the_debt_of_time

"No. I asked right after they brought the quarantine wards down." He sighed in
frustration before taking a sip from the drink. "The explosion came from a few floors up
where she might be. When I inquired, her name wasn't on the list of... the list of
casualties."
"I'm sorry about your father." Lily shook her head.
She had been thoroughly enraged when Mia had explained all the events of the day.
Mia knew that as an object of prejudice herself, Lily felt a special connection with
Remus long before she ever announced that she had figured out his secret back in first
year. She had seen how different he was from his friends and how many of the professors
looked at him with equal parts pity and anxiety, like they were waiting for him to either
hurt himself or someone else. Lily had once admitted to Mia that she felt partly to blame
for the way Snape had taken an interest in Remus and his condition. Considering the way
the Marauders treated her childhood friend—and many others—Lily had no business being
kind to any of them, but she had, in fact, taken a special interest in befriending Remus long
before either of them wore prefect badges. Snape had been suspicious and eventually
jealous, especially when Lily had willingly confessed the small crush she had on the quiet
Gryffindor bookworm. Having been best friends for so long and having always told one
another everything, Lily had not thought twice before confessing her schoolgirl feelings
for her Housemate. The resulting conversation had been the first time Snape turned his
bitter anger toward her, and he had stormed off in a temper.
Feeling guilty for potentially being the reason that Snape targeted Remus, Lily swore
Mia to secrecy.
"You know it's not your fault, right?"
"What? That my mum's sick or that my dad drinks too much and calls me a
monster?"
"Both," Lily insisted and then added quickly, "and you're not a monster."
"I know." Remus ran his hand down his face. "I didn't used to know, but I do now."
Even hidden in the shadows of the hallway, Mia could see that his eyes were red-
rimmed. He was also incredibly pale, and the two scars on his face stood out dramatically,
silver and pink tissue stretched over washed-out skin. Cursing herself for not remembering
until now, Mia wondered if he had taken his Wolfsbane Potion. She doubted it since he
had been with her the entire day and normally drank it before dinner.