There was so much silence, it was almost heavy. Where he'd been before, there was so much noise it ached, but here there was just silence.

Gingerly, because he wasn't entirely certain where he was, Sirius opened his eyes. He was at Hogwarts. Possibly. He didn't know, he wasn't sure. But wherever he was, the sky was very blue, and there was a huge beech tree towering above him. He twisted his neck to the left, and learnt that he was lying on lush green grass.

It must be Hogwarts, because he'd never seen grass that green anywhere else. Why was he at Hogwarts? Because…because he- oh shit, now he remembered.

He threw himself to his feet, and reached for his wand in his front pocket. It wasn't there.

"Bloody fucking Circe!" he gasped, and there came a laugh from behind him. Sirius turned slowly, because he recognised that laugh, he'd recognise that laugh anywhere, but it couldn't be, it wasn't- it was.

Blimey.

"Prongs…"

James didn't look a day over twenty one, and clinging to his arm, just like she had when they got married, was Lily, beaming at him like she'd never beamed before.

"Evans…"

"It's so lovely to see you, Sirius!" she laughed, clasping his shaking hands with her own.

"Bloody fucking hell," he mumbled, "am I dead?"

She laughed, tears glazing her eyes. James smirked, and suddenly Sirius was hit with the enormity of it, that he was dead and gone from Harry, but at the same time he was here, with his brother and his sister, and they'd never be taken from him again.

"Nice to see you, mate." James nodded, and Sirius did something he'd only ever done once before – he threw his arms around James' skinny shoulders and enveloped him in a hug.

It occurred to him then that someone was missing, someone who he'd though would've turned up just to laugh at him, to throw a carton of cigarettes and his head and cackle a 'no one understands me' cackle that he knew so well. He'd let her down; or maybe he'd let her down, he couldn't tell.

"I'm sorry I couldn't protect Harry, Prongs," he choked, "I really am…"

"It's alright, mate, it's alright…"

James exhaled heavily, and Sirius let him go. Lily was still beaming.

He wondered what they would do next. Talk about Harry, he expected, and everything else. He had a lot to apologise for; for making them change Secret Keeper, for not keeping tabs on Peter, for not being a good godfather to Harry…

There would be time to find Marlene. He had all the time in the world, didn't he?

There was a small cough from behind him, a clear and cool cough that he knew oh-so-well. And then came the tap on his shoulder, a familiar feeling that he'd almost half forgotten in Azkaban.

He turned around, and she smiled a funny half smile that he'd never seen before. She was still stunning, with her long blonde hair and her big blue eyes, and her legs that went up to her shoulders.

"Black," she smirked, "Surprised to see you here. I thought you would go to the other place."

He wanted to kiss her, but he was painfully aware of Lily and James stood behind him, grinning like goons.

"So did I," he croaked, "so did I…"

She laughed, and slid her arm into his.

"D'you wanna go for a walk?" she asked, eyes gleaming with mischief.

He wondered whether he looked like she did, or whether he resembled a dirty old man because his face was lined and hers was not. It didn't matter too much, because as far as he could tell they were the only four people there (wherever there was) but he'd rather that they looked like they had before. Before the war, before everything. There was time for him to find out, though. He had so much time now.

"Alright," he agreed, and she looked behind her to the Potters, who were giggling like school children.

"Coming?" she asked.

"Where to?" James asked, and Marlene shrugged.

"I dunno. Where d'you reckon we should go, Sirius?"

Sirius looked around. The grounds seemed to go on forever, stretching into the distance.

"Everywhere."

So that's exactly where they went.