the_debt_of_time

"Anytime," she said with a soft smile.
"I can't wait to see Regulus's face in the morning at breakfast. To think, he's going
to spend his twelfth birthday on the floor in the dungeon." He let out a barking laugh.
Mia's eyes widened, and guilt flooded her. "Birthday!?"
"Don't even try to feel bad for him," Sirius insisted, looking completely unrepentant.
"Last November, my parents didn't send me a thing for my birthday, but Reg did. A lovely
family photo where my head was cropped out and glued in place was a picture of our nasty
house-elf. He deserves to be taken down a few notches, trust me."
Biting her lower lip as the guilt ebbed and waned, she finally conceded. "Well...
he was trying to bribe people to knock you off your broom. Speaking of which, I don't want
you and James playing in the game next week. It's too dangerous of a sport on a normal
day, let alone with your own family plotting against you."
Sirius grinned and pulled on one of her curls, chuckling when it bounced right back
like a spring. "Nothing's going to keep me from the sky, kitten. Besides, we're the only
reserve players on the team, and at the Ravenclaw game, Smith and Morgan crashed into
the stands. They're still in the hospital wing and aren't allowed to play. That gives me and
James our chance to show what we can really do."
"Just... promise me you'll be careful. Jamie's my only brother, and
you're.. ." Mine. "You're my friend."
"What are you two up to?" Remus asked as he descended the staircase from the
boys' dorms, looking down at them.
Mia looked up with a blush.
Sirius grinned and shouted, "Snogging!"
Mia gasped—even as her stomach flip-flopped at the thought—and elbowed him
in the ribs.
Hard.