the_debt_of_time

his jaw, like a Pavlovian dog, as he had apparently come to associate Mia's name with facial
pain. "—Miss Potter was as against Death Eaters as one could be."
"Thank you," Lily said while frowning, clearly dissatisfied with the reply.
Sirius knew how she felt. Even if the answer broke his heart all over again, it was
the not knowing that was slowly killing him.
"I was... I was hoping that they'd actually taken her. Then at least we'd have
answers."
"I'm shocked that she'd even allow herself to be taken. I was under the impression
that Potter's sister had the Sight."
Lily looked at him in surprise. "What? That was just a joke she told us years ago to
try to get out of Divination."
"Are you certain?"
Lily nodded. "Absolutely, why?"
"Things the girl said to me before leaving Hogwarts. And there was an altercation
with a former associate of mine: Regulus Black. He informed me that he believed she was
aware of his allegiances to the Dark Lord, but kept his secret for him. Mentioned that she
knew things she shouldn't have known. Of course, who knows what the boy was thinking
at the time."
He wasn't thinking, Sirius thought to himself, burying the remaining grief about
Regulus's death deep down beneath everything else.
"What did Mia tell you, Sev?"
Snape paused and swallowed. "She offered me forgiveness for something I had yet
to do."
"What?"
He looked away from Lily, shame written across his face. "I'd rather not say. She
informed me that I would make a mistake and would seek forgiveness, but that it would
not be offered, and therefore she was giving it to me instead. Then she advised me to seek
out Dumbledore when I was ready to... atone."
"She said that?"
He nodded. "In so many words. She had quite the talent for being cryptic.
Regardless, I did make a rather large mistake and, to atone for my sins, I sought out