Author's note: Please be aware that I own ABSOLUTELY NOTHING, everything, except my character ocs' I place here, belongs to the wonderful Lady J.K. Rowling. This is a Sirius Black/OC Fan-fiction.

Welcome back readers! I hope you enjoy this one as much as you have the first Story that began this journey! :)

I am so very excited that you are all enjoying these stories to many wonders and I am so very grateful for the reviews, PLEASE CONTINUE TO ENJOY!

6/18/19

Thank you all for the Reviews and the continued encouragement, I'm so happy you're all enjoying the chapters as they go!

Chapter 37

The children were still under the impression that Emma was dead. When the Order members called a meeting for everyone to head to the Burrow after school had finished for the year, they had no idea why they were told to go straight there, leaving everyone in total confusion.

"What's going on Sirius? Draco and I just want to go home… and where are the twins?" Harry spoke softly, he and the others were still heartbroken of their loss, obviously since it had only happened a few days ago.

"Their safe, Andromeda has them, but she's bringing them to the Burrow for you and the others to see. Remus, Alastor and I wanted to come for you all at the station anyways. The Funeral is in a few days."

"Funerals," Ron grumbled in correction, "What was so important anyways. The year ended terribly, why is mum and dad holding a party at the house." Ron and the others didn't want to have a party, no matter what kind it was, they lost Mellena, who they'd later been told was Gabrielle McKinnon under an alias since she was sixteen. But it didn't matter, Mellena or Gabrielle, she was still their Aunt.

"It's a celebration of life, for the time we had with the dearly departed. Just try to smile when you get home, Ron." Remus said with a saddened smile, he was disappointed, and heartbroken with Gabrielle's death, he'd never gave the woman a chance to truly be explain anything to him he'd been so hurt and upset he'd feed that anger and he'd lost a dear friend he'd once loved so much. Patting the saddened ginger on the back he couldn't help the sigh that left him.

Harry began his outburst, "How can we smile! Our aunts were murdered in cold blood!" He snapped, getting out of the magically extended vehicle and ran towards the Burrow's door, his heart jumped from his stomach when his eyes feel on the dark red hair and deep green eyes.

'This is impossible, she's dead…'

"Am I seeing ghosts?" Harry choked out, his eyes watering with tears.

"No, you're not seeing ghosts Harry."

Emma understood he was having a difficult time understanding what was going on, in truth they all were, she had been killed, so how was she still alive?

Dumbledore was still trying to figure it out.

"But… We saw him kill you. How is this possible?" He asked, his voice faltering and began crying when his hands touched her hands. Warm, flesh and blood, "Your real… Your real." He was mostly speaking for himself, trying to get it through his mind that she was alive, but his legs had given out. When he felt her arms wrap around him catching him setting it in stone that she was truly alive.

Emma was there and holding him.

The thought made him cry into her arms, his own hold like a vice around her. Harry's mind was silent to the others as they entered the Burrow, eyes wide with shock, tears and sobbing smiles.

Draco had fallen to his knees. His arms wrapping around her neck and started his own sobs as Ron did the same. Once the three had their time to themselves for Emma's return they reluctantly release their hold, letting the rest take their time with holding her and crying. Even Hermione had her sobbing moments in Emma's arms with Ginny. But everyone's happiness was brought down several levels when they began asking about Mellena, realizing it truly was all real. Nothing had been faked. There was no 'pulling a veil over their eyes'. She was really dead.

Athella and Horus had taken their time of being last, looking for their mother, but Horus had been the one to point out to his sister that their mother was still gone. This gave them the realization that not everyone can come back from death, like they'd had the short amount of hope of possibilities to have their mother once again, but their sour mood of not having their mother was softened by the thought that they still had their Aunt. It didn't make it hurt any less. In fact, it stung more that they were never going to see their mother again. The thought had sent the twins into tears as they hugged Emma tightly, her trying everything in her power to comfort them. Emma had no words to spare the children of their loss, so she didn't say a word. She had put them to bed that night and every night after, her and Molly taking turns. The two women's hearts breaking when the twins would ask about Severus.

