Author's Note: Sorry this is late, work has been kicking me in the behind this week and I've struggled to type. I guess better late than never. I will get to reviews tomorrow. Thanks to everyone who is reading and reviewing, MNF

Chapter 27:

It's My Story

Saturday 2 December 1995

"I don't know why I let you talk me into this," Amelia said, sitting in the second floor's formal and rarely used sitting room. Sure, the first floor had plenty of spaces the family used regularly – the informal sitting room in the rear of the house that overlooked the grounds and had a lovely porch off it, the dining room, the orangery, heck, even the library and office had a steady flow of people through them, but this was the little-used formal room that Amelia loved, and Sirius loathed.

To most, the room would seem perfectly acceptable. The walls were a pale green with cream-coloured draperies of silk damask that pooled in graceful puddles on the floor. The furniture was mostly cream and green as well, but the trim and the accents were done in dramatic black. In fact, the gloss on the black was so high you could use the panel above the fireplace as a mirror. Amy found the room the perfect place to relax after a long day at the Ministry. She could often be found lounging in the room with a book and a good cuppa before dinner.

"Because we need to get in front of the story," Sirius reminded her. "We want the narrative to be about how happy we are and not about us trying to deceive the Wizarding public."

"You're right, I know, but I just don't want to do this," Amy said petulantly. "I'm feeling poorly today, and the last thing I want to do is play nice with someone from the Prophet." She straightened out a non-existent wrinkle from her dress robes and ran her fingers through her hair. Hannah had put lovely curls into the greying dark red hair, making her look more feminine and younger than she looked with her usual tight bun. Her robes were pale blue, bringing out the brightness in her eyes. Sirius thought she looked beautiful and told her repeatedly as they prepared that morning.

Since she wasn't planning on reading anything, Amelia also sans her monocle. Her eye had been damaged beyond repair by a curse in the Auror academy, and she wore the monocle to adjust her eyesight in that eye. Magic had made the eye look normal, which she was thankful for because the last thing she wanted to was to resemble Alastor Moody.

Sirius, however, looked every bit the pureblood lord he was. His black robes were lined with grey, and he proudly wore the Black crest on his pocket. His hair was pulled back and secured in a thin leather strap. His face was well shaved, save for a close-cropped moustache and goatee.

Amelia and Sirius talked pleasantly, sitting side by side on the sofa until Septimus brought the reporter in ten minutes late. This didn't sit well with the couple, but they remained silent. The butler shook his head disgustedly at the man when he held his hand out to shake Sirius's. You bowed to a Lord and waited for him to present his hand before you put your hand out to shake. It was a known practice. He repeated the poor action with Amelia.

"Septimus, can you have Anna or Brigid bring in the tea tray, please?" Sirius asked, and the man nodded and left the room.

"Human staff?" the reporter asked. "How unusual."

"Yes, it's a non-magical home. My grandfather moved in during the first war and has always had a non-magical, although born to a magical family, staff. Septimus is a great uncle of mine. He did this to protect them from pureblood bigotry."

"Interesting. May I include this in my article?"

"No," Sirius said bluntly. He did not like Josiah Auctorem at all. His handshake was weak, something which had always bothered Sirius. However, Monty told him he could learn much about a man from how he shook his hand. Additionally, Sirius went through some back issues of the Daily Prophet to read the man's articles, and while not as salacious as Rita Skeeter's, they did lean toward sensationalism.

"Right, well, we were surprised to find out you were engaged when we didn't even know you were dating. How long have you been together?" the reporter asked.

"Well, if you want the beginning of our relationship, then it would be in nineteen-eighty," Amelia said. "Sirius graduated the Hit Wizard training, and I was no longer his training supervisor, so we started our relationship."

"But he was in Azkaban –"

"Yes, he was," Amelia cut him off. "And due to his unlawful imprisonment, we lost years together. I have nothing to say about Sirius's time in Azkaban."

"Was it easy to forgive Amelia –" the report asked Sirius, but before he could complete the sentence, he'd been cut off.

"Excuse me, Mr Auctorem, but I do not remember my fiancée giving you permission to use her first name," Sirius barked. "As for my forgiving Lady Bones, my love for Amelia never waned. Thoughts of her smile kept me company and helped me stay sane. That we found one another again is a blessing." Sirius took her hand and kissed her knuckles.

