the_debt_of_time

sister. The wolf in him was grateful that he had been alone—the sole person left behind to
care for the girl.
"I should just... This is ridiculous. I am this old, and I can't sleep without my
bloody brother." She sniffed, looking embarrassed, and Remus knew for certain that she
had woken up in tears from whatever it was that plagued her.
"Do you... Do you need company?" he asked, rephrasing his original Want to climb
in? with something he felt was more appropriate. It had been a year since they had shared
a bed at Potter Manor. It felt innocent then, especially since James and Sirius were both
there with them, encasing Mia between them all as if to protect her from her dreams. They
were barely twelve at the time. Hell, most of them still drank their pumpkin juice from
straws.
But now...
"Is that all right?" she asked quietly.
"Come on." Remus scooted to the side, kicking back the covers and allowing her
to slip beneath them. He set his book down on the bed, somehow using the pages to keep
her body from touching his as she made her way beneath the blanket, and closed the
curtains behind her, blocking out the light that the sliver of moon in the sky allowed into
the room.
He was momentarily reminded of the many times she had crawled into his bed in
the hospital wing on the mornings after his transformations, once she was finished healing
his bloodied and broken body. At first, it had been healing to his soul to have her there,
willingly touching him and showing kindness, but after so long, it became increasingly
difficult to rely on her so much. Not only did he not want to become dependent on her,
but a nagging sense of pride somewhere deep down said that he wanted her to see him as
strong.
Now, with her head cradled against him, he was suddenly the caretaker, and his wolf
gave an internal yip of approval. He remained absolutely silent, not wanting to question
her about the nightmares or her dried tears. That was the comfort of their friendship.
Words were never necessary.
The moment she fell into a deep, deep sleep, Remus could not stand it any longer.
He leant forward and nuzzled his nose into her hair and breathed in deep, hoping that if
he grew accustomed to her scent it would not feel like a craving every time she walked into