"When can we see dad?"

"Where's our father?"

"Does he not want us?"

"Why didn't he go to mum's funeral?"

The women had to console the grieving children over the summer, "Your father loves you, but he knew if something like this happened, he couldn't keep you safe all his own. That's why you're here with Molly and Arthur… He wanted you three safe. He wanted to go to your mother's funeral, but he's hurting so much from her loss he probably couldn't face the reality of it." Emma spoke softly, her heart aching at her friend's absence and for the family that lost her.

'Why Gabs,'

"Aunt Emma?" Athella spoke up, curiosity in her eyes, curiosity sparking made Emma smile, "Yes sweet girl?"

"Can Mars sleep in here with us?" Athella's eyes alight with hope.

"Yes, we can move Marlene's crib in here with you if your brother doesn't mind-"

"Really!" Emma smiled as the twins interrupted her, smiling gladly, lighting up with excitement and both shot up right in their separate beds with wide smiles. "Really!"

"Yes, really."

"Emma are you going back to Hogwarts as a teacher this year?" Horus asked in curiosity just as George and Fred had brought the baby crib into the room and a smiling Ginny placing a sleeping baby girl back into the Crib, "No, unfortunately not this year."

Where Athella didn't understand, Horus did. Giving a nod and telling his sister to not say another word on the matter.

Emma was shocked to find that Horus was much like his father in more ways than many.

Athella obliged, knowing there wasn't any point in saying anymore.

Emma always had a reason for things, like their mum and dad. And they trusted their parents, so they were going to trust Emma. The three-sibling slept in peace for the first time in the first month after they'd buried their mother. The children were extraordinary when it came to their classes, Horus was brilliant in Potions, Transfiguration and Herbology where Athella excelled in more in Defense, Charms, Flying and History than her brother. Both took in one another's strengths and weaknesses to help the other succeed in the classes they need help.

Unfortunately, with many others believing Emma was deceased as well, they thought it would be wise to inform close family she was alive and well, however, there were a few who were left unaware of her living statue, like those at the school, students and staff alike, a ceremony was to be held at the first night of the new school year of the loss of Mellena, but they had involved Emma in the ceremony also, hoping everyone would continue to believe she was dead.

Dumbledore, Severus and Harry had made the hard decision that Harry's mind be wiped of her living nature. And so, Dumbledore complied to Severus's wishes and done the task personally. They'd held a service for Emma in Godric's Hollow Cemetery and had a headstone placed next to James and Lily. Emma had to remain in hiding, something she greatly disliked.

"I did not agree to this, Sirius." Emma huffed with annoyance, she had been trying to go to Hogwarts to help the others prepare for the coming year and to help get Mellena's ceremony underway and in proper order. But she had been sent directly to Dumbledore's office after the floo had been set from Grimmuald place.

Emma had found she was unable to Disapparat and upon her arrival to Dumbledore's office she was even more confused when he'd quickly waved his wand in her direction and the fireplace. She was sent right back shortly after her fireplace floo network had been locked and disconnected. Emma Black had been locked in her own home at Grimmauld place. Her anger and irritation had only grown when Dumbledore, Sirius, Remus and Alastor had arrived and began explaining why she was being locked in her own home.

"Emma, if they found out you were-"

"I know why it was put in place Sirius!" Emma scolded, taking a deep breath to calm herself, "I'm just upset that no one even asked me regarding the subject."

"Emma, we understand why your upset at that point, my grand-daughter is dead, your best friend, I, we, are simply protecting you for a short time until we need your presence known. This gives us an advantage," Dumbledore stated, in fact he had a point. Everyone believed her dead, so she should stay that way in words and in many thoughts of their enemies for the time being, but they hadn't had the chance to tell her what Harry had decided.

Truthfully, they didn't want to.

