A/N: As usual, as soon as I'm THISCLOSE to finishing a story I disappear. Well, I'm back-ish. This has been my personal favourite of all of the stories I've written and seeing it come to an end (officially) is bittersweet. I've known the end for a while (since before I even started writing the first chapter) but to have to actually put it into paper and put it out there for everyone to read is always a bit of a downer. But here it goes!

….

Lily Black stared up at the ceiling of her childhood bedroom wondering if the past few hours had been a dream. Sirius had returned. She felt him lying beside her. She could hear each of his steady breaths as he slept peacefully. Together they had told her parents most of what had happened between them. Then they had retreated to her bedroom, placed locking and silencing charms over every inch of the place, and hadn't been able to keep hands or lips off of each other until he'd nodded off a few minutes previously.

Lily turned her head to the side and smiled. He was a bit scruffier than she remembered – stubble coated from his chin up his cheeks and over his upper lip. She decided at once that she liked it and it was sexy. The soft yellow duvet was pulled up under her armpits. Mostly this tactic was to hide the gigantic belly underneath with all of the stretchmarks currently adorning it. Of course Sirius hadn't seemed to mind the physical changes Lily had gone through while carrying their child but she still felt self-conscious about it.

Other than the blanket neither of them had a stitch of clothing on. Her attention turned back to the ceiling, the smile still firmly in place on her kiss-bruised lips. Not wanting to wake her husband, she wiggled her toes in glee of the situation instead of doing the full-on body-shimmy that she really wanted to express. He was here – with her – right where he belonged. Where she belonged. They always belonged together; past or future it would always be Lily Luna and Sirius Orion.

Apparently her toe-wiggle had been a bit too enthusiastic as Sirius stirred beside her and placed a scratchy kiss on the place where her neck met her jaw. "How long was I out?" his voice was the deep growl she remembered so fondly hearing every time he awoke.

"Only a few minutes," she whispered in reply.

"Hmm," he nuzzled up to her and placed a large hand on the very top of her baby bump. Lily snorted at the word – bump. Yeah, more like a baby mountain.

"I'm sorry that I'm not – you know…what you remember," she added hesitantly.

"What d'you mean, love?" his words slurred a bit due to his lethargy.

"I'm all huge and swollen. Godric, even my ankles have grown. You can't possibly be as turned on by me now as you used to be."

Sirius propped himself up on an elbow and blinked at her. "Didn't I just adequately prove to you how attracted to you I am or do I need to take you again, Mrs. Black?"

Lily playfully licked the tip of his nose as it was so close to her mouth. "It was probably just due to how sex deprived you've been. Er – I mean – that is –" she stuttered awkwardly before blurting out the question she'd been dying to ask. "How many women have you been with since I left?"

His eyes narrowed and his lips thinned but he didn't hesitate before telling her, "One that was close enough to count but never all the way."

"What do you mean never all the way?"

"There was a girl…and we almost…but didn't."

"Sirius! You can't possibly be being honest about that. Why on earth would you be celibate after I basically died in your time?"

"Well, in case you've forgotten, you weren't gone for very long before I was arrested for murder-"

"Two years! At least!"

He continued, ignoring her interjection, "Then I was locked up for ten years. Not much chance of getting a shag in Azkaban. Mind, there were dementors, but I'm not even sure how to tell which ones were lads and which were lasses…"

Despite herself Lily giggled and slapped his arm. "But then you were out."

"Yes, for two more years during which I was on the run all over the world, desperately trying to look after your father, and working for Dumbledore." As he spoke he played with the ends of her dark hair, twirling the strands around his fingers. "It's longer than I remember."

"I haven't cut it since I've been back," she scrunched her nose. "No changing the subject. Tell me about this close-enough-to-count encounter. Did you love her?"

Sirius chuckled but it was a dark sound. "No, darling, you're the only woman I've ever loved."

"Is it terribly selfish that I'm glad about that?"

"Perhaps, if you knew the story, you wouldn't be glad about that. If I had loved her then it probably would have saved her life."

Lily repositioned herself, turning so her large belly was now between them as Sirius continued playing with her hair in one hand and tracing patterns on her abdomen with the other. "Tell me about her," Lily requested.

"You knew her," Sirius began and then told her the whole story….

