Disclaimer: These characters still aren't mine. I put out bait, I set traps but still nothing! No money is being made off of this.
Warning: Still mildly slashy. Hints and whatnot, nothing too serious.
Dedication: Still for Tara, and for Demeter as well, who is so fond of this series. I'm glad it's going over so well!
Author's Note: Whoo-hoo! Another chapter. I've been having a bit of writers block the past few days, but I seem to be over it. Things are settling down around here, and the atmosphere is far more conducive to writing then it was. And now we have the next installment of Body and Blood...and I couldn't quite tie it in with the Sirius story, but I did add some elements from there into this...
Body and Blood
Chapter Five
The Prodigal Returns
Peter padded through the dark, silent halls of the Manor, a large black dog shadowing him alongside the wall. He was alert, eyes darting here and there, lowering when he met the eyes of his fellow Death Eaters. No one seemed to notice the dog, or have any questions about him. Peter was nervous, though. His heart was pounding in his chest, the same as it had been for the past few days. He didn't feel any safer for having Sirius with him. If he was caught...if anyone found out what-and who-Sirius was, Peter would be killed.
"Almost there." Peter said out of the corner of his mouth. He remembered where James' room was, and headed strait there. He paused outside the door, looking to make sure Sirius stopped as well.
"Here we are." Peter said, taking a deep breath. He didn't know what he was going to walk in on. He couldn't even begin to imagine, not after the last time. "I...I don't know what's going to be going on in there."
Sirius just nodded, sitting back on his haunches beside Peter. The small Death Eater raised his hand hesitantly, swallowing hard. //This is going to be bad. This was a bad idea. I made a mistake.// He knocked, lightly, almost hoping James wouldn't be in, or wouldn't hear.
"Come in!"
Peter bit at his lower lip, opening the door slowly. He peeked his head inside, ready to bolt if he saw something truly disturbing. He let out a sigh of relief. James was in the center of the room, dressed in a pair of loose harem pants with his sword held out strait at arms length. He appeared to be doing some sort of exercise. There was blood on the floor and the walls, but other then that there was nothing out of the ordinary in the room.
"Wormtail!" James let the sword fall to his side. "Good to see you buddy...here to finish up what we started earlier?"
"Um..." Peter didn't know what to say. //No! I'd never do that...not with you.//
"Good." James rolled his shoulders. "Whoa...where'd the mutt come from?"
"This is...my dog." Peter didn't know what else to say.
"A dog? Kinky but...I don't think so."
"Ew! No!" Peter shuddered. Despite the fact that in school, Peter had been overly fond of Sirius, and it had led to a few encounters...the mere thought of what James had just eluded to made him want to lose his lunch.
"Well, then why the hell did you bring it?"
"Him. And he...He follows me." Peter shrugged.
"I'm not having sex with your dog watching." James said.
"I'm not here for that!" Peter shook his head. "I just...erm...I was going to the apothecary, and I wanted to know if you needed anything."
"Aw...Wormtail, you're so sweet." James stretched, cracking his neck. "I think I'm good. Still got some of that werewolf blood you gave me. Don't want to go through it too quickly."
"No..." Peter shook his head. Sirius, meanwhile, had entered the room and was heading over to James.
"Hey...you're mutt's coming over here. He doesn't bite, does he?"
"No." Peter shook his head. "Come on back...Fido."
"Fido?" James laughed. "Dog like this needs a better name then that. Fang, or Killer or something."
"His name is Fido." Peter said. "Just...let him sniff you."
Sirius was sitting on his haunches again, staring at James. Peter could see how stiff he was, and understood completely. He had been the same way, on seeing James the first time. And Sirius...it had been different with Sirius. Peter remembered those later nights, knowing full well Sirius would prefer James in his arms rather then Peter. That was just the way things were.
"What if I don't want to be sniffed?" James lifted his sword, placing the tip at Sirius' throat. "What if I'd rather see how good dog meat really is?"
"Leave him alone." Peter said. This wasn't going as planned.
"You don't tell me what to do. I tell you what to do." James twisted the sword, and Peter watched Sirius flinch.
"Stop it." Peter was frozen. His breath hitched, and he tried to take a step forward.
"No." James leaned forward, and Peter shut his eyes tightly as Sirius yelped. He couldn't watch. Why? Why was this happening? It wasn't supposed to be like this. Not at all....and it was Peter's fault. Again. he had tried to do the right thing, and it had gone wrong. Just like everything else.
"What the fuck?"
Peter opened his eyes. He let out a long breath, and felt his legs buckle. Sirius had transformed, and was holding James tightly, his hand wrapped around James' wrist. The sword clattered to the floor, and James was looking like a deer caught in headlights.
"I can take things from here, Peter." Sirius said, one arm around James' throat.
"I...I want to stay." Peter couldn't leave now. He had started this, he needed to finish it. See it through to the end.
"Fine." SIrius sighed. "But then you're going to be useful. Get the weapon."
Peter nodded, and grabbed the sword, darting back. James wasn't struggling. He was staring at Peter with blank eyes, mouth hanging slackly open. Peter held the weapon awkwardly, watching what would happen.
"Look, I don't know what the hell happened, and I really don't care." Sirius said, turning James around. "Peter says you don't remember anything. Well, that's to bad. There's gotta be something of the old James in there...this is so fucked up." Sirius shook his head, looking into James' eyes. Peter held his breath, still afraid that James had some sort of trick up his sleeve.
"S...Sirius?"
"Yeah." Sirius nodded, suspiciously. Peter clasped his hands together tightly, the sword clutched between them.
"What?" James shook his head. "What the...?"
"I think he's coming around..." Sirius let go of James' arms, taking a slow step back. James stood there, looking suddenly very small and not at all frightening.
"Maybe." Peter nodded. Was that all that was needed? Just one look at Sirius, and everything was all better? Well, whatever it took.
"Wait...no." James shook his head. "What the hell are you two doing to me? You're messing with my mind...you're putting things there..."
"No we're not." Sirius said. "Think hard James...remember..."
"No." James shook his head. "You're putting these memories in here. I'm Lord Voldemort's right hand man. I don't know who you are, except people I ought to kill. And you, little Wormtail, it looks like you're a bit of a traitor."
"No!" Peter shook his head. "Not anymore."
"I'll kill you both...after I have my fun with you..." James looked fevered, and was backing away from both Sirius and Peter with the crazed expression back in his eyes.
"He's in there." Sirius said. "You...I can't believe I'm saying this, but you did good Peter." Sirius nodded. "If we can get him back to Hogwarts..."
"I'm not going anywhere!" James snapped. "Give me my sword, Wormtail!"
"No." Peter shook his head. "Sirius...here." He held the sword out to his once friend. Sirius nodded, and crossed the room to take the weapon.
"This is it James." Sirius hefted the sword.
"No!" James shook his head, still backing away. "You're not taking me anywhere...you're not..."
Sirius shook his head with a definite air, and kept the sword pointed at James. He retrieved his wand from his pocket, and added that as well. James narrowed his eyes, looking from Peter to Sirius and back again.
"There's no way out. Just come quietly." SIrius said. James folded his arms defiantly, but nodded. Peter finally let out a breath he didn't know he was holding, and thanked whatever gods looked over him that finally, something was going right.
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