ANI've read a fair few of the WBWL stories and wanted to try and write one myself. This isn't going to be one where the Potter's suddenly change from loving parents to ones who abuse one of their children while heaping praise on the other though. Although Harry will end up being left out and eventually forgotten, (though not in the way you may think) I wanted to try and write it in a believable way. Where it is a young couple trying to cope with the sudden fame and influence being heaped upon them, while also attempting to keep the child the world believes caused the downfall of Voldemort safe.

Regarding the ages of the Marauders etc. obviously they are going to be a couple of years older than in canon as Harry is four in this whereas his younger brother is the age Harry was in the books. Not a big change, but I thought I should mention it.

Also, I have not abandoned my other story, this one and another I have pages of notes for seem to be taking greater prominence in my mind at the moment, so I thought it might help to write and post some to calm it down for a bit.

Disclaimer – I own none of the characters (sadly) I just like to play with them.

The Consequences of a Mistake

Chapter One

31st October 1981

"Jo climbed on to it and looked down – but he could see nothing, for a white mist swirled around and about. Above him the enormous thick white cloud stretched, with a purple hole in it through which the topmost branch of the Fa-"*

"Peter? I didn't realise you were coming with us tonight. I thought you were spending Halloween with your mother this year?" A soft voice interrupted from the doorway.

"Oh h-hello Remus."

Harry looked up from his place on Uncle Peter's lap when the man stopped reading. He didn't really understand why Uncle Peter sounded as nervous around Moony as he did with his Daddy and Padfoot. They were always being loud and Padfoot seemed to enjoy catching Harry by surprise and throwing him over his shoulder. Moony on the other hand didn't shout or say naughty words and make Mummy tell him off and he liked to read with him sometimes just like Uncle Peter did.

"N-no, I mean you're right. I can't make it to the meeting tonight. Mother's health is still weakening and I promised her... w-well anyway I'm just here until M-m-Mary arrives." He looked down at the little boy curled in his lap and added gently "I also promised I'd finish reading this with Harry."

Remus smiled at the sight as he entered the room properly. Peter had lost a fair bit of weight over the last few months, Remus assumed it was a combination of the war continuing to heat up and his mother's failing strength. He was no longer the short, plump teenager that photographs of their time at Hogwarts boasted him to be. Of course, he had never attained the height that Remus himself had and was near dwarfed next to James and Sirius these days, always ending up looking more like a younger brother hanging around an older siblings friends rather than one of the group. However none of that was noticeable when he had his honorary nephew curled up in his lap. He looked more at home sitting at the little child's table and chairs reading to the small boy than James or Sirius ever could.

Although Sirius was officially Godfather to both four year old Harry and his baby brother Eddie, Harry's naturally quiet nature led him to spend more time with his mother, Remus himself and Peter. Whereas, though little Eddie may only be fifteen months old, he already seemed to delight in the more boisterous games Sirius couldn't help but play, either as himself or Padfoot. Much to his fathers and godfathers pleasure.

"What are you reading about this time then Harry?" Remus asked, coming out of his thoughts and moving his gaze off his friend, instead meeting the bright green eyes of the boy in his lap.

"It's the Faraway Tree about this big huge tree in the middle of a magic forest isn't it Uncle Peter? So big that it touches the clouds that change into a diff'rent place all the time. And lots of diff'rent people and animals and things live in the tree it's that big! And one of them is called Moon-Face! But that's 'cause he looks like the Moon, not Moony like you. And the children that move near the forest are called Jo, Bessie and Fanny and they find the tree and make friends with Moon-Face and Silky the fairy and... erm...and The Saucepan Man! And they go with them to see the diff'rent places that stop at the top of the tree." Harry babbled with childish excitement before declaring "and we've very nearly finished now so you have to be quiet Moony."

Remus smothered a laugh at that, saying he would leave them to it and retreated back downstairs to the kitchen where he could hear Lily starting the same argument she'd been having with James for the past two weeks.