The Order meeting had been the usual bullshit and Sirius was leaning back in his chair, balancing it on one leg as he stared Dumbledore down. What was the old codger thinking now? Who was he planning on sacrificing next?

That was the way it felt sometimes and Sirius knew he wasn't alone in his thoughts. The Order members were being picked off one by one while Dumbledore…while he what? James had confided that Dumbledore had asked to borrow his Cloak of Invisibility but what need did he have of it?

It was July 25th. Harry's first birthday would be in just a week and Sirius wasn't sure what gift he should get for the little tyke. A broomstick kept creeping into his mind though. Maybe a nice toy one that didn't fly more than a foot or two off the ground. Thinking about Harry always made Sirius feel better although James had accused him of being in a perpetually bad mood ever since Lu-Lu had left.

Just as his thoughts began to turn bittersweet Dumbledore adjourned the meeting. Not a moment too soon. Sirius pushed anxiously away from the table, suddenly desperate to get out of there. He wanted to take off into the open sky on his motorcycle and forget about everything.

"Hey, mate, got a minute?" James looked almost nervous as he approached.

Sirius frowned and nodded as his best friend pulled him into a quiet hallway. "What's wrong, Prongs?"

"Nothing, nothing," James mumbled absentmindedly. "It's just…I think…maybe you should…it is time…you're not getting any younger, you know…"

"You're not making any sense. Just spit it out."

"I think you should shag Marlene."

"Marlene?!" Sirius cried. "You can't be serious!"

"Of course I can't be Sirius – you're Sirius."

"Don't be smart, James!"

"Just trying to defuse the tension. Honestly, Padfoot, you've been right foul recently and I think a good shag might help-"

"I'm married to your granddaughter! You can't possibly expect me to…to step out on her!"

"You're not married anymore! The bonds are gone, Sirius! Broken! As if by death!"

"Don't say that!" Sirius ran his hands through his unruly locks, tugging them by the roots. "I'll see her again. I know I will."

"It's been nearly two years. Harry is having his first birthday. Marlene is crazy about you and we all know it. She's been spending a lot of time with us recently and she and Lily get on well. We just thought that you might consider it."

Sirius sighed. He knew his friends only wanted what was best for him. He knew that they loved him and had his best interests at heart. "I'll consider it," he grudgingly agreed.

"Good. Good," James patted his back and went back to where everyone else was still mingling and saying brief goodbyes.

"Sirius," Lily approached him and stretched up on her toes to kiss the bottom of his jaw. "We don't know when we will see you again. Dumbledore doesn't want James or I leaving the house for a while and we know you'll be traveling soon."

He wasn't sure if she knew the real reason for his travels or the one that he'd invented – he knew James and Lily didn't want him to take unnecessary risks after they'd already lost so many close friends so he'd lied and told them his travels were work related but he hadn't been actively working in a few months and instead was travelling abroad for the Order, tracking movements of Death Eaters who left the country on a regular basis and reporting back his findings to Dumbledore.

"I'll visit as often as I can manage," he promised.

"Just know that we love you," she kissed him again then waved as she and James Disapparated together.

"I'm heading down to the pub," Marlene said as she approached him. "Care to join me for a pint?" Even though it was late July the cool night air was a little nippy and she wrapped a light scarf around her neck.

"Yeah, alright," he knew she was surprised by his response as her eyes widened a bit but she smiled at him and looped her hand through his arm as they left the Order headquarters together and made the short walk to the pub a few blocks down.

They talked casually as they strolled and Sirius felt his mood lifting a bit. Marlene rarely took anything seriously and it was a bit of fresh air to have her lightheartedness beside him instead of the dark looks from James and the concerned frowns from Lily.

By the time they reached the pub they were both laughing and Sirius pulled back the barstool for her as they asked the bartender for two drinks.

When they left the bar nearly two hours later neither were drunk just a bit tipsy. Drunk enough, Sirius recalled, for him to be singing Odo the Hero while Marlene hummed along.

He had to admit that she was pretty. She had blonde hair that was lighter than Mary's had been. Mary had a strawberry blonde but Marlene's was bleach blonde. It was shorter than Luna had worn hers and wasn't nearly as unruly as Lily's was. And why was Sirius comparing this girl to all of the other women in his life?

"I should head home," Sirius said awkwardly once they had walked around for a bit.

