Thank you to my beta's for both of their hard work.
Hope you enjoy!
Chrys
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"Tell me I'm not dreaming…" Hermione said softly as she looked up at Sirius, "Please… please, tell me I'm not making this up, that it's really you there, and this isn't some sort of hallucination due to overworking myself."
Sirius' heart broke. Hermione, one of the smartest and most beautiful witches around, was sitting on the floor crying and begging him to tell her that he was real. He dropped the book in his hands, took a few quick steps and kneeled in front of her. He took her chin in his hand and lifted her face so that she could meet his eyes.
"I'm real, love, all three of us are real, I promise."
Hermione looked around, noticing Remus and Tonks, who were standing a few feet behind Sirius, holding on to one another. It was one thing to be told that when you stepped through the veil that you would be alive again. It was a completely different thing to step through the veil, find Hermione sitting on the floor crying, and knowing that you were alive and would be able to see your child soon. Hermione looked back at Sirius before vaulting into his arms, knocking him over as she hugged him, a huge smile splayed across her face.
"I did it, you're back…" She quickly got up off Sirius and ran to Remus and Tonks throwing her arms around them, "I can't believe you guys are back…"
Tonks and Remus smiled and hugged Hermione, pulling her close trying to convey just how happy they were that she had brought them back.
She took a few steps back and looked at the three of them, "But…how?"
"It doesn't matter, love. All that matters is that we're back," Sirius stated, hoping she would drop the subject.
"But it does… can't you see what this would mean? If I can bring you three back we could bring anyone back…"
Sirius took a step forward and put his finger to her lips, "Hermione, no. This is one time thing. No one else can step through that veil. Trust me on this."
Hermione looked at him like the world was crashing down upon her head, "B-But…"
"No buts, Hermione, this is how it has to be: we are the exception to the rule. No one else can come back."
Hermione searched his eyes for answers, after a few drawn out moments she nodded, "O.K."
Sirius nodded and softly said, "Thank you."
Hermione bowed her head and took a step back, "I need to let Harry and Kingsley know… we have to get your death certificates revoked." She looked up as if a sudden thought came upon her, "Just so you know, Sirius… You've been acquitted of all charges, once the ministry acknowledges that you are alive, you will be a free man. Harry made sure that it was announced in the Daily Prophet that it was all Peters' doing and that you had nothing to do with James and Lily's death."
Sirius eyes lit up and his mouth upturned in a small smile. He had expected to have to hide once he came back - this day just got better and better.
Hermione picked up her wand, which had been lying on the floor from when she had broken down and cried, and quickly sent her Patronus with a message first to Kingsley then to Harry, telling them to get here as fast as possible.
"If you don't mind me asking, what does Kingsley have to do with anything?" Remus said, wondering why Hermione would tell him something like this immediately after.
"Kingsley is the new Minister of Magic; he's the one that allowed me to come down here and try to figure out how to bring Sirius back… I think if anyone is going to handle all the issues with your return it would be him." Hermione said without turning around, her eyes were on the door waiting for one of the two guys to come, thinking about both of their reactions.
"Hermione… How's Teddy?" Tonks softly asked, tears welling up, almost daring to spill over onto her face.
Hermione was pulled out of her thinking for a second and turned around to face Tonks. Her face grew soft as she took a few steps and gripped Tonks' hand softly in hers, "He misses you two… its pretty funny actually, now the only time we see his own face is when he is sleeping, otherwise he changes his face to look just like Remus. To top it off he always makes his hair grow out and turn pink."
Tonks smiled at this and looked up at Remus. He, in turn, smiled down at her.
"I think once Harry and Kingsley show up I'll send a message to Andromeda and she can bring Teddy by…" Hermione said softly.
Just then the door above them burst open, and a quite frazzled looking Kingsley ran through it, "Hermione what hap-…." His voice stopped as he caught sight of three people he had never expected to see again. "You did it." He slowed down and moved toward them semi-cautiously… "She couldn't have…"
Everyone stood still as they waited for Kingsley to get to them, when he finally reached the dais that the veil stood on he looked around. He turned to Remus and gently placed his hand on Remus' shoulder. When his hand felt hard muscle and bone underneath cloth he pulled his hand back, "You're real…"
Remus just smiled and gave a soft chuckle, "Very." he said gently before holding out his hand. Kingsley took it and shook it, he was still slightly confused but he had seen his share of strange things in life.
He smiled at Tonks and Sirius before turning to Hermione, "I thought you said the only person that had any chance of coming back was Sirius, due to the way he died… you said you couldn't save anyone else…"
Hermione looked at him and shook her head, "That's what I thought… I guess we'll never know how that veil really works," she said, admitting that now that Sirius was back she no longer felt the pull to the veil; in fact, if she never saw the veil again she would be a better person for it.
Kingsley looked at the three who had just been 'born again' and asked, "You don't remember anything from when you were behind the veil… I mean, Sirius, you've been gone for a little over three years, and you two," he said gesturing to Remus and Tonks, "you were killed three months ago…"
"We don't know anymore than you do, the last thing I remember is a flash of light and Harry screaming, then there was silence, and I stepped out with a book in my hand…" Sirius responded, hoping that Kingsley and Hermione would buy it.
Kingsley looked hard at Sirius for a long moment and then looked to Remus and Tonks, "What about you two?"
