the_debt_of_time

"Nope, no more talking until tomorrow. Now, open Remus's gift. He's been fussing about it
forever."
"You miss Sirius Black," Remus whispered. "That's what you said the night we made
you and Sirius drink Veritaserum to confront your relationship issues. You meant him,
didn't you? This version of Sirius."
"If you bring up the age thing, I'm going to hex you," Mia threatened without even
looking at him.
Remus chuckled, believing her. "Not a word." He thought back to the letter. "It
says you used a Time-Turner before? To save Sirius?"
"He got in trouble," Mia said in a clipped tone.
"He does that." Remus smirked slightly, a part of him glad to know that not much
would change in the future. Sirius was apparently still Sirius. "And the Department of
Mysteries?"
"That's a very long story. And one better to be lived, I think."
"What lives are lost? Who dies in the war?"
Mia frowned and averted her gaze. "You know I can't say that. I've already tried to
fix things, and it blew up spectacularly in my face. Dumbledore and even Mum told me
not to change anything. Yes, she knew. She knew everything." She shook her head in
frustration. "I couldn't even change things if I wanted to. I've actually done the Arithmancy
calculations on my success rate as well, and none of them come out in my favour. If I were
to change things, and actually have them change, it would make the future worse. Even so,
I don't think it would work."
"Why's that?"
"Because time is, in fact, a loop—just like the letter says. If I were to successfully
make any change in the past, I might somehow prevent my future self from obtaining the
Time-Turner to begin with and, thus, never be sent into the past to change it." She reached
into her pocket and removed the small box Dumbledore had given her. Opening it, she
tugged on the gold chain and removed the item that was attached to show Remus.
Dangling there before him was a small hourglass wrapped in a silver casing. Inside
was blue sand that looked to be frozen, unmoving. He hesitantly touched the Time-Turner,
looking at it carefully, tilting it to the side where he noticed a rune carved into the bottom.