A/N: Um...well thanks for the one review. Its better then none. Slow start maybe or maybe no one is interested still, I am going to try and write it out. Hope you like the next chapter. Sorry about this chapter being so short. I hope this weekend I will have a larger part up.
Peter slowly raised his foot, grimacing at the mud that held onto his shoe. He glanced around the area that he and his friends were now lost in. He wasn't sure whose fault it was that got them lost but personally he wanted to blame James and Sirius.
"Let's go that." Peter recollected when he had pointed to a nice path paved with yellow dirt that looked to be gold when the sun, which was shining on the other side, sent its ray to clear out the shadows.
Remus, Peter recalled, had agreed with Peter. "I second that absolute remarkable idea, Pete's. Does he not have the most brilliant ideas? The boy is a genius, I swear! I say we follow his good and clever advice and take the path that is pleasant and non-harmful. While that way..." Remus pointed to the crooked, leafless trees that etched the pathway that was filled with damp mist, fog and darkness. "..Will get us murdered."
Well, maybe Remus didn't say that exactly but Peter was sure he felt the same way. Unlike Sirius who had to say, "It's an adventure, James. Be a man, pick the mysterious, dreadful, way that will sure lead to our deaths." And of course, Peter remembers that James was all over that idea. The stupid git.
So now they were lost in some kind of marsh with mud up to their ankles and their clothing all wet from the dampness. They did have their wands illuminate and it helped a little but the fog was much too thick now to see clearly.
Peter turned his attention back to his friends and suddenly realized they weren't in front of him any longer. In fact, they weren't anywhere his eyes could see. "Guys?" Peter whispered into the fog with dread and fear of actually being heard by something terrifying. He glanced around, straining to hear a voice in the darkness but none came. In fact, the whole area had fallen into an eerie silence. "Guys!" Peter yelled louder, panicking now. He stumbled forward in hopes of colliding into Remus or maybe even James. Not Sirius, he was getting too agitated with Peter's constant grumbling.
Remus frowned at the sudden silence behind him. With James and Sirius, nothing is exactly ever quiet but there was a slight tone within the air around them. "Hey." Remus called forward to his two friends who both were leading the small back. Sirius turned around but James kept moving forward, talking as if the world only had ears for him.
"Just saying that there was no way he could have scored that goal if I were there." James was telling the world.
"James." Remus called out to him. Sirius grabbed the back of James' shirt, pulling the younger boy back.
"What?" James asked with a slight shrug of his shoulders.
"Peter's gone." Remus pointed to the empty space beside him.
James and Sirius both glanced around trying to spot their plump friend but the fog made it difficult to see each other and they were standing side by side.
"Maybe he went to piss." James frowned, trying to see if he could spot any trees.
"Without holding one of our hands?" Sirius rolled his eyes. "I doubt it. Besides, I think he did his business when he heard that shrill of a scream an hour ago."
"What was that?" James asked the other two, who both shrugged. "Well then maybe his shoe untied and…" James gave a side glance at Sirius. "Did you just growl at me?"
"James." Sirius put a hand on his friend's shoulder. "Peter wouldn't swallow his own spit out here if we weren't beside him. He's lost. It's as simple as that. The boy got lost. He probably lagged behind and…well, he's Peter. I have no need to say more."
"So we back track." James grinned confidently. "Just turn around and head the way we came."
"I can't remember how many left turns we made, Prongs." Remus sighed, suddenly feeling very tired.
"I made some right turns maybe after the lefts but there was…" James argued
"Peter!" Sirius cupped his hands and yelled loud enough for James to cover his own ears. "Peter where the bloody hell are you! Don't make me come and find you because you'll wish you stayed lost!"
"Well I am sure he will eagerly come now that the voice of reason called to him." Remus sarcastically muttered.
"Naturally." Sirius pushed passed Remus a bit roughly. "Peter!"
"Pete!" James called out. "I've got a hamburger!"
"James." Remus scolded.
"With extra cheese!" Sirius added. "Come out where ever you are!"
The marsh remained quiet.
James pulled his fingers through his hair as he glanced around the area. Sirius was right in saying that Peter wouldn't had just taken off without someone being with him. Not in these spooky woods. He slapped a mosquito off his neck. "Well, I guess we'll have to look for him. He's probably sitting on some water down log complaining to the tree frogs about how we got him lost."
"No doubt." Sirius agreed but a small feeling in his gut told him that currently, their friend was lost.
"Just no one else wander off. Understand?" James watched his two friends nod their heads. He pointed at the way he believed they had come. "Well, come on. We'll just go this way."
"How do you know that is the way to go?" Remus asked before James could take a step.
"Because I have a wonderful sense of direction." James gave him a grin that would reassure anyone but them.
"Huh-huh." Sirius swatted away a beetle. "Remus, how did we get here in the first place."
"I believe it was because James liked this direction, Sirius." Remus replied with a smirk.
"And that time we got lost in the forbidden forest, why was that Mooney?" Sirius asked.
"I believe it was because James thought Hogwarts laid to the south, Padfoot." Remus once again replied.
"And which direction did we actually go?" Sirius questioned.
"We went North and a bit east once he turned in a circle." Remus responded.
"I do believe those directions led us to some fabulous adventures." James rolled his hazel eyes.
"It led us into trouble, Prongs." Remus reminded him.
"It led us into detention." Sirius added.
"Yes maybe so but we had fun, didn't we?" James reasoned. "And once we find Wormtail, we will be laughing at the fun we are having now!"
"B-but." Sirius opened his mouth.
"We are having fun." James made his fingers express a shut-up sign. "We are! Now, let us go find our lost friend and we will all laugh over this while we warm ourselves near a fire."
Sirius leaned against Remus' shoulder. "I'm not having fun at all."
Remus shook his head. "Nor am I."
Sirius and Remus walked behind James caution. "I sincerely doubt that Peter is having the time of his life right now."
"He's probably hiding in a log from a squirrel." Remus agreed.
"He's not going to be laughing when we find him." Sirius added.
"Unless Wormtail has gone insane." Remus huffed.
Peter wasn't sure how he did it, in fact he could only speculate that it was a miracle that he had found his way out of the marsh. Nevertheless, there he stood in a little clearing. He could see enough of the clear sky to know it was late afternoon. He held his stomach as a growl echoed from deep within him. He needed food. He needed to rest and he needed to sleep. Just a little nap. Being a marauder always tired him out more easily than it did the others.
Once again, Peter saw a miracle because there, in the clearing was a small little cottage. Surely the inhabited would have some food. Give him a moment to rest and maybe send an owl for help, for where ever help would be.