It had been three years. Three years since everyone he'd cared about and he thought cared about him had been taken from him. Three of his best friends had been murdered, one was responsible for all three. He couldn't believe it had been so long already. Then again, it seemed like ages since he'd gone over to James and Lily's to watch Harry or heard Sirius laugh as he pulled a harmless prank on Peter. He would do anything to get that time back.
It was early October and he was beginning to run low on books that he hadn't read yet in defense. The owner of the used book store knew him well enough and had alerted Remus that a new bunch had just been turned over to him. It was a nice enough day, probably one of the last one's they'd get until next spring, so in setting out for Hogsmeade he decided to just wear one of his old threadbare cloaks. There was no sense in having his newer ones get ruined just yet. He apparated directly from his flat to the outskirts of Hogsmeade. Remus gave a sad sort of smiled, it was a Hogsmeade weekend for the children of Hogwarts. Normally he tried to avoid coming at this time. It tore at him too greatly to see the children enjoying themselves. Today, however, he felt different for some reason. It was almost as if their youth was contagious.
Remus felt light hearted as he wandered around the small village. He went into the bookstore and picked up the books he was looking for. They had cost less than he anticipated so he decided to head to the Hog's Head to see Aberforth and have a drink. Since everyone had left, he could hardly bear to be in the Three Broomsticks unless it was out of obligation to someone else. He sat at his usual place at the bar and waited for the bar keep to come over and get his order. It was in those few moments he could swear he saw a ghost. At the end of the bar, in the shadows, was Peter Pettigrew. He would swear his life on it. There wasn't anyone else that it could be.
Normally, Remus would've just sat there having recognized a friend since when most people came to the bar alone, they came for just that, to be alone. However on this occasion, this friend he was seeing was supposed to be three years dead. He quickly got up and tried to approach the other man. Unfortunately his target saw him, let out a noise of surprise and got up to go toward the back door. Remus picked up his pace to try to catch his friend, now very confused. Before he could get to him though, it seemed as if he had disappeared into the shadows. Remus turned this way and that to try to find what he had lost. There was a man who'd been sitting next to the man he thought was Peter so Remus approached him to see if the man had seen what had happened.
"Didn't see nothin', mate," the man all but growled at Remus. The room suddenly became very hot and Remus's head started to swim. He sunk into the stool where he'd apparently imagined Peter being heavily. "Aberforth," Remus croaked out, "A pint, if you wouldn't mind." He wanted to forget what he saw, and quickly too. It wouldn't do to have that image haunting him for the next few days.
Ten years later, Remus was sitting in his office at Hogwarts. It had been a few months since he'd confiscated the map from Harry, but it was something he'd thought they'd lost forever. It was a remaining link to his friends long since gone from his life. Sure, the idea of Sirius being loose was frightening, but he couldn't help but think for some reason that the Ministry had it all wrong. It certainly wouldn't be the first time. He was looking over the map, watching over Harry mostly, when he saw a name that sent his head into a spin. Peter Pettigrew. That man was dead. There was no way he was alive. It'd been just over fourteen years. He was positive. Unless… his mind couldn't help but wander back to that one day ten years ago. Perhaps…
With that thought in his head, he decided to watch the map very carefully. He was sure that Sirius knew the full story and would find a way. It was just a matter of time.