Epilogue: Time continues forward

I don't own 'Harry Potter'

"Bloody little shit. Who does he think he is?"

Harry continued grumbling to himself as he flicked through the new medical journal, seeing but not really registering any of the words on the pages. He was far too worked up to read at the moment, having more pressing problems than taking in whatever article was in front of him.

The bed dipped next to him and he heard a deep chuckle in his ear. "You're not still moaning, are you?"

Harry snorted. "That brat should be lucky that's all I'm doing."

Orion laughed quietly and settled against the headboard next to him, wrapping an arm around Harry's shoulders and squeezing lightly. He sighed and put the journal on his bedside table, allowing himself to be pulled into his husband's warm chest. He snuggled deeper and closed his eyes, trying to banish his vaguely murderous thoughts.

As if he could hear his thoughts, Orion started speaking. "Harry, you do realise that Elle is spectacularly stubborn, don't you? It's not as if anyone could ever manipulate her into anything she didn't want to do, including this."

"That's not the point! It's not Elle that's the problem, it's that little cretin who looks smug every single bloody time people mention tomorrow!"

"Have you considered that there might be some innocent pride mixed in there as well?" Orion asked dryly. "Not to mention that you need to remember the teenage hormones. Merlin knows I'm grateful he's kept his hands to himself when in our vicinity."

Harry clicked his tongue in irritation. "He's still a brat." The smaller man sighed heavily, knowing full well that there was no way for him to win in this situation, especially as his beloved daughter was ecstatic with her plans. Harry mourned the innocent baby from all those years ago.

"Why do all our children persist in getting married as soon as possible after school?"

Orion snorted. "You know as well as I do that our society is focused on bloodlines and maintaining their continuity. Even if prejudice has lessened in the past few decades, that doesn't mean that people aren't concerned with future generations of their Houses."

"Yes, but you would've thought that more parents allowing their children to marry for love would've led to them marrying later, not as soon as physically possible."

"Not necessarily," Orion countered. "It might be that some of the children are worried about the offer being rescinded, so they wed to prevent that. And again, teenage hormones are also to blame here," Orion added with a small chuckle.

Harry hummed. "I guess. I suppose learning about compatible magics in school helps, too. Merlin knows that would have helped me avoid certain people when I was younger."

"At least you ended up here in the end."

Harry pulled his head back and gazed up at Orion, leaning up to press their lips together. He cupped Orion's jaw in one hand, the other gripping his husband's pyjama top tightly as they lost themselves in the kiss. It was entirely chaste, but that was more than enough to sate Harry's desires right now. It had been a long day.

The couple disengaged and Harry laid his head on the taller man's chest, humming slightly as Orion carded his fingers through Harry's hair, scraping his scalp lightly with his nails. It was a wonderful sensation, one that he'd never tire of. He hadn't so far.

Harry smiled to himself, still somewhat disbelieving of the direction his life had taken after the war. Next year, he'll have been in the past for thirty years. He married Orion twenty-seven years ago, taking on Siri and Reg as his own, and going on to give birth to three other children himself.

Time certainly flew by when you weren't paying attention.

His oldest two had married and gone on to have children themselves years ago, having both married as soon as they graduated. Essentially giving Harry minor heart attacks at the thought of his children giving him grandchildren, but that ship had sailed years ago. Elle was the only one who hadn't given him any grandchildren yet, but he knew damn well that would change soon. Stubborn girl.

Ri and Al had at least given Harry a bit of a reprieve by waiting until they were in their mid-twenties before procreating, though that hadn't stopped them from marrying their significant others as soon as they physically could. Whether that had been evolving their friendship into something more as working adults, or waiting for their partner to graduate so they weren't marrying a school student. (Which sounded bad, Harry would admit, but in that particular case, the age gap was only a few years. Thankfully, for his sanity.)

The fact that he currently had eight grandchildren, and would likely have several more in the future, was a bewildering thought, but Harry had long since found a giddy excitement in the situation. He'd always wanted a big family as a child, and he'd eventually gotten his wish. It might have taken some truly bizarre turns to get to where he is, but he couldn't bring himself to regret it in any way.

Harry sighed once more. "I just can't believe that Elle ended up with him of all people."

"At least they're not that closely related, even if they're both Blacks," Orion said dryly.

He groaned into Orion's chest at the thought, mourning the idea of yet another of his children ending up with someone they shared blood with. He supposed that none of them had married anyone closer than a third cousin, but out of all of the people in the world, they just had to choose someone who could be found on their own family tree.

Siri and Reg were the only two to have wed someone they didn't share blood with, but Harry couldn't exactly say anything about his other children's partners. He was never going to be someone to strictly dictate what his kids could or couldn't do, and seeing them so happy and vibrant had put a stop to any of his recriminations.

His children were happy and in love. How could he ever condemn that?

I guess that's the same with Elle. He would accept her marriage, begrudging though his thoughts might be. He couldn't help it; his daughter was his youngest child, and as such she'd been more than a little doted on as she grew up. Siri had spoiled her rotten with gifts, she'd been tutored by Reg in whatever she wanted to know (whether it was age-appropriate or not), and the twins had delighted in travelling the world with their only sister, disappearing with her at least a few times a year.

(At least he and Orion had been reasonable with their affection. Mostly. So what if Elle's Sorting present had been a several thousand Galleon broom with her name engraved on it? That didn't prove anything.)

Orion shifted underneath him. "At least Ant respects Elle and her choices. That's more than some men."

Harry snorted at his husband's words. "Please. As if she would have ever accepted some idiot who didn't see her as an equal. Anyone like that would have been cursed before he could even ask her out."

"I wouldn't be surprised if she's already done that in the past."

"Considering how many friends she's got, I don't doubt they've helped her cover up any dubious actions at least once," Harry added slyly. He was beyond proud of his daughter's magical repertoire.

