Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or Bon Jovi
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Epilogue: Bed of Roses II
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In the months following the final battle the wizarding world was thrust into a short period of chaos. After the battle there were two hundred confirmed dead that fought against the Death Eaters with Voldemort losing closer to three hundred.
The community was in an uproar over the lack of action taken by the ministry before the attack resulting in the break up of the higher officials, Fudge, ultimately resigning under the pressure. Now with elections under way things were slowly beginning to settle down again.
Snape had woken a month after the attack, and with the help of Madame Pomfrey and Draco, was onto a steady but slow recovery, he was however adamant he would be ok to teach the coming year, leaving Hermione, for now, without a job.
Dumbledore had woken two months after the attack but was gravely ill, bed ridden the headmaster had been given the news of the losses as well as the victories. And, due to Dumbledore's weak condition and the damage the front of the school and the Great Hall had sustained during the battle, the start of the school term had been pushed back to mid October.
Hermione and Sirius had been busy directly after the battle, fielding questions from the newspapers and community while trying to keep their friends lives in order. Helping with the funerals and memorial services for those not only in the battle but for those that had given their lives for the cause before the battle; the likes of Professor McGonagall, Ron and Dean were all publicly acknowledged by the wizarding world.
Sirius had appointed himself in charge of locating Bill Weasley, and along with Remus had been searching for the missing Order member for almost three months.
Yet amidst all the grief there was good news and celebrations.
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Hermione stood in front of the mirror in the master bedroom of the cottage that she and Sirius had brought for over the summer. All around her, her mother, Mrs Weasley, Tonks and Ginny were all in a frenzy over the day.
Two and a half months after the final battle, after too many funerals for a single lifetime, too many family members buried, the group now had a day to celebrate. Hermione and Sirius were getting married.
Ginny was in a soft lavender dress that went perfectly with her hair, done up in a tight bun for the day, a few stray curls (thanks to some neat wand work ala Tonks) fell down her back and around her face.
Tonks was in the same colour dress but Hermione's mum was still looking sceptically at the bright blue hair; cut short in a pixie-like style that was presently clashing horribly with the dress.
Hermione grinned as she heard the muffled voices of their male counterparts down the hall, she'd bet with Ginny that one of them would at least try to get into the room at some point during the day, shaking off that thought Hermione turned to Ginny and stepped back to take a better look.
"Ginny you look gorgeous," Hermione complimented grinning at her red headed friend. "I can't wait to see the look on Harry's face when he sees you."
Ginny returned the grin. "Yeah well Sirius will pass out when he sees you, once you get into that dress of yours at least, just look at you, the wedding isn't for another couple of hours and you look radiant."
Mrs Weasley agreed. "Positively glowing."
Hermione shared a secret look with her mum and grinned as she sat for Tonks to begin on her hair.
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"What do you think they're doing?" Harry asked looking at the door.
"Probably getting dressed and participating in a lot of girl talk," Sirius answered lounged on the couch, after all the wedding didn't start for another two hours, there was no rush…right?
"Ok," Harry agreed falling into silence a thoughtful expression on his face.
"What do you think they're talking about?" he asked a moment later.
Sirius and Remus looked at each other and chuckled. "Stuff that is not for our ears," Remus answered from his position next to the window.
Sirius grinned. "He means us, you won't find out believe me, we tried at your parents wedding."
Harry sighed and turned to sit down beside his Godfather. "So do you think we should do it before or after the wedding?" he asked.
"Before," Sirius answered straight away.
Harry looked a tad sceptical. "But, wouldn't that like be taking your thunder?"
Sirius shook his head. "That man needs his family, one wedding isn't going to stop that."
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Hermione stared at her reflection shocked that it was her staring back. Half her curls were piled elegantly on her head while the rest lay down her back to her waist with a few loose ones framing her face. Tonks had neatly inserted her veil into the top of her curls and for the time being it was swept behind her back.
Her makeup was minimal; her eyelids were covered in a nice mocha brown finished of with glittering bronze, with her lips covered in a similar shade.
"Here you go dear", her mum said handing over her dress and pulling Hermione's gaze from the mirror.
Hermione beamed as she slipped on the white gown, Mrs Weasley moving in to help her do it up.
It didn't do up.
Mrs Weasley frowned. "This cant be right, I took the measurements myself."
"Umm," Hermione started biting her lip. "I may have put on a little weight."
"That's no issue," Mrs Weasley said pulling out her wand. "I can adjust it."
Hermione looked up at Tonks and Ginny who were both staring accusingly at her.
"What?"
"You're supposed to lose weight before your wedding, not put it on," Ginny pointed out.
