THE OTHER SIDE

When she opened her eyes, she was met with a bright light and, surprisingly, a feeling of warmth and comfort. For the first time in months—maybe even years—she wasn't in any pain.

She blinked in the light, nearly blinded by it, until a hazy shape began to form in front of her.

The figure became clearer and clearer, and it soon took form in a woman, white-haired and wrinkled, wearing a kind, welcoming smile.

"Nana?" Sage asked, quiet and hesitant. She wasn't sure that she wasn't hallucinating.

Madeleine Fontaine smiled softly. "Hello, dear. I reckon you've had quite the journey, haven't you?" She said, extending a hand to her granddaughter.

Sage took it and allowed her to help her to her feet. "What am I—what are you—what happened?"

The last thing she remembered was seeing Harry's face and the look of shock and horror in his eyes. Everything after that was blank and empty.

"Darling girl, you're smart enough to figure it out." Madeleine said in response.

Realization washed over Sage like a wave of truth and pain. "I'm dead, aren't I?"

Her grandmother's lips turned down. "Unfortunately, yes." She waved her hand, and what had been empty whiteness shifted into something more familiar—Kings Cross, with one single train waiting to depart. "As much as I would love to have this chat and catch up, there are many who are chomping at the bit to see you. But one last thing while I have you here: you have made the Fontaine family proud. I know that much of the good you've done has been in secret, but trust me when I say that you have made us so very proud."

☾

When the train rolled to a stop in front of Hogwarts, Sage wondered for a moment whether this was heaven or hell. It could be either, really—heaven, because she was back at the only place she'd ever felt safe, or hell, because this could be a convoluted setup to torture her for eternity.

These thoughts plagued her mind as she shoved open the massive front door and walked into the deserted entry hall.

Even during holidays at Hogwarts, the school had never been this quiet and empty. There were always people milling about, whether they be students or professors. Someone was always around, no matter the time.

A strange feeling tugged at her gut and told her to go into the Great Hall, like some magnet located behind her bellybutton was drawing her towards its opposite.

She held her breath and opened the door, exhaling when she realized all the tables were empty except for the one she'd sat at for seven years.

And the unruly mop of black hair attached to the only person in he massive room was so achingly familiar.

"Julien!"

Sage took off running, feeling like she was eleven years old again and had just been sorted into Slytherin like her big brother.

Julien Chance Fontaine stood from his seat at the Slytherin table, grinning like mad, and caught her easily when she flew into his arms.

"Hey, Green." He said, laughter tainting his words. "Merlin, you got old. You're, what, fifty now? Maybe three hundred? Look at all the bloody wrinkles!"

She was too caught up in holding back tears to swat at him for his teasing. "I can't believe you're here." She said simply, and her lower lip wobbled.

She truly felt like she was a child again, except the pain of losing him was gone now, replaced by a pure, euphoric joy of being able to see him again. Even in her dreams, on the seldom occasion she hadn't had nightmares, he so rarely appeared to her.

This was certainly, decidedly heaven.

He pulled away, hands gripping her shoulders tightly. "Come on. There's something you should see."

Before she could comprehend his words, he'd grabbed her hand and begun to drag her out of the Great Hall, through the hallways until they reached the staircase that led to the Slytherin dorms. She didn't have a chance to protest, and she instead allowed him to lead her wherever he wanted; she would never tell him no again, it seemed, as long as she had the chance to be around him forever.

He stood in front of the entrance to the dormitory, dark eyes full of excitement. "You've got to promise me that you won't cry, alright? You can cry later, but right now, you've got to be strong. Just let yourself be happy."

Despite his mystical words, she pushed past him and stepped through the open doorway.

"Sage fucking Fontaine, you are an idiot." Charlotte Joyner said from where she lounged on the black leather sofa, a devious smirk playing on her lips. She didn't stand up when Sage entered; all she did was cross her legs and chew on her thumbnail.

Sage slipped into their old dynamic much more easily than she expected. "At least I didn't get murdered on my best friend's birthday." She snapped in return, grinning widely.

Charlotte pouted. "Low blow, Sagey baby. Low blow." She finally stood, walking slowly and casually over to Sage. "At least I didn't marry a man. I thought you had standards!"

And then she was wrapping her arms around Sage's shoulders, squeezing tightly. "I missed you, Sage. Really, I did. And what you did to Lawson...thank you. I can't thank you enough." She was suddenly serious, gnawing at her lip.

"Don't mention it. It was the least I could do." Sage said immediately, her smile holding steady.

Charlotte let her smirk slip back onto her face, and she loosened her grip on Sage's shoulders. "Hey, I left my jumper up in Gryffindor tower. Mind grabbing it for me?"