"Yeah, I reckon I should, too. My parents might start to worry," she swallowed and fiddled with the buttons on her jumper as if waiting for something.

"Would you – do you want to – I have tea at my place," was he doing this right? Was this how you picked up a woman? The only woman Sirius had ever taken to bed was his wife.

"That sounds great," she gushed and held his hand tightly as he Apparated them to his small flat.

"I'm not here much," he informed her as he unlocked the door. "So please don't mind the mess. I travel a lot and don't always have time to clean."

Contrary to his warning his tiny place was spotless. Mostly because it was barely lived in. The sofa and coffee table looked like they could've been in a photograph for an advertisement. There were no dishes in the sink, no dirt on the rugs, and as she ventured further in, Marlene found that she could practically see her own reflection in the bathroom sink it was so shiny.

"It's nice," she said sincerely. "Very cozy," she hadn't missed the pictures adorning the fireplace – all of Sirius with his late wife or just of his late wife. "I'm very sorry I didn't get to know her better before you lost her," Marlene commented politely. "She seemed like an amazing woman."

"Yes, she truly was," Sirius didn't want to think about his wife. He didn't want to think about anything other than for the first time in years he was in the presence of a woman that he was contemplating having sex with. He could barely wrap his mind around the idea as just a few hours previously he'd been sworn to a life of celibacy.

"How about that tea?" Marlene clapped her hands together and sashayed into the kitchen with Sirius following on her heels.

Before the kettle was even whistling they were kissing. Sirius told himself not to think has he pressed the willing Marlene against the doorframe of his small kitchen. His mind was spinning when he noticed the buttons on his shirt were undone and his hands had somehow found their way up her thighs under her dress.

"Bedroom," she gasped. Sirius nodded, his mouth still on hers, and lifted her by her hips. She locked her ankles together around his waist as he carried her to the bedroom that no woman had ever entered.

Marlene fell onto the bed with Sirius hoovering over her. Both of them were panting and touching each other over their clothes. The surprising part was when she dipped her hand into his trousers, stroking his erection, and the touch had the opposite effect. Immediately he felt his cock deflating as if in physical protest of the act about to occur.

Sirius's previously closed eyes fluttered open and the sight before him was a shock. The woman beneath him didn't have hair as black as midnight. She didn't have expressive brown eyes. She wasn't petite and she wasn't as curvy as he desired. She wasn't his and he wasn't hers.

He pulled back and Marlene whimpered in protest. "Sirius-" she began with her hands on his bare chest. Sirius batted her hands away gently.

"No," he put his hands over his eyes and rubbed them. "I'm so sorry, Marlene. I thought I could…but I'm not ready. I'm so sorry."

"Oh," her eyelashes fluttered as she realized what he was saying. "Don't be sorry," she straightened her dress and sat up beside him on the bed. "I didn't mean to pressure you. I enjoyed myself tonight just talking with you."

"I had a nice time, too," he admitted but his tone was dull.

"She must've really been something."

"You could say that."

"I've been after you for a long time, Black," Marlene sighed in disappointment as she stood and searched for the heeled shoes she'd previously kicked off. "Just because you aren't ready now doesn't mean you won't be eventually. And until then I will be happy just to be your drinking partner and friend."

She bent down to kiss him softly before adding a quiet, "Good night, Sirius. Thank you for the drinks."

He caught her hand before she left and returned her smile. "Good night, Marlene. Thank you for the company and I'd like to see you again." They both knew he meant seeing her more often than just at Order meetings.

She Disapparated directly out of his flat and Sirius fell back onto the bed, his face in his hands, wondering if he could possibly ever give himself to another woman when he'd already given himself away to Luna.

The next morning he was up early and out shopping for the toy broomstick he'd decided to buy for Harry. Once purchased he returned to his flat to attempt to wrap the gift. Did one-year-olds care if their presents were wrapped in old issues of The Daily Prophet?

As he searched for the back issues he knew where around somewhere he found Marlene's scarf on the floor in the kitchen. Sirius wrapped it around his hand and inhaled the scent of it. Luna had always smelled floral – like jasmine or lilac. Marlene was a headier scent – but still pleasant.