"Unless you couldn't help it," Tonks said her eyes widening slightly.
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The conversation down the hall stopped when the unmistakable sound of female shrieks, followed by giggles, followed by a very Hermione like shush made its way into the room.
Harry wandered up and opened the door, glancing down the hall.
"I wouldn't mate," Sirius started as he straightened his tie.
"Aren't you the least bit curious?" Harry asked. "I mean I could just apparate in and out again, I have my invisibility cloak."
Sirius and Remus looked at each other while Hermione's dad looked on a little confused but amused at the same time.
Harry grinned. "Great," he said grabbing his cloak.
"No Harry…"
"You won't……"
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The women stopped talking when there was a loud thud outside the door followed by a string of expletives from someone who sounded a lot like Harry Potter.
Ginny frowned and walked over to the door before Tonks stopped her. Pulling on a bath robe to cover her dress Tonks, making sure the others were out of sight, pulled open the door to see Sirius and Remus lifting Harry to his feet.
She cocked her head at Harry who was rubbing his head. "Serves you right," she stated glaring at him. "Mr Harry-I-can-apparate-in-Hogwarts-grounds-Potter. You should know better than try to get past Hermione's wards."
"Yeah, well I do now," he mumbled.
"There's no way we can get in that room is there?" Remus asked trying to look past Tonks who glared at him.
"Don't even think about it," she threatened.
Sirius and Remus looked at each other before grabbing Tonks and pulling her out of the room, the door closing behind her.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" she shouted at them when they wouldn't let her back in the room. "You do realise that kidnapping me will not get you in there," she stated, her violet eyes flashing.
"Yes we do dear cousin, but we need to deliver something to that room and you're the perfect delivery witch," Sirius stated pulling her down the hall.
Curious now Tonks tightened her robe, glad she hadn't done her hair yet, and followed Sirius down the hall, turning around and glaring at Remus when she felt his eyes on her.
"What?" he asked innocently, following her with a slight limp the wound in his side never having fully healed.
"Don't you think you're getting away with this."
Remus chuckled. "I'm sure you'll forgive us when you find out what you're delivering."
"That would be whom she is delivering Remus," Sirius corrected as he opened the door to the guest room standing aside to let Tonks in.
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Ginny was standing on a chair looking out of the window to the garden below, trying to spot any familiar faces in the growing crowd.
A knock brought all eyes to the door.
"Who is it?" Ginny asked warily, Tonks should be able to get through the wards.
"It's Tonks."
The others all looked at each other.
"Maybe they Polyjuiced her," Ginny whispered.
"I am not Polyjuiced Miss Weasley, let me in I have a surprise."
Hermione's mum moved to the door and opened it a crack seeing Tonks and an unfamiliar figure standing behind her.
"I thought there was supposed to be no males," she stated with a questioning eyebrow raised.
"This is an exception, tell Hermione to lower the wards for a moment."
"Hermione?" her mum asked.
Hermione nodded hearing Tonks ask the question and grabbed her wand, momentarily lowering the wards, Tonks quickly stepped into the room, dragging her delivery with her.
"If that's dad tell him to go away," Ginny said from her position on the seat.
"Well I'm not a dad yet little sis, but give me time to find a nice lady…."
"BILL!" Ginny screamed, practically flying off the chair and into her brother's arms.
Beside Ginny her mum had gone extremely pale. "Bill?" she asked quietly, not believing her son was standing in front of her. The adjustments to Hermione's gown were forgotten as her eldest son swept her into a hug with his baby sister.
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Hermione stood in the middle of the room as the others stared at her. Her gown was made of pure white satin; the corset-like upper section of the dress was embroidered with elegant gold stitching, a perfect match for her eyes, with the embroidery following the invisible stitching down the side of the dress and along the flowing base.
"You look absolutely gorgeous," Her mum exclaimed pulling out a muggle camera and taking a number of photos. Tonks followed suit and pulled out a wizard camera. Hermione stood in the flashing lights for a moment before looking at the clock on the wall.
Taking a deep breath she pointed out the time.
Immediately every other woman in the room, much to the amusement of Bill, began to run around with last minute preparations.
"Um, Tonks," Hermione's mum asked. "Shouldn't you do your own hair?"
Tonks glanced in the mirror and noted the clashing of her blue hair and her lavender dress. "Oh right," she scrunched up her nose and immediately her hair was black and styled identical to Ginny's.
Tonks opened her eyes to see Hermione's mum staring at her, slack jawed.
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Sirius stood in front of the mirror adjusting his tie for the tenth time in twenty minutes. Instead of the traditional dress robes wizards, well, traditionally wore at weddings Sirius had opted for a Muggle tux. He never did really like those fancy robes.
