the_debt_of_time

"Fine, I won't talk to you," James said irritably. He turned his eyes on Remus, who
tried his best to sit up straight under the scrutiny. "Moony, I missed you last night," he said
with a slightly threatening tone.
"I doubt he can say the same, Prongs." Sirius chuckled, and Peter snorted.
"Shut up, Padfoot." James scowled. "Care to explain yourself?"
Remus cleared his throat. "I won't need to."
"Oh, you really need to."
"Just... Just wait," Remus pleaded.
He let out a loud sigh of relief when there was a hoot from above, and a large,
brown owl soared in through the windows. It flew over the Gryffindor table and straight
to James, carrying a formal-looking, cream-coloured envelope with golden writing in its
beak. There was a small, unbroken, crimson seal on the back of the letter, and many eyes
were wide as they watched James carefully take the parcel from the bird.
"Is that what I think it is?!" Mary squealed.
Lily blinked in confusion. "What?"
James looked positively shocked, the previous scowl wiped from his face as he
turned the envelope over in his hands, breaking the seal and removing the handwritten,
official letter.
Alice and Mary were gasping at the sight while Frank and Peter looked wide-eyed
and shocked. Sirius wore an expression of pride; he kept glancing across the table at a
nervous Remus, who was purposely trying to keep his eyes focused on James despite the
look of surprise Mia was giving him.
"Does someone want to explain to the poor, idiot Muggle-born what the hell is
going on?" Lily snapped angrily at the rest of the table.
"That's a Letter of Intent!" Mary shrieked. "It's an old-fashioned pureblood thing
men would send the parents of a girl they wanted to properly and publicly court. It's very
formal and romantic and―"
"Completely unnecessary," Mia finished. She had researched pureblood customs,
traditions, and old pureblood laws and magics years ago after being adopted by the Potters.
In order to make her pureblood status believable, she wanted to know everything a proper
pureblood witch would know.