He awoke with a start, the echoes of screams tapering off as the silence of the morning pushed into his subconsciousness. Exhaling heavily he stared up at the ceiling, swallowing roughly, before glancing to his left. Moria was still asleep, breathing slowly and calmly. He smiled softly, pushing a strand of hair out of her face. Slowly, she opened one eye then the other, blinking as she stared at him, before a sleepy smile crossed her face.

"Well good morning."

"Morning." He said smirking. "Have to say, you're much better to wake up to then my cell in Azkaban."

"Well that's a good thing to know." Moria hummed sitting up, stretching. "It's been awhile that I've had an alarm clock with scruff."

"Hey it makes me attractive."

She rolled her eyes.

"Humble too apparently."

He grinned, sitting up next to her.

"You still look beautiful when you sleep, you know that?"

Moria chuckled.

"I sincerely doubt that," she said sarcastically. "I apparently snore, if what my old coworkers say is accurate, my hair is a knotted mess, and I probably have pillow face."

"You? Snore? Never, Love." He gasped as though it was the first time he had heard that earning a slight shove. "And as for the knotted hair and the pillow face, I'd rather take that than the stone wall of my cell." He said kissing her. She closed her eyes, laughing after a moment and pulling away.

"Always the charmer, aren't you?"

"Just for you."

She rolled her eyes, before lightly shoving his head back.

"Come on you randy dog. Time to get up. We actually do have to pick up Harry and Max today…you'll want to be awake and functioning again." She said and he pouted again.

"You're no fun."

"Funny, I seem to recall you saying the opposite last night." She said, this time being the one to kiss him gently. "Go take a shower. I'll go get some breakfast ready." She said pulling on a discarded shirt—most likely his—and a pair of sweatpants as he got up, grumbling and giving her a look that said 'later' before heading to the bathroom.

She sighed and got up, walking down the hall and down the steps to the kitchen, turning the corner to go into the room. And nearly had a heart attack when she spotted someone else sitting at the table.

More specifically two other people.

"Basilio? Gia?"

"Kreacher let us in." Giacintro remarked as he read the paper.

"Moria!" Basilio greeted cheerfully, stuffing another bite of the pastry into his mouth. "So nice to see you!"

"I thought you two would have headed back to Italy by now."

"Well we wanted to say goodbye, but Chelsea suggested we wait a few days, maybe see the sites of London. Have to say...it's not as bright as Italy. But that Big Ben? Magnifico."

Moria rolled her eyes, but smirked. Gia glanced up towards the stairs.

"How is he?"

"Loads better." Moria said as she stretched. Giacintro seemed to observe her, smirking slightly.

"Obviously."

Moria blinked and then flushed, huffing lightly before walking past the two men, Basilio chuckling lightly.

"Honestly, you two sound like Nico!"

"We sound like Nico? You actually are Ni-"

Giacintro rolled his eyes as a swift punch to the gut silenced Basilio who coughed. "Idiot." he muttered. Moria glanced over at him as she made some coffee, expression gentling.

"Thank you, Gia. Really."

"It's not a problem."

"Still, you didn't have to."

"The amount of times you saved our hides on missions, it's about time we paid you back somehow." Giacintro continued with a nonchalant shrug. Moria smiled, continuing to make breakfast, adding to the portions for two more people, only glancing up when they heard footsteps coming down the stairs.

Sirius paused as he reached the kitchen.

"I sense this is going to be a recurring theme." he joked and Moria rolled her eyes, smiling as he walked over, kissing her temple, before looking at the other two men. "In any case, these two would be…?"

"Basilio Leoni and Giacintro Muraro. Partners of mine when I was in the auror department." Moria explained. "Gia's the one that reopened your case."

"Unofficially."

"Well...bloody hell, I don't think I can even begin to thank you. Never figured it would be some bloke I had never met that would save my sorry arse."

