the_debt_of_time

"I don't want to get it all out," he argued. "I want to just... just enjoy the fact that
you're here and alive, and you know who the fuck I am for the first time in years."
"We can't move on until we do this. Sirius, you need to―"
The rage and grief filled him up inside, making his body feel cold. He hated the
cold. It sank into his bones and made everything ache. Furious at the reminder, he spun
on her.
"You let me rot in Azkaban for twelve fucking years!"
Damn her, she didn't even look surprised.
"I betrayed Remus, Peter betrayed us all, but you betrayed me, Mia! You knew! You
knew everything, and you let it happen!" He turned away from her and ran his fingers
through his hair. Breathing hard, he walked to the corner of the room and pressed his
forehead against the wall, bracing himself. "Merlin, I... Please just yell at me. I need you
to be angry at me, too. Tell me what you're thinking."
Mia did not know what she was thinking. Not really. She knew she had no desire to
yell at him. He was right. She had allowed it all to happen and spent years hating herself for
not doing anything to stop it. Trying to redeem her inaction now felt foolish in itself. There
was truly nothing she could do to make up for what she had allowed to transpire, and a
simple apology would not fix anything. It would be insulting to even think it would make
up for twelve years in hell. Sirius must have known it, too, which was likely why he pleaded
with her to yell at him.
So she did.
"I begged you to trust Remus," her voice started out as a whisper but gradually
increased in volume. "Told you specifically not to trust Wormtail, but you did anyway. If you
couldn't make Remus the Secret-Keeper, you should have kept it to yourself! But I'm not
even angry about that," she admitted, and Sirius turned around to look at her, confused. "I
knew what was going to happen to Jamie. I knew it had to happen because, in any other
circumstance, Lily wouldn't have had the chance to protect Harry the way she did. But
I am angry because instead of taking care of Harry like you were supposed to, you let
Dumbledore give him to Petunia and Vernon! He should have been with you and Remus!"
Sirius silently agreed and reached out, pulling her into his arms, kissing her hair.
Slowly, they both began to calm down, and he whispered, "I'm sorry," in her ear.
"Me, too," she mumbled against his chest.