Hello one and all! This chapter required A LOT of editing, and what with school, I was worried I wouldn't get this in on time, but here it is! I did it! Yay me :) I also noticed that I only originally wrote one more chapter and an epilogue for this, but I really think I'm going to have to carry this on. If I don't do it as part of this fic, it will definitely be as a multi-part sequel, because I do love this fic, and I think it's too soon to have to say goodbye to Ginny and Sirius' relationship.
Big thanks to MegPearl and ALICEBRODA for adding this to their Story Alerts.
"Fuck," said Remus quietly.
"Remus. How are you?" I asked. My eyes found my godson again, and he looked as though he were being tortured. I looked back at my best friend and held my arms out. I expected him to walk into them again like he did after I escaped from Azkaban, and I wasn't disappointed. He stepped three paces forwards and we clutched each other tightly. It might have only been a week for me, but for him it had been eight years, and I could tell that he had really missed me due to the fact that he was using his werewolf strength to squeeze me to death (excusing the pun, of course) in his arms. There was muttering through the crowd and a few giggles and sighs could be heard. I heard the click of a camera, but I ignored it.
"You come back after ten years, and you ask me how I am? Is that some sort of sick joke? You can't just... what the fuck, Sirius?" He asked quietly, releasing me from his bone-crushing embrace.
"'Course not Moony," I replied with an easy smile, which was returned with a menacing glare from my best friend.
"Hey! We can't do this here. We need to go back to Harry's house. There are too many spectators here, we have to get out of this place. We need to talk this out, all of us. There's a lot to be explained, from all of us." Hermione interjected, looking at me pointedly, though a soft smile was etched in her young face. I nodded back firmly, pleased to see the famously bright girl.
"No. Not my house." Harry said hoarsely.
"Harry, it's the only-" Ginny started, but Harry interrupted.
"Don't talk to me. I don't want to hear a word from you."
"Hey, now! Don't talk to her like that!" I exclaimed, putting a protective arm around her shoulders. She shrugged off my arm and her brown eyes blazed warningly at Harry. I was apparently the only one who noticed that her wand had been drawn and was hanging loosely by her side. I took a tiny moment to stare around the Alley, where almost everyone was silently observing the exchange between the six of us. A few people shrank back from my gaze, though others held it fiercely. I had a lot of things to explain to a lot of people.
"Will all of you just hold onto me? I know where we can go, alright? Everyone, including you, Harry, needs to grab onto me now." Hermione said. I gripped the same arm Remus and Ginny were hanging onto, while Ron and Harry took Hermione's other arm. I felt the familiar pull of Side-Along Apparition, and suddenly, we were standing in a small kitchen. I let go of Hermione and shuddered before looking around the small room. It was painted in a pretty jade green, and was tiled neatly. The while tiles were bright and shining because sunlight from the large window was reflected on the ceramic. Everything was spotless and had its own place. I decided that it had to be Hermione's house we were in, because I knew that no one else – not even Remus – would be that strictly perfect. "Right, everyone, sit down around the table. We need to talk this out. Sirius, could you start by telling us what happened when you fell through the Veil, please?"
I took a deep breath and sat down on a surprisingly comfy chair. "You have to bear in mind that time passes differently where I went. Every day up there converts to a whole year down here, so I've only really been gone for just over a week." I had the attention of every person around that table, reluctant though Harry's attention was. "Right. Well. I remember Bella hitting me with the Killing Curse, and being able to just stumble back and into the archway. I fell through it, and I was... well I saw James and Lily again. We spoke about everything that has been going on. They were watching over all of us, and they have seen everything that has happened in the past eight years. So have I, by the way, but we'll come to that later. James and Lily told me that they knew of a way to go back, but it takes two magical people to be able to send another magical person back, and the ritual can only be done the once by each magical person that participates in it. They told me that it wasn't yet my time to die and that I had to come back here, to you. The ritual took seven days, so it was seven days for it to effective, though it was equalling seven years down here. I had to take a day to catch up with James and Lily and to decide whether coming back was really what I wanted."
"Hang on, my mum and dad are still up there? Why aren't they coming down?" Harry asked angrily.