"I'm still not sure both of us should leave this evening James. I know Mary will be here but I've just got this feeling. I don't like it. I really think I should stay home as well."

"You need a break from this house as much as I do love. We've been here for months now. When was the last time we both got to leave together? Besides we need to be at Hogwarts tonight. What was it Albus said? Voldemort has organised multiple public raids on the last five Halloweens. It's a date he loves to take advantage of. With most of the Order at Hogwarts we'll be able to ensure the school is safe as well as enjoy the feast if nothing happens. But, if the Death Eaters do attack somewhere it will be easier to arrange a counterattack as we'll all be together already." James sighed and gathered his wife into a hug when she still looked unsure. "The boys will be perfectly fine with Mary. You know this Lils. Even if he suddenly decided that tonight would be better spent attacking us, there is no way he can even see this place let alone enter it."

"James is right Lily." Remus spoke up, causing the couple to draw apart. "The things you should be most concerned about are whether Prongs and Padfoot can behave themselves eating in front of a hall full of impressionable children-"

"Hey!"

"- and also how Mary is going to cope when your youngest son crashes from the amount of sugar Sirius has been sneaking him this afternoon."

"SIRIUS ORION BLACK!"

The rest of her rant was cut off from the two left in the kitchen as Lily stormed out slamming the door behind her.

"Thanks for that mate, however I'm not sure that Pads will be thanking you as well." James said with a grin. It slid off his face quickly though as he exhaled heavily, automatically running a hand through his hair. "I meant what I said. We both need to get out of this house even if it's only for an evening. I love her, Harry and Eddie to death but this place is just too small to be cooped up in so long."

"How are the refurbishments coming along on the old Potter Seat? It must be nearly ready for you to be able to use as a safe place by now?" Remus asked, hoisting himself up on one of the empty counters Lily had no doubt just finished cleaning in preparation for her friend Mary MacDonald's arrival. Lily had admitted to him once that it was one of the few things she still had left in common with Petunia, the need to keep her home as clean as possible. However, Remus imagined that Lily had a much harder time of it than her estranged sister, what with two young boys in the house not to mention her man-child of a husband and his equally immature best friend being constantly underfoot.

"Yeah, it's pretty much done. All that's left is adding to the Wards. The Blood Wards that all old families have around their manors are still working but the rest need updating and strengthening. I shouldn't have let the place stay completely empty after my parents were...you know. Looking back I wish I'd gotten my arse in gear earlier as we could have all moved there months ago and that place is plenty big enough for dozens of people to hide out in."

"It's understandable that you left it James. When you first inherited it you weren't even married yet, let alone a father as well. Although I'm sure the then future Mrs Potter would have been a regular visitor and the three of us would have no doubt taken shameless advantage of your hospitality, on the odd days when we were all absent, that manor would have been far too large for you to rattle around in by yourself." Remus replied rationally.

"I know that Moony, and even if it had been done, I'm sure once we married Lily would have preferred us to move somewhere like here first of all and maybe only use the manor for holidays but still... I shouldn't have just left it damaged and open for anyone with the smallest link to Potter blood to possibly pilfer through. Dad would have been furious that I waited so long to bother fixing it back up never mind what my Mum would have said." He shuddered theatrically and chuckled. "Either way, it's nearly done with. If we weren't so high up on the hit-list of the Dark Knob himself it would probably be fine to stay in right now. The Fidelius Charm here is just that bit more secure for the moment though until the Goblins are finished doing what they do."

The moment of serious conversation was abruptly ended when Sirius Black thundered into the room, dramatically fell to his knees and grabbed James round the waist.

"Prongs don't let her take my godsons away from me! She threatened to change the boys Godfather to Snivellus just to spite me! Snivellus Prongs! You're the man of this little family, rein her in! Dumbledore may say he is on our side now but I know a Nundu never changes its spots. And even if he is, he was a slimy greasy git long before he became a Death Eater and started prostrating himself before He-Who-Must-Have-Been-Shaved."

"Like you're prostrating yourself now you mean?" Remus couldn't help but point out.

