the_debt_of_time

"Take care, then." Harry smiled, clapping his shoulder before walking back to the
drawing room, leaving Sirius alone with Remus.
"Fuck." He groaned as soon as he knew Harry was out of earshot, running his hands
through his hair. "I feel like I'm having a heart attack. Can wizards have heart attacks, or is
that just a Muggle thing?"
"It'll be fine," Remus assured him.
"What if... we just don't send her back? Hermione likes me; I think I can live with
that," Sirius muttered anxiously, his heart racing.
"If she doesn't go back, then I break the Unbreakable Vow, and I die," Remus
stated, narrowing his eyes at Sirius. "I'd like that to not happen. I'd be greatly missed.
Millions would mourn me."
Sirius scoffed. "You sure do think highly of yourself."
"Stop stalling," Remus turned him around and shoved him toward the staircase.
"Go. We're supposed to be with her before she vanishes."
"It'll be fine. It'll be fine," Sirius mumbled to himself as he and Remus approached
the library. Peeking into the room, he smiled at the sight of the witch, who was already
looking at the box that held the Time-Turner within it.
Decades of missing her followed by years of waiting for this moment, and suddenly
it felt like it was all happening too fast. Sirius almost wanted to stop her from opening the
box.
"What's that?" she asked him.
Remus slowly stepped forward. "That's actually from me."
Hermione looked surprised. "Oh."
"Dora and I are heading out. I wanted to come and say goodbye."
Sirius watched as the two embraced. He envied Remus, who had known about this
moment for years longer than he had. Remus, who would be the one to leave in the hopes
that Mia would return to them. Sirius, meanwhile, had a much worse job to do.
"I hope you had a wonderful birthday, Hermione. You really deserve something
good after everything you've done."
"Let me open your present while you're right here."
Sirius felt his heart drop into his stomach as she reached for the box. Thankfully,
Remus stopped her.