Author's note: Please be aware that I own ABSOLUTELY NOTHING, everything, except my character OC(S) I place here, belongs to the wonderful Lady J.K. Rowling. THIS IS A TRIAL RUN! I would very much like to hear your thoughts. I was originally never going to upload this fiction, however, I know it was something I was looking forward to sharing. This is a Sirius Black/OC, maybe Severus Snape/OC, Fanfiction. So, welcome back, readers! I hope you enjoy this one as much as you have the first 2 Harry Potter stories! :) Do enjoy, this is the Harry Potter Era, so it's going to be a bit. Keep your heads up. Enjoy!

Update: 12/2021

Chapter 11

Harry, Ron, and Neville couldn't help but crowd around Draco's bed that morning as the boy yawned awake. However, they'd startled him when he opened his eyes to see them all staring down at him and circling his bed. "Can I help you?" He questioned with confused concern.

"What happened?" Ron asked with worry.

"I was moved houses, Weasley. Aunt Sage asked for something to be done -"

"No mate, he's askin' 'bout your lip," Seamus asked walking over. He too was concerned.

Confused because he had honestly forgotten about last night before Snape had come and gotten him, one night he'd been able to actually sleep in some peace. Draco placed a hand to his lip. Instantly he felt pain and the memories of the incident and the headache he'd gotten in the process as well had come back doubled. Groaning softly, Draco rested back in bed. "Dagny got me again," he muttered.

"Again?!" Harry snapped.

"Harry, my head is throbbing, please, soft words," Draco said sighing, turning onto his side.

"Draco, that brother of yours is trying to kill you. Did you even go to Pomfrey last night?" Neville spoke up with worry. Yes, the Malfoy blond had been particularly harsh with his torment the first two years of school, however, Dagny was worse, and Draco had stood up for him. Telling his older brother that his jokes and pranks were too much to be considered jokes and pranks. That had been yesterday at Breakfast.

"Did he - did Dagny do that last night because you stood up for me?" Neville asked feeling guilty and responsible.

Hearing the boy's worry and the guilt of it being that, Draco peeked over his shoulder to Neville with a raised brow. "Well, it was a factor, Longbottom. Don't worry about it. If it hadn't been that I'm sure he'd have found another excuse to do it, he always does." Draco told the frowning boy. His shoulders slumped with sympathy to Draco's condition.

"Come on, Draco, we have to get ready for classes. Your new robes are on your trunk, and your things got here early this morning." Harry said patting the boys' bed frame and walked away, "We're going to Hogsmeade tomorrow by the way." he informed him with a smile. "Hopefully, it helps make the day better."

The day went about normal. Well, as normal as classes went. The rest was questioning glances from other students. Even Hermione was confused, Ginny had asked him what had happened, and the twins had asked him why he was in their tower. Draco had spent most of the day re-explaining he'd been moved from his house and re-placed in Gryffindor due to unsavory circumstances. When asked 'why' or what the circumstances were, Draco would simply shrug and tell them he didn't know.

To his shock, he hadn't had one person treat him as if he were a leper, and the weekend came fast. They had taken Harry's father's invisibility cloak that Draco had now realized had been his and the other two's main ability to sneak around their first two years. They had brought the cloak so they could sneak closer towards the Shrieking Shack. But their fun and games were not to last.

Walking through Hogsmeade the group laughed and joked around, but the sudden appearance of Minerva and Cornelius Fudge with Hagrid at Rosemerta's Pub had them shocked. They were speechless when Rosemerta was shocked and confused at hearing Harry's name in the grouping with Sirius Black. This had led the boy to down the Invisibility cloak and left the three out in the cold as he followed in behind those who were speaking about him, regarding his link to Sirius Black. And the things he heard, the truths he found out, left him angry. a) Sirius Black was his Godfather and the reason behind his parents' deaths, b) Sage wasn't truly his family. He was shocked that the latter hurt more than the first. He was angry of course, but it didn't hurt as much as he'd thought it would, however, it hadn't stopped the process from taring into his bleeding heart. All he could do when they had found him was cry into Hermione's arms. Harry James Potter had been lied to, given false hopes, and now his godfather was apparently after his life.

"Harry, what happened?" Draco asked after a while. Harry had stopped his cries and he'd taken the remaining quietness as the time to reclaim his calm self. But He, Hermione, and Ron couldn't help him if they didn't know what had happened to cause him to go into a total meltdown.