"No, it doesn't… Harry knows I'm alive… He can still get into Harry's mind." Emma informed them, yet their sudden silence and diverted eyes made her not only temporarily confused, and fearful. "What happened?"

"Emma, this is why we didn't know how to tell you…" Sirius spoke up, he had a feeling he was not only going to get slapped, but he was likely going to be in the doghouse for weeks.

Hearing Sirius had turned her fear into anger, "What did you do!"

"Sirius didn't do anything, Emma… I did… with, of course, Harry's permission." Dumbledore stood from his set of the study and began pacing the room.

At this, Emma's irritation boiled over, a heavy breath was taken in and slowly let out as she glared at Dumbledore, "What permission." It was not a question, more along the lines of a growled demand. Yes, she was pretty pissed. No one had spoken a word to her regarding anything.

The days grew darker, the Wizarding world was under attack, even the Muggle world was having catastrophic events happening, and the Order was helpless to stop anything. The Death Eaters were being unpredictable, Snape was not informed of everything going on nor the attacks that were to be done, it was all at random.

Severus had avoided everyone, his moods had darkened, even towards his children. His children hadn't seen him, he had become cold towards the twins. He was finally given the promotion to Dark Arts Professor when he was informed his old Potions Professor, Horus Slughorn, was returning. The only downed thing about Harry and the other's sixth year, was that Emma was in hiding and Harry had his memory tampered with. They had been called to Dumbledore's office to witness the tampering and Emma's living statues had been wiped from the boys mind. Harry was back to grieving for his Aunt and mother.

Sirius had been cleared of the accusations by Rufus Scrimgeour who'd succeed Fudge as Minister.

Hermione had begged Sirius to speak to her parents of letting her return to Hogwarts and had done so, understandably Snape was under the desire to not let the twins return either but had given Molly and Arthur money for their things.

"There is a vault set up for the children for you to use as you so desire, there is plenty in there. Use it for your family as well. Gabrielle had money saved back from the Clothesline she was invested in with Emma, her sum is still being put into the vault. I don't need it… Thank you for taking them, Molly." He sounded so cold and distant to her ears, but his eyes were broken and void of any, to all, emotion but heartache and sadness.

"Don't you want to see them Severus, they lost her too ya know." Molly asked with worry and sadness. They had buried Gabrielle, again with Lily and James, somewhere Snape had asked to be placed alongside her. He knew James wouldn't have minding him being laid to rest with them in the cemetery. Friends they may have never been but equals they had been before their end.

"I know, I want to, believe me I want to see my children… But for the things I have to do, the person I must become, they will no longer recognize me. I can't ruin them, Gabrielle risked everything, she knew they weren't safe with me if something happened to her, knew that as the days grew darker, I was no longer able to protect them, I can only do so much, I cannot fail. And if I'm worrying over them, as well as the boy, I will fail. They are yours now Molly. Give the children my fair-wells and goodbyes, give them my love?"

Molly's lip tremble sadly for Severus, and nodded, "This is goodbye then?"

"For now,"

"I'll relay your love to them Severus… You deserved so much more than this life… Be safe?"

"I'm never safe, not anymore." Molly had cried for a while after he'd left, crying for Gabby's loss, now the loss of their Mellena, for the children and for Emma but most of all, he cried for Severus.

"Aunt Molly are you okay?" Athella had asked, walking in rubbing her sleeping eyes, "Of course dear, just been a long few weeks" Her dark hair pulled back into a bun with a Gryffindor scrunchy that was once her mothers, the dirty blonde strip of hair was still clearly visible, something that would always show she was Gabrielle's daughter, even her bright blue eyes didn't do the twelve year old justice, just as beautiful as her mother.

Molly had spent the very early morning with Athella helping her prepare breakfast with excitement and had even gone to wake up the others.

"Fred! George! Breakfast!" Both boys groaned tiredly, "It's seven on Tuesday, Ella," George groaned, only to have a laughing twelve-year-old jump on his bed, landing on him, making him grunt from the pain of his stomach being shoved in. For a small thing she was, she sure had strength.

