the_debt_of_time

"Careful or you might bury so deep in this misery you're creating that you'll come
out the other side cheerful."
He lifted a brow at her. "How many firewhiskies have you had?"
"None," she answered proudly, holding up the slender bottle in front of her. "I'm a
butterbeer girl tonight."
"How come you're not out there?" Remus gestured to the dance floor where Frank
was now spinning Alice around in a circle, laughing.
"How come you're sitting here?" Mia countered.
"You first."
Mia dramatically sighed, leaning her head on his shoulder. "My dance partner has
abandoned me. I told him to go and play nice with the Muggles." She flippantly gestured
at a round table in the corner where a miserable-looking Petunia and Vernon Dursley sat
with their noses in the air as an enthusiastic Sirius attempted conversation.
"That's probably not the best idea you've ever had, love," Remus said, amusement
tinting his tone of voice. "So, instead of dancing the night away in the arms of your
boyfriend, you've come to keep company with the―"
"Sad sod sitting in the corner?" Mia offered, chuckling when Remus burst out
laughing.
"Something like that."
"Why are you sad, my lovely Mr Moony?"
Remus sighed, taking the butterbeer bottle from her hands and finishing it off. He
smiled when she relaxed against him, allowing him to settle an arm around her shoulders.
"Weddings are stressful. There're so many people. Thanks for convincing James and Lily
to keep it small. I know Sirius was already trying to get Andromeda and her family to
come."
Mia smiled sadly, imagining how awkward it would be if Sirius's cousin had, in fact,
shown up to the wedding where Remus would certainly make an awkward fool of himself
trying to escape a six-year-old. "If it makes you feel any better, you had a very small wedding
yourself," she whispered as she tilted her head up to awkwardly look at him.
"Are you able to tell me that?" he asked, raising a brow and staring down at her.
"Evidently."
"What was it like?"