the_debt_of_time

After the pack had been formed, however... something was very different. Almost
as though the bond had established her as one of his own, the wolf inside of him was
delighted with the thought of being with her—and often. Instead of the empty need left
behind when their bodies fell together in a pile of sweat-soaked skin and hot breath, Remus
felt nothing but delicious ache and relief. In the back of his mind, the wolf was always there
to remind him that this was temporary; once he found his true mate, he would not need
this, want this, crave this the way he did now. No. He would crave something else—
someone else—entirely.
However, Remus was fighting it—fighting for her, just as Sirius had told him to. All
or almost all, they vowed, and he was putting everything he had into his relationship with
Mia. It was why he sent that formal letter to her parents and brother. It was an unnecessary
move, and he knew it, but he felt like he had something to prove. Mia was—at least for
now—choosing him over Sirius. Choosing him, a half-blood werewolf, over a proper,
noble, pureblood wizard with a pedigree longer than her own. Judging by the way the rest
of the school treated him, Sirius was by far the better looking and more charming of the
two. Remus had known Mia loved Sirius, and this last ditch effort for a relationship with
her was just that: one last shot at happiness, and he was not willing to put anything less
than his all into it.
Unfortunately, his public declaration had brought about trouble, and not only in the
form of overbearing Ravenclaw girls who used Shrinking Charms on their skirts and robes.
No, Remus could deal with the girls, knowing that if they had an inkling as to what
he really was, they would run away screaming. His real trouble came in the form of a harshly
worded letter from his father. It had taken a bit longer for rumours of Remus and Mia's
relationship to reach Lupin Cottage; when it did, his father was none too pleased with
Remus's willingness to draw so much attention to himself.
Remus was just thankful it had not been a Howler.
"How bad?" Mia frowned as Remus opened the letter in the common room. Sirius, James, Peter,
and Lily were all in attendance, and they watched silently as Remus scanned the missive. He felt his brows
draw further and further together, his breath quickening with every word.
"He... He's been drinking. I can tell." He looked over the words, hurt filling him up inside in
ways that years of awkward distance and lack of physical affection from his parents never had. "He says
that I was stupid for making such a public display, and that when I.. ." Remus growled and threw the