WHAT HAPPENED?

BLOOD PUMPING IN HIS EARS was all Sirius could hear. He clutched his broken arm to his chest, surveying his surroundings. He saw flowers on fire, the dirt and blood on his ruined suit. He saw injured bodies lying in the rubble that was the remains of his wedding as Aurors and Mediwizards sifted through the survivors.

It hadn't taken long for reinforcements to get there, as Val and Moody already had several of their fellow Aurors watching the property, fearing something like this might've happened. But it wasn't enough to keep everyone unharmed — enough to keep everyone alive.

He couldn't hear Molly screaming, who was crying over George's unconscious body, bleeding heavily from his head after losing an ear. Nor did he hear Fleur sobbing over Bill, who'd been attacked brutally by Greyback before fleeing, only to come across a vengeful Remus. However, he could spot Cedric with a hollow look on his face as he sat over his father's dead body. Harry was begging for Draco to wake up, unsure if he was alive or dead as no one had come to them to help yet. Viktor and Val were hauling a bloody Ethan to his feet.

But most importantly, Sirius couldn't see Ivy, who'd gotten separated from him in the chaos.

He moved slowly, pushing past people with hardly any strength left in him, his vacant eyes scouring the crowd. Walking with a slight limp, he ignored those who tried to stop and speak to him — McGonagall, Moody, Tonks. All he wanted to do was find Ivy.

Finally, he found the one person that could help him most. Remus, who had his back to him and was sifting through the crumbled remains of a stone gazebo.

"Moony," Sirius called in a scratchy voice, catching his attention.

He looked over his shoulder at him with sad eyes. "Sirius, stay back," he told her in a gentle tone. "Go get a healer. You shouldn't see her like this."

His eyes began to water, fearing the worst. "See who?" he asked, her voice cracking. Then he stumbled forward, not caring as Remus tried to hold him back.

It was Ivy underneath the rubble, and his knees fell out from under him as he landed at her side. She was covered in gashes and bruises, just as he was. But it was the nasty and still-bleeding head wound that worried him most. Blood seeped into her wedding dress and stained her skin. She looked dead, and yet the shallow rise and fall of her chest brought him some comfort.

"What happened?" Sirius asked, carefully cradling Ivy's head.

"You'd have been proud, Pads," Remus whispered, tears welling in his eyes. "I went after Greyback after he got Bill. But he was stronger — always has been. I thought I was done for before the strongest Depulso I've ever seen knocked him back. Guess those lessons have been paying off."

Sirius didn't know if it made him feel better or worse knowing that Ivy had saved Remus' life. "How'd she end up like this?"

"The three of us kept at it, us trying to keep him back. But then a spell hit the gazebo. I managed to jump out of the way, but both he and Ivy were under it.

To the side, Sirius could see Greyback's arm sticking out from the rubble, unmoving and lifeless, not that he cared all that much about the Werewolf. He instead focused back on Ivy, more tears welling in his eyes the longer he looked at her.

"Darling, wake up," he pleaded softly, not paying Remus any mind, who went to fetch a healer for the both of them. "Open those pretty eyes for me, yeah? I can't go through this again, so open your eyes. Wake up. Wake up!"

"Sirius," McGonagall said, coming over to them. She looked ragged and exhausted, but she was still standing. "Ivy will wake in her own time if she's meant to."

"That's not good enough!" he snapped, feeling the beginnings of a panic attack come on. "I can't lose you, Darling. Please, wake up."

As Sirius rocked back and forth, refusing to let Ivy go, McGonagall just placed a hand on his shoulder comfortingly. Finally, Remus returned with a healer, who instantly tried to take Ivy away from Sirius to get her on a stretcher. He nearly yelled at the woman before Remus coaxed him away from her body.

"Let them work," Remus told him softly. "And have someone see to your arm and leg. You're no good to Ivy if you don't take care of yourself too."

Sirius begrudgingly let Remus lead him to the other healers, and it was safe to say he was less than pleasant, just wanting to get to Ivy, who was moved inside. Kreacher ensured she was in her bedroom as they tended to her, wanting her to wake up somewhere comfortable in case she was alone.

It was there that Harry found Sirius.

"Dray's okay," Harry whispered, leaning against Sirius' uninjured side. "How's Ivy?"