"Shut up Moony. Imagine what your kids will grow up like with him as a role model James. I absolutely forbid it! You need to put your foot down and forbid it too!"

"Alright Pads, I'll forbid it." James said, pushing the hysterical wizard off him. "It's never going to happen. If you ever were demoted they'd still have their Godmothers, and Moony and Wormtail would be next in line. Besides I'm sure there are dozens of others we could pick for replacement Godfather before needing to scrape the barrel with members of 'Death Eater Redemption United'."

The three young men jumped at the sound of Lily calling her husband and Remus automatically slipped off the counter he was still sitting on. They looked at each other guiltily for a moment before seeming to remember that they were adults now and not about to be told off for talking alone in James own kitchen. Laughing at themselves, they headed out into the living room to greet Mary who had apparently just arrived.

"Oh, nice new nickname for His Darkness by the way Pads. How long have you been waiting to throw that one into conversation?"

The answer to James' quip was lost among the noise of the hellos and Eddie's hyperactive squealing at seeing nearly all of his favourite people in one room. The only ones still missing were just finishing their story upstairs.

Peter put the book down but still held the little boy, cuddling him closer. Kissing the top of the messy head his heart melted as it did every time when curious green eyes looked up at him. He knew exactly what was going to happen tonight and, if he could, he would take this boy away with him to keep him safe. His Lord had promised that Harry was of no interest, that he would leave the boy alone as a reward for being able to deliver the Potters address to him. Peter was aware he should probably feel some regret knowing that Harry was going to be losing not only his brother but probably his Godmother too tonight, but as long as the little lump in his lap was okay he told himself he could live with it. Taking a deep breath he subtly waved his wand casting the Muffliato spell Lily had taught them all. Despite knowing that everyone was still downstairs, he didn't want any chance of someone coming up and hearing anything he was about to say.

"You know; you are my favourite person in the whole world Harry. And as you're such a big, clever boy now, I know you'll be able to listen to what I'm going to say and be able to keep it just between the two of us. Can you do that? A special secret just between Uncle Peter and you, yes?"

As he watched Harry puff up proudly at being called a big boy, he mused over how honest what he'd said actually was. Pushing away the rather sad truth that the person he felt closest too in the world was only four years old, it hit him again how much he was going to miss this child. He may have been able to guarantee his safety, but that didn't mean he would be allowed around the boy again, at least not until the Dark won the war. The fact of the matter was Peter genuinely believed that if he hadn't joined the Dark Lord, but rather simply disappeared, Harry was probably the only person who would truly miss him. His mother was rarely conscious these days and when she was she barely recognised Peter as her son, not that anyone knew as answering fake requests of hers was a handy excuse for slipping away when the Dark Lord called at inconvenient times. And his friends? Well they would probably put up a good front of it for a while, but that is all it would be.

He'd always known he had been a bit of a tag-a-long at Hogwarts, but that was much better than being a target for the others. Which he would have been. It was just the way James and Sirius worked. Remus, surprisingly, wasn't any better. He could put up the kind, intelligent face much more convincingly, but could be just as vicious as James and Sirius, especially if he thought someone had insulted or Merlin-forbid hurt someone he cared about. They also all had the ability to sniff out weaknesses in others a mile away, and he would have been a prime target if he hadn't managed to work his way into their group back in their first year. Then having such big secrets between them, firstly of Remus being a werewolf and then all being illegal Animagi, had kept them together even when they probably would have drifted apart during their upper years. While it was great at school, and it was, he had sincerely enjoyed being part of the infamous Marauders, it had become a problem after graduation in that Peter had abruptly realised he didn't really have anyone else to turn to.

So he had stuck with them, and they let him as their honour and belief in the Marauders would let them do no less, but without a whole school of others to prank now, Peter had found himself becoming the butt of more and more of their 'jokes' over the last couple of years. 'Jokes' that he had heard some students whispering about as bullying at Hogwarts when he'd utilised his rat form to sneak about the castle.