Contemplating whether or not he could pursue her as more than a friend, Sirius decided to pay her a visit. He'd only been to her home once before with Remus and Peter when they escorted her to an Order meeting that was being held at a different location than their usual gatherings but just the once was enough to remember where it was and how to get there.

He would use the scarf as an excuse to see her. Perhaps she'd left it on purpose for just this reason? Smirking at the thought, Sirius hopped on his motorbike and sped off down the street. Marlene lived with her parents and the place wasn't too far from his flat.

When he turned up the street he immediately knew something was wrong. There were muggle police officers crawling over the property and Ministry officials who were attempting to gather and Obliviate them.

Dumbledore was there as well. Sirius ran up to the wizard, practically stumbling in his haste to reach him. "Albus!" Sirius cried. Dumbledore turned toward him in surprise – clearly he hadn't expected to find Sirius as the McKinnon's residence. "What happened?"

"Death Eaters," was Dumbledore's grave reply. "From what I have heard, the McKinnon's were attacked late last night. When Marlene arrived home it was to find her parents being murdered. It seems she put up quite the fight before being overtaken. No one survived."

His legs gave out and Sirius found himself on his knees. Kneeling in front of the home of Marlene McKinnon, where she still lay dead upon the sitting room floor, with her scarf wrapped in his fist, still smelling just as it had the previous night.

….

Lily was crying by the time Sirius finished the story. "I'm so sorry. You've suffered so much," her voice was rough with emotion.

"So have you," he told her. "You may not have been there when their deaths occurred individually, but to you it must've felt like we all died at once. One minute you were hugging us and laughing. The next you were sent back to your own time where we were all gone."

"Except Alice," Lily reminded him.

"Except Alice," Sirius agreed. "She and Frank should be here soon. Cheer up, love, please," he rubbed her arm lovingly. "I shouldn't have told you the story."

With the pregnancy hormones coursing through her Lily just couldn't stop crying over the woman that she'd barely known. "I'm sure she would've been good to you," Lily said between sobs, "she might have even been able to save you from Azkaban. If it hadn't been for me."

"No," Sirius took her face in his hands and stared deeply into the dark eyes he loved and had missed so much. "You are the absolute best thing that has ever happened to me. I would suffer through Azakaban for another ten years if it meant being with you."

The tears were coming even harder now as Lily hiccupped, "I'm the best thing that's happened to you? Even better than Little Black?"

"Little Black?" Sirius questioned as his eyes flashed to her stomach.

"That's what I call him because I don't know he's a him. I hope it's a him but I don't know yet if it's a him."

"Are you sure there's just one? You look like there might be three – ow!" she'd slapped him hard on the arm.

"Yes, I'm sure, you prat!"

He kissed her roughly and she melted into him. Her cell phone buzzed on the side table and Lily reached behind her to grab it, refusing to take her lips off of his. The text message from her father said that Alice and Frank had just arrived at the Potter home.

…..

Fully dressed, Lily and Sirius came bounding down the stairs. Well, Sirius bounded while Lily teetered. She froze on the bottom step. Frank and Alice hadn't de-aged the way Sirius had, but they looked a thousand times better than they had in St. Mungo's.

Alice's hair was mostly brown with just a few white streaks. Frank's was also mostly dark. Her face had more color and seemed much younger. They looked like they could be the same age as their son as Neville stood between them, his expression a mixture of joy and awe.

"Luna," Alice opened her arms and Lily rushed into them, the two of them dissolving into fits of tears. "We missed you so much."

"I missed you, too, Allie, so so much. I visited you as soon as I came back-"

"We know," Frank said as he stepped forward to hug Lily. "We remember bits and pieces. It's strange – very disjointed. I remember Neville telling us he'd gotten into Hogwarts."

"I remember Neville visiting at Christmas to tell us he was in Gryffindor – like me," Alice smiled proudly and touched Neville's hair fondly.

"I remember him talking about his friends at Hogwarts – Weasleys, Harry Potter, Hermione Granger…and a miss Lovegood whose name was ironically Luna," Frank smiled at Lily.

"Luna Lovegood is where Lily got her middle name," Ginny confirmed.

"I remember trying to tell you that Sirius was innocent. But you'd always known that, hadn't you? You'd always known what would happen to all of us," Alice's voice wasn't accusing, just sad.

Lily nodded and the girls embraced again.

"Neville told us that you talked with him about everything," Frank's tone was grateful.

