Disclaimer: Yada, yada, yada. I own nothing. Nothing at all. Just a few bit characters that you don't recognize…Other than that, they belong to J.K. Rowling.
A/N: Oh, dear. I'm afraid that I'm a liar and that I haven't been updating…So sorry. Really I am. I know I said that the story would pick up a few weeks after graduation, but, like I said before, I'm a liar. This picks up the next day.
Peter sighed contently as he settled into a big chair positioned in front of the fire. He smiled as he watched James and Lily play a game of Exploding Snap. Lily was, of course, winning. James had always let her win at those things. Peter blinked. How was he going to do this? Could he change the future? Why was he here?
He shook his head. Too many questions, too little answers. He hated that when that happened.
"Oy, Peter, come help us," Sirius stood at the portrait entrance. "We need you to help us bring food back from the kitchens."
"I'll be right there." Peter got up and went over to James. He leaned to whisper in his ear. "A word of advice my friend. Let Lily win this last time. Don't ever tell her you let her win."
"Why?" James asked bewildered.
"Just trust me on this one, buddy."
"I always let her win. I want to win this once."
"Ok, don't say I didn't warn you." Peter chuckled as he walked over to meet Sirius. He remembered all too well the day James told Lily he always let her win. Her temper matched her fiery hair, and she didn't talk to him for hours. An all time record for that couple.
"So, what food are we getting?" he asked Sirius.
Sirius winked. "You know, the usual. The house-elves have gotten us a little surprise cooked up there. I have no idea what it is. Did they ask you what your favorite food is, Remus?"
"Uh, yes, actually, they did. I told them anything but red meat. I'm afraid I've lost my taste for that ever since I've started having those dreams."
Peter remembered those dreams. Sometimes, at nights, he'd awake to Remus crying or growling in his sleep. It was unnerving to hear his cool, reserved friend in distress. He had no idea what those dreams contained, and he didn't want to know.
"Oh, well, you didn't ask for anything specific, then?" Sirius asked.
"Actually-" Remus began.
"He asked for honey cakes, didn't you, Remus?" Peter interrupted.
Remus stared at Peter. "How'd you know?"
"I told you guys earlier, I'm getting good grades in Divinations."
"Well, Peter, if you're getting good grades, what did I tell the house-elves?"
Peter smiled. "You told them to make you something that had rum in it. They told you no. So, you picked raspberry bread pudding."
It was Sirius' turn to stare at Peter. "You're right."
"Of course I'm right. Did you ever doubt me?"
"Well, yeah," Remus stated.
"Oh," Peter said softly.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
After many trips to the kitchens, Peter, Sirius, and Remus brought back all the seventh year Gryffindors favorite foods. Lily wasn't talking to a very distressed James, and the other seventh year girls were hanging all over Remus and Sirius, as usual.
"How'd you know, Peter?" James asked.
"I just guessed."
"Boy, is she mad at me. I hope she'll talk to me again. Someday."
"Don't worry, James. Just let her chill for a couple of hours. She'll come back down."
"Ok, Peter. I'm going to listen to you this time."
Gryffindor tower was in full party mode that night. After all, the seventh years were departing into the real world the next day. They were going to fight the war against the terror of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. All the younger students looked up to them as heroes.
Peter went up to his dormitory. He needed to be alone. He needed to think about what to do with the future. He had already decided he was going to change it. But, how? Then, it hit him. Dumbledore. He would go to Dumbledore and tell him what's going to happen. It seemed so easy.
Would he believe him? Would he call him crazy? Surely Dumbledore would find the truth in what he says. But, then that would mean he would have to admit his deepest, darkest secret. He would have to admit he betrayed his friends. Could he do it? He could try.
Peter got up and went out to the common room. He noticed James and Lily in a corner, making up. Sirius was telling some girls about the time he saved burning orphans from a sick hospital. The house-elves did get that rum for him, then. Peter didn't remember that. Oh, yeah, that's right. He had some too, that's why he didn't remember. Remus was sitting in a corner talking with Audrey, his girlfriend-who's-not-really-his-girlfriend-but-really-good-friends. Peter smiled. He liked Audrey. She was the one who tutored him when James gave up. He, of course, came back later to apologize about losing his temper. He slipped out of the common room unnoticed and headed to Dumbledore's office. He paused at the gargoyle. What if he's asleep?
