I Loved Her Too
.o.
Summary:
He loved her long before Sirius fell in love with her too. He loved her so much she destroyed him. She was what eventually forced him to the road of darkness. Ridiculously AU. SB/HG, or HE in this case.
.o.
AN:
This was originally a plot idea for A Flame Can Ignite A Wildfire, but then decided it was much too dramatic. But I became rather attached to this idea, and decided to separate it into a one-shot. Peter's POV.
.o.
First Year
He first noticed her when she was answering a question during class.
He remembered that day so well and in such intricate detail, as though it had just happened yesterday.
It was Transfiguration, the second day of his official journey at Hogwarts. He had been bored, but fought to pay attention for the sake of his mother.
There was nobody else he loved more in the world than his mum, as a child she always doted upon him and whispered to him the stories of dragons, evil villains, and a hero conveniently named "Peter" who would swoop in and save the day.
He promised his mother to do his best at school and doing his best meant paying attention during class.
Right when his mind was beginning to drift off, Professor McGonagall called on him. He still remembered her question. She asked, "Mr Pettigrew, explain the theory behind transfiguring a match into a needle." He flushed red, his mind desperately groping for the answer that was, unfortunately, not there.
Professor McGonagall raised a stern eyebrow at him. His Head of House seemed to take pity upon him as it was only the second day of school, pressed her lips together to form a thin line and reprimanded him. "Next time pay attention."
Peter nodded, feeling embarrassed over being singled out by the teacher in front of the class. He could hear snickering from behind him and blushed bright red.
"Ms Evans, please answer my earlier question." Peter had wondered over why she said "question" and not "demand." To Peter she seemed to demand for him to explain.
He then turned around, and was struck breathless. "Ms Evans," sat with her twin sister. He had recalled her name being called during the sorting but was too busy being nervous to pay attention, he faintly recalled she was sorted into Gryffindor.
She was beautiful. There was no denying this. She had wavy chestnut coloured hair, the same button nose and eyes as her sister. A ray of sunlight had been streaming across her face, and when she lifted her head up from her notes, the movement caused the sunlight to capture the shimmering strands of red, gold, and copper of her hair. He didn't hear her answer, he could only focus on how her eyes brightened when she was called on, how her entire being was the epitome of vitality and life.
But what really captured Peter's attention to her wasn't her beauty, but the warmth she radiated. Once she finished her perfect answer, she had smiled prettily.
He had to turn back around after she finished talking, and was in a daydream for the rest of the class. When class ended, he had followed behind her and her twin closely in hopes of capturing her name. She laughed at something her twin said, and swatted her sister's shoulder playfully. "Oh Lils, Tuney won't be happy if she heard what you said," she said fondly. A bell went off in Peter's head.
She calls her sister "Lils."
"Lils" laughed alongside her sister. "But Hermione, you know it's true!" She protested, before both dissolved in fits of laughter.
Hermione.
Her name is Hermione.
.o.
Later on, he heard the boys he shared a dorm with complain about the two girls. One was named James Potter, and the other Sirius Black.
Sirius was complaining about what a "swotty show off" Hermione was. James agreed, before adding, "Lily was just as bad as her, fraternizing with the snakes." Sirius sneered, in a way that seemed to contort his features and make him look truly dangerous, while James laughed mockingly.
Peter yearned to tell the two boys what they said wasn't true, he feared they would make fun of him, and as a result decided to just keep quiet and not cause any trouble.
.o.
Much further on in his first year, he, Sirius Black, James Potter, and another boy named Remus Lupin became fast friends. James had joked and nicknamed them the "Marauders," before Sirius declared it would be the perfect name for their little group.
Peter was thrilled to be considered one of them, one of the Marauders, and hung off of every word Sirius and James said. Remus disappeared once a month, to visit his ailing mother. Peter pitied the boy, he understood first-hand how it felt when your mother was sick.
He also quickly realized Hermione and her twin were both intelligent, almost ridiculously so. Both grasped spells and charms way before anyone else in their year did, while Remus was close, he just wasn't as fast as them.
This just deepened Peter's adoration for Hermione. He spent almost every free moment observing her, even when he tore his eyes off of her, they would somehow wander back to her. Once, she caught him staring at her and gave him a shy, beautiful smile.
That was when Peter Pettigrew was sure he loved Hermione Evans.
.o.
Second Year
When his second year finally began, he was so excited to see Hermione again he gave his mother a hurried kiss on the cheek before leaping onto the train, yelling out a promise of letters to her. Peter wandered around the entire train and its compartments just to find Hermione and her beautiful smile.
Once he accidentally wandered upon Sirius, James, and Remus's compartment. He had been asked to join the compartment, but had lied and claimed he needed to use the washroom and would be back soon.
