Chapter 1

I'm not a monster I believe- Matt Nathanson, Angel

Prongs. Padfoot. Moony. Wormtail. James. Sirius. Remus. Peter. Four friends who started out as a united, inseparable force. Four friends who ended up going down four incredibly different paths. They all ended the same way though. Death.

"Hello?" Peter called softly as he padded down the hallway. The Shrieking Shack? What was he doing back here? What had happened to the Malfoy Manor?

"You…." He was met by a tackle. Peter struggled impulsively against his attacker who was now trying to slap him. "Slimy, sneaky, worthless, lying, scum!"

No. He couldn't be here. Not with them. That meant… "J-James." He choked out. "Friends. Please." Peter spluttered.

"Friends? Friends?" James snarled. "Don't you dare call me that. Don't you dare even speak to me. You killed me. You killed Lily. You made my son an orphan, and Sirius a prisoner. I hope it was worth it, you heartless glob of slim."

"James!" A woman's voice called. "No. I know you're mad. But beating Peter up isn't going to make anything change."

Peter's eyes widened as the woman walked into the room. He knew her. They had gone to school together. Her name was… Well, he honestly didn't remember her name. She had been a Hufflepuff, he believed, and not a particularly popular one. Despite his friends, he had been a bit of an outcast as well. While outcasts should have banded together, things hadn't worked out that way. No one wanted to be dragged down by another unpopular person. Their own situation was already bad enough.

"Th-Thank you." He murmured, rubbing a hand against his neck. "James…"

He shook his head. "No. Don't say a word."

Peter opened his mouth to speak, none the less. Sirius raised a closed fist, and he quickly closed his mouth. Maybe after they had some more time… Maybe then James would begin to forgive him. Or at least tolerate him. Allow him to speak.

It wasn't like he didn't have any guilt for what he had done. He had some amount of remorse. He had died for that.

It was only a matter of weeks before Remus joined them. The final Marauder. Things didn't improve at all in that time. Maybe he had been crazy for thinking that it would but… Could you blame him? It appeared that he was trapped here with his friends now, and for who knew how long. Eternity possibly. That left him completely alone. He couldn't run and find someone to show some amount of interest in him, someone to protect him. Although that had never quite worked out for him the way he wanted it to. That was what had gotten him into this current situation.

When he was told about his second life, he was silently thrilled. It wasn't a re-do, but it was far more preferable to his current situation. It wasn't a life, was it? Not when they were all dead. Being alive was one of the requirements for a life.

James was never going to change his mind about him. Peter was always going to be a traitor to his friends. He wouldn't be able to take back his mistakes in this other life, but he would hopefully get a clean slate. Maybe in this other life, this other world, people would like him. He would give anything to be liked by people. Peter had never experienced that. The Marauders had never really liked him. They had tolerated him. Allowed him to tag along so that he would round out their group. Make them look a little less egotistical. He was the token awkward, undesirable one. No girl had ever been interested in him. Sirius was the dashing dark one, the infamous Black family rebel. James was the jock with the body of a geek. Remus was smart, and mature. What did Peter have to offer a woman? His cowardice? No, he had devotion at least. He would have been incredibly devoted and grateful to this woman, a woman who never had or would exist.

This could very well be his chance at happiness. Maybe he didn't deserve to be happy, but he wanted it.

He watched James leave, followed by Sirius, and let out a sigh of relief. They weren't going to come back for one last fight. He could move on with his life. If he was lucky he would never have to see either of them again.

He wouldn't miss either one of them. Jenny, however, Jenny was different. She had stood up for him that very first day, and had continued to until now. She felt some amount of pity for him. That was him. Peter Pitiful Pettigrew.

"I think you'll find it an improvement. It's different at the very least." Jenny said, and he believed her. Could it possibly be worse than what he had had to go through trapped with James and Sirius?

As he looked up at her, he felt his eyes begin to water. Was he starting to cry? Why did he have to be so pathetic? Men didn't cry. James would never cry. Neither would Sirius.

"Thank you. Thank you for standing up for me." Peter murmured before walking through the doorway. Walking to his new life.