Hey y'all, sorry for the wait. I'm actually having a bit of a writer's block for a later chapter, but I'm slowly working through it. Big thanks to Lolapilar, morganna12, and Raven that flies at night for commenting 3. As always, please let me know what you think!
Sage woke the next morning, slightly nauseous and puffy-faced. She heard breathing and turned to see Kylie sleeping on the other end of the bed. Lily was passed out on the floor with a blanket and pillow, dressed in a pair of Sage's pajamas.
Sage stood and made her way silently to her bathroom. She did her business before standing in front of the mirror and eyeing her reflection. She was far too puffy under her eyes and her makeup was smeared down her cheeks. It was very apparent that she had been crying and Sage didn't like that one bit.
So, she slipped off her clothes and took a long hot shower. With her makeup scrubbed off and her hair tamed, she looked less tragic and more tired, which was a bit better. She dressed quickly and silently before slipping downstairs to make breakfast, as she usually did after a party. It was an unspoken rule that Sage made breakfast and the boys cleaned up.
Sure enough, just as she finished the last of the French toast, she heard the distinct noises of many people walking down the stairs. Moments later, she saw James stumble in, followed by Remus, Lily, Peter, Kylie, and Sirius. Ignoring the way her stomach lurched at the sight of Sirius, she turned to her brother.
"Might as well sit in the dining room with this lot," Sage said hoarsely. James nodded and grabbed the tureen full of eggs and plate of bacon. Without being asked, Kylie grabbed the plate of French toast and jug of coffee and followed James into the kitchen. Peter and Lily followed them as Sirius made his way to the cupboards with the surety of someone who lived there. Sage watched with a heavy heart as he handed Remus a pile of cutlery and turned to retrieve some plates. She didn't notice Remus' retreat until Sirius turned to her with a stack of plates.
"If you can grab this, I'll get the cups," he murmured and Sage's stomach flipped again.
"Er, yeah, of course. Thank you," she said, grabbing the plates from his hands and hurrying out of the kitchen. Safely in the dining room, she handed a plate to each person and waited as they loaded their plates. Sirius came in and handed the mugs out before settling into the only seat available, right across from Sage. Sage kept her eyes downcast and tucked in, ignoring the furtive glances Sirius shot her.
The group of teenagers ate their way through the mound of food silently, occasionally breaking it to request the syrup or sugar. Soon, everyone was done and James cleared the table with a wave of his wand.
"Might as well get started," he muttered, looking around the dining room and the portion of the living room that was visible.
"I'll wash the dishes if you lot take care of," Sage trailed off, waving a hand at the trashed rooms. There was a murmur of agreement as Sage left the table and wandered to the kitchen, where the dishes had settled themselves in neat piles near the kitchen sink. She began filling the basin with hot, soapy water, ignoring the sound of footsteps as someone joined her in the kitchen.
"Need some help?" Kylie asked.
"Sure," Sage said dispiritedly. "Rinse for me?"
"Of course." They set to work, Sage scrubbing the dishes clean and placing them in the next sink, where Kylie rinsed and placed them in the dish dryer next to it. Kylie could tell that Sage was uncomfortable by the set of her shoulders and her clenched jaw, and knew it wasn't just a hangover. "What's wrong?" Sage shook her head vehemently. "Bull. You're riled up about something." Sage sighed and let the plate she was washing slide from her hand before rinsing them off.
"Bugger it all," Sage muttered and pulled her wand from her pants pocket, waving it so that the dishes would start washing and rinsing themselves, winding up in neat stacks in the dish dryer. "Follow me," Sage said, casting a dark look towards the dining room. Kylie gave her a strange look and followed her out the backdoor and into the garden. Sage bypassed the patio area and led Kylie far from the house, down the hill, stopping at the edge of the wood that surrounded their land before rounding on her.
"Sirius and I kissed last night," she said with no preamble.
"What?" Kylie asked, eyes going wide. Sage nodded glumly. "Well that's good, isn't it?"
"Not with the way he ran from me afterward. It's like I had dragon pox or something."
Kylie sighed and perched herself on a log, patting the bark beside her. "Tell me everything."
Sage flung herself onto the log and launched into the story of the night after Kylie went to Remus, starting with Gideon's arrival. Once she had finished, her cheeks were flushed with anger and her chest was heaving. "It's so obvious that he was just upset and desperate and I was the only one there. I'm so stupid," Sage spat bitterly.
"You're not stupid." Sage let a derisive snort and Kylie flung her arm around her friend's shoulders, fingers digging into the opposite shoulder. "You're not," she said firmly. "There's definitely something there and I don't know why he's fighting it. Maybe he's scared of James' reaction. Anyway, he's the one being stupid."
Sage took a shaky breath and nodded. "Whatever's going on in his brain, it's obvious that he regrets it. And that's fine, I guess. I can't make him want me."
"He does-" Sage held up a hand to stop Kylie.