When he finally found her compartment, he had knocked and entered to discover Hermione sharing a compartment with Lily, and Snape from Slytherin. He stammered an awkward hello, while Lily looked at him with confusion while Snape looked at him with undisguised loathing. Hermione smiled again at him, and he almost went into a daze. Peter's cheeks flushed a furious red, and Lily struggled to hide her smile.
Hermione then asked, "Peter, right? What brings you to our compartment?" She smiled sunnily, her cheeks rosy-red from laughter. He almost fainted from joy. She knew his name.
Not being able to think of a coherent response, he did the only thing he could think of: he ran, much to his embarrassment.
.o.
Third Year
It had taken a while for Peter to realize he wasn't treated the same way the rest of the Marauders were. Sirius, James and Remus were handsome, and much sought-after by most of the Hogwarts female population.
For a while, he had been worried Hermione would too join the hordes of adoring fans, but his fears subsided after he had witnessed Hermione yelling at Sirius in the common room. The fight had been over Sirius hexing Snape, or something like that.
He hadn't been bothering to keep track, and was staring in fascination as Hermione's beautiful hair seemed to frizz up, and as her emerald orbs seemed to have a flame burning within them.
His fascination was cut short as she screamed, "Avis!" A herd of fluttering blue canaries had appeared and immediately began attacking Sirius.
The common room broke out in whispers, whispers of awe. Hermione Evans could conjure canaries out of thin air, a sixth-year spell most couldn't master. Hermione looked around and flushed, a pink tinge colouring her cheeks, before marching up the marble staircase to the girl's dormitory with Lily following behind her.
Peter's love for her increased. He knew there was nothing he wouldn't do for her, he would walk to the ends of the Earth for her, even if it meant she would only flash her smile at him. But to Peter, her smile was more precious to him than anything else in the world.
.o.
Fourth Year
James began chasing after Lily, from proposals during breakfast in the Great Hall to charming bouquets of red roses to appear in front of her.
Lily always rolled her eyes at the displays, and Peter ached to tell her James's feelings were genuine; James really loved her, just like how Peter loved Hermione.
Speaking of Hermione, she and her sister had both become absolutely stunning over the summer. Judging by the whispers in the Great Hall among the male population whenever she and her sister entered he knew he wasn't the only one who noticed.
He caught Sirius looking at her with something akin to appreciation in his eyes, and had barely reigned himself in from hexing him for daring to look at Hermione that way.
Hermione was his, period. He loved her first. There were times when he would worry over how she wouldn't love him back, because of his physical appearance, but he would shrug it off and tell himself once she saw how much he adored her she would reciprocate his feelings.
She once accepted a date in front of Peter, and he could practically feel his insides churn in jealousy. He hated Lucas Williams for asking her out, and more so, he was so disappointed she had accepted his offer. Lucas Williams was a handsome fourth year student in Ravenclaw, and had bent and kissed Hermione's hand in an extremely chivalrous way.
Hermione had smiled shyly. Once Lucas left, Lily had squealed and hugged Hermione. He glanced over to Sirius, and was surprised to see him clenching his jaw. His molten silver eyes were glaring at Lucas Williams's back, practically shooting daggers.
Peter hadn't thought of it much, brushing it off as Sirius's ego was wounded. Which made no sense, if you thought about it. Remus had simply looked at Sirius with a knowing look and a small smile tugged one of the corners of his mouth.
.o.
Summer before Fifth Year
The summer between fifth and sixth year was a quiet one for Peter. He had received an invitation to Potter Manor for the holiday but had reluctantly turned the offer down. While he was grateful—overtly so—his mother was sick and needed to be taken care of. His father had passed away when Peter was only four from a car accident.
He contemplated how different his life would have been if he had a father. Then perhaps his self-esteem wouldn't be so low. He might even have an ego, but brushed away that thought immediately. He often could hear the Evans twins yelling at James and Sirius about the two Marauder's egos. He didn't think he could bear it if Hermione ever yelled at him. She was too precious for him to lose.
"Peter?" His mum called out weakly, followed by a coughing fit. Peter immediately leapt off the couch and ran towards her room.
However, the floor was too slippery, and he stumbled and fell. Hastily picking himself back up, he threw open his mum's door and panted, "What is it, mum?" Peter's mum, Holly, gave a small chuckle as she took in her son's rumpled form, his blonde hair messed up, his shirt rumpled. Holly patted the empty space on her side of the bed. "Come sit down, darling. Can't an old woman talk to her son every once in a while?" Peter frowned.
"You aren't old, mum," he told her sternly. He crossed the room in two strides, the Pettigrews' home was small.
