Hey everyone! Thanks for keeping your faith and sticking around for the Epilogue. This epilogue is going to be a two parter! So there's still a bit more to come!

I hope that this gives a good ending for the story, and I want to thank everyone who has kept with me from start to finish! Please let me know what you think!

Also, there is going to be a surprise at the end of the second part of this epilogue! So stay tuned!

***WARNINGS***

none to speak of! SHOCK!

ABOUT ONE YEAR LATER

"I'm very impressed with how much progress you've made, Remus." Said the woman sitting on the other side of the desk.

Remus smiled his thanks. He'd been seeing Dr. Pomfrey, a psychologist, since Slughorn's Sanitarium for Troubled Boys had been closed down. He liked his new doctor very much, and had grown quite close to her in the past year. She could be stern, but she always had his recovery in mind, and thanks to her, he had been freed from institutions, and since his eighteenth birthday had been living like a normal person. It was something he had never thought would happen for him.

"I think it's exciting that you're going back to school, and I have to say I'm surprised you chose to take this class on campus." She said, looking at the list of classes that he had enrolled in at the local University. "I thought you would stick to online classes."

She knew that he still had trouble when placed in large groups of strangers, something that she had been working with him to remedy.

"Well I figured I could take one on campus this semester, and maybe two next semester. I wont be able to get work when I'm done if I cant get used to being around everyone else." He paused. "What?" He asked as Dr. Pomfrey smiled at him.

"Nothing. I just wouldn't have believed you'd say that if I'd been told you would six months ago. You've come so far, Remus. I'm really proud of you." She said, her smile seeming maternal.

"Well, you know that I couldn't have done it alone." He responded with a soft smile that he got sometimes when this subject was raised.

"Well I think these classes are a wonderful idea. You're a very smart boy. I'm sure you'll do well." She said, handing his papers back to him. "I'll see you again next week, dear."

After thanking her, Remus left the office. The weather was pleasant and in late spring. It was perfect walking weather, causing him to pass the bus stop, not wanting to deal with the crowds, and begin the reasonable trek back to his small apartment.

He was still amazed that he'd come so far since the shut down of Slughorn's. The police trial that followed that night was a very long one, lasting several months. It was, perhaps, made a bit easier by Greyback's inability to testify. That night, while the police had been trying to subdue him, he managed to stab one of the officers. They shot him ins elf defense. They had not aimed to kill, but after a few days in intensive care, Fenrir Greyback died. Remus could still vividly remember the phone call he'd received from the lawyer representing him. He hadn't thought the news would affect him so intensely, but before he could even hang up the phone he'd collapsed into tears. The relief and freedom that washed through his body had simply been too much for him. He was free, for what seemed like the first time in his life. He no longer had a dark shadow looming over him, threatening to steal any happiness he managed to get his thin finger around. It felt as though emotional levies inside of him had suddenly broken, his whole body flooded with pure, unadulterated joy.

Without Greyback at the trial to spin the truth, the court relied on hard evidence, which pointed unquestioningly at the now deceased man. Remus still remembered the shame he felt when photos had been taken of his scarred body, knowing that they would be given to the jury members. He hated the looks of sympathy they gave him during the next meeting in court. He felt as though he had a sign hung around his neck, labeling him as the weak, manipulated victim that he was. It made him feel foolish and stupid for letting Greyback chain him down for so long. The feelings of guilt and shame had been the first hurdle that Dr. Pomfrey had pushed him to jump. She had done a wonderful job.

Remus found that without Greyback playing him against himself, he was much better at coping than he'd expected. Just as Sirius had once told him, the 'fits' he suffered from were a total fabrication. Without Greyback around he had no fits. He no longer had blackouts; those strange spans of time where he couldn't recall his own actions. He was innately against violence. While he was still slow to warm up to strangers, felt anxious in large crowds, and suffered from the occasional nightmare, he was certain that he would be able to live his life in a fashion that could be considered normal.

James and Peter, who still kept in touch with Remus, were luckily not charged with arson, though they were both moved to different institutions. James was turning eighteen soon, and was certain that, without his parents' insistence that he be institutionalized, he'd be released. Peter, however, seemed to be less adjusted than James. They had been sent to different institutions, and apparently the knowledge to make incendiary devices did not serve the other boy well. According to letters Remus had received, Peter had thought his new institution was too quiet, and thought he'd stir up a good story with a "little boom" as he'd explained. The only gossip that went around the compound was that a young man had blown up the boy's bathroom. He was not likely to be released any time soon.

While the weather had been nice, Remus always forgot how long the walk back to his apartment was, and so was glad to finally be trudging up the stairs to his nondescript apartment. Fishing out his keys and opening his door he felt a familiar surge of disappointment that the smell of cut grass and turned soil was absent, leaving only the smell of kitchen cleaner and laundry detergent. He thought that it was a very lonely smell.

Locking the door behind him he made his way over to the book case, next to which he hung his small satchel. On a shelf at eye level was a photo. Remus took a moment to admire the picture that had been displayed at Sirius' funeral. It had been an older family photo, so it was terribly posed, but even that and the ugly sweater they'd made him wear could not dull the shining of his beautiful smile. Remus could see the glint of mischief in his mercurial eyes and thought that he must have been planning something wicked just as the photo was taken. His teeth were straight and dazzlingly white. Remus couldn't stop himself from smiling.