"Alright, alright. Go to Fred… Fed, she's your department, dear brother." George said getting up and heading for the bathrooms and a change of clothes with a groan as he walked past his calendar, their open house for their shop was in three days.

"Fred, open house is in three days, we need to get the shop ready." George stated, drying his still dripping hair with the towel, smiling as he watched Athella and Fred horsing around, both laughing. It shocked him still she had pretty much become a different half of his twin. Horus had always liked being around Draco and Ginny or Angelina.

"I'm coming, come on Ella." Fred laughed picking Athella up into his back as she laughed, the twins switching her out to the other so Fred could get ready himself.

October 12th, 1996

The months had past like nothing, but the realization of returning back to Hogwarts without Emma or their mother had sent the twins into worry and fear, they didn't even have their father anymore. Making matters worse, the Weasley twins were no longer at Hogwarts, dropped out because of Umbridge.

The start of the new school year had been harsh and difficult, their father was cold and distant, even to them, and it hurt all the more.

Horus would return to the Slytherin Common room and cry himself to sleep, Morgan would comfort him as would Cho when he saw her or Angelina, his sister would sit with him in their classes they had together, when they had Defense with Snape they were shocked when he hadn't complained when they'd work together, unfortunately he was harsh and critical towards them. There was another girl, Astoria Greengrass, she was a sweet girl, very kind and Horus had found himself enjoying his time around her. She had even had the terrifying courage to slapping Finn across the face when he'd made an inappropriate comment about one of the Ravenclaw girls. Horus knew he liked her the second she'd slapped Finn Malfoy. Her handprint had bruised itself to his right cheek for nearly a week.

Athella would crawl in with Ginny at nights when she needed to cry, curl up next to Hermione or Ron near the fireplace when the group would be down in the Common room.

"Why does it bother you that he's being a git?" Ron had asked once, and Athella had grown tired of the secrets, "He's our father, Mellena, or Gabrielle, whatever our mum's name was, was his wife." This had sent the elder students in dumb struck, Severus Snape had married a sweet women and love and caring person, like Mellena?

"We have pictures to prove it… You can even ask Aunt Molly, Uncle Remus and Uncle Sirius." Athella's tone worried them, it was distant, filled with sorrow and sadness.

However, no one seemed to have realized that Narcissa had worries for her nephew, Finn. As crazy as he was, and as mad as he was, he was just a boy. Before school had begun, she had rushed to Severus begging him for his help, "He's just a boy Severus, just a boy… Help him, please? He doesn't understand the hardships of doing what he's been asked to do. The scars it could leave him with. He believes he'll be fine, bu-but he's just a boy…" Narcissa had felt horrible after feeling she was happy Draco hadn't been with them, because if he had been, Voldemort would have marked him and given the task to Draco instead. To at least attempt to redeem her previous feelings, Narcissa wanted to try to help her nephew, but he wanted no help from her. To her horror, Finn wanted to fulfill the Dark Lords wishes and looked to Bellatrix as his mother figure and aunt, not Narcissa, and Bellatrix had coached the boy in her own madness.

Severus, to all his efforts to consul the woman, had failed in leaving that day unscarred and in a non-dangerous life-threatening situation… Bellatrix had challenged him, knowing she could use her sister's soft feelings to get to Severus, "Swear to it," and he had, he'd made the most dangerous vow he'd ever made. He could no longer work between the lines of light and dark, he couldn't escape fate any longer, that day his path had been chosen.

The Unbreakable Vow.

Bellatrix and her sister had not been the same when Emma's funeral was announced, they thought she was dead, like his wife.

Voldemort had given Severus his deepest condolences, knowing full well who his wife was and had demanded an explanation as to why she was still alive after Severus had claimed to have been the one to kill her himself years ago, "She was scared, I was scared, we devised a plan to let her be free of it all, to marry and have a family, but as the years went on she grew distant from me, no longer trusted me." He had explained, a lie he knew the Dark Lord would believe, "And your children?"

