the_debt_of_time

When they reached the portrait laughing and out of breath, the Fat Lady looked at them
with disapproval in her gaze, but she let them into the common room without much more
than a murmur. Mia crawled through the entrance ahead of James, and the moment they
reached the other side, the gathered Gryffindors burst into song.
Mia laughed as she mis-stepped and tumbled into Remus's arms. The Quidditch
team lifted James onto their shoulders, singing what sounded like a Wizarding version of
"For He's a Jolly Good Fellow." In the corner, Sirius and Peter were popping the caps off
of butterbeer bottles and handing out drinks to everyone.
"Already got one for you," Remus said, placing a bottle in her hand.
"Cheers." Mia grinned and took a long sip, smiling at the look of pure joy on James's
face. It was good to see him happy after the summer they had experienced. It made her
think of her father, and she wondered how he and Tilly were doing on their own back
home.
"I hope the younger years got up to bed before the drinks started being passed
around," she said, spotting two fourth years being ushered up the stairs, pouting.
"Sirius suggested putting firewhisky in sippy cups, but we took a vote against it."
Mia snorted, half-certain that Remus was not joking. "There better not be any
firewhisky in here. Lily will flip her―"
"JAMES!"
The room fell into complete silence, and everyone turned their focus to the entrance
where Lily stood looking as though she had run all the way from the Head rooms to the
top of the tower. She was panting, her hair was a mess, and she had a crumpled bit of
parchment clenched tightly in her hand.
"Did Lily just say—?" Remus blinked in shock at Lily using James's given name.
Sirius and Peter had actually gasped at the name falling from Lily's mouth, and Mia was
suddenly gripping Remus's arm tightly, her eyes alight with anticipated joy.
James looked up toward the entrance and smiled. Not his egotistical, smug, "Look
at me, I'm James bloody Potter" smile, but a smile that said he was genuinely happy that
Lily had shown up.
Mia watched as Lily's gaze connected with James's, and she squeezed Remus's arm
tighter.
Lily held up the parchment in her hand. "You made the prefect schedule."