"It doesn't matter. He regrets it and that's all that matters." Kylie let out a sigh, knowing that it was pointless to argue at that moment. They sat in silence for a few moments, Kylie tightening her hold on Sage's shoulders when she heard her friend sniffle. It was only when they heard Remus calling after them that they moved from their log and shuffled back into the house.
Hours later, after the house was scrubbed clean and the eldest Potters had arrived home, Sage stood on her stoop, saying goodbye to Kylie and Remus. Lily had left shortly after the cleaning finished, stating that she didn't want to bombard Mr. and Mrs. Potter with her presence, though both James and Sage protested. James was excited to introduce her to his parents, knowing that they'd love her, and Sage agreed with him. However, Lily was adamant, stating that there would be a better time, and left.
After a light lunch that Sage prepared, knowing that her parents were exhausted and needing something constructive to do, Peter disapparated. Remus was set to do the same, bringing Kylie along, so Sage was saying her goodbyes after James and Sirius had done so and retreated into the house.
"Just, remember what I said, okay? Whatever happens, it'll be okay," Kylie said, hugging Sage tightly. Sage nodded quickly.
"I'll see you in on the train tomorrow," she said, releasing Kylie with a small smile and turning to Remus. "Make sure to get you both home safe, okay?" Remus nodded as she pulled him into a hug as well.
"Of course," he said, grinning and squeezing Sage around the middle. "And be gentle with Padfoot, okay? He's not good at the whole emotions...thing." Sage pulled back with a quizzical look.
"How did you-" He held up a hand with a smile, stopping Sage in mid-sentence.
"I'm observant," Remus said. Sage rolled her eyes and nodded.
"Yeah, okay." Remus stepped back and held his hand out to Kylie. She took it with a smile that made Sage's chest pang with happiness and disappointment. With a turn and a crack, they left. Sage sighed and turned on her heel, heading back into the house.
It was strangely quiet with all the inhabitants battling some level of a hangover, though her parents would never admit to it. Sage wandered up the stairs and to her room, stopping in the doorway when she spotted Sirius sitting on the edge of her bed, head in his hands.
"Can I help you?" She asked and Sirius's head shot up.
"We should probably talk about last night," he said, standing. Sage sighed and shut the door.
"What's there to talk about?" She asked, walking to her bookshelf and grabbing a book at random. She then turned towards the stacks of records next to the player and began shuffling through them, keeping her back to Sirius. "We were drunk and caught up in the moment, New Year's Eve and all."
"Er, yeah, right." If Sage had been looking at him, she would have seen the flicker of pain across Sirius' face. He quickly rearranged his features into a cool expression. "Won't happen again."
Sage bit her bottom lip to keep it from trembling and took a silent breath, before pasting a smile on her face and turning around. "Agreed."
"Well, er, good," Sirius said, walking backward towards the door. "Glad we got that settled then. I'll leave you to it, then."
"Sounds good," Sage said brightly and one with one last nod, Sirius left, closing the door softly behind him. Sage's smile fell from her lips and she took a gasping breath before looking at the book clasped tightly in her hand. She let out a small sob when she realized that she was holding the book that Sirius had given her for Christmas, a collection of stories written by Edgar Allan Poe. Sinking onto her bed, she opened the book for the first time. On the inside of the cover, in Sirius' elegant scrawl, was a note.
Dearest Sagey,
With your love for all things Muggle, it's time to introduce you to my favorite author. I think you'll love the elegant darkness as much as I do.
Yours, Always,
Sirius
P.S., Start with The Raven
Sage sniffled and, wiping at her nose absently, flipped to the correct page and started to read.
Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary,
Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore—
While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,
As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.
Sage stayed in her room for most of the day, reading through the stories (and crying steadily at times), only stopping when she heard her mother calling up the stairs for dinner. She sighed and stood, making her way to the loo to assess the damage.
It wasn't a pretty sight. The puffiness under her eyes had doubled at least, her cheeks had taken on a permanent shade of pink, and her curls were tangled into an unruly mass around her shoulders. There was nothing to do about her face, however, so she threw her hair into a messy knot and made her way downstairs.
She was last to arrive and took a seat between her father and James at the table. Her mother looked up at her and gasped.
"Oh Sage, honey, are you okay?" She asked, starting to rise from her seat.
"I'm fine, Mum. Just tired and...it's been a rough couple of months," Sage murmured. "Can we just eat?" With a glance at her husband, who nodded almost imperceptibly, Mrs. Potter lowered herself back on to her seat and began doling out the shepherd's pie and potatoes.
"So, new year, new goals, eh?" Mr. Potter said happily, starting yet another Potter tradition. Sage rolled her eyes as her father continued. "James, why don't you start?"
"I don't know," James hedged. "I guess, knock out my N.E.W.T.s and get into the Auror program. Move out."
"What? Not planning to purpose to Evans?" Sirius said from beside Mrs. Potter with a grin. James went slightly pink.
"Well, I hope you give us a chance to meet our future daughter-in-law beforehand," Mrs. Potter said with a dreamy smile. "What about you, Sirius?"
