and they both waited at the corner as I tried to walk faster without dropping the shopping I was carrying. As I sidled up to them, I scolded. "Don't forget to look at both sides of the road this time. And hold hands, please."

"Yes, mum." Stewart rolled his eyes and reached for Becky's hand. I stifled a yawn as we crossed the road, and I couldn't wait to get into a nice hot bath as soon as we got in. I really didn't enjoy school holidays, since the children were always so restless.

"Did you get me a Mars Bar, mummy?" Becky asked as we reached Swan Grove, and I nodded.

"Yes dear, I'll get it out once I'm in." I assured her, and then added before Stewart could open his mouth. "I got you one too, though you won't see it if you don't tidy up your room, mister."

Just as we neared our home, the shopping bag split, littering the street with the groceries I had purchased. I groaned, and told the children to hurry inside, and that I would be right behind them. Our house was large and square, and looked like every other house on Swan Grove. I was so adamant on having a pretty house, and I was set on a smaller but much more aesthetic bungalow near the train station. This house completely won me over, however, when I saw the back garden. It was huge, with a big vegetable patch and room to fit the trampoline as well as a big shed for Niall's car parts.

I looked down from our home and wiped the hair off my face. It really was getting too long, but I haven't had the time to get it cut in ages. As I picked up the thankfully intact milk carton, I had the eerie feeling that someone was watching me. I glanced around me uncertainly, but all I saw was an old woman walking through the road. I shook myself, picked up the rest of the shopping and was about to head inside when I saw a tin of tomatoes that had rolled behind the neighbour's shrubs. I scurried toward it, and bent over to pick it up. That's when I saw it behind the bush. It was huge, with black matted fur and bright eyes that surveyed me. I stood up quickly, keeping my wary eyes on the giant canine. It didn't move as I neared it, nor did it bare its teeth, which I took as a good sign. It looked so familiar, and I wondered if it belonged to one of the neighbors', though I somehow doubted anyone in this neighbourhood would want a dog the size of a small bear.

"I know you." I said to it, then realized how stupid I must have looked, speaking to a dog that probably had no idea what I was saying.

"Mum!"

I turned toward the house and saw Becky at our front doorstep.

"Mum!" She repeated. "Stewart keeps saying I'm not allowed to name his new cat, but he promised that I could call it whatever I wanted if I gave him my dessert last night."

"Just get in, Becky. I'll sort it out in a minute." I turned toward the dog again, and it was still standing there, looking at me. I hadn't been around animals much, but I was sure that normal dogs wouldn't just sit there without moving an inch.

"Who do you belong to?" I asked it, trying to peer through its fur for a collar. "Did that cow Mrs. Miller get you? I swear, if she lets you shit in my garden like she lets her stupid cats do, I will… write a very stern letter." I sighed at my apathy, and looked the dog over. It let out a very short bark as a response to my speech, and I glared.

"Even dogs laugh at me." I mumbled. "Well, hurry along then." I waved my hand in dismissal, but the dog didn't move at all.

"Mum!"

"I'm coming!" I yelled out and hurried in to the house, not looking back.

That night, I lay awake in bed, unable to fall asleep. There were many moments in my life when I had thought I was going insane, when I'd have strange dreams about floating objects and flying vehicles. Whenever I told Niall about them, he would shake his head and say that they are just reoccurring dreams, that they didn't mean anything. But I knew. I knew they meant something. I knew that many years ago, I had woken up in my room shaking, with thoughts of dark-haired boys and motorcycles filling my head. I had spent months living through it all again, sure that I was losing my mind. I didn't mention it to anyone, avoided seeing anything that would remind me of it all. It was only after I met Niall that I began to forget. It seemed like a distant memory, an oddly vivid dream I had once. But a few weeks ago, it all came crashing on me again, and I knew it must have been real. No matter how much I wanted to deny it, it must have been real.

I let out a sigh and got out of bed quickly. Niall stirred next to me but didn't wake. I tiptoed past the children's bedrooms and made my way downstairs to the kitchen. I stood at the window and looked out into our garden. It was a quiet night, and the grass looked wet from the evening rain. I narrowed my eyes when I spotted a bright orange object on the grass. Recently, the brat next door has started throwing his toys into our garden before crying to his mum that Stewart was stealing them. I slipped my shoes on and went outside, muttering to myself.

"Stupid spoiled little arse, thinking he could bully Stewart, well, I'll bloody show him, won't I?" I threw the toy as hard as I could into their garden, smiling as it made a pleasing thud when it hit their grass. When I turned around, I started and had to cover my mouth quickly to stop myself from screaming.

"Oh good God," I spluttered, clutching my chest. "You scared the bejesus out of me."

The dog scuttled forward, and stopped a few feet from me. I stared at it, scared to voice out what I had realized about it as soon as I got in the house that afternoon.