"Won't let me see her until my arm's fixed," Sirius grumbled.

Harry furrowed his eyebrows. "Since when do you listen to what people tell you to do?"

Remus sighed as Sirius' eyes lit up. Then he was pushing off the cot they'd put him on and marched through the mass of people in between him and his house — who were they to tell him he couldn't go to his home and see his wife? It didn't matter if the ceremony hadn't been completed. That was his wife. 

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It was hours before Ivy awoke, and she felt numb as she did thanks to all the pain potions they'd given her. Before even opening her eyes, she knew she was safe because she could feel strong and familiar arms wrapped around her, careful to avoid the deep bruises on her skin.

She peeled her eyes open and turned her head, spotting Sirius at her side. Bruises and cuts covered his usually perfect face, and he was still in his ruined clothes from the disaster of a wedding. Even as he slept, a frown was on his face, a clear sign that he wasn't truly resting.

"Siri," she whispered, her throat hurting a bit as she spoke. In an instant, his eyes were open, grey eyes seeking out brown. And he sighed in relief when he realized she was awake and going to be okay. "Are you okay?"

"Am I okay?" he asked in disbelief. Then he gently cupped her face, his eyes watering. "Yeah, I'm alright, Bunny. How do you feel?" He opted against telling her about his aching arm and leg, knowing they could discuss it once both were healed.

Ivy ignored the question. "What happened? I can't remember anything after hearing an explosion."

"Sounds as if you saved Rem's life," he said softly, and she leaned into his touch, feeling comforted by it.

"He's okay?" she asked hopefully.

Sirius just nodded. "Most everyone is — just some more injured than others. But it's over. Every Death Eater was either caught or killed. We're going to be safe from here on out."

"Good," she said simply, her eyes watering. "But Harry? He's okay?"

"He's just excited he got to use magic outside of school grounds without getting in trouble," Sirius joked, not wanting to tell her about Harry's concussion. Or George and Bill or anyone really. She needed to focus on healing, not worry about everyone else like she tended to do.

The pair sat in silence for a bit, just staring into each other's eyes. It was Ivy who broke the silence, covering Sirius' hand over her cheek with her own. "Can you get Professor McGonagall?"

Sirius frowned at that, unsure of why she wanted the woman. "What for? If you're in pain, you need a healer, not a transfiguration teacher."

Ivy shook her head with a tired smile. "I'm sleepy. I think I'd like to be married to you properly before I doze off."

12 YEARS LATER

"Darling, he'll be fine," Sirius said, watching Ivy pace the length of their living room.

"Yes, because Hogwarts was the pinnacle of safety my last few years there," his wife said, running her fingers through her long curls. "And he's all alone."

"Regulus knows how to take care of himself. And in a few years, he'll have Teddy, Scorpius, and Victoria with him."

Shortly after Ivy and Sirius' son was born, Remus and Tonks had a child of their own, as did Val and Viktor — who vainly named his daughter after himself, and Val was so tired from eight hours of labor that she didn't care. And Harry and Draco adopted after getting out of school. Not to mention all the other children that had been accumulated between Ron and Hermione, and the rest of the Weasleys.

The couple had just returned from King's Cross, having dropped off Regulus for his first year at Hogwarts, and Ivy was less than thrilled about it, already missing the boy.

"One thing Reg will never be is alone," Sirius said, getting off the couch to hold Ivy in his arms. "Now, take a deep breath." She did so. "And just think about the letter we'll wake up to when he tells us he's in Gryffindor."

Ivy narrowed her eyes playfully. "He'll be a Hufflepuff."

Sirius just laughed at that, knowing that Regulus didn't have a single trait of a Hufflepuff in his body. Ivy was just being delusional with her House pride.

"Gryffindor," Sirius claimed.

"Hufflepuff."

"Gryffindor," he said, leaning down to kiss her lips. It distracted her from the disagreement, as she still got so easily lost in him.

Ivy slid her hands up his strong shoulders, tangling her fingers in his hair. Even after so many years, each kiss from him made it feel like pixies were released in her stomach. When he sucked on her bottom lip, she moaned happily.

"I can think of one advantage to having the house to ourselves again," Sirius murmured with a smirk, sliding his hands down her hips, toying with the hem of her dress.