"Relax Padfoot."
Sirius glared back at Remus who was standing at the door.
"You wait till you get married," the black haired man retorted as he turned from the mirror and wandered over to the doorway.
Remus clapped Sirius on the shoulder. "You'll be fine mate."
"Merlin I've forgotten my vows," Sirius said his voice slightly panicked as he attempted to return to the sanctuary of the room.
Remus grabbed his friend and pulled him down the hall. "You'll remember them once it begins,"
"Remus… Moony, you don't get it, I don't think I'm going to be able to breath, let alone speak."
"You'll be fine," Remus repeated.
"I can not wait to see you when you get married," Sirius mumbled as they stepped outside.
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They had decided on an outdoors wedding, a quiet affair of close friends and family, and away from the spotlight of the public.
Sirius looked around at the white chairs lined up on the lawn surrounded by white flowers of varying kinds as the guests took their seats. The small altar stood a little higher than the surrounding seating, it was a simple wooden structure with green vines intertwined throughout it. Sirius stared up at it, knowing that's where he was going, or was supposed to be going, but, for some reason only Merlin knows, his feet wouldn't move.
"Nervous?" a familiar voice sneered from behind him.
Sirius opened his mouth to repeat what he had said to Remus then thought twice; Snape wouldn't marry, and if he did Sirius felt eternally sorry for the bride.
Sirius merely glared at the sickly pale man before taking long strides up to the altar to where Harry was already waiting.
"Alright Sirius?" he asked as his Godfather joined him.
Sirius nodded 'oh great' he thought 'got the use of my legs back and my voice decides to wander'
Sirius turned his attention to Dumbledore who was standing at the head of the altar. The old headmaster looked drawn and weak, like he had aged ten years in a short period of months. Sirius began to question his own agreement to have Dumbledore perform the ceremony but held his tongue when he caught the familiar twinkle in the soft blue eyes.
"Ready Sirius?" he asked quietly.
Sirius nodded. "I've waited along time for this."
Dumbledore smiled but turned his attention to the house when the soft keys of the piano started.
Sirius' felt his heart fall to his stomach when the familiar notes of his song for Hermione reached his ears, he didn't know she had planned this, he also didn't know where she had found his music. He stored this in the back of his mind, he would ask her later.
He shot a glance at Harry who was entranced by the youngest Weasley, slowly making her way up the aisle in a soft lavender dress and a bouquet of white roses. Ginny herself held eye contact with the green eyes she'd grown to love. Sirius could barely believe that this was the little girl Remus had told him about that had suffered at the hands of Tom Riddle, here she was, smiling and walking tall up the aisle of her friends wedding.
Out of the corner of his eyes he noted Remus' eyes widen when Tonks stepped out to follow. Sirius himself held a mental picture smiling when he realised how much she, at this moment, looked like her mother, her violet eyes accentuated by the lavender dress.
Sirius felt his hands shake in anticipation as the music kicked up a notch and Hermione stepped into vision on the arm of her father
Sirius heart dropped from his stomach to his toes as he stared at the beauty walking up the aisle in her elegant gown a bouquet of white roses and lilies in her hands. Sirius met her chocolate eyes right from the start and held them as she drew near; glad she'd opted not to cover her face with her veil.
"Breathe Padfoot," whispered Remus from beside him.
Sirius took a deep breath not realising he had been holding it.
Hermione's dad gave her a soft kiss on the cheek before handing her off to Sirius who beamed at her.
"You're shaking," she whispered when he took her hands.
"So are you," he croaked out earning himself a fond smile from his bride.
"Ladies and Gentlemen," Dumbledore started. "We are gathered here today to witness the marriage of Hermione Granger and Sirius Black."
Sirius could barley hear what Dumbledore was saying as he lost himself in the familiar pair of brown eyes in front of him, as beautiful as Hermione always was to him, today she was breathtaking, like someone had plucked a perfect angel from the Heaven's and gifted her to him. Vaguely he registered that he should be listening so tuned his ears onto the headmaster.
"If anyone feels that these two should not be wed speak now or forever hold your peace."
Sirius broke his eye contact with Hermione momentarily to glare around at the crowd, threatening anyone who would even consider objecting.
Smiling he turned back to Hermione who raised an eyebrow. Sirius' grin just widened.
