The seventh year students were all lined up, ready to step into the boats and end their time at Hogwarts the same way that they began it. Peter watched as Sirius, James and Remus all entered a boat without him, and couldn't help but recall all of the times that they'd left him behind, both metaphorically and literally. They'd always pushed him around during their time at school; he was the weak one of their group – easily lead, easily forgotten.
He stood at the edge of the lake and watched them sail away in their scarlet robes with a sinking feeling in his heart. There was no reason for them to see each other anymore, and he was convinced that the only reason they'd kept him around this long was because they all shared a dorm room. He couldn't even count all of the times that they'd let him down; that they'd expected him to be there for them, but always ignored him when he needed them the most.
Now, as he stared out across the large expanse of water and into the darkness of the night, he thought of the life waiting for him outside of the safety of Hogwarts. He could remember when he was a first year, all of the high hopes he'd had for the future, but that was back when he'd thought that nothing could get between the four of them. Now that he knew better, he could only hope that he came out of the upcoming war alive.
He knew that everybody was afraid of the inevitable war, but he couldn't help but wish that he were stronger, that he could say with certainty that he would live through this with his sanity intact. He climbed into the last boat with two large Slytherin boys who kept throwing looks of disgust in his direction. He wondered briefly if they were afraid, but was more worried that they would somehow be able to sense his fear and pain and use it to their advantage.
The life he'd wanted for himself when he was eleven was destined to become just another pipe dream. He knew reality would be entirely different; he would be alone, without any of the people that he had considered friends for so long – but at least he was alive, he had to keep reminding himself of that.
It could always get worse.