I'm sorry for the wait on this one, I actually had a pretty bad writer's block. But my best friend flew in for the weekend and there's nothing like a best friend to help you get through your crap. Thank you to appsngamesetc for your comment! Please let me know how I'm doing!
-fancy blood
Sage awoke the next morning, feeling strange. She was very much aware that she hadn't dreamt at all, which was a very odd feeling. It was as if she had only blinked and it was morning, though she felt completely rested. She sat up and pulled her tangled hair into a messy bun.
"Oh good, you're awake," Madam Pomfrey said, hurrying forward with a tray full of food. "Here, have a spot of breakfast."
"Are my parents here?" She asked, ignoring the plate of bacon, eggs, and toast.
"They're finishing with the Headmaster now, they'll be along shortly. Now eat," the matron said sternly. Sage made to get up and Madam Pomfrey pushed her back on the bed with surprising agility. "You're not leaving until you have a spot of breakfast!"
"Oh but—" Sage's protests were cut off by a piece of toast Pomfrey stuck in her mouth.
"Breakfast first!" She squawked as Sage chewed, looking at her reproachfully. "There you are! A good breakfast does wonders!" Madam Pomfrey turned her back as Sage pulled a face. Resigned, Sage ate steadily through the plate, leg bouncing anxiously. Finally, she cleaned her plate and drained the cup of pumpkin juice.
"Done. Can I go now?" Sage asked sullenly and the matron gave her a small smile.
"Of course," Madam Pomfrey said, watching as Sage scrambled out of bed. "Minerva tells me you aspire to be an Auror."
"Err, yes," Sage said hesitantly, pausing at the privacy curtains surrounding her bed.
"An admirable choice, of course. Though I have to admit, the fact you healed Mr. Black is quite impressive. That spell is a difficult one, and the magnitude of the wound," Pomfrey paused, apparently choosing her words with care as Sage's stomach dropped to her knees. "Well, you would have a fine career as a Healer."
"T-thank you, ma'am," Sage stammered.
"Just something to think about," she said lightly, giving Sage a wan smile as she closed the privacy curtains with a screech of metal on metal. Sage dressed quickly, pulling on the robes someone had left beside her bed. She didn't know where her clothes from the night before were, but considering the situation, she really didn't care. Even if they weren't completely ruined, she didn't want to ever see them again.
As she pulled back the curtain, she saw Dumbledore head into the wing, followed closely by her parents and James. Her mother let out a small gasp and hurried towards her, flinging her arms around Sage. "Gerroff Mum, I'm fine."
"Oh my darling girl," Mrs. Potter cooed, holding Sage tightly despite Sage's best efforts to throw her off.
"Mum! I'm fine!" Sage said, raising her voice slightly. Mrs. Potter let her go long enough to grab her daughter's face in her shaking hands. Sage stared up into her mother's lined face and saw tears glittering in her eyes. "I'm fine, I swear. How's Sirius?"
"They gave him some blood-replenishing potion, and they're letting him out soon," Mr. Potter explained as his wife continued to try to peer into Sage's eyes. Sage looked at her father and was relieved to see a smile playing on his face. "He's already complaining about the food."
"Of course that's his biggest priority," Sage muttered, rolling her eyes as James let out a snort. She turned her attention back to her mother, who was currently checking her temperature with a hand on her forehead. "Mum! For the last time, I am fine."
"Euphemia," Mr. Potter said softly and Mrs. Potter dropped her hands.
"When you are ready, there are carriages ready to take you to Hogsmeade," Dumbledore said lightly, watching the exchange with an amused expression.
"Can't we just apparate?" James asked exasperatedly, looking at the watch on his wrist.
"We will, once we get to Hogsmeade," Mr. Potter replied as Sage looked at James incredulously.
"You can't apparate on the grounds, dunce," she said. "Honestly, don't you read?"
"We'll be off then," Mr. Potter said loudly as James opened his mouth to respond. "Thank you, Albus." The two men shook hands, and Mrs. Potter hurried forward to catch Dumbledore's hand.
"Yes, thank you, Albus, for looking after my children." Sage felt the faintest stirring of tears behind her eyes as she realized her mother was referring to Sirius as well. James cleared his throat softly and the siblings shared a meaningful look.
"Of course, Euphemia. Though it has been easier this year, all things considered." Dumbledore threw a piercing look at James, who looked down sheepishly. Sage grinned; it was always nice to see James knocked down a notch. Maybe Dumbledore meant this to happen, Sage realized, maybe he thought Lily would be a calming influence on James. Sage got the feeling that Dumbledore knew precisely what happened in Hogwarts.
