the_debt_of_time

silvery fox danced around the room playfully, interacting with everyone except for Peter,
who nervously shied away from it.
Lily frowned, clenching her wand with determination. "Having a hard time thinking
of happy thoughts. Everything from Hogwarts feels blurry. Like time's going too fast, so
it's hard to focus on one thing, and everything before Hogwarts.. ."
"Severus?" Mia whispered.
Looking to be on the verge of tears, Lily nodded, turning away to wipe her eyes.
"He was my best friend, Mia. How could he be friends with Mulciber and Avery? After
what they did to Mary, he still hangs around them, and I'm not naive enough to think that
he doesn't know when the Carrows are up to something."
Mia knew how this story began and ended. A lonely half-blood boy and a confused
Muggle-born girl met and became friends. Hogwarts separated them into different Houses,
and somehow, the influence of others ruined everything. The boy grew bitter and dark,
while the girl remained bright and joyful. There would be a great deal of hurt, pain, and
love lost; by the end of the story, the main characters would be dead.
"Do you want to know what I think?"
Lily looked back at her. "Of course. I trust your advice."
Mia thought of Draco, her own bullying wayward Slytherin. "I think just because a
boy can be cruel, hurtful, and unbelievably stupid, doesn't mean he won't grow up to be a
good man. But―" She hesitated, worrying her bottom lip between her teeth, "—he's still a
boy, and therefore can be cruel, hurtful, and unbelievably stupid. You're my friend, and I
don't want you to be the one he hurts."
Lily nodded, looking slightly mollified. "Thanks."
"Don't be afraid to make new happy memories."
"Easy for you to say." Lily chuckled, using her wand to gesture across the room.
"I'm not the one who has the lusty eyes of a werewolf staring at me," she whispered, and
Mia levelled her with a stern look. "Don't worry. I've known about Remus since first year.
Kept his secret this long, haven't I?"
"Thank you. About keeping the secret, not calling my boyfriend's eyes lusty." Mia
laughed and turned around to spot Remus staring at her intently.
"Go," Lily urged her with a giggle. "See if you can't help Remus find his happy
thought."