"True. Still, I do understand your perspective. Our daughter marrying Alphard's son is strange in so many ways. Since they announced their engagement, Alphard's been grinning like he's won some bet that only he knows about."

"That wouldn't surprise me. Your cousin's an idiot."

Orion laughed, the sound rumbling through his chest and vibrating against Harry's face. It was a calming sound, knowing that your spouse was alive and happy, right there with you. Harry lifted his head once more and studied Orion's face. For a man of nearly seventy, Orion Black was still an extraordinarily handsome man. He had small crow's-feet at the corners of his eyes, a few laugh lines around his mouth, and some light creases on his forehead. The biggest difference was Orion having finally grown a beard, closely cropped to his face and styled meticulously to emphasise his sharp jaw. A few strands of silver at his husband's temples were the only other indication to the passage of time.

It also created a dignified aura that was incredibly attractive to Harry. The bruises on his neck could attest to that.

Harry hadn't been immune to ageing, either. He hadn't gone grey at all (yet), but his face was now home to a few wrinkles, mostly laugh lines and near his eyes, but that seemed to be the extent of him growing older. He would have experimented with his facial hair if it weren't for the fact that he'd never been able to grow much of it anyway. It had looked awful whenever he tried. Paired with the fact that his facial structure was more reminiscent of his mother's, it wouldn't have suited him much, either. He had grown his hair out even more, though. It now laid nearly straight halfway down his back. Harry had thought it was perhaps too feminine, but seeing how Orion's eyes had darkened upon gazing at it had put paid to those thoughts in record time. (His husband was very appreciative of Harry's long hair, much to the benefit of their physical relationship.)

What a lucky man he was.

Harry leaned forward to press a fleeting kiss to Orion's lips before laying back on the taller man's chest, shifting until he was fully comfortable. "We should probably go to sleep now, shouldn't we?"

"If you don't want Elle bitching at us for nearly falling asleep during her wedding, then yes."

He laughed quietly, easily picturing his spirited daughter ripping into the two of them, even if it were in the middle of her saying her vows. She was quite the feisty girl.

Harry closed his eyes and let himself drift off, thoughts of his family swirling around in his head. His husband, five children, and his only daughter's upcoming wedding.

Tomorrow was going to be amazing.

Harry knocked on the door, rocking back on his heels while he waited for a response.

"Come in!"

He opened the door and stepped in, taking note of the cluttered mess around the room. Clothes and hair-care products were scattered across the tables, make-up on the dressing table with the mirror, and the bouquets carefully placed on the sofa across the room.

His daughter's bridesmaids looked lovely in their floor-length violet gowns; the dresses would have appeared simple if it weren't for the embroidered straps over their shoulders. Closest to him was Thalia, Dorea's only daughter, checking her earrings in the mirror next to her. The young woman had her hair back in a simple bun, a few sprigs of lavender adorning one side of her head. Her silver eyes were narrowed as she surveyed her appearance; Harry didn't think she had anything to worry about, and he was certain that Thalia's girlfriend wouldn't be able to take her eyes off the Potter.

Stood next to Thalia was Meissa, the redhead trying to wrestle a few of her curls back into the clips in her hair. Her hair wasn't quite as stubborn as Elle's, but the curls certainly had a mind of their own. She was chewing her bottom lip as she stared at her reflection, trying to figure out if the plaits on her head looked good. He thought she was a beautiful girl. Like Thalia, Meissa had clearly inherited her facial structure from her Black mother, if not the colouring. Her red hair was certainly striking, though.

"You two are looking especially lovely."

The girls – or women as they really were, now that they'd left school – turned as one, grinning at him in unison.

"Uncle Harry!"

He smiled at his nieces and moved forward. "Are you nearly ready?"

"We're done," Thalia answered. "We're just waiting for Ella."

Meissa smirked. "She went to face a losing battle with her hair. It won't stay put."

"What do you –"

Harry cut off and stilled, his breath catching where he stood. The door at the other end of the room was open, and Elle was stood in the doorway, the sunlight streaming in through the windows to illuminate his baby girl.

His daughter was stood in a pure white dress that brushed the floor, beautiful in its simplicity. The silky material fell around Elle's slim figure without constricting her, the only form-fitting part being the waist. A wide band wrapped around her midsection, gold threads criss-crossing around her from above her hips to just below her bust. The dress continued over her chest in a modest neckline, the two wide straps adorned with more gold just before they reached her shoulders.

As if the dress wasn't enough to make Elle look like the walking personification of an angel, the young woman's riotous curls had been wrestled into a thick plait that fell down her back, several tiny flowers and vines woven down the hair and around the sides of her head. Several roses had been clipped at the back of her head, and a few loose strands of hair around Elle's face completed the look.

Merlin, his daughter was gorgeous.

Harry paid no attention to how Thalia and Meissa slipped out to give the two of them some privacy, he was entirely focused on how his beautiful daughter was beaming a shy smile at him, her eyelashes fluttering as her gaze kept escaping his. It was an odd sight to see his headstrong daughter so demure, yet he couldn't deny that the red blush on her cheeks was an endearing sight.

He stepped forward and enveloped his daughter into his arms, gently kissing her forehead so he didn't mess with her make-up. Not that Elle needed any, anyway. His youngest child was a beautiful girl, always had been, so she didn't need to cover her face in cosmetics. Not that he'd criticise her if she wanted to wear any. It was her choice. As long as she did it for herself, Harry would happily encourage Elle's experimentation.

The father of five pulled back and stared at Elle's face, taking note of what she'd done today. There was a thin line of black around her eyes, ending in little flicks at the end that emphasised the silver tone to her eyes. Harry could spot a faint hint of blush on her cheeks, and his daughter's lips were a softer pink than usual, but that was about it. She was done, and ready to get married.

