the_debt_of_time

barn owl. "Get these to the Order," he instructed, passing the bird a small treat before
attaching the neatly folded pieces of parchment to her foot. "The Burrow first."
The owl promptly took flight through the open window, and Remus let out a small
sigh before turning back to his recently-returned friend.
"Coffee then? Am I allowed coffee? Or am I back in Azkaban where every move I
make is dictated for me?" Sirius said, his voice gravelly as he levelled Remus with a hard
glare to emphasise his indignation.
"Well, you're just as chipper as you've ever been, love." Tonks stood, dusting her
hands off on her robes. "I'll go and get you some tea." She paused as Sirius narrowed his
eyes at her. "No, you'll drink tea. Hermione was insistent that you need rest." She smirked
at him before turning, squeezing Remus's hand, and then leaving the boys in the living
room.
"What happened, Remus?" Sirius asked again, this time at a lower volume.
He scanned the room, immediately recognising it as the old Lupin Cottage where
Remus had grown up. Sirius had not been here since Voldemort's return. Before that, it
had been when he had broken out of Azkaban and fled Hogwarts on Buckbeak's back. He
had gone to the cottage for a quick stop to get information before making a break for it
and spending another year on the run.
Remus chuckled, but the laughter never reached his eyes. "That's the question, isn't
it?"
Sirius stared into the face of his best friend, catching sight of many new lines, a few
extra scars, and a bit more grey hair than he remembered. "Mia?"
"Hermione."
Scowling at the correction, Sirius cleared his throat. "She's grown up."
Remus angled his brow at his friend. "Still Hermione."
"Shit."
"Agreed."
"Harry?"
"You've missed a bit since you've been gone."
"He's all right, though? Safe? I remember fighting." Sirius narrowed his eyes in
concentration, trying to focus on the details that he felt were slipping away from him. His