Betrayed by a Brother

A/N: I do not own anything from the world of Harry Potter.

This fic was written for the Quidditch League Fanfiction Competition, round two. My team is the Falmouth Falcons and my position is Chaser 1 (theme: Gryffindor x Gryffindor friendship).

My prompts for this round are: (song) 'You've got a friend in me' by Randy Newman, (word) partner, (emotion) shock.

EDIT: I forgot to put the word count in! Its 3184 as is and I profusely apologise for the words above 3000. I hope the +/-10% rule applies (300) but if not, I'm happy with the story anyway and can't think of anything else to cut :s :)

Although this doesn't necessarily portray the usual lovey-dovey friendship, I thought I'd try to write about how Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew came to be friends. I've always had this idea that it was not simply a friendship of convenience because they shared the same dorm, but more that they (obviously) shared interests like pranks... and, in this case, interests in animals. Anyways, you'll see what I mean... I hope you enjoy my take on this friendship, and thank you for taking the time to read it!

A humongous THANK YOU to Gitana del Sol for beta'ing this for me- without her help this fic would be disastrous to say the least!

and to The Lady Arturia for taking a look at this as we speak :D

~May, 1993~

He was alive. After all this time, he was alive. After all those years spent mourning for the loss of his dear friend, he was alive.

And he was the murderer.

Sirius' face was red, his grey eyes stormy, and had it not been for the tight grip Remus had him in, he would have surely ripped out Peter's throat then and there. Remus was relieved to hear the tale he spun about what had really occurred all those years ago, the evidence in the form of the sobbing and very much alive man in front of him who was sputtering false apologies and trembling under his gaze. Unfortunately, it did nothing to quell the stronger emotions now making his own body tremble.

The shock, the disappointment, the hurt – it was too much to bear. His own eyes watered, though as much as he wanted to turn away, he could not help stare into the brown eyes he thought he knew so well, the ones belonging to Peter. Peter, who was his long-time friend; Peter, who he had trusted; Peter, a brother whom he had loved. Peter, who had betrayed them all.

His breathing became shallow and his chest tightened painfully as Peter slowly began to crawl towards him. The man's knees stretched his worn robes beneath him and he wiped his nose on his tattered sleeve. His grubby nails clawed at the dusty floorboards as he began to babble an apology.

"Remus, my friend, my very best friend – it's me, Peter."

He opened his mouth to reply, only to find it dry enough to prevent any words from coming out. The most he could do was shake his head and hope to clear his confused mind.

A small part of him yearned to reach out and lift the man up, to dust off his robes like he had done so many times in the past. He wanted to tell him that it would be alright, that it was all a misunderstanding; he needed to make him laugh again, craved to leave the shack and run free through the forest together like times past, to forget that anything bad had happened. Through the tears now clouding his vision however, he realised that it was his childhood friend he wanted to help, not this cruel stranger. The Peter he knew had promised that he would always have a friend in him, yet this man was a traitor, a double-crosser – an enemy.

The word tasted bitter in his mouth, but it was the only one that fit.

As he poured all his effort into tearing away his gaze, he kicked off the hands that clawed at his robe hem, begging for his forgiveness, even as he shoved Sirius back towards the wall. He thought back on his memories of the boy he knew, wishing to somehow bring him back.

~Twenty-two years earlier~

To say Remus was exhausted was an understatement. Classes at Hogwarts were nothing like the easy-going home-school routine his father had introduced him to a few years before – for one, his father was far too busy with his own work to ever assign him nearly as many essays and homework as his new professors did. It was nowhere near as bad, however, as the loneliness that consumed him now he had started Hogwarts. Even though his parents had never allowed other children into their family home, it was not until he sat by himself in a classroom of over twenty, no partner to share a desk with, that he finally noticed how isolated and different he was from everyone.

