the_debt_of_time

a large stone dais. On the dais stood a massive archway unsupported by any surrounding
wall.
Remus could barely take his focus off the thing. His gaze on the heart of the room
was so intense that he did not notice Hermione had stepped inside the door until she began
to move down toward the pit.
"Hermione!" he called out after her in a panic. "What do you think you're doing?"
She turned back and glanced at Remus, a hint of remorse on her face. "This is why
I came. I asked you to trust me," she reminded him. "Do you still?"
"I.. ." He wanted to, but the words caught painfully in his throat. "Hermione,
please, please don't go near that thing. I can't.. ." The idea of losing her the same way he
lost Sirius was unfathomable. He could not go through it again.
"If you won't come down with me, then guard the door."
Remus stood there, gobsmacked as Hermione continued to move forward,
approaching the stone arch much too fast for his comfort. He had not had the time to
observe the arch and veil closely when he had last been here. Now, he could barely stand
to look at the thing. To the casual observer, it looked to be just a simple construction,
though what lie beyond was indefinite.
This was a terrible idea. Remus had been positive that she had come for the Time-
Turner. In fact, he knew that this specific Time-Turner in the pocket of his robes now was
the sole reason for him being there. So why had she brought him into this horrible room
of death and misery?
"I'm sorry that I didn't tell you everything, but I was coming here regardless of your
assistance." Putting her wand down next to her, she knelt in front of the large archway. She
pulled a small, beaded bag out of her robes and sank her arm into it up to her elbow.
He tried to reason with her as he made his way down toward the centre of the room.
"Hermione, I can't imagine what you think you can accomplish here, but I beg you to get
away from that thing. Please." His heart sank at the thought of the worst-case scenario.
"I'm not going through it, I assure you," she promised as she dug around in her bag.
She pulled out what looked to be a stained t-shirt, followed by a small black pack
that Remus recognised as a field mediwitch kit, which generally held an assortment of
potions. Finally, she picked up her wand with a shaky hand and stood, facing the arch.