Sitting down, he took his mum's cold hand and sandwiched it between both of his hands, trying to bring some warmth back into her hand. Holly smiled wanly at him. "So, have you met any girls?" Holly asked slyly, watching with delight as her son's cheeks reddened. "Aha! So there is a girl!" Holly called out triumphantly. She couldn't help but be hit with a wave of nostalgia, her baby boy was spreading his wings and preparing to fly. "Tell me about her." Holly instructed, her eyes blinking away tears as she watched Peter's face seem to glow.
"She's an amazing girl, mum," Peter began. A smile crossed his face from just the mere thought of Hermione. "Her name is Hermione. She has the beauty befitting of an angel, the voice of a siren, and her mind rivals Rowena Ravenclaw's. She always sticks up for those getting bullied. She's not afraid to stand for her beliefs and believes in justice and equality for everyone." Once Peter began, it seemed it was impossible for him to stop. "She always helps me with any subject, mum. Her smile is so bright it could bring light to darkness." He finished, feeling embarrassed for speaking to his mum about Hermione.
Dear Merlin, he wasn't ashamed of her; but who would speak to their mother about the girl they fancied?
Holly smiled softly. She was struggling to force her tears back down, the way her son spoke so passionately about Hermione reminded her of the way her husband used to look at her. She couldn't wait to meet Hermione. "She must be such an amazing girl," Holly said softly. Peter smiled.
"She is."
.o.
Year Five
Sitting outside underneath the beech tree with his friends, Peter's eyes were trained upon James, who was zapping the Snitch forward and catching it, he couldn't help but clap with awe each time James managed to catch the Snitch.
"Where did you get the Snitch?" Peter asked James. James smiled lazily and said, "Nicked it." Peter grinned stupidly. Peter clapped each time James retrieved the Snitch, his watery blue eyes wide with excitement.
Suddenly, Snape seemed to appear in front of them. James narrowed his eyes, and Peter saw Sirius's mouth twist into a cruel smirk. James dropped the Snitch and both James and Sirius stood up at the same time.
"What is it, Snivellus?" Sirius drawled, spinning his wand between his fingers. "Do you need another hex?" James finished, as a group began to form around the Marauders and the single Slytherin. Snape flushed, a rather unflattering colour upon his pale cheeks. "I'm warning you Potter, don't you dare touch Lily."
The muggleborn witch always rejected him, announcing him to be an arrogant toerag. James eyes narrowed at the mention of Lily. "And what, pray tell, makes you think you can tell me what to do and what to not do?" James asked, his statement phrased in more of a demand than a question.
Just as Snape was about to open his mouth, James had already placed a well-aimed hex at Snape's heels and the next thing he knew, the Slytherin was hoisted into the air by his ankles. "Let him go!" A voice all too familiar called out. Everyone turned in time to see Lily and Hermione pushing through the crowd, both glaring at the Marauders, Sirius and James in particular.
"Leave him alone!" Hermione yelled. The twin girls had arrived at the scene, both with wands drawn out. James's spare hand immediately leapt for his hair. Sirius turned around too, and said, "Ah, girls, don't make us hex you." Peter added, "Yeah!" He couldn't help but smile when Hermione looked at him. Admittedly, it was more of a glare, but at least he received her acknowledgment.
"We mean it, Potter!" Lily called out, her wand pointed straight for James' manhood. James looked slightly panicked, and immediately let Severus go. When Severus fell onto the floor with a thump, the crowd jeered and laughed, that he needed help from two girls. He was caught in a mix between humiliation and manly pride, and blurted out, "I don't need help from two filthy little mudbloods like them!" Severus sneered.
A gasp rose throughout the crowd. Peter, furious Severus dared to call Hermione such a vile name, stepped forward. He suddenly found himself being pushed back, and looked up to see Sirius glaring at Severus. James shot a hex at Severus. "Apologize to the Evans' twins immediately!" James roared. The crowd laughed when Severus's robes fell down to reveal a pair of greying briefs. "We don't need your help, Potter." Lily yelled.
The crowd turned to see Lily glaring fiercely at James and Hermione glaring at Sirius. "You two are just as bad as him!" Hermione added. "What? We would never call you two you-know-whats!" Sirius spluttered. His grey eyes looked like molten lead, like a flame igniting deep within him.
Hermione narrowed her eyes.
"Oh, please!" She scoffed. "Rumpling your hair because you think it's cool—" Hermione started "—Showing off on the stupid broomstick—" Lily continued, her words directed at James. "Strutting around like you own this place—" Hermione said to Sirius. "Humiliating anyone who embarrasses you—" Lily yelled at James.
"You two make us sick!" Hermione yelled, loud enough for everyone in the crowd to hear. Lily linked arms with Hermione, and the two spun around to head back to the castle. James and Sirius were both calling after them.
Peter saw the tear that was beginning to make it's trail down Hermione's cheek, and swore silently to make Severus pay for causing Hermione any pain.
.o.