"I thought he'd want to know about you," Lily shrugged and wiped at her eyes.

"You didn't think I would want to know about my parents?" Harry asked, hurt shining in his bright green eyes.

"Oh…oh, Daddy, no. I wanted to tell you. So many times. I was just so afraid. I thought you might be angry. That I might taint your memories of Sirius. I thought that hearing the truth might be traumatic for you…" she finished lamely.

"Gee," Harry snorted, "I wonder what it would be like to go through something traumatic in my life."

Lily stared down at your feet. Or at least her toes, which was as much of her feet as she could see in her condition. "I'll tell you everything now."

Harry pulled his daughter into his arms. "I'd love that."

…

After one of the best, yet most awkward, dinners she had ever sat through, Lily waddled up the stairs with Sirius behind her, holding out his hands as if to catch her if she were to fall.

Once she was sound asleep Sirius disentangled himself from his wife and crept back down the stairs. Just as he predicted, Harry was still awake, in his study, with a small glass of firewhiskey in hand.

"Can we talk?" Sirius asked as he poked his head into the room.

Harry motioned to the seat beside him and Sirius sat hesitantly. "I can't believe you never told me," Harry accused.

"I couldn't have," Sirius's eyebrows furrowed. "If you had known you would win you might not have tried so hard and could have failed. I couldn't give any indication that I knew the outcome of the war. I meant to write you a letter but I hadn't expected to die when I did."

"People never do, do they?" Harry took a small sip of his drink. "I've been an Auror for many years, Sirius, and people never expect death to come for them as soon as it does."

"I know I wasn't perfect and that I made mistakes but I won't apologize, Harry. I did what I had to do. I was strong just as your daughter was strong when she was in my time. She couldn't tell us too much either. For the past six months she has had to live here with the guilt of your parents' deaths, my death, Alice's condition…yet her sacrifices saved countless other lives."

"I'm proud of her," Harry admitted. "I remember how it felt to fight Death Eaters. To watch friends die. I had hoped to spare my children from ever going through that, but now that I know Lily has suffered the same things…I'm proud of how well she's been doing the past six months. I'm proud that she is still finishing school and preparing for this baby. Knowing why she hasn't been her old self makes everything clearer now and all I want to do is protect her from the world and harshness of life."

"We want the same things for her, Harry. Happiness, health, safety. She's the best wife a bloke could ask for and I reckon I'm a decent husband. I love her more than anything in the world. From the moment she walked into my life she has been the most important thing to me and I have always put her wellbeing above everything else. I begged her not to join the Order, I-"

"You what?" Harry interrupted. "You told me to fight! You encouraged my participation yet you had begged Lily not to?"

"I already told you," Sirius held up a hand in defense, "I put her wellbeing above everything else, even the good of the rest of the world. But after she left I had years to think about every moment I had with her and every mistake I'd made. She wanted to fight and she wanted to be a part of the Order. I knew I couldn't stop her, so I supported her. I knew you'd be the same," he smiled and leaned toward his godson. "She's your daughter, through and through. And Ginny's. Think of how stubborn your own wife is."

Harry chuckled. "Look at us. Both married men. Me – a father and you about to become one."

Sirius stood and paced in front of the fireplace. "This is going to take some adjustments, that's for sure. But I needed you to know that I'm still the man you knew. I'm still your friend, your confidant, your godfather…"

"I know," Sirius was surprised to see tears in Harry's eyes. "I've wanted to tell you for many years that I felt partially responsible for your death. Every person that I lost in the war I've thought about each and every day and I am so glad that you're back with me."

Harry rose and embraced Sirius both as son-in-law and godfather.

…

Epilogue

FIVE YEARS LATER

Lily Luna had cried when the Healer told her that her child was a daughter. Then she'd sobbed harder because she thought she was a terrible mother for being disappointed about the gender of the baby.

But when her darling little Gwendolyn Marlene Black was born her heart felt like it would burst with joy. Hair as black as her name, and those grey eyes just like her father's, she was the most beautiful baby Lily had ever seen (although she might have been a little biased).

Lily, Sirius, and Gwen lived in Potter manor with Tilly and Tippy and family members visiting so often that the newly reunited couple barely got a moment alone.

