the_debt_of_time

to her seat to finish her breakfast in peace, ignoring the fact that everyone was now staring
at her.
"Thanks, Mia," Sirius muttered, the emptiness in his chest left behind by Regulus's
disregard filled with warm affection for the witch.
Mia smiled at him from across the table. They gazed at one another, and Sirius was
tempted to reach out and take her hand. But everyone was staring, and they both averted
their eyes, tucking their hands beneath the table.
"I should get to Arithmancy." Mia cleared her throat and stood up quickly from the
table, casting a sad glance in Sirius's direction before nodding to each of her friends and
then leaving the Great Hall quickly.
Sirius frowned and looked down at his plate of food, still full. Nothing looked
appealing, and his stomach ached with hunger and anxious nausea brought on by stress
and worry. His jaw briefly twitched, and he stood from his seat muttering, "I need a
cigarette." He left the table.
Remus shook his head once Sirius and Mia were both gone. "This is getting
ridiculous."
Lily nodded in agreement. "We have to do something about the two of them."
"Or, and just hear me out," James offered, "we do not try to play matchmaker
between my sister and my best friend. I vote for that idea, simply because it's the only idea
that doesn't make me want to pull my hair out."
"It'd grow back," Lily said, running her fingers through James's hair and watching
with amusement as he melted at her touch. Remus chuckled at the sight of the pair who
had, not one year ago, been at odds. "Don't you want Mia and Sirius to be happy?"
"Yes," James groaned with a pout.
"And don't you think they'd be happy together?"
"If they didn't Avada one another first," James muttered, catching a gaze from Lily
that had him sighing loudly. "Fine, yes, it's been an awkward six years watching them dance
around each other and flirt shamelessly. At least when she was with you," he said looking
at Remus, "Padfoot tried restraining himself."
"Now, it's as if they're trying to avoid each other," Remus acknowledged aloud. "I
honestly thought the moment Mia and I officially split, Sirius would be right there, but he
hasn't so much as made a move."