Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing that you would recognize as the fantastic work of J.K. Rowling. I only take credit for those OC characters that appear here.

Warning: Chapter contains scenes of violence and of a sexual nature. The mature rating is there for a reason, please read at your own discretion.

February 3rd, 1979

Sirius sat at the table, the house soundless and empty. Tonight was the full moon and Remus was away. James was with him, and Peter but Sirius couldn't bring himself to go out, he didn't want to and he didn't think he could. He didn't want his anger and pain to affect Moony while he was transformed and potentially put them all in danger. So he sat, drink in hand, drowning away the pain he felt at the loss of the woman who he had fallen in love with for such a short time. Lily had offered to come over and stay with him but he had had far too many people fussing over him, asking him if he needed anything or just generally trying to care. He didn't see what they could do for him either way, Eileen was the one that was dead, he was still alive, and unless they could change that he didn't want or need their help.

He had refused to let Remus play any of the muggle music for the last two days, and he had sat with the drapes pulled shut and telling anyone that came by, 'thanks but I'm fine.' He knew he would have to stop mourning her eventually but he was so angry, not at James and not at the Order but at everyone and everything. He felt like something had been stolen away from him and hot, raging hatred was consuming him and he knew that he couldn't do anything but sit here and drink because to do anything else would be useless unless he were hunting down and killing every single last Death Eater.

The world seemed like a place a lot less worth saving and he wondered a few times over the past couple days whether they should just pack up and leave, leave and go away to some place far, far away. He thought that maybe he would ask James about just leaving but he hadn't solidified the idea in his own head yet. Maybe it was because he knew he would never do it, maybe because it felt too much like running away. Maybe it was running away.

Eileen wouldn't have run. The thought made him smile a small, sad smile. She was spying for them! Risking her life to gather some information, she would have thought him a coward for thinking this way. Who knew what she would think, she was dead now and he would never know. He thought that maybe they could have been more, had more and he turned away from the thought because it was far too painful.

A popping noise broke his thoughts and he slowly put his glass back on the table and picked up his wand. The drapes were pulled shut and the back door locked. Someone had just aparated into his back garden, something that was impolite in most cases unless they were there to kill you. He stood slowly, wrapping his fingers around his wand and moving silently towards the door. He never knew a Death Eater to wait for someone to answer the door but either way he peeked out from behind the drapes and watched as someone stumbled into the garden. His mind went blank for a moment but his body moved without him, throwing open the door.

There she was, face down in the snow, wearing next to nothing. He could see the faint rise and fall as she struggled to breath and in a second he was beside her, lifting her limp body out of the snow.

'Oh God Eileen!'

'Sirius.' She groaned and her eyes flickered to his face and she smiled slightly before her eyes rolled back into her head, unconscious.

Sirius rushed back into the house, kicking the door closed behind him and he cleared the kitchen table with his wand and laid her down on it. She was still breathing, however shallowly and he looked down on her, his heart racing and his mind drawing blanks.

The clothes she was wearing were torn, filthy and burned in spots. Every bit of her seemed bruised, burnt, dirty, or cut and he felt his stomach heave as he looked at her face. Both eyes blackened, covered in soot and bruises but it was the long, deep cut trailing from her lip to her cheek bone that tore into his heart and he let out a dry sob. Her shoulders and back were badly burnt and blistered and her left hand was swollen but still clutched her wand. He gently pried it out of her hand and tucked it into his pocket. Her right arm was obviously broken and was sticking out awkwardly from her body. He tapped his wand against the broken limb, 'Episkey.'

There was a slight snapping nose and her arm was fixed. She moaned slightly and the noise was both heartbreaking and relieving. He should call for someone, get some help, he couldn't possibly heal her on his own. He looked around frantically and strode into the kitchen, pulling open drawers and cupboards. He found some cloths and used his wand to fill a small bowl with hot water. There was a small jar of burn cream and he brought it all back to the table.

'Eileen, Eileen, wake up.' He touched her face, the corner of her mouth that wasn't cut or bruised and stroked it gently, trying to coax her into waking up. She didn't move or stir. The blood was still oozing down her cheek and he ran his wand over the cut, mumbling under his breath the spell, knowing that he was terrible at healing spells. Remus was always so much better at it. The wound sealed but it wasn't neat or clean and he knew it would leave a terrible scar. The rest of her body seemed intact besides obvious signs of having spent the last two days being tortured.

A red hot anger was building inside of him as he looked down on her and he clapped a hand over his mouth to stop himself from breaking down and crying or screaming, he didn't know. He tried to breathe through his nose, becoming increasingly aware of the smoky smell that was clinging to her. They must have tried to burn the place they were keeping her in to the ground. The thought pelted around his brain and he wanted to hit something, anything. He clutched the edge of the table and looked away from her unconscious form. How did she get out? Bloody hell, she was alive this whole time and they had just written her off as dead and moved on.

