the_debt_of_time

"Hey, love," Remus said as he spotted a head of curly hair in the corner of the dark
living room. When she did not reply, he focused his gaze and noted that Mia's near-
expressionless face was stained with dried tear tracks. He could smell the firewhisky from
where he was standing. "Mia?"
"Dinner's on the table," she responded, her voice hoarse. "I saved you some stew."
Remus kept his worried gaze on his best friend as he walked to the table, glancing
down briefly at the bowl of steaming vegetables and beef that had been placed under a
Stasis Charm for him. "This looks.. ." He raised a questioning eyebrow. "Did Tilly pop
over?"
"I made it."
He frowned, leaving the bowl to return his attention to her. "You cooked? You hate
cooking. I didn't even know you knew how to do it. What's wrong? I can tell you've been
crying," he said as he knelt down in front of her. "Where's Sirius?"
"Locked in the bedroom." She gestured haphazardly down the hallway with the
half-empty glass of firewhisky in her hand. "Not currently speaking to me. We got into a
fight."
"You two always fight."
"Big fight."
Remus lifted her in his arms, even as she protested only to be dropped against his
side as he took her place in the large chair, draping her legs across his lap. He tried smiling
at her as he stroked the back of her hair.
"How does that even work?" he asked, hoping to distract her by means of
conversation. The girl had a habit of needing to educate people on every little thing, after
all. "I mean, shouldn't the Soul Bond make the two of you constantly overjoyed with one
another?"
Mia scoffed bitterly and leant back against his chest. "Sirius Black isn't even
constantly overjoyed by being in the company of Sirius Black."
Remus nodded. "Fair point."
"It's not like you and.. ." Mia started to say but stopped before what he assumed
was his mate's name. He appreciated her discretion. There was no way of knowing if Sirius
was awake and eavesdropping from the other room. "Werewolves and their mates are all
instinctual. Like a magical way of pairing up for the best possible outcomes."