He shrugged and knocked anyway on the gargoyle.
"Mr. Pettigrew? What are you doing out so late? Or, should I say, early?"
Peter jumped and turned around to face the headmaster himself, Dumbledore. "I-I was ju-just looking for you, sir. I hope you weren't aslee-asleep?"
"No, I wasn't. I was merely wandering around the halls. I wouldn't admit it to anyone, but, I think I was lost. This castle never ceases to confuse me."
Peter smiled. That was the good thing about Dumbledore. He always made you feel comfortable with him.
"I need to tell you something, sir. It's really important, and it can't wait for tomorrow or later. I need to tell you now. You might think that I'm crazy, but, everything that I'm going to tell you is true."
"Well, I can assure you that I won't think you're crazy. I'm often called crazy about five times a day. I can listen to your story, and I'll re-judge my view on you if you like, but, I won't call you crazy."
Peter smiled and nodded.
"Cockroach Clusters," Dumbledore said to the gargoyle. It moved and revealed a spiral staircase. They walked up it and entered Dumbledore's magnificent office. He motioned for Peter to sit down in a cushy chair and he sat down behind his desk. They sat there awhile in an awkward silence.
"Well, Mr. Pettigrew. I'm sure you didn't come up here to admire my beauty. Are you having trouble beginning?"
He nodded. He was afraid to speak for fear of bursting into tears. He had spent all those years with this bottled up, he had no idea where to begin.
"I find the beginning the best place to start," Dumbledore said kindly.
"Yes, sir, it is. It's just so hard to believe. I don't want you to think me a liar."
"Start at the beginning, Peter. Then, go from there."
Peter nodded and began. He told his tale for three hours straight. He told of how Voldemort (He had to stop himself from saying 'master'.) approached him one day and asked for his help in killing his friends. He told of his betrayal, ignoring Dumbledore's confused expression. He told him how he hid as a rat during those years after Voldemort's defeat and how he went to help him resurrect himself with a new body. He then told him how he woke up to James Potter poking him in the shoulder. He stopped his story there and looked up at Dumbledore.
"That's the truth," he finished. "I want to change it. I want to change what I did, and I want to change the horrors I caused."
Dumbledore sat in silence. He looked like he was in deep thought.
He's deciding on whether to throw me in St. Mungo's or Azkaban, Peter thought glumly.
"Well, Mr. Pettigrew. When does Voldemort approach you with his proposition?" he asked.
Peter's mouth dropped. He believed him? "Tomorrow. After I get off at Kings Cross Station. He will knock me out and take me to a secret location. Then, he will tell me his proposition."
Dumbledore nodded. "Then, I advise you to accept this proposition."
Peter jumped up violently. "Are you crazy? I can't do that! I'm going to kill my best friend. I'm going to send my other best friend to Azkaban. And the other one? I'm going to sentence him to a life of loneliness and shame. I can't do that. I can't live with myself if I go through that again."
"Relax. Relax, Peter. I only meant that you will be a double-spy. You will help us in the war."
He stared at the aging headmaster. Spy? Why, that was the most logical thing to do. Of course. He would spy for Dumbledore and repent his sins.
AN: Wow, thanks for all the great reviews guys. I can't believe it. I got more than I expected. Be kind and review! It makes me happy. Here's to my reviewers:
KatLvr2222- Thanks for liking the story. Yeah, Remus is a little different than in other fics, because this is my interpretation of
Remus. It's not like the others.
Evil spapple pie- You're just going to have to stick around to find out…^_~
Gwerty- Thanks so much! You have no idea how much that means.
Wild Star- Yeah, his friends are going to get a little suspicious. Maybe a little bit more, who knows?
Reviewer-who-left-no-name- You're are correct. It's going to be very hard for our little Wormtail here. And, I agree, chaos is
more interesting.
Revti- Thanks again for linking me! I try my best with the humor. So, here's the third chapter. Happy now? ^_^
Kirina- You put me on your favorites list! Thanks! That really makes my day. So, I updated. I think you should. Hint, hint.
Envy Greeneyed- Of course there's going to be another chapter. Here it is!
~*Butterfly*~- I'm glad I converted somebody over to thinking Peter wasn't that bad! Thanks for reviewing.
Darth Flirt- My first reviewer! Thanks so much. And, here you go!