A very Special THANK YOU goes to Moony's Angel; you've been a wonderful beat and friend. I'm looking forward to writing a story with you and you're continued help with the others I write. Now I'm off to write another HG/SB story.
Chapter 30: Epilogue Hermione ExplainsIt was the second week of June when the last of our group arrived for our month long holiday in Mexico. It had been two days since The Lupins and The Potters turned up at the villa we'd rented. Later that same day Ron and Alyssa arrived; they were the only couple not married, but they were engaged with plans to marry over the Christmas holiday. Sirius and I were scheduled to arrive in an hour, Sirius couldn't get away until the case he was working on, had been wrapped up. He'd tried to get me to go ahead, but I refused kissing him and telling him that we are a family and we would arrive together. I knew once everyone arrived, the villa would be full. This group hadn't had time to be together for more than a few hours since Harry and Ginny's wedding, which had been 3 years earlier. Everyone has been busy with careers and families.
This was our first night together, and everyone sat in the family room talking, laughing and catching up. Alexia and Remus have been married almost 4 years. They will celebrate their fourth anniversary on this trip. They have a two-year-old daughter Samantha Lillian. Remus works for the Ministry of Magic as an Auror, while Alexia has opened her own practice as a therapist. I still see her professionally once a month, but not because there is anything wrong actually things are going brilliantly. Samantha has her father's eyes and her mother's coloring. She is smart like Alexia, but she has Remus' personality. She is a unique mixture of both her parents.
Harry and Ginny have been married a little over 3 years with a son James Arthur. Jimmy as he's called, is 23 months and named after his grandfathers. Harry, like Remus, is an auror, while Ginny works with Alyssa in the dress shop they opened together. They bought a house on the same block that Sirius and I live on. Jimmy is a typical Potter male. Dark hair that seems to have a mind of his own. Like Harry, he inherited his mother's eyes.
Sirius and I have been married the longest, 5 years now. We also have a two-year-old son, Brian. Brian looks like his father, with dark hair and eyes, but has my intelligence and temperament. He does have this mischievous and playful side and his father is teaching him how to prank people even at this young age. Like Jimmy, he is named after his grandfather and great-grandfather. I wanted to name him Albus after Headmaster Dumbledore, but Sirius would only agree if we used Brian as his first name. His full name is Brian Paul Albus Black. Sirius stopped teaching at Hogwarts 3 years ago and is now the Director of the Ministries Department against Dark Magic. When Fudge retired the new Minister asked him to take this post. Harry and Remus are assigned to his department. I work at home as a consultant helping those muggles and wizards that are involved in both worlds. It's very rewarding and it helps the ministry understand muggles. Arthur Weasley is my contact at the ministry. This is his dream assignment, since he gets to learn many things about muggles.
Alyssa and Ron, though not yet married, are expecting their first child in 7 months. Ron is a wizarding lawyer working mainly on those cases where someone has been falsely put into Azkaban. He said he didn't want anyone else to have to go through what Sirius did. Alyssa works in the dress shop she co-owns with Ginny. No one knows that Sirius gave the two ladies the money to open their shop. He told them he thought it would be a good investment and so far they haven't let him down. They don't know he told me, but from the time we got back together after the kidnapping, we agreed to tell each other everything. It is a wonderful dress shop; and, I buy lots of my clothes there.
As we sat and talked, the children played. Jimmy and Brian had become fast friends. They seemed to bond the minute they were introduced as babies. They renewed their connection the minute we arrived at the house. The boys also played well with Sam as they called her, Sam was easier to say.
After dinner the girls and I moved to one part of the living room, while the guys sat near the fireplace playing chess and talking. I watched my friends and their children as the night went on; it was good to be with all of them again. I saw Brian begin to rub his dark gray eyes, a sure sign he was getting sleepy; but, I knew if I made him go to bed now there would be a battle and I was having too good a time to battle with a 2-year-old. Besides, he is the kind of kid who will let me know when he wanted to give up and go to bed. He's not spoiled, he knows how far he can push and he knows when Mum or dad say 'no' we mean 'no'. Smiling to myself, I turn back to the conversation between Alexia and Ginny.
Ten minutes later, Alexia tapped me on the knee and pointed to where the men were sitting. "Does that happen often?" She asked.
I turned around to see Brain curled up sound asleep in his father's lap. Smiling at my friends, I said. "Yeah it does. Brain loves his daddy and I have to say Sirius is a wonderful father. He doesn't expect me to do it all. He pitches in and does his share. He gets up in the middle of the night with him, and he has changed diapers. He's helped from the very beginning, he's takes pride in being a good father, and he loves being a father. He helps out with baths, dinner, and whatever else I need. They also have a story time at night. They have some kind of father-son time every day. If for some reason Sirius can't be home before Brian goes to bed, he'll call and spend time talking to him. He's very good at helping teach our son both wizarding and muggle ways."
This brought a shocked reaction from all three ladies, but Alyssa was the one to ask the question. "Doesn't wizarding law state that if a child is born to magical and non-magical parents that they will be brought up magical?"
"Yes it does, if there is a problem between parents. We don't have a problem, we both agree and he is being brought up magical. Sirius and I talked about it and we think it's important that he also knows the muggle side and their ways along with the magical. Albus and Minerva agree with us. Sirius has even taken to doing certain things the muggle way." I told them.
"Like what?" Ginny asked.
"We cook, and clean the muggle way…most of the time. You've all seen our house, we have a lot of muggle gadgets and we use them. We use the telephone to communicate with each other, we have a car and we drive most places. We go to movies, events, and other things muggles do, but we also do things the wizarding way. Our son gets the best of both worlds." Again I looked over at my son and husband. Brian was snuggled deep into his father's embrace, while Sirius gently and lovingly stroking his back. His movement were smooth and controlled as if he'd done it numerous times. It made my smile even wider when Sirius unconsciously leaned in and kissed our young son's head. I watched and talked for a few minutes longer, then said to my friends, "If you'll excuse me, I'm going go get my son and put him to bed."
When I stood, Ginny and Alexia did as well deciding it was time to put all the kids to bed. I walked over to take my pride and joy from the man of my dreams. As I stood with my son, I heard him mumble in a muffled cry, "I want Daddy." Sirius heard it as well; he stood and took our son from me. He whispered in Brian's ear, "It's okay Daddy's got you. I'm not going to let anything hurt you." Together we went up stairs and put our boy to bed.
Later that night as I lie in bed listening to the two men in my life softly snore, Brian snores just like his father, I thought about the words Sirius said to our son, the same words he said to me years go, "I'm not going to let anything hurt you." He couldn't always control what hurts us, but he always did his best to make sure we were safe and protected. I also know he will do the same for the little person growing inside me. Tomorrow I'll tell him he is going to be a father again, and I know he'll be as overjoyed as I am. Kissing him softly he pulls me closer in his sleep. The love I have for this man and the life and blessings he's given to me seem to overwhelm me. I don't ever want to not feel this way. Drifting off to sleep, I don't think my life could be more perfect. I can't fight these feelings of complete satisfaction, and I wouldn't if I could.