Sixth Year
Sixth year was eventful. The Marauders were thrilled to discover Lily and Hermione had stopped hanging out with Severus. Sirius had started asking Hermione out whenever he saw her, and while Peter didn't like it, he wasn't too disturbed by it. Sirius probably only wanted a shag.
Or at least that was what Peter would tell himself.
It was the day of the Quidditch match, between Gryffindor and Ravenclaw. It was the final round, and if Gryffindor won, they would secure the House cup. Right before the match was about to begin, Peter had planned on wishing Sirius and James good luck, but he saw Hermione and Lily already there. Peter paused, and frowned. Hermione was leaning into Sirius, and she was smiling teasingly. Sirius was smiling back at her and with what seemed like adoration in his eyes.
Peter frowned again.
Opposite of them, Lily was talking to James, and Peter judging by the shape of her lips, she was saying, "Good luck." Peter glared at Sirius. He had an inkling something was wrong, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. Shaking his head, he chose to just head back to the stands. A couple moments later Lily and Hermione sat down in the stand in front of them.
The Quidditch match proved to be interesting. Once, when Sirius dived down, Peter swore he heard Hermione scream. He looked at Remus in confusion, but Remus just gave him an amused smile. When the match ended with Gryffindor winning 420-400, the Gryffindor stands erupted in yells and screams. Every single Gryffindor went stampeding towards the field, Peter himself included. He was heading towards Sirius and James.
Hermione and Lily were in front of them, and when Sirius saw Hermione, his whole face brightened. He held his arms out teasingly.
Peter couldn't force down the feeling that something was seriously wrong, and when Hermione threw herself into Sirius's arms, the feeling was strengthened. James was looking at the two with a billion-galleon grin, and Remus was smirking.
Then, before he knew it, Hermione wrapped her arms around Sirius's neck and tilted her head up and snogged him. Sirius seemed to be taken off guard for a split second, before he was snogging Hermione back. His hands wove themselves within Hermione's caramel tresses, and the field erupted into wolf-whistles and cheers.
Even the Professors were laughing and cheering with the rest of the student body. Dumbledore himself was clapping and his eyes were twinkling brightly. Peter swore he saw Dumbledore lean over and say to Slughorn, "It's about time."
Peter could barely breathe. It literally felt as though shards of glass were stabbing at his heart, and he gasped for air. His eyes seemed to be glued to the couple, and just like a muggle car crash, he couldn't tear his eyes away from them no matter how much he tried. When he finally managed, he could only stumble.
Nobody noticed him, since everyone was squeezing and pressing forward to congratulate the happy couple. Peter wondered how long this had been going on, and felt sick.
Picking himself up, he could only run. He entered the empty castle, and rushed to the seventh floor. He had planned on showing the room to the Marauders later today, after the Match. He had discovered the room one day when he was escaping from a couple of older Slytherins.
The door shaped itself into the form of a bronze knocker, and he opened it, only to discover a room that looked like the Gryffindor common room. Inside was a dozen Sirius's all sitting on the couch, it was strange and unnerving.
There was a bottle of Firewhisky, and also a basket filled with knives and darts. He soon got an inkling to what the knives and darts were for.
Sinking to his knees, tears continued to stream down his face by themselves.
He let out a howl of raw grief, and reached for the bottle of Firewhisky.
.o.
Hours later, when the bottle of Firewhisky was finished and Peter had finished throwing knives at all the dummy Sirius's, he wondered when had he become so blind. The signs were always there. How Sirius always looked at Hermione when she wasn't looking, why he had defended her from Snape, the glares at all the boys she ever went out with, the way he smiled at her, how the two always seemed drawn to each other, even in a room full of people.
They were, in simple words, made for each other.
Now Peter understood what people meant when they said love was a beautiful and terrifying thing, it could make or break a person.
Hermione broke him. He loved her too much. As he threw the bottle of firewhisky across the room and watched the shards shatter, he swore to get revenge on Sirius.
.o.
End of Seventh Year
Hermione and Sirius were still going strong, much to Peter's displeasure. Lily and James had gotten together too, eventually. Hermione graduated valedictorian, having set several school records on their NEWTS and OWLS. Peter's heart twisted every time he saw Hermione and Sirius together. It was obvious the two loved each other, from the way they spoke to each other to the way they looked at each other.
Sirius had given Hermione a promise ring. Promise rings were taken seriously in the Wizarding World, if you gave a promise ring to someone it meant you would have to bind your magic to them, or else it was death. For Sirius to give Hermione a promise ring meant he would marry her or die. Hermione had swooned in a very un-Hermione-ish way and had accepted it readily.
Peter was sure he lost another piece of his heart that day. Unbeknownst to any of his friends, he had entered the Dark Lord's ranks. He had been forced to, his mother's life was on the line. As he watched Hermione and Sirius kiss each other goodbye for Hermione and Lily to head back to their parent's house, he wondered when had things all gone so wrong.
