Hi Remus,
My birthday is in a few days so could you come over on Friday? Maybe stay the night? I've just asked James and Sirius so hopefully they'll be there.
We're connected to the floo network so just say my address:
Maybury Place 84
It should take you to our living room. Please make sure you can come, my mum is cooking and she's a great cook.
Peter
Rolling up his letter to Remus, Peter gave it to the family owl, Phoebe. He watched with hopeful eyes as she flew out his window.
Remus always thought that Peter's owl, Phoebe, had a rather confused expression. One could even say stupid, as she had a singular white stripe over her nose and between her eyes. The rest of her was grey and her eyes extremely large. This made her quite a unique animal, so she was easy to spot in broad daylight half a mile from one's bedroom window.
Taking Peter's letter and reading it, a wide smile grew on Remus' face.
"Mum!" He called down the stairs. "Can I go to Peter's house tomorrow?"
His mother walked in view of the landing.
"Are you sure?" She asked, with a concerned look. "The moon was just under a week ago!"
"I know I know, but I'm ok now!" Remus tried to reassure her.
"But your injuries!" She exclaimed.
Her husband stepped out of his study to stand next to Remus.
"What's this?" He asked.
"Mum won't let me go to Peter's house on Friday!" Remus moaned.
"He still has injuries Lyall!" His mother yelled.
"Well, I suppose if you feel ok." His father said slowly. "It can't hurt."
Remus grinned and went back to his room triumphantly. His mother gave her husband a stern look and went back to the kitchen.
Hurriedly writing a letter and tying it to Phoebe, Remus watched as she flew out his window.
Asking his parents if he could go to Peter's house would be suicide. Sirius looked out his window to the dirty streets of London. He'd just got Peter's letter and pondered on how he were to get there. There was a possibility that he could just go to James' house, a fellow pureblood, and then go to Peter's from there.
Sirius knew that asking his parents to go to a friend's house was a push, but he could take the risk. It would only be a couple of curses.
Sirius tentatively knocked on the open door of the drawing room to find his mother. She didn't look up at him as she uttered a firm "enter". Walking in, Sirius turned to face her.
"Mum, can I please go to a friend's house?" He asked quietly.
"You should address me as mother." She said sternly.
Sirius took a deep breath.
"Mother, may I please go to a friend's house?" He repeated.
"What is their last name?" She still did not look up.
"Greengrass." Sirius said without hesitation. "They're on the sacred 28." He added quickly when she gave him a look.
His mother finally looked up and Sirius gulped guiltily.
"Fine, but you'll have to get there yourself."
A grin split onto Sirius' face as he resisted the urge to jump up and down and whoop loudly. Running upstairs, he hurriedly packed his bag messily and took a look and James' address. He ran back down to the fireplace and threw in some floo powder.
Calling the name of James' address, Sirius suddenly realized that the Potters might be a little surprised to find that one of James' friends had turned up in their living room uninvited. Unluckily, Sirius couldn't go back because he'd found himself face to face with James.
"AAAAAGH!" James screamed and jumped back, making his glasses fall off.
"James!" Sirius held his hands out in peace. "It's me!"
James blinked and recognition grew on his face as he ran up to Sirius and hugged him.
"SIRIUS!" He cried happily.
An old man in his mid-fifties walked in.
"James, what are you-" but he was interrupted by his son.
"Dad, this is Sirius my best friend!" James said excitedly.
"Hello Sirius, we've heard many good things about you from James." Mr Potter smiled.
"Hello Mr Potter." Sirius said, suddenly quite shy. "I'm sorry I came uninvited-"
"Oh it's all ok." Mr Potter waved his hand. "Staying the night?" He added, looking at Sirius' bag.
Sirius opened his mouth before Mr Potter talked over him.
"Don't apologise, stay as long as you like."
Sirius smiled at him while James dragged him away.
"...So I came here and my parents think I'm with the Greengrass family." Sirius had just finished telling James about why he'd turned up out of the blue.
"Do they know when you're coming back?" James asked.
