Moonlight and Midnight
By: Un Lugar Celestial
Chapter 3: Peter
The sun was just beginning to cast its golden light over Hogwart's the morning after the sorting ceremony. The grounds lay silently over the grayish-blue sky waiting for the sun to reign down and warm the cool September air. Slowly the sleeping students inside the castle awoke. Some clung to their dreams for the last moments of the life they'd known the day before. Others were wide awake embracing the new day and the changes it brought forth.
Jessi was flitting around the first year dormitory, attempting to get ready without waking the other Gryffindor girls. When light began to pour in through the tall windows, she decided to wake up her new friends. She walked over to Lily's bed and grinned at her sleeping friend.
"Lily, Lily, Lily," she clamored as she hopped up onto the bed and jumped around, "Get up…it's the first day of classes."
"Still sleeping," Lily groaned from under her blankets.
"Lily," Jessi exasperated, still jumping up and down, "if you don't get up you'll be late for classes, get up, get up get up," she chirped.
"Late…..oh my heavens," Lily exclaimed as she shot up. Her quick movements sent Jessi tumbling to the floor, "why'd you let me sleep?" she asked as she ran around the room.
"What is all this racket about," Alice asked sitting up and staring at the two of them.
"Lily's a mad-person," Jessi stated.
"She let us oversleep!" Lily exclaimed.
"Lily we have like an hour," Alice said calmly.
"What?" Lily looked shocked, "I AM GOING TO KILL YOU JESSI!"
Jessi shrieked and ran across the room. She dove onto Alice's bed and grabbed a pillow, she stood in the center of the bed hopping up and down slightly. Lily approached, grabbing a pillow from her own bed as she followed.
"Oh no," Alice mocked, "One of you is going to die a perilous death……Death by feathers."
"You're dead, Jessi."
"Bring it on."
Lily climbed up onto the bed and swung the pillow at Jessi, she looked surprised when she connected with Jessi's shoulder. Her victory lasted only momentarily as Jessi threw a smaller pillow at her. It sailed passed Lily's head and hit Alice square in the stomach.
"That's it…you're both gonna get it," Alice said as she threw the pillow back at Jessi.
Fifteen minutes later, Jessi swung a pillow at Alice and connected with her ribs. The pillow burst and feathers flew everywhere. All three girls collapsed onto the floor giggling and pink faced. Their giggling continued when their other two roommates woke up and looked around the room utterly confused.
"I'm going to wait downstairs," Jessi said to Lily and Alice as she grabbed her books and headed down the stairs.
The common room was mostly deserted as most students went strait to breakfast. A few older students sat scrambling to finish summer homework. Jessi sat down on a couch near the fire and opened a copy of Hogwarts: A History.
"I can't believe you're reading that," a Sirius said as he came up from behind her.
"Good Morning to you too," she smiled and looked up at him, "where is you other half?"
"Still getting dressed," Sirius sighed as he hopped over the back of the couch and sat next to her, "he's got it pretty bad for your new friend."
"I'm sure he does," she said happily.
"What's that mean?" Sirius asked.
"Nothing Sirius," she grinned.
Shortly after Alice and Remus came down the stairs. Jessi stood and paced impatiently as they waited. Lily finally rushed down the stairs and stared at Jessi and Alice.
"Are we going or not," Lily demanded.
"I thought we were waiting for James," Alice said.
"I'd rather not have my hair set on fire today," Lily snapped.
"He didn't mean it Lily," Sirius said.
"It's alright," Jessi placated, "we'll go."
"Jessi!" Sirius protested.
"Lily, Alice…will you two wait for me outside," she asked.
"Sure," Alice said as she dragged a grumbling Lily out the portrait hole.
"Jessi," Sirius started.
"I know," she said with a half smile, "this doesn't change anything, You and James are still my best friends. I'm sure we'll still see each other lots. I need to make girl friends though."
"Fine," he said, "I'll see you in class," he said as he walked over to talk to Remus.
Jessi sighed and hurried out of the portrait hole to meet Lily and Alice. The three girls chatted as they walked down to the great hall. They sat at the far end of the table, talking about classes as they ate. Professor McGonagall walked by and handed them their timetables. She also told them not to be late to their first lesson.
James, Sirius, and Remus entered the Great Hall together at the tail end of breakfast. They ate quickly and approached the head table to retrieve their timetables. James seemed like he was going to approach the girls until Sirius stopped him. He cast an apologetic look at Jessi and followed Sirius out.
Their first class was Charms. Lily and Alice sat together and Jessi sat across from them. When the boys entered the classroom right before the start of class Sirius glared at Jessi and sat behind her. James looked at her as if to say, "After class," and sat next to Sirius. Remus looked skeptically at Jessi and sat next to her.
"Hi," she said absentmindedly.
"Shhh," he hushed her, "Class is going to start."
The class went smoothly as Professor Flitwick taught them about wand movements. Jessi sporadically took notes but was able to execute the wand movement. After class James picked up her school bag and she followed him sighing in annoyance as they exited the class.
"What's going on Jess?" he asked as he handed her bag.
"Sirius is mad," she stated.
"Wonderful deduction, Watson," he mocked, "Why is he mad?"
"Because I left with Lily and Alice this morning."
"I wasn't really thrilled about that either," he said sounding hurt.
"I'm sorry, James, really I am…"
"I know," he smiled at her, "I understand too…just don't forget about us huh?"
"I couldn't ever forget you," she grinned, "You're my best friend."
"Shall we proceed to Potions?"
"We shall."
As they walked down the hall they heard shouting. James motioned Jessi to stop and they poked their heads around the corner. Lucius Malfoy and another large Slytherin had a first year backed into a corner. Jessi's jaw dropped as she watched the older students draw a wand on the young boy.
"We should get help," she whispered to James.
"No time," James whispered back.
"James!" She said slightly shocked.
"What Jessi," he said irritated, "I'm trying to think."
"He's a Gryffindor you dunderhead."
"Merlin," James groaned, "He's our other roommate….Patrick, or something like that."
"We have to do something."
"Alright, follow me," James said. He walked towards Malfoy determinedly. "Hey Malfoy," he called, "how about evening the odds a little?"
Jessi looked at the boy and recognized the fear in his eyes. She realized she probably carried the same look. Sirius rushed around the corner from the opposite direction almost as if it had been planned.
"Yeah," Sirius echoed, "What do you say….four against two?"
"What is…" Remus stopped. He'd followed Sirius into the corridor and looked between all of them. James, Sirius, and Malfoy all had wands drawn and aimed. Jessi was standing near the blonde boy talking to him.
"Blind Gryffindor loyalty," Malfoy smirked, "one day it will cause your deaths," he stalked off after that turning a corner and disappearing.
"Are you ok, mate?" James asked the boy.
"Yeah," he said sounding embarrassed.
"Don't let Malfoy bother you," Remus said.
"He's just a bully," Jessi smiled kindly.
"You should hang with us though," Sirius suggested, "James and I here are the best pranksters ever. If you're with us…Malfoy can't touch you."
"The man makes a point," James said.
"Then it's settled," Remus said with an air of finality.
"What's your name?" Jessi asked as she offered a hand to help him up.
"Peter," he his voice shook, "Peter Pettigrew."
"Nice you meet you Peter," she said.
I remember that day clearly. Some days I wish we'd never come upon that scene in the hallway. Things would have turned out a lot differently. I couldn't have known, no one could have. No one could have ever imagined how meeting Peter Pettigrew would ultimately cause the death of two of my closest friends and the twelve year imprisonment of another. 0