Sage | H. GRANGER

twelve

The final meeting of the D.A. came and went, the students sadden by the lack of meetings over the break. As the students filed out of the Room of Requirement, Sage stayed behind. She stood in front of the mirror that had newspaper clippings taped to it. In the reflection, she could see Harry approaching behind her. She looked over her shoulder and gave a thin lipped smile at him.

    "Isn't it strange?" Sage had said softly, looking at a picture on the mirror. "How so much can change within such a small period of time?"

    Harry agreed softly, his eyes moving to a picture of Cedric Diggory, a Hufflepuff who had passed away the year before.

    "You won't hurt her, right?" Harry had asked, breaking the tense silence that surrounded them. Sage furrowed her brow and turned to look at him.

    "Do you think i will?" Sage had answered back.

    Harry sighed deeply and turned to face Sage. "I think you have a darkness around you, Sage. You can't help it, but it's there. And sooner or later, it will catch up to you and take you and everyone around you down. I want what's best for Hermione and i'm sure you do too. Just-Just be careful with her, okay?"

    Sage didn't answer, grabbing her bag from the floor and turning to walk out of the room. Before she left, she stopped, not turning back to face Harry.

    "I would never intentionally hurt her. You're wrong, Harry."  With those final words hanging in the air, Sage walked out of the room to her common room.

    "So, where exactly are you going?" Draco asked as he sat on the couch, watching Sage getting ready to catch the train to Kings Cross to meet with Hermione and the Weasleys.

    "The Leaky Cauldron, Draco."

    "Why don't you just come back with me?" Draco asked, again.

    Sage huffed and turned to face him with an annoyed face. "Because, Draco. More than likely my parents will be there with your parents and i really rather not see them. I don't my Christmas to be worse than it already is, Draco." Draco huffed with defeat and nodded.

    "I know, i'm sorry. Just, don't go yet. Let me get you your gift, okay!" Sage laughed at his childlike excitement and reached into her bag to get his gift. When Draco came back from his dorm, Sage was seated on the arm of a chair, holding a carefully wrapped dark green gift with a silver ribbon wrapped around it. She held it out to Draco who smiled widely and grabbed it eagerly. He ripped off the wrapping paper and nearly dropping the gift while doing so. In the small sleek box that rested in the palm of Draco's hand was a beautiful silver ring. Engraved into the sides of the the ring was two silver snakes that wrapped around the emerald in the middle of the ring. Draco was in awe of the gift and looked up to Sage who was smiling at him.

    "I-I don't know what to say, Sage. It's magnificent."

    Sage laughed and held out her hands expectantly. Draco slid the ring onto his finger and quickly grabbed her gift from the small table next to them.

    "It's not much, but i hope it would do."

    Sage carefully unwrapped the gift, tossing the paper to the side. Sliding her hand over the slick black journal with her name engraved in blinding gold, She looked up at Draco.

    "It's beautiful, Draco. Thank you so much." He smiled at her.

    "You didn't read the back." Quickly, Sage turned the book around and read the small poem engraved in the back out loud.

    "Happiness is as a butterfly which, when pursued, is always beyond our grasp, but which if you will sit down quietly, may alight upon you."

    "It's from that one muggle author you like, i thought it was fitting. I hope you like it, Sage."

    "Of course i do, Draco. Thank you so much." Sage said, walking forward and wrapping her arms around him. Draco tightened his hold around her and kissed the top of her head. Sage and Draco walked together to the train, arms locked together and bright smiles painted onto their faces. Though Sage was spreading her wings and soaring from the once captivating nest of her  parents tradition, she would always wait for Draco. They were family and family took care of family.

A/N:

Christmas with the weasleys up next then we hop into the rest of the movie plot!!!!

until next time

-outlaws