"Because they are both convinced that they did die at the right time. They were thinking of you, Harry, when they told me they couldn't come back. You're a grown man, and you have faced things that few other people have. They didn't think it was fair to you if they came back. Not to mention, they are both still only twenty-one. You're twenty-three. It would be too strange for you all to cope with – both you and your parents. There's something else you and Ron should know too. Ginny and I, before I was killed by my cousin, were having a relationship. And by the looks of things, neither of our feelings have changed. We need to address this." I said, waiting for the explosion I expected to come from either of the boys. I mentally shook myself then. They weren't boys anymore, they were fully grown, successful, rational men. I knew how proud James was of them both, even though he had never met Ron, and probably never would meet him.
"Hold on, you said that me and Harry should know," said Ron, speaking for the first time since my return. His face was ashen, and his hair contrasted his skin in a way that would have been funny in a less serious situation. "Hermione and Remus already knew?"
"Well, yes, because they got together only a short while before me and Sirius," said Ginny. "I'm so sorry we didn't tell any of you, but we just couldn't. I was only fourteen, and Sirius was thirty-five. The only reason Remus and Hermione knew was because they were in a similar situation to us."
"That's where your necklace came from," said Harry. I nodded at Harry while Ginny didn't move. "I just can't believe you didn't tell me. We've been together for six years, and you didn't fucking tell me that you had it on with my godfather."
"Hang on a minute. We didn't have it on. We never had sex to be able to have it on." Ginny argued. Harry made an exasperated noise and dropped his head on the table before groaning in pain.
"Listen, I don't expect you to be okay with any of this, Harry. I wouldn't be if I were in your shoes, but I never expected to go to the other world, and leave you all for eight years. I have missed you all so much, and I've seen how much you all lost while I was gone. Harry, you must know that I didn't want any of you to get hurt." Harry snorted at my words. "I really didn't."
"Fine, you didn't want for anyone to get hurt. I can see where this is going now. Ginny, give me back my mother's ring. It's over between us. You clearly want to be with him. It was always him, I guess. I know you won't deny it, because if it wasn't him, you wouldn't have thrown yourself at him the way you did. You guys are meant to be together, I understand, I get it. It's also why you didn't want to get married, why you've been putting it off, isn't it?" Harry said.
Ginny took off the ring and gave it back to Harry sadly. She nodded firmly and her still-long hair swung, shimmering in the sunlight. "I'm so sorry, Harry. If I had even the slightest idea that he would ever come back, I never would have gotten with you in the first place and I would have spared you all of this hurt. You are an amazing man, Harry. I may not have been able to love you the way I love Sirius, but I was still happy to have the chance to spend the rest of my life with you. I truly regret that I couldn't."
"So you really and truly are choosing him?" Harry asked, sounding more child-like than I ever had heard him before. My chest tightened for a moment while I took in the expressions on the faces of everyone at the table. Would she change her mind? Would she do the right thing and choose Harry out of all this? My questions were answered when Ginny's fingers laced with mine on the smooth mahogany table.
"Yes, I am," she said simply. "I love him, and that hasn't changed in the ten years he's been gone. It never would have changed."
I smiled at her brilliantly, and received a winning smile in return. "I feel exactly the same."
"Sirius," choked Remus. He stood up, and I walked around the table to envelope him in another hug that was not dissimilar to the hug we had shared, I supposed, ten years before. Moony almost crushed me again, and I hugged him back as hard as I could. I wondered whether his superior strength would break my ribs before I firmly pushed the thought from my mind. He was my best friend, and he was seeing me after I had died. I needed to let him have this moment, and any others he needed after he's lost it all. There was a resounding crack ringing through the room, and Remus and I separated to see that Harry had gone.
"Fuck." I muttered, the same way Remus had only about an hour before.
"I'm sorry, but I need to go and see him. Ginny, I'll be having words with you soon. Sirius, you can expect me to find you later on this week. Gin, I'd also watch for Howlers if I were you. I guarantee that there will be someone in Diagon Alley that Mum talks to that saw your... reunion, and I bet you it won't be pretty when Mum finds out. I need to go. Bye." Ron said in a rush, glaring at me and sending an unreadable look to the others before he too Disapparated from Hermione's kitchen.
"They'll come round, Sirius. It'll all be fine," said Hermione quietly in the silence that followed Ron's departure. She smiled, and Remus sat back down beside her, though she stood up about ten seconds after he had. "Let's go into the sitting room, it's much more comfortable in there."