"So what do you think?"

Remus felt strong arms wrap around his waste as the smell of grass broke through the wall of cleaning products.

"I think it's a horrible photo of you." Remus said with a smile as he turned his head to look at the black haired boy who had settled his chin on his shoulder. "I don't know why you were so insistent on getting it from her."

"Are you kidding!" Sirius said with a grin. "Who wouldn't want to have the picture that was displayed at their own funeral?"

"You're so full of yourself." Remus teased, but couldn't stop the smile that was spread over his face.

"Aw. I love you too, Rem." Sirius teased before burring his face in Remus' neck, gnawing on the skin there and making Remus shriek with laughter.

It was still hard for Remus to believe sometimes. The events of that night were still so vivid, and he occasionally woke in a panic, thinking he'd find Sirius lying next to him with a knife sticking from his chest. But fate had been on their side. Just as Sirius had fainted, paramedics had arrived on the scene. The amount of blood that had been forced from Sirius' lungs had made Remus violently ill. He was rushed to the hospital for surgery to remove the blade and fix the damage to his lungs, though Remus was not permitted to accompany him due to his lack of relation.

It was nearly two months later when they were finally able to see each other again, as they both were required to appear in court. Walburga had been appalled and disgusted as she witnessed the two boys launch themselves at one another, but was relieved, at least, that they were not where the public could see the gross display of affection. Remus still remembered the feel of Sirius' lips planting kisses all over his face that day, the way his still sickly face lit up when they caught sight of each other. He had never felt more in love in his life. Well, except for maybe every day they spent together after that.

Walburga Black, of all people, had leapt to defend her son, using his condition, and the story in large, to garner publicity for their family. She had paid all of the lawyers fees and headed the attack against Slughorn's school. Thanks to her, the entire facility had been closed down. She even stooped so low as to hire her long-ostracized brother, Alphard, who had made a name for himself in law, to act at Remus' lawyer

After their victory, however, Sirius had told his mother that he out-right refused the arraigned marriage she was still trying to force onto him. He'd explained rather boldly, and with very colorful language, that he could not marry anyone while he was madly and desperately in love with Remus Lupin. Remus had been sitting in the room when he'd sad this, and it was another one of those moments that would be forever imprinted on his mind. Sirius was swiftly disinherited. Whether it was for her own sake, though, or for her only son's, she had struck a deal with him.

She paid for the apartment they lived in and supplied both Sirius and Remus with tuition money and a small living stipend. The only condition was that Sirius had to die. They held a funeral for him, saying that the injuries he sustained from the knife wound suffered complications and he died from infection. She had even been able to bribe a doctor into signing his death certificate and writing up a new birth certificate with a strategically placed silent 'e' at the end of Sirius' last name, forever separating him from his family. She had been able to hold his funeral, playing the victimized mother who had lost both of her children, and save the honor of the family. Sirius had never been happier.

"So." Sirius said suggestively, rubbing his hips against Remus' soft ass where he was holding himself flush against the other boy. "Any idea what today is?"

"Hmm. Let me think." Remus said, trying to ease his laughter, goose bumps still broken out over his skin from the ticklish mouthing that Sirius had been subjecting him to.

"Don't be like that." Sirius whined as he rubbed his nose into Remus' ear, causing the other boy to laugh again.

"I know. I'm only kidding." Remus said gently, turning in Sirius' arms so he could give him a long, soft kiss. "Happy disinheritance day."

They shared a laugh at the name they'd given their anniversary. It had been exactly one year since Sirius had been kicked out of him family home. But that also meant that it had been exactly one year since Sirius had declared his love for Remus so publicly, and it had been one year since Remus had told Sirius that he felt the same way.

Every day that Sirius spent with Remus was a day of exploration. He was always so pleased when he learned another one of Remus' quirks. He found that, as the chains that had been holding him down lifted one by one, he began to see who Remus was truly supposed to be, and what he found was surprising. Remus was a very funny young man. He loved to joke and tease and could match Sirius quip for quip, and often won the little battles of wit they engaged in. He also loved to laugh, and Sirius thought that maybe he was making up for lost time. On some occasions Sirius would get him laughing for so long that they would both worry he was going to suffocate himself. And when he was done laughing he always turned his eyes to Sirius, the expression soft and heavy with adoration. It was as though he were silently thanking him for giving him such a wonderful gift.

"I love you, Rem." Sirius said quietly against his lips, like he was muttering a prayer.

Remus felt his whole body heat up at the words, but it wasn't the hot fire he felt when they made love, but the soft, cozy warmth, like he was being wrapped up in an invisible blanket that was made of Sirius.

"Thank you, Sirius." Remus said softly, his fingers coming up to touch Sirius' cheeks.

He was thanking him for more than the words he spoke. He was thanking him for giving him his life back, for having faith in him, and being willing to give up everything to protect him.

"I love you too." He whispered as their lips came together in a celebration of their anniversary, their love for each other, and the long lives they had in front of them, made possible by Sirius' annoyingly persistent hunger for secrets.

This can serve as the end of the story for those who do not like to read explicit smut, as that is mostly what the second half of this epilogue is going to be! X3

So if you like that sort of thing, stick around, you might get to meet the bottom Remus that everyone was hoping for!