.o.
The Engagement
Today was the day. It was the day Sirius would officially propose to Hermione. The Marauders had been planning for ages now, and as much as Peter tried, he couldn't be happy for Sirius. He couldn't help but wonder why Sirius got his happily ever after and why he didn't receive his. Hermione looked stunning, as usual. Shortly after graduation, Hermione and Sirius had moved into a cosy cottage of their own in Godric's Hollow. It belonged to Hermione's grandmother, who gifted it to her granddaughter as a coming-of-age present.
Muggles preferred to use the age of 18 as an adult, while Peter would never understand why, he respected it. Hermione was a muggleborn, after all.
James and Lily had gotten married right out of Hogwarts, in an intimate, beautiful ceremony. Sirius, Hermione, Lily, James, Remus and Peter himself were gathered at a muggle park.
The stars had already come out, and the cool summer breeze was blowing. Hermione shivered, and before Peter could offer her his jacket, Sirius had already shrugged out of the leather jacket Hermione gifted to him and put it on her shoulders.
Hermione smiled at him. Behind him, Lily was squealing quietly. The moment would occur any time now; everyone knew what was to happen except for Hermione. When they reached the bridge, a couple of muggle joggers passed them.
Hermione turned to admire the view, and Sirius used the time to drop to his knee and to pull the ring box out. When Hermione turned around, her eyes widened and tears pooled. Lily was openly crying now, her happiness for her twin overwhelming her.
James looked thrilled, and Remus was grinning. Hermione's hands flew to her mouth.
"Hermione Rose Evans," Sirius began, his eyes shining with love for her. "We first met during our first year at Hogwarts. I knew instantly you were different from any other girl I met. I began asking you out during fifth year, genuinely, because I wanted to get to know you. Every time you turned me down, I was more determined to win you over. I fell in love with you hard and fast, Hermione. The day I dared you to kiss me was one of the best ideas I've ever had."
A crowd was beginning to form now. "When you did, I swear the axels on the Earth stopped turning. Every time I see you, I just feel like my heart's on the floor." A couple of "aww's" and "that's so sweet" could be heard throughout the crowd.
"We've talked about the future before, and I've never been so in love with you, Hermione. I love you with every fiber of my being, and I wouldn't think twice about giving you my everything." Hermione was openly crying now. "Every morning I look at you and I wonder why I haven't made you mine, in soul, in magic, and in love. Hermione Evans, will you do the incredible honor of marrying me?" Sirius's eyes were glistening.
Peter couldn't help the tear that slid down his face. Remus looked over at him and smiled amusedly.
"Emotional, aren't we, Pete?" He teased. Peter faked a laugh. Hermione nodded her head. "Yes," she laughed, "yes, I will marry you, Sirius Black." Sirius whooped as he got up and slid the massive diamond and emerald ring onto her finger before swinging her around, his arms wrapped around her waist. The crowd was cheering and clapping. As Sirius set Hermione down, the two positively glowing, Lily rushed for Hermione and squealed when she saw the ring. James clapped Sirius on the back, and Remus gave him a manly handshake.
Peter didn't do anything, but just continued to pretend smiling, and the others all fell for it. But as Sirius kissed Hermione again, he wondered how long he could keep this charade up.
.o.
Peter gasped as he ran, a stitch beginning to form in his side. Voldemort had just announced the prophecy Sybil Trewlaney had made during a Death Eater meeting, and had informed them the three families. The Potters, the Longbottoms, and the Blacks.
Rushing up to the familiar cottage of Hermione and Sirius, he banged on the door furiously, hoping they were home.
A couple of seconds later, Hermione opened the door, a bright smile on her face. Her free hand was resting on her four-month old bump. Pregnancy was suiting Hermione well. She was glowing. Sirius and Hermione were so happy, even though the baby was conceived during dangerous times. Her smile turned to concern in moments when she saw Peter's panting state. "Peter? What's wrong?" She asked, her eyebrow knitting in concern. Peter huffed as he asked, "Can I come in?" Hermione nodded, and gestured for him to come in. She closed the door behind him. "Sirius is at the Auror office, as is James. Lily's over, though." Hermione explained. He followed her into the living room, where Lily sat eating pretzels out of a bowl. Lily waved at him and gave him a bright smile. Lily was expecting too.
It seemed as though the Evans girls did everything together.
Hermione sat on the couch while Peter collapsed in an armchair. Hermione silently offered him pretzels, and he shook his head. After a moment of silence, Hermione asked. "What's the matter, Peter?" She asked. Peter took one look at her and the words came pouring out. He told her everything, the prophecy, the families that were targeted, and most importantly, how Voldemort was aiming for Hermione and Lily.
