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!

Updated: 12/2021

Chapter 13

Remus watched Snape walking towards the castle with Sage in arms, he knew they were all worried, but Peter was in binds and being levitated as they moved, however, she was not looking so go and Pettigrew's pleading and begging had begun to grow on his nerves.

Her soft moan of pain as she rolled her head back into his shoulder had them all worried, but the tone of her, when she'd softly called for their Potions master, had their hearts hammering with fear she'd actually die. She couldn't answer any question at all, then again, Snape had only asked her a few questions, none of which she had answered.

"Severus -" Remus called after him when he'd made his way towards the Hospital.

"Not now Lupin, we don't have time." Severus told her, "Students will come with me, Remus, take Pettigrew to Albus, I will be there shortly." Severus called walking in the opposite direction. He was slightly annoyed when Remus began to follow after him and the kids.

"Safer if we stay together," Remus explained.

Rolling his eyes, Severus walked into the Hospital Wing, he was actually surprised to find Albus speaking with a worried and frightful Poppy. He could see the anger, confusion, and fear on the Headmaster's face when he walked in with the very redhead in his arms to whom Albus was worrying over. "What was she thinking! Sage, are you alright?" Albus demanded as he and the Head Nurse rushed to them.

"She hasn't responded to any questions," Severus informed them, his voice trembling with fear. He'd ignored Sage to keep his mind straight, hoping to keep himself on the path he knew he needed to take. Worrying about her was not something he could afford when he needed to put 100% of his available power into keeping Harry Potter safe. He knew he struggled with himself as she struggled with herself, feeling as if she was always failing when she truly was not.

"Dear lord! She's on fire! Lay her down, Severus. What happened!" Albus shouted, turning a glare to Remus, who held a living, breathing Peter Pettigrew. Albus's anger grew ten-fold. "Peter Pettigrew..." His tone was low and burning with disbelieve anger, "Now isn't this just a turn of events… Severus, leave Sage with Poppy and the Children, fetch Minerva, and send an owl to Cornelius and the Ministry. Poppy, let us know how she fares." Albus ordered and walked out with the others and a levitating Pettigrew as they walked to his office. But this, this was personal. Waving his wand at the bound man as he squirmed and fought against the body binds and forced the man to sit in a chair as he grabbed a vile.

"Albus?" Sirius question. Albus looked infuriated. But as they watched their Headmaster force something down Peter's throat they watched helplessly.

"Peter Pettigrew. I have questions and I will have answers whether you wish to answer or not! Did you, Peter Pettigrew, have anything to do with the murders of Lily and James Potter!" It was the first demand.

They watched, and heard the fight Peter put up, he was trying to refuse to answer. "Y- Ye... Yes." he whimpered. Tears rolled down his face.

His anger growing Albus took a breath, "Did you, Peter Pettigrew have any part in the McKinnon Massacre. Marlene and Gabrielle McKinnon and Persephone McKinnon specifically! Who were slaughtered early Christmas Morning?" He demanded. He had to know. His family had been slaughtered. A family who knew nothing of their connections.

"Yes, yes I knew! I knew!" Peter screamed his confession. He had never meant to let the McKinnon's get hurt, but they had gone against Voldemort so hard, Marlene's grandfather, her father, her uncle, Gabrielle's mother, and father.

"Did you, Peter Pettigrew ever, even once, attempt to help prevent any of these deaths?" He continued.

"Yes, I tried to lead him astray, I lied to him, I tried, bu -but he was so strong, I couldn't - I didn't know… I thought of Sirius, of what he would have done -" Peter cried. But as soon as he said those words, Remus had held Sirius back from strangling the man.

"I WOULD HAVE DIED! I HAVE DIED RATHER THAN BETRAY THEM! EVEN YOU PETER! I HAVE DIED TO PROTECT THEM AND YOU! I NEVER WOULD HAVE LET THAT MONSTER NEAR ANY OF YOU!" Sirius screamed. The tears that streamed from his eyes, his skin was numb to realizing that he was crying.

