the_debt_of_time

She had written home earlier that month asking if Remus could stay. He had told
her that he believed his parents had both grown accustomed to not having their life revolve
around his symptoms and were now nervous about having to go back to the way things
had been before Hogwarts, if only for a short holiday. Mia's parents had been more than
happy to invite Remus into their home, something he was clearly both nervous and excited
about as he claimed he had never stayed with friends anywhere outside of Hogwarts.
"Of course. Trying to complete a collection?" Remus chuckled. "You going to ask
Peter to go home with you next?"
"Absolutely not!"
Both boys widened their eyes at her tone.
"I just mean," she said, trying to recover from her mistake, "Peter and I aren't close
like I am with the pair of you." She knew that both Remus and Sirius were aware that there
was no love lost between her and Peter. She was never exactly rude to him, so they never
made a fuss over it.
"I can only stay until Christmas Eve, though," Remus reminded her. "My parents
will be home by then."
Mia inclined her head. "Of course."
James grinned as he slid down the railing of the stairs that connected the common
room to the boys' dormitories. "You'll be happy to know, dearest sister, that I have
everything packed, and I didn't use your bloody checklist to do it," he smugly informed
her.
"You have all your clothes?" Mia asked with a raised brow. She had made the list
for a reason. She saw how frustrated their mother had been in the days leading up to the
first of September. James's trunk had been a nightmare.
"Yes," James answered.
"You packed all the books you need to finish your homework?"
"Yes, I did."
Mia looked him over carefully. "Jamie?"
"Mia?"
"Where's your wand?"
Three seconds passed before his nose twitched, he cursed under his breath on a
groan, and quickly ran back up the stairs.