"Really?" she asked, playing dumb. "Care to enlighten me?"

Sirius grinned wolfishly and suddenly hoisted her up, making her squeal as she wrapped her legs around his waist. As he carried her toward the bedroom, Ivy began kissing along his jaw and neck, leaving light kisses and playfully nipping at his skin.

Since they were alone in the house, Sirius didn't even bother to kick the door shut as he entered the bedroom, tossing Ivy lightly down on the mattress, her giggling as she bounced a few times before settling down. Sirius leaned down, placing his hands on the end of the mattress while his dark eyes scanned her form.

Ivy's cheeks heated up shyly as she toyed with the end of her dress. He watched hungrily as she lifted it over her head, leaving her in a translucent, lacy set of underwear that made him audibly groan.

"You're gonna kill me, Bunny," he muttered before climbing onto the bed, pinning her beneath him.

She could feel his cock straining against his jeans as he kissed her firmly, hands reaching behind her to unclasp her bra. Then he moved lower, lips seeking out a perky nipple, beginning to suck on the bud as she squirmed beneath him restlessly.

"Please, Siri," she said breathlessly.

He pulled away from her and gently tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "Tell me what you want, Bunny."

She reached up and brushed her thumb over his perfect lips. "Want your mouth."

"I think that can be arranged," he smirked before diving down.

She cried out when he pushed his tongue flat against her covered core, licking up from her entrance to her clit, which he began to suck on. Between his practiced tongue and the added friction of her underwear, it was only seconds before he had her whining and writhing beneath him.

Finally, he grew tired of the fabric separating them and he tore it from her body. She wound her fingers in his hair, tugging on the dark strands, which made him moan against her core. As he sucked on her clit, his tongue flicking across the sensitive bud, he snuck two fingers to her opening, toying with her as he brushed back and forth a few times before sliding them inside, earning a low moan.

She arched her hips off the bed, but Sirius used his free hand to push her hips back down, pulling back for only a moment to say, "Be a good girl and stay still f' me."

She whined but did as she was told, her head swimming as his fingers drove in and out of her. It wasn't long at all before she was coming on his fingers, and he leaned down to lap up her cum like it was the best meal he'd ever had, licking it off his fingers and her thighs.

Then Ivy pulled him back to her lips by the collar of his t-shirt, dying to kiss him again. She could taste herself on his mouth as he slid his tongue past her parted lips.

"Need you, Siri. Please," she pleaded against his mouth, feeling his straining, covered cock against her thigh.

As she begged, she reached between him and sought out his zipper. She pushed his jeans and underwear down his thighs, freeing his aching cock. It was still so pretty and perfect and pink, precum leaking from the tip. He moaned when she wrapped her hands around him, thumb brushing over the tip and spreading the bead of substance around.

Finally, Sirius rid himself of his shirt, the last of his clothes, and she leaned up to kiss along his muscular chest, kissing each tattoo and scar that adorned his body. Then he held her hips and lined himself up, sliding slowly inside of her.

Her face fell to his neck, and she moaned as he filled her to the brim. She needed a moment to adjust, but he could feel her relax around him and knew he could move, soon setting a brutal pace that had her clawing at his back.

"Still so - ah - fucking tight," Sirius grunted in her ear, one hand holding onto the wooden headboard behind her while the other gripped her waist so tight it would leave bruises. "So good, Bunny."

She whined and wrapped her legs around his waist, meeting each thrust with one of her own, feeling him brush the very apex of what had her seeing stars each time.

"I love you," she babbled against his lips. "Merlin, I love you."

He ground deeper into her, making her cry out as he kissed all over her face. And he moaned at the feeling of her walls clenching around him, knowing that neither was far off from their own release. "I love you, too."

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Ivy was sore when she woke the next morning, feeling Sirius placing gentle kisses on her bare shoulder to wake her up. Her eyes fluttered open, but when the light coming from the window hit her vision, she groaned tiredly and hid her face in his chest.

"Reg wrote," he told her, which woke her right up. "Says he made a friend on the train. And he's really happy with the House he landed in."

Ivy sighed and peered up at her husband, knowing he was about to be unbearable for the next seven years. "It's Gryffindor, isn't it?"

A handsome smirk made its way onto his face. "Slytherin."