the_debt_of_time

working her way around the truth that Dumbledore's spell kept her from uttering.
"Dumbledore placed me with the Potters to protect me."
"That's how you know so much about the Muggle world." Lily sat down on the
other side of Mia, opposite James, and took her friend's hand while Sirius and Remus stared
on.
"Were you... ?" Sirius hesitated, guilt overwhelming his expression. "Do you know
who the Death Eaters were?" He swallowed hard, looking terrified to hear that perhaps it
was someone he knew, someone to whom he was related.
"No," Mia lied, frowning as she realised the reason Sirius was asking. How could
she tell him that it was, in fact, his family that had done such awful things? That it was
Bellatrix who tortured her—tortured them both. "I'm so sorry I've lied to you all, and that
I've made Jamie lie―"
"Don't apologise for anything, Mia," James insisted. He kissed her temple and
hugged her close. "I've never lied. You're my sister and always have been, as far as I'm
concerned. You're a Potter."
"Doesn't make a difference to me in the slightest," Remus promised.
"Nor me," Sirius agreed.
"Certainly not me." Lily smiled brightly, trying to help remove the tense air around
them. "Although, I'm a little annoyed that you let me go on and on teaching you about
television." She laughed, and everyone joined in a little when Mia cracked a smile.
After half a minute of absolute silence, Mia quietly said, "I don't want to be broken
anymore," still clinging to James with one arm while she squeezed Lily's hand with one of
her own.
"Mia, you're not―" James tried to insist, but Mia interrupted him.
"I am," she stated clearly. "Jamie, I really, really am. I could have killed Carrow. It
would have been easy, and I didn't even think about it. I don't want to be a killer. I don't
want to have a broken soul." She frowned, thinking of the future, of Voldemort and
Horcruxes. "So I'll try and talk about things when I need to... when I can, but I need you
all to promise me to never tell another soul. Not Mary, or Alice, or Frank... and not Peter,"
she added with great emphasis.
One by one, they made an oath, swearing upon their magic to keep her secrets.