Beauty and the Beast
Epilogue – Beauty and the Beast

Do not you love me?

Why, no; no more than reason.

Why, then your uncle and the prince and Claudio Have been deceived; they swore you did.

Do not you love me?

Troth, no; no more than reason.

Why, then my cousin Margaret and Ursula are much deceived; for they did swear you did.

They swore that you were almost sick for me.

They swore that you were well-nigh dead for me.

'Tis no such matter. Then you do not love me?

No, truly, but in friendly recompense.

"Come, cousin, I am sure you love the gentleman." Sirius groaned awake. His eyes blearily adjusted to the sunlight streaming in. Judging by the softness under him, he was in bed, probably his own and when he looked to his side, the blurry image of Hermione sat near him.

"You've heard this one before," his fuzzy wife kissed his head.

"A few times," Sirius pushed himself up. "What happened?"

"Now there's a question with too many answers." Hermione offered him a cup. "Drink. It's Pepper-Up potion."

Sirius gratefully swallowed the brew and his vision cleared but he still felt weighed down. "How long have I been out?"

"Two weeks," Hermione put the glass away. "We thought you were dead but when James and Remus went to move your body they noticed you still had a pulse. No counter-curse, we had to wait for the curse ebb away on its own. Do you remember anything?"

"Not much. I think I was fighting Bellatrix but not much else," Sirius let his head fall back.

"You were and she cursed you." Hermione sighed, "I killed her."

"You did what?!"

"I'd ask you if you wanted the good news or the bad news but I can't tell which is which." Hermione met his gaze. "After you were cursed, I killed Bellatrix. I don't think I made even a conscious decision to, I just – did it. Then I…burned down the camp."

Sirius felt his whole universe turn on its axis, "How?"

"I cast Protego Diabolica," Hermione admitted. "I don't know I probably lost my mind. What am I saying? I DID lose my mind. Might as well have, I thought I'd lost everything else…"

"You wiped out Voldemort's camp," Sirius tried to process this information. "And killed -"

"A lot of Death Eaters. And Voldemort."

"You left that bit out!" Sirius started. His wife stayed silent as he studied her. "So they're gone, they're all gone."

"Probably. It's impossible to do a body count since the flames didn't leave any remains. Still I'm not sorry – at all." Hermione ducked her head, "Guess I'm the monster now."

"You never allowed me to call myself that; what makes you think I'll let you do it?" Sirius said sincerely. It was true. He was in shock. He'd never thought Hermione capable of such a thing but then again, if she had been dead on the ground, he couldn't say he wouldn't do the same.

"I deserve it," Hermione said simply. "I murdered them Sirius."

"So why aren't you in Azkaban then?"

Hermione looked faintly amused, "The ministry determined based on the fact that I was held and tortured at the camp, the emotional trauma of losing of my loved ones, and the climate of a civil war, that my actions against the Death Eaters were justified - or as Dumbledore phrased it, 'we were hard-pressed to find a council willing to convict the woman who killed Voldemort.'"

"There you have it, you're a war hero," Sirius encouraged.

"I see little difference," Hermione shrugged. "Anyway, I did however use dark magic including an Unforgivable Curse. Well not so unforgivable apparently since I was pardoned for killing Bellatrix, again given the circumstances. But the Protego Diabolica could have killed innocent bystanders and exposed us therefore I'm on 'house arrest'." Hermione made the finger quotation marks.

"Very strictly enforced I imagine," Sirius caught on.

"Oh yes, Aurors guarding every entrance and exit," Hermione rolled her eyes. "Technically I've been remanded to the custody of my husband until my sentence is over in a year."

"Your husband that was unconscious up until ten minutes ago?"

"That's the one."

"A year long house arrest with your bed-ridden husband as your gaoler, dear Merlin they really threw the book at you." Sirius chuckled.

Hermione smirked. "They were lenient, more than I deserve honestly."

"I thought you weren't sorry…"

"I'm not and that's what bothers me," Hermione turned her gaze to the window. "I should feel horrible, I should feel wrong but I don't. If I feel guilty for anything it's that I don't feel guilty. I'm scared Sirius. I've changed. Something is wrong with me. Part of me doesn't even feel human anymore."

"You sound like me when I first up woke with a snout and paws," Sirius said gently. "What you went through was enough to change anyone Hermione but you're still you. You have to trust me on this, the same way I had to trust you."

"Some role reversal, perhaps true love will work for me too."

"One can hope," they laughed again, trailing off. Hermione watched him expectantly, "What?"

Lady Black rolled her eyes, "Seriously? What did I just say?"

"That maybe true love will help you."

"No I said perhaps true love will work for me too!"

"Huh?"

"Oh for heaven sake," Hermione picked up a mirror from the bedside table and held it up to her husband. Sirius was shocked to see his human face gaping back at him. But it was morning – it couldn't be – not unless – "I wanted to see how long it would take. You really didn't notice the absence of a snout?"

"Stop leaving out bits woman!" Sirius snatched the mirror as Hermione laughed. He ran his fingers all over his face, feeling sunlight on his skin for the first time in years. "How?"

"We don't know," Hermione said sincerely. "It could have been me, it could have been Bellatrix's death, it could've been her curse somehow affecting that one, or even all the counter-curses that were used to try and revive you. Either way, when the sun rose after the battle, you didn't shift back. Not a patch of fur in weeks."

"It was you, it was all you," Sirius croaked. "Goddammit I love you so much!" He pulled her into his arms and kissed her deeply. "My wife, my wonderful, wonderful wife, you did it! I'm me! I'm whole again!"

"And I'm the one who's broken," Hermione nestled into his side. "A broken monster who can't leave the house. Are you sure you won't miss the old me?"

"Shut up," Sirius chided good-naturedly. "You're not getting rid of me that easily Lady Black. You'll heal and I'll be with you every step of the way, even if takes years. Together we can do anything, our love can do anything."

"Oh so now you believe in true love's cure?" Hermione poked him gently.

"What can I say?" Sirius pulled her back into the pillows, taking up the book of Shakespeare she'd been reading. "Man is a giddy thing, and this is my conclusion."