You're My Density (Completed)

Chapter 19: Invitations

"Sirius I..."

"Please, Ami, let me say what I need to. While you were impervious to my charm and cheesy lines, we formed a connection that neither of us can deny exists. Your job was to take raw recruits and turn them into aurors. With me, you took an arrogant git and turned him into a man - only not in the carnal sense. My biggest regret that Halloween was that I didn't go to you. The war was effectively over, we could finally have been together - and then raised Harry and Susan as our children."

There were tears running down this strong witch's cheeks as Sirius now had both her hands held in his. "I cost both of us that future and paid for it, I certainly paid for it. I understand you always had a problem about the age difference between us, Ami. Trust me on this though, Azkaban ages a person - it certainly aged me. We've now had some time to get to know one another again, you must be able to see that?"

Nodding, Amelia gave her reasoning. "Before your stay in Azkaban, that version of Sirius Black would have been bored stiff on Black Island within a day or so. I watched a maturer you grow more and more contented the longer you stayed."

"I had a lot to be contented about. The most important people in the world to me were on that island. My godson has none of the flaws his father and godfather suffered from, though he certainly has inherited Lily's temper. As for his intended, what's not to love about that girl? There's no question she loves my godson, and he her. Even her parents were great, they certainly have accepted Harry into their family."

Now was the part Sirius was dreading, it had to be said though. "You were there too, and I just loved the way you kept an eye on Susan - without appearing to do so or crowding her. I have dreams, Ami, and the week you spent on that island came pretty dammed close to fulfilling most of them. In those dreams, you and I were together - with a couple of our children playing alongside Harry and Susan. They say it doesn't do to live in dreams but those dreams were the only thing that kept me sane in that cell. Now I'm out, I want to see how much of those dreams could ever become reality. I'm not expecting all my dreams to come true overnight, I don't think either of us still believes in that type of happy ever after. If a dream is worth chasing though, you have to give it your best shot. My dream is sitting right in front of me and you, Ami, are certainly worth chasing..."

Sirius had no words left, he just had to sit there and wait for Ami's response. The wait was killing him but he knew this was not the time for jokes or trying to rush her. After what seemed an age, Amelia finally broke her silence.

"Witches have dreams too, Sirius. I thought mine died the day I heard what you'd supposedly done to James, Lily and Peter. Seeing you again, even while emaciated and filthy in that cell, had those dreams resurfacing. Life isn't lived in dreams though, and we've both seen and done things that have pushed us beyond what would be considered normal. I'm without a doubt a happier person with you back in my life. The more I think about where you want to take our relationship, the more my practical side conjures obstacle after obstacle to show me why that just can't happen. I'm scared, Sirius, and honestly don't know if we would ever work as more than what we are now..."

There it was, exactly what Sirius was dreading hearing. Then Ami came to his rescue, lifting his heart soaring out of the deep dark canyon it had just dived into. "...but I think I would be a fool not to at least give us a try."

Sirius was out his seat and beside the woman who meant the world to him. He now had both his hands on her cheeks before leaning in for a kiss. "Ami Bones is no fool, and I hope to spend the rest of my life proving that to her."