If he didn't get a hold of himself, he was going to start crying. That wouldn't be an attractive sight.

He grinned at the blonde girl. "I don't think anyone can deny you make an extraordinarily beautiful bride."

Elle blushed once more but returned his grin. "Thanks, Papa." Her expression morphed into the smirk he was far more familiar with. "And you look quite happy right now. Does that mean you've finally accepted Ant as your son-in-law?"

"He's still got time to mess up," Harry replied flatly. He held his blank face for a few seconds before he started laughing, getting louder when his daughter rolled her eyes. "To be fair, it's not really my fault, you know? Aside from being my only daughter, you're the only one of your siblings to be pursued by their significant other rather than be the pursuer."

Elle frowned lightly. "What do you mean?"

"Well, Siri clearly went after Marl, and while Ali showed interest first, Reg was more than forthright on how he wanted their relationship to go. Ri was … proactive when it came to getting the man he wanted, and Al went full-on romantic to woo Thee. They were the ones who went ahead with their plans for romance. You were asked and courted."

"It's not like I was passive, Papa," Elle pouted, rolling her eyes once more. "I agreed to the courting because I liked Ant, not because I felt obligated to."

"I'm well aware," Harry said dryly. "I feel sorry for whatever poor sods you said no to. They can't have had a great time."

His daughter blinked big silver eyes innocently. "I don't know what you mean, Papa." That look does not work.

"I'm sure you don't."

Whatever his snarky youngest child was going to say was cut off when the door opened behind them. The father and daughter duo turned as one to see Orion stride into the room, looking rather resplendent in his silk robes that were a purple so dark they were almost black. The future Lord Black had his hair tied back with a silver band, the greying strands of hair made more obvious in this style. His shoulders filled out the robes well, his husband having lost barely any of his musculature over the course of their marriage.

(He had to remind himself that standing next to their daughter was not the place to mentally undress his husband.)

Harry watched Orion stop short, smiling as the taller man's eyes visibly softened as they took in the vision that was their only daughter. His husband walked over to Elle and hugged her tightly, the short girl practically being swallowed in her father's arms. (Considering Elle was the same 5'5" as Harry, he could sympathise with being hugged by a 6'4" giant of a man. It was gloriously warm, though.)

Orion bent down to press a kiss to their daughter's wild curls, whispering something in her ear that had Elle melting into their embrace even further. Orion remained wrapped around the blonde girl for a few minutes before stepping back and clearing his throat, a proud smile on his aristocratic face as he gazed at Elle. Harry could relate to the emotion; he was beyond proud of the woman that Elle was becoming before their very eyes.

He felt very bittersweet right now.

"It's time for the ceremony to start," Orion said quietly. "Are you ready to head out?"

Elle took a few deep breaths, exhaling slowly and carefully, visibly relaxing after a few minutes of breathing exercises. She walked over to the sofa and grabbed her bouquet, making sure the arrangement still looked good and turned back to her parents. The young woman nodded at them resolutely.

"I'm ready."

The party of three made their way out of the room, both of Elle's arms linked with one each of Harry and Orion. He could see his daughter look visibly nervous, but also like she was ready for anything. A proper Gryffindor, this one. He grinned.

"Just think, Elle. If Ant messes up at any time, you can hex him to your heart's content."

Orion snorted, but Elle burst out laughing, the light-hearted sound making Harry smile even wider. That was what he wanted to hear. His daughter was about to do something that she truly wanted to do, something that was going to make her happy. She didn't need to get lost in her own thoughts, needlessly imagining things that were making her panic.

Elle was always supposed to have a smile on her face.

They finally met up with Thalia and Meissa in the gardens, the two girls leading them across the grounds to where everyone else was.

"Well, I guess it's time to get married."

Harry chuckled under his breath at Elle's slightly bewildered tone, grinning at the smirk on Orion's face.

Time to get to it.

He watched as Elle shrieked loudly, screaming obscenities at Ant spinning her in the air, and tried not to laugh hysterically at her furious expression.

His daughter was always far more entertaining when her temper made an appearance.

Harry settled back into his chair, happily accepting his youngest grandchild from Ri while his son went to look for his other half. The infant was cheerfully babbling at him, waving his little arms around as he stared at Harry. Ri's only child – so far – had unfortunately inherited Harry's hair, but his bright blue eyes and face were from his other father.

Said man was off somewhere trying to wrangle his boisterous siblings, and Harry wished him luck. They were certainly a rowdy lot. He conjured a stuffed Abraxan and held it out for little Hadrian, grinning as the boy shrieked excitedly and eagerly grabbed the toy, waving it around all over the place for his own simple amusement. He was a happy kid.

Not that Harry expected otherwise from the combination of his son and Bill Weasley.

He could still remember the moment his son admitted to having feelings for Bill. To say he'd been a little blind sighted would be a massive understatement. It hadn't really helped seeing as Ri had been in his last year at Hogwarts, and Bill had been a fourth year at the time. He could recall a vague urge to hex his own son at his admission. Thankfully for everyone – and Harry's continued sanity – Ri had quickly added that he intended to court the younger teen properly, and that he was very much in favour in waiting for a deeper relationship until Bill had graduated. Imminent heart attack averted.

They'd been married for six years already, and Harry could admit he still got some perverse glee at the irked look on Molly's face whenever someone brought up the fact that her oldest child had shed his last name to become a Peverell. Did that make him a bad person? Of course not. He simply enjoyed partaking in Schadenfreude once in a while.

"Granddad Harry!"

He turned in his seat, coming face-to-face with the very picture of his old age. Siri's sons, the eldest of whom was fifteen already, were smiling widely at him as they brought him some food. Good kids, even if they're cheeky brats. Not that he'd ever expected otherwise of his oldest son's children. Between Siri and Marl, they'd been doomed from conception.

