the_debt_of_time

by staying by Hermione's side, hoping that whatever was left of the Pack Bond magic would
help her heal faster if he were close by. It would not work, of course. She was not sealed
to him—not like Mia had been, and Sirius... but Remus felt he needed to do something,
even if it was to stay out of everyone's way, guarding one little witch while she healed.
"Could have died," Madam Pomfrey said when she first examined Hermione's body.
Remus stood at the foot of the bed shaking.
Once the adrenaline from the battle had worn off, he had collapsed by Hermione's
bedside, sobbing into his hands. He felt a slender pair of arms encircle him and looked up
to see a teary-eyed Minerva McGonagall staring down at him. He felt all of twelve years
old as she hugged him, remembering when his mother used to comfort him, remembering
when Dorea would do the same.
"I was supposed to take care of him," Remus choked the words out; they felt like
sandpaper on his tongue. "I promised her."
"You couldn't have predicted this, Remus."
"Why me?" he asked, his voice breaking again. "Why am I the one that always gets
left behind?"
"You are not alone," Minerva promised, exchanging her recently soft tone of voice
for her usual clipped way of speaking. There were tears in her eyes; Remus could not recall
another moment when he had seen such a thing. "Now, you need to take care of yourself,
young man. If you're not going to allow anyone else near Miss Granger, then you need to
be up to the task of looking after her by looking after yourself."
Remus numbly nodded, not catching all of her words. When she left, only to be
replaced by Madam Pomfrey again, he paid more attention to the mediwitch who he at
least allowed to heal Hermione. With the other students in bad shape from the battle, he
was left in charge of Hermione's potions, just as Mia had been left in charge of him so very
long ago.
When Hermione finally regained consciousness, Remus was there, sitting in an
uncomfortable chair by her side, her hand held gently in both of his. He heard her breathing
change and felt her stirring long before she spoke. Not knowing what to say to her, he
remained silent.
"Harry?" Hermione mumbled quietly.
Remus frowned and tightened his grip on her hand slightly. "Hermione?"