the_debt_of_time

"Of course you know the rules." Hermione stood up and made her way over toward
Mia, her clothing shifting again, this time to Muggle attire. She tugged on Mia's robes,
pulling at the blouse beneath to reveal her inked shoulder blade. "God, you've got them
inked into your skin. I can't believe you've tattooed us! You do realise that's permanent,
don't you? It's magical ink," she said with a judgemental tone. "You can't even have that
removed in the Muggle world."
"If I recall, you did permanent things to our body as well," Mia snarled at the girl,
reaching out and lifting Hermione's red jumper, revealing the soft skin beneath which was
flawless, save for the purple scar on her ribs.
"Yes, well.. ." Hermione flushed, embarrassed as she tugged her jumper back
down to cover herself. "Not intentionally. Your splinching scar will appear soon," she
pointed out. "Just a few months."
"I know."
"You'll have to explain that one."
"I know."
"Remus will be upset."
"I know."
"And even if you're able to get them to believe another lie, the scar that will appear
after that is.. ." Hermione gestured to her forearm where letters had been cut into her
flesh.
"I know what scar comes after that!" Mia yelled and turned away from the sight of
it, her eyes looking down to her own forearm, which was still, thankfully, unblemished.
"It wasn't our fault," Hermione whispered, putting a hand on Mia's shoulder. "We
did what we had to do, you know that. We bear the scars of our past because we sacrificed
our childhood to help Harry. A childhood that Remus has tried to give back to you. You're
throwing his gift away."
"I'm trying to be useful," she said, shrugging off Hermione's hand. "If that means
sacrificing again to help Jamie, then so be it. It's the same thing."
"It's not the same thing, and you're well aware of that," Hermione snapped, her tone
resembling an irate Molly Weasley. "You've just somehow repressed the part of your brain
that's logical. Maybe that's why I'm here. Your subconscious knows what you're doing is
detrimental, not only to your health but to the relationships that you've spent years