the_debt_of_time

"What for?" She sat up, handing him the wand.
Before he had a chance to answer her question, he illuminated the room. Holding
the wand over her body, he felt his stomach roll at the sight he was met with. "Mia, what
the fuck is this?"
Shit, she thought as she looked down at the deep purple scar she had all but
forgotten about.
In the insanity surrounding Sirius's attack, Mia had not even realised the month and
year. Madam Pomfrey had warned her, years earlier after taking the De-Ageing Potion, that
when she reached the age she previously acquired them, her scars would resurface. The
long purple line dissecting her ribs was just the first of many. Dolohov's curse that she had
taken in the Department of Mysteries at the end of her fifth year had left behind the nasty
mark. Unfortunately, it could not be glamoured due to its dark nature, which left her in an
awful situation as Sirius stared down at it with his wide eyes.
"Mia! What is this?"
"A scar."
"No shit. This isn't just any scar. This is Dark Magic. When the hell were you cursed?
Who touched you?" He looked wrathful, though Mia knew it was not aimed at her.
"I can't tell you," she muttered, and her heart broke when she saw his walls go back
up. She winced in frustration. "Sirius, wait! You need... You need to learn Occlumency."
"You need to tell me the truth. Someone hurt you!"
"I'm fine. I promise you, Sirius, I am fine. I know what you're thinking. You didn't
fail to protect me."
It was me who failed to protect you, she thought as memories from that particular battle
resurfaced. Fighting alongside Harry, being separated from the others as Death Eaters
chased them from room to room in the Department of Mysteries. She had been knocked
unconscious by the curse only to wake up days later with Future Remus sitting by her
bedside, eyes rimmed in red as he held her hand and told her that Sirius was dead.
His hands still held on to her body as if he were afraid to let her go. "Why are you
keeping this secret?"
"Because I have to." She felt tears pricking her eyes once again. "One day, I'll tell
you everything, I promise you. I'm not hiding anything to hurt you, I swear on my magic.
I'm doing it to keep you―"