"I'm sorry!" Peter screamed. He didn't want to be there, he wanted to go back to being a Rat, he wanted to hide like he had the last twelve years. But he couldn't. Peter Pettigrew had been caught, captured, and was soon to be arrested interrogated, and executed as soon as possible.

"Albus!" Fudge's booming voice called. It was an ungodly late hour to call for him, he and his Auror's had been on call long enough as it had been, this was just ridiculous. However, the site he found as he and his Auror's, along with Kingsley Shacklebolt, stunned them. Peter Pettigrew was alive and breathing, body bound in a chair. But it was Sirius Black who stood there, unbound and what looked like, being protected by Remus Lupin, a Professor of the school!

"Cornelius, Kingsley. Pettigrew is bound and ready for questioning, forgive me but I took a few things into personal hands," Albus admitted.

"What does that exactly mean, Albus? Here we have an unbound Sirius Black, being protected by an armed Professor of your very school! What is the meaning of this!" Fudge was in shock and outrage, many of the Auror's with him had their wands ready to remove Remus Lupin as a growing potential threat and arrest Sirius Black.

"Sirius is innocent, Fudge, and we have the means to prove it, we will prove it," Albus said, holding a second vial of the potion he'd forced down Peter's throat. "I put Veritaserum down Pettigrew's throat, he's admitted to being a part of the Potter's murder and knowing of the McKinnon Massacre," Albus stated as he handed the vial to Sirius, he couldn't help but smile at the angry look on Cornelius's face.

Fudge had never once wanted to give Sirius the Veritaserum in the first place, because if he was found to be innocent then the killers would still be out there. He hadn't cared, all he saw when he saw and heard the name Sirius Black was his family's name and saw only their evil actions and placed him in the same category.

"Seriously?" Sirius was shocked, glad he was being given the chance to prove that all of the innocence he'd been saying all these years. And with no thought of it, Sirius drank the potion swiftly and waited for only a few seconds before the effects set in.

"Ask me anything." He said with a smile, his eyes shining with hope. He couldn't help it. He was excited about this. For once they'd be forced to believe his words. The potion would not allow him to lie.

"Were you involved in the murder of James and Lily Potter," Kingsley demanded. If Fudge refused to do this then he would.

"No, I left them in the care of Peter Pettigrew thinking he could be trusted. I felt I was being followed and did not wish to lead anyone to their safe house." Sirius said. "Pettigrew became their new keeper, I said nothing to no one because I could trust no one, not even Remus, no matter how much it killed me. I couldn't even trust Albus. However, my trust was misplaced, and they had been found. Hagrid and I found the home in a disaster then Hagrid took Harry to the Hospital to be checked and I went after Pettigrew." He admitted.

"Did you intend to kill him? Pettigrew I mean." Fudge asked with irritation.

Glaring to Minister Sirius nodded, "Yes, I had every intention of killing him, until I realized that as an Auror it would be beneath me to kill him unless I was given no choice, I changed my mind and tried to bring him in. He caused an explosion and I was left for dead and he was gone, and I was arrested a few hours later."

"Do you, Sirius Black, have any kind of affiliations or involvement with the Dark Lord or his followers?" Fudge asked.

"No."

"Would you have or will you ever, give aid to the Dark Lord or his followers?"

"Not unless they wish to leave his side, however, I'd never bright them around the Order or anyone trying to fight against Voldemort unless I could be sure they were truly trying to fight against him. But no, to aid in his insanity I'd never do it." He admitted. He was not objective to helping someone leave the dangerous life, but he'd never let himself become an aid to Voldemort's supporters.

Turning their eyes to the shivering and crying Peter Pettigrew, Fudge sighed. "Peter Pettigrew, did you, in faking your own death, have help in hiding and aid in the murders of not only James and Lily Potter but the torture of the Longbottom's and many others?"