He ran a hand through his hair, trying to straighten his thoughts. He strode across the room and reaching the desk pulled a scrap of parchment towards him. He scribbled a few lines down and rolled it up, attaching it to Remus's owl's leg. He took the owl to the window and chucked it out into the night. He turned back to Eileen who was still unmoving on the table. He rolled up the sleeves of his shirt and dipped the clothe in the water and drained it with his hands. He moved it over her face, wiping the dirt and soot away. He was careful to be gentle over her bruises, and gently cleaned the area of the cut, and he decided as he looked at it, that he would never let them get away with this, the Death Eaters who did this to her would never get away with it.

He moved to her chest and wiped his shoulders clean, rubbing the lotion into the burns and watching as they healed slightly before his eyes. It would take some more time but the burns would heal without leaving a mark. Her shirt was hanging off her and he used his wand to cut through the last bit that was keeping it on her. He removed the rags and washed out the cuts and dirt from her stomach and hands. Her thumb was swollen badly but he didn't know a spell to help so he left it. He took the boots off her feet and chucked them on the floor.

'Sirius?' His head flashed up and in a second he was beside her, cradling her head in his hands.

'Eileen, shh. You're okay, I'm here.' He brushed the hair out of her face and tried to smile at her but his face broke and a heartbroken sob erupted from him.

Her eyes met his and he didn't see fear or hurt there, but concern, concern for him. It made him want to cry harder but he wiped his eyes. 'I thought you were dead. I thought I lost you forever.' His voice broke as she reached up and touched his face, her fingers running over the scruff on his face that he had been neglecting. She brushed away the tear that had escaped down his cheek and moved her fingers to bring his head down to hers.

His lips met hers and he felt as if his heart was breaking and repairing itself on a loop. She kissed him with a passion and intensity that spoke to him on a level that he thought he had forever lost and he wondered for one panicked moment if he was dreaming some horribly beautiful dream.

She released his lips too early but she was short of breath and he instantly felt bad for wanting so much of her.

'I'm sorry.' He croaked emotion over taking him and his nerves were peaking at a level they had never reached. He felt every nerve in his body and they were stinging from being strung so tightly.

'Don't be.' She rasped, her throat dry and raw. 'Water, Sirius please.'

He leaped out of the chair and sprinted to the cupboard, pulling a glass down and filling it with cold water. He marched back to her as she was trying to sit up.

'Here, stop. Let me help you.' He pushed her up slightly and tipped the glass towards her lips. She drank until it was all gone and her body seemed to relax slightly.

'Thank you.' She said and she looked shy for a moment and avoided his eyes.

He reached up and turned her chin back towards him. 'What is it?'

'I just – I thought you weren't real for a moment, maybe I had finally died and this well -,' She stopped, her bruised face blushing slightly.

'I'm real,' he grabbed her hand and brought it to rest over his heart, letting her feel how rapidly it was beating. 'You're real,' he caressed her face with his thumb. 'You're safe, I promise.'

Her eyes blurred suddenly with emotion and Sirius gathered her against him, careful to avoid her burns. She sobbed against his chest, the pain, sorrow and suffering seeping out in her tears. His own pain was mirrored in her and he cried into her hair, feeling the loss of her seeping away and being replaced with a burning need for her, to never let her go and to tell her in any way he could that he was in love with her.

He tilted her head back and pressed his lips softly against hers, begging her to understand. She didn't hesitate, kissing him back and clinging to him as if her life, and maybe his, depended on it. He scooped her off the table, holding her as gently as possible and he took her into his bedroom and laid her down against the soft pillows. He knelt on the floor next to her, not breaking their kiss and letting her soft, damaged hands explore his face.

He moved his lips away from hers with a strength he didn't know he possessed. Her eyes were searching his, asking him why he was hesitating.

'You need rest, sleep. I won't be far.' He made to stand but her hand clamped around his arm and he turned back to her. The fear in her eyes froze him in place.

'Don't leave me.' She pleaded and he felt his mind struggling with itself, but he didn't turn away and he didn't move. He stood there staring back at her and knowing what staying there meant, knowing it was against his better judgment to do so. She seemed to sense his hesitation because she sat up and tugged him towards her. Her fingers grasped the hem of his shirt and she pulled it over his head, letting it slip out of her fingers and onto the floor. 'Sirius, stay with me.' She said and he crawled onto the bed on top of her, shutting the part of his brain down that was telling him not to do this, that she was weak and hurt and her mind probably wasn't thinking straight. But neither was his and his pain was her pain and she pulled him down on her, groaning softly.

He was careful of her burns and wounds and without words he slid her jeans down over her legs, taking in each new bruise, and listening as she winced. Her hands were on his shoulders, keeping him there with her and reassuring him that she wanted him too, and telling him silently to look at her and not at the scars and bruises and pain. He pressed his lips against her neck, breathing deep and taking in her smell, the smoke of the fire she had escaped still clung to her but her own scent was there, the same as it had been that day so long ago in Hogsmeade.

It felt so right being there, his chest pressed against hers, his lips mapping her face, her neck, her stomach. It was as if the last two days of hopelessness were being erased as her hands moved across his back, gently but firmly pressing him on. He wanted to deepen the kiss, to show her how much he loved her, to give himself over and to lose himself in her, to forget what they had done to her, to him. He held back, hesitating on the brink of something more, wondering how long this could possibly last. She looked into his eyes and his own desire was reflected there and he thought maybe she might love him too.