"Never had any. The children she had were from another, we just never Divorce." 'Forgive me Gabrielle,' He prayed every night for her forgiveness from then on, for the lies he'd have to give. Each lie he had to speak broke his heart into more dusting pieces.

Harry, Draco, Ron and Hermione, before school had begun, had witnessed Narcissa walking Finn down Knockturn Alley and into Borgin and Burks, nearly getting caught. They'd hidden and watched with defeated sighs as Fenrir Greyback closed the curtains from others looking in. Both Harry and Draco were under the assumption it was an initiation. Voldemort now had a solid set of eyes in Hogwarts he knew he could use to grand advantages.

December 1996

Emma had heard wind that Harry had been excelling in Potions to her joy and had even been claimed by Slughorn into the Slug club, but Emma had a suspicion Dumbledore was using Harry to this advantage and she wanted to know why.

"You asked to speak with me my dear?" Dumbledore asked, walking into the kitchen of Grimmuald place, smiling happily when he saw Orion and Lilian in their highchairs being fed by their mother. The twins had laughed and clapped when they saw Dumbledore walk in, this had Emma smiling, the first real smile she had given in the presence of Dumbledore as he sat across from the red head, "What do you need Harry's help for with Horus, Albus? Why couldn't you just ask him. He's your friend, isn't he?"

With a small smiled sigh, Albus nodded, "Yes, I asked Harry to get close to Horus, and yes, he is a dear friend. However, the information he gave me last time was tampered, the memory distorted and changed. We need the real memory." Albus explained.

"Why would he tamper with his own memory?" To say she was confused was an understatement, but Horus had been her own teacher and had adored him as such. She had been happy to hear Horus had taken wonderfully to the twins, even more so Horus and had expressed his deepest condolences to them when he finally met them. Of course, he had done so after class had finished as to not draw attention to their loss.

"Your nephew is bright, as are you my dear girl… I explained to Harry that Horus may be embarrassed, maybe even ashamed of it. There for tampering with the memory at the time when I asked him for it… Voldemort grew close with one particular teacher while he was at Hogwarts."

"Slughorn… How soon after did you ask him for the memory of the encounter?" Emma asked, returning back to feeding the twins their mashed food. Even only at nine and a half months old the twins seemed to be growing like wild weeds, they'd eat some soft solid food here and there but they still weren't liking many things harder than bananas, Emma's mother had told her she had been the same way, however they'd never told her how they got her to like the more solid foods, so Emma had decided to just let them grow to the foods instead. Her and Sirius had agreed that they had enough energy as it was, so they were not going to get any crazy amounts of sugar at all. Dumbledore had taken to feeding Lilian with a happy smile as Emma had moved to feeding Orion, she couldn't help the smile that came to her as she watched the elder man with her children, he'd been amazing with his own great-grandchildren and Emma couldn't help but wonder why he'd never had a family.

'He'd have made wonderful father that's for sure.'

Dumbledore had wanted to think of the answer for a bit, but he's attention had been grabbed by the adorable little redhead in her high chair smiling wide at him, even as he fed her Lillian, "Maybe a few weeks after I realized I didn't have his, he may have had an idea why or what Tom was planning, and I found that his tampered memory was the biggest clue. However, before I could ask him why, he resigned, and I couldn't find him for a few years."

"Albus, I'm going mad here, at least let me come back to the school under disguise?" Harry's security hadn't only been the reason she wanted to speak with him, but he had quickly refused her.

"It's not safe. The children need you here, their happy with you around, Harry will have his Aunt back once the year is over, you can explain everything to him. I have signed permission from him to allow me to erase that memory here with me." He said quickly pulling the informed consent from his sleeve and handed it to her. "Train him, Emma, when he comes back for break in a few weeks, train his mind and he can have you back."

