Disclaimer: I don't own it.

A/N: I wrote this chapter listening to Coldplay's "I'll See You Soon," so if you have that song, go put it on!

Epilogue: See You Soon

'Though lovers be lost love shall not;

And death shall have no dominion.'

- Dylan Thomas

Anna smoothed her black, silky skirt down as she made her way to the hallway of Grimmauld Place. Hermione, Ron, Remus and Tonks were milling around waiting for her. She immediately noticed an absence in their group.

"Where's Harry?" she asked softly.

Hermione sniffed and grasped Anna's hand. "He's up in his room. He says he doesn't want to come."

"I'll got get him," Ron offered.

"No," Anna said, holding out her hand to stop Ron. "I'll go."

She made her way quickly up the stairs and paused at Harry's open door. The boy was sitting in his crisp, black suit, gazing intently at his hands.

"Harry," she called quietly as she padded into the room and sat lightly beside him on the bed.

"I can't go. I can't," he murmured softly. "I don't want him to be gone."

The sheer helplessness in his voice made Anna's heart break. "None of us do, Harry," she replied, putting her arm across his back, thankful that he didn't shrug her off.

"Look, I won't pretend to know how you feel, that would be imprudent of me, but... I want you to know that you're not alone, and you never will be. You'll always have people around you who love you. Yes, sometimes they might leave you, like Si – like Sirius has, but they're never truly gone." She paused for a moment, mulling over her words.

"I know that I won't be able to give you what... what Sirius could. And I know I'm not him, but if you'll give me a chance, I'm willing to try." She smoothed down his collar, giving him a meek smile. "I want to be here for you, Harry."

She stood up a held her hand out to the young man. "What do you say?"

He looked up at her, his grief and sorrow clear in his emerald eyes. But he took her hand.

Harry gave a tiny shadow of a smile. "Let's go."

...&&&...

Anna stood in the dappling sunlight under an old willow tree, gazing intently at the marble gravestone before her, and the words engraved clearly into it:

'Sirius Black

1958-1996

Free at last.'

It was after the funeral. Most of the Order had already been and gone, Harry being half-dragged, half-carried away by Ron and Hermione. Dumbledore had given a small eulogy; Remus being to lost in grief and sorrow to do much more than smile weakly, let alone stand and give a speech in front of a whole crowd.

There was no body to be buried, so they had merely set a headstone next to Lily and James Potter's in the small graveyard at Godric's Hollow.

"I miss you," Anna murmured, her voice soft and raspy. "I miss you so much it hurts. Everyone does. But we're going to be okay. We will. Sometimes I just want to stop the pain, you know? It would be so utterly easy to just give up. And I'd get to see you again, I wouldn't feel so alone."

She drew a deep shuddering breath. "But then I think about Harry and Remus, and I know I couldn't ever do it. I'm going to stay here and fight. Help Harry fight. And when it's all over, maybe then I'll be able to go with you. Be able to see you again."

Anna bent down, placing a small kiss on the marble stone, wiping away her bittersweet tears. "I'll see you soon, Sirius."

The End...

A/N: THIS IS NOT THE END!!!! Merely the end of this section of the story. Sequel (called Intricacies) is going to be posted in 5...4...3...2.... BANG! Shit, my computer just exploded...