'Sirius it's okay. I'm here, and I'll never leave you again.' He stared back at her and her words reassured him and he felt like laughing. This crazy, beautiful, train wreck of a woman was lying under him, bruised and broken after being tortured, and she was trying to reassure him.

In that instant he made up his mind and pressed his lips against hers once more. He no longer paused, his hesitation evaporating in the warmth of the bedroom and her body. He traced his tongue along her bottom lip, and she parted them in response. Her passion ignited him and his need was evident between them. She reached down and swiftly unbuttoned his pants and he stood, hating the separation, and stepped out of his jeans. In a flash he was there beside her again and he could tell the bedclothes were bothering her burnt skin. He sat back against the headboard, and pulled her on top of him, letting her sit astride him so that nothing but his hands, skin and the warm air were touching her.

She moaned against his lips in thanks and he slid a hand behind her, slowly unclasping her bra. A small shiver passed through her as he discarded the garment on the floor. He took her in, his eyes full of love and adoration. She flushed slightly under his gaze and moved her lips to his neck, closing the gap between them and kissing a path down his chest. He closed his eyes and let her hands and lips explore his body, his heart racing as her fingertips moved down his chest to his belly and down and he thought his heart might explode in his chest. He breathed deeply, his breathing unsettled and raspy. He opened his eyes and took her hand away from him, pulling it up and pressing it against his beating heart. He brought her mouth back to his and relished in the taste of her tongue. She moaned softly against his lips and he knew then that he was lost forever, she owned him in a way no one ever had or ever would. He was hers, wholly, body and soul.

He moved his hands down the side of her body, down past the swell of her breasts and across her stomach, reveling in the softness of her skin. He lifted her small frame slightly and removed the last piece of clothing separating them. He bent his head to her and laid soft kisses against her collar bone and down over the curve of her breast, and she pressed herself closer to him, no longer feeling the pain of the last few days, she moaned. His body was burning from the feeling of her skin and lips and he wrapped his arm around her waist and brought her against him, lowering her weight down unto himself and her lips found his and she moaned into them his name.

Her hand was still resting against his chest and the other was lost in his hair as they moved together and he looked into her eyes and the woman before him was not scarred or broken or bruised. She was a burning flame in his hands and she was magnificent. He knew he could lose himself in this woman forever, and that was okay because the passion and love he felt for her knew no boundaries, no restrictions and no end. Together they made one whole and they could not be touched by the outside world, they could not be tainted by any fear or evil the world had to offer them. Her scars were erased as he loved her and his pain vanished with every moan and every beautifully whispered 'I love you Sirius.'

It was some hours later when Sirius woke. Eileen was draped over him, the moonlight from the window creeping over her back and making the burns and bruises on it jump into sharp relief. The realization of everything that had taken place in the last few hours rolled over him, until he felt nauseous and without waking Eileen he rolled out from under her and sat at the edge of the bed, head in hands. He needed some air or a glass of water, anything really. He stood and dressed quickly, avoiding looking at her battered body in his bed. He crossed the room silently, but as he reached the door he couldn't stop himself looking back at her. She was lying on her stomach, the sheets covering everything but her bare back. It was still red and raw from the burns of the fire, an odd assortments of bruises were scattered here and there, some purple and black and others a greenish yellow. Her back was facing him but he could visualize the wound that crossed from her cheek bone to the top of her lip. He knew she would have a scar there for the rest of her life but it didn't matter to him. He slipped out of the room, shutting the door behind him, feeling guilty and slightly ashamed of himself. The living room was not empty, he quickly realised, and James and Lily were sitting with their backs to him around the fireplace.

'When did you get here?' he asked and they turned around, startled by his voice.

'Padfoot.' James stood, a look of anxiety on his face.

'You should have woke me.' He said, striding over to the kitchen and turning his eyes away from the table that was still covered in blood and dirt. He poured himself a glass of water before turning back to them.

'Lily said I shouldn't.' James said quietly, eyeing Sirius's bedroom door.

He shrugged, it was good to see them but at the moment he wanted to be alone with his thoughts.

'She's really here then?' asked Lily, concern etched on her lovely face.

He nodded, fearing his voice would give away his emotion.

'Padfoot what happened?' James looked like he wanted to reach out for him but chose not to, instead sitting back down and running his hands through his hair.

Sirius sighed and moved around to sit in the chair closest to the fire. His emotions were playing with him and he wasn't sure if he wanted to tell them anything, because it was far too painful and beautiful to do it all justice. He felt ashamed for sleeping with her when she had been through so much and was cursing himself for not putting a stop to it sooner. He also felt happier than he ever had, Eileen was alive and she was here with him and he would die before he let that go, and he felt guilty for it. He felt purified by her and his heart was both wounded by her pain and healed by her love.

Without knowing where to begin he started talking, recounting the scene from the last few hours to them, having to stop once as a sob threatened to break free as he told them about her wounds and the cut that scarred her face.

