the_debt_of_time

Stepping into the office, Mia saw it was evident that Minerva had settled into the
space well. Despite her affection for cats, the walls were not plastered with ugly little kittens
on plates as Dolores Umbridge used to have. Instead, there was an overall level of comfort
and organisation, with everything having a welcomed place where it belonged.
Mia smiled at the sight, letting the unfamiliar decor of the room ground her, but
then she glanced up to where she knew Dumbledore's portrait hung. Upon seeing the
empty frame, she exhaled in relief and took a step toward the fireplace when a voice from
the wall called out to her.
"Very interesting attire, Miss Granger."
She turned to stare up at the portrait of Severus Snape, having long forgotten how
old her former professor looked. The last time she had seen him, he had been just a boy.
She supposed being in Voldemort's presence and under Dumbledore's thumb had a way
of taking years off a man's life.
"You have a problem with my clothes?" she boldly asked the painting. "I think I
look quite fit in these." She did a little spin for him, smirking when the portrait blanched
in disgust, only making her smile widen. "I'll thank you to not stare at my arse when I
leave."
Snape's eyes narrowed as a realisation clearly dawned on him. He sneered in her
direction, his upper lip curling as he spat out, "Potter."
"Snape."
"I see you've made it back after tumbling through time. Pick up any fleas along the
way?" he inquired, his attention briefly turning to Remus who rolled his eyes in reply.
Mia snorted in amusement. "You don't bother me anymore, Snape. I think six years
of listening to you prattle on about how inept I was at Potions and how I was a know-it-
all at everything else was more than compensation for me punching you in the face."
"Twice."
"Twice," Mia agreed. "Which I apologised for if you remember."
"I remember." Snape cleared his throat, suddenly looking uncomfortable. He
glanced at Remus and then Minerva, seeming annoyed that they were still in the room.
"Thank you," he eventually mumbled, looking as though the words were painful to say
aloud. "For what you said to me."
Mia's shoulders dropped. "I'm sorry she never forgave you. I truly am."