Disclaimer: Characters and settings taken from… Harry Potter…

A.N: Set just before the first League meeting

Never such innocence,

Never before or since,

As changed itself to past

Without a word - the men

Leaving the gardens tidy,

The thousands of marriages

lasting a little while longer

Never such innocence again.

From MCMXIV by Philip Larkin

Heads

The sun was blazing outside, but the pub remained gloomy. A little blue light streamed in through the ancient thick blue window-panes lighting up small patches on the table and glinting dully off the beer glasses. As it was still early there were very few people in there; an old wizard sat propped up on a bar stool, at the other end a witch sat with a pumpkin juice talking to the young lady behind the counter and in the furthest corner facing the door three young men sat talking quietly each with a pint of butter beer.

"Let me see the note Remus."

"I already told you what it says. He'll be here soon." Remus swallowed an inch of beer and looked up at his two friends. "I'm kind of nervous." He gave a small laugh, and James returned a quick grin.

"Yeah it'll be weird to see old Wormtail again." Sirius drummed his fingers on the table.

"Damn rat's always late. He was late to our bloody graduation."

"That," said Remus shooting him a long look, "Was because he was trying to untangle Snape's little leaving present, which incidentally was meant for you." At this the three of them laughed.

"Yeah he was a bit annoyed about that. Who'd of thought Snape could have cursed a gown with such devastating results?"

"Since you took Peter's you must have had some idea."

"Remus… you make it sound like I did it on purpose." They fell silent again watching the door.

"I suppose," said James after a long pause, "He's probably changed…" But before he could finish what he was about to say, the heavy wooden door swung open and a dark figure stood there surrounded by yellow sunlight.

After a moment he let the door swing shout behind him, and then Peter Pettigrew walked straight over to the table where his three friends sat, a small happy smile on his face. For a moment all three of them seemed to be in shock, Remus recovered first, he stood up and held out his hand and Peters brown eyes glinted. "Remus."

"Peter." And then James stepped forwards.

"Hullo Peter, I think you grew." And he laughed, and Peter smiled,

"Perhaps, or maybe you just shrunk." Sirius was last, he was staring at Peter as he held out his hand.

"Well, well, so little Wormtail's back to see us at last. Hope you've got lots of wild tales about your exploits in Cairo to regale us with Peter."

"I'm sure I could mange some." He looked down at their glasses. "I see you started without me. Bloody typical…"

"We knew you'd be late." Remus laughed, "Come on I'll buy you a drink." But Peter put his hand on his arm.

"Let me buy them today, I missed you all you know, I really did, lets sit outside, there's a lot to catch up on."

*

"So when do we get to see this beautiful wife of yours?" Sirius was sitting carefully balanced on a chair back, his feet on the seat. Peter looked up at him smiling slightly. He could tell that James and Remus were listening even though they were both still engaged in a chess match that had lasted over an hour.

"Next week. We'll both be at the meeting." Peter took a sip of his third butter beer and sighed. "You never change Sirius, I've been away for two years, I come back and all you're interested in is seeing my wife." James laughed.

"Well you have to admit Peter it is a bit mysterious, I mean, you go off to work in Cairo for some hot-shot transfiguration firm, and the next thing we hear is that you're married, and we have to get that out of the paper, you didn't even tell us… and then there were the picture, Sirius couldn't shut his gob - quite a catch. You can't blame us for being curious."

Peter grinned, "I don't mind curiosity its lechery that bothers me."

Sirius picked up his beer, "Hmmm, lets have a toast then. To the reuniting of the mauraders, it's been a long time… well two years. It's good to see you back Pete." The four of them raised their glasses and drank.

Although it was only the beginning of the day the July air was hot, and a light breeze rippled through the trees. Peter closed his eyes while the sun grazed his face and he had to admit he was glad to be back. There was something about the village of Hogsmede that instantly drew him to his happiest memories, sitting on the table surrounded by his three oldest friends he felt a million miles away from the heat and the bustle of the city where he had been working. Nothing had changed, the pub was just the same, Rosmerta was as beautiful as he remembered, and they were pleased to see him, he was sure of that.

"I win." Remus' voice broke into his thoughts. James winced as his knight was slaughtered and his king was defeated.

"Congratulations Remus. However I will have my revenge."