'How did she get out?' asked Lily in awe.

'I don't know.' He said, wondering it himself.

'You didn't ask?' she said, giving him a hard look.

'No I didn't, she was exhausted.' He looked away from Lily, not wanting to see the look he knew she was giving him.

'Did you sleep with her Sirius?' He looked up at her, not startled by her directness. James just continued to watch him and he understood that he would only be confirming something that they already suspected.

He nodded once, and looked down at his hands, knotted between his knees.

'Is she sleeping now?' asked James.

'Yes, it's too dangerous for her to leave. They'll be looking for her once they realise she escaped.' He frowned, 'Besides she has nowhere to go now.'

'Well we will leave then.' Said James standing.

'What, you think me a fool too?' said Sirius sadly.

They gave him a sharp look. 'What do you mean?' Said Lily finally.

'Didn't you hear what I said?'

'Yes? You love her Sirius – don't look at me like that it's been obvious for ages – I doubt she would have let you touch her after everything if she didn't love and want you too.' Said James, raising his brows at him.

'But I…' Sirius started but realised that, like most times, James was right and he had automatically known what was bothering Sirius.

'But nothing Padfoot, she came to you, trusted you, put her life in your hands and made love to you.' Sirius began to talk again but James cut him off, 'Yes maybe it wasn't smart to do it like that, her having just made it out of there alive, probably with more emotional scars than physical, but she did and she chose you to help her. She chose you to help her pick up the pieces so we are going to leave and maybe in the morning you can come to headquarters. Hector is chomping at the bit after your owl, Dumbledore told him to stay put though.' James and Lily shared a grin, clearly remembering something funny about the situation.

'You're right Prongs, of course you are. I was just – I've just been -,'

Lily stood and crouched beside him, taking his hands in hers. 'You've been devastated Padfoot, you lost her but now she is back with you again and it's a miracle you've managed to process it all so well so far. It's okay to hurt Padfoot, we love you so much, Eileen loves you it's so obvious.'

Sirius let her words wash over him and he was never more thankful for Lily Evans. She had somehow always known exactly what to say. She gave him a faint smile, and stood, pressing a soft kiss into his forehead. 'We know you need to be alone now, but we are here for you, you know that right?'

He nodded, love for his friends swelling inside him and he cleared his throat and wiped the wetness out of his eyes. 'Thanks Lily.'

She crossed the room and took James's hand. 'Call on us tomorrow, now come see us out and get some fresh air while you're at it.'

He stood, knowing her advice was always worth taking. He followed them to the front door and stepped out into the frozen night. The cold air caught his breath and sent it spiralling out in clouds of white mist. Lily hugged him tightly, and then released him to James who embraced him in a way only a brother could.

'Padfoot mate, I'm so sorry for everything -,'

'Don't Prongs really.' Sirius shut him up by planting a quick kiss on his cheek.

'Don't get too friendly there Pads.' Said Lily, her voice soft with amusement.

'Just love her Padfoot, you'll both be okay.' James released him and took Lily's hand. They climbed the hill together and Sirius leaned against the door, watching until long after they had disaparated.

He didn't realise how long he had been standing there in the cold night until faint music reached his ears from inside the house. She must have woken and looked for him, finding his and Remus's collection of muggle albums instead. He took a deep breath and turned back towards the door, opening it and stepping inside. The soft drum of music washed over him and he felt some of his earlier panic and despair ebbing out of him again. Most of the lights were out but a few candles illuminated his way, casting his shadow on to the walls. She was sitting, with one leg curled under her, on the edge of his desk chair. She must have tried to shower because her long blond hair was wet and tossed sloppily into a bun above her shoulders. A towel was clutched around her body and she was trying, with great difficulty, to rub something onto her raw back.

The sight of her sitting there solidified him and he silently crossed over to her. He removed the jar of cream from the desk, dipped two fingers into it and sat down behind her. She jumped slightly at his touch but gave him a reassuring sigh as he pushed her one good hand away and started rubbing the cream into her shoulders and back.

'Where did you go?' she whispered, her voice wavering slightly.

'I was just outside, I'm sorry I left you.' He said making sure he covered every bit of her burning red flesh.

'I thought maybe…it was all t-too much for you.' She said relaxing her shoulders as the cream instantly cooled her burning back.

Sirius didn't answer but stood up and walked around to kneel in front of her. He took her chin in his hand. Her face was as bruised and cut as last night but the terrified look in her eyes was reduced and replaced with one that made his breath come slightly less easy and his heart to feel like it was suddenly knotted. She moved her hand up to his face and wiped away the tear that had rolled silently down his cheek.

'I love you.' He said, meeting her eyes. 'For so long now.'

She leaned in and kissed him lightly. He could feel her tears rolling onto his hand as he cupped her face and could feel himself burning as she deepened the kiss. The coldness seemed to flood out of him and away, replaced by the warmth growing around him as he wove his fingers into her wet hair. She broke away from him softly and stood, using her good hand to pull him up gently with her. The top of her head reached his chin but she looked up into his eyes. He moved his face against her hair and took in her smell and warmth. She smelled of him and the minty cream on her back and still faintly of smoke and it rose around him as without a word she pulled him towards the bathroom. She had a determined and desperate look in her eyes now as she sat silently on the edge of the tub. Some of her burnt hair was already in the sink and he understood her suddenly as she handed him a pair of scissors.

