A/N: Thank you for all of the new followers/favorites! I hope you're enjoying the story so far. I'd appreciate it if you could leave a review!


December 25th, 1994

I let out a deep breath and fell back against the pillows. Sirius climbed up my body, his long hair falling in to his face, sticking to his body with sweat. He and I had decided to start off our sixteenth wedding anniversary, our first one spent together since our second wedding anniversary, the same way we had started almost every day since we had decided to try to have a baby…in bed. So far, we had had no luck, but we were having a great time trying.

"How nervous do you think Harry is?" Sirius asked, kissing my shoulder, which felt like it was on fire, and flopping down next to me. "This has got to be his first date, huh?"

I nodded, twisting my neck to crack it. "I don't know how nervous he really is, because I don't think he's interested in the girl…Parvati?" I said. "He sounded more nervous about the dancing in the letter he sent us last week. And Hollyn said the girl he really wanted to go with is going with Diggory."

"I would have killed any guy that tried to take you on a date. Harry's a better guy than me," Sirius chuckled, throwing his arms behind his head in a casual move.

"Not in fourth year!" I protested. "You would have turned my hair green or something and completely humiliated me in front of my date."

"Maybe," he admitted. "But only because I was a total wanker who didn't know how to admit how much I was in to you, even then."

"Really?" I asked, surprised. I knew James and Remus had mentioned that he had liked me longer than he had admitted, but Sirius had never told me himself.

"How could I not?" He said simply, turning just his head to look at me. His black hair fell into his eyes, and I reached to push it back with a soft smile on my lips.

After a while, I whispered, "You never told me that before."

"There are, shockingly, still things that you don't know about me," he said. I leaned down and I pressed my lips to his, leaning in to his warm embrace and settling down. We must have dozed off again, because when I next opened my eyes it was significantly brighter out than it had been. Sirius wasn't laying next to me anymore, so I rolled out of bed and slipped my feet in to the slippers that he had kindly left at the side of the bed for me. It was chilly in the house, so I dug through my drawers and pulled on an old, oversized sweater of Sirius's that was sitting at the bottom. I rolled the sleeves up several times, bringing my hands up to my nose and sniffing Sirius's smell that lingered on all of the clothes I stole from him. It was incredible he even had any sweaters left; his were always somehow comfier than my own and ended up in my drawer.

I walked out of our bedroom and down the hallway past Hollyn and Harry's rooms towards the staircase. I walked downstairs, my hand running down the railing, which was wrapped with garland and Christmas lights. The house smelled wonderful, and as I turned the corner in to the kitchen, I saw the table was laden with a whole breakfast spread. There were pastries, sausages, bacon, toast, eggs, pancakes, and a plate of Christmas cookies that I knew Molly must have owled early this morning, but no Sirius. I walked through the kitchen in to the living room, to see it was set up in a beautiful scene, reminiscent of a Christmas many years ago.

The Christmas tree was lit with twinkling lights, strands of popcorn, and color-shifting tinsel. Sirius had charmed the room to produce fake snow, which was falling slowly down from the ceiling in warm, dry flakes. Sirius was in front of a pile of beautifully wrapped presents, down on one knee. I walked over to him, laughing; my hand over my mouth to stifle myself. It was so…Sirius; to set something up, almost exactly as he had done it sixteen years ago was so effortlessly sweet and romantic, it made my heart swell.

"Sirius?" I asked, walking up to him and stopping just inches away from him. His head came up to my chest, even kneeling. "What on Earth are you doing?"

He was holding the familiar black box that I had found at the end of summer in his hands, and he was grinning up at me. "Look familiar?" He asked with a wink, motioning to the room at large.

"Yes…" I said slowly, looking around in amazement. He really had such a way with charms, the snow falling behind him, reflecting in the lights from the tree was such a mesmerizing effect that I had to actively catch my breath.

"Let me begin by saying that you look absolutely ravishing," he said, looking me up and down.

"Sirius!" I laughed. "I'm wearing baggy old sweats and your old sweater. Far cry from the dress and heels I was wearing the last time we did this."

"I'm serious…more so than usual," he joked. He sobered up quickly. "When I first saw you standing there in the Shrieking Shack, after not seeing you for twelve years, I thought I was seeing a ghost. That there was no way you were actually there, looking even more beautiful than the last time I saw you. And then you spoke, and I thought I must be dead, because I was hearing an angel speak."