"I hope he finds me. He was their friend and he betrayed them. When he finds me, I'll kill him. To top this off, Sage -"

"Harry! There you are, dear God you scared me!" Sage shouted with worry as she ran over the top of the steep hill and gently skidded down with the snow to prevent her from falling. She'd been worried when Dagny had run by her muttering about someone paying for what they'd done. He and the other three boys had been covered in snow, however, the slightly bleeding nose Dagny had was worrisome. She knew immediately who he was talking about. She had to make sure they were alright. Especially after the boy had cornered Hermione just to get a rise out of the boys. She was relieved to find them alright.

Still angry, Harry immediately jumped from the rock he was sitting on and shuffled away from her. "Don't! You stay away from me!" he shouted.

His sudden outburst had her startled and steeling her in her trying to approach the boy. He was clearly upset. "I'm confused, but okay. What happened?" she asked glancing around to the others as well, hoping someone would have an answer.

Huffing with anger, Harry almost laughed at her, she couldn't have actually believed he'd have lived his whole life with a lie, could she? Was she really that dim!? She'd lied to him from the start! "I heard what they said. Fudge found out, actually took the time to dig is what he said. Before 1992, Sage Potter never existed. Who the hell are you!"

Now seeing what was going on she couldn't stop her jaw from clenching with fright and slight anger. How the hell did he find out! More importantly, when did Fudge think something was weird about her file? Harry, however, had obviously just found out this day while on his trip, though, none of his friends knew this, only Minerva and a few others. Even Hagrid didn't even know. "Look, Harry -"

"NO! No more lies!" He shouted.

Sighing, Sage nodded. She truly understood why he was so angry… He must have overheard something. And all she could think of was that Fudge had likely cornered Minerva when she'd gone to see Rosmerta this evening. "You're right, I'm not your cousin. But I am not here to cause harm, I'm trying to help you, Harry. You have to believe me, please." Sage softly begged him. For one whole year, he'd been able to live that lie of being James Potter's cousin.

"I wanted to believe you last year, Sage, and I did. But I can't - I can't believe this, I don't want to. You lied to me… Why?"

She really didn't want to tell him that, but how the hell was she supposed to explain her sudden existence?! "I'm not James Potter's cousin… But I am here to help you… I'm McGonagall's descended. My birth was unrecorded."

"So, that would explain why you never came to Hogwarts?" Draco asked. He too was angry, but Harry had been the one lied to.

Nodding to something that was not truly true but also not a lie. Her birth had been unrecorded in her time and she had never gone to Hogwarts as a student. "I was schooled from home. Minerva never even knew I existed." again, also true.

"And that necklace we found on you, the one I gave to Professor McGonagall. What was it?" Ron asked curiously. He'd been curious about that. And it had been destroyed so he was unable to truly describe it to his brothers or either of his parents.

'Crap… So, I didn't lose it after all.'

Taking a breath, Sage looked up at the snow coming down. "It's called a Time-Turner," she said softly in defeat.

Hermione was in right now, "A Time-Turner! And you let us interact with you!" she shouted. Clearly, this bothered her.

"Yes, it was a Time-Turner. It was likely destroyed when I arrived," She admitted. She couldn't face them now, she'd been caught, again, and now it seemed she was going to have to explain a few more things.

"What's so important about that?" Harry asked curiously.

"A person wielding a Time-Turner is not meant to interact or be seen by anyone, not even themselves! Awful things happen to them, Time is already altered as it is when you travel back in time to change even the smallest of things! Her speaking with us, being seen by us, it's changed everything! She's likely ruined our futures as it is!" Hermione screeched.

"I saved your lives! Don't judge someone's accidental stumbling's as purposeful mischief Hermione Granger!" Sage scolded the young witch.

"Hang on, calm down!" Draco shouted. "If she isn't supposed to be interacting with us, and not meant to come back to a time she already exists then why haven't we run into two of her. There's one address for her, and Harry and I live with her, she acts the same and she doesn't have a double. So, my question is -"

"Where's the double?" Ron asked, catching onto what Draco was saying, and it was a rather good question. Now he too wondered where the double of Sage was.

Scrunching her brow in thought Hermione began to fill with fear, she had figured it out as she stared in wide shock at the redhead. "Because there is no double… How far?" her voice was now a small whisper. This couldn't be happening.

"300 Years." Sage sighed her confession. Her bright blue eyes filled with fear and dread at what was going to happen next. Harry and Draco now had nowhere to go.