"We've met before, I believe." Giacintro said and Sirius glanced at him, staring at him a bit longer, before clearing his throat, looking away. Moria glanced at him curiously, but remained quiet. "But I was just doing what was right."

"We should be leaving soon," Basilio stated glancing at the two and winking at Moria. "We have a portkey to make this afternoon."

"Bas-"

"Hey, it will be fun enough telling everyone back home that we managed to solve and right a case that was over a decade long. They might even put a statue up in our honor."

"Our honor? What did you do to solve it? I did all the grunt work." Giacintro groused good naturedly and Moria sighed.

"Like either of your egos need that." Moria responded with a laugh and Sirius smiled, glancing at Giacintro, observing him as he stepped out of the kitchen, letting Basilio chat with Moria. Sirius followed.

"Why did you?"

Giacintro paused and glanced at Sirius.

"Why did you look into my case? Aurors in this country wouldn't even touch it. Everyone thought I was a traitor. But you-"

"Like I said, I was just doing what was right."

"You didn't-"

"Moria is one of the few people I can say without a doubt I cherish as a loyal friend. She always had our backs when we worked with her, and taught our department to value good detective work. I, as well as the entire department in Italy owed it to her. Besides, based on what she said about you in the department, very few of us actually believed you would be a traitor. Or at the very least the main traitor."

Sirius was quiet, glancing at the entrance way to where the kitchen was.

"...still, thank you for all you did."

Giacintro offered a grunt as a response, smirking slightly and waving as he climbed the stairs back up leaving the British wizard in the hallway.

It felt strange being in Platform 9 ¾ again, this time waiting for someone, rather than returning home, Sirius mused as he stood next to Moria, surrounded by other parents waiting for their own children to come , finally, he was waiting for his own child. He almost pinched himself to make sure this wasn't some sort of dream.

"You alright?" Moria asked, looking at Sirius as he fiddled with his hair.

"I'm fine...it's just strange being on this side of the Hogwarts Express. Also you did a wonderful job with my appearance apparently. A pair of glasses, and a haircut and nobody has an idea who I am."

Moria chuckled. "To be fair you also looked insane and death worn over in your wanted photo, Sirius."

He shrugged. "True. Can you imagine the headlines with a picture of me now? 'Before and After. Is it really Sirius Black?'. I think I'll frame it and put in the house."

"I will hex you if you do."

He smiled at her softly and placed a kiss on her forehead, right before hearing the train's horn announcing its approaching.

"Right on time. As usual." he thought with a chuckle, though it was almost forced. Moria offered him a sympathetic look.

"Everything will be fine Sirius."

"I'm fine."

"You're over-worrying." She said with a chuckle. The train stopped a few minutes later and Sirius took one step forward but Moria quickly pulled him back. He gave her a confused look before she removed the sunglasses he was wearing, tucking them into her coat pocket.

"You'll want to see her with your own eyes," she told him as the doors opened up and children began to filter out of the train, rushing to their parents. Sirius first spotted Harry exiting the train, followed by Hermione, and Ron who was arguing with another redheaded girl, likely his sister.

"—just wait until I tell Mum that you named my owl 'Pig'!" Ron was saying angrily.

"It's Pigwidgeon. And as if she would mind… It's way better that Dragomir!" Ginny countered. "That's just ridiculous!"

"Yeah well-!"

A sharp yelp and Ron swore as the spine of book hit him over the head, and a fair-headed girl handed the book back to Hermione, before helping a girl he recognized from Hogwarts down and out of the train.

"Honestly Ron, it's not that bad of a name. She could have given a really long star name and then what? You'd look like some git who actually pays attention to astronomy."

"Bloody hell Nysa, that hurt!"

"Oh get over it, you're head is thick enough, you'll be fine!"

"Well at least even friendly Malfoy's argue with Weasley's. Can't have that changing. The wizarding world wouldn't know what to do with itself." Another voice said as they stepped out of the train.

And Sirius froze as he stared at his daughter getting off the train, rolling her eyes at the arguing pair.

