the_debt_of_time

Severus Snape, and her use of his curse in front of him had put a bulls-eye on her
back. She was the reason the Marauders fought him now. The reason that Severus lost
control and cut ties with Lily, the only thing potentially keeping him from fully being
recruited by Death Eaters. Now he would be. Snape would join Voldemort, overhear a
prophecy, and unknowingly bring about the deaths of James and Lily.
And Mia had been the catalyst for it all.
When she had returned to the common room covered in sweat, tears, and blood,
the boys jumped to attention.
"Mia, what happened?" James bellowed. "Are you okay? Who did this?"
"I did," she muttered. "I'm going to my room."
"No! Mia, what happened?" Sirius stared wide-eyed at the cuts on her hands from
when she had decided to destroy the chandelier.
"Learn Occlumency," she replied. "All of you."
She said nothing more to them as she made her way up the staircase to the girls'
dorms where she found Lily crying. Her heart broke for her friend who had tried to be so
strong in the face of others, but she knew Lily had her own vulnerabilities. Mia used a few
non-verbal charms to clean herself up—which she admitted she should have done before
even coming back to the tower—then sat on Lily's bed and pulled her friend into a tight
hug.
The girls stayed like that for an hour, Lily crying for the loss of her childhood friend,
and Mia quietly regretting the beginning of a war she could not prevent.
"Lily?" Mary called from the door. "I'm sorry, Lils, but... Snape's outside the
portrait. The Fat Lady's throwing a fit because he won't leave until he talks to you. Says
he's going to sleep outside the entrance if you don't come out."
"Tell him to sod off!" Mia growled.
Lily sighed. "No. It's fine. I'll get rid of him."
"Lily, I'm sorry. I'm sorry about everything."
"Nothing you could have done about it, Mia." Lily offered a shrug and a sad smile
as she and Mary walked out, closing the door behind them.
Mia nodded quietly to herself. "I know."