Hermione listened to all this in silence, her face impassive.
Lily interrupted multiple times, before breaking down in tears. When he finished, Hermione simply asked. "How do you know of this?" Her jadeite eyes were narrowed in suspicion. Peter halted for a split second. "I, err, I heard this from a couple of Death Eaters talking in an alley." Peter quickly thought up an excuse, his heart beating wildly, in fear of getting caught in a lie.
Hermione nodded, but didn't look convinced. Realizing how he had almost given away the secret, he stood up and started for the door, mumbling an excuse about how he had to go check on his mother now, that he was already late.
Hermione just watched him in silence, her green eyes narrowed in thought.
.o.
It was Saturday again, and Saturday meant having another picnic lunch with the Black's and the Potter's. Normally, Remus would join them, but Peter knew he was at a werewolf camp under Dumbledore's orders.
He walked into the empty house, and heard chatter drifting in from the back door. Instantly realizing they were all in the backyard of Lily and James's home, he trudged towards the sliding glass door and opened it.
Hermione was the first to turn at the noise and he couldn't help but feel the familiar jolt of his heart when she smiled at him, even if she was married and expecting her first child.
"Peter, mate!" James called out, "Come and sit down!" Peter smiled nervously back at James, and chose to sit down on the extra seat that was added to the table. They were all sitting around a picnic table, one holding a bowl of chips, and he could already smell the barbecue.
Peter smiled nervously, and gave an awkward wave with his hands.
He sat down in the empty chair. He glanced around the circle and saw Sirius. Sirius looked well, serious, and wasn't smiling. He had his arm wrapped around Hermione and his other hand held a flute of untouched champagne.
Sirius shot him a smile, but Peter could tell it was mustered. Sirius didn't beat around the bush. "Mate, Hermione and Lily told us." He informed Peter, his grey eyes narrowed in thought. Hermione shifted, her smile falling away from her face.
"How did you find out this bit of information?" He asked, his face an emotionless mask. Peter's heart immediately began to race. James shot him a sympathetic look. "I'm sorry, Pete, but we're not taking chances." James stated firmly.
"What but," Peter stopped. "Where's Remus?" James shifted uncomfortably, the look on his face betraying him.
"Peter," James began carefully. "With the circumstances surrounding Remus and where he is right now, we just don't think he's the best man for this."
Peter didn't bother asking what he meant by "this." Hermione and Lily were both frowning. "I, however, have complete trust in Remus." Hermione piped in, glaring at her husband. "Me too," Lily echoed.
Peter nodded. The perfect alibi formed in his head. He explained how one night he had been getting a drink or two at the Leaky Cauldron, before stumbling down the alley. He had heard Avery and Malfoy discussing the prophecy, and had immediately rushed to let Lily and Hermione know.
When he finished, both James and Sirius looked convinced.
"Alright, Pete." Sirius began. "Have you ever heard of the Fidelius charm?"
.o.
Cepheus Sirius Black was a beautiful baby, there was no point in denying it. He, like his father, had inherited Sirius's aristocratic features. However, there were still bits of Hermione sprinkled in if you knew where to look. He had inherited his mother's dimples, and Hermione's sea green eyes. His eyes were currently closed, and as Peter glanced from Hermione, exhausted but positively glowing, to Sirius, looking every inch of the proud father he was—Peter knew Cepheus Black was the child from the prophecy. He could feel the hum of magic throbbing beneath the baby's skin.
But, as he passed him back to his mother, Peter couldn't help but wonder what the newborn would've looked like with brown hair instead.
.o.
Godric's Hollow, October 31, 1981.
The wind was howling outside, already showing signs of a coming storm. Inside the house, everything was warm and cozy. Hermione and Sirius lived only a couple of miles away from Lily and James, convenient for when they had get-togethers, which happened every day. Hermione cradled Cepheus in her arms, as he began to yawn. Sirius slid his arm around Hermione's shoulder, and wrapped his son and wife close to him.
The two loves of his life. Hermione and Sirius both gazed adoringly at their son, who was babbling to himself. Glancing up at Sirius, Hermione asked in a trembling voice, "Will he be alright if anything ever happens to us?" Her fathomless green eyes were glinting with unshed tears. The past few months had been awful for all three families: the Blacks, Potters, and the Longbottoms. Dumbledore had warned all three families Voldemort would be targeting one of them, and each numbered day was lived in fear. Sirius looked back at Hermione, before using both arms to cradle her against his chest, being careful to not squeeze Cepheus. Cepheus didn't understand much, but he enjoyed the feeling of having both parents next to him.