She looked so much like Moria.

Probably people only saw the bits of him in her, the dark hair and silver eyes. But even from a distance he could see she had Moria's nose, the eye shape, that smile. All so much like Moria.

Moria smiled gently as she watched her husband take in their daughter, cupping his cheek lightly, and swiping just under the eye to get rid of a tear threatening to fall. They watched as Max seemed to look around for a moment or two, before her gaze landed on them. She smiled brightly, and tugged on Harry's sleeve, gesturing to them. His heart jumped into his throat as the two waved goodbye to the two Weasley's, two of Max's friends, and Hermione, heading in their direction.

Sirius felt frozen as the two tweens finally reached them, and Moria patted his back lightly, forcing him to move a step.

Max looked at him and he swallowed audibly.

"So...I….I know it's been awhile since you actually saw me where I wasn't on the run and I probably look strange right now. I can understand if you-"

His sentence cut off as Max practically launched herself at him, enveloping him in a tight hug. Sirius froze, eyes wide as he stared at the preteen, swallowing roughly. He finally wrapped his arms around her, and it was almost surreal. This was his daughter. His child.

His little girl.

The last time he had seen her, she was only a few months old, in diapers, too young to even sit up on her own, let alone initiate a hug. She had grown so much.

"You're okay." He heard her say and he swallowed roughly, pushing down the knot that was forming.

"It will take a lot more than a few Dementors to stop me." He managed and she let out a weak muffled laugh, burrowing her face into his shirt.

"Mum always did say you were stubborn."

"It would take one to know one." He replied and Moria rolled her eyes. Max smiled brightly and Sirius frowned slightly.

"I'm sorry I wasn't here to watch you grow up."

"You're here now. That's enough." She said after a moment. He swallowed roughly, his throat aching again and his eyes burned. He willed back the tears, glancing at Moria who smiled gently. He cleared his throat, looking at Harry.

"Well now that I'm not running for my life, I think I ought to say hi to my godson too." He managed and Harry grinned.

"Least I could do."

"Are you, Hermione, and Ron alright?"

"Yeah. And don't worry, Ron said he won't say a thing about his leg to his Mum. She's scarier than her." Harry said, gesturing to Moria who snorted, ruffling his hair.

"Smart arse."

Suddenly, someone cleared her throat behind Sirius and Moria smiled at the familiar red-headed woman.

"Hi Molly."

"Hello," the red head woman said with a smile, before her gaze flicked to Sirius. Her smile grew. "Molly Weasley, I'm Ron's mother."

"Pleased to meet you." Sirius said and Molly smiled warmly, before gesturing over their shoulders.

"I just thought I'd warn you that people are starting to notice you. It won't be long before the the swarm shows up.

"Thank you for the warning." Moria said quietly, and Sirius noticed that several wizarding families were staring at him. Moria was still talking to Molly however. "We'll see you later in the summer?"

"Oh most definitely. Ron and Ginny wouldn't know what to do with themselves."

"Mmmmmuuummmmm!"

The exasperated groan from behind Molly earned a shared smile between the two mother's before the Weasley matriarch turned to the group of children. Moria glanced at her own family, and slid her hand into Sirius's.

"Let's go."

It was quiet.

The notion was still strange to him. Quiet.

He'd grown used to listening to screams, laughter of the crazed,never ending cold and the haunting sounds of what he had thought were the last words from his wife nearly a decade ago.

Yet here he was, laying in a bed-his bed-staring at the darkened ceiling, the only sound coming from the outside world was the occasional car driving by, safe and sound warm…

And quiet.

He wondered if he could get used to this.

Things had changed now...and he-

He glanced to his right, smiling as Moria shifted sleepily in the bed. She slept through the night longer now, he thought absently. When they had been 21, sleeping through the night, even sleeping for more than a few hours before waking up and just staring at the ceiling was a rare notion for her. She had liked to think he didn't notice, but he had. And those days he woke up to, pretending to go to the bathroom so she wouldn't feel guilty.