Sage looked at her inquisitively. She had a nagging feeling in the back of her mind that this was just another setup, just like how Julien had convinced her to find Charlotte. But if Charlotte had been in the dungeons, who could be in Gryffindor tower?

The answer was obvious and, with her heart beating nervously in her throat, Sage nodded. She pressed a fast kiss to Charlotte's cheek, blurted a quick I love you, and left the dungeon without a second thought.

"Have fun! Oh, and send Mar down here when you have a moment, will you?"

Mar. Marlene was here. And if Marlene was here, in this alternate Hogwarts that seemed like heaven...

Sage was sprinting, all of the aches and pains of her body gone, up several sets of stairs and down long hallways as she raced to get to Gryffindor tower.

The portrait of the Fat Lady smiled kindly at her. Instead of uncompromisingly asking for a password like she always had, she simply nodded silently and allowed the portrait door to swing open.

The voices and noise and lively energy hit her before she saw them, and her heart, previously in her throat, threatened to drop out of her ass.

She was nervous, so incredibly nervous. She almost wanted to turn around and run back to her brother, rather than facing Lily and possibly feel her rage at raising Harry wrong.

Despite her nerves and nearly paralizing fear, she took a step forward, then another, and then a final step that had her just inside the Gryffindor common room, shaking like a leaf with her eyes squeezed shut.

She didn't open them until she felt a hand on her arm, soft and gentle and warm.

Lily looked exactly like she did the day before she died—vibrant auburn hair, bright eyes, and a happy, genuine smile. Age had not touched her fair skin yet, nor would it ever.

"I'm sorry." The first words out of Sage's mouth were an apology. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to leave him so early. I tried, I really did. It should have been you. You could have done better—you would have. I tried my best, Lily."

Lily's brows furrowed, and instead of replying, she pulled Sage into the tightest hug she'd ever received. "Don't you dare apologize." She whispered fiercely. "You did everything right. You protected him and took care of him when I couldn't. I owe you everything for that."

Relief hit Sage, and when she started crying, she felt a weight lift off of her shoulders. Everything she had done for the past fourteen years might not have been enough, but it was good. She was good. She had done something good.

"Stop making our dear Sagey cry, Lily."

Sage only sobbed harder when she saw James behind Lily.

He was grinning, crossing the space between them quickly to sweep her up into a crushing hug. He hoisted her up into the air and spun her around, and she stopped crying for a moment to laugh.

"Hey, stranger." James whispered warmly. "I'm glad you're here. Well, not here, but I'm happy to see you again."

Sage took a deep, grounding breath. "Is he here? Is Sirius...is he here?" She asked weakly, voice trembling with a strange, painful emotion.

James's eyebrows quirked up. "I haven't seen you in over a decade, and your only thought is about your boyfriend? Typical." He said, feigning being offended. But his smile showed that he couldn't be mad at Sage, not after everything she'd done for him and his son.

"James, you are one of my best friends. But I've got to know if he's here. I have so much I need to say to you, but I need to see him." She said, eyes wide and pleading.

James just grinned. "Upstairs. In his old dorm. He's been waiting, quite impatiently, if I do say so myself."

She didn't give him time to say more before walking slowly and deliberately towards the stairs, hands shaking and heart beating rapidly. She'd never had a heart attack, but the pain in her chest might have been just that.

With her heart in her throat, she took the stairs two at a time and stood in front of the door to the dorm he occupied once upon a time, a lifetime and a half ago.

Instead of knocking, she placed a single trembling hand on the handle and turned it.

Waiting on the other side of the door was Sirius Black.

He sunk to his knees when he saw her, reaching for her like she was the only thing he'd ever wanted in his entire life. His eyes were dark with sadness, but also with complete adoration for the woman in front of him.

She wanted to give into him, to dive into his embrace and kiss him and do everything they'd never gotten to do. But anger, pure and hot and sharp, swelled up in her chest, and she thought for a moment that she might kill him all over again.

"You bastard!" She hissed, shoving at his shoulders. "One of us was supposed to stay with him. One of us was supposed to live."

He caught her hands and squeezed them tightly. "I know. I know, and I'm so sorry. But Godric, Sage, we went out fighting." He said lowly, never losing that loving look in his eyes.

"I didn't want to go out fighting. I wanted to live, and get old, and see Harry grow up." She admitted, and her voice broke. "I wanted to be happy and alive. I didn't want to die, Sirius."

Sirius's face softened, and he nodded in understanding. "I know, baby." He reached a hand up and brushed a graying lock of dark hair out of her face, looking like he was about to say more before deciding not to. He just pursed his lips and sighed.

She finally fell victim to her whims. "I love you." She said breathily, leaning in to kiss him roughly on the mouth.

"I love you."