the_debt_of_time

James were engaged in a game of wizard's chess while Dorea and Mia each had a book in
hand.
When the green flames burst through the fireplace, everyone turned to see a
dishevelled Remus step out, not bothering to dust the soot from his weathered robes.
Mia rushed forward, wrapping her arms around his neck and holding him tight.
"Where have you been? Why haven't you written me?" she cried, pulling away to examine
his face as though she were looking for injuries—a long-term habit she had kept after being
in a war.
Remus, for some reason, was doing the same to her. "You're okay?"
He was panting hard, panic evident in his tired eyes. Mia could tell that he had not
slept for some time. She had known that the full moon was the night before, and she had
been so worried because Remus had not even written to collect the Wolfsbane Potion she
had brewed for him.
"You're not hurt?" he asked, touching her cheeks and looking over her shoulders
and her arms. "You're not...? You didn't... ?"
"I'm fine, love."
Without another word, Remus sighed in relief and fell to the ground, his knees
colliding with the floor as he buried his head in his hands to cover the shame on his face.
"Remus?" Mia whispered, moving to touch his shoulder, but he flinched away from
her.
"Mia, darling, let's go fix some tea for our guest," Dorea said politely as she stood.
As James and Charlus glanced up at the witches, Dorea gave them a sharp look that
said, Take care of this!
Remus looked up just in time to see Mia disappear through a door. His first instinct
was to assume that her mother did not want her near him. He had not even looked at
himself in a mirror since waking up after the moon. Merlin, he must look a fright.
"Moony," James whispered, kneeling down beside him. "Moony... Remus, what
happened, mate? Mia said you were supposed to write her over a week ago. She's been
beside herself, a right nightmare worrying about you."
"I-I couldn't... My dad." Remus frowned and looked up at Mia's father, who stared
down at him with concern written on his face. "Sir, I... I'm sorry to just burst into your
home like this, it was very... very impolite of me."