The end-of-class bell chimed throughout the castle and as one the class rose from their seats and swarmed towards the door. He followed behind the mass slowly, awkwardly trying to balance his heavy satchel on his right shoulder as he held a stack of textbooks in his left hand.

The hallways were crowded and he could not wait to escape the hordes of students milling about. Every other first year around him appeared to have a companion to help them navigate their way through. Remus lowered his head and hunched over the books in his hands, hoping no one would be able to see that he was not included in the excited chatter about weekend plans that hummed through the air. Instead, he concentrated on following two familiar figures as they easily wound their way through the throng of bodies.

His roommates, James Potter and Sirius Black, laughed amicably as they bounced along, their legs kicking out occasionally to trip each other in a friendly taunt. He was envious of their carefree attitude, and not for the first time that week, he wished he had the courage to introduce himself to them properly. They appeared to have already formed a close friendship based on their boisterous attitudes. He did not want to intrude upon it, not to mention the fact that they were never around long enough for him to get to talk to them. Every night that week they had sat up late in the common room, heads bent together as they whispered conspiratorially. He desperately wanted to know what they were planning, to be a part of the mystery, to share in the secret that only their friends would ever be privy to. They would always appear in their beds the next morning, hair tousled and snores flowing from opened mouths, yet would still be sleeping as he went down to breakfast, barely making the first class of each day.

Even if he could find the time to meet them, let alone work past his nerves, he didn't think he had the right to. He was different, he was weird, and though the headmaster had assured him and his family that it would be perfectly safe to attend Hogwarts, he didn't think it wise to risk exposing any friends to his… condition. He would have to keep that information to himself. It just wasn't fair how everyone else seemed to be able to make a friend or two!

The thought of possibly spending the rest of the year alone drew him to quicken his pace as he headed towards the grounds. He listened intently to the way his polished black shoes clacked against the marble floors before eventually being muffled by crisp green grass, distracting himself from pretending that students were calling his name instead of their real friends'. He did not stop walking until he reached his favourite spot, the only place where he could sit by himself.

He dumped his satchel and pile of books unceremoniously on the dirt and plopped down. After removing his shoes and socks, he allowed his legs to stretch out in front of him. The breeze wafting over the Lake refreshed his flushed face and tickled the spaces between his toes, and he revelled in how the coolness calmed his breathing.

Students around him shouted and giggled as they, too, made their way onto the school grounds, making the most of the sunny afternoon. He would have given anything to join them as they ran around chasing Fanged Frisbees, chuckling as they dodged an irate caretaker, an old black cat at his heels. He would have even loved to have seen what a group of burly boys nearby were looking at as they crowded around a heap on the ground. Whatever it was, it must have been highly interesting for they were all shouting and leaning inwards to get a better look.

He continued to watch their animated forms as they bustled from side to side, hooting loudly. Other students passed by to get a close look, their faces showing mild interest, but none dared to stop too long. Curiosity burned within him, but the boy's large forms blocked any view. It was only as one of the older boys moved to the side a little, nudging his friend and pointing, that he caught a glimpse.

A gasp emitted from this mouth and he sprang to his feet, heart pounding. All reason within him urged him to sit back down and shut his trap, but he ignored it as he shot forwards at a fast pace. His legs carried him to the scene, and he tried to push through to the centre.

"Stop! Stop it! Leave him alone!"

He was somewhat surprised that his voice didn't shake as he demanded for the boys to cease what they were doing.

"Get lost midget."

"Yeah, sod off."

Hands shoved him away roughly, yet still he persisted. He could not stand by and allow them to continue torturing the small first year now curled in a heap on the grass. Books from the boy's satchel were strewn about the grass, the bottle of ink had shattered, and there were scraps of parchment everywhere. His crisp white shirt was now ruffled, and his tie hung limply around his neck. One of the older boys held his wand aloft, threatening to place another curse on the boy. Remus panicked, a lump forming in his throat. What these boys were doing was far worse than anything they had done to him so far and nobody was stepping in to help him. He tried to wrack his brain for a quick solution, yet one look at the group's eager faces told him they weren't the type of people to reason.