Hermione laid her head on Sirius's shoulder as he answered her fears. "Of course, love. You know Lily and James, or the Longbottoms will always take care of Cepheus if anything happened. Not that anything will, of course." Sirius murmured, his hand rubbing soothing circles on her back. Hermione leaned back, before placing a soft kiss on Sirius's lips. Sirius hungrily pulled her back in for another kiss when she leaned out of his reach.
Hermione laughed teasingly as she gestured to the snoozing baby in her arms. Sirius leaned down and kissed his son on the forehead, before Hermione stood up and headed for the stairs, prepared to put Cepheus down for bed.
The little tot giggled while patting his mother's cheeks. Sirius watched the two of them with a smile tugging the corner of his mouth. He yawned as he messed up his hair, preparing to head up to bed soon. He might even be able to sneak in a snog or two.
He smirked wickedly, remembering last night's activities. Just as he got up from the couch—the one Hermione had insisted upon buying—the front door flew upon. Expecting it to be James or Lily, he was horrified to discover it was Voldemort himself. He froze for a second. This meant Peter had betrayed them. Why had he? Just last week he had visited them, and had even brought Hermione a package of those muggle cookies she liked. Sirius shook away these thoughts.
Right now his priority was to protect his wife and son.
"HERMIONE!" Sirius bellowed. "HE'S HERE! TAKE CEPHEUS AND RUN!" He heard a scream from Hermione. His heart pounded, and for the first time in a long, long time, Sirius felt truly afraid. He turned his eyes to the creature standing in the threshold, the one he had carried Hermione over when they first moved in. Voldemort's red eyes zoomed in on Sirius, and he smiled with his lipless mouth.
"Sirius Black." His voice was surprisingly high-pitched, and Sirius was reminded of the giggling girls at Hogwarts during his time there. "Hand me your son, and I will leave you and your wife alone."
Sirius glared defiantly at Voldemort. "Never." Voldemort's mouth curled, this was not the answer he wanted. "Very well." Voldemort shot his wand at Sirius. "Avada Kedavra!" Sirius realized he didn't have his wand; it was on the mantlepiece.
He barely ducked out of the way from the deadly green light. The spell hit the couch, exploding it into fragments. He laughed tauntingly, his biggest mistake. He didn't see the jet of green light until it was too late, and the time it took for the jet of light to hit him seemed to slow down, as though the world had stopped circling for a moment. Sirius fell, gracefully it seemed, with the ghost of his last smile etched upon his face.
Upstairs, Hermione screamed when she heard the thud. She knew instantly Sirius had died. He had died trying to protect her and Cepheus, the way he had promised to protect her for all of eternity. He had promised to love her for all of eternity, and even after that.
Tears streaked down her cheeks. Placing Cepheus in his crib, she crouched down and stared at him straight in the eye.
"Cepheus. Mummy loves you so much. Mummy and Daddy love you so, so much. Be brave, Cepheus." Standing up and preparing to face Voldemort, Hermione kissed Cepheus one last time on the forehead before turning around.
Just as expected, Voldemort barged into the room. He looked the way Hermione remembered him to be. His skin was still waxy, his eyes still crimson. "Hermione. Get out of the way, you silly girl. Get out of the way and I will spare your life. You are intelligent, you must see this is for the best." Voldemort implored her, his crimson eyes flashing dangerously.
"No, please, please take my life and spare Cepheus's! Please, please take my life and spare him." Hermione begged, new tears springing into her eyes. Voldemort glared at her. "You refuse to see reason. I give you one last chance to rethink your mistake. Tears were now trailing down Hermione's cheeks.
"No, please, take me instead, it's me you want, not him, it's me! Please, please!" Hermione pleaded. Voldemort stepped closer to her now, his wand outstretched. Voldemort laughed cruelly. "Gryffindor to the core, I see. Stupid and brash, reckless." He laughed. "Hermione—" Hermione shuddered at the way her name came out of his mouth—"Lord Voldemort is merciful. No a single drop of magical blood should be spilled, even if it belongs to a mudblood. I give you one last chance to move." Hermione inhaled deeply. "No," she uttered. Voldemort's mouth curled. "Very well."
Hermione screamed as the jet of green light shot for Cepheus, and dashed to throw herself in front of him. The light hit her square in the chest, her arms outstretched, and she crumbled to the ground in a heap. Within his crib, Cepheus giggled and clapped his hands together, believing this to be just a silly little lights show his mummy and daddy were putting together for him. He expected at any second for his mummy to spring up from the ground, laughing, and to pick him up from his crib.
Voldemort stepped closer to Cepheus, his foot inching out and kicking Hermione in the stomach to make sure she was dead. Laughing, he raised his wand again. Glancing disdainfully down at the baby in the crib, he smiled. Not a true smile, but a nefarious, wicked smile, one only he was capable of smiling.