"So. Wait a moment… You're telling us, that you came back in time 300 years from the future to change something?" Hermione asked. Now she was getting upset once more.

"Yes, I can't tell you everything, like you said things have been messed up enough, but I came back to keep you all safe, and I intend to see that through." She whispered.

Harry's body grew cold with fright. Hermione had said something about severe consequences about meddling this much with time, what would her price be. If she came back to change something, what was it? She'd said she came back to keep them safe. From what or who? "Hermione? You said something about consequences, how severe are we talking?"

Her own chest tightened with fear, not for what their futures would be, or what they had been, but what Sage would have to face. "Best case, death."

"Worst case?" Ron asked, a small squeak of fear. His eyes misting over a bit. He couldn't believe this was happening.

"Worse case I vanish into non-existence, but it could be worse, much more could change, and it could be for the worst. It's why I didn't want you to know, Harry. None of you. You're just kids, having that kind of knowledge is dangerous, even for me, but it's traumatizing to a kid." Sage explained.

"And you're alright with this! Disappearing? Never existing!" Harry yelled, his chest heaving with emotional pain, shivering from the fear, the cold seeping in through his clothes. Yes, he'd been angry, but now he feared.

"Yes. Yes, I am alright with that. I knew this journey wouldn't have ended with a Happily Ever After for me, Harry." She explained to him. Her heart never once ached for herself. She knew the consequences when turning back time and meddling with it extensively. However, the Sorting Hat had given her a deeper warning regarding this. It was another reason why she was no longer worried about her own life. Once Harry's fourth year passed and he survived, anything could happen. Even her death.

"I'm not… You're all I have left -"

"And here I thought you were wanting nothing to do with me." She sadly admitted. "I never wanted to lie to you Harry, but it was a plan set in motion before I had any say. The idea was to get you in a magically safe environment. Your Aunt and Uncle had kept you safe, unknowingly, for twelve years. But even they wouldn't have been spared if you'd have been found by him." Sage told him, her tone was a warning of what could have happened. Of the pain and the death that could have come across the Dursleys. Just for having him in their home.

Huffing with aggravation, Harry licked his dry lips as he looked around for a moment then back to her. "So, moving me, pretending to be my father's cousin, was all a plan against your knowledge to not only keep me safe but to save them in case I was found?" Harry asked. Seeing her nod, Harry nodded in return. "Don't think I'm still not upset. I'm staying at school for Winter break." He stated.

Understanding his wish to have distance, she nodded. "You four be safe getting to the school. It's getting dark out." Sage smiled softly and walked away. Getting up and over the hill, she headed away from the Shrieking Shack. Her eyes caught the sight of Sirius's Animagus, for a moment she was confused and thinking it was just a random dog. However, at its nod towards her to follow after it. That had grasped her attention. She hadn't realized she'd followed him until his dog-like body was standing on its hind legs and shifted easily into a human. Still looking a bit rugged, though, she would admit that he no longer looked like skin and bones. "I heard the conversation. I'm sorry Sage." He sighed.

Shaking her head sadly she took a breath, an attempt to keep herself grounded, however, it was not happening. "It doesn't matter. He was going to find out eventually. I wouldn't have been able to lie to him like that forever."

Confused, Sirius watched her reaction, "You mean you were eventually going to tell him?"

"Yes, I knew I wouldn't be able to keep up with the facade. I know nothing about James, nothing about you or Remus, I don't even know anything about Lily or who their possible friends were, just things Remus told me. I don't even know who they were close with, aside from you and the other few people Remus mentioned. Other than that, I know absolutely nothing." She sadly laughed at herself as she leaned back against a tree. "Remus told me a few things but I just… I guess I'm not grasping the information. Severus has barely spoken to me since the Dementor was in the castle. I feel like every step I take I need help. Like I need someone to hold my hands and lead me or something stupid like that. I just don't know anymore. I haven't known what to do since I got here."

"You keep saying that. Sage, you aren't going to know everything. Nothing is set in stone anymore. You've changed history by just being here. You've saved Harry -"

Now she found this funny. He was trying to make her feel strong in this, but she felt weaker now more than anything. She knew, deep down, that she didn't have long in this time. The Sorting Hat had warned her, she knew her path, and it wasn't going to be a happy one. Sage couldn't help but laugh at his words. "No, I haven't. I haven't saved anyone! I've done more damage being here than anything!"