I shot him a glare, knowing that he was exaggerating, but he shook his head vehemently. "No. I'm really being honest. You have no idea what that moment was for me. And then you told me that not only was I getting my wife back – my partner, my best friend, the love of my life – but I also was getting a daughter. And then we got Harry, too. You are the one person who had made every dream come true in my life; you are the only one who could make me forget about the horrors of Azkaban. The only person." I felt my eyes tear up at that. He rarely ever spoke about Azkaban, and he certainly had never told me that I had helped him battle those demons; it was incredibly emotional to hear that I had done so.

"Sirius," I said emotionally, getting down on my knees in front of him, so now my head was coming up to his chest. "You have no idea how relieved I am to know that anything I have done has helped you in any way."

"Everything you've done has helped me. And I know that you are battling your own demons; finding out that Jase had come back in to your life, and that you had raised Hollyn believing that she was his son? That was heartbreaking for me, and I can't imagine how confusing and traumatizing for you."

"Relief. That's all I felt when I found out she was yours."

"And I love her. And now we're trying for another baby; something that you didn't need even a whole minute to think about. I asked, and you agreed – you have no idea how much I love you for that. And I'm doing a terrible job at this, I'm sure I was much better last time – but I want to make an honest woman out of you before we have a child together."

"Sirius," I reminded him gently. "We're already married, and we already have a baby together."

"I know," he waved off my concerns impatiently. "But so much has happened, that I want to show the entire world how much I love you, all over again. I want to do this right this time – marriage and then raising a kid together, no prison this time. So, Addison Marie Black…will you do me the honor of becoming Addison Marie Black, again?"

Tears were rolling down my cheeks now in full force, and I threw my arms around him so forcefully that he actually dropped the ring. "Yes, you silly man. I will marry you, again."

In true homage to the first time Sirius proposed to me, we ended up on the floor again with me on top of him, kissing all over him. This time, however, there was no family dinner to get to, and nothing to stop me from taking off all of his clothes.

It was many hours later – and many more attempts to make a baby later – that my family came over for Christmas dinner. Dad, Lewis, Ellie, Max and Louisa were having dinner with us tonight, and we would see the rest of the family after the New Year for our weekly Sunday dinner. Although we all had our own lives and families now, we still tried to do Sunday dinners at least twice a month – it meant we didn't feel guilty when we all did our own thing on holidays. Typically, the Weasley's would spend Christmas with us too, but with all of the kids staying at Hogwarts for the Yule Ball, Molly and Arthur had decided to go on their first vacation alone since having Bill. Even Hollyn had decided to stay at Hogwarts, although she couldn't go to the Ball being a third year. Ginny had been asked to go by Neville, and I think she wanted to be there to help her get ready, even though things had been rocky between the two since the beginning of the year. Hollyn still wouldn't tell me what that was about, and I had decided that when she was ready, she would tell me. It was killing me that I couldn't get in there and work it out for them, but I guess a part of your kids growing up was letting them handle issues on their own.

Ellie was feeding Louisa while my dad amused Max in the corner with his brand new Potions kit that Sirius and I had given him. Lewis had begged me to give him something that didn't involve Quidditch – he said he wanted at least an equal chance that his kids would go in to an intellectual field, and that he didn't want us to persuade him from the beginning that sports was the only path for him.

I cleared my throat, getting everyone's attention, minus the babies. "So, Sirius and I have some news."

"You're pregnant!" Ellie shouted, jumping up from her seat and spilling pureed carrots down the front of her shirt, which she completely disregarded.

"No, although not for lack of trying," I admitted, looking at Sirius slyly remembering how he had fucked me on the very counter my brother was leaning against just this afternoon. Sirius seemed to pick up on my train of thought, for he grinned and winked at me.

"Brother, standing right here," Lewis reminded me, pointing to himself and I chuckled at his perfect timing.

"Sorry," I said, not sorry at all. "The actual news is that Sirius and I are going to renew our vows!"

"Oh, how wonderful!" Ellie said, rushing forward to hug me. Lewis waved his wand quickly, vanishing the stain off of her shirt before she got me dirty as well. I hugged her back, patting her back and laughing when Louisa immediately started crying that she no longer had her mother's full attention. Lewis walked over and picked her up, which settled her down quickly.

"That's excellent. Such a nice gesture," Dad said jovially, walking over and clapping Sirius on the back appreciatively.

