SHE'S ALL THAT ➭ SIRIUS BLACK ❨2❩ ✔︎

ACT FIVE, SCENE FOUR

FONTAINE MANOR

Sage woke up on the morning of the second of September, blinking sleepily in the sunlight that streamed in through her bedroom window.

She noticed that, other than for her, the bed was empty, and with furrowed eyebrows she left the warm comfort of her sheets and blankets to search for Sirius around the house.

The bathroom, living room, and garden were empty, but she did find Regulus in the kitchen, sitting on the countertop with a book in one hand and a mug of something hot in his other hand.

"Oi, where's your brother?" She asked him, wrapping her silk robe more tightly around her. "He wasn't in my bed when I woke up."

Regulus smirked mischevously. "Not in your bed, aye? Is it fair to assume that the two of you weren't just sleeping?" He teased.

She rolled her eyes. "You need to get laid or something, I swear. But seriously, Reggie. Have you seen him?"

Throwing his head back in laughter, he replied, "No, but I found this on the kitchen table when I came downstairs." He set down his mug, plucked a folded sheet of parchment off of the counter next to him, and thrust it towards her. "Had your name on it."

She took the paper from him, quirking up an eyebrow, and ran the pads of her fingers over the rough parchment. Her name was written in Sirius's messy, scrawled handwriting, and there was a misshapen heart drawn next to it. She unfolded the paper and found rows of script inside.

Darling Sage,
I hate that I had to do this again. It's the exact opposite of what I wanted to do—trust me, I'd spend all of my days with you if I could. Being with you for the past few weeks has made every single day in Azkaban worth it. And you know that I love you more than I have ever loved anyone in my entire life.
But I had to track down Peter. I know you told me not to, and you're usually right. If he's at Hogwarts with Harry's friend, that means he's close to Harry. And if I'm right, he'll probably want to finish what Voldemort started.
I'm sorry, Sage. I really am.
If I'm successful, though, I'll be back by your birthday.
Take care of my brother for me.
I love you, more than you know.
Yours,
Sirius.

She sunk down to the floor, one hand resting over the heart that she was sure had stopped beating from shock.

"Hey, you alright, Green?" Regulus asked, concern etched onto his chiseled face.

Sage looked up at him, and her expression showed her pain, clear as day. "He left me. Again."

Her best friend was quick to kneel at her side and pull her into his arms as she broke into sobs that shook her whole body.

No tears left her eyes, however. These sobs were dry and harsh and grating to her throat. She'd only just gotten him back after twelve long years of not knowing whether he was living, but tortured daily in prison, or dead, his heart finally giving out from the constant mutilation.

And suddenly she was screaming bloody murder, curling into herself as the heartbreak escaped her in the form of excruciating howls. All the pain of losing him the first time had come to a white hot peak of agony.

Regulus did his best to soothe her, very obviously trying to hold both himself and her together. In the two decades he'd known her, she'd very rarely shown this much emotion; after her brother's body had been found, she'd shut down and pushed away nearly everyone, and when Regulus had eavesdropped on the parade of mourners at his own memorial, he had seen her cry for the very first time. But in the years since he'd made his miraculous return from the dead, she'd shown more and more emotion, coming to a peak at this very moment.

"He'll be back." Regulus said, voice low and sad. "He always finds his way back."

It was a shame he didn't believe his own words.