the_debt_of_time

Harry's mouth fell open. "No."
"Mia was―" Remus began, but was quickly interrupted.
"Mia," Harry whispered. "But you called Hermione.. ." He fell silent, his brow
crinkled.
"During our seventh year at Hogwarts," Remus started again, "we saw a scar on
Mia's arm. Cut into her flesh. A word."
"Mudblood," Harry breathed.
Remus and Sirius nodded gravely.
Harry shook his head in disbelief. "But that's not possible"
"Mia told me everything," Remus continued. "Said that she was from the year 1998,
and she'd been sent back in time. Dumbledore gave her a De-Ageing Potion, had her
adopted into a pureblood family, changed her name, and stuck her in Hogwarts to keep
her safe from the Death Eaters. The potion changed her body but made her scars reappear
as she aged. When the one on her arm showed up, she didn't have a choice but to tell me
the truth. She made me promise that when the time came, I would take a stolen Time-
Turner, charm it into a Portkey, and trick Hermione Granger, herself, into going back to
1971."
Harry's eyes flashed at the revelation. "You? You did this to her? You sent Hermione
into the past?"
"I did."
"How could you do that, Remus?!"
"Because she asked me—no, begged me to," he responded, his eyes pleading for
Harry to understand. "Hermione was with us for years. She built a life with us. She was
hysterical at the idea that she might not get sent back, might never become James's sister or
my friend or Sirius's.. ."
Sirius could feel Remus's gaze fall on him even as he kept his own on his drink,
fighting with it in a mental battle as he wondered if it would even touch him.
After a beat, Remus cleared his throat and continued. "Could you ever deny
Hermione anything, Harry? If she pleaded with you, begged you, and made you promise?
Is there anything in this world that you would ever deny her?"
Harry answered without hesitation, "No. She's... She's my Hermione."
Sirius looked up to see the sad smile on Remus's face.