One Sided Attraction

to Kayla, my best friend

God, he thought, rolling his eyes as he watched his friend flirt with countless female guests at James and Lily's wedding reception.

Peter Petigrew was tired of it all. Tired of his friends, tired of those around him, and tired of the one thing he couldn't ignore no matter how much he wanted to.

That thing was his attraction to Sirius Black.

He groaned and downed the shot of Firewhisky in his hand. As it burned down his throat, one thing became evident to him. He had to get Sirius alone, or his attraction to the man would never cease. His sharp grey eyes focused on the young man on the dance floor, starting at his face and lowering as Sirius twirled with his dance partner, giving Peter the perfect view of his backside.

They were all attractive in very different ways, the four Marauders. James had roguish looks, while Sirius's were mysterious and seductive. Remus's looks were soft and intelligent, and Peter, who had taking most of his childhood to grow into thim, had looks that were sharp and slightly dangerous.

Peter's tongue ran across his lower lip as his eyes lingered on Sirius's firm arse but averted them a moment later, deciding it was time to make his way to the bar for another drink. Placing his hands in the pockets of his dress robes, he stood and crossed the room to the little bar set in a corner of the reception hall. He perched himself a the stool furthest from the other patrons, exchanging a quick glance with the bartender before averting his eyes to the wood bar before him. He traced a burn in the wood with his finger and looked up when the bartender- a young male of twenty-five years- cleared his throat.

"What can I get you?" he asked with a cheerful little smile. Peter raised a brow at the smile but shrugged it off and returned with a slight smile of his own.

"Just a shot of Firewhisky, please," he said. The bartender didn't need to see an ID because as a wizard, he had the magic to tell the age of any one person, whether they be wizrard or muggle. With a nod, he bustled off to get the young man's drink, returning moments later with the shot in hand. His hand brushed the back of Peter's as he passed the drink to him. Peter raised his brows once more at the older man, who was six years his senior, and grinned before shaking his head to the bartender's unspoken question. The older man frowned for a moment before his grin returned and he winked- a promise for a next time -before hurrying off to serve an elderly woman who'd caught his attention.

Peter sipped his drink as he watched the bartender. He couldn't deny that the older man was indeed cute, but he had to go through with his plan if he was to ever be free of the man who so unknowingly held his affections. What the plan was exactly, Peter didn't know, but he knew it would come to him and that whatever it was would happen that night. He watched as the bartender poured a golden liquid into a glass and an idea formed in his head. While it seemed that Sirius was having the time of his life, Peter knew better.

He had once over heard Sirius telling Remus that James was making a mistake in marrying Lily. He would have left after hearing that, as he was not one for dramatics, but the thing that Sirius said next reached his ears before he could force himself to leave. Sirius had revealed to Remus that, for the longest time, he had harboured romantic feelings for his best friend. It was this information that would set Peter's plan in motion.

If he could just get Sirius a bit more intoxicated than he already was and bring up the subject casually, Peter was certain that Sirius would grow angry and Peter would use this to his advantage.

He smirked. Catching the bartender's attention, he purchased a drink and asked the older man to have it taken to Sirius Black. As he pointed his friend out, he chargrinned to see the older man look Sirius over before nodding at the request. He even delivered it personally, nodding in Peter's direction at Sirius's question of the buyer. When Sirius's gaze connected with his, Peter grinned and raised his glass. Sirius grinned in return and made his way over with the bartender, who looked very reluctant to leave their presence to help a patron who'd caught his eye.

Sirius took the stool next to his friend and laughed.

"So, Pete," he said as he took a sip of his drink. "Tired of the party already?"

Peter nodded as he too took a sip of his drink. "Indeed," he said. "Of course, you seem to be enjoying yourself. Merlin. James and Lily finally tying the knot, eh?" He watched victoriously through his eyelashes as Sirius's handsome features became stony as he took a much larger drink than before rather than answer.

Peter had expected this but pretended to be surprised. Raising a brow, he looked blankly at his friend.

"What's this? I would have thought you- the Potter's Best Man -would be the happiest when they married."

Again, Sirius said nothing. Peter was silent for a moment before letting out a mock gasp of understanding.

"You have feelings for Lily, then?"

Sirius looked at him blankly before shaking his head. Peter tapped his glass as if in deep thought.

"Well, unless you have feelings for James then I can't see why their marraige should upset you."