'How short?' he asked taking the scissors out of her hand.

'All of it.' She said simply, turning her back on him. He looked at her shoulders set firmly and decidedly he bent down and pulled out an electrical muggle shaver Lily had bought him as a joke. There seemed to be an unspoken agreement between them that he wouldn't use magic to do the job so he fiddled for a moment with the plug but got it going in the end. He took the scissors off the edge of the round sink and with the other hand let her hair fall out of the tie. It was singed and burnt in places and a small patch was missing as if someone had grabbed it and tore it out. He breathed in deeply and ran his hand through the long wavy hair and up towards the base of her scalp where he gave her a reassuring squeeze.

Her hair fell in waves around his feet and he cut more and more of her beautiful hair away. She sobbed silently as he placed the scissors back down and took up the razor. It buzzed coldly as he flicked it on and moved it from the front of her hair line back, leaving enough that soft blond fuzz was all that was left when he finally turned the razor off. She didn't move so he placed a kiss behind her ear and then on the side of her head, feeling the short soft hairs tickle his face.

He understood why she had done this, understood that she needed it. She was not the same person she had been, her soul had been forever altered and there was no going back from that. Something had been taken from her that Sirius knew she would never get back. Her heart was as broken and bruised, if not more so, as her body and he knew this now was a symbol. A symbol of renewal and of letting go of the self she had been, the girl behind her.

He helped her up and moved her to stand in front of the mirror. She stared wide eyed back at her reflection as Sirius stood behind her. Without her hair her slightly large ears stuck out more prominently but instead of making her appear more girlish as Sirius had once thought, she now looked dangerous and more terrifyingly beautiful than any woman he had ever laid eyes on. Her left eye was blackened worse than last night and the cut from her lip to cheek stood out against her pale skin. Sirius's eyes roamed down to the finger marks around her throat and onto the bruises around the arm that had been broken. She caught his eye as he looked back into her face. She pointed to her eye, 'Mulciber.'

Sirius could feel a cold hatred welling up inside him and she caressed her throat. 'Dolohov.' His eyes followed her hand to her arm. 'My father's spell blasted the wall I was behind, breaking my arm.' She carefully touched a finger to the burns on her shoulders. 'Bellatrix set the house on fire, she tortured me for days.' Sirius caught her eye again as she traced the outline of the raw scar on her face. 'Rabastan' she said, finally letting Sirius take her hand.

He kissed her fingers, closing his eyes and letting the storm of hatred roll over him, taking into memory her exact appearance at that moment and fixing each name into his mind so as to etch them there until he could find each of them and kill them.

She turned away from the mirror and Sirius found strength in her eyes. She was so devastatingly beautiful that it hurt.

'Come back to bed with me Sirius Black.' She whispered and he couldn't refuse even if he had wanted to.

The music of Neil Young floated through the air. A favourite of Remus's. He sang that only love could break your heart and for once Sirius understood how true it was. He thought briefly that perhaps muggles really knew something about music that wizards would never grasp. Something in their music was so organic, and pure, unassisted by any magic a wizard could produce.

They reached the bedroom and she closed the door behind them, leaving it open just enough that the next track was just audible. She stood in front of him in the faint light and for the second time that night she reached with her good hand and pulled the shirt up and over his head. He thought that a slight smile touched her lips as her hands found his chest and moved over it and down his sides, her deft fingers soft and firm, searching and loving. He let her touch him, taking in every detail of her face, looking past the damage there and glorying in her long blond lashes, the curve of her lip and the highness of her cheekbones.

When her fingers stilled she found the knot of her towel and slowly, moss-green eyes locked on steely gray, she let the towel drop around her and his breath caught in his chest. Her skin was pale and lovely, and she seemed to shine there in the candlelight and he had to touch her. His hands found her waist and he pulled her gently to him, his hand on the small of her back and the other at the back of her neck.

'How do I look?' she asked, her lips less than an inch from his.

'You've never looked more wonderful.' He said, his voice heavy with emotion and passion.

She closed the gap between their lips and Sirius lifted her and took her back to the bed, breaking their kiss only to undress and slide in next to her. He pulled her back to him, and she laid her head against his chest. Her back was still pink but the cream had worked wonders and he made a small mental note to thank Remus for leaving some in the cupboard. He laid a hand against the pink of her back and she sighed slightly.

'Does it still pain you? He asked, running a thumb down her arm.

'Not so much, thank you.' She said and the relief was audible in her voice.

He sat up and pulled her to sit between his legs, facing away from him. She didn't object so he moved his hands to her shoulders and started to gently massage her back. Her entire body seemed to relax under his touch and he could feel the tense anxiety rolling off her and it didn't take long before she was leaning back against him and snoring softly. He kissed the top of her head and ran a hand over the soft, short hair, loving her that much more for it. He found his wand on the bedside table and with a soft whisper the candlelight was extinguished. He pulled the covers up and covered her body, slipping down into the sheets so that she slept on top of him, her soft body totally relaxed. He traced the curve of her hip, astonished at the way he felt for her, the way his body and mind reacted to hers, how he wanted her in every way and hardly being able to believe that she was alive and had made love to him and the beauty of it all was illuminating.