Grabbing her arms Sirius forced her to look at him. His patience for her was growing slim to none. "You saved me." Shaking her a bit from her shaking her head at him, "No, you are not going to do this to yourself. He found out you weren't really his family, so what, I'm not blood-related family either. I am, however, his godfather. And you are his legal guardian. Meaning you're his godmother. You've lived a life of darkness and terror. You are not there anymore. No one is going to die at the drop of a pin or one wrong thing happening. Pull yourself together, Sage."

"Sirius, I lied to him. I let them convince me to lie to him… He'll never trust me."

"He will. But don't let him keep his distance for long. Put your foot down, you're still the adult here."

"Technically everyone here is an adult." She muttered a bit with some humor.

Biting back some of his laughter, Sirius wrapped his arms around her. "I was originally coming here to save Harry. I didn't realize I was going to meet someone else who'd need rescuing." He laughed a bit.

Where she'd have normally felt she was sinking further into Dragon dung, Sage couldn't help but feel a small amount of laughter leaving her, a soft smile on her lips, and her heart feeling a bit lighter from the weight. And it was all because he was holding her, his voice was like milk and honey to her troubles. "James must have been lucky to have had you and Remus… Even Peter must have been lucky…" She sighed at him. She couldn't help it, he was somehow warm, even now.

"No… We were lucky to have each other." He softly corrected her.

"Sirius?"

"Hm?"

She'd been unable to stop herself. She'd been so comfortable in his arms that she had said the opposite of what she'd wanted to say, "Don't kill Pettigrew."

Completely caught off guard by this Sirius moved out of their embrace. One he found he was enjoying far too much. "What?"

Sighing with self-annoyance, Sage regained some of her self-control, she'd need to be calm for this, whether she liked it or not. "You can't kill Peter Pettigrew," She repeated calmly.

Almost laughing at her, Sirius ran his fingers through his still greasy hair. "I can't believe this… You know what he's done, what I've suffered – What Harry's had to suffer! Pettigrew dies!"

"Sirius, please just listen- Sirius! Sirius, please!" She called after him, but it wasn't enough. Sirius still left her in the snow and she hadn't seen him since. Winter had turned to Spring and Remus was apparently teaching Harry the Patronus Charm to defend himself against the Dementor's that had attacked him once again. This time, Sage had been there, and she had been the least bit happy about the situation. Cornelius was beginning to not see in her favor. However, with no proof that she was not James Potter's relative he could not remove Harry from her custody, then there was Draco Malfoy, with Narcissa vouching for the redhead and clarifying her son was to stay in her care, he once again had no means to remove neither boy from Sage's care.

Spring turned into the warmth of Summer, the season was approaching faster than they had honestly thought. Sirius had avoided her completely, likely fended for food for himself and a different place for shelter. She suspected that Sirius had watched Harry from afar and he was doing a damn good job at avoiding her.

Harry had kept the Marauder's map to himself and it had been one of the ways he'd been able to avoid Sage herself. He'd eventually come back around speaking with her and she had a suspicion that Remus had something to do with that. And her suspicions had been correct.

Albus had been busy with other things. Hiding something up in his tower. The four youths were once more on speaking terms with her, however, most of the time they spent talking was the four of them asking Sage what her future was like and why she wanted to change it so dramatically. But Sage knew she couldn't tell them. She hasn't even told Severus or Albus about themselves in her future. She was not going to tell these kids what their future had been in her timeline. That could ruin everything she'd done so far to keep them safe.

"Hermione, you know I can't tell you. First off, it's not something I'd tell a child or a young teenager, secondly, it wasn't a pretty time, my world wasn't like your world today. This place is magnificent, lush, and loving. I'm envious of you all that's seen this time since birth. Don't worry about what my time looked like Hermione, worry about now, what you can do to make your life worth living is to make it a life you want to." She said smiling at the young Witch. Hermione was brilliant at her young age, but she was still a young girl.

End of May 1994

Albus's Office

"So, Harry knows then?" Albus asked with a sigh.

"Yes, I tried telling you this a while ago -"

"I know, I am sorry, Sage. Cornelius has been nearly down my throat these last few weeks. He knows your records were falsified he just can't prove it." Albus admitted. Sitting in his chair with a sigh.

"I thought you said you were good Albus?" Sage teased.

"He is, and Albus isn't the one who falsified them," A woman's voice echoed through the tower startling Sage. Though it seemed Albus knew she was there.