"We want to do it quickly, and we want all of the kids to be there, so we figured we'd do it on their next Hogsmeade trip, which is January 16th. That way we can go back to worrying about Harry and the Triwizard Tournament with plenty of time to make ourselves crazy before the next task," Sirius explained. "Now let's eat! It's my first Christmas dinner in thirteen years, and that ham is calling my name."

We all sat down and Sirius carved the ham, handing out pieces to everyone while Lewis filled the wine glasses. I took a sip of the wine, almost glad that I hadn't gotten pregnant yet, so I could enjoy this night with my family. I noticed that Lewis hadn't poured Ellie a glass of wine, and that she had been sipping on water all night.

"No fucking way," I gasped. Her excitement made sense now – she was hoping I was pregnant so that we could have our babies at the same time. Max perked up at my curse, but I decided that was a problem for another day. "How far along?"

"What?" Sirius asked, looking around confused.

"Not even a week. Harold only just confirmed for us last night," she confirmed looking to Dad with a smile and a fond twinkle in her eyes. "Much too early to say anything, really, but I really thought you were going to say that you were pregnant, and I got excited. Plus when I wasn't throwing back tequila shots with you earlier, I thought you would get suspicious."

"She made me step in and drink for her, but I thought that would make you even more suspicious," Lewis explained, rolling his eyes. Now that I thought about…I hadn't even blinked that Lewis had been drinking with us – usually it was Ellie, Sirius and I that got rowdy at holidays, while Dad and Lewis watched and judged quietly. "Now I know as long as I wave tequila under the two of you, we could get anything passed you."

"Well, I for one could not be more proud of all of you," Dad added suddenly. "I have four wonderful children, four wonderful grandchildren, another on the way, and hopefully another soon after that."

We all turned to look at him. Dad hadn't been particularly vocal lately, and he certainly never made random proclamations – although I was touched that he had remembered to include Harry in his grandchild count. Losing Mom had been incredibly difficult on him, and even though Lewis and I had tried to be around as much as possible, it had been hard while raising our kids and working – plus he had practically tripled his hours at the hospital since losing her.

"I've been promoted to the Head of the Spell Damage Department," he announced, looking at us over the top of his glasses, which he had only recently started wearing. We all looked around at each other, shocked. Sirius recovered first, letting out an excited cheer.

"Blimey!" He said, raising his glass to my dad. "That's bloody amazing, Harold."

"Yeah, Dad, congratulations!" I echoed, raising my glass to him as well.

Lewis and Ellie offered their own congratulations, and we all toasted to him – Ellie's glass of water joining our glasses of wine. Dad nodded his thanks, smiling at us with a serene expression on his face. "Thank you, all. With everything going on, especially with that show at the World Cup, and now Harry in this ridiculous tournament, I think it's time I take a bigger role in doing my part. How is Harry doing, by the way?"

"He's okay, I think," I said, looking at Sirius. "Sirius talks to him more than I do, but Hollyn and Ginny send me updates too and they say that he is doing much better than he was before the first task."

"Helps that Ron's stopped being an absolute arsehole," Sirius said, the irritation evident. I knew that he wasn't happy with the kid, and I saw his point; Sirius never would have done that to James. I had reminded him several times that it was a bit of a different situation, but Sirius didn't quite understand why anyone would not have complete and total blind loyalty towards their friends.

"Cut the kid some slack, Sirius," Lewis said, cutting in to the piece of ham on his plate. "Imagine if James had also been famous, on top of being more handsome, more clever, and funnier than you. You'd be a right prat too – though, you're already a right prat," Lewis said this all jokingly, laughing at his own cleverness and Sirius joined in after just a moment of pouting.

"You're right, Lew," I said joining in the teasing. "Why did I choose him, again?"

"My devilish good looks," Sirius said back, flipping his hair over his shoulder, pretending to be seductive. We all laughed and dug in to our meals, finishing the night in front of the fireplace, having exchanged presents, and drinking a nice cup of tea.

Later that evening, well after the family had left, Sirius and I lay on the couch, curled up with each other. Sirius had turned on the wireless to a muggle station that was playing 70's rock – his favorite. He was strumming along to one of his favorite Aerosmith songs, his fingers playing up and down my spine like a guitar, and I was enjoying the feeling of his hands all over me while reading the new Quidditch book Ellie and Lewis had just given me. Sirius had abandoned the muggle motorcycle magazine – they had gotten him a twelve-month subscription – on his stomach in favor of singing along to the music.