"They don't care." Sirius said before seeing James' expression. "I mean, they won't really be annoyed if I'm gone for too long." He added quickly.
James gave him a look which Sirius could not decipher.
"Wanna play Quidditch?" James grinned.
Sirius found that life with the Potters was pleasantly different to life at home. In the morning they'd be softly woken up by Mrs Potter with a "good morning" and "what would you like for breakfast?" James' house elf, Thing was a delightful change to the snarls, snide remarks and glares of Kreacher. Thing was polite, charming and always insisted on making bacon and eggs for breakfast because Sirius once had expressed his love for fry-ups.
Mr and Mrs Potter were absolutely lovely and for once Sirius enjoyed dinner. Everyday they would let him and James play Quidditch outside until they got tired and Mrs Potter would call them in for a snack. In the evening she would make them hot chocolate before bed and tuck them in. It was also a delight when he found out that James' dad created the famous hair potion, Sleekezey's.
"I gave you a bottle on your birthday in November!" James said, exasperated.
"Yeah but I want listening when you said it was from your dad."
Mr Potter just laughed. "That's quite alright Sirius, you were too excited by the hair potion that you couldn't listen to James."
"I guess I wouldn't believe him anyway." Sirius looked at James and pressed his hair down with one hand. "You think he'd have better hair."
A booming laugh and an irritated James made Sirius realise he wished he could stay at the Potter's home forever.
On the day of his birthday, Peter woke up oddly early and went downstairs. It was weird because he was usually the last one out of bed, the rest of his family being early birds. Sitting down in his living room, the sun splashed onto the cream colored carpet. Peter sighed contentedly and sat back, closing his eyes, thinking about Hogwarts and his friends.
A loud noise interrupted his reverie, followed by laughter.
Peter's eyes snapped open as James and Sirius fell out his fireplace. He couldn't help but laugh at how Sirius' face held one of utmost confusion and how James' glasses had flown to the other end of the room.
"I can't see!" James cried, putting his hands over his eyes.
Peter was bent over in laughter and had to concentrate on breathing properly.
"Help!" James cried again, leaving Sirius to crawl his way to the sofa while laughing silently.
"This isn't funny!" James said, while blindly searching for his glasses, hands outstretched.
"I'm afraid it is Potter." A voice said from the fireplace. "Frankly, I find it hilarious."
They all looked towards the figure covered head to toe in soot and could only just make out his face.
"Remus!" Peter and Sirius exclaimed, trampling over James to hug their friend.
Peter's parents rushed downstairs, scaring them all.
"Peter!" His mother exclaimed.
Peter's mouth opened and closed without making a sound, resembling a fish.
"So sorry Mrs Pettigrew, my friend and I flooed here." James said courteusly, getting up. "We are so sorry for the mess."
James moved towards her, forgetting that there was furniture in the room, stubbing his toe painfully on the leg of the table.
"Are these your glasses?" Peter's father asked James.
"Yes!" James cried out. "Thank you so much! Now I know who my real friends are!" He added, glaring at the others who were trying to stifle their giggles.
Peter's parents smiled affectionately at his friends.
"Tell us, what are your names since Peter hasn't introduced you." His mother said, sending her son a look.
"I'm James Potter."
"Sirius!"
"Remus."
Everyone turned round to the entrance of the living room where a girl was standing.
"What's all the noise down here?" She asked, rubbing the sleep out her eyes.
"These are my friends." Peter told her. "James, Sirius and Remus." He gestured to each of them.
"Was there a need to wake me up?" She said, annoyed.
"But you went to sleep so early last night Clara," Mr Pettigrew said. "Surely you can't be tired."
"I had trouble sleeping." Clara looked away. "Anyway, shouldn't you be more concerned with the mess of our living room?" She smirked.
Mrs Pettigrew sighed and flicked her wand, the soot disappearing from the floor, furniture and their clothes and faces. James rubbed his glasses on his now clean shirt, relieved that he could see properly again.
"Mum, we're gonna go upstairs." Peter said, leading them all through to the hallway.
Peter's room was cluttered with items scattered over the floor. He made his way to sit on his bed as he expertly manouvered himself through the mess.