Curious as to who said that and who, if not Albus, had forged the documents. But, her mind was more curious about who that voice belonged to. "Who was that?"

"Oh, so I see he hasn't told anyone of me, still… ever since I had this… thing happen, I've been nothing but a dead secret." the woman said as she walked down the stairs wrapping one of Albus's robes around her. Sage was so shocked at the bare feet and legs she saw as the blonde-haired and sapphire blue-eyed woman walked down towards them.

"Hello Rene, I had assumed you'd wish to rest after… well, burning."

"And even after burning for the last 67 years, Happy Belated New Year's by the way." the young blonde sighed, walking beside Albus' chair and hugging the still sitting older man.

Albus sighed as he gently rubbed her covered arm of his robe sadly, "You're cursed because of us Rene, what he did -"

"I provoked him, Albus, the Phoenix only got between us because Credence didn't want him to hurt me, in the end, this was the result. Stop blaming yourself. You should forgive Credence, he did try to save me."

"I know, I know." Albus sighed, he acted as if headache with the constant rub he'd give his forehead.

"I'm sorry, but what the heck is going on, Albus are you alright – wait, who are you again?" Sage couldn't get her mind straight. This was so confusing.

Smiling at the redhead Rene walked around Albus's desk and took the seat next to her. "I'm Anya Rene Lestrange, I was adopted into the Lestrange family when I was a teenager. I'm… What you would call a mix of trouble." She said with a smile.

That was a bit much but at least Sage had something now. "And who exactly are you to Albus?" she asked. She knew there was nothing romantic between them.

"I'm an old friend that keeps a distance eye on him-"

"Oh, for heaven's sake, just tell her Rene." Albus sighed.

Smiling, Anya rested herself with a happy sigh, "Finally I get to talk to someone. As I said I'm a friend of Albus. However, we were also friends with Gellert Grindelwald, Albus introduced me to him the year before I graduated from Hogwarts. My last year I was attacked by a group of fellow students. And after graduation, I found out I was pregnant. Albus and Gellert were so angry they made a second blood pact, with me. But something happened that shouldn't have happened." Anya was driving Sage up the walls with how she was describing this, she was not only telling her who she was, she was giving her whole history. And her connection with Albus and Gellert Grindelwald. This was a historian's dream interview! And Anya was a very good storyteller. Especially if she could have Sage on the edge of her seat.

"Well, what happened?" Sage asked, Anya hadn't continued in the least bit! She'd paused, waiting for Sage's reaction. Sage hated when people did that.

"Our blood's mingled. Instead of the children belonging to Anya and whoever impregnated her, like the usual union of one mother and one father, the child Anya had in her womb split and became two. A daughter and a son, both sharing DNA with Anya, however, the fathers were both Gellert's and myself. The Blood pact we made changed the children's DNA. We don't know how it happened. It should have been impossible." Albus quickly explained. Anya always was a cliff-hanger type of woman. As irritating as it was, it kept the person interested.

Smiling, Anya was about to reveal something that not even Albus himself yet knew. "Not exactly Albus, with a normal Witch or Wizard it should have been impossible. However, when it happened, I went asking questions. Especially after the babies were born, we had all agreed to have them tested to find who attacked me. At least the father of the children and get his friends in the crossfire. But that didn't happen. Instead, the DNA results came back looking like a complete mess. Not only was I the mother, but both children had two father genetic bases, it should have been absolutely impossible, technically it is impossible. However, I was later found by a man claiming to be the lover and husband of Helena Ravenclaw, they'd had a child. When Helena was killed, Gregory sent their son, Cormag, to his grandmother, Rowena Ravenclaw. Unfortunately, she was already dead after the news of her daughter's death got to her. Godric Gryffindor and Helga Hufflepuff agreed to safeguard Gregory's and Helena's son. And they did. Cormega later married a Witch herself. Now, the vampire blood Cormag had in his was watered down as the generations continued marrying Witches or Wizards, or a muggle here and there. But the only thing of his lineage his descendants inherited were his and his father's Sapphire blue eyes. Eyes that have begun to skip generations for a while. When I sent my children into safety, I kept tabs on them, who they were with, the families they married into. My daughter married a McKinnon, my son was adopted by a French family by the last name Bonnet. Unfortunately, the McKinnon's were massacred back in 1978 during Winter. The Bonnet parents were recently killed in an accident. However, I'm closing in on the real reason behind their deaths. Their son and daughter survived, but I'm worried they won't last for long and I cannot interfere with their lives, otherwise, my own enemies from my past will find them, and they will be dead. Now, I am not… Okay, this is going to be very confusing. But I am but I also am not related to this vampire that had the son with Helena Ravenclaw. Time has been distorted leaving time looped and vastly out of syn. It's why I am here and why you are also here. The time streams must syn. And they eventually will." Anya was nearly out of breath.

