I do not own anything except Riley Aiden Brannigan and this story's plot.

A/N

Hey, y'all! I know it's been a VERY long time since I last updated, but I'm actually going to try and finish the story completely now! I hope I still have some of my original readers, because they were all wonderful! I miss you all! But I'm back, so let's get started:

Severus bustled into the Hospital ward with a limp figure encased within his gentle arms, surrounding her with a protective grasp. He brushed past a curious first year without a second of hesitation and kept his pace until he had reached a bed where Harry Potter and Madam Pomphrey stood awaiting the arrival of Hogwart's newest patient. The look of worry upon both of their faces could not yet rival that of Professor Snape's as he laid her down upon the starched white sheets in one soft swoop. It was then that his fear grew, as his pained eyes took in the similar colors of her skin and the sheets, and he knew he couldn't lose his only true friend again. He had forgotten in these past decades how wonderful it was to have her around and how much she meant to him. He would truly never have her whole heart, for that belonged to a certain man named Black, but she would always have his and that meant the world to the enigmatic professor.

"Pompy, she's unconscious and very weak. Potter, go get your useless godfather."

Commands shot out of Severus Snape like a shotgun, as he finally pointed Harry to the door with an unyielding tone striking through his stern voice. Harry seemed to hesitate with trepidation as the words flew out of his professor's mouth, while Severus noted this delay of time with annoyance.

"NOW, Potter!"

And with the rumble of Severus' voice throughout the wing of the castle, the boy who lived sped down the hall and into the rest of the castle to search for the one that loved her most, Sirius Black.

Harry brought his fist to the cherry oak door and rapped his knuckles gently against the hard, glossy surface. No answer came from behind the ancient door, so Harry raised his fist once more with a further abrupt and urgent pounding causing the slab of wood to shake and shudder in response. Apprehension glittered in his green eyes as images flashed through his head—images of Riley dead and Sirius missing, no where to be seen, Sirius miserable and heartless until his own dying day. This had to end now. With the possibility of even the glimmer of the thought of a family slipping through Harry's fingers, crushed him to the core. Harry gave it another go and with it, a mighty blow to the thing keeping him from his godfather. The door flew open with a rush of cool air revealing a very irritated, very withdrawn, Sirius Black.

His black, long hair hung around his head, much like it did back in his days at Azkaban. It was oily and greasy, like he hadn't washed it in days. And the wonderful twinkling sparkle that once lit up his dark eyes was gone, leaving them dull and dim. He was the epitome of emptiness—an empty heart, an empty soul. The boy-who-lived's face fell instantly at his godfather's appearance. It was like taking a step back into the past. Sirius stood silently, quite like a statue, waiting to see why Harry had knocked upon his door and disturbed his depressive, solitary state of mind.

"It's Riley."

Harry said with no enticement from his godfather, with green eyes blazing with rapid fire. Sirius looked down at his godson, but no proof of concern swept upon his stony face. It was like he was waiting for someone to announce the end of the world before he would even show a gleam of emotion.

"She's sick, Sirius, and if we don't do something, she's going to die."

Harry's eyes pleaded with Sirius, begging him to come with him and make sure everything would be alright, much like a child looks towards their father, to feel protected and safe. The pain in Harry's eyes finally shook something in Sirius, and it was then that distress blossomed with Black's broken heart.

"Where is she, Harry?"

Severus' head jolted up from his hands as he sat beside Riley waiting, when the clatter of footsteps finally trailed up the hall and into the Hospital Ward. Young Harry Potter rushed in with Sirius on his heels, a stony expression still lodged upon his face, but a twinkling hope of concern somewhat hidden in his dark eyes. They reached the bed and Sirius felt a slight kick of déjà vu as he peered down at Riley's limp form upon the sheets. Memories of his fifth year were coming back to him at a rapid pace, the quidditch game, the vengeful blow, the look on Riley's face as she fell to the earth, and the image of her laying here before him, upon the same white sheets, only decades earlier. It was all too much, how he missed her, how he loved her, and how he never slept without dreaming of her. He reached down with his hand and gently stroked her soft, pale cheek feeling the smoothness of her skin without a second thought. How could it be that years, even decades had passed, yet she still looked like the beautiful girl that stole his heart away on that first day back in fifth year.

"She's stable."

Severus said, speaking to Sirius, even though Sirius looked far off into the distance with the expression that clouded his eyes. He nodded in reply and pulled a chair from beside the next bed over, taking a seat at Riley's side. He gazed at her face and almost wondered what had happened to them before painfully remembering.

"She's been starving herself for weeks."

Severus' words cut Sirius like a knife and he winced inside knowing for a fact that he had caused this to happen to Riley, but part of him still didn't forgive her for neglecting to write back for so many years. Then suddenly, Severus rose from his chair so quickly that his black curtains of hair swung violently around his head. He turned himself towards Sirius and glared down at him from his statuesque height with an angry passionate tone that erupted from within him.

"Did you hear that, Sirius? She loves you so much that she doesn't want to live without you. She's practically killing herself!"

Sirius looked up at Severus with melancholy eyes and nothing to say, but to wallow in the pain that was at one time, true love. Severus glared at him with daggers for eyes and sat on the edge of Riley's bed, taking her unconscious hand in his, gently stroking it with his thumb. He could not believe the way Sirius was acting, he had Riley. Wasn't that enough? Severus knew that if he had Riley, he would never let her go and never let this happen to her; she was perfect in his eyes. Maybe Sirius was just plain stupid, he thought to himself.

Harry stood wide eyed with disbelief settling upon his face, as he looked back and forth between Professor Snape and his godfather. It wasn't so much his godfather's nonexistent efforts that shocked him, but rather Snape's passionate outburst. He had never seen Snape show any sort of emotion, well, except for anger. And now, here he was, the greasy git professor that everyone despised so, pouring his heart out to Sirius about Riley. No one except those in that room at that moment and that time would ever believe it to be true.

So what did everyone think? Let me know! It's been a long time! I need input! Love to all who review! Remember, the more reviews, the faster I send out another chapter! xoxo! And here are some over due thank yous!

Dreximgirl0- Thanks soooo much for reading! I'm happy I continued the story too! And here's more for you!

FromHereToThere- I'm soo sorry I take so long to update! I assure you now, I will try to put them out ASAP! Promise!

Bob the Invincible Elf- Thanks for everything! Are you happy now that I put out another chapter?

Bowie's Leper Messiah- Thanks a lot, Brit! I miss you, hun! Where have you been? I hope you see I have a new chapter up! Are you still writing?

Baloo- I would love for them to come together too! They are perfect for each other, and hopefully Sirius will see that soon. I'll keep writing!

iyoku-chan- I am absolutely flattered that you love my story that much! You made me blush! And I'm so happy you found it again! Now you can keep reading! Yay!

RIPCURLZ- I'm writing more like promised!

CAdoubleLI- Oh, please don't cry, it will get happy again! Thanks for liking my story so much!

CrazedLunatic- Thank you so much! I appreciate it!

Alisa- I'm going to get a hold of you so you read this again! Miss not having class with you anymore! Thanks so much!

Joe Lesho- Duh, Joe! Of course Snape is kewl! He's a dreamboat, lol. I miss having class with you too!