Yes! I kept my promise to all three of my fanfics. Even though it's 8 o' clock at night... it's still the weekend. And this is Chapter 16! This officially makes this my longest fanfic yet, as well as my first. =) Enjoy reading!

Disclaimer: Don't own Set Fire to the Rain, don't own HP.

"Oh, please, Black, I don't need your help," Sasha teased as Sirius tried to take her luggage to load into the Hogwarts Express. The moment was nothing she would've expected at the beginning of that year - the Sasha Williams of September would have scoffed at the idea of sitting in a compartment piled full with Sirius and his friends, as well as Carmen, Anna, and the rest. She smiled as Sirius lifted her by the waist so that she could sling her suitcase onto the top of the already teetering heap.

"Ah!" she squealed as she fell, only to be caught, bridal style, by the smiling black-haired boy. Carmen smirked at her as she stumbled to her feet awkwardly. Sasha made a face back at her and snarled at Sirius. "Get off me." It was three words, but it meant a world of hurt, evident by the look on his face, which looked like it had been utterly crushed.

"Well, sorry," Sirius retorted, once Sasha had taken her seat between Carmen and Anna. "I didn't know that friends weren't allowed to catch each other when they fall."

Sasha looked down awkwardly. What could she say to that? It was all he had been doing, after all, for the past year, pretty much. Catching her. Sasha's heart seemed to unravel like a spool, and she knew that her normally composed face showed how insecure she was about her true feelings. But it was true - he'd helped through all her problems with Severus and with the Death Eaters... he'd helped her survive that year. "I... Sirius, I just... this isn't really the place..." she stuttered finally, unwilling to simply remain silent.

"Then what is the place, Sasha?" Sirius asked fiercely, not caring that his and her friends were all standing around, watching intently as they faced off. Of course, all of them, Michelle, Linda, Anna, Potter, Carmen, Lupin, Pettigrew... they'd been involved to some degree or another. But Sasha couldn't help being nervous - partially because she knew that all of them thought she was wrong. All of them knew she was wrong.

Including her.

Why couldn't she accept the fact that she and Sirius were meant to be together? Butthat'snottrue, Sasha thought desperately. There is no evidence to say anything of the kind... I don't even like him... But what if I do? I can't... be with him. I can't open my heart to some random guy! Sasha grimaced. Was that her problem? Was she too afraid to open her heart? But she'd done it with Severus. Or was she too afraid to get hurt, again?

"I don't know, Sirius," she answered finally. "I don't know if there is a place. Or a time. Or a world where that could be possible. Let's just try and enjoy this last day with all our friends, until next year. Okay?" Sasha held out her hand diplomatically and with a long sigh, Sirius reached out and shook it, his expression sorrowful.

Potter laughed to break the silence. "Is that the snack cart witch I hear? Let's go get some chocolate frogs!"

"I'm pretty sure what you 'hear' is Lily Evans, Potter," Carmen pointed out dryly, nodding her head towards where the redheaded girl was almost imperceptibly slowing down as she passed their compartment. Sasha scowled at her.

"What have you got against Lily, Sasha?" asked Lupin, who had noticed her expression.

"I don't know about you, but I don't really consider myself friends with someone who called me a 'Ravenclaw floozy' in our only quality conversation," Sasha explained, grinding her teeth together with a half-growl.

Sirius barked out a laugh. "Was our dear Snivellus involved in this conversation, by any chance?"

"Why yes, he was," Sasha responded in a faux-surprised tone. "How could you ever have guessed?"

There was a collective bout of laughter at this as Sirius said to Potter, "See, mate? That's the girl you've been chasing after all these years! Insulting our dear Sasha!"

At the words "our dear Sasha," the temperature in the compartment dropped noticeably by a few degrees, but the uneasy silence was broken by Linda, who chose that moment to notice she'd forgotten one of her ruby broaches at their room. A long search ensued, and by the time it was over, the Hogwarts Express was screeching to a stop at Platform 9 3/4. They all disembarked the train with their suitcases, waving goodbye, as Sasha headed off to find her father. Her face grew longer with each passing second as she thought of all the months that she would pass, practically alone, with only her deeply depressed father.