"I did, I did, faked my own death, no one helped me, I hid, I hid from everyone, yes, I handed the Potter's over to the Dark Lord. I was terrified, the torture, I couldn't take it. I - I gave him everyone, the Longbottom's, James and Lily...Gabrielle…. I didn't mean for her to get her, I told her not to come out, but sh - she wouldn't listen… I got her out of there before they could find her, but - but she just wouldn't listen!" He cried. He may not have had anything to do personally with the McKinnon families, but he hadn't done anything to stop it either, but he had taken Gabrielle. But she had found out about his connection with the Dark followers, and she had tried to run. It had led to her own death. However, the last person he wanted to see was the man who had found the blonde and cried, screamed over her murder, just like he had with Lily's. Severus Snape stood out from behind Kingsley, a look of death on his face. "You… You!"

"Severus, please, I tried!" Peter cried. He was petrified

"She is dead because of you! She and Lily! Marlene and Mary! MY OWN HANDS! MY OWN CRAFTED CURSE KILLED HER!" Severus screamed. He was unaware that the very people that held him back from tearing into Pettigrew were the two people he once despised, people which he still despised, were Remus Lupin and Sirius Black as he cried, screamed at Peter Pettigrew. He knew he was already in a dangerous situation. Pettigrew was one of his Followers if he got word to Voldemort or his people, Severus Snape was done for. Or was he?

"He would have spared her had you just gone to him, Severus! He - he told me so himself I swear! I knew- I knew about you two… I knew you loved her, I couldn't - I tried, I swear! It wasn't me, Travis followed me, he-he-he found us and chased her, I couldn't stop him, he was insane!"

"OF COURSE, HE WAS INSANE! I'M THE ONE WHO KILLED THE BASTARD!" Severus screamed his confession.

"Sirius, Remus, please take him out of here, we don't need him killing Pettigrew before his trial." Albus softly requested.

Nodding the two men helped Severus out of Albus's office. They had no idea Severus had cared that much for Gabrielle, they had no idea how he even got to know her.

After giving Severus a few moments to regather himself Remus and Sirius were so stunned at his reaction to Peter's words, his confession of Gabrielle's death, how he had tried to help her, "You knew Gabrielle?" Remus asked. Of all the times he'd seen Gabrielle, he'd never once noticed her with Severus.

"After the lake our fifth year she found me in a compartment on the train, on our way home. She sat with me. Told me she knew I hadn't meant what I had said to Lily and we just… Talked. It was like someone different had walked through a door. I had shut one door on Lily and ended up locking myself in the darkness. Then she walked in, and it was like… An angel found me, she listened, she spoke to me like a human being. Since then Gabby had stayed by me, never left me, not even when I'd say something I knew I'd regret. The last thing she said to me before she died was that she loved me, and she could have loved me like I had loved Lily. My heart was destroyed that night when Lily was murdered, but my soul died as I lost Gabrielle. My spell to reverse the curse wasn't working, I couldn't fix it, I was still in the process of creating the curse and the reversal, it was bound to have flaws, but I had hoped it would have been perfect… For her."

Remus and Sirius were speechless. They had no words for this. Severus Snape, for the first time, was not just a human being, but he was just as damaged as they were. But Sirius now saw why Severus would never be able to love Sage, even if he wanted to… His heart had not exactly died with Lily, his soul had died with Gabrielle. He had nothing left to lose. "That's why you separate yourself from Sage, you knew she was getting too close for her own good, and to spare any form of harm emotionally, you put a barrier up. Figuratively speaking."

"Yes, because every time I look at her, all I can see is Lily… It's not fair to her. Not fair to myself either." Severus explained sadly, until another thought suddenly struck him, "She doesn't belong to our time, Sirius, she will not be here for very long and she knows this. Spare yourself the pain I have to live with daily… Don't fall in love with her." He advised.

Severus's words seemed to strike something deep and fearful in Sirius's gut, he didn't like this at all. "What are you talking about?" Okay, so maybe he was just being blind to this part. He had heard the conversation with Sage and the four teens. However, he had not heard this part, not that he could truly remember.

"That's possibly why she's sick, she's getting ill because whatever controls time and fate, it is trying to fix what she has meddled in desperately. She was supposed to go back to Harry's fourth year, not his second year. Which tells us that her sudden sickness could possibly be a side effect of coming back so far." Severus explained. The subject being turned back towards Sage and why she was likely sick was taking his mind off of Gabrielle, the truth he'd found out as to why she had not been near the house when he had looked for her.