"I'll be waiting for you." They both stood up and sauntered over to Peter and Sirius.

"So James when are you and Lily tying the knot?" Peter smiled at the young man with the untidy hair. He hadn't been surprised to hear that his friend was engaged, James and Lily had been dating since the sixth year at Hogwarts, it was as though they were made for each other.

"Not until next summer, we have to save up for a house. Well I know I've got money, but Lily hasn't and she wants to do it properly too, I never knew a wedding would take so much effort, especially with her family being muggles, it's a nightmare." He took a long gulp of beer. "But it'll be worth it in the end. I suppose."

"I'm going to be best man." Sirius looked at Peter, "There's going to be lots of mayhem, and tricks and spectacular…"

"There won't be any bloody mayhem." James cut in, "Anyway I'm going to set you up with Lily's sister, Lily said Petunia loves a man in robes." He hid a grin while he took a sip of beer.

"Sounds like quite a day." Peter sighed.

James looked at him. "I daresay I'll need some advice about married life." It was strange seeing Peter again, he didn't look the same, his features were older, it wasn't a change James had noticed with Remus or Sirius, but Peter had been away, and now he was different. His face had thinned out, he used to look clumsy but now he seemed deft and much more self assured. James shook his head slightly, it was almost like looking at another person, was this the same boy he was at school with? Maybe it was the beer, he seemed to be getting nostalgic.

Peter glanced round at their empty glasses. "I'll get another round." And he disappeared out of the garden.

"He's changed." James spoke low as soon as Peter was out of earshot.

"Don't be daft." Remus muttered, "He's the same, he's just a bit taller, and thinner, but other than that…"

"No he's definitely changed, he used to be so… well you know, like he was one step behind us all the time."

"James, he was never like that, Peter wasn't stupid, I know you and Sirius liked to think he was slow, because it made you feel smart, and he didn't mind that, but he wasn't one step behind." Remus kept his tone low, but there was a certain edge to his voice.

"We never said that." Sirius was indignant, "He was slow. You know he couldn't have done animagi without us."

"Sirius." Remus sounded a little tired. "He just let you think that. Don't you know he bloody worshipped you at school. I've no idea why, he'd do anything to make you happy, including letting you think you were doing him a favour. Don't forget if it wasn't for him we'd never have discovered how to animate the marauders' map."

"That was a fluke, he was lucky." Sirius was grinning at Remus as though he couldn't believe what he was saying.

"If that's what you want to think…" But he was cut off by a nudge from James as Peter reappeared with four more glasses of beer.

"So Peter, you came back just in time to join the League." James' words sounded a little forced, but Peter smiled easily,

"I guess, actually I couldn't stand the climate out there, but, well it'll be nice to see everyone again. I daresay there will be a few choice missions for us as well." Sirius smacked his beer down.

"We'll make Voldemort rue the day, thinks he can get away with this, well he hasn't faced the might of Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs." Peter laughed.

"It might take more than us." James sighed.

"Doubt it, he was a Slytherin."

"Sirius it is a serious matter you know. People are getting killed."

"I know, that's why we've got to stop the bastard."

"It's not that easy, he has his supporters too, they're more organised than we are at the moment, everything points to a systematic political agenda." An uncharacteristic frown crossed James' face.

"James he's a lunatic. Have you heard some of his ideas?"

"I've heard them." Peter's voice was soft. "You'd be surprised, he has his supporters everywhere, even in Cairo."

"You see." James muttered.

"I know he has supporters, I'm not stupid James, I just don't think it will take very long to bring him down. We have aurors, I mean dammit you're one, and we have Dumbledore. He hasn't faced us yet, not properly and once he does that'll be it. I don't see why you're so worried, we're on the right side."

"Nobody wants it to last long Sirius, he's shown his colours now, attacking those half bloods was just plain wrong, I just don't think it's going to be as easy as you think. I've seen what they've done, and we don't really know why, nobody's safe."

The four of them fell silent, far off in the distance a tractor hummed in a field, it's driver completely unaware that the village where they say even existed. The village was quiet, most of it's inhabitants were working or making the most of the lull of the school holidays to get away. The outside world seemed so far away they couldn't even be sure that it was real. The taste of the beer was crisp and mellow and it seemed as though the day would stretch ahead forever.

Next chapter Snape and Malfoy, any constructive criticism on this one welcome…