"Not so tough now, are we? You Gryffindors all think you're better than us, don't you? Well, you won't be so brave when I'm do- Ouch!"

Remus had thrown himself at the boy's uplifted arm, digging his elongated nails deep into the exposed flesh. It wasn't enough to draw blood, but he had not learnt any disarming spells so far that would help. At least the action momentarily allowed him to throw off the boy's aim, and a yellow light shot off across the Lake's smooth surface.

"Another one, hey? You look just as much a loser, maybe I should-" The boy paused, a smirk replacing the ugly scowl he wore as he studied Remus. "I know you! You're that weirdo, Lyall Lupin's son. Ha, I'll bet you think you're just as 'important' as he is."

He nudged the burly boy to his right, who soon plastered a stupid grin on his face. Lifting his double chin to the sky, he began to howl. Other boys in the group soon joined in, and before, long wolf noises filled the air as students in nearby groups laughed.

Remus could feel himself growing red, but was starting to get used to the torments, as well as the snarky comments of many other students, older and younger years alike. After being cornered on his second day was treated to werewolf noises, he had feared that somehow they had discovered his secret. It wasn't until one Ravenclaw student, Gregory Lancaster, ripped out a page of his father's published book that Remus understood that the joke was really on his father. They thought he was a lunatic: one day he's adamant that werewolves were barely human and deserved to be put down like the animals they were, the next he's leading the warfront on half-breed rights!

"Go on, tell me, do you think werewolves should die, or are you looking for a wolfie-girlfriend, too?" one of the boys asked over the roars of laughter and growing wolf howls.

Without thinking, Remus responded by rolling his eyes at their stupidity. Unfortunately, the motion did not go unseen, and the boy who appeared to be the group's leader rounded on him again.

"See that boys? This little first year also seems to think he's better than us. Maybe we should make sure wolf-boy knows his place in society," the boy raised his fist threateningly as he continued, "at the bottom."

Remus felt his legs tremble as he hastily stepped backwards, attempting to move out of his reach. It was just typical – his first week at school, and all he'd managed to do was make enemies and get into fights.

"Mulicber," one of the boys said, tugging on the large boy's rolled sleeve nervously.

"What?"

"Slughorn's watching."

The group turned around, and sure enough, the old potions professor was looking their way as he chatted away to a female Hufflepuff prefect. The boy, Mulciber, held his hand up in a wave, before gesturing to the group to split and meet back at the dungeons. As he stalked off, he sent a threatening glare back at Remus and the other unfortunate boy, evidently promising to resume his session at another time.

He eyed their retreating forms, making sure they were really going, before he turned back to the boy on the ground. Bending down, he helped him gather up all his supplies, pondering if he would ever stop gathering books in his school lifetime – so far, the road ahead looked rough.

"Th-thanks," the boy stammered, brushing himself off as he got up.

He quickly walked over and helped the boy, plucking a stray blade of grass off of his ear.

Remus smiled tentatively as he asked, "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, yeah, just didn't expect them to be so smart… never underestimate a Slytherin, I guess." The boy grabbed at the textbook in his hand, blowing off a few blades of grass and placing it back into his patched bag.

After he shrugged it back on over his cloak, he finally looked up at Remus. His brown eyes were watery and he hastily blinked back tears as he ran a slightly grubby hand through his sandy-blond hair. He then straightened his back, though it did not do much for his height, and thrust his hand out brazenly.

"I'm Peter Pettigrew."

"Yes, I know, we share a dorm."

Peter looked confused for a moment, before recognition dawned on his face. Remus hadn't seen him around much either, but he got the distinct impression that he was not terribly bright. Even so, he hesitated before divulging his last name, "I'm Remus... Lupin."

