Author's Note: I hope everyone enjoys this chapter. I wanted to get one more done, but I've been battling a head-ache for most of the day. As usual, feel free to leave me a little review.

Chapter 25: Reconciliation

Peter Pettigrew

Peter stood in the line at a restaurant called Dickey's the day after the party, silently cursing under his breath. It had been James's idea that everyone have breakfast from somewhere else, instead of cooking it themselves. But, instead of actually going to the restaurant to sit down and eat, they decided they wanted to order it to go. None of them felt like getting dressed and actually going. Peter understood why Remus wouldn't want to go. Because it was so close to the full moon, he was feeling under the weather and was slightly irritable. James and Sirius, on the other hand, had no excuse. Peter had a feeling that James most likely just wanted to spend every waking moment with Lily, and Sirius was just lazy.

As for the girls, Sophia had been in Sirius's bed with him when Peter had gone upstairs to go to bed last night. Upon hearing him come in, she decided to get up and go into her own room to decrease the risk of her father finding her in the morning. At least, that's what she had said. Peter didn't blame her. Mr. Jones seemed like one of those typical dads who would murder any boy who touched his precious baby girl. (I'm so glad I had one of those chill fathers who wasn't super protective when it came to guys.) Peter hoped, for both their sakes, that Sophia's father didn't catch the two of them doing something else. He had his suspicions when he'd seen them in bed together, but he didn't really care to ask. Sophia was most likely still in bed, like she had been when Peter had left. She'd only woken up long enough to tell him what she wanted. It had been the same with Jessica, as well.

Peter was now beginning to regret agreeing to this. The line seemed to be moving slower than a Flobberworm. At this rate, by the time it was his turn, it would be well after 10:15, and he didn't want to face Sirius's wrath when the man didn't get his sausage, egg, and cheese croissant. A brief cool breeze from the outside was an indiction of someone else coming in. Peter felt sorry for that person, for there was about five other people behind him. Yet, when Peter turned, he froze for a split second. Roxanne had come in with the family butler, Johnson. Their eyes met and locked for a few moments, before Roxanne narrowed her eyes at him and turned her head to say something to her butler. After that, she wheeled herself towards the soda fountain. Fortunately, Peter had his turn next, and was able to place the pretty big order, which he'd written down, because there was no way he would be able to remember it all. He paid for the meal with some Muggle money he'd gotten from Mrs. Jones, and made his way over to the soda fountain.

Roxanne seemed to be struggling to reach one of the levers for the orange soda. Without thinking, Peter pulled the lever, filling her cup. He expected a thank you, but what he got was completely different.

"I could have done it, you know!" she snapped as she snatched the cup from him.

"You're welcome," Peter mumbled sarcastically as he filled his own drink. Part of him didn't blame Roxanne for being angry, especially after the way he had treated her. Add that to the fact that her father had been imprisoned for kidnapping and sexual assault, he could only imagine how her mother must feel to know that her husband had been stalking a seventeen year old right under her nose. The other part of him, that more sinister voice in his head, spoke a little more loudly.

"She brought it upon herself. Whatever evil lurked within her father, also lurks within her. You're better off just staying away. She'll only hurt you more than she already has."

However, for once, Peter decided not to listen to that voice. "Roxanne."

She spun around in her wheelchair to face him. "What do you want? Have you come to insult me again? Because I'm really not in the mood!"

Peter winced. He deserved that, after the way he'd treated her. "I just wanted to know how you were doing."

"Oh, I'm just peachy keen! My dad has been imprisoned. My mum is on the verge of a mental breakdown. Everywhere I go people stare at me, not because of my handicap, but because of the crimes my dad has committed. I hear them whisper when they think I'm not listening. All I get are those disgusting looks of pity like you're doing right now. So, yeah, I'm great!"

Peter knew sarcasm when he heard it. It was on the tip of his tongue to lash out at her again, but he stopped himself before he said something he would regret. "Listen." He scratched the back of his neck, nervously. "I'm sorry if what I said before might have hurt your feelings. I guess I just thought that you might have had ill intentions, and were just using me for a good laugh. It's happened to me before."

"You mentioned that, but you also didn't let me explain. You just went on a tangent about how evil I was. Why should I forgive you? How do I know you won't do it again?"

Peter didn't know how to respond to that. He was tempted to just turn and leave, hoping to never see her again, because that voice was telling him that she wasn't worth it. But he decided to stay.

"I don't know if I'd ever do it again. But, I do know that I am genuinely sorry for the last time I did it. It's actually been eating at me ever since then. I wanted to apologize before, but given all that's happened with...you know..." his voice trailed off. He didn't want to mention her father, as it seemed to be a sore subject with her.

Roxanne's expression softened slightly. "You mean my father?" She appeared to be holding back tears, but two fell down her chin and dripped down onto her lap.

Peter felt the overwhelming urge to do anything to stop her from crying. His heart tore in half to see her like this. He wanted that cheerful, confident Roxanne back. He lightly brushed away her tears with his left hand. He was surprised when she took hold of it and held it against her cheek for a few moments.