Sage had been the first person she'd spoken to aside from Albus in ages, it felt good to tell her story, one she shared with Albus Dumbledore and Gellert Grindelwald. However, the reality was slowly sinking in that the last of her family was close to extinction.

"Okay, Whoa, that was a mouth full. However, that definitely clears a few things up. Now, my next question… Why the heck are you wearing nothing but Albus's robe?" She asked a bit disturbed.

"Every time my life comes close to death, or every time I die, I should say, I die like every other living thing, however, my situation is different. I burn when I die and then my body and soul are returned. It's like being re-born only I don't go back through infancy or adolescence. I retain my memories and go right back to being a 44-year-old woman with the cursed body that can turn into a Phoenix and appears to be a 25-year-old. No sense, right?"

Blinking back her shock, Sage took a slow breath, "Oh, well. As terrible as that sounds I'll gladly tell you that you've aged very gracefully." Sage said until a thought struck her with pure confusion. "Wait, hang on a minute. You're an Animagus?"

Smiling sadly with a soft sigh, Anya's mind flooded with the memory of it all, like a movie role-playing clip by clip. She still didn't know how it happened. "No, before the second world war and Gellert's Wizarding War, I provoked Gellert to the max, he'd have never truly hurt me but I, like always, over-extremed things, and he just wanted me to stop talking. To give him some peace while he thought. But after everything he had done, he didn't deserve peace and quiet. I made him so angry he lashed out, after that, I tried to stop him and the boy he was using from fighting Albus and the others. Credence tried stepping between us but was too late. The phoenix he had, however, swooped in to remove me from the way of the curses but the Phoenix grabbed me just as the curses mixed and hit us both. A mass explosion suddenly happened and the next thing we knew there was a second Phoenix where I had once been, with Credence's own phoenix. I slowly transfigured back into my human body after that the boy wouldn't let Gellert near me. His phoenix helped me master my flying and everything else with survival in their form and Credence helped me master the transformations. He said he had a friend who would transform into a snake. And that the pain eventually went away. And he was right, it went away eventually but it took quite a while." Anya explained further. It was understandable that Sage would have questions like that.

"Well, that is quite an adventure. Or a nightmare So, as a human your name is Anya… What about your Phoenix name?" she was just curious. She didn't think Anya actually had a name for her Phoenix form.

Smiling proudly, she straightened her back and shoulder, "Lady. I don't know why but that is the first thing people think of when they realize I'm a female Phoenix. It's a little strange but after a while, I just got used to it. The name wasn't going away any time soon, so I grew to like it." Anya explained.

Nodding with interest and shocked beyond her mind's belief Sage rested back in her seat with a sigh, "Now that was a lot to take in." Sage admitted.

"Yes, yes, it is I suppose. Sage, could you excuse us please." Albus sighed. He would never get used to holding her on her death bed before she'd burn to ash and slowly reform into herself. She'd age of course, but every time she'd die Anya would come to him, whether he was in his tower or home, she'd go to a familiar place. But he'd noticed that each time she'd die and burn to ash her regeneration was slower than the last. Albus feared the next time she wouldn't return to him. Anya Rene Lestrange Deo'Vera was the last thing he had of his past. His brother wanted nothing to do with him after their sister's death, and truly, Albus didn't blame him.

Nodding, Sage left the two to their own discussions.

Albus sighed sadly as he looked at his old friend. The last thing, person, he had from his past. "I don't know how much more I can take of you dying,"

"It's a part of life Albus, we are born, we live, we die," Anya said with regret. She knew it was hard for her friend. But he was the only one, now aside from Sage, who knew of her existence, being around Albus was what kept her coming back, and her determination to see her family safe. Sadly, she knew she nor Sage had much time. "Albus, I know it's hard, it kills me every time I come to you just to die, only to wake up knowing that when your time comes you won't come back to me. That scares me more than anything. We lost Gellert, don't make me lose you too. Not for a while at least. I know it's inevitable but try to not put yourself on the front lines just yet. Please?"