"Sasha!" called a voice from behind her, an unfamiliar, rather high-pitched voice.

"Hello?" she cried back, unable to make out clear figures in the steam. "Hello? Who's there?"

Slowly, six figures came into focus, all cloaked and masked. Sasha's insides grew cold and her eyes widened. Trembling fingers reached for her wand as the same voice cackled and said, "I believe we have a score to settle, m'dear."

Sirius heard Sasha scream, and immediately he knew something was wrong. Sasha wasn't the kind of girl that just screamed for no reason, and that was one very distinct scream. They'd talked about that before, when Sirius had told her, "They say that wizards find their perfect witch by the sound of her call for help."

She'd laughed, only somewhat uncomfortably, and asked, "Who's 'they?'"

"You know, the people who say those kinds of things," he'd replied softly, brushing a hair out of her face. He'd leaned in, she'd pushed him away, like she always did...

Sirius shook his head. Sasha was in trouble - he couldn't be standing here reminiscing about the past. He rushed towards the sounds, eventually emerging onto the scene, where Sasha and her Ravenclaw friends (who had clearly recognized the sound of Sasha's shriek as well) were valiantly defending against about six Death Eaters - in the blur of the battle, he couldn't be sure. He leapt into action, aware that James, Remus, and Peter were all behind him, Peter mumbling nervously, but the other two holding their ground.

And it wasn't a wizarding school for nothing - as the steam cleared from the just-departed train, the remaining relatives and students, who were still gathered around, saying their goodbyes, took in the scene. Unfortunately, so did a number of the Slytherin parents, who immediately leapt to the defense of the Death Eaters.

But, as often times happens in these kinds of battles, the forces of good began to slowly push back the panting, wild-eyed Death Eaters. Sirius and Sasha were fighting together, locked in fierce combat with a burly Death Eater who kept sending blatant Cruciatus Curses their way. Sirius, however, had enough courage to defeat an army, and Sasha wasn't known as one of the smartest of their year for nothing. The burly Death Eater backed up against the very edge of the platform, his mask slipping as his face became slick with sweat. "Nott," Sirius muttered angrily, shouting a quick "Stupefy!" that found its mark, sending Nott toppling onto the train tracks behind him.

Sasha breathed a half-sigh, half-giggle of relief, exhausted from dodging Unforgivable Curses left and right. As she turned to face the raging battle, where she was quick to notice Severus fighting against a very angry Carmen, she shuddered and quickly collapsed into Sirius' arms. With each ragged breath she drew, tears splashed onto his robes, but he could've taken a million tears and wouldn't have cared. "Sasha... Sasha... it's okay," he murmured, gently petting her chestnut curls.

Looking up with large, wet gray eyes, she responded, "Sirius, how can it be okay? How can you say it's okay when this is all my fault?" Sasha paused, her eyes jumping to each jet of green light she saw, hoping it wouldn't catch someone she loved on the other end. Or someone she knew. Or anyone, really. "What if someone dies today, Sirius? What if someone gets so hurt they can never come back from it? It'll be my fault, Sirius. Mine. I did this..."

"No, Sasha, no," he replied firmly and fiercely. "It will not be your fault. If anything, it will be that ass of an ex-boyfriend of yours, for forcing you to do that. He should feel bad for this. He should be the one to pay."

Sasha was silent, staring at the bat-like shape as it flung spells at her best friend. He'd pay someday. She was sure of it. The Death Eaters... they would all pay. And so would she. All she could hope for was that thiswould be her payment - it'd be enough to make her regret everything she'd done for the rest of her life. "I know," she replied finally. "Now let's go kick some Death Eater butt."

Sirius laughed, surprised, and allowed her to take his hand as they accosted the nearest Death Eater. Sasha felt strangely happy in that moment, although by all reason she should've been furious, sad, worried for Carmen, Anna, Linda, Michelle... But Carmen would be fine. Carmen was a much better witch than Severus was, and the rest - they weren't Ravenclaws for nothing.

And nothing could feel wrong with Sirius standing by her side. She was sure of that now.

=) sweet, right? Tell me what you thought in reviews! Better yet, give me suggestions on how I can do better with the next chapter. =)