the_debt_of_time

Hermione shook her head. "You've done nothing wrong. It's very generous of you
to open your home like this to us all."
"It's generous for all of you to take pity and keep me company."
She bit her bottom lip, hiding the smallest of smiles. "Mrs Weasley is upset because
Mr Weasley allowed one of the Training Healers to use Muggle stitches on his wound."
Sirius chuckled, rolling his eyes in amusement. "Isn't that where they stick a needle
and thread through your skin?"
"Yes."
He shook his head, just picturing the look on Molly's face on seeing that. "Arthur
gets fascinated with the strangest Muggle things. I stick to the basics: food, music, clothes.
So, I get why Molly's upset. But what about the rest of you?"
Hermione frowned, no longer attempting to cover her sadness. She looked down
into the cup of hot chocolate as though she wanted to hide away in it.
Sirius reflected on the day that began with stacks of presents. Harry was overjoyed
at being able to spend Christmas at Grimmauld Place, and not even the homework planner
that Hermione had bought him as a gift had been able to ruin his good mood. The trip to
the hospital, on the other hand, seemed to have brought everyone down.
"We ran into Neville at St Mungo's."
Sirius's brows furrowed, feeling terrible that he had done little to reach out to the
son of some of his closest friends. Then again, he remembered Frank's mother and figured
she would not willingly let her grandson near him without Aurors present. "Was he in an
accident? Remus mentioned that Neville occasionally has trouble with cauldrons."
"No. He was... He was visiting his parents."
Sirius swallowed hard and whispered, "Alice and Frank?"
"You know them?"
"I... I knew them. I was already in Azkaban when I heard what happened to them.
When the Aurors brought in my―"
"Bellatrix Lestrange?"
"You will not touch my family, you bitch!"
"You dare speak to me that way? Do you have any idea who I am?" Bellatrix shrieked at Mia,
her hands shaking with rage, and her eyes alight with fury.