Lily studied rigorously in her endeavor to become and Auror but, to appease Sirius, she changed course after only a year and trained instead to become the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor at Hogwarts which made her happier than she had ever thought it would.

Their son, Evander James, was born during her first year as professor and gave her second year students quite the scare when her water broke during class.

Now, however, was the Christmas holidays and Lily was basking in the sunlight in the yard of Potter manor which was still enchanted to always be the perfect weather inside the grounds. As snow fluttered weakly against the perimeter, Lily sipped her lemonade and watched her two small children play in the grass as a large black dog bounded around them wagging his tail and barking whenever they got too rowdy.

"Hello!" Harry Potter called as he and Ginny entered through the front gates.

"Mum! Dad!" Lily scrambled to get up out of her lawn chair as her parents approached.

"Mum! Dad!" Sirius chimed in an echo of his wife's greeting as he transformed back into his human form to greet his in-laws.

"They're getting so big!" Ginny gushed as her grandchildren rushed to her – Gwen gracefully running over and Evander stumbling on unsure toddler legs. She scooped both of them up and hugged them tightly.

"Gran!" Gwen giggled happily. "Look at this!" and instantly all of the flowers in the garden plucked themselves out of the ground and formed bouquets that floated to Ginny in bundles.

"I see her power is still above average," Harry commented.

Lily beamed with pride. "Mungo's doesn't know what to think of her – a prodigy."

"Gwen! Gwen!" Evander was clearly cheering for his sister's trick as the flowers circled him and he tried to grab them with his chubby fingers.

"Have you had Evander's magical core assessed recently?" Ginny asked lightly as she bounced the infant.

"Still also functioning above normal but not as high as Gwen's was at his age," Sirius answered with a sigh. It was simultaneously a point of pride and worry in the couple as they seemed to have magically strong offspring. What Gwen and Ev were capable of – even accidentally – was a concern.

"Well maybe you should stop at two. Two children is plenty," Ginny assured them. Barely a day went by without one of the two children throwing a tantrum and accidentally catching a sofa on fire or shattering the china cabinet with magic.

"We keep up with them pretty well," Sirius defended and averted his eyes.

"Oh no," Ginny's eyes widened in comprehension.

"What am I missing?" asked Harry.

"I'm pregnant," Lily fiddled with the ties on her shorts without meeting her parents' gazes. "…with twins."

Behind her, Tilly and Tippy were already replanting the garden and using magic to speed it along. Harry was instantly ecstatic – Lily was still the only one of his children to have children of her own and he found that being a grandfather was pretty much the best thing in the world.

Despite her original concern, Ginny couldn't help squealing with glee and immediately begin talk on possibly moving into Potter manor for a bit to help out with the older two.

"Mum," Lily whined, "we have so much help around here it's ridiculous! Alice and Frank stop by daily. Neville and Hannah usually tag along. All of my cousins…Rose, Scorpius, James, Al…trust me, we're not short on help." She motioned to Tilly and Tippy for emphasis.

"We just love you, Lils," Harry leaned in to kiss her forehead.

As if on cue, Albus Potter Apparated onto the grounds with a suitcase in hand. "Rose told me about the babies," he was beaming at his little sister. "Which room do I get? I'll be a live-in nanny!"

"Uncle Al!" Gwen and Evander chorused as they tackled him to the ground.

As the Potter family began to argue over who would be moving in with the Blacks, Sirius pulled Lily aside and whispered into her ear, "Have I ever told you how much I love your family?"

"Our family," she placed one gentle hand on his cheek. "Have I ever told you how much I love you?"

"I do believe you scream it to me every night in bed," he growled playfully.

Lily blushed. "In front of my family?" she scolded.

"They're not paying us any attention," he noted. Lily glanced over to see more family members had appeared and the argument was escalating.

"I suppose we could sneak off for a few minutes…" she hedged.

Sirius bestowed her a knowing smile, "Or hours."

They joined hands and raced to their home, knowing that whatever the future held for them, they would always face it together.

THE END

…

A/N:

I know the epilogue was a little rushed but there really wasn't much more to say – they live happily ever after! But I knew the readers would want a little closure and that you would all be happy to know about what Lily pursued as a career and about their children. I think another reason I'm bad with final chapters is because I never want to let my readers down – so if this didn't surpass your expectations I hope it at least met expectations.

Until next time!

MofDA