When with Rome {Sirius Black}

44. Miracles Do Come True

Since their last year began, Barbara finally managed to convince Lily to go with James to Hogsmede for a date; and since that first Hogsmede, the two had been an item.

Barbara knew she was out of the race, but it didn't matter to her. All that mattered was that her brother was happy. James was finally with his dream girl; and it only took seven years and a Head Boy badge for Lily to realize that James wasn't a bad person.

He just did stupid things.

Now that they were an item, Barbara loved teasing Lily about how she knew all along that Lily was actually going to be a sister to her. Marlene loved teasing the ginger too. They had made it a past time when Lily wasn't in the library studying for N.E.W.T.s, which stood for Nastily Exhausting Wizarding Tests.

Barbara wasn't nervous at all for her exams, and ended up helping Sirius study for his. Sirius wanted to go into the medical field with Barbara, but wanted to be a Healer rather than a Mediwizard. A Healer had more perks and would be his career job rather than being a part time Mediwizard. Barbara, since she was already going to be a permanent Auror, didn't need to advance into a different career as much as Sirius needed to.

Curious, Barbara had finally asked him why he didn't want to be an Auror like Remus or Peter, or even her brother (who had to choose a job even if he didn't want to do it). Sirius finally admitted that he was still scared of running into his family, especially if they had to duel. Barbara made him stop talking about his family as soon as he saw the hate in his eyes. She hated seeing Sirius, a generally cheerful guy, take such a hard approach on his family.

Barbara never saw Regulus around the castle, which slightly worried her. When Sirius had mentioned the reason why he didn't want to be an Auror, she had realized that that meant she had probably put members of his family away without realizing it. She remembered arresting Orion, but he was the only Black member that she distinctly knew was a Black patriarch. Sometimes, she thought she should quit her job as being an Auror and just take care of her parents as a Mediwizard full time.

Euphemia and Fleamont Potter's health had gotten a bit better, but not as much as Barbara had hoped with the special potions her father had made. Euphemia used the furniture as a cane, refusing to get one because she was "still kicking." Fleamont, on the other hand, seemed to get more sick each time he brewed another potion. James, Barbara, and Sirius managed to intervene last summer, finally making Fleamont quit potions for good.

It had been a rough conversation; but it needed to be done that summer. Their kids were all of age; and that meant that they now had a say in what they could speak about. Fleamont didn't want to listen to his kids or Angel about the dangers of potioneering at his age. After all, he was the potioneer, he shouldn't have to listen to anybody. But when his wife stepped into the room, nearly falling in the process of Angel didn't get her in time, he realized that they were old.

The weight he carried on his shoulders for his children to have better futures was already accomplished. Angel, Sirius, and the Twins could comfortably live off of the Potter fortune he and his father's before him had created. It also helped jay Euphemia came from some money as well, adding her wealth to his. Their grandchildren, if they could ever see them, would be swimming in the vault. With one of his kids already having a job and contributing to the wealth since she was fifteen, he needn't worry anymore.

He could die happily, knowing everyone would be okay.

Fleamont could also die right then and there when Sirius had pulled him off to the side right before their Seventh Year. Sirius and Fleamont had a heart-to-heart conversation about he and Barbara's future together.

Sirius had let Fleamont and Euphemia know that he did plan on having a future with Barbara, and wanted to know if the Potters would stand behind his decision to build a guest house on the property for him and Barbara to live in. Sirius explained it justly by saying that they needed some privacy in order to begin a life in adulthood together; but promised their little girl would be there whenever called. He didn't want to take Barbara away from them, just wanted to move a little.

They readily agreed, which was why they made sure nobody from the group went outside that Christmas. The Potters had already had the guest suite built, sending a private letter to Sirius about it.

It was Christmas Day when the Potter twins, Lily, Sirius, and Angel came downstairs to greet Euphemia and Fleamont. After Lily received a diamond necklace from James and he receiving a Quidditch kit for home, Sirius coughed obnoxiously to get everybody's attention.

"Have something you want to say or is my Fluffy coughing up a hairball?" Barbara mused aloud, which gained snickers from her family. Sirius shot her an amused look.

"My present to you is in the form of a question, Barbara; and I've been waiting to ask you this for a while."

Her eyebrow raised, clearly confused. Barbara hoped he wasn't proposing, as they were still young and were still students. "Um, ye- yeah?"

"Will... oh boy this is unnerving," Sirius chuckles nervously. He always became nervous when he head his girlfriend nervous, "I'll just say it. Doyouwanttomoveinwithme?"

Barbara's breath caught in her throat. Though she saw that her brother and best friend were confused with what he said, she was fluent in Sirius.

At first, she didn't know how to react. This was a big step for the both of them, and him saying it in front of everybody meant that he truly thought she would accept. The problem was, she didn't want to move far from her parents, knowing they wouldn't be around for her to have kids. Oh Merlin, Sirius just asked me to move in with him and I'm thinking even farther than that!

But when she thought about kids, Barbara knew that she couldn't picture anybody being the father of her children except for him. Sirius was the only person for her, it made complete sense.

And that's when it clicked.

Barbara absentmindedly felt the area of the back of her ear, where the tattoo was placed. Her wolf form, her patronus, was never a wolf because of Valerie.

It was because of Sirius.

Her whole life was placed before her eyes, something she never registered until just then. Her wings flew her to Sirius, who had made an impression of her before they even met. The bark of laughter that made her laugh bonded them because they always mimicked each other. Their bond was special because they had been linked to each other by the Dog Star, Sirius, a loyal star in its chain.

Barbara snapped out of her trance, forgetting that Sirius was still waiting for an answer. She looked into his grey eyes, reminded of the sky, and smiled with unshed tears in her eyes.

"As long as I'm with you."