Cepheus raised his arms up, believing the man in the black robe to be his father, wanting to be picked up. "Cepheus Sirius Black." Voldemort whispered softly. "The boy who was defeated." Then with a smile, jet of green light was shot at the baby.
The next thing he knew, an incredible agony was resonating in the very core of his bones. He screamed, a terrible scream. Cepheus began to cry, wanting only his parents. Voldemort could only feel himself fading away, and wasn't able to do anything about it. The last thing he remembered was darkness.
.o.
King's Cross, Platform Nine and a Three Quarters
Hermione woke up, wearing a white dress. She inspected it, it was the same white sundress she and Lily had bought together. Standing up gingerly, she looked around. It was King's Cross, except there was nobody, except for an ethereal, streaming light. In the distance, she saw a figure. Upon inspection, she discovered it was Sirius. Letting out a scream, she ran towards him. Throwing herself into his arms, she felt him inhale and exhale deeply. Leaning back, she inspected his face for any injuries. "You're alright, Princess." Sirius whispered.
A sob strangled her throat. "You died, Sirius. You left Cepheus and I." Remembering Cepheus, Hermione grasped Sirius's arms."What happened to Cepheus?" She demanded, her desperate eyes searching Sirius's. Sirius frowned and closed his eyes. "Peter betrayed us." When Hermione gasped, Sirius smiled grimly. "Seems as though he has a grudge against me." Hermione let out a sob. Sirius wrapped his arms around her.
After the tears were dry, Hermione looked up to see what seemed to be Lily and James waving at them from the other side of the platform. Dread slid into her stomach. "Prongs? Lily?" Sirius called out, his voice filled with disbelief. "Hermione!" Lily called. Hermione took off for Lily, the two meeting midway and embracing each other. "Peter betrayed us." Hermione whispered to Lily. Lily let out a muffled sob. "He killed Harry." Hermione pulled back in shock. "He did?" She didn't think Peter was cruel enough to kill a baby, but here they were.
"It was foolish of us to have him as both of our secret-keepers." Lily told Hermione, her eyes grim. Hermione nodded. Sirius and James approached them, the two with identical gleams in their eyes. Hermione left Lily to wrap her arms around Sirius, Lily doing the same to James. "Now what?" Lily asked, the question voiced to everyone. "Now, we wait." Sirius replied.
.o.
Peter couldn't breathe. The rumors couldn't be true; both the Blacks and the Potters were dead, except for their sons. He had heard Voldemort had attacked Hermione and Sirius, only to be destroyed when he tried attacking Cepheus.
The Potters had been murdered by Bellatrix, this he knew to be certain. He had gone with them that night, under the orders of Voldemort. He had begged to not go, but Voldemort had threatened Hermione's life.
He was forced to comply. That night he witnessed the death of Lily and James Potter. James had been spared, killed immediately and painlessly with a simple Avada.
Lily had not been so lucky; and was tortured for hours under Bellatrix's Crucio. Peter was sure her screams would haunt him for the rest of his life. He was instructed by Bellatrix to take Harry and kill him. He was met by the pleading eyes of Lily.
Tears had been pouring from her eyes and bleeding into her dark red hair, stained dark with the color of her own blood. Peter couldn't kill a baby, no matter how much he tried. His eyes were the same as Lily's, and Lily's were the same as Hermione's. He chose to put Harry under a sleeping spell, and when he came back holding Harry's limp body, Lily had screamed, and succumbed to Bellatrix's Crucio.
He had placed Harry's body back within his crib, and nodded in affirmation to Bellatrix's question: "Is he dead?" Bellatrix had cackled insanely. She patted him on the shoulder, then told him, "Good job." It positively sickened him. He managed to force a smile onto his face, before Bellatrix apparated away.
As he hurried up to the cottage of Hermione and Sirius, his heart stopped. The house was in ruins. Peter broke into a sprint, running through the house and up the stairs, where he was met with Hermione's limp body.
Dropping to his knees, he ignored the wail of the baby, and let out of a scream of agony of his own. He wrapped his arms around Hermione, the one woman he had loved with all his heart. Screaming his grief to the Heavens, his arms remained around Hermione.
That was the way Albus Dumbledore found him.
.o.
Privet Drive, October 31.
The two babies looked like twins. Both had messy black hair, and green eyes. The only difference was the curiously cut shape of a lightning bolt on one boy's forehead. For a moment, all light seemed to go out of Albus Dumbledore's normally twinkling eyes. "Cepheus Black and Harry Potter," he whispered softly, "both of your parents died for you. Don't waste their sacrifice."
-fin-
AN: ahhhh and it's done! i personally have not scanned through this so if u catch any mistakes then it's all my fault and i will be going through this tomorrow to check for mistakes and to edit. i'm actually pretty happy with how this turned out, and thanks for reading. once again, much love to darling selena, you are absolutely amazing.
xo,
thea