"Are you saying that she's dying?" Remus asked with worry. She had saved his life in that Alleyway, could he not help save her?

Nodding slowly, Severus's heart pounded in his chest as he confirmed this to Remus, "That's exactly what I'm saying." Though his tone was soft and weak as he said them, Severus watched the two men before he deflated with any kind of hope.

"We can't just let this happen! Can't we find something that could help her?!" Sirius snapped. He didn't want to believe this, no, he didn't want to accept this.

Poppy's sudden appearance on her way to Albus's office, her face full of remorse and bad news, her heart heavy with regret. She'd heard it all. She'd heard Severus screaming on behalf of Gabrielle's death, his confession, and the silence he'd given Sirius's hopes of finding some kind of cure to help Sage not 'expire'.

Concerned about the look she was given the three of them Severus's heart faltered, just a little. "Poppy?"

The Nurse Witch was close to tears. She didn't know if she had the heart to tell them. "Severus… Remus… Sirius…" She named them softly, her bottom lip trembling. Her reaction had the filling with fear.

"No… No, ple- please tell me she's not -" Sirius couldn't speak, he didn't know why this had him so tongue-tied. His legs felt weak and his heart slammed against his rib cage with dread.

Shaking her head softly, Poppy knew that her news may have them wishing Sage may have been better off in Death's arms, "No, but… Um, I- I'm afraid there is no amount of potions or charms, not even current cures we have the abilities to perform, that could stop her body from giving up on her." Her information sliced into each of them. Poppy even more for having to tell them. She had been thankful but concerned when Sage had told her not to tell Harry, but to inform Molly and Arthur Weasley instead. As a precaution.

Sirius had to fight to speak, his voice didn't wish to work, "Doe-does Harry know?" He asked. This couldn't be happening? Why was she being forced to suffer? She had come here to help them, now she was being punished by some unseen force?

Shaking her head, Poppy nearly choked on her next words, "She didn't wish to frighten the boy. She did, however, have me send an Owl to Molly Weasley." She continued to inform them of the things she'd found out since getting Sage back in her Hospital Wing. "She will be starting as of the end of this year, begin to have monthly visits from an in-home Doctor. For regular checkups. She has also…" This was what had Sage breaking down in tears when Poppy had found this, something had looked strange to her before she'd mysteriously vanished from her bed then had found being returned to her Hospital Wing by Severus carrying her in. "She has lost the chances of ever h-h-having children." This had Poppy's heartbreaking for the redheaded time traveler. She'd been through Hell in her time, and pain had continued to find her at almost every corner.

"Where is Harry?" Sirius asked.

"With Sage, he refuses to leave her." Poppy answered. But the sudden screams and shouts coming from inside Albus's Tower. Curious like they always were, they rushed back inside and found Albus red in the face with an angry look towards Cornelius, "You will not lay a hand to that woman Cornelius Fudge! My staff has brought you a Rat in our mists, by the very person who was framed by this coward has brought him to justice with the aid of my staff and that of Sage Potter, she is as much a part of this school as any of us here!"

"She is not a Potter, Albus Dumbledore! She never existed until young Mr. Potter's second year! My sources tell me that this woman appeared out of nowhere and miraculously claims to be Mr. Potter's cousin! This is a ruse set in by someone wanting Mr. Potter out of the care of his Aunt and Uncle, the boys' original Guardian's!"

"That's a load of Dragon's Dung and you know it!" Sirius snapped with rage, "Petunia is the last, least of all the last preferred people by Harry's parents to safeguard their son! I'm his legal Godfather! I'm the rightful sole guardian of the boy! Now, am I free or not!" He shouted.