When James had married Lily, she had accepted him as one of her husband's friends, but they had never developed the sort of relationship she had with the others. She wasn't ever rude to him, but he had noticed that they could spend hours in the same house together and not speak a word to each other. Lily and Remus had gotten on well enough since their fifth year when they were both prefects and her staunch dislike of Sirius seemed to have changed overnight when she'd gotten engaged to James, developing instead into a sort of fond exasperation one might have for a younger, unruly brother.

Sirius being named Godfather to Harry hadn't been a surprise to anyone but he'd noticed the looks passing between them when Eddie was born. James had insisted that Sirius should be godfather again because that way, if something happened to them both it would make finding somewhere for the boys to live much easier, completely disregarding the fact that while Mary was Harry's godmother, Alice Longbottom had been chosen for Eddie. They'd assured both Peter and Remus they were down as unofficial uncles but said it was fairer this way too, as Remus could never have been named officially due to the laws against werewolves. It was left unsaid, though screamingly obvious that if he could have been, Remus would now be Eddie's godfather. In their eyes, Peter had never been an option.

No, he would miss the others as much as they would him. If anything, he wished he could see their reactions when they realise what weak, pathetic Wormtail had done. If he hadn't already joined the Dark Lord, being made the Potters secret keeper would have just been another insult wrapped up in a compliment. They may have put their trust in him, but it was not because they believed he was worth it. It was because they believed they were outsmarting their enemies. As Sirius had bluntly said, who would ever believe that they had put their lives in the hands of someone like him, when there were much stronger wizards available? Lily may have mildly scolded him for his thoughtless words, but no one had disagreed with them.

"I can keep secrets goodly, Uncle Peter!" a little voice stated proudly, interrupting his rather painful reminiscing.

"Excellent Harry! Now, I'm going to have to go away for a while, so you won't be seeing me for some time-"

"Did I do something bad?"

"Of course not little man. No, you know how sometimes Mummy and Daddy get very angry when someone does something they think is wrong?" He asked, trying to think of a way to explain such complicated circumstances to the young boy.

"Like when I hit Eddie for drawing in my story book?"

"A bit like that, although I'm sure they forgave you when you said sorry. Well, I've done something that they won't like, and I think it will be better for everyone if I go away for a while."

"Can't you just say sorry too? Then you wouldn't have to go and could still play with me."

"I would Harry, but this isn't the sort of thing they will let me apologise for. And saying sorry means you believe you were wrong in the first place. Like when you hit Eddie, you knew he didn't really mean to scribble in your book, he was just too young to understand it was naughty. But being older, you already knew that hitting him was wrong, didn't you?" Peter said.

"Mummy said that I have to teach him things like that b'cause I'm the big brother."

"Exactly Harry."

"When will you come back again?" The little boy asked after he had thought for a minute.

"I'm not sure little man. It might be a long time. And I'm sure that while I'm gone, you will hear your Mummy and Daddy say some very mean things about me, but I want you to always remember that Uncle Peter loves you so much ok?" This was very important to Peter. Though he knew there was a chance that as Harry grew up, he would gradually forget all about him, while he did remember, he didn't want the undoubtedly harsh words his family will say to tarnish the memories the child had of their time together.

Peter knew he was taking a risk saying anything to the boy at all and, if he had known, it would certainly be something the Dark Lord would have forbidden him from doing. It wasn't even that he hoped that Harry would mention something to Mary this evening, causing her to become suspicious enough to take the boys out of the house. No, he knew tonight had to happen for the Dark Lord to win. It was just that he couldn't bear the thought of simply leaving Harry with no explanation for his absence other than what he may overhear coming from his parents and especially Sirius.

"Now I wonder if you can be an even bigger boy and do a favour for me?" He gently slid the child off his lap and stood him in front of him. Making it seem like he had something exciting he reached deep into his pocket and took out a little box that he'd shrunk down earlier.

"What's that?" Harry asked, leaning forward for a closer look.

