Epilogue
"Well cousin, how did I do?" Bella asked as she found herself back in the pristinely white version of Grimmauld Place.
"Very well, Bella. The Powers are pleased," Sirius replied as he stood before her.
"So….do I get to go upstairs now?" she asked, bouncing on her heels as she looked at her taller, scruffier cousin.
"Well, you have a choice," Sirius stated, folding his hands behind his back.
"A choice? What kind of choice?" she asked, confused.
"Well, you can go upstairs with me, or you can accept another mission."
"Another mission? What for, this time?" she asked again.
"The Powers are unhappy…with how the war unfolded. In a few moments, my godson is going to accidentally discover a very powerful time travelling device. It's going to return him to the end of the 60s, when you were a seventh year at Hogwarts. His arrival at this time will pose a great threat to the rise of Voldemort. Harry will already have the knowledge from the future on how to bring him down, and consequently, many lives will be saved as a result. If you accept, you will no longer have these memories, or the ones from the future, or the ones about Nellie. You will literally be starting over from the age of seventeen," Sirius told her, moving to lounge across one of the white couches.
"I won't remember anything?" she asked quietly.
How could she just forget about Nellie, after everything they went through together? But then again, she'd be forgetting all of the awful things she committed, and hopefully, never would.
"No, you will only remember the first seventeen years of your life," he replied, equally as quietly.
"So? What am I supposed to do? If I forget everything here, how will I know how to complete the mission?" she asked him, beginning to pace frantically.
"You will be assisting Harry to fight the beginnings of Voldemort's movement. And as for how you will know, your subconscious will direct you along the path the Powers want you to travel, but you will not explicitly know," he told her, draping his arms across the back of the couch.
"And? What after that? What do I do after that? I come back here?"
"No, Bella. If you succeed, I will not be seeing you until many years later down the road," he said quietly, "The Powers are offering you a second chance, Bella. If you succeed, you will be able to live out the rest of your days in happiness, until you become so old that they finally take you back."
Bellatrix's eyes widened.
"You-you're sure?" she asked breathlessly.
Sirius nodded.
"I- I guess, I'll do it," she said with a sigh. "I just hope that your godson isn't as stubborn and ornery as you, cousin," she muttered.
Sirius laughed, a strange twinkle in his eyes. "Trust me, Trixie, I have a feeling that you two will get along just fine."
She gave him a small smile and shook her head.
"Oh! Before we go…I thought you might like to check in on them for the last time," he told her, pulling up a large ornate mirror. The smooth surface rippled, and she smiled as she saw the twin figures of Nellie and Sweeney come into focus.
XXX
"I just don't understand," Nellie cried, "why would Bella just up and leave like that?"
"Dove, read her letter over. Bella just seemed like the kind of person who can't stay in one place for very long. She probably just didn't want to see you like this, which is why she wrote the letter," Sweeney was trying to reason with his newlywed wife.
Nellie sighed. "I guess you're right," she mumbled.
Her husband laughed. "Of course I'm right, pet. I'm always right," he said wrapping his arms around her from behind.
"Oh, hush you," she said in mock irritation, struggling out of his grip and only stopping when she felt his lips on her neck.
"Just a shame she won't be here for the birth, though," she said sadly, tracing invisible patterns along the arms wrapped around her.
Sweeney smiled and cupped one hand over the barely noticeable bump of his wife's stomach. "She may not be here, but she will always live on in our memories, my love. Besides, at least we have each other," he replied.
"Oh yes," she started in a sarcastic tone that got softer, "live out the rest of my days with a bugger like you." She smiled softly, her eyes betraying her love for him.
"Excellent wretch," he murmured, "you know I wouldn't wish for anything different." He looked at her with love and adoration.
"Neither would I."
He gave her a trademark smirk and pulled her in, kissing her soundly for a few movements.
"I love you, you crazy bugger," she murmured to him when they pulled away, breathless.
"And I love you, you little harpy." She giggled against him.
"Mr. Todd."
"Mrs. Todd." His own grin widened at that, and he repeated the words, tasting the syllables in fascination as though he was unable to believe that she was his. Her response was to merely lean up, and seal their lips together again.
XXX
Bella smiled through the tears gathering in her eyes. It would hurt to forget about them, but, she was being offered the chance at a second, better life. They already had their chance, and it was playing out beautifully. She wanted hers.
Carefully, she wiped her tears and stood up straighter.
"Alright, Siri, I'm ready."
A/N: Okay. That's it. Thanks to everyone who's been following and reviewing this story. I might do a HP follow-up about Bella's new mission, but i'm not too sure yet. Till next time, lovelies!
Ele