The soon-to-be fifth year Eridanus – and what had they been thinking with his first grandchild's name? He still felt sorry for the teen – and twelve-year-old Perseus were happily gorging themselves on a veritable manner of finger sandwiches as they seated themselves to his left. The appetite of young boys never fails to amaze me.

He eyed the two carefully. "Do I even want to know what you're escaping?"

Perseus blinked innocently. "What do you mean, Granddad?"

"I'm old, not stupid," Harry deadpanned.

Eridanus snorted into his food, unfortunately inhaling at the wrong time and starting a coughing fit. Harry smirked at the sight. Serves you right, you little shit.

"I think you'll find that the hiding has something to do with the mysterious addition of Babbling Beverage to the Elven wine."

The voice from behind Harry made the boys pale rapidly, but Harry just kept a blank face, even if he wanted to start laughing hysterically. These two … Will they ever learn?

"Have you fixed the situation, Reg?"

The man in his thirties walked around him and settled in the adjacent seat, briefly messing Hadrian's hair before reclining back. "Unfortunately, all of the bottles have been mixed up, and I can't figure out which ones have been affected."

Harry forced a frown on his face. "I see. Has anyone imbibed any yet?"

"Not that I can see, but it shan't be long," Reg replied seriously. Mostly. "I can't imagine that Lords Burke and Rosier will be too pleased, though. They're already in a mood from their bill failing."

The green-eyed man noticed his grandsons look even more panicked, hastily abandoning their food before they silently hightailed it away to somewhere hidden. Harry waited until the boys were well out of earshot before he started laughing loudly, grinning at Reg's evil smirk. Even Hadrian was giggling and clapping happily, making Harry smile softly at the infant.

"That was evil, Reg."

"They deserved it."

Harry eyed his second son. "Do we actually have anything to worry about?"

"Of course not," Reg said with a grin. "Our elves vanished the tainted bottles as soon as it happened. Not to mention that neither Alfred Burke nor Evan Rosier even like Elven wine. They're quite content with decimating the stocks of whiskey with their wives."

He shook his head with a smile. "You have an awful personality."

"Considering I was raised by you and Dad, can you blame me?"

Harry remained silent. No point in incriminating myself further.

He gazed around the raucous wedding reception and caught sight of three heads weaving in and out of the guests, peering around as if looking for someone.

Harry nodded in their direction. "I think your children are lost."

Reg spun in his seat and called the three over, summoning some extra chairs for the quiet table.

"Papa, Granddad."

His second son had had three children with Ali, and all of them were unusually quiet and polite compared to Siri's boys. Not that it was that surprising. Reg and Ali were a quietly content couple, therefore it would have been stranger for them to produce any truly rambunctious children.

Aquila and Corvus were the same age as Eridanus and Perseus, respectively. Harry might have suffered a slight meltdown at his second son ending up pregnant at eighteen. Just a little one. (In his defence, his own baby had been defiled; he'd been perfectly justified in his response, no matter what Orion had said at the time.)

The two boys were Blacks through and through, only their younger sister having any characteristics from their Potter heritage. Nine-year-old Vega was a proper little lady, quiet and polite in every way possible. Her blue-green eyes were ridiculously cute paired with her black curls, and she was as adorable as a china doll. (Except for whenever Harry found her nose-deep in advanced battle magic books. Harry couldn't wait to teach her to duel. He could tell she was going to be a fun little spitfire.)

Reg called for some food for his children, quietly engaging them in conversation about their schooling. It was a heart-warming scene, watching the children soak up the attention from their father, silently preening at Reg's praise. It was something Reg used to do, too. Harry smiled at the family tableau. Thank Merlin that Ali realised his feelings all those years ago.

"Bloody hell, that was a nightmare."

"I take it that your siblings gave you a spot a trouble," Harry asked lightly, smirking ever so slightly at Bill's harassed look.

The redhead shot him a glare, but rolled his eyes at Harry's unrepentant face and quickly took his son back. The happy baby cooed at his father, babbling even louder as Ri reappeared and sat next to Bill. Hadrian started laughing and waving his toy at his parents, clearly proud of his acquisition. It was adorable.

Bill grinned down at his only child even as he carried on talking with Harry. "Charlie's trying to convince Aster to have another kid already even though she hasn't given birth yet, Percy's panicking while trying to figure out how to propose to his girlfriend, the twins are trying to prank Lord Malfoy, and Ron accidentally insulted Ginny, so he's running for his life while she's trying to castrate him with a butter knife."

Harry took a sip of water to distract him from the hysterical laughter threatening to break forth. That sounds about right for Gin. Even as a young girl, she's a menace. And Ron never learns, does he?

"Hey, guys!"

Thank Merlin for magic, he thought as the table grew to accommodate more of their family. Al sat opposite Harry with his wife, their twins happily sat on their laps. Al wrapped an arm around Thee's shoulders, Andromeda's younger daughter smiling tiredly at her sons. Seeing as their magic was playing up once more, Harry wasn't surprised with his daughter-in-law's expression.

In this world, instead of giving birth to Tonks, Andromeda had had twin girls. Like Tonks, both were Metamorphmagi, with all the fun and games that came with the ability. Thankfully, the woman had bestowed more palatable names on her daughters. Harry still didn't know how she'd decided that 'Nymphadora' was acceptable in any way.

Though the girls weren't Tonks, just like the cheerful Auror from Harry's childhood, they'd also passed on their abilities to their children. Harry's twin grandsons were currently sporting purple and green hair, the unfortunate combination only made worse by their yellow eyes. They were a few months older than Hadrian, but Hector and Myles weren't any better at controlling their magic. Hence their disastrous colouring.