"I believe you have your own vows," Dumbledore continued. "Sirius…"
Sirius took a deep breath. "Hermione," he began, his stomach filled to the brim with butterflies. "A little over twenty years ago you fell from the sky and into my arms…sorry Moony, fell into my lap," Hermione's smile broadened as Sirius continued. "I think I loved you from that moment, it just took me a while for my heart to realise it, but, when I did I knew that I had found the missing part to my being, my second half, my soul mate," Sirius reached up with his hand and gently traced the side of Hermione's face with his fingertips. "When you disappeared half of me disappeared with you, I was lost without you, alone, like someone had ripped out half of me and hidden it where I could not go," Sirius noted the tears forming in Hermione's eyes and figuring most of the other women in the audience were suffering the same fate, decided to move on. "Then a miracle happened. The missing piece that had been taken was returned. I was whole again." Sirius cleared his throat as emotions began to take over.
"I promise you Hermione, no matter what is sent our way I will love you, cherish you and honour you until the day I die and beyond, you are my soul, my very being."
"I love you," he finished, lightly brushing away the stray tear that fell down Hermione's face.
Dumbledore smiled and gave Hermione a moment before continuing. "Hermione."
"Sirius," she began with a smile that made Sirius' heart skip a beat. "Bugs," Sirius grinned at this. "Very few people can find the love that we share, the love that I hold for you, and for that, I believe I am the luckiest woman alive. I love everything about you, you can be a perfect gentleman when I need to be wooed, to the clown I need when I need to laugh, to the soul mate I need in the darkest reaches of the night and I need someone to hold me. I promise to always be there for you, to honour you and love you and to always make sure you have a spare pair of dry socks," Sirius chuckled at this but let Hermione continue.
"Sirius, we faced one of our hardest trials as a couple at the beginning of the year, the worst any two people ever have to go through, but it also helped to solidify our love, and I believe that we can grow even closer now, through our second child."
Hermione smiled at Sirius as his eyes clouded over with confusion, he looked into Hermione's eyes then flickered them down to her mid-section and back up again, the question evident in the stormy grey.
Hermione beamed and nodded, Sirius' eyes widened and laughing he swept Hermione into a tight embrace, twirling her around before settling her back on her feet and claiming her lips in a sweet kiss.
"Hey Padfoot, we haven't reached that part yet."
Sirius looked up to see Remus grinning at him but, instead of sending a customary glare back Sirius could do nothing else but return the grin. He stepped back to his position and returned his gaze to Hermione, unable to wipe the broad grin off his face.
Dumbledore chuckled lightly and continued with the ceremony, turning to Sirius he began the wizarding tradition that Sirius had requested. He took Sirius hand in his and tied one end of a light blue ribbon around it before tying the other end to Hermione's wrist. He then joined their hands and a soft blue glow emitted from the ribbon before it disappeared, binding them together.
Sirius didn't break eye contact with Hermione, even when he felt a surge of warmth flow through his veins from the binding spell.
"Mister Potter," Dumbledore began, finishing the ceremony with a muggle tradition both Hermione and Sirius had requested. "Do you have the rings?"
Harry nodded and passed Sirius Hermione's ring.
"With this ring," Sirius began. "I promise to love you and honour you, to be with you when you're sick, even if it's contagious, to be there with you when you're happy, to be there when you're angry even if it means putting my life in danger, and just to be with you."
Sirius slipped the simple gold band over Hermione's wedding finger as she laughed lightly at his little speech.
Harry grinned and handed Hermione Sirius ring.
"Sirius, with this ring I promise to love you and honour you, I promise to try and live with the singing in the shower and the occasional smell of wet dog," Hermione grinned at the innocent look Sirius tried to plaster all over his features. "I promise to cherish you and be with you as we start our family, I love you Sirius Black."
Hermione slipped the ring over Sirius finger as the black haired man turned eagerly to Dumbledore.
"I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride."
Sirius grinned and swept Hermione in his arms meeting her lips in a passionate kiss.
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Sirius and Hermione swayed lightly on the dance floor, foreheads touching, unaware of the other dancers as they moved around in a small circle.
One of Sirius' hands trailed from the small of her back to her stomach where he rested it tenderly, his grey eyes staring almost in awe at where his hand lay. Hermione smiled at him when he looked back up at her.
"How far along?" he asked quietly.
"I'm about two and a half months, coming up to three."
Sirius grinned. "Don't think this means you're getting out of bungy jumping."
Hermione laughed. "Damn."
"We'll just have to wait," Sirius said chuckling. "And I for one don't mind waiting to throw myself off a bridge."
"Hmm, yes my oh so brave Marauder."
"Are you mocking me?"
"Wouldn't dream of it Bugs dear."
"You're mocking me."
Hermione didn't reply but pulled her husband down for a kiss, once again getting lost in their own little world.
