Epilogue

Twelve years later

The glass dome ceiling of King's Cross station let in columns of warm September sunshine as Sirius pushed the trunk-laden trolley along the platforms to the barrier between numbers nine and ten. A black cat wound its way between Grace's legs as she walked beside him, almost tripping her. She turned to the young girl on her other side, whose hand she held firmly in her own. "Reggie, please pick Minna up and carry her. I'm afraid she might run off."

The girl leaned down and scooped the protesting cat into her arms. "Yes, Mother." Stroking her pet between its silky ears, she looked up at her mother questioningly. "Mother, what if I don't get into Gryffindor or Slytherin? What if they put me into-" She paused and made a face. "Hufflepuff?"

Sirius chuckled. "Don't worry, half pint. You'll end up in the House that fits you best."

The family passed together through the barrier onto Platform Nine and Three-Quarters, and Grace pointed through the thick steam that enveloped them. "I think they're over there, Sirius."

The trio moved over to a much larger group in the middle of the platform, greeting Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Harry, and all their children. Sirius tugged his godson into a hug. "Harry. Are you all still planning on coming by for dinner after we drop off this lot?"

Harry laughed as Grace and Hermione embraced. "Of course."

The children gathered into a chattering, laughing group as the adults continued their conversation. "See, Albus?" Harry's oldest son James chuckled, nudging his brother. "Reggie's just as worried about being Sorted as you are. Maybe you'll end up in Slytherin together."

Sirius' daughter lifted her chin, giving the older boy a haughty look. "My mother was in Slytherin. I wouldn't mind it."

"Have you met our cousin, Victoire?" Rose interrupted, trying to keep the peace. Like her mother, Hermione, she hated when the others fought. "She should be here, somewhere."

James laughed again, loudly, as if he had just remembered something extremely funny. "I saw her earlier. Guess what she was doing?" He paused for dramatic effect."Snogging Teddy! Our Teddy!" The other children looked aghast.

Sirius, only paying half attention to the conversation between his wife and Ginny, turned to the group. "Teddy?" He asked, disbelieving. "Teddy Lupin?" His eyes widened before he turned, searching the crowd. "You don't think Remus and Tonks are here, do you?" he asked Grace hopefully.

She shook her head. "Sirius, the boy's too old to go to school. I'm sure he slipped off on his own." She turned to her daughter, who was back to arguing heatedly with James and Albus over which House was best. "Arctura Regula Black," she called severely, and her daughter turned to her and frowned. "Mother, James says I'm sure to end up in Slytherin, and he says it is a bad thing."

Sirius rolled his eyes dramatically. "Who are you named after, half pint?"

His daughter tucked an errant curl behind one ear. She had inherited her mother's luxurious curls, but her father's trademark Black coloring. Grey eyes sparkled as she answered Sirius. "Uncle Regulus."

"And what house was he in?" Sirius prodded.

Reggie's eyes widened in sudden comprehension, and she turned to James with a broad smile. "My uncle was a hero in the war, too! Slytherin's just fine! So there!"

Albus rounded on his older brother, confident now that James seemed unsure. "And I'm named after a Headmaster of Hogwarts, and Severus was a Slytherin!"

"All Houses are worth being proud of," Harry said, his voice rising over those of the children. "Hogwarts is a brilliant school. You'll all have a wonderful time, I am sure."

The scuffle over, the parents took turns hugging those children who were old enough to go, promising to write and chiding them to eat healthy, play in the sunshine, and listen to their professors. Clutching her black cat tightly, Reggie stood framed in the window of the last car, saying farewell to her parents. "I'm afraid to leave you and Dad," she told Grace in a whisper, who smiled and blew her daughter one last kiss.

"You'll love it, darling," Grace told her firmly. "It will be a wonderful adventure, I promise."

As the train pulled out of the station, Sirius wrapped an arm around his wife, his other hand still lifted high in the air in a wave. Grace stood on tiptoe and kissed him on the cheek. "It all turned out right in the end, didn't it, Sirius?"

Turning his head to kiss her full on the mouth, he smiled. "Of course, it did," he said confidently. "Of course."

*sniffles* Wow, it was hard for me to come to the end of Grace's story, but at least I was able to give her a happy ending. :) I hope you enjoyed reading this story as much as I enjoyed writing it! If so, please leave a review so others can see what you thought and enjoy it, too!