Al seemed to think it was funny, but Harry was well aware that both of his twins had inherited Harry and Orion's sarcasm. Well, truly all of their children had a healthy amount of snark, but he found it far too funny to criticise. It was entertaining seeing his children sass people that annoyed them. Perhaps him rewarding them with baked goods hadn't exactly been the most appropriate response to seeing it in person, but his kids had turned out well in the end. More or less.

Harry quietly asked the elves for some coffee, pushing it across to Thee when it appeared. "Go ahead. I can sympathise."

The young woman smiled gratefully at him, her silver eyes lighting up at the sight of caffeine. Harry remembered having twins; 'exhausting' didn't begin to describe his state all those years ago. Not that it hadn't been rewarding in many ways, but his energy had certainly needed several boosts while caring for one-year-old twins.

She took a deep sip and hummed, sighing happily as Al wrangled the two infants into high chairs to their displeasure. Harry stifled a snort at the whining sounds from the boys, smirking at Al's disgruntled face. Ah, karma is a wonderful thing.

He looked around the table, feeling enormously blessed at the sight of so many of his family with him. Reg and Ali – who had apparently silently appeared in the past few minutes – were happily discussing elective classes with their children, Ri and Bill were fawning over a giggling Hadrian, and Al was trying – and mostly succeeding – to feed the twins, all the while Thee remained blissfully ignorant to anything else as she slipped into caffeinated heaven.

What a brilliant family I have.

"I can't believe you did that!"

"I can't believe you got caught."

"Sirius! That is not the point."

"Err, I mean, that was a stupid thing to do. Don't do it again."

"Merlin, could you sound any more insincere?"

I guess they couldn't escape capture forever. Harry smirked as Marlene marched her sheepish sons to the empty seats next to Thee, the boys looking vaguely terrified of their mother but quite proud of their achievements. The typical expression for a couple of teenagers who'd succeeded in pulling off a difficult prank.

Siri dropped into the seat next to Harry and grinned at him, clearly finding as much amusement in the situation as Harry did. He could admit that they were both more than a little lax when it came to their children doing something they weren't supposed to. (Harry could still remember when the twins had 'accidentally' turned Snape's hair pink, their magic so strong that it hadn't faded for a week. He'd brought them so many toys after that.)

His oldest got drawn into a bickering argument with his wife as their sons started casting small illusions for the giggling twins. Harry ignored the blatant use of underage magic – like his children hadn't done the same; besides, they weren't hurting anyone – and Harry smiled to himself, relaxing in his chair.

He grinned at the chair adjacent to his moving as close as possible, his husband seating himself and wrapping an arm around Harry's shoulders. Orion was gazing at their family with pride on his aristocratic face, and Harry felt beyond warm at how lucky he was.

Before time travelling, he'd been under the impression that Orion Black must have been a cruel and cold bastard, a man that didn't deserve the title of 'father'. He'd been so sure in his judgement, convinced because of Sirius' awful childhood. His godfather might have been somewhat of a drama queen with his own biases, but his stories had clearly held a few objective facts that couldn't be refuted. Orion Black hadn't been a good man.

Ending up in the past had shown him that even objective facts could be subjective in their own way. Sirius hadn't been lying to Harry, and he'd recounted events as he'd known. He hadn't been wrong, he'd just been unaware of the true causes of such actions. His godfather had never gotten to know the truth, had never come face-to-face with the true depths of his father. It was a sad thought.

To know that he'd facilitated such a large change was astounding. Harry had allowed Orion to fully bond with his sons before their relationship could be irreparably destroyed, had helped their bond soothe over the wounds from Walburga's actions. Orion as a father had been an amazing thing to witness, which was one of the biggest things that had caused Harry to give the man a chance.

It was difficult to turn down a man who was so loving towards his children, and would be towards any more in the future.

"Papa! Dad!"

Harry turned in his seat to grin at his daughter half-stumbling towards him. Elle's face was flushed a deep red, more than a few blonde curls had escaped her plait and were happily defying gravity, the flowers in her hair were tilted, and his daughter was breathing heavily. The most important part of her appearance was that she was sporting an enormous grin, beaming from ear-to-ear as she walked over. Her silver eyes were sparkling with glee, a vast improvement from the nervous set earlier in the day.

She almost tripped as she made her way towards her parents, but Harry thought it unlikely that Elle was drunk. The young woman had never been much of a fan of alcohol – unlike her brothers – so it was probably the ambience of the reception. His daughter had been dancing and giddily socialising for hours at this point. She was probably high on the atmosphere.

Elle stood behind Harry and Orion and leaned forward, wrapping her arms around the couple with her head resting just between theirs. She grinned and laughed a little, poking her tongue out at Siri who was making faces at her. His children would always be little kids in some ways.

"It's nearly time for me to head off, you know?"

Harry smiled widely at his daughter's visible excitement, even if he was resolutely ignoring the implications of his youngest child going off on her honeymoon and her wedding night. Nope. Not going there. I will not think about that horror, or else I might just kill Ant right here and now. Cathartic it might be, Harry had a feeling that Elle wouldn't appreciate ending up as a widow on the very day of her wedding.

A quick glance at Orion told him that his husband was having similar thoughts, and was just as happy to pretend that Elle was simply going on holiday as he was. His sons were smirking to themselves, and he had a feeling that the four of them had collectively given Ant a horrendous shovel talk once again. He knew that they'd put the fear of Hell in Ant when he'd originally showed interest in Elle, and once more after the proposal, but it seemed that his sons very much enjoyed terrorising their newest brother-in-law in a spectacularly enthusiastic fashion.

(He would have condemned them if he hadn't alluded to knowing several dozen ways of poisoning someone untraceably when Ant asked for his blessing. The less said about Orion's threats, the better.)

