A/N:
read the authors note at the end please! enjoy the chapter!
Sage was perched on the edge of an old couch in the room of requirement. The room was illuminated by a faint, flickering lantern. Sage studied the ominous cabinet with glossy eyes, her face showing all of the sadness she hid. It wasn't unusual for the Whitaker girl to sit in the room this late at night. Sleep was no longer a luxury that she could afford. Their task was always eating away at her thoughts, constantly reminding her of the fatality they would face if they failed.
Sage sighed softly and shook her head as if to rid herself of the sadness that hung over her like a cloud. She stood slowly, inching towards the cabinet. The girl rolled up the sleeves of her uniform up. Sage tried her best to avoid looking at the dark mark that permanently tainted her skin. Sage walked closer the the cabinet, her wand in hand. A string of soft whispers left her lips as Sage attempted to repair the cabinet once more. Her hands trembled from the lack of strength. The weak girl felt the strong, dark magic pulsating from her body, draining her even more. It grew more and more intense as Sage repeatedly muttered the incantation.
"Harmonia Nectere Passus." Sage let the words spill from her lips as if they were poisonous. The exhausted teen continued on attempting the spell, using what little strength she did have to do so. Sage felt her eyes flutter shut in concentration. The words continued to flow from the girl's chapped lips, faintly echoing through the room.
"Harmonia Nectere Passus."
It was as if Sage was having an out of body experience. She could see every aspect of her frail body. Sage could see the hues of blue and purple that littered her pale skin. Her face was hauntingly hallowed and the once bright fire that flooded her eyes had faded, leaving them dead and dull in its wake. Sage no longer looked like the girl who had the world in her eyes, she was a empty shell of the person she used to be.
After what seemed like years, Sage opened her eyes. A warm feeling tickled her upper lip, causing her to become slightly more alert and the words that flowed from her lips to cease. Sage lifted her fingers and lightly pressed them to her lip, trying to find the source of the warmth. Blood fell freely from her nose, droplets falling and staining the ground below. Sage felt as if the walls around her were closing in on her. Frantic gasps of air escaped her trembling body. Black dots began to blur her vision and Sage felt her legs buckle underneath her. Darkness overcame her vision as she fell, the blood that seeped from nose continued to drip on the floor.
If anyone had walked in at this particular moment, it would have looked like Sage had died. Her sickly pale skin contrasted greatly with the dark ground, the blood that fell from her nose slowly pooled around her head. Sage was weak, weaker than she had ever been. The long late nights she spent wasting away in the Room of Requirement had finally taken it toll on Sage. Her body and mind pleaded for mercy . She had endured enough of this. Sage hoped and prayed that she wouldn't wake from the darkness that had consumed her mind. Sage was only sixteen, but she welcomed death with open arms.
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--
Draco quickly made his way through the dark halls. The sun was beginning to rise and Sage had yet to make an appearance. Draco internally scolded himself for letting her go work by herself. He knew what the spell was doing to her, so why in Merlin's name would h let her continue? He finally reached the room ad hurried into it. THe worried boy narrowly rushed through the towers of junk. When he reached the cabinet his entire world seemed to pause. The air left Draco's body when his eyes fell on Sage. If it wasn't for the rising and lowering of her chest, Draco would have thought she was dead.
"Please don't be dead." He whispered, rushing to the unconscious girl. He gently lifted her abnormally light body and carried her from the room. The few students that littered the halls ceased their conversation to watch the unfolding scene. Draco paid no mind to the on-lookers, his thoughts only centered around Sage's body.
Among the onlookers were Alaric Dawson and Hermione Granger. Unlike Hermione, who was standing as still as a statue, Alaric immediately followed after Draco. He pushed through the students who stopped walking, his heart beat matching his hurried, thunderous steps.
"Is that Sage?" Harry had asked in a hushed whisper, glancing behind him to see Draco turning a corner. Hermione was opening and closing her mouth, searching for the words to talk, but nothing came out. Worry was all the Gryffindor girl felt. She forgot the impending sense of suspicion that she felt when the Malfoy-Whitaker duo came into mind. All she wanted to do was to follow Malfoy and see if Sage was okay.
And that's exactly what she did, or at least tried to. Before Hermione could actually leave, Harry gripped her arm tightly. She looked back at him with a confused look.
"Don't, Hermione." Harry said cautiously. Hermione glanced between the corner Alaric and Draco had turned and Harry. Her heart longed to follow the two guys, but her mind kept her rooted in place. She pulled her arm out of Harry's hold and readjusted the bag that rested on her shoulder.
"Yeah, you're right." Hermione said softly. Harry sighed, watching his closest friend's face wash over with conflict. Hermione walked down the hall with Harry, trying to push the thought of Sage's unconscious figure from her mind. But, it was all she had thought about for the remainder of the day.
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--
Classes went on and Hermione always found herself searching for Sage, Draco, or even Alaric. But, alas, they were nowhere to be found. Worry was the only thing on her mind, reminding her that the girl she loves was hurt.
The night washed over the castle, candles illuminated the halls that very few students wandered. The majority of the student body were at dinner, but Hermione wasn't. She was walking to the hospital wing with one thing on her mind: Sage. Sure, she had told Harry that she wouldn't go see the hurt Slytherin, but she couldn't help it. The heart wants what the heart wants, right?