"Have you heard from Remus lately?" I asked, suddenly. I had owled and invited him to Christmas dinner, but he had oddly not responded and he hadn't shown up. It had been bothering me all day, but with all of the good news – Dad's promotion, Sirius's proposal, and Ellie's baby – it had completely slipped my mind.

"No, not since he owled about the first task. He never responded to you?" Sirius asked, his deep voice rumbling against my cheek, which was pressed to his chest.

"Nope."

"That's unusual. I'll pop by the loft in the morning and see if he's there. I have to go in to work for a bit anyway, so I'll stop by the loft first."

"You have to go in to work?" I asked, pouting. He hadn't been in to work since the middle of last week, and I had been completely enjoying having him all to myself. But I knew that he had to work, and that the Ministry had him working some important cases, including the Bertha Jorkins case. He had insisted they open an investigation, citing his own personal experience with her as cause for suspecting foul play.

"I'm sorry, kitten," he apologized, dropping a kiss to the top of my head. "Just for a couple of hours. I was supposed to have the whole week off, but Scrimgeour thinks he might have found something, and he is my boss."

"I hate that that man is your boss. He's nothing like this brother," I said bitterly, thinking of Oliver, the old bartender at The Mystic.

"No, Oliver is actually a good guy," Sirius agreed. "Scrimgeour's an absolute prick."

"Oliver owled me last week, did I tell you?" Sirius shook his head no. "Ariella is pregnant, again."

Sirius moved his hand from my spine to rub my shoulder, his fingers touching me so gently that it was almost tickling me. He kissed the top of my head again, letting his lips linger there and kissing repeatedly. "It's only been a month, love."

I sighed, knowing that he had seen right through me, and heard the disappointment and jealousy in my voice. "I know. I know. It's just…it was one time with Hollyn. We forgot the spell one time, and I got pregnant. It feels like we've been trying ten times a day for a month…" I trailed off, feeling my throat growing tight. Sirius wrapped his arms around me tightly, pulling me as close to his body as he possibly could.

"We were also twenty-one years old," Sirius said. "We're in our thirties now. It's going to be more difficult, that's just the way it is. Isn't it awful that it's easier to get pregnant the younger you are, when you're doing everything you can to prevent it?"

I nodded, knowing that he was right. We really hadn't been trying long at all, but I was just impatient. When I decided I wanted something, I wanted it immediately; I'd been lucky my whole life and had never really had to wait for something I really wanted.

"It'll happen for us, baby. I know it will, and soon. And then our kid can grow up with your brother's and Oliver's – we'll be a proper family, and do it all right. Just be patient," Sirius assured me, his hands sneaking to lie just below my breasts. He brought his hand up, his thumbs grazing my nipples; a shiver ran through my body at his touch. "Might as well try again, right now, huh?"

"Right now?" I giggled, turning around in his arms so that we were chest to chest.

Sirius put his lips right below my ear, kissing the spot there before running his nose up my cheek and whispering in my ear, "Can't think of anything I'd rather do. Half of the fun of having a baby is making it, right?"

He was practically purring in to my ear, which made me feel things down to my very toes. I looped my arms around his neck, maneuvering together on this tight couch, and brought his lips down to me. Sirius immediately deepened the kiss, his tongue exploring my mouth desperately. "Get undressed. Now." He growled. His demanding tone was so sexy, I immediately followed his command.

We flopped down on the floor in front of the fire, sweating, out of breath, and completely satisfied many minutes later. As Sirius pulled a blanket over us, and curled up around my body, I thought to myself that he was right. Half of the fun of having a baby was definitely making one.


December 26th, 1994

Sirius left early the next morning, before I had woken up. I came downstairs to see that he had made me breakfast and left it under a stasis charm for when I woke up. Next to it was a note, which I picked up and read as I nibbled on a piece of bacon.

Good morning Kitten,

I'll be done with work before you know it. Go to The Mystic and have a drink, I'll meet you there after I go check on Remus.

I love you.

P.S. Your arse looked perfect this morning

I shook my head at his cheekiness – even after so many years of being together, he still managed to make me feel giddy, like a teenager all over again. I checked the clock and saw that Sirius's hand was still pointing to "work", while Harry and Hollyn's were pointed to "Hogwarts". It was mid-afternoon, so I decided to quickly eat my breakfast and then go over The Mystic to wait for Sirius. I hadn't been in so long, and it would be good to catch up with Oliver, who now owned the bar.