All of their family got up and joined the rest of the guests, the crowd milling around while the married couple darted off to quickly get changed. Harry smirked as Lucretia and Cassiopeia casually started directing the elves of Black Manor to collect any unopened bottles of alcohol and send them back to their rooms. What shameless women.

He swept his eyes around the room, slightly surprised that he couldn't see any obvious fights or arguments amongst the incredibly opinionated guests. Combining the larger House of Black with other political giants, all of whom were adamant that their perspective was the correct one, was usually a signal for one conflict or another to start. I wonder if there was something in the food to facilitate calmness.

Clapping and cheering broke out in the crowd, a few individuals shooting ribbons and glitter out of their wands as Elle and Ant reappeared on the grounds. His daughter had substituted her wedding dress for a blue summer dress, Ant in a casual shirt and some beige trousers. Elle was beaming at everyone, a slight red to her cheeks that was rather adorable.

The young couple quickly broke up, Ant jumping on his parents and trying to hug them to death. Or put Alphard in a headlock, he wasn't really sure. Elle made her way over to them and laughed as she was enveloped in a hug between Harry and Orion, giggling even more as her brothers threw in vaguely inappropriate comments that Harry could not hear.

She pulled back and looked at both of them with a smile. "I guess it's time to go. Do I get to know where we're going yet?"

Orion smirked down at the blonde. "You'll know when you take the Portkey."

"That's not fair, Dad," she pouted, though the glint in her eyes said she found the situation rather funny. She stepped back and looked back and forth between them, smiling softly.

"I'll see you in a few months, Dad, Papa."

And with that, Elle almost bounded over to her husband and easily took his hand, giving Harry the slightest lump in his throat when he saw how they looked at each other. They were very much in love. She'll be alright, he thought as he leaned against Orion's side.

Elle and Ant grabbed their Portkey and turned to wave at everyone, keeping up the motion even as the magic activated and they spun away, being taken to the first destination of their honeymoon. Harry hoped she enjoyed Hanoi.

He stood there in silence as the crowd dispersed, some drifting back to the dancefloor, others migrating towards the food tables, and a few daring individuals trying to sneak some alcohol despite the disapproving glares from their significant others.

Harry could see his four sons wandering around with their children, Ri and Al happily rocking their children as the infants started dropping off into sleep. His older grandchildren had grouped together and were eagerly waving over their various friends, starting to discuss something that elicited more than a couple of smirks. Harry was happy to feign ignorance.

"Do you want to head home?"

He looked up at Orion, lips twitching into a smirk at his husband's darker eyes. "I'm not sure I know what you're referring to, Husband."

Orion stepped even closer, gazing down into Harry's eyes. "I was referring to the fact that, with Elle gone, we don't have any children in the house anymore. Once we're home, I can easily lock down the wards for everyone else. Complete and utter privacy."

Harry grinned wickedly. "It's certainly been a while since we've had an empty house. It would be a shame to not take advantage of it, wouldn't it?"

His husband smirked ever so slightly and took Harry's hand, gently squeezing it as he led them away from the larger crowd. It wasn't as if they needed to say goodbye to their children, even if it would likely be hilarious to see their horrified faces at the prospect of their parents having a sex life. Perhaps Harry was something of an arsehole, but all of the times their kids had acted traumatised at the mere idea of their physical relationship were still some of the most entertaining things he'd ever seen.

They slipped around one of the larger hedges and stopped, Harry standing up on his tip toes to press a kiss to Orion's lips, humming lowly as his husband decided that he wasn't interested in keeping their embrace chaste. The kiss was slow, but passion wasn't lacking, and Harry sighed at the brief sensation of a warm tongue on his lips. Harry slid a hand into Orion's hair and pulled him closer, feeling his heart thud at their closeness.

Orion pulled back with clear reluctance, breathing a little heavily. "I don't know about you, but I'd rather be in the comfort of our own home before we carry on. I don't particularly want to be interrupted right now."

"I suppose," Harry smirked. "After you, Heir Black."

The taller man snorted, eyes glinting with amusement. "You're awful."

Orion then wrapped his arms around Harry, holding him securely before twisting his magic and Apparating the two of them back to London, and to a long night to themselves.

Harry was looking forward to it.

Harry was making himself a cup of tea when he heard the muffled curse from behind him. He grinned to himself before he forced an innocent look on his face and turned around, tilting his head to the side.

"Is there something wrong, Orion?"

Said man mock glared at him, even as his eyes darkened with some wonderful promises that had Harry preen inwardly. It was empowering knowing that he still had the ability to affect the older man so effortlessly. The fact that their home was still empty of all occupants except the two of them made it much easier to accept that gratification.

Harry wouldn't deny that he'd done this deliberately. He was dressed solely in one of Orion's shirts, the bottom ending halfway down his thighs. He'd left a few buttons open at the top to display his sharp collarbones and lightly toned chest, knowing as he did how his husband appreciated such a sight. The sleeves were rolled up displaying his forearms for the same reason, and Harry had finished the look by tying his hair back in a messy bun that sat high on his head.

(He might be a teasing bastard, but it wasn't as if he wasn't going to follow through on the silent implications. Orion wasn't the only one currently enjoying the silent house.)

Orion walked over to Harry and crowded him against the counter, hands on either side of Harry's body and effectively preventing him from escaping. Not that he would try; he wasn't stupid. Harry briefly mourned the fact that Orion was still wearing his pyjamas, but hopefully he could rectify that situation soon.

The smaller man reached to the side to place his tea down before wrapping his arms around Orion's neck, lazily arching his body up into his husband's. Harry grinned at the knowledge that his other half was clearly appreciating their position. He held Orion's neck tighter as the man lifted him onto the side, stepping closer between Harry's spread legs.

