the_debt_of_time

"We made Remus an Alpha by literally bowing at his bloody paws." Sirius barked a
quick laugh. "Okay, so we can get him away from Greyback by what... active submission?
That'll provoke the bond?"
She nodded quickly. "First, we have to get Greyback out of the way. Moony won't
be able to see us provoking the bond until Greyback loses rank in front of him. That'll
require bloodshed." She swallowed hard. Of course it requires bloodshed, what bond ritual
doesn't? Her mind drifted back to pulling Sirius from the veil, the blood from her hand, the
golden glow, and then suddenly, the pull toward him—for him.
"Okay." James nodded, looking nervous as they continued moving through the
forest. "Us three against a crazed, blood-thirsty werewolf. No problem," he said
sarcastically. "What's the next step after provoking a bond?"
"Sealing it," Mia answered and then cleared her throat. "Umm... we don't need to
do that."
"Why not? Wouldn't it be stronger?" James asked with a raised brow.
"Yes, always, but... It's just that you and Sirius definitely wouldn't want to do it."
"Hey, if Remus's life is on the line here, Mia, I'd do just about anything," James
defended adamantly.
Sirius laughed but then he cleared his throat in an obvious bid to be stern. "Prongs,
werewolves seal their bonds by mating and then marking each other."
James stood still for a moment, his face turning an interesting shade of crimson.
"Right. So he'll survive just fine with an unsealed bond?" he asked clearly, and Sirius stifled
a laugh but nodded. "Is the plan to just—?"
James was cut off by a loud scream in the distance, followed quickly by another.
The three looked skyward and saw the full moon in all its bright, damaging glory. They
listened to the echoes of Remus's painful cries, and Mia winced, closing her eyes and
burying her face in Sirius's chest as he wrapped a protective arm around her. Remus always
had to suffer through the transformation, but she could not imagine what was happening
to him now, knowing Greyback was there with him.
She could not fathom how afraid he was.
"We need to find them before they find us," James insisted. "Shift now and stay in
sight."