"I remember seeing a flash of green light enveloping Tonks, and when I ran to grab her something hit my back, then I stepped out of the veil with my wife and my best friend at my side." Said Remus.
"Sorry, Shacklebot, green light, Remus screaming, and then this room…"added Tonks.
Kingsley nodded, "I guess the important thing is that you're back, and alive. I think we should all go upstairs. I'll get some secretaries on pushing the paperwork through to get you reinstated as… alive," he gulped at the last word, "I'll have you know, Sirius, that you have been found innocent and will be completely free to live the rest of your life without any issue from the Ministry… as long as you're good."
Sirius laughed a little at this… hadn't he just sworn to James to "always be up to no good"?
"Remus and Tonks, if I'm correct, your house hasn't been touched since you left it, I don't think anyone wanted to deal with that yet…All of you will have to work out the issue of possession of belongings, especially you Sirius. You left everything to Harry, who has been living in Grimulald Place, and I'm not sure if he took advantage of anything else you left him, so you will have to talk to him and figure out everything."
"I'm sure that won't be a problem," Sirius said. For all he cared, Harry could have the house and most of the money, too. Sirius didn't care. As long as he wasn't completely broke…
Kingsley nodded to Sirius, "So if you guys will just follow me we'll go upstairs and get everything sorted out."
Kingsley moved up the stairs followed by, Tonks and Remus and behind them Sirius and Hermione. As they reached the elevator, its doors opened and out ran Harry, who upon seeing Hermione pushed through the people between them and stopped in front of her, placing his hands on her shoulders and looked into her eyes.
"I got here as fast as I could. What's going on?" Harry asked between gasps of breath.
Hermione smiled at him; "I did it."
"You did what?" he asked, not having the foggiest idea what she was referring to.
She laughed softly, "Turn around Harry… and say hi to Sirius…"
The blood left Harry's face instantly as her words sunk in. His hands slowly dropped from her shoulders as he turned around and came face to face with a man he honestly never thought he'd see again.
Sirius stood there completely silent and unmoving, watching the reactions play across Harry's face. Sirius realized he was holding his breath, and wasn't quite sure why - why was he so scared? It was just Harry after all.
"Sirius?" Harry asked quietly, his lips barely moving, and his eyes pleading.
"She's always serious, Harry; don't you know that by now?" Sirius responded, playing off his own name.
At that response Harry didn't know whether to laugh or cry. So instead he simply took a step forward and wrapped his arms around Sirius. Sirius smiled at this and hugged his godson back.
"You know, Sirius isn't the only one to come back from the dead… guess that reaffirms my belief that you always liked him more than me…" spoke a deep voice from behind Harry, causing him to turn around and come face to face with Remus and Tonks. Harry moved away from Sirius and towards Remus and Tonks grasping them each on the shoulders separately, making sure they weren't just a figment of his imagination, before pulling them into his arms in another round of hugs.
"But… how did you? I don't understand…" he finally said looking at Hermione and then around to the other people in the room…
"Don't look at me, I'm just as lost as everyone else," replied Hermione.
Harry looked around, but found shrugs all around, no one knew what had happened… but they were sure as hell glad it did. It was then that Kingsley reminded everyone he was still there.
"Why don't we discuss everything in the comfort of my office… I think everyone will feel a little more at home up there, than down here in a hallway staring at an elevator door."
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The paperwork was done. Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, and Nymphadora Tonks were now legally alive and well. It would be announced in the Daily Prophet as well as the Quibbler the following day that through a miracle of magic, these three had returned from behind the veil. It would give no further details except to remind people that Sirius was innocent, and that the three of them were considered war Hero's for their fight against the Dark Lord.
Remus and Tonks had quickly left the ministry as soon as the paper work was through to be reunited with their son. Harry, Hermione and Sirius had just left the ministry and were in quite a heated argument.
"Sirius, just take the house back, its no big deal, I can find somewhere else to live," Harry said.
"Are you kidding me? I'm a free man, I don't ever have to live in that house again… you keep it, I'm sure I can find a flat near." Sirius said off-handedly… not even Harry could make him live in that house again.
"You're not going to find a flat around here for a decent price," Harry pointed out, feeling guilty for taking Sirius' house from him.
"I'm sure I'll figure it out Harry," Sirius answered, very tired of the conversation.
"You could stay with me," Hermione piped up softly, almost scared of what he would say.
"I wouldn't want to put you out, love. I'm quite sure I can find a flat…"
"It wouldn't be putting me out… after the war I bought a huge house, just wanting a place that I could spread out, but I found that I bought a house a little too big for just one person. I have extra bedrooms, with connecting loo's…" Hermione answered back quickly.
"I really couldn't Herm…" Sirius tried to respond but was quickly cut off by Hermione once again.
"I insist Sirius, I won't take no for an answer… at least until you get your bearings, let everything settle down first, then if you decide you still want to get your own flat, more power to you… in fact I'll even help you look. But you might as well take one of the extra rooms in my house, no one else is…"
Sirius opened his mouth but again he was cut off, this time by Harry, "She has a point, mate."
"Ok, ok already… jeez, I'll stay at your place…" Sirius said, with a soft smile.
Hermione and Harry both nodded with satisfied smiles on their faces.
"But before I do anything else… we need to go shopping. I don't ever want to wear this suit again, and I doubt everyone wants to see me naked…"
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Oh and thank you to all of my reviewers I am so glad you all enjoy this story as much as I do!