February 4th, 1979

He woke as the sun drifted lazily in to the room, across the bed and danced across the pale and completely healed back of Eileen. She was still snoring peacefully on top of him, her cheek pressed against his chest and her arms lying lazily around his stomach. The morning light did nothing for the bruises and cuts that covered her body and he looked down unto her face, anger welling up inside him. The cut on her face was still raw and pink, the thin scar line contrasting against her pale skin. He must have made a noise because she seemed to stir and shifted slightly.

He couldn't help himself and he ran a hand down her arm. 'Hey.'

She yawned, not opening her eyes, or simply refusing to. He laughed and reaching down, tilted her chin up and kissed her lips.

'Hmm, do that again.' She said sleepily.

He laughed and it was the first real laugh he had had in days. 'Maybe later, you can stay in bed I'll make you something to eat, I know you're starving.' He said it lightly, not wanting to think about when the last time she ate really was.

'Mmmm.' She said in protest as he rolled her off him and stood, pulling pants on.

'I'm a terrible cook mind you.' He said, grinning as she opened one eye to look at him.

She closed the eye again and pulled the covers over her head as he barked with laughter, leaving the room and heading into the kitchen. The sight of the kitchen revolted him and he didn't want her to see it so he hurriedly pulled his wand out and within a few minutes the traces of last night had vanished from the house.

He set to work in the kitchen, pulling random things out of the cupboard and looking into the cold box Lily had called a refrigerator. He didn't trust the thing but pulled a package of sausages and eggs out. Before long he had the frying pan cooking the food as he sat drinking a cup of tea at the table and reading the Daily Prophet that had just been delivered.

'Anything interesting in there?' Eileen had come to stand behind him, placing her hands on his shoulders.

'Not unless you count the latest on the regulation and control of magic carpets?' He said, folding the paper and turning in his chair to look at her properly.

She had found his shirt and was wearing it now, the red pajama bottoms Lily had given him last Christmas under it, hanging off her much smaller body. Her face was still black and yellow but she looked significantly better than the night before, but that was still putting it optimistically.

'I'm a mess I know.' She said, and she blushed slightly under his gaze.

He took her hand. 'Don't ever be shy around me Eileen. You're so beautiful,' He reached up and touched the scar where it started at her lip. 'This – it says you've survived, it says that you're strong. You're so lovely. All of you, I – last night.'

'Shhh – you're an idiot for loving me Sirius Black, haven't I told you that before?' she said, but there was laughter and love in her voice.

'Call me a fool then because I love you Eileen Grey, I should have said it months ago.'

'I love you too.' She said and bent down to kiss him.

Her stomach growled violently and he broke their kiss, grinning. 'I'm going to feed you now, sorry if it isn't good. I'm terrible at cooking spells.' He stood and crossed to the frying pan, tipping five sausages and three fried eggs unto her plate. He marched over to her and placed the plate in front of her.

She seemed amused by him but picked up the fork and ate everything while he watched, sipping his tea and enjoying the colour that seemed to be returning to her face.

'We have to go out later.' He said finally, after she cleared her plate.

She sighed, 'I know.'

'I don't want to.'

'Neither do I.'

'Your brother doesn't like me as it is, if I keep you from him today I'm sure he'll do me in himself.' He said irritated with the thought of having to deal with Hector today.

She plucked a sausage off his plate with her fork and bit into it, thinking. 'You know -,' she swallowed. 'I don't really understand why he doesn't like you. Have you ever done anything to him?' she asked, waving the impaled sausage on her fork at him.

'No!' he said, slightly indignant.

She grinned. 'He's not going to like this.' She waved the sausage again between them and then popped it into her mouth.

Sirius grinned back at her. 'This?' he asked, knowing what she meant but wanting to hear it anyway.

'Don't be coy Sirius Black, you know exactly what I mean.' She raised her brows at him.

'Just say it then.' He said, grinning stupidly.

'You're a fool.' She laughed.

'Guilty.'

'Fine. Us, together, however you like it. You're mine now.'

'Oh really?' he said, his eyes sparkling with mirth and unsuppressed joy.

'Yes.'

'I suppose that means you're mine then.'

'Haven't I always been?' she said softly.

'Yes I think so.' He replied, setting his cup down softly.

'Can't we just stay here and pretend there isn't a war going on Sirius?'

'You don't know how much I'd love that.' He stood and gently pulled her out of her chair. 'Some of Lily's robes are still upstairs, she won't mind.'

She sighed and smiled sadly. 'Okay.'

They climbed the stairs together and found some left behind clothes of Lily's hanging in the closet that used to be James's.

'So James and Lily don't live here anymore?' she asked, shuffling through the robes.

'No they moved out a few days ago, since they're getting married James's parents bought them a place of their own in Godric's Hollow.

