the_debt_of_time

"Send me back," she pleaded, tears streaming down her pink cheeks. "I want to go
home."
At her request, he felt a stab of regret. He brought up a hand to wipe at his own
eyes before lowering his head to kiss her forehead. "I'm so sorry. I'm sorry I did this to
you."
She gripped him again, burying her face against his chest as she continued to weep.
"I'm so sorry, love," he repeated softly, over and over again.
A short while later, the tears were dried up, and the two sat on the floor of the
classroom, Mia lying in Remus's lap. She sniffled as he ran his fingers through her hair, the
braid long since having come undone.
"Am I really back?"
"Do you hate me?" Remus murmured quietly, absently running a finger along a
mark on the ground. "I betrayed you and tricked you into touching the Time-Turner."
"I could never hate you," Mia snapped at him and sat up to stare him in the face.
"You promised me you would do it, and you kept your promise. I didn't understand at first,
but now I do. Oh, Remus," she whispered with a sad smile, reaching up to touch his face.
"Look at you."
Remus chuckled, ducking his head slightly. "Old and ugly."
"You've always been beautiful to me." Mia leant forward, placing a chaste kiss to
his mouth as she had done a thousand times before. When she pulled away, her eyes
widened, and she shrieked, "Oh Merlin, you're married!"
Remus laughed, the noise sounding hoarse to his ears. His throat was still tight with
overwhelming emotions. "Tonks understands. I told her everything long before we got
married. She's actually a little... Well, you're a Black. You know how your family is," he
said, rolling his eyes.
"You're married," Mia said in awe, looking down at his hand to admire the simple
wedding band there. She smiled, looked up at him, and all too quickly smacked him in the
arm. "You got married and didn't invite me to your wedding!"
"Ow!" He moved away from her repeated strikes. "Didn't really have a choice, did
I? You weren't you. It would have been weird."
"I've always been me." She glared at him, scooting closer so she could run her fingers
through his hair. The amused expression on her face told him that she was examining the