"To rescue you!" Remus yelled. "That's what the letter says. Which means at some
point in the future, you do something idiotic like leaving Grimmauld Place and end up in
danger! We can't have that happen, Sirius!"
"It's meant to happen," Sirius insisted, ignoring Remus's temperamental outburst.
"Nothing can change what is meant to be."
"Years at Hogwarts watching you and Mia bullshit one another about avoiding Fate
and 'Fuck you, Remus, we should have a choice,'" Remus said mockingly, mimicking Sirius
when he threw two fingers up at him, "and now you're quoting about what's meant to be?
Give me the letter. I know you have it," he ordered, extending his hand, palm up.
"What? Don't get mad at me, they're your words!"
"Yeah, well, they sound stupid coming out of your mouth. Give me the letter, Pads."
Sirius grumbled as he reached into the pocket of his jeans, pulling out the thirty-
year-old sheet of parchment that had been touched, gripped, folded, and read so many
times it looked like it was ready to fall apart at any moment. Petulantly, he threw it at his
friend.
Remus unfolded the letter, trying to lay it flat on the table. "Now go off and pout
to your hippogriff over what a bastard I am."
"I will." Sirius stood and loudly shoved his chair back under the table. As he turned
his back, he muttered, "Fucker," under his breath. "But I'm not leaving because you told
me to. I'm leaving because I've lost my house-elf again, and I need to find him before the
little tosser pilfers more of my stuff."
"Arsehole," Remus muttered as he leant his elbows against the table, looking over
the faded words in front of him in his own handwriting:
When I was much younger, I was given knowledge that I've protected
for many years. Knowledge, instructions, and a mission. That mission has
now been fulfilled, and you hold in your hand the fruit of my labours. You
might recognise the Time-Turner in your hand from when you entered the
Department of Mysteries to rescue Sirius. Once I saw it and recognised it for
what it was, I knew it was almost time. You needed to go back."What am I supposed to do, Mia? What the hell is Sirius going to do?"
"Sirius!"
Remus jumped, startled by the voice coming from the fireplace.