"That's quite the ring," the reporter stated, desperately trying to find a subject that wouldn't offend his interviewees. "Is there a story behind it?" Anna came in with the tea tray and quietly and efficiently poured three cups of tea, making Sirius and Amelia's to their liking. After giving Mr Auctorem his tea, she presented him with the cream and sugar to not interrupt their conversation. She then passed the tray with still-warm biscuits and discretely left the room.

"There is," Sirius said. "Euphemia and Fleamont Potter took me in when living with my parents became untenable. They cared for me and treated me like a second son. While Fee was buried with her wedding ring, and James used her engagement ring for his wife, this was the diamond that Monty gave to Fee on their diamond anniversary. She told me to give it to the girl who stole my heart. It was always only meant for Amy's hand."

"That's a sweet story," Josiah said, sounding as if he couldn't care less. "So, who is designing your wedding gown?"

"We haven't thought that far," Amy confessed. "It's only been days, and if the word hadn't accidentally been shared yesterday, we wouldn't be announcing our engagement yet."

"So, you were planning on keeping it from the wizarding public?"

"No, but we wanted to have a bit more time to make decisions before we shared it," Sirius said sharply. "Don't go trying to twist my words."

"We know you've adopted Harry Potter; how does he feel about your relationship, Lord Black?"

"My son has expressed his happiness over my happiness. At the end, that is all we want for one another; to be happy together," Sirius answered calmly. "That is all I will say about Harry. He does not like when others speak for him."

"Is he in the house? Could you get him for me?" the reporter asked eagerly, annoying Sirius and Amelia more.

"No, I will not get him," Sirius replied in an even tone that mimicked Snape in a way he hoped he'd never do again.

"We know you've been raising your niece, Lady Bones; how does she feel about the engagement? We understand there were raised voices while you were in St Mungos after the explosion."

"Whatever rumours you believe you've heard, sir were greatly exaggerated. My niece lost her parents and was understandably emotional and concerned for my health. She, too, is happy for us."

The reporter asked a few more questions, but Sirius and Amy gave short answers. The journalist left when it was apparent that there was nothing to the story, just two people who found one another again after a long, forced separation. Septimus had barely escorted the man from the room, and Sirius was removing his tie.

"I hate formal robes," he grumbled. "That interview was a farce."

"Let's hope whatever is printed tomorrow is close to the truth," Amelia said as she stood and went to change into something less confining.

ITWAU ITWAU ITWAU

"The article seems fair," Molly said to her family as they sat at the table. Ginny was helping Bill; although his eyesight had improved, porridge was still messy if he did it himself. Arthur had just finished reading the paper's announcement of Sirius and Amelia's engagement. "Do you know if they'll be throwing a party?"

"Mum, Amy is just going back to work today. I don't think they've thought that far," Ginny said honestly. "We had the combo celebration when she came home; for now, I think that's enough."

"Well, it's good to see them together," Arthur said. "They're good people, and he will understand her stress at work. Sirius is becoming quite the force in the Wizengamot."

"He's put together a strong voting bloc," Bill said. "Plus, he's getting more neutral families to come on board. Depending on how the elections go in January, the new Wizengamot could become a force for good."

"That's what I'm hoping," Arthur replied. "It would be good for all of wizarding society to look out for the best for everyone, not just a privileged few."

"With Voldemort gone, most of the Death Eaters too, we should be able to achieve it," Bill said happily. Ginny scrapped his bowl and fed him the last spoonful. "Thanks for your help, Gingersnap."

"Not a problem, Bill," Ginny said, kissing his cheek.

"Arthur, where is Percy?" Molly asked.

"He ran into the office early this morning to collect reports for me," Arthur said. "He's going to conduct the weekly staff meeting this afternoon, and I need to explain to him what needs review. He can eat breakfast when he gets home." Arthur had flipped the paper down to speak with Molly, but he now flipped it back up. It was the first time Ron had not been shovelling food into his mouth, and he noticed the front page.

"Oi, if the article is about Sirius and Amy, why is Harry's picture on the front page? Can't let anyone have the limelight without budging in!"

"You know that isn't true, Ron," Ginny defended Harry. "He probably is upset they're showing him at all. He isn't like that. He hates the publicity."

"You don't know him that well. You have a crush on him and think he's wonderful," Ron groused.

"First, I don't have a crush on Harry because he has a girlfriend, and he really likes Herm—er-her," she fumbled, not wanting to say, Hermione. "Second, I know him better than you do at this point. I spend all day five days a week with him."