"I cannot continue to rely on Severus, Rene. He cannot continue this on his own. Voldemort's supporters are on the move. If you must move the Bonnet children, then do so. I will not lose any more of us. Paul and Alicia Bonnet are the last of us. Of you and Gellert, of me. We cannot let them be slaughtered like the McKinnon's." Albus spoke to her. The words were painful. He'd been devastated upon hearing about the McKinnon's massacre, not only because the McKinnon's were secretly related to them in some small way, but he'd lost several of those who had once been his students, several of the McKinnon's had been his students. Marlene and Gabrielle. But Gabrielle had been the last direct bloodline of Anya, his and Gellert's from the McKinnon family. Though her eyes had been bright blue she looked exactly like Anya. They had a suspicion that Anya's Sapphire blue eyes may have skipped even Gabrielle's children if she'd had any. But the Bonnet girl, where she looked nothing like Anya, Alicia Bonnet had her sapphire blue eyes.

"I will save who I can, Albus. But I tell you this, Sage does not have much time left here. She does not belong here, my friend, and neither do I. She will die. And it will be horrible." Anya told him gently, sorrow burning her blue eyes. She didn't like telling Albus this, but he needed to know, he needed to accept it. Sage needed to accept it.

Standing from his chair he sent his first angry glare to Anya, he hadn't given her an angry look since she had told them what had happened, before he and Gellert had made that blood pact with her, and it was a pact which could not be undone. "Then I will stop it! That girl has lost enough, sacrificed everything to save us, I will not let her die in such a way. Every time I look at that girl, I see Lily! A woman who lost everything, her life for her child, her husband, her best friend! Everything! Lost lives that should never have been lost." Albus snapped. The Sorting Hat's words haunted him still, and Anya telling him Sage hadn't much time left as well bothered his greatly.

Was the redhead on a ticking time clock somewhere? It was like Time wanted her heart to stop beating.

Hogwarts Halls

It was late and she hadn't thought much of things until she saw Remus rushing out late at night, heading right for her, but the look of dread and fear was written on him. "Remus? Are you alright you look as if you've seen a ghost?" She asked him once he stopped in front of her. He looked as if he were trying to say something, but it seemed words could not find him. "Remus, what happened?"

"Pettigrew -" Was all he was able to say. His green eyes misted with tears. Rubbing his face to wake himself up from his shock, Remus took a breath and pulled her to his office.

Fear filled her at the name, the fear on Remus as well only added to the fear pooling. "What about Pettigrew?" She asked him once the door to his office closed, it seemed that was his safe haven of sorts.

"You were right… Sirius is innocent." He panted. His breath was hard to find as Remus fell in a nearby chair and tossed the Marauder's Map onto his desk for her to see. "Take a look. He's in the castle somewhere, but I can't find him…" He said taking small breaths to calm his fears and nerves. After months of Sirius being interrogated months of his friend screaming his innocents. Remus Lupin had ignored him and walked away, turned his back on the one friend he should have stuck by.

Curious now, Sage looked through the map and found what he was speaking about. The nameplate of the walking and living evidence of none other, Peter Pettigrew. "Why believe Sirius is innocent? Remus, if you were thinking logically, Peter could have stayed in hiding because he was terrified of Sirius." She explained.

"No, no, Peter would have come straight to me after Sirius had been captured if he wasn't-" He couldn't say it. He'd condemned his best friend, believed the lies other shad told him. Left him to rot in Azkaban for twelve years.

"Yes, but if you were so stuck on Sirius previously being the reason behind James and Lily's death you would have come up with a logical reason why Pete had come straight to you, least of all Albus after Sirius was arrested, which leads me to believe that you didn't truly know who to trust and you couldn't decide who was the most guilty?" she questioned him. Curious as to why he was now suddenly believing Sirius to be innocent. She couldn't give Sirius up unless she knew Remus was truly believing he was innocent.

Hitting his desk with anger at himself, startling Sage as Remus shot up to his feet, "Had Peter been innocent he wouldn't have let us believe he was dead! He'd have run to the nearest person he trusted with his life. And I know he trusted me, before James and Lily were killed, before Sirius was arrested. With Sirius arrested, Peter would have been safe, he would have eventually come out of hiding, at least to see his mother, he loved his mother more than his own life. He wouldn't have let her die believing he was dead. She wouldn't have told anyone, even me if he'd asked her to keep his life a secret."

