James and Sirius are fighting.
Really, really fighting. They'd never done this before. Sure, they'd squabble every so often, but only about stupid things like when Sirius would get sick of playing "What is Lily Evans Doing Right at this Moment Let's Go See Oh Please Oh Please Oh Please" or when James would get annoyed when Sirius had eaten all the good jam.
Peter had absolutely no idea what to do. When Remus and Sirius fight, James steps in. When he and James fight, Sirius always breaks it up. When Remus and… well, Sirius is really the only person Remus ever fights with. The point is, Peter isn't sure who should be the mediator. This is so apocalyptic anyway, should he even try to help or should he head for the hills and pray for a merciful death? Peter had asked Remus this very question, but Remus had said that for the time being he was more interested in the conflict between Fyodor and Dmitri. Peter didn't know who Fyodor and Dmitri were. Probably Ravenclaws.
"Try not to worry about it so much, Pete," Remus had said while trying to unstick a page. "They'll work it out. They're James and Sirius. It's probably about something stupid like jam anyway." He didn't sound so sure.
Peter wanted so desperately to help. How could he not? He couldn't turn his back on James and Sirius. Not helping James and Sirius get, well… back together would be betraying the group as a whole. No one cared for the sanctity and strength of the group as much as Peter did. This was his chance to finally pay back the group that had accepted him, when before he'd barely even been tolerated. Peter never imagined having the friends he did now, and he would do anything to keep that security intact.
So, there he was, smack in the middle of the most awkward, stomach-churning situation of his life.
Sirius was staring in to the common room's fireplace, trying to appear as indifferent to James's presence on his favorite loveseat as possible.
"So, how're you lot?" Peter started, aware of how forced his words sounded.
"Fine," James said with casual apathy.
"Never better," Sirius replied at the same time, not even blinking.
"Really?" Peter asked carefully. "Seems like something's going on between you two. Thought I might… try to… I don't know..."
"Help? 'Fraid that's not possible. James knows what he did," Sirius said stonily.
There was a long silence, until-
"What I DID?!" James yelled. "More like what I HAD to do, Pads!"
Sirius whipped his hair away from the fireplace, black hair glowing in the light.
"I don't CARE if you had to do it, James I CAN TELL YOU'RE BLAMING ME!"
"BECAUSE IT WAS YOUR BLOODY FAULT YOU TIT!"
"IT WAS A MISUNDERSTANDING!"
"BULLSHIT, PADFOOT, YOU KNOW THAT'S BULLSHIT! YOU DID IT AND YOU DON'T EVEN ACT LIKE YOU'RE SORRY AT ALL! AND IF YOU'RE NOT SORRY HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO FORGIVE YOU?"
"MAYBE I'M NOT! MAYBE I THINK HE FUCKING DESERVED IT AND- James," Sirius pauses, his voice became lower. Peter could almost detect a hint of desperation in it. "Ever since it happened, James, you look at me like I'm a murderer. Like I'm going to drop everything and become one of… like one of those followers, like some of those Slytherins whatever they call 'em."
James shakes his head stiffly. "Sirius, Sirius no, never not in a million-"
"THEN STOP LOOKING AT ME LIKE THAT! YOU KNOW I HATE SNAPE, I KNOW YOU HATE SNAPE! I DIDN'T MEAN FOR ANYTHING TO HAPPEN, I JUST DID IT FOR A LAUGH! BELIEVE ME JAMES I NEVER THOUGHT-"
"YOU DON'T TAKE ANYTHING SERIOUSLY, SIRIUS, THAT'S WHAT I KEEP TRYING TO TELL YOU-" And so on.
Peter tuned their screaming out. Oh, he thought. Oh, last full moon. Severus screaming and Sirius laughing and James yelling and Remus growling... no, no, not Remus growling that wasn't our Remus…
How could Peter fix this? Sirius shouldn't have led Snape to the Willow. James should be angry, of course he was angry, but… Peter wondered about the stupidity of it all. Were James and Sirius really going to end their friendship over Snivellus Snape? Is that why Remus was avoiding everyone? Was he ashamed or was he angry? How can I fix this how can I fix this?