I walked out the backdoor and disapparated, reappearing outside of our old apartment building. I walked to the familiar door of The Mystic, the wooden sign banging against the side of the building in the slight wind. I opened the door and walked in, taking my usual seat at the bar. The bartender was talking to a couple slightly down the bar, mixing a cocktail, so I sat and waited for him. As I looked around, I could almost see Marlene sitting next to me, throwing her blonde hair over her shoulder and flirting with Oliver. I could see Lily at my bachelorette party, taking shots and laughing her musical giggle, white teeth shining in the dark bar. I saw James rushing in after a tough shift at the Ministry, Sirius trailing behind him with his leather jacket on, smirking his sexy smirk. As I sat and reminisced, I felt myself growing angry; angry that these wonderful people, who should be here with me right now talking about work and worrying about our kids, were taken from us too soon. Angry that instead of seeing them, I was watching their ghosts like some sad version of a movie that I already knew the ending to. It wasn't fair that I was sitting here, while James and Lily's kid was fighting in an extremely dangerous tournament, and they could do nothing to help him. It wasn't fair that Sirius had been locked away for a crime he didn't commit; that he hadn't been able to watch his daughter grow up. It wasn't fair that Jase had assaulted me again, and that I had raised Hollyn believing that she was his daughter. Life wasn't fair – and being back in this bar reminded me of all of the things I had lost.

"If it isn't my favorite non-customer," I heard a deep voice say from behind me. I turned on my barstool to see Oliver standing behind me, his blonde hair cut shorter than it had used to be. He was dressed casually in a pair of muggle jeans and a flannel, his arms held wide waiting for a hug. I jumped off of the stool and threw my arms around him, happy to see a friendly face and happy to have a distraction from my sad reminiscence. "Long time no see, Addie."

"I am so happy to see you!" I said. Oliver let me go and sat down on the stool next to me, signaling to the bartender to pour us two butterbeers.

"Thanks, Pete," he said, and he passed one bottle to me. I took it from him and cheers before taking a sip of the warm liquid. It warmed my entire insides, chasing away the dark thoughts from earlier. "So how are you?"

"I'm doing okay – you know us. Harry's in the Triwizard tournament facing almost certain death, Sirius is losing his mind at work looking for an old classmate, and Hollyn is falling gracefully in to the awkward perils of being a teenager while simultaneously adjusting to having a father for the first time – pretty normal year in the Black household," I joked, taking another sip of my drink.

"I miss you guys in here all the time, telling your crazy stories. None of our patrons are nearly as fun as you lot," Oliver said, a sad expression crossing his face. "How are you really? I know it must be hard having Sirius back – confusing at the very least."

I nodded, not looking at him. "It was gut wrenching, realizing that he was innocent and I knew all along. Sirius has been amazing, not blaming me once for being the reason he was sent to Azkaban – I almost wish he would yell at me, scream, ignore me, anything just so I would feel less guilty. Which I guess is a guilty way of thinking in and of itself."

"Sirius always looked at you like the sun itself rose with you in the morning; I'm not surprised at all that he isn't angry – and he shouldn't be, it wasn't your fault."

I shrugged my shoulders, not wanting to continue talking about this with Oliver, since it just made me feel guilty. So I decided to change tactics, "How is Ariella doing?"

Oliver excitedly started telling me all about how Ariella was feeling, her morning sickness, and how she was much less pleasant than she had been with their first two children. I tried to be happy for him, but it just reminded me that I was having trouble conceiving on my own, and then I started feeling guilty for not being happy for my friend. It was several minutes later that I saw Sirius entering the pub, Remus trailing behind him with a miserable look on his face. Sirius came over and wrapped his arms around my waist from behind, while Remus motioned to Peter for two more butterbeers.

"Hello, kitten," Sirius purred in my ear. I turned in my seat and let him place a chaste kiss on my lips. "Hey, mate," Sirius said after the kiss, clapping Oliver's back and shaking his hand.

"Hi, Sirius. You're looking good. Remus…how are you?" Oliver trailed off, looking Remus up and down. I couldn't blame him; Remus looked worse for wear. The overcoat he was wearing was being held together by strings, with more patchwork than I had seen last time. His face was gaunt and his under eye circles were dark, with his beard growing in patchy. It was obvious that he hadn't shaved in weeks.