"You're even messier in your own house Peter!" James exclaimed.
"Well it's not my fault you're a neat freak." Peter smirked.
"Honestly , I don't know how you live in this mess Peter." James muttered.
James bent over started picking up dirty clothing in a motherly fashion and putting them in a pile.
"You should be our personal maid when we get back to school." Sirius snickered.
"I'm not a girl!"
"Prove it."
James spluttered, suddenly looking very lost for words.
"Come on Potter." Peter laughed.
"Fine." James sighed.
He pulled up his shirt to show a clear image of a boy's chest.
"That's not enough, think of Marlene!" Sirius told him. "She's flat-chested!"
"We're only twelve, we're still kids." Remus rolled his eyes.
"Yeah but look at Jane Hilliar."
They all rolled their eyes at Sirius' shallowness.
A call came from downstairs.
"Dinner!"
Three of the Marauders ran downstairs while in an attempt to injure the other. One of the Marauders sighed, eyes rolling and brows raised, as he watched his ridiculous friends. Once in the dining room they seated themselves down, giggling like children. Mrs Pettigrew smiled at them affectionately while telling them to just take as much as they wanted from the plates of food in the middle of the table.
Everyone eagerly tucked in, taking a bit of everything. Except Clara broke the peace.
"Mum, can I go upstairs to study?" She asked. "I'll bring my food with me."
"Clara!" Mrs Pettigrew exclaimed. "It's Peter's birthday! That's insensitive of you!"
"I know but mum, I'd like to study." Clara retorted back.
"Fine then, go upstairs, take your food and go study." Mrs Pettigrew sounded angry at her daughter.
Clara left the table, leaving behind a thick wall of tension. Everyone else just tried to pretend like nothing had happened. Soon enough the plates were empty and everyone was feeling quite full. James let out a large burp and broke the tension by making everyone laugh at him.
Mrs Pettigrew brought out a cake similar to Sirius' birthday cake from Peter. This one had blue frosting and Peter's name on it.
Twelve candles were lit and Happy birthday was sung loudly, leaving a very embarrassed Peter.
"Go on, make a wish." Sirius grinned.
"But don't say it out loud or it won't come true." Remus warned just as Peter opened his mouth to say something.
Peter nodded and shut his eyes tight.
I wish we could all stay friends until we're old and wrinkled in rocking chairs.
Taking in a deep breath he blew out the twelve candles.
As Mrs Pettigrew got out a knife to cut the cake James leant over and whispered loudly.
"What did you wish for?" He asked eagerly.
"Don't make him say it or it won't come true!" Remus exclaimed.
"Remus is wrong Peter, tell me." James grinned.
"Don't listen to him, Remus is never wrong." Sirius chipped in.
"Anyone for cake?" Mrs Pettigrew asked.
Everyone held out their plates happily even though they were all full. Once the cake had been eaten and there were only a few crumbs left (Mrs Pettigrew secretly saved Clara a slice) the Marauders set up camp in the living room.
Blankets were put out, pillows thrown into the floor and four boys sat in a circle. Most of the night was spent talking loudly until a tired and slightly annoyed Mr Pettigrew walked in and asked them very kindly to keep the noise down. They then settled into their nest of blankets and pillows to whisper quietly.
Remus was the first to go to sleep, then Sirius and Peter was just about dosing off when James tapped him on the shoulder.
"What did you wish for?" He whispered, then seeing Peter's expression added: "Don't worry, Remus is just superstitious, just because you say a wish out loud doesn't mean it won't come true."
"Well, I wished that we could all stay friends until we're old and wrinkled in rocking chairs." Peter smiled at the thought.
James grinned. "I definitely think that will come true, and if not, I'll make sure it will."
"So will I."
That night Peter vowed to keep his promise.
He would keep it until the day he died.
A/N I know my posting on this story has been VERY inconsistent, but I keep forgetting to post a new chapter. If you want to read ahead you can read this on A03 or Wattpad under the same name. I post frequently on those websites.
Please leave a comment! I am open to criticism!