Huffing with enraged anger, Fudge nodded to Sirius Black, "Sirius Orion Black, your freedom has been granted by myself, Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge. However, a hearing shall be done to permanently release you of the charges wrongfully brought against you twelve years ago. Come to the Ministry in three weeks, I will be sure to set up the date of said hearing and a letter shall be delivered to your address of residence, when provided an address, of the date you shall be attending. But as of tonight, I shall call the Dementors of Azkaban back to the Prison. But as for Miss… Well, whoever that woman is. And until I know who and what she is doing here, I shall have her removed from this school and that of the children under her care and away from the stud-"

"You will not touch that woman!" Poppy shouted with fright.

Completely dumbfounded, Fudge looked at the Nurse of Hogwarts with shock and a dropped jaw, "I beg your pardon Madam!"

"You clearly heard Madam Pomfrey, Cornelius, Sage Elizabeth Potter, shall remain on these grounds," Albus stated firmly.

Taking a breath, Sirius looked to the Minister, he was getting angry and fed up, they could all tell. He was trying to safeguard the children, but what he wasn't understanding was that Sage was harmless to the children, to anyone unless you tried harming anyone on these grounds. "Fudge, Sage is not to be touched, whether you want to believe it or not, if you want to be sure those boys are safe in her care would it make you feel better if I gave you my own word that she is doing everything she can to care for Draco and Harry. As will I. I am Harry's Godfather, after all, so technically, my legal claim to the boy has more strength over hers' and that of the Ministry of Magic. Considering I was framed and innocent." Sirius cleared up.

"Not necessarily. If you want my head cool in knowing these children are safe and that those boys are as well in her care, I want her on watch. 24/7! Do you hear me?" Fudge demanded. And that had been the end of it. Where no one was happy Sage was being questioned like this, they, even Sage, understood where Fudge was concerned about.

However, once the night had ended and morning came early, they found that Albus had 'lightly' suggested that a life could still be saved. "Three turns should do it," He'd said smilingly before leaving. And just as Remus and Sirius were walking in to see how the kids were doing after Sirius had gotten cleaned up and fed the night they turned over Peter, they found Harry, Draco, and Hermione vanishing before their very eyes then the three running in behind them just moments after vanishing. Ron had been in shock and confused as ever, babbling to the three friends as they laughed at him, "Really Ron, how could we be in two places at once?" Harry asked, laughing along with Draco and Hermione. They had to, because of the consequences they could possibly suffer at being truly caught in it.

The end of the year had been even more saddening, Remus John Lupin had resigned. Someone had let slip that he was a werewolf, he wasn't sure how it had happened, he could have sworn no one had seen him transforming during the moon cycle. But the rumor was true, and to prevent Albus from getting slammed by this, Remus had resigned. Pettigrew had been taken to trial and convicted, all on the same day as Sirius had been officially released from his charges. However, during his transport to Azkaban, the Auror's had been tricked and Peter Pettigrew had ratted away, escaping into the darkness of the night's cover.

Remus had stayed with Sage and Draco at the cottage, she had let Sirius claim official guardianship of Harry Potter, especially after Fudge's claim to want her out of the way. She was, technically, not the legal guardian appointed to Harry in the first place. She only got custody because Petunia had originally wanted the boy out of her household, and since Sirius was Harry's original guardian, she felt no reason he should have been refused it. Especially when Harry had been so happy and excited about having his Godfather, that Sirius had been innocent. She had found that only after a week of Harry being gone from her home, away from her and Draco, that the two had found themselves frequently visiting her cottage.

It had become so frequent that they had connected a Floo Network to their fireplaces. Draco was currently spending some nights at Grimmauld Place with Harry while the adults held a few meetings at Sage's place. Arthur had received tickets for the Quidditch World Cup and he had asked Sirius and Sage if it would be alright to take Draco and Harry.

Permission had been granted soon after the Weasley man had asked because the boys had been so excited that after permission had been granted Harry and Draco had hugged her and Sirius in a group hug with shocking strength the both of them thought they would either be squeezed to death or accidentally kissed from the hug pushing them close. The World Cup was in a few days which had Arthur collecting the boys from Sirius's place to stay with him and Molly for the remainder of the time. The tomes had flown so fast that school would be starting shortly once more.

** Thank you for reading I know this was possibly a short chapter, apologies, either way, you have a wonderful night/day!