He was right to do so, for the boy's eyes immediately bulged out of their sockets. For a while, no noise came out of his mouth as it opened and closed, a small 'eep' the only sound he could make. Remus felt heat rise to his cheeks, and he prepared to retreat back to his place by the lake.

"You're – you're Lyall Lupin's son, aren't you? As in, the Professor Lupin?"

"Yes," he admitted, sighing.

"Oh Merlin!"

Peter began to rummage around in his bag, his hand only emerging as he pulled out a magazine. Glancing at the glossy cover with some Wizard folding and unfolding his arms importantly, Remus thought he knew exactly what the boy would say. Many magazines had printed slanderous articles about his father, one going so far as to depict a timeline of events following his father's fall from grace. He had no doubt whatsoever that Peter had probably read all about it and felt the need to question him if his father acted just as crazy at home.

To his complete shock, however, the boy flicked open the magazine to an article and placed it directly under his nose to read. The page was crinkled slightly and something that looked suspiciously like pumpkin juice was splotched in the top right corner, clearly showing that it had been viewed numerous times.

"You are so lucky! Your father's research is amazing, I've read almost every article on his research, no wonder he was known as, as – what did they call him? Oh yes, that's right, a world-renowned authority on Non- Human Spirituous Apparition," he was bouncing on the balls of his feet in excitement, peaking at the article to make sure he wasn't wrong about the title.

Remus was taken aback and looked around to see if any students were looking at them. He didn't dare allow himself to think anyone could be so nice to him.

"Ah, yeah, he's a good man."

"I bet! Hey listen, do you think you could maybe tell me more about him? I wanna know if there's a way to stop Peeves from hassling me. Or maybe we could go to library or something and hang out?"

Remus' mouth popped open as he stared at the boy incredulously.

"You really want to hang out with me?"

"Well, that's what friends do right? We are friends, aren't we?" Peter looked up at him uncertainly, his eyes misting over again as they searched his face.

Remus took a minute to savour what the boy had just said. Friends. He wanted to be his friend. It was a good feeling.

"Sure, why not?"

Peter looked immensely relieved and, flexing non-existent arm muscles, said in a rush, "Don't worry, I'll make sure those boys never touch us again. We stick together, you and me, and we'll see it through."

He had to stifle a laugh at Peter's enthusiasm and agreed. Somehow, he knew that he would need to protect this boy, and he vowed to make sure he would do anything to ensure his safety. Perhaps it was his destiny to do so. They began to walk off together towards the school, orange hues now tracing the sky. As they neared the doors, however, Peter stopped and turned to him.

"Wait, we need a secret hand shake now, don't we? I, Peter Pettigrew, promise to always be Remus Lupin's friend; I solemnly swear our friendship will never die, no matter how many years pass." Peter spat into his hand and offered it to him to shake, saying, "Now you do it."

Making a mental note to wash his hands later, he took it and recited the promise, gripping onto Peter's hand tightly.

~May, 1993~

Remus briefly looked at his hand, still able to feel the boy's firm grasp from decades before. His own tears glistened in his eyes, yet he shook his head to clear them away. No, he would not feel sorry for him, would not go back to the days of the past. The man whimpering before him wasn't his friend, not anymore, no matter how he pleaded his innocence and begged him to remember.

"Remus, oh Remus. Moony, you believe me, right? I'm your friend, me and you boy, I would do anything for you!"

Remus allowed his right hand to rise and his wand light up as the magic surged through him. Together, he and Sirius would make it right. They would kill Peter, and gain justice for James. His eyes, however, continued staring into the now unrecognisable face, desperately searching for a sign of remorse. He wanted to locate the friend within him, the one who had given him hope, the only one who had seemed to have troubles of his own, that was like him all those years ago. But he knew that they could never go back to the days of old, that he could never get his brother, Peter, back. He deserved this, didn't he?

He could not help the relief that swelled within him as Harry suddenly stood up, protecting Peter from death at his hands.