Coming Together ༄ Sirius Black

Chapter Seventy One

"Oh! Ew!" Sirius exclaimed, sitting the baby down and drying his arm on the bed sheets.
"Sirius!" Asteria sat up, picking up the child who had fallen on her back, "Don't wipe your hand clean there!"

"I can really tell you use magic to change nappies." Asteria grumbled, allowing Sirius to take the baby again.

"Oh Evelina Black... Your mother is so mean to me." Sirius poked the girl's cheek softly.

"Black? We both know that's not her surname." Asteria pointed out.
"No, I know. I'm just winding you up." Sirius replied, sticking his tongue out.

"Do you want her to take your name? I don't mind if you do." Asteria stared with wide eyes.
"I don't want anyone to have my surname, least of all you two."

Asteria's eyes drifted closed, a small smile played on her mouth as she listened to Sirius whisper to his daughter. Just before she finally fell asleep, the bedroom door clicked again as Sirius went to put a sleeping Evelina back to bed.

"Ri?" Sirius murmured quietly upon entering the room again.
She just hummed in response, curling up on her side.

"Are you tired?" He mused, falling onto the bed and startling Asteria.
"Well I was." She grumbled, turning away from him.

"Oh, come on Ri," Sirius pouted, wrapping his arms around Asteria's waist and pulling her towards him.
"Sirius..." She yawned.

"I'm allowed to cuddle you, it's my obligation." He grinned stupidly, burying his face into the crook of her neck and allowing her hair to tickle his face as they drifted off into an easy sleep.

As the sun slowly crept into the room through the curtains, Asteria couldn't believe her luck that she hadn't been awoken by someone else. She felt Sirius' arms still tightly wrapped around her waist, with his hair sprawled all over the pillows and hiding his face that still rested on her shoulder.

"Sirius." She murmured, manoeuvring herself so as not to leave his hold but so she could push a strand of hair out of his eyes.

"Hm?" He replied sleepily, "Is she crying again? Do you want me to get her?"

"Why don't you listen and find out?" Asteria replied with a smile on her face.

Sirius opened his eyes and glanced about the room, listening intently, "It's a miracle." His eyes widened.

"Do you think I should go check on her?" Asteria asked quietly.
"No, no! Stay here, keep me warm." Sirius nuzzled into her neck again.

"Let me just go check, I can always bring her in here to keep you warm." Asteria smirked before untangling herself from Sirius' hold and exiting their bedroom.

Evelina Black was lay on her back in her cot, staring around the room in awe. Upon seeing her mother enter the room, a bright smile grew on her face as she gargled excitedly.

"Evelina," Asteria smiled, sitting down on the floor and reaching her hand through the crib bars to run her fingers through the tuft of Evelina's black hair.

It hit her like a brick to the face. The sudden realisation that Asteria's parents wouldn't meet their granddaughter. It could be years before Voldemort was destroyed and Evelina would only continue to grow up. Asteria couldn't bare to think of Evelina growing up in the same dark times she had.

"Ri?" Sirius called from the other room.

"Y-yeah?" She replied quietly, holding out her finger for Evelina to grasp in her tiny palm.

Standing in the doorway, he looked down at the beautiful sight of his girlfriend and daughter. Sirius had managed the impossible, he had escaped the clutches of his awful relatives and began his own loving family.

"Are you alright?" He asked, running a hand through his hair to brush it out of his eyes.

Asteria nodded weakly, "Y-yeah..."

"What's wrong?" Sirius dashed to her side, reaching for Asteria's arm and glancing over her to see if she'd been hurt.

"Nothing really. Just thinking about... My parents will never meet their grandchild. I'll... I'll never see my mamma again." She whispered tenderly.

It was a stark contrast to how Sirius was feeling. Sometimes he would momentarily forget how different their lives really were. Asteria's parents, despite their differences, really meant the world to her. Her parents had been the only thing the kept her going throughout her lonely childhood. This was something Sirius struggled to relate to but he could understand the pain Asteria was in over losing her father and having to send her mother away. He too had lost some relatives he truly considered family to him.

"They'd be proud. There's no need to get upset." Sirius rubbed small circles on her back, "You mother is safe and happy. And your dad... He's always watching over you, smiling at how amazing you are to both me and Evelina. They're so proud, so proud of how brave you are."

"Thank you." Asteria nodded, squeezing Sirius' hand in hers.

"And I'm proud of you too. This war is awful but... I can feel it's nearly over. We're so close to the end."

Evelina gargled happily, babbling up at her parents. She really was a little ball of joy and happiness in their home.

"And on that note, I think it's time for breakfast." Sirius groaned at he stood up, reaching into the crib to lift Evelina into his arms, "In thinking we'll eat dirt and bugs and worms for breakfast. How does that sound? You like that, don't you?" He grinned at his daughter, pinching her nose playfully.

Evelina roared with laughter and clapped her hands, not fully understanding what was being said to her.

Asteria too, climbed to her feet. She could feel it too. This dark wizarding era was almost at at close, she could sense it. But there was still this worry tugging at her heart.

Sirius and Asteria had so much more to lose now than ever before and there was still so much that could go wrong.

-

A/N

oh my god this is the penultimate chapter

i've written the last chapter and it actually made me cry

i'm not going to publish it straight away but let me know if you guys want me too

also i know these last chapters might feel rushed but i'm actually trying to emphasise how little time Asteria and Sirius really had once leaving hogwarts before the end of the first war
i think it's important to remember how young they really were when it ended