'That was kind of them. I know you consider them family too.' She said, choosing a simple dark blue set of robes.

'I do, Mr. and Mrs. Potter are wonderful. I'm sure you'll meet them.' He smiled, thinking of James's parents.

'I'd love to. Will you button this for me, my thumb is still sore.'

He moved in front of her, buttoning the front of the robes up. 'What happened to your thumb?' he asked casually.

She grimaced slightly in memory. 'Had to pop it out of place to slip my hands out of the ropes.' She said it plainly but Sirius inhaled. She raised her hand to cover his. 'Hey, I don't want to think about it either, maybe later we will but not now. Let's not think about it.'

'How can I not, I'll never forget how you looked last night, barely alive Eileen.'

'I'm here now because of you.' She took his hand in both of hers, the buttons fastened. 'Sirius, I'm not saying forget, I can't and I won't. But today, I want to be happy with you. There has been too much time wasted, too many days spent living in a hell. I just want to be happy for a while.'

He looked into her eyes and the pain was there but so was a truth and he knew she was right. 'You're right.' He smiled slightly. 'I'm going to get ready, do you think you're up for this all. A lot of people thought you were dead.'

'I'll be okay as long as you're next to me.'

'I won't leave your side unless you want me too.' He said and meant it.

'Then I'll be okay.' She smiled, smoothing down the robes.

She sat, perched on the counter in the bathroom while Sirius showered. 'So Remus Lupin lives with you?'

'Yes.' He said from behind the shower curtain.

'Why isn't he here?'

'Last night was the full moon.' Said Sirius, finishing and turning off the water. He stepped out and grinned as her eyes travelled over him.

'I see.' She said and he grinned as he dried himself off.

'Pass me my pants.' He said.

Ten minutes later he was dry, dressed and throwing his warmest cloak around Eileen's shoulders.

He opened the front door and a cold chill rushed in and Eileen pulled the cloak closer around her.

'Here put the hood up, you don't have hair to keep yourself warm now.' He said, tugging the hood up around her head.

'It will grow back soon enough.' She smiled but didn't complain.

Sirius locked the door with his wand and taking her hand they walked together to the top of the hill. He kept his eyes peeled, his wand held tightly in his hand, ready to defend them if he had too. She was still slower than normal and he could tell she was fighting the aches and pains that must be weighing on her.

'Ready?' he asked as they reached the crest of the hill overlooking the tiny village.

She nodded, her mouth set in a line and he turned on the spot, taking her with him.

The reappeared in front of Head Quarters and the street was quiet and empty and Sirius breathed a sigh of relief. It looks like they weren't being watched or followed, perhaps the Death Eaters still didn't realise that Eileen was alive.

They took the steps and Sirius tapped his knuckles against the door, waiting. It didn't take long before the door was pulled open. Moody looked Sirius over once before his eyes trailed to Eileen and locked on her. Some emotion flicked across his scarred face before he stepped aside and they moved into the house and out of the cold.

'Black, good to see you. You're friends are in the kitchen, mind if I have a word here with Grey?' Moody growled at him but Sirius was sure he knew what Moody wanted.

Eileen gave him a small smile and he moved down the hall and into the kitchen, turning to see Moody embracing her before he walked into the kitchen. Moody had been almost as torn up over the thought of her death as James had been. Though they had never been particularly close, Sirius knew Moody felt slightly responsible for leaving her behind that day. It was touching to see and his heart-felt lighter knowing that Moody was more than a guff exterior.

'Sirius!' Fabian and Gideon both called out to him, grinning hugely. James, Lily and Peter were there as well, beaming at him.

'Where is she?' asked James, standing.

'I'm here.' She said, entering the kitchen. She had removed her cloak and everyone's eyes fell on her. Moody stood beside her with the air of a man daring anyone to offend her.

'Eileen -,' James started but the sight of her, bruised, scarred and buzz cut took the words from him and everyone else at the table.

James broke the moment by striding over to her and pulling her to him. 'You saved my life.'

'It was nothing really.' She said, slightly embarrassed by all the attention.

'It wasn't nothing, I'd be dead without you. I'm so sorry that – for this-,' James stopped talking, emotion choking him.

'Don't blame yourself, I'm fine see.' She said softly, giving James a smile.

Her words almost seemed laughable because everyone in the room could see that she was not fine and a bubble of laughter seemed to escape James's lips as Lily quickly wrapped her arms around him and forced him back into a chair.

'It's good to see you Eileen, welcome back.' Dorcas Meadowes interrupted the awkward silence and Sirius was thankful for it.

He pulled a seat out for Eileen and sat down next to her, winking at Peter who grinned back at him.

'I thought Hector might be here?' Eileen looked down the table to Fabian and Gideon, both of whom looked more serious than Sirius had ever known them to be.

Gideon lightened slightly, 'Oh he was, I'm sure he'll be back soon.' He exchanged a look with his brother who smiled.

'We got Sirius's owl last night, Dumbledore was here you see, so we knew as soon as you sent it.' Said James who was regaining himself.