"How do you know he didn't?" she asked.

It was a good question, a very good question. "Because she died with me at her bedside. Peter wouldn't, no matter the cost, have let her die alone without him there if he was truly innocent." Remus explained. Sighing he rubbed the tension from his neck in thought, "I just can't think of where he could be hiding. I mean his Animagus is a Rat, there are a thousand places here in this Castle that he could be hiding, more so with the grounds." He grumbled. "I have no idea where to even start."

Her insides turned to ice, she wasn't sure why this was suddenly terrifying or why she was jumping to conclusions, but she couldn't help it. "Wait, a Rat?"

Hearing the worry in her voice, Remus's attention was fully turned to her, "Yes… Sage, I'm the one that supposed to look like I've seen a terrifying ghost of the grim reaper, so why do you suddenly have the same expression?" he questioned with worry. He didn't like this.

"Scabbers, Ron's Rat. I remember him telling me about his family Rat in his second year. Scabbers has not only lived with the Weasley's for twelve years, but he's also missing a toe. A front right toe, the same figure I'm going to assume was considering the remains of Pettigrew when Sirius was arrested after the explosion." She ranted on with worry. Her eyes dancing side to side in thought and thinking of all of the possible worst-case scenarios she hadn't realized she had begun to hyperventilate.

Standing from his chair, Remus caught her in his arms as her legs gave out, "Sage, breath, come on, I'm the one that's supposed to be having this moment, not you. Why are you going into a panic attack?"

"Scabbers! Remus, that damn Rat the Weasley's have been taking care of has been close to my nephew for three years, right under our noses! If that Rat really is Pettigrew he could have – he could kill Harry easily and we wouldn't even know it, least of all be able to capture a Rat! He could – Oh God, Molly, and the other children! Ron, what is Ron going to do, Remus? He adores that Rat!" She shouted, fearful tears rolling down her face as she took in deep breaths. She looked like she was a woman in labor.

"Breath, please, Sage you need to breathe," Remus begged her. Easing them both to the floor, Remus wrapped his arms around her, but she wasn't calming down. He was terrified she'd pass out or go into shock. The black dog that rushed in silently to them had him staring in shock. More so as he watched it shift into a human. Skin and bones of what was once Sirius Black.

"Hand her over Mooney, she's not only having a panic attack, looks like she could be going into some form of shock. There's no calming that." Sirius softly said, gently taking the redhead from his friend's arms.

Remus was weak as he looked at the man. He looked horrible. Forcing his mind to return back to Sage's condition he rushed out after them, after grabbing the Map and his wand. "What the hell are you doing inside the castle Sirius. What if you're found?" He whispered a scolding tone to him.

"I was looking for Pettigrew, saw Sage with you, and overheard your conversation." He explained, glancing at his friend from the corner of his eye, "It took you this long to figure out I had nothing to do with their murder? You truly believed I was guilty?" he asked. He had to. It hurt that Remus believed he could have done that to James and Lily. To Harry.

Sighing with humiliation and regret Remus shook his head, lighting their way and looking to the now open map, hoping no one came in their direction, "I honestly didn't know what to believe Sirius, I didn't want to, but I wasn't there, and with Peter gone I had nothing. Where are we taking her?" He asked with worry.

"Remember Julia's seizure?" Sirius asked.

"Yes, you were in the bathhouse with her when she had a seizure. But Sirius, Snow is not having a seizure."

Sirisuraised a curious and grinning brow to his friend at the little nickname, "No, but soothing surroundings can relax her. It's anxiety, Remus, not a Seizure. In this case, I will be doing the opposite, especially since she's shivering, and I can feel how cold she is right now." He stated in a matter of fact as they rounded a few turns here and there they quickly made it to the Bathhouse he and Sage had first met in, "Are we still clear?" He asked.

"Yes, no one is near us. Hurry, get her in the water." Remus responded, closing the doors softly. But as he watched Sirius submerge himself and Sage, he found he couldn't look away. They looked as if they were meant to be. At that moment Remus had a sudden feeling this wouldn't be the last time he saw them like that. Meant to be. And hoped that he too could find someone who could be his second half. Sage had fought for Sirius, argued against them all for his innocents. He wondered at the thought of if she had known them in their past, grew up with them, and went to school with them, would she have fought just as hard for him?

*** Thank you for reading, I do hope you've enjoyed the chapter so far!