"You're going to kill me one day, aren't you?"

"Hmm, but what a way to go."

Orion snorted and leaned forward, his intentions rather clear if the way he was eyeing Harry's lips was any indication. A loud crack made them snap back to reality and Harry swore under his breath, vaguely wondering if he could get away with cursing whoever had dared to interrupt them. The slightly murderous look in Orion's eyes said he was on the same page.

"Master Orion, Master Harry, Grimmauld Place has a visitor."

His husband sighed and pulled back a few inches, turning his head towards Kreacher. "Who is it, Kreacher?" he asked in a resigned voice. "And can I get away with hexing them?"

Harry snorted at the added mutter. It was probably better that their elf hadn't heard that. Kreacher was very dedicated to the House of Black.

Dark eyes looked up at them blankly. "Mistress Ascella and Master Antares have come to visit, Master Orion."

Harry blinked rapidly, frowning at Kreacher's words. Elle was still supposed to be on her honeymoon. She and Ant had gone away two and a half months ago, travelling across the world to a variety of locations that he, Orion, Alphard and Gideon had decided on. They'd arranged everything, starting with the first mystery Portkey. After two weeks in each location, the hotels had been instructed to hand over the next Portkey, allowing the young couple to visit all manner of countries without even knowing where they were going. It was something Harry had done for all his children after they'd gotten married.

However, Elle was supposed to be in Australia at the moment. She still had another location to go to, hence he was more than a little worried about why she was back early. His daughter wasn't one to turn away the opportunity to go exploring across the world. Clearly, his husband was of the same mind.

Orion turned to face Kreacher fully, a worried set to his face. "Is my daughter well, Kreacher?"

"Mistress Ascella seems good, Master Orion. Kreacher thinks Mistress is happy," the elf dutifully replied.

"I see." His husband still looked pensive but was clearly determined to get to the bottom of this manner. "Take Elle and Ant to the parlour and please set the table for tea for four, Kreacher."

"Yes, Master Orion."

Harry slipped off the counter and headed upstairs with Orion in silence. Both of them were clearly too concerned to voice any of their thoughts, not wanting to get worked up before they got any answers. Harry quickly changed to some casual black trousers and a simple green pullover, watching Orion dress similarly except in pewter.

The couple made their way downstairs to the parlour together, minds racing. Harry took comfort from the warm hand on his back, letting it ground him in reality. He didn't want to let his thoughts spiral downwards when he didn't know anything was definitively wrong. That wouldn't help anyone.

He walked through the door, only to nearly be bowled over by his daughter attacking him with a flying hug. Harry stumbled back a couple of steps into Orion's chest as he caught Elle, smiling bemusedly at her loud giggles in his ear. I guess that puts paid to the idea of there being something wrong.

"Papa! Dad! I missed you!"

"We missed you too, Elle."

The young woman stepped back and beamed at them, silver eyes sparkling with happiness as she bounced on her heels. Elle had gotten a slight tan on her travels, and her hair was currently free from restraint, the ends of her wild curls floating about her thighs. She was wearing a white sundress that fell to her knees, and Harry felt warmed at the sight of his daughter looking so free and vibrant.

Ant peeked out from behind Elle with a grin and a small wave. "Uncle Orion, Uncle Harry, you're looking well! I'm loving the hair, Uncle Harry."

"Thank you," Harry replied dryly. Of course, Alphard's son never calms down.

They all sat around the table, and Harry noticed that Elle's leg was jumping in place, a clear tic she usually got when she was nervous. He also knew if she didn't get to the heart of the matter soon, she'd be even worse.

Harry eyed the couple neutrally. "So, why are you back early?"

"Yes, is there something wrong?" Orion asked with a slight frown.

Their daughter flushed red, but the beaming smile on her face was a relieving sight. The frozen smile and wary look on Ant's face were unfortunately not reassuring, neither was the fact that he'd paled rapidly.

Oh, Merlin, don't tell me …

His beloved only daughter, the youngest of his five children, the sole child that looked like Harry, looked at he and Orion with a bright grin on her face, an aura of childish glee about her, and opened her mouth to give Harry a heart attack.

"I'm pregnant!"

Harry vaguely heard Orion take in a sharp breath, but all he could concentrate on was the fact that his precious little girl was a young girl no more. She might have been married before now, but Harry had been able to hold onto his parental denial with the knowledge that Elle wasn't a mother.

Can't bury my head in the sand any longer.

Harry pasted a wide smile on his face – which wasn't entirely faked; he was happy for Elle, he was just being an overly-sentimental father – and looked at his daughter. "Congratulations, Elle! Have you seen a Healer at all? Well, a decent Healer? How far along are you?"

The blonde laughed at his concern. "I saw a Healer in Japan, Papa. They have a respectable reputation, but of course I want you to look me over as well. As for how long, I'm two and a half months along. Isn't that amazing?"

Harry stilled in his seat, his smile feeling more and more plastic as time went by. The dark aura he could feel around Orion wasn't helping Harry to refrain from murder. Which he wanted to carry out, because Ant was a dead man walking.

It was the thirty-first of August. His beloved Elle's birthday had been last week, but they's agreed to do something bigger once she came home from the honeymoon. As Elle had argued, getting to travel all over the globe was something that could be considered a joint gift for both the wedding and her birthday. Harry and Orion had somewhat agreed, even if they'd gone on to arrange for presents to be delivered to Elle on her birthday.

The point was, it had only been two and a half months since Elle's wedding. And it had only been a week since their only daughter's birthday. Clearly, Elle had gotten pregnant on her wedding night. Not after her birthday.

Her eighteenth birthday.

Harry turned to Ant with a bright smile, trying not to smirk at the young man's panicked look and how he tried to simultaneously put some distance between them and stay frozen in his chair as if that would make Harry forget about him. He didn't know what sort of look he had in his eyes, but going from Elle's reproaching comments in the background, it wasn't anything nice. What a shame.