We all followed her into the room, which was much larger than the kitchen, and it was unique in colour scheme. It seemed that Hermione hadn't been able to choose a colour, so she had painted swirls of every colour on one of the white walls, while the others were completely bare other than a few picture frames. Adding to the crazy colours were two blue sofas, two red armchairs, a yellow pouffe and beech furniture. It was as opposite to Hermione as it could have gotten, and I thought it was marvellous. I remarked as much as well, earning a laugh and a blush from Hermione.
"So how come you two aren't married yet?" I inquired. Ginny and I had sat on one of the blue sofas while Hermione and Remus had sat on the other one. Ginny's now cherry-scented hair was cascading down my right arm as she leant against me.
"There's not really any rush. We're happy as we are, why change it?" Remus replied, smiling, but he shrugged his shoulders.
"Are you really telling me you don't want to call her 'Mrs Lupin'?" I asked, laughing. Ginny chuckled beside me, and I kissed the top of her forehead.
"I would love to call her Mrs Lupin, but there's no rush. Besides, Kingsley would have a field day with that." Remus laughed.
"Kingsley is the Minister of Magic," Ginny informed me quietly. Then turning to her friends, our friends, she said, "Excuse us, but Sirius and I need to talk. I hate to steal him from you so soon after he's come back, Remus, but we have more than a few things to iron out from the past eight years. Do you mind if I steal him for today? You can have him to yourself tomorrow, or maybe the day after?"
Hermione snorted. "Right. You're going to talk? And I'm a flobberworm."
"Shush, love. They're trying to protect our virtue. Take him for today, Ginevra Weasley, but I want him back in one piece," said Remus. Hermione snorted again. "I get it. Go on, you two. We're coming for dinner tomorrow though, alright? So make sure you're done 'talking' by then."
"I will, mate. It's good to see you. It's good to be back, despite the mixed reception." I said regretfully, hugging Remus and Hermione in turn. "Though perhaps me and Ginny shouldn't have started snogging in the middle of Diagon Alley."
"Alright, bye you two. See you tomorrow!" Ginny said, before grabbing her wand and Apparating us out of the house. We landed in a fairly large sitting room, that was a significant amount blander than Hermione's, though it was nice in it's own way. The walls were cornflower blue, and the skirting boards and doorways had been painted silver. "This is my flat. We're in between Diagon Alley and St Mungo's."
"Why don't you live with Harry?" I asked.
"He's away too often, rounding up stray Death Eaters, and his house is still quite creepy, despite the fact that Harry had it completely redone. I like this little place. It's bought, not rented, so I can do whatever the hell I like to it. This is my home. This is where I can be me. No pretences, no lies, no false smiles. I can be free here." Ginny told me. "Anyway, we need to talk."
"Hang on. I have one question. Where's Harry living?"
"Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place. He only lives there because he wanted to be closer to you and your memory. I didn't want to be there with him, because not only am I much happier here, but I didn't feel like I'd be able to hold any of it in if I was surrounded by you and your stuff. It would have hurt too much. Now we have to talk."
"About what?" I asked apprehensively.
"You. Eight years, Sirius! Do you have any idea-"
"Yes! I have a very good bloody idea, because I had to sit there and watch it all. The other boys. Harry. I watched as you did everything but sleep with him. I felt sick, watching you even hold hands with him, and yet what could I have done?" I snapped. I felt sick again just being reminded of it all and I sank down onto the sofa, rubbing a hand over my face.
"Do you know why I never slept with him?" Ginny asked me quietly.
"I thought you wanted to wait for marriage. Didn't you?"
"I was stalling. I felt unfaithful to you all that time. I tried to tell myself that I wasn't being unfaithful at all because you were gone. I might have told Harry that I wanted to wait until we were married, and 'do things right', but I was just praying that I would wake up and feel differently about going the ultimate distance with him. The amount of times I had to imagine your face when I was doing countless things with him is just absurd. I had to force myself to not say your name."
"Fuck, Ginny. You'll be the death of me," I said thoughtlessly, and her face crumbled.
"Don't say that. Please don't say that." Ginny begged thickly. I realised my blunder and held her as she buried her face in my chest. I heard her breath hitch, but I watched as she held it all together and pushed it all back as she sat down next to me. Finally she looked up and took my face in her small hands, pulling it down so my lips met hers. I felt as though I had been set on fire, as I restlessly ran my hands up and down her body, finally just gripping the hem of her t-shirt and pulling my lips away from hers to pull the offending clothing up and over her head before I attacked her lips again. She ripped my shirt open, causing buttons to fly about the room. She yanked the shirt down my arms and flung it aside, while still not detaching her mouth from mine again.