"Hey," Peter heard himself say. "Hey you two just, cut it out, okay, stop, please…"
"JUST STOP TALKING TO ME, JAMES, STOP. TALKING. TO. ME."
"I WON'T STOP TALKING UNTIL YOU LISTEN!"
They were ignoring Peter.
"You're ignoring me," Peter said. "You can't.. just ignore me…"
"YEAH? WELL GUESS WHAT PRONGS, I DON'T HAVE TO LISTEN TO YOU! I DON'T HAVE TO LISTEN TO ANYBODY! NOT MY MUM, NOT MY DAD-"
"DAMN IT SIRIUS I'M NOT YOUR MUM OR YOUR DAD I'M YOUR BROTHER!"
"STOP IT!" Peter screamed. James and Sirius stared at him in complete shock.
"Kinda busy, Pete," Sirius said, frustration in his voice.
"NO," Peter continued to yell. "STOP IT! Just.. stop it.. listen to me, okay? Don't ignore me, listen."
Peter paused, waiting for a rebuttal. There was only silence.
"Okay," Peter began with a shaky breath. "I've never done this before but I think I'm right so you two… you two better bloody listen up. Sirius, I'm sorry but you're a fuckin' twat for telling Snape about Moony. You nearly got him killed and I don't care how big of a git he is, d'you really think Remus could live with that kind of guilt just so you could off an enemy? He sure as hell couldn't and you know it. James did the right thing and you know it so stop acting so bloody pained just because he didn't want to go along with you just this one time."
Peter paused again to wipe his brow, and noticed James staring at him with rapt attention and Sirius alternating between looking at his hands and looking at James. Am I doing this right?
"And James, you shouldn't be so hard on Padfoot. He's just trying not to act sorry cause it's Snape and all. You know the last thing he wants is to be compared to those wankers in his family and coming from you it's probably just… the worst he's ever felt in his whole life. Right, Pads?"
Sirius rubbed at his right eye and sniffed. "Yeah," he said thickly. "S'just about the most horrible punishment I could think of."
James buried his head in his hands for a moment before coming back up to speak. "I'm sorry, Sirius," he muttered. "You're just so damned impulsive and you're gonna get in so much trouble for it someday…"
Sirius gave a hint of a smile. "Already accomplished that, mate."
James laughed, and Peter laughed too, just because it felt so damn good.
"Then cross that off your list of things to get in trouble for, we have much more noble mischief making to attend to."
Sirius sighed.
"Prongs I sort of lied when I said I wasn't sorry."
"Yeah, I figured. I sort of lied when I said I couldn't forgive you."
"You know, I think there's something in the Bible about forgiveness and love."
James looked upwards and smiled reverently.
"I would know, Padfoot, I would know."
The two of them muttered something about writing another biblical production as they ascended the staircase to the boys' dorm, without a backwards glance at Peter.
Typical, typical, but Peter was happy anyway. He had sufficiently mended the rift, the universe was at peace once again.
Just as he was about to leave, Peter heard the Fat Lady's portrait creak open quietly, as the skinny frame of Remus Lupin emerged from behind it. He was smiling, and holding a copy of "The Brothers Karamazov" under his left arm. He stopped dead when he saw Peter.
"How long were you back there for?" Peter asked incredulously.
"Long enough," Remus answered casually. "Couldn't help overhearing, turned my favorite reading spot into quite the war zone, didn't they?"
"Who, James and Sirius?"
"…No Gideon Prewett and Professor Slughorn. Who else would I be talking about?"
"Oh."
Remus shifted awkwardly.
"Listen, thanks Pete, you did more than I ever could with them. Never thought rationalization would go over so well…"
"Thanks for what? Mediating? That's nothing Moony, they could do that by themselves."
"Trust me Pete, it would have taken weeks. Thank you."
Remus smiled at him and started for the staircase.
"Hey, thanks Remus."
"For what?"
"Thanking me."