'Of course we couldn't believe it and we were here torn between hunting those bastards down and going to see you ourselves.' Said Benji Fenwick.

'Then a second owl arrives from Hector's wife -,' Lily started.

'Anna?' Eileen sat up in her seat a little.

'Yes, apparently their baby was on the way.' Said Lily smiling.

'So the poor bloke was in a bit of a state. Dumbledore ordered him to stay away from you until today so he took off back to his wife, fuming and all nerves. You'd think this was his first babe.' Said Emmeline, smiling at the memory.

'It doesn't matter, every new bairn feels like the first one every time.' Said Caradoc, clearly thinking of his own children.

'He'll be back, he sent word earlier that the baby was healthy, didn't say much more.' Gideon added, noticing Eileen's eagerness.

'I think this is a good reason to celebrate, don't you?' Said Sturgis, standing and holding his bottle of butterbeer up.

Moody strode forward and snatching up a bottle, thrust it into the air.

'To Eileen, and to Hector's new child! We are so glad you're alive, and to new life and the celebration of old.' Emmeline said and they all nodded and said their agreement while Eileen smiled, embarrassed but feeling loved.

They stayed at HQ all day, people came and went, everyone embracing her, shocked by her appearance but none of them mentioning it. Dumbledore and McGonagall had arrived around mid-day and had spoken to her alone for some time. When they were done Dumbledore insisted that he return to Hogwarts but that they would meet over the Easter Holiday. The atmosphere was light and relaxed, and Eileen fit in perfectly, talking to Lily as James, Sirius and Peter talked together. Remus was spending time with his mother after the full moon but he had sent an owl earlier saying he would see them the following day. Gideon and Fabian were entertaining everyone with imitations of their twin nephews who would soon be a year old.

It was after dinner that Hector finally arrived, blowing into the house like a hurricane, he seemed like a man who couldn't decide which emotion he was feeling. He had rushed into the kitchen, brandishing pictures and grinning. When his eyes fell on Eileen the smile was gone from his face so fast it might have been slapped off.

'Bloody hell.' He said, his blue eyes meeting her moss-green ones. 'What the hell did they do to you?' he said, heat rushing to his face.

Eileen ignored her brother's questions and grabbed the pictures from his hands. She looked over them eagerly, her face brightening as she looked. Sirius leaned over her shoulder, looking down into the face of a blonde haired baby boy, one hand pressed against his face as he snored against the chest of a thin, chestnut haired woman. There was another with two little girls, the exact same colouring at their mother, beaming as they held their infant brother.

'What have you named him? Said Eileen, and Hector pried his eyes off her face and looked down at his new son.

'Marcus Hector Grey.' He said.

'He's lovely Hector, I'd like to meet them.' She handed the pictures to Lily who instantly went gooey eyed over the baby.

'Yes of course, whenever you like.' He replied. 'What happened to your hair?' he blurted and the room went silent around them.

Sirius tensed behind her but she simply looked at him, 'I cut it off obviously.'

Hector continued to stare at her as she looked at him, waiting for him to speak again. 'They cut your face.'

'Rabastan Lestrange did, yes.'

Fabian and Benji exchanged a look that Sirius caught and he knew what was running through their heads. Rabastan Lestrange would pay for that.

'I thought you were dead.' Hector said and his voiced slipped slightly, showing the emotion under it.

'I'm not, I'm okay.'

Hector laughed, a sharp laugh full of incredulity. He pulled her in and hugged her hard until she groaned slightly in pain. 'Shit I'm sorry, bloody hell Eileen you've never been less okay.'

He released her and she rubbed her side where Sirius knew a large ugly black bruise was. 'It's nothing I won't get over.' She said.

'I'm not going to let them get away with this.' He said, pressing his hand against her face.

'You think I would?' Something passed behind her eyes that was dark and Sirius knew it, felt familiar with it. Hatred, hatred and the promise of vengeance.

'Of course not.' He said and there was pride in his voice. 'I've got to get back, Anna's mother is taking care of the girls right now.' Hector turned his eyes on Sirius for the first time. 'Black, a word – please.' He added as Sirius raised his brows.

'Sure.' He gave Eileen's shoulder a slight squeeze but followed Hector into the hall.

'Listen, I'm don't like you Black but you took care of her last night – so,' Hector inhaled. 'Thank you.'

'I don't really like you either Grey but I do love her.' Sirius said and Hector frowned at him. 'You don't have to like it, I don't really care if you do but I will protect her and I will love her. She'll be with me now and I won't leave her.' Sirius finished, folding his arms.

Hector considered him for a moment, narrowing his eyes. Finally he turned and pulled the door open. 'You better take care of her Black.'

'Oh I plan to.' He said, stepping forward as Hector stepped out the door.

'Good.'

Author's note: Thank you for reading and reviewing! I am both thrilled and astonished that we have reached 2000 reads! Also I want to take a moment to say how very grateful I am for your reads and reviews, it is a thrill to see even one new review when I log in to check!

Now to this chapter! I hope that I did it justice and that you love it as much as I do. Sirius and Eileen finally! Haha. Any questions/comments are very welcome, I love hearing from you!