Sighing in defeat, Emma handed the consent form back to Albus. But a few other things had been weighing on Emma's mind. "Albus, when I was dead, Lily told me that Tom made two, not one… I've been trying to figure out for months what she was talking about, but I haven't found anything…"

"I'm still working on that myself. He has objects laced with dark magic, powerful. It's leaving traces, that's why when you were so angry for years, why you yourself was not only powerful yourself but filled with so much anger was because that was the dark traces of dark magic. When he killed you, himself he killed that part he had placed inside you all those years ago. I'm just trying to figure out what it is, what he's using to keep himself connected to this world. But I can't seem to figure out what kind it is. Each piece he laces with his darkness is even more difficult to destroy." He clarified, finally showing her his own hand drawing wide eyes and held back gasp as she took his damaged hand into her own and looked it over.

Her heart sank to her stomach at the sight of his chard looking hand, "What happened?"

"Tom's ring, when I found it, I couldn't think of a way to destroy it. I tried everything, until, I attempted to put it on my own hand. The curse, and the magic inside, was released and destroyed, but at the price of my own." He spoke sadly.

Emma took a breath, she was not going to start crying in front of her kids, they would begin themselves and it would just be a mess, "How long?"

"A year, possibly. But I must go. I have students who need my presence and a meeting with a few people I believe I may be late for. Good night Emma." He'd said his goodbyes, kissing the twins atop their head then finally Emma's forehead and was off back to his Tower. He still had a lot of work that needed to be done and he feared he wouldn't be the one to finish them.

Christmas was a few weeks away and Harry had been trying to muster up the courage to ask Alicia to go to the Slughorn Christmas Party, but she had sadly informed him she was unable to attend the grand party because she was going home a day before the said party.

"How about we go to Hogsmeade for a bit then, before you leave?"

She'd smiled and kissed Harry on the cheek, "I'd love to Harry."

Excited, Harry went for the closest date, "How's tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow would be great, met you in the usual place then?"

For the first time in a while since his mum's and Aunt Mellena's funeral, Harry was happy again.

Alicia had been there for him and Draco for everyone really. Her and Amos Diggory. She and her uncle had attended the funerals, comforted him and the others at the Potter Estate helped with the twins when Andromeda, Tonks and Remus didn't have them.

Sirius had returned to Hogwarts as Security, he hadn't wanted the babies at Hogwarts, Harry was told Andromeda, Tonks and Remus were taking care of the twins currently. With his memory wiped of Emma's living statue, he no longer had the knowledge that his adoptive mother was alive and well and taking care of the growing infants locked away at Grimmauld Place with Kreacher.

Andromeda had been stopping by every few days to help Emma stay sane. Thankfully it was partially working.

Author's note: Please be aware that I own ABSOLUTELY NOTHING, everything, except my character ocs' I place here, belongs to the wonderful Lady J.K. Rowling. This is a Sirius Black/OC Fan-fiction.

Welcome back readers! I hope you enjoy this one as much as you have the first Story that began this journey! :)

**I apologize for my sudden disappearance for such a while, my family and I had some home improvements to do. But I am back now, and I hope I can get theses chapters finished up to you, the readers, and my own, satisfaction!

**Answer to a review: I placed Alicia at the end of chapter 37 because, and I fell terribly for even admitting this, I hadn't exactly realized I hadn't included her to that extent nor realized her extended absence. I adore the oc I made for Harry, but I completely air-headed her character without realizing it and was hoping to amend her absence. Truthfully, I was decided on putting her in 37 or not and I realize that I brought her back way to suddenly at the end of 37 and abruptly just out of the blue. I'm now seeing I should have probably gone at a slower rate towards the beginning. I did not exactly realize until later that 37 had a few, or a bit more than a few holes and that 37 was probably not my best work, for that too I also apologize immensely. Alos, yes I understand that Klay has also been VERY absent and that is once again my fault for completely forgetting about him and I feel terrible for it. I loved having him in the prequel and had hopes in this one for him, but I can not fix his long absence like I'd hoped I could. So I've had to make other plans for his character.

Thank you all for the Reviews and your utmost patience and the continued encouragement, I'm so happy you're all enjoying the chapters as they go!