There it was. A pink tinge was steadily becoming noticable in Sirius's cheeks.

"Wait. Don't tell me you actually have feelings for him?"

The hold on Sirius's glass tightened. "Shut up, Peter," he growled and downed the rest of his drink. He then looked up at Peter and Peter knew that whatever control Sirius had held on his anger was now nonexistant.

"She only started dating him in our seventh year, for Merlin's sake! That was just last year! She has him so bloody bewitched! Merlin, I never liked her. I only put up with her for James. I never thought that they would actually end up marrying. I thought he would see that she wasn't right for him. That I..." He fell silent and placed the glass on the bar. "You know, Pete. I'm tired of the party too. Let's get out of here?"

Peter smiled as he placed his own glass down as well as a galleon for the bartender before standing to his feet. The two of them made their way out of the reception hall and into the parking lot where Sirius's motorcycle was parked.

Sirius passed Peter a helmet, which Peter took and strapped onto his head. As Sirius took his keys from the pocket of his robes, Peter took them with a small grin.

"There is no way I'm letting you drive me anywhere. You've had much more to drink than I have. I'm driving. Your place?"

Sirius glared but nodded. Peter mounted the bike and grinned wider as Sirius mounted on behind him, wrapping his arms around Peter's waist. Putting the key into the ignition, he started up the bike and they were soon headed for Sirius's flat in London. It wasn't long before Peter brought the motorcycle to a stop just outside Sirius's place. Taking the keys from the ignition, he returned them and the helmet to Sirius before following the man into the flat, blinking as his eyes adjusted to the light that filled the place the moment Sirius flipped the switch by the door. He then followed Sirius to the kitchen, taking a seat at the table to watch Sirius make his way to the liquor cabinet and pull out a bottle of Firewhisky. He then took out a small glass, filling it and passing it to Peter, before drinking deeply from the bottle itself.

"He's nutters, Pete," he snarled. "He's starking, raving loony."

Peter couldn't help but grin. "James, I'm assuming?"

Sirius growled. "If he's too fucking blind to see that she's all wrong for him, well then forget him! I can find someone else." He paused as if remembering something. "That bartender at the reception was checking me out. If we headed back now, we could still catch him."

Peter smirked as he set his untouched drink on the table before him. He then rose from his chair and crossed the distance between Sirius and himself.

"You could," he said with a nod. "But why bother when I'm already here, and quite willing."

Sirius's eyes widened slightly as he pushed back into the counter. Peter, now inches from his friend, placed his hands on the counter's ledge on either side of Sirius. He grinned as his gaze locked with Sirius's own.

"We're both here, Sirius," he said softly, leaning into the man. "Why waste the night? There are quite a few things I can think of doing with you right now." He ran his tongue across his lips, his gaze never wavering. Sirius slowly relaxed but raised a brow as a grin made its way onto his face.

"You really don't know what you're getting yourself into, Pete," he said throatily. Peter smirked.

"Mmm, but I believe I know all to well what I'm getting myself into, Sirius."

With that, he closed his eyes and leaned up to press his lips eagerly to Sirius's mouth. Sirius returned the kiss with as much gusto and was soon running his tongue along Peter's lower lip, seeking entrance. Peter parted his lips and Sirius's tongue made itself at home with in the cavern of his friend's mouth.

Peter broke the kiss moments later, gasping as he caught his breath before looking into Sirius's eyes with another smirk.

"Your room," he whispered huskily and was pulled unceremoniously by the hand through Sirius's flat. Sirius pulled him into his room and from the moment the door closed behind them, both Sirius and Peter took what they needed from the other.

Peter lounged on his stomach much later that evening, watching Sirius sleep. He felt a slight pang of guilt as he thought of what was to come between them because of a choice he'd made the previous year. He had already chosen his path and no matter what lay down another, he was stuck on this course from which only death could deliver him. There was no turning back when the Dark Lord was involved.

Gathering his clothes, he dressed quickly and left Sirius sleeping alone in his bed. He wouldn't know that had he stayed, had he decided to change sides, he and Sirius might have found solace and perhaps love with one another. Instead, he ran as a coward, reaching the street corner within moments. He stuck out his wand and with a loud bang, a large purple bus appeared before him.

With a last glance at Sirius's appartment, Peter boarded the Knight Bus.

He couldn't know that it was one of the last time they would meet as friends, for soon they would see one another as foes.