"Easy there, sweetheart," I murmured against her lips.
"Oh gosh. Oh Merlin, you've only just come back and I'm jumping you! I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, but I'm not doing this in a rush. You told me eight years ago that you wanted the first time I ever made love with you to be perfect, and not some, and I quote, 'lust filled moment'. I want you so much, but this isn't the way I'm going to have sex with you. I love you, Sirius, but the you from eight years ago had a point." Ginny adamantly stated, with an apologetic expression twisting her delicate features.
"Alright, I see what you mean. I missed you, you know?" I told her, handing her t-shirt to her with a small smile. She laughed while I repaired my shirt and pulled it on properly.
"You don't have a clue, Sirius. You've only been away from me for a couple of days, but I've not had you for eight years. It's not been easy," said Ginny with a sigh. I gripped her forearms and pulled her into my arms, holding her tight.
"Now that I'm here, I'm not letting you go. I love you."
"It took you nearly eight whole years to tell me that outright," noted Ginny, chuckling slightly while burrowing deeper into the embrace.
"I wish it hadn't been that long." I said. "I wish I never went to that other place. Don't get me wrong, it was amazing seeing James and Lily again, but we could have had so much time."
"We do have so much time. This whole thing with Harry will iron out. If Hermione says it will, it will. It might take a while, but he'll come around. He doesn't truly love me, the same way I never truly loved him. Me and Harry were never meant to be together, but we are. We can get Hermione to go round and get your stuff; Harry never got rid of any of it, and then you can just move in here," said Ginny firmly, positivity flowing through her voice as she spoke. "We need to talk to the Ministry as well. You're listed as dead, but now... oh for the love of Merlin."
An owl was tapping on the window. I rolled off of Ginny and she got up, fished around in her purse for eight knuts before taking the Evening Prophet from the owl and putting the money in the small pouch. She spread out the newspaper on the table and cursed loudly.
"Ginny?"
"Come and look at the fucking paper!" She growled. I walked over to the table and groaned. The headline on the front page was awful: A Black Affair With War Heroine Revealed.
"That is the best they could have done? I thought the Prophet was actually getting somewhere now, and that was the best pun they could come out with?" I snorted, studying the picture of Ginny and I kissing in the middle of the Alley. I picked up the paper and read on. The Prophet went into detail about Remus hugging me, and Hermione trying to reason with everyone before Disapparating us all out of there, and it was complete with pictures. I snorted again at the end of it, and shook my head at the lack of humour in the article. "Black Affair" was absolutely rubbish! "Come on, Gin. We have to get to the Ministry right about now."
"It's not funny," she said, smoothing her skirt down over her covered thighs. She stepped back into her flats and paused before easing her stockings further up her slim legs. She disappeared through a doorway, and came back into the sitting room brushing her hair, while her make-up redid itself to look smarter. I stared at her after catching the brush, which she'd thrown at me. "What? It's bad enough as it is, we can't just go and meet Kingsley looking like complete scruff-bags. Your hair could do with a brush. It's been eight years."
"It's also been eight years since I changed my shirt. Do you really think anyone's going to care what we look like?" I smirked, and Ginny snorted.
"Of course they'll care. We'll be all over the papers for weeks, Sirius. We can't go waltzing into the Ministry without a care in the world. Besides, it wouldn't look too great if everyone knew that you haven't had a change of clothes in nearly a decade," replied Ginny, spraying some perfume on her neck, before fingering her pendant absent-mindedly. It seemed like a routine, and I was about to mention it before she shook her head and smiled. "Brush your hair, will you?"
"But my hair is sexy," I remarked seriously, and she laughed. "Oh, all right."
After I'd put down the brush and found my wand, Ginny grabbed my arm and Apparated us right into the Ministry. Almost thirty seconds after we landed in the Atrium, silence echoed off of the tiles.
This is all for this chapter. Let me know what you think because reviews are Rubies and the Gryffindor Hour-Glass is running low on them, thanks to a few pesky first years. Can you believe that they lost us ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY POINTS? If I were their parents, I'd send them all bloody Howlers.
Lottie.