"Er, the same, I guess. Though, I'm planning to look at flats as soon as we get back at the end of term." Sage's eyes shot up to Sirius, who was looking slightly awkward.
"You are more than welcome to stay here as long as you like," Mr. Potter said gently.
"Thank you. I can't ever thank you enough, actually," Sirius said, looking more resolute now and Sage's heart sank. "But my great uncle passed in September and left me a decent bit of gold. I think it's time."
"Well, if you think that's best for you," Mr. Potter said.
"I do." Sage focused back on her plate.
"No future daughters-in-law from you, then?" Mrs. Potter asked with a grin. Sirius choked on his potatoes, blushing furiously and shaking his head as James let out a loud laugh.
"Er, not at the moment, no," Sirius said hoarsely before drinking half of his glass of water in one gulp. Sage's hand convulsed around her fork at the thought of Sirius meeting, and falling in love, with some petite beauty with long, silky hair and a gorgeous body. The type of girl he usually goes for at Hogwarts; beautiful, with perky breasts, a firm bottom, and a thimble full of brains.
"And Sage?" Mr. Potter said, saving Sirius from answering further.
"Well, I think I might become a Healer. If I can," Sage said hastily. "They require top N.E.W.T.s and it's a lot of training after school, too."
"There's nothing stopping you from doing just that," Mr. Potter said encouragingly.
"Don't want to be an Auror anymore?" Sirius asked softly. Sage shrugged, avoiding his eyes.
"I'm pretty rubbish at dueling, but I'm good at healing," she replied.
"Damn right, you are," he replied, again rather softly. Sage shot him a grateful smile, looking at his eyes for just a moment before focusing again on her plate. She took a deep breath and continued on.
"And I'm not having a Courting." There it was, straightforward and to the point.
"Darling, I hardly think this is the moment to discuss that," Mrs. Potter said, waving the statement away with a hand.
"I'm not," Sage replied stubbornly. "And if you force the issue, I'll move out during summer break." Silence surrounded the table as everyone stilled and stared at the youngest Potter. She took a sip of water nonchalantly and waited for the shoe to drop.
"Don't be ridiculous," Mrs. Potter snapped. "You're too young to move out."
"I'll be 17, remember? Legally an adult," Sage argued calmly.
"Where would you go?" Mrs. Potter asked with a note of hysteria in her voice.
"She can stay with me," James said at once. "Once I find a place."
"Or me," Sirius said. Sage's eyes flickered to him in surprise; she knew that James would have her back, he always did. But Sirius, who had a deep sense of loyalty to her parents, was standing up to them. For her. Her chest filled with warmth as she turned back to her mother, who was staring, open-mouthed, at each of the teenagers in turn. Her mouth shut and she took a heaving breath.
"Why are you being so ridiculous about this, Sage? It's just a party."
"It's not, Mum," Sage said resolutely. "It's a sign of the perpetual toxicity of Pureblood society. There's a war going on because of Pureblood society, if you haven't noticed."
"Of course I've noticed the war!" Mrs. Potter snapped. "But it's not because-"
"It is, Mum," Sage stated, voice rising. "If the Purebloods weren't too busy keeping their heads up their arses, they would notice that we aren't any different from Muggleborns, or Muggles, or anybody. It's their sense of entitlement and cruelty that started this war. My best friend, James' girlfriend, muggleborns and muggles everywhere are in danger because of some antiquated sense of superiority. And I will not be a part of it. Any of it! No matter how big or small!" By the end of her rant, her voice had risen to a shout and she had stood without noticing, clutching the edge of the table. "This is the line I'm drawing, Mum. This is more than the Courting. This is how I'm choosing to live my life; fighting against the obsolete idea of blood-status, for the good of everyone."
Another bout of silence followed Sage's words and she kept her eyes on her mother, who looked, there was no other word for it, gobsmacked. Finally, Mr. Potter, who had kept quietly eating throughout Sage's speech with a look of amused pride on his face, spoke.
"Very well then," he said with a smile. "No Courting."
"But-" Mrs. Potter started, but was silenced with a look.
"Sage is right, Euphemia. The whole business is antiquated, and what was it you said?" Mr. Potter said with half a glance at his daughter. "Ah yes, obsolete. In fact, I say we give up the whole lot of them, and their ghastly dinner parties." Sage snorted, slowly taking her seat.
"Not likely," Mrs. Potter said with a small smile at her husband. "But okay, no Courting."
"Good," Mr. Potter said. "Now that's settled, who's up for pudding? Think we can make it through without any speeches about civil rights?"
"Oh, shut up, Dad," Sage said playfully, rolling her eyes. Her chest heaved with emotion but, knowing that it would be akin to beating a dead hippogriff to continue the conversation, she swallowed it along with the last of her shepherd's pie. As she grabbed her napkin, she noticed Sirius staring at her from across the table, watching her with a proud look. She raised an eyebrow and he responded by shaking his head and grinning at her. Sage gave him a wink and grinned back.