"I'll be fine," she said with a lame sniffle. "A lot has been happening, though."

"Well, if you ever want to talk to someone, I'm here."

Roxanne looked up at him, and gave a small smile. "Okay."

That was all she said, but there was more emotion and sincerity in that one little word, than in an entire speech she probably could have given.

"Do you think your butler would object if you came by the house?"

Roxanne bit her lip. "I can't, actually. After I leave here, I have to go meet my mum to go look at some apartments."

"You're moving? Why?"

"Well, my mom doesn't want to live in a house that was the location of a kidnapping. So, we're looking for some apartments to rent until we get a new one."

"What about Johnson?"

"He's part of the family. Even though we'll be moving into a much smaller space, we can't bring it upon ourselves to let him go. I think he knows that much as well. He's really been great since all this happened." Roxanne leaned forward and whispered, "Sometimes I hope that my mum and him will fall in love and get married. I know it's something you'd only see in the movies, and that my mum still needs a lot of time, but I happen to think that Johnson would make a great husband to any woman. He's actually rather handsome."

Johnson chose that moment to walk up to them, a bag of food in his right hand. "Are you both talking about me?" he teased.

"What can I say? You're such an interesting fellow," Roxanne said with equal playfulness. "You're just so suave and debonair. Were you James Bond in another life?"

Johnson chuckled, looking at Roxanne fondly. She was lucky to have someone like him in her life, Peter felt.

"We can give you a ride home, if you want, Peter," Johnson said. "It's on the way."

Peter shook his head. "It's all right. I could use the exercise."

He said good-bye to the two of them, receiving a smile from Roxanne, then turned around and left. When he finally got home, Sirius pounced on him.

"Where the bloody hell have you been? I've been wasting away here, wondering if I would ever be able to taste food again."

Peter rolled his eyes. "Yet, you couldn't open the refrigerator and grab yourself a little something, could you?"

"Don't listen to Sirius, he's such a drama queen," Sophia said as she came down the stairs, wearing a robe. Her hair was lightly tousseled, but it was nothing compared to Jessica's hair, which looked like it had been possessed by tiny demons.

"What did take you so long, anyways?" Lily asked as she began setting everything out.

"I ran into Roxanne, and we talked for a little bit," Peter replied as he pulled his pancakes towards him.

"So, I take it you apologized for being a prat, and she forgave you?" James asked with his mouth full of scrambled eggs.

Peter began pouring syrup over his pancakes. "Something like that."

"Did you two partake in a little make-up shagging?" Sirius winked licentiously.

"Padfoot, not all of us are raging hornballs like you." Remus tiredly picked off pieces of his breakfast sausages, the circles under his eyes quite prominent. "We don't shag anything that walks around."

"Hey! I don't shag anything!"

"I'll say one thing, he'd better not be shagging my daughter," Mr. Jones said in a threatening tone.

Sophia grimaced. "Dad, I'm seventeen. You can stop treating me like I'm seven any day now."

"I don't care if you're twenty-seven. I don't want my daughter to grow up to be some harlot."

"If that's the case, then wouldn't that make mum one too? The same could also be said for every girl who's shagged a guy just once. It doesn't make much sense."

"Your daughter is right, Nick," Mrs. Jones chimed in. "You are going a little overboard. Sirius is a perfectly nice young man." She turned to Sirius. "Don't listen to my husband, sweetheart. He happens to hate all guys our daughter has been on dates with."

Peter snickered. He wondered how his own dad would be if he'd had a daughter, as well.

"Okay, Dad, first of all, that was so long ago! Second of all, it couldn't have been considered a date. We just went to The Three Broomsticks for some butterbeer, and then bought some stuff from Zonko's." Sophia shook her head. "Honestly, now. You really know how to suck the fun out of everything."

"I don't suck the fun out of everything!" Mr. Jones cried indignantly.

"Fun sucker!" Sophia retorted causing Sirius to nearly choke on his chocolate milk as he laughed.

The banter between Sophia and her father continued throughout breakfast, much to Peter and everyone else's enjoyment. After breakfast, everyone who wasn't already dressed, had to go upstairs to do so. Today, they would actually be going scuba diving. It was something that everyone agreed would be fun to do. The only one who had been before, was Sophia. Peter was excited about it, but wondered about the dangers. He didn't know what to expect. Then again, neither did most of the others. Once everyone was ready, they all piled into the minivan and drove to the place where they would watch an educational video about scuba diving, before actually being taken out into the boat towards the reef and actually partaking in the activity.

Author's Note: That's it for this chapter. I hope that everyone enjoyed it. This story is about halfway over. With the way things are going, it should end at Chapter 50, but if it expands a little to Chapter 60, then that's all right too. After that I'll be starting on the sequel, which will take place during their seventh year. I'm already planning it in between writing chapters for this fic. So, I really hope all of my readers will enjoy it.