the_debt_of_time

Silenced filled the gap between them as they each leant on the brick walls of the
alley, facing one another. He was waiting for her to yell and cry, call him an arsehole and
slap him across the face. Maybe tell him that she had never really loved him or curse him
for breaking her heart. What he had not expected was:
"I refuse."
Remus blinked, confused. "Excuse me?"
"I said I fucking refuse," she spoke slowly, as though he were stupid. Maybe he was.
"I'm your mate, so you're stuck with me."
Remus groaned, rubbing a hand over his face. "Dora, please don't make this any
harder―"
"Have you met me?" she asked with a forced laughed. "I
make everything exceptionally more difficult and, up until two weeks ago, you loved that
about me. I'm a Black, and just because Sirius is dead doesn't mean you get to toss the
whole family away. You don't want to date me? Fine. You'll get over it. Sirius told me you
went through weird relationship shit with Mia, too."
Remus winced at the memories. The way his father had looked at him in St Mungo's,
as though being in public with Mia had been a sin against his very nature: scandalous and
unnatural.
"You can't have a life with me. No witch can. Dora, you were injured, you could
have died, and I couldn't even go to see you." She was an Auror and clumsy to boot. She
would always end up getting hurt. Did she expect to just sit in St Mungo's each and every
time while her boyfriend, lover, husband—whatever he could be to her—sat at home
twiddling his thumbs? "I can't offer you anything but danger. The war is getting worse, and
Dumbledore wants me to―"
Her anger briefly subsided as her eyes widened. "Wants you to what?"
"I'm going undercover," he whispered and then added, "again."
"What do you mean again?" After a moment, she inhaled sharply as she put the
pieces together. "Wait... the packs? Remus, is the... is your Pack Bond strong enough
for that? Sirius said that last time you almost―"
"It'll have to be," he answered, unsure of himself.
Dora shook her head in a panic. "Don't go."
"I have to. This is what I can do for the Order. This is how I can help."