"Fine," Remus replied gruffly, taking the butterbeer that Peter had just placed in front of him and taking a hefty swig.

"Remus was sulking," Sirius informed me playfully, ignoring the cold look Remus was shooting him. "I found him curled up on the couch, nursing last night's hangover. And what did you tell me about Christmas dinner, Remus? Hmm?"

"That I meant to come, but decided the firewhiskey would go better with an empty stomach," Remus said bitterly, taking another aggressive swig of his butterbeer.

"Well, this seems like my time to leave!" Oliver said quickly, slapping his palms down on the bar as he got up out of his stool. "Addie, Sirius – come by anytime. I miss you two hanging out here. Remus, maybe spend a little less time here, eh?"

Remus made a face at Oliver, and rolled his eyes. I had never seen Remus so defeated, and downright rude. He was usually so friendly; reserved, sure, but never rude. Remus is the kindest man I know, never with a bad word to say about anyone.

"Remus," I began tentatively. "What is going on?"

"Nothing," Remus said shortly, finishing his butterbeer and slamming it down on the bar. He motioned for another one from Peter, who slid one down to him quickly, not wanting to anger the aggressive looking werewolf.

"Remus," Sirius snapped sharply. Rolling his eyes at me to show that Remus's petulance was starting to irritate him.

Remus sighed and chugged the rest of his drink, before slamming it down, wiping his lips with the back of his hand and hissing, "Georgina is dead."

"The girl from the grocer? I thought she was in America," Sirius asked, brows furrowed in confusion.

"She was. Had a family and everything over there. Died of some muggle illness suddenly," Remus said bitterly.

"Oh, Remus. I'm so sorry," I said, rubbing his arm consolingly. "I know how much you cared for her."

"I sent her away for her own protection, and she still ended up dead." Remus shook his head, grabbing my drink and finishing it in one gulp. "So now, I drink. Every time I'm sober I see her face, and I can't fucking stand it."

"You know it's not your fault, right?" Sirius said. "You can't control that she got sick."

"I know!" Remus snapped. "But if she was just going to die anyway, why did I torture myself for so many years without her? Fuck love."

"Okay, we need more drinks, I think," Sirius said quickly, noting how sour Remus's voice had turned.

"Remus, love sometimes hurt, but it's usually worth it. I know this sucks, but don't let it ruin love for you forever. You haven't been with this girl since you were a teenager because you were afraid of love – don't let her death make you even more afraid of love. Use this as a lesson, a lesson that when you run away from love, you end up regretting it,' I said gently. Remus didn't answer me, but continued drinking and staring at the wall in front of him with a stony expression on his face.

I turned to look at Sirius, not knowing what we could do to make him feel better. Sirius picked up his own drink and took a sip of it, looking contemplative. "Kitten, I think you should let me take care of this." He said, rubbing his hand up and down my spine. "I think Moony just needs some good old-fashioned guy time. Drinks, joking, and potentially getting him laid."

"Sirius!" I admonished. "Remus doesn't want to have sex, not when he's in such a sensitive state!"

"No!" Remus protested. "I do want to get laid. Yeah, mate. Let's have a marauder's night out – sad little pack of us left, isn't it? Don't worry Addie, I'll keep him out of trouble."

I shook my head at the absurdity of the situation, but chuckled fondly anyway. "Fine," I agreed. "But you," I turned to address Sirius. "Make sure Remus doesn't do anything that he'll regret. He's the best of us – don't corrupt him."

Sirius put his hand to his heart, looking hurt. "Kitten, how dare you suggest that I would corrupt Moony. I'm hurt."

I rolled my eyes and leaned down to kiss Sirius goodbye. "Goodnight, boys." I called over my shoulder as I pushed open the door. As I let the door close behind me, I watched Remus and Sirius order another drink; I watched them fondly as I saw Sirius make Remus laugh. Remus looked a far cry from the depressed, sad sod that had entered the pub ten minutes ago, and I admired how easy it was for Sirius to turn his mood around. I pulled my coat around my shoulders, and turned on the spot, reappearing in my living room. I settled down on the couch for the night, and opened a bottle of wine. I fell asleep early, curled up beneath a blanket and happy knowing that Sirius was out being a normal man, out drinking with his mate, for once.