But now? Now she slept longer.

He didn't know if it was because she had learned to sleep so she wouldn't go mad with exhaustion raising two kids, or because of the fun last night. He honestly hoped it was the latter of the two.

Gently he played with some strands of her hair, brushing a strand back and she shifted slightly towards his touch.

"...ius?" She murmured, sighing as he kissed her cheek.

"Go back to sleep Love." He said softly and she muttered something before burrowing into the pillows again. Smiling he slid out of bed, stretching slightly and dressed in some discarded trousers before leaving the blinked when he heard movement in the kitchen, and embarked down the stairs, turning silently around the corner.

"-ank you Kreacher."

He glanced into the kitchen and spotted Max sitting at the table, scribbling something in a worn out journal.

"Arian was being a brat from what the last letter said...maybe I'll cut back on those treats…" she muttered softly, biting her lower lip with worry, "no...it's been a few months, he'll be disappointed."

She shoved a strand of hair out of her face and behind her ear in such a Moria fashion, he couldn't stop the startled laugh that came out of his mouth. She looked up in surprise.

"Dad?"

"Do you know you look a lot like your Mum?" he asked.

"I do?" she asked.

"Is it that surprising?"

"People usually say I look like you, because of the hair and eyes." she replied gesturing to her face.

"You have your mother's nose, her eye shape, and her type of hair. Mine is more...wild. Her's always had wave to it."

She laughed.

"Well it's good to know I look like her." She replied. There was a comfortable silence. Sirius swallowed.

"So ah...Arian?"

"Hm? Oh...Oh!" She exclaimed, hurriedly pulling out a small picture frame. "He's the griffin I raised."

"I thought your mother was kidding." Sirius managed weakly and she beamed, holding out the frame. Glancing at it he saw Max sitting in a chair and cradled in her lap, suckling at a bottle eagerly, was a small griffin. "Decided that dolls were just too mainstream?" He offered after a moment and she laughed.

"In a way. He accidentally imprinted on me when he hatched and either I raised him or he would be put down. He's older now, and is living quite comfortably at Great-Grandpa Ellesmere's land. Buckbeak is there too apparently." She said. He offered a smile, before looking back at the image.

She had to be around...six maybe?

She had been a foster mum for a bloody griffin and he had missed it. How much had he missed?

"-e'll like you though, I'm sure of it."

"Come again?" He said, dragging himself back into the conversation.

"Arian. He'll like you. He's a good judge of character."

"Is that right?"

"Mhm. But that's just motherly pride I guess."

"It's hard to wrap my mind around it."

"Me being a mum?"

"To a griffin."

She laughed.

"It's strange, I know."

"Well to be fair this family is far from ordinary." Sirius admitted and Max laughed.

"That's true. Being normal is vastly overrated in any case."

"Very true. The Wizarding World wouldn't know what to do if the Black family was considered ordinary." He said. After a moment, he chuckled.

"What?"

"Just...I can't believe I'm sitting willingly in the kitchen of 12 Grimmauld Place and currently talking to my daughter." He said. "Feels like a very elaborate dream."

She smiled.

"Well, good news is that it isn't some sort of elaborate dream." She said, pushing back her braid. Sirius watched her in comfortable silence for a little while before glancing up as they heard other footsteps. Moria and Harry slowly ambled down the steps, Harry slower than his godmother, barely muttered a morning before slumping in a chair at the table. Moria muttered something about making some tea, kissing Sirius on the forehead before walking over to where Kreacher was and sleepily flicking her wand and the kettle floated to the stove, and grabbing a few teabags. A familiar pattern as though him not being here for the last decade had just been some bad dream.

Sirius couldn't help but smile.

He could get used to this, he finally decided.

Things had changed, but sometimes...sometimes change was good.

Glancing at Moria as she yawned, he found that he couldn't wait to see what changes were coming next.

Feel like Sirius is going to be seeing things differently in a little bit.