When Hermione reached the Hospital Wing, she hesitantly pushed the doors open. The wing was dimly lit, but Hermione had no problem navigating through the darkness. She stealthy moved past Madame Pomfrey, trying not to be caught by the matron. Hermione's eyes searched the seemingly endless rows of hospital beds till they found the broken body of Sage. Draco and Alaric were next to her bedside in deep conversation. Hermione made her way to the bed where Sage resided, her heart breaking at the sight of the pale girl. Hermione's soft footsteps caused the conversation between Draco and Alaric to immediately cease. Draco's steel eyes narrowed at the sight of the Gryffindor girl, making Hermione want to shrink back. But, she gathered her courage and stood a little bit taller, trying not to let her uneasiness show.
"What the bloody hell are you doing here?" Draco spat out making Hermione's blood run cold. Alaric glanced at Draco in confusion, his brows furrowed and a frown on his face.
"I came to see her." Hermione said, her voice coming out much harsher than she intended. Draco scoffed, his grip tightening on Sage's hand. He knew that if she were conscious at this moment, she would have hexed him into oblivion for the way he was speaking to Hermione.
"Leave. Now." Draco said venomously. Hermione clenched her jaw in anger.
"Why should i?" Hermione asked. "I care about her just as much as you do, Malfoy." The Gryffindor girl said, spitting his name out as if it were dirt.
"She wouldn't want you here." Draco said, his voice losing its hostility when he noticed Hermione's glazed eyes.
"Draco, we can give her a few minutes." Alaric added softly before Hermione was able to reply to Draco. The Malfoy looked over to Alaric, who nodded encouragingly, and then down to Sage. Hermione could see the softness that washed over Draco's face when he looked at Sage. Even the most oblivious person could see the brotherly love the Malfoy boy had for the Whitaker girl. Hermione took a step closer to the foot of the bed, her hands resting on the rail.
"Please, Mal- Draco." The words tasted vile in Hermione's mouth, but she knew that they were needed. Draco looked up to the Granger girl once more and huffed in defeat.
"Fine. Five minutes. Come on, Alaric." Draco said as he stood and walked away from the bed, shoving past Hermione roughly. Alaric gave Hermione an apologetic smile and trailed after Draco. Hermione shook her head and walked to the edge of Sage's bed. She gently sat down, trying not to disturb the unconscious girl. Like a magnet, Hermione's hand tightly gripped Sage's hand. The warmth that was once so familiar to Hermione felt foreign as it washed over her body. She had missed feeling Sage's touch.
"I doubt you can hear me. Maybe that's for the best." Hermione started quietly. Her eyes were trained on Sage's hollowed face. "I, uhm, i don't really know why i'm here. Well, that's a lie. I know why i'm here, but i know i shouldn't be here. Especially after everything. But, i couldn't help myself. I just saw Malfoy carrying you a-and i knew that i had to see you."
"I can't stand to see you like this, Sage. I-I know that you probably don't want to see me, or that you don't care about me anymore, but i still care about you. So much." Hermione paused after her voice cracked. A tear fell from her eye as she focused on Sage's hand in hers. "Y-You need to wake up, Sage. If not for me, then for Draco. Or Alaric."
Silence washed over the two girls, aside from the sniffling that came from Hermione. Hermione knew that she shouldn't care so much about a person who left her without a single explanation. It was common sense. Why would Hermione continue to hurt herself over a person who didn't seem to give a damn about her? The girl sighed, pulling herself away from Sage. As she stood next to Sage's bedside, she moved a strand of Sage's hair out of her face. Hermione sighed and leaned down slowly. The Gryffindor placed a gentle kiss on Sage's forehead, inhaling her scent one last time.
"I love you, Sage. Even if you don't love me." Hermione whispered when she pulled away from Sage. With one last glance, Hermione walked away from Sage and out of the Hospital wing. She didn't spare a single glance to Draco or Alaric, who were waiting outside, because if she did, they would see the tears that threatened to spill. Hermione continued on her way, her heart breaking with every step she took. The small voice of suspicious reason crept back into her head, reminding her of what Draco and Sage may be. But, Hermione knew that it wouldn't change the way she felt about Sage. It wouldn't stop her heart racing everything Sage was even mention, or the stop the endless thoughts about Sage. Hermione was in love, but as everyone knows, nothing gold can stay.
A/N:
OoOoOH ALMOST 2000 WORDS
is this chapter any good? let me know in the comments what yall think is going to happen, or what i meant by "nothing gold can stay"? (s/o to my man robert frost aye lmao)
i think i have a plan for the rest of this part, but im a little nervous about it. i feel like i'm not delivering it v well.
let me know what yall think! i love readng yalls comments!
and also, i have published a new story called "When the Stars Align". It's a regulus black story and im super excited to write it. I will begin that story after i finish this one and my Heath Hussar fanfic, "Once in a Lifetime".
here are the covers for the stories:
"Once in a Lifetime"
A Heath Hussar fan fiction
"When the Stars Align"
A Regulus Black fan fiction
Please show my other stories a little love, and remember to vote, comment, and follow for more updates!
until next time
-outlaws