The siblings followed their parents to the carriages and clambered in. The trip to St. Mungos was a quiet affair, as both Sage and James were anxious to get to St. Mungos and ignored their parents chitchat. Soon, they had arrived at Sirius' room on the fourth floor.
Staring up at the closed door, Sage felt a wave of nausea climbing up her throat. What if he didn't want to see her? What if he blamed her for getting him hurt? After all, it was she who goaded Snape. It was she who wasn't fast enough to block Regulus' curse. If she had been quicker, smarter, he wouldn't have gotten hurt.
James, not noticing his sister's hesitation in his pursuit to get to his best friend, pushed the door open and rushed in with an unnecessary amount of noise. Sage stood there, breathing heavily.
"You can do this," Mr. Potter said, putting a hand on his daughter's shoulder. She gave a hesitant nod and walked in.
"-in the bloody hospital and you can't even bring me a single bit of chocolate. And I'm missing the Halloween feast tonight! I swear, you are the worst best friend in the whole world," Sirius was whining from his bed.
"Bloody hell, Pads, you're the one who ate all of Moony's stash," James said, exasperatedly. "Maybe if you weren't such a fatass, I would have."
"Remus has a stash of chocolate and neither of you thought to tell me?" Sage asked, raising an eyebrow. Sirius' head whirled around and they locked eyes. An entire conversation passed between the two with that glance and Sage let out a breath of relief, realizing that she was stupid to think, for even a second, he would blame her.
"He doesn't! Didn't you hear? Pads ate it all two nights ago." James said, throwing his hands in the air and completely missing the meaningful looks Sage and Sirius were sharing. Sage threw a glance at her parents, who were in deep discussion with the head Healer in the hallway, and walked to the bedside, smirking.
"I thought chocolate killed dogs," she said in an undertone. James sputtered as Sirius let out a laugh.
"W-what?" James squeaked, running a hand in his hair.
"Oh yeah, she knows," Sirius said, grinning. It seemed as though he was waiting for the perfect moment to tell James, and this was it.
"How?" James whispered harshly, looking from his best friend to his sister and back again.
"You two really aren't as slick as you think you are," Sage said with a shrug, enjoying watching James sweat. With a look at Sirius' sparkling eyes, he was, as well.
"Oh c'mon Sagey, I think we're exactly as slick as we think we are," Sirius said earnestly.
"And completely hopeless with grammar, it seems," Sage tutted.
"Wha—how—who—" James stammered, still looking between the two with breakneck speed.
"Oh sit down before you hurt yourself, Jamie," Sage laughed. "I'll explain it later."
James was spared a response by Mr. Potter appearing at the foot of Sirius' bed. "Good news! Healer Hobday says you'll be free to go tomorrow morning!"
"You mean I have to endure gruel and boredom for another 24 hours? I almost died, I've got to be tortured, too?" Sirius asked, gobsmacked. Mr. Potter's smile widened.
"And then a full week of bed rest. Healer's orders."
Sage let out a snort. "I give it three days before the house is in ruins."
"Make it two," James said with a grin.
The Potters visited for another hour before departing for the Manor, ignoring Sirius' cries of "don't leave me here!" And after another hour of Sage explaining how she found out about the illegal animagus forms, James left her alone in her room.
Sage paced her room in tight circles, passing the balcony that connected hers and James' room and the bay window through which she had first spotted Padfoot and Prongs without a glance. James hadn't asked her for her recollection of the previous night and she wondered what Dumbledore had told him.
Sage knew that her streak of good fortune wouldn't last and he'd eventually ask her. What would she tell him? And better yet, how could she stop him, or Sirius for that matter, from getting revenge? She knew that this revenge would be more terrible and terrifying than ever before. She thought they'd hit an all-time low with their bullying of Snape after their O.W.L.s (she had scolded all four of them after she had overheard some gossiping Hufflepuffs talking about it the next day). But this would be even worse—possibly illegal and definitely dangerous. And while she was angry, Sage's main concern was keeping her friends out of Azkaban.
But even as she mulled over her options, her eyes itched as her gaze landed on her bed. It had been a long, exasperating week and she couldn't help but be glad she was back in her room at home, her safe space. There's no use worrying about it now, Sage thought, pulling off her robes and climbing in bed, pulling her duvet to her chin. She could figure out a way to keep the Marauder's in check later; she was so exhausted. And indeed, five minutes later, she was fast asleep, curling her body around a sideways pillow.