"You're… you're Sirius, aren't you?" I grimaced. The dog merely stared back at me, though I could swear its head bobbed slightly in a nod. A silence elapsed as the dog and I eyed each other, and I tried to comprehend what was going on. After a few minutes, I spoke again. "Well, are you hungry?" The dog let out a short bark again, and I grinned meekly. I hurried inside the kitchen and grabbed the leftovers from the roast dinner we had, and a jug of water. When I stepped into our garden again, the dog was gone. In his place stood a man with dirty black hair that was cut short, his face slightly sunken. His eyes looked slightly hollow, but grinned at me, bearing yellowing teeth.

"Cheers, Amy." He said as I set down the food on the table. I wiped the wet seat of a chair with a kitchen towel and sat down. He ate the food hurriedly, and I let him lapse into silence as he chewed through the chicken. After he had slowed down, I spoke up.

"How did you find me?" I asked.

He swallowed. "Your dad. I went back to the village, and he was talking to someone about how he was going to visit you here next week in front of the bike shop."

I nodded. "How are you?"

He shrugged. "Been better. Been worse too, mind." He added, grinning at me again. It was hard to think that this person was the same handsome young man I met so many summers ago. I gulped, recalling last year's shock when I turned on the evening news and saw his face enlarged on the screen. I hadn't recognized him until they repeated his name, and even then I thought it was some sort of odd coincidence.

"You're not… an armed murderer, are you?" I asked tentatively.

He let a bark-like laugh. "Not particularly."

"Good." I nodded, feeling silly. "I didn't think you were, but you should always check with these sorts of things, I suppose."

He smiled. "Clever of you."

I looked him over, and I had to ask. "That… night. It happened, right? With the bike?"

He smiled sadly at me. "Yes. You passed out and I took you back to your house. James wanted to wipe your memory, and I told him I would."

I nodded again, wondering if my life would have been easier if he had just done what James asked him to do. "How is he? James, I mean?"

"Dead."

"Oh." I was shocked. I never knew what to say in these situations. "I'm sorry, Sirius."

He shrugged and lowered his eyes to his food. Another silence elapsed, and I wondered if I should tell him about what has been plaguing my mind for the past few weeks, but he broke the silence first.

"I suppose you're not a Greene anymore, then?"

"I haven't been for a while." I smiled. "Amy Ackerley now, thank you."

"Suits you." He smiled back, "And I saw your kids. I'm assuming they're yours?"

I nodded. I thought that if there were ever a perfect time to bring it up, it was then. I hesitated for a moment, wondering how to phrase it. "My son, my eldest. He's always been a bit… strange."

"Well, you are his mother." Sirius said, and I let out a half-hearted laugh before continuing.

"Odd things always happened when he was angry. The telly blew up once when his sister wouldn't let him watch his program. When someone tried to bully him in school, he went missing for an entire school day, and they only found him when the final bell rang on top of a supply cupboard."

Sirius listened intently, his gaze not leaving mine. I wondered if he knew what was coming, or if he could just sense the fear in my voice as I spoke.

"He got a letter in the mail a few weeks ago... From- from Hogwarts."

It was the first time that Sirius broke out into a genuine smile, and I briefly saw the young man I had been so infatuated with. "Amy, that's fantastic."

"Is it?" I asked, voicing the concern that has been eating me up ever since Stewart opened that letter.

"He'll be okay." Sirius assured me. "My godson is starting his fourth year there soon. I can ask him to look out for him, if you want me to."

"Oh no, that will just embarrass Stewart." I said quickly. "He's not one for attention."

"Have you told Chris?" Sirius grinned. "I bet he would have died of jealousy."

I shook my head. "I haven't spoken to Christopher since he left for uni. He's an accountant now, I heard."

"That's sad." Sirius said, and I wasn't sure if he was referring to our estrangement or Chris' chosen profession.

I shrugged, not knowing what to say. Then, I heard a noise inside our house.

"Amy?" Niall called out.

I turned to Sirius quickly. "That's my husband." I said, and he transformed into a dog again.

Niall came into the garden. "What are you doing out here?" He asked curiously, glancing at the now empty plate on the table, then the dog that stood next to it.

"Oh, I found a stray." I said weakly.

"That's… nice." He said slowly, frowning at the dog. "You fed him?"

I nodded, standing up. "Just our leftover dinner. I'll come inside now."

"Alright." Niall said, and kissed my cheek briefly. "Becky woke up with a nightmare, but I put her in bed again. I was just getting her a glass of water."

"She's been having those a lot, hasn't she?" I said, hoping my voice didn't betray anything. "I'll bring the water up, you can go back to bed."

I turned toward the dog, and bent to stroke its fur. "You can come back anytime, Sirius." I whispered, then stood up and went inside.

A/N: And that's that. I used descriptions from PoA and GoB for Sirius. Harry said his hair was shorter when he spoke to him in the fire before the first task, so that's why.

The name Stewart Ackerley was taken from GoB's sorting. He got sorted into Ravenclaw.