"This is something very special that I trust only you to keep safe for me. Have you got anything you could hide it in, where no one will find it? I can put some clever magic on it so from now on only you will be able to get it out. I'll warn you now though; you won't be able to make it grow big again until you are old enough to have a wand of your own."

Harry's chest puffed up once more, although he seemed slightly disappointed that he wouldn't be able to open the special box for a while. As he darted off across the room, no doubt to find something to hide it in, Peter wondered whether he would ever see the contents again. There was nothing really valuable inside, not in the monetary sense anyway, photos of his childhood, school days and lots of him and Harry. Plus a few mementos he had saved over the years. Things that he couldn't bear the thought of James and Sirius destroying when they, most likely along with other Aurors, tore his small flat apart looking for clues as to whereabouts.

The only thing he had hesitated before finally also placing in the box had been the wand he'd bought at age eleven. The Dark Lord had ordered him to replace it a number of months ago, stating that there was a small possibility a member of the Order may recognise it on the off-chance they ever saw him in Death Eater garb. It would wreck his purpose as a spy if Dumbledore, or more likely one of the Marauders, identified him through his wand.

The Dark Lord may have set up somewhere hidden for him to live, (the location of which he had yet to be told) as soon he will be persona non grata, it was likely he would still be sent out disguised to do things for his Master. And even Peter could understand the order to bring nothing personal as it would be height of stupidity should he ever be caught with anything linking him to his old life. So, in the end he had opted to leave it all behind and only hide these few things elsewhere, including deciding against even keeping his first wand on his person anymore. This way there was no chance of him accidentally using it and blowing whatever disguise the Dark Lord has prepared for him.

Peter had grudgingly accepted that, with him being no strong fighter, he will probably be stuck doing menial jobs until the Dark Lord won, as after tonight his main job of spying will be out the window. However, he will always be remembered as the person who allowed the Dark Lord to do away with his so called prophesised vanquisher. If the Dark Lord triumphed over the next few years, he would maybe come back and collect his things. If that was yet to happen, or if Peter chose not to retrieve his box, Harry was the only other person he didn't mind going through it and deciding the fate of its contents.

Harry scampered back, proudly clutching the model snitch he'd been given by Sirius as part of his Naming Ceremony. It was one of the traditional gifts that were given to a child by a godparent. This one was made of pure gold, though it was hollow in the middle and had Harry's full name and date of birth engraved on the front. It had a hinge on one side so it could open and was supposed to be used to add important things from the child's growth, for example the first tooth they lost and a lock of hair after their first haircut. Lily had preferred to use the one that Mary bought Harry for this though, as while Sirius' was official, he couldn't help but pick one related to Quidditch whereas Mary's was more conventional.

Peter had to smother the tiny smirk that wanted to curl on his mouth at the thought of hiding things that he wanted to keep safe from Sirius in something Sirius had bought for his godson. Instead, he congratulated Harry and got a beaming smile in return and took the snitch out of the boy's hand. Once the box was placed inside the hollow centre, Peter had Harry place his index finger on it while he performed the spell he'd spent at least a week practising, ensuring that from now on, only Harry would be able to open it back up.

"There, all done. Now you keep this safe for me ok Mister?"

"Yes Uncle Peter" the child replied with a conspiratorial grin, placing the snitch on the little table next to him.

"Right, well I think your Mummy and Daddy will be getting ready to leave soon, so you should probably head downstairs and say goodnight to them." Peter said, trying to keep his voice even and squashing the small part of him that desperately wanted to snatch the boy up and Apparate away with him.

Harry dashed to the door, but then turned back and threw his arms around Peter.

"Love you Uncle Peter" he muttered before running out the room.

"Love you too kid," Peter whispered after the boy had left. He looked around the playroom for what he knew would likely be the last time then sighed and headed down stairs as well.

* Extract at the beginning is from The Faraway Tree by Enid Blyton :) The children's names are from the copy I had when I was a kid, although I know they've been changed since to make the names more modern.

Thank you for reading, any feedback is greatly appreciated :)