"So, Antares," he said slowly, relishing the flinch he got in return. "Who on earth told you that you could get my daughter pregnant at the age of seventeen?"

The brat's only response was to pale even more, looking as if he didn't even have blood any more. Harry's smile took on a sharp edge, and he opened his mouth to say something more, but as he did, he noticed the little shit sway slightly in his seat. Harry watched in amazement as Ant leaned sideways, his eyes rolling upwards as he passed out, collapsing on the floor in an undignified heap.

Well, that wasn't quite the panicked grovelling I was expecting.

Orion snorted disparagingly. "That was certainly pathetic."

"Hmm, and here I was hoping to wind him up a little more," Harry agreed.

Elle huffed and crossed her arms. "Did you have to scare him so much, Papa?"

Harry waved her off. "I was only asking your husband a question, Princess." He shot his daughter a pointed look. "Besides, I don't see you helping him up."

Indeed, his lovely daughter was casually reclining in her chair while drinking her tea, looking for all the world like she was entirely content, and not sat next to the unconscious form of her terrified husband.

Elle shrugged elegantly. "Ant knew that you were going to have a problem with it. It's not my responsibility to help him after he failed to adequately prepare. Besides, he's a Black. He knows that he should be able to deal with his problems himself."

Harry laughed at his daughter's words, grinning at Orion's accompanying chuckles. He wasn't entirely happy with the situation of Elle's pregnancy, but he had laid it on thick for the sole purpose of scaring his son-in-law. Harry knew how independent Elle was, and he was well aware that she wouldn't be pregnant unless she wanted to be. Ant would have been castrated before he could have finished the word 'children' otherwise.

He was extraordinarily proud of his vicious daughter.

The green-eyed man sat back and watched his husband and daughter discuss her pregnancy, imagining all the possible ways things could go. Whether she would have a single child or more, what they'd look like, girl or boy, possible names … She was happy.

Harry could see that in the way that Elle's eyes lit up as she chatted about her future child, how her hand would subconsciously stray to touch her lower abdomen, a bewildered yet ecstatic expression flitting across her face. His daughter's magic was happy and content, her posture was relaxed, and the look she got whenever she looked at her husband was nothing short of breath-taking.

When he'd first ended up in nineteen-sixty-six, Harry had wanted to help Orion, and by extension, Sirius and Regulus. That's all. He hadn't been angling for anything more, he'd simply wanted the three Blacks to have a life that they'd never experienced in Harry's time.

Over time, the three had shifted from strangers to his. Orion had become the man he loved and eventually his husband, and Sirius and Regulus had become Siri and Reg, his very first children. His life had changed drastically, but the biggest difference had been the creation of a family. Harry had gained a family that he truly cherished, and that loved him in return. He'd been happy with that.

Going on to have Ri and Al had been amazing in so many ways, having the new experience of children of his own blood. His little twins hadn't been any more adored than Siri or Reg, they'd simply added another dimension to their family. Another beautiful layer to something Harry already treasured.

Elle had completed them without ever suggesting that they'd been lacking before. The same as the twins; new, but not valued more than those who'd existed before her. A little daughter instead of sons, hence a whole ton of new experiences that had made parenting so hilariously interesting to Harry and Orion. A baby girl to give their family some new dynamics, including some beautiful moments from the four brothers who'd never had a sister before.

Harry had had five children, and four of them had already gone on to give him several grandchildren. His family had grown and grown, each individual member maturing and making Harry love them even more as they themselves added more layers to their loving family. His sons had long since become true adults, even if he would always remember them as adorable cherubs who used to follow him around like little ducklings, obedient and cute in every way possible.

Things had now come full circle, he mused as he looked at his youngest child. Harry's daughter was finally embarking on the journey of parenting herself. She was a grown woman, a wife to someone she truly loved, and in less than a year, she would be a mother to her own baby. He wouldn't deny it was bittersweet to see, but it was a breath-taking thing to witness.

He was so proud of her, of all of his children, and he always would be.

The time traveller watched with a soft smile as Ant started waking up, Elle rolling her eyes and berating him before turning back to Orion so they could carry on planning her delayed birthday party. His husband made some scathing comment about their sons and their behaviour, smirking when Elle laughed loudly and Ant chuckled tentatively.

He leaned into Orion's side and closed his eyes, simply enjoying the happy atmosphere.

Harry felt blessed.

A/N: And that's the end!

I originally planned for this epilogue to be about 3000-4000 words, but I just kept writing and writing. Hopefully it wasn't too much rambling.

A quick side note: did you know that the star Ascella is pointed towards the star Antares? A fun little fact that I thought made their relationship have a quirky little symmetry.

The story of Orion and Harry's stupidly sweet relationship is over. I hope you guys enjoyed it. As I said at the start of this story, the following chapter is a few quick descriptions of Orion and Harry's family. I hope they give you a a little more insight into everyone's adult lives.

I hope everyone liked my foray into mindless fluff, it was a lot of fun to write. I know some of the couple might have seemed a bit odd, but that's the point of fanfiction, isn't it? Besides, I have no regrets. More or less.

In case you've forgotten, I've got several family trees for this fic on my deviantart (anime-otaku20). I also uploaded a picture of the wedding dress, and I tried to create a moodboard of sorts for the wedding. Trying to find pictures that went with what I was imagining was a pain, let me tell you.

I didn't include a list of descriptions for everyone, simply because I literally would have been stuck for days. I accidentally imagined too many people lol

Anyway, thanks for reading, and I hope it was a fun read. If not, there's not much I can do. Sorry!

I should probably get back to my other fics before my readers come after me with internet pitchforks.

See ya later!