"That's mental. Are you all going over there today?" Ron asked his siblings. The young man had spent the weekend sulking, even as he did help his father and brother, or ranting about how Harry had removed him from the wand distribution.

"Yes, Ron, we are," Ginny snipped. "We have classes. You could come too if you'd swallow your damned pride and act like a normal person instead of the git you've become."

"I just don't understand it," Ron said. "Why are you going to classes when there isn't any school?"

"Because we want to learn, Ronniekins," George said.

"The sooner we pass our NEWTs, the sooner we open our shop," Fred replied.

"No more nonsense about that joke shop," Molly interjected. "If you pass your NEWTs, you can get nice jobs at the Ministry. Please think of how well they're treating your father right now. He's working from home, getting reports from his care workers here and making sure no one is left behind." The twins looked at their mother and decided to ignore her. There was no way they would work for the Ministry.

"Shi-," Ginny started before she stopped when Molly glared at her. "Shoot, it's like three to nine; we need to go. Madame Longbottom hates when we're late."

"And unlike Maia or Remus, she does believe in punishments for infractions like lateness," Fred said as the trio rose, grabbed the books they'd stacked on the counters and escaped through the Floo.

"Did they all have wands in their pockets?" Ron asked after his siblings had left.

"They did," Arthur said, not looking at Ron.

"Why wasn't I able to get one?"

"You would have," Molly said. "Harry had invited you to come to Sirius's home on Saturday evening to get fitted for a wand along with the others, but after your display on Friday, I chose to keep you home."

"That's where they were after supper? I was helping Dad bathe!"

"Your help was appreciated," Arthur said. Bill had decided this was a good time to get up and walk to the living room. He knew how many steps it was to his favourite chair, and he'd rather listen to the wireless than hear another argument between his brother and parents.

Bill wondered where things had gone so wrong with his youngest brother. The twins could be obnoxious and get into trouble, but they were bright and driven to succeed in a way that Ron wasn't. While they were never going to be prefects or Head Boy, they did excel at Quidditch, and their grades were good in the classes they cared about. Ron, however, was a complete letdown.

Unlike Ginny, who Bill had always doted on, Ron was a bit of an enigma to him. Nine years younger, most of Ron's childhood was spent with him off at Hogwarts and then in Egypt, learning his craft. He was home for holidays, although they were shorter and less frequent as he got older. He had friends to spend time with, and most other homes were quieter than his. He was much closer to Charlie, as they had similar personality types and the twins, as he was often assigned to watch them and keep them from destroying the house when they were little.

Ron loved Quidditch and chess, but beyond that, Bill couldn't name a subject Ron enjoyed. He got into trouble frequently with Harry and Hermione, but when he heard the stories of their adventures, it seemed Ron was a tag-along with Hermione providing the brains and Harry the magical prowess. He recently had seen Harry duel Sirius, and it was impressive what Harry was able to do.

"THAT IS IT, RONALD!" the screeching voice of his mother ploughed into the room. "YOU ARE GOING TO AUNTIE MURIELS!" Suddenly a pile of Ron's laundry came sailing down the stairs. Bill got up and followed the blurry stack into the kitchen.

"You can't send me away; this is my home," Ron whinged.

"Watch us, Ron. You've been given ample opportunities to straighten up and fly right, and you've chosen not to. So maybe Muriel can get your head screwed on."

"But she limits how much I can eat."

"That might be a good thing. You're getting a bit round around the middle," Arthur further commented. "Your siblings walk into town for your mother; you barely move from bed." The young man opened his mouth to say something, but his father beat him to it. "My word is final, Ron. You're going."

"Muriel is glad you've eaten, as she ate hours ago. Go on, take your clothes."

"What about my toothbrush?" Molly flicked her wand, and it came soaring into the kitchen.

"There. Now I would behave because auntie will hold food if you don't. We will talk with you at the end of the week to assess your attitude." Molly threw the Floo powder in, called out the name of Muriel's cottage and then pushed her son through. He'd forgotten his clothing, so she tossed it in, hoping it made it. Arthur then flicked his wand and sealed it for the return trip. Muriel had other ways of speaking with Molly if necessary.

"I hope this works," Molly said nervously.

"If it doesn't, then I don't know where we go, Mol," Arthur replied sadly.