Disclaimer: The characters still aren't mine. The premise is though. Sort of.

Dedication: This is for Kitten!

Author's Note: For some reason, my Peter fic situations always end up mirroring situations I've been in. And with the same person! It's highly bizarre. Oh! Oh! I got what has to be labeled the most entertaining flame of all time! It was for 'Never Been Kissed', and I laughed my arse off reading it! I was asked if I was a poof/lesbo (that I had to be one of them, to write something like that), and told me that I had brainwashed everyone else who reviewed the fic! Yes. I'm a poof. I'm a gay man. Which is probably why all the other girls at the club give me the oddest looks in the dressing room. Not to mentioned the customers! Of course. I must be a lesbian. Because there's nothing a lesbian likes more then the thought of two men going at it hot and heavy. Mm-mm! And I'm quite glad I have these brainwashing capabilities that I wasn't aware of. I'm still trying to figure out what Hetra means. :-) Anyway, I just had to share that.

This is a rather quick chapter.

Timeless

Chapter Seven

Peter smiled over the chessboard at Harry. He blushed and stammered, and pretty much acted like any smitten sixteen year old. He ignored Remus' sudden departure, or tried to. What had that look been for? What was wrong with Remus? People shouldn't say one thing and do another, in Peter's opinion. So he pushed it out of his mind. Harry was far more engrossing anyway.

//He has such pretty eyes.// Peter mused, gazing into the aforementioned orbs. //They're so deep.//

"You're move Peter." Harry was saying, waving his hand to get Peter's attention.

"Huh?" Peter glanced up, confused. He hadn't been paying much attention. He had been studying Harry's eyes, as they studied the board. Now he flushed, eyes dropping immediately. He couldn't stare directly into that brilliant green gaze. It was as if it were looking right through him. He squirmed, murmuring some form of apology, and returned his eyes to the chessboard. He studied the pieces, frowning and chewing at his bottom lip. His hand hovered over one piece, then moved to another. He really was rather bad at chess.

"Here." Harry said, leaning over the board. "Move your knight here." He took Peter's hand in his own, guiding it to the right piece. Peter sucked in his breath at the brief contact. It was like a sort of soft fire that went right through him. He let his fingers hover just a moment against Harry's as the other boy pulled his hand away. His fingers tingled slightly, and he felt the warm spread of a flush creeping up his cheeks.

"Thanks." Peter mumbled, his breathing coming quick and hitching in his throat He didn't trust himself to speak. And every time he looked up, his eyes would meet Harry's.

"See?" Harry said, softly. "You took my rook." He smiled, and Peter couldn't stop the little quiver his heart gave at those full lips twitching upwards.

"Yeah." He nodded, knowing he should break eye contact, but not able to. It felt like that time in detention with Remus. The apprehension, the tension...

"You're really not bad at it." Harry continued, brushing his hair out of his eyes. He had nice hair as well, or so Peter thought. It was thick and black, and it framed his face perfectly.

"Thanks." Again, the creeping flush. Peter sucked at his bottom lip, a horrid nervous habit, but he couldn't help it. Harry was looking at him very intensely. And then Harry was leaning forward, over the chessboard, closing the distance between them. Peter froze, not sure what to do. He was like a deer caught in headlights, not able to take his eyes off of Harry's lips, which in a split second closed over his in a brief but soul-searing kiss.

"I'm sorry!" Harry gasped, pulling back as though he'd been burned. "I'm.... I..." He stammered, looking horrified. Peter was in shock. He tried desperately to gather his thoughts, but all he could do was think of the fleeting sensation as Harry's lips brushed his own.

"It's okay!" Peter said quickly, noticing that Harry was preparing to leap off the bed. Why was he panicking like this? Peter had thought it was pretty obvious he was interested in Harry.

"No it's not." Harry said, shaking his head. Peter was confused, and he tried to think of something to say that would make it all better.

"Yes it is." Was all he could up with. "I..." He hesitated, blushing. "I wanted you to."

"It doesn't matter." Harry was backing away, shaking his head furiously. "I shouldn't have done that."

"But..." Peter choked on his words, not sure why his eyes were starting to sting. He wasn't going to start crying, was he? What was wrong? What had he done?

"Look; just forget it ever happened." Harry snapped, turning away. He looked...angry? Why was he angry? Peter nodded his head dumbly, looking down at the chessboard. He could feel tears beginning to leak out of the corners of his eyes. He had thought...

//Thought what? That someone like *him* could like you that way?// He asked himself angrily. //You should have been happy with Remus! You should have known there was never going to be anyone else who could like you like that.// He dashed tears away quickly, hoping no one would see them. He didn't want to be in the dorm anymore. He could tell by the tense silence that James and Sirius had probably heard the whole thing.

"I'm gonna go for a walk." Peter said quickly, sliding off of the bed. He couldn't help himself, he knew he was going to cry. He needed to be alone. He just wanted to go off by himself and cry. He thought he heard someone telling him to wait, but he didn't listen. He hated crying, especially in front of them. His mother had always told him that it was okay to cry, but then she had gotten mad at him when he did. And Sirius and James never cried, and Remus hardly ever did.

He ran out of the Gryffindor tower as quickly as he could, ignoring startled gasps and rude comments. He didn't care. He wanted to be alone. He wandered the halls a bit, glad that they were empty. He sniffled softly to himself, confused and sad. What had he done? If Harry didn't like him like that, that was okay. But why did he kiss him? And then get so mad afterwards?

//No one like that is ever going to want you!// He told himself bitterly. //You know that. You should have just stayed with Remus. Maybe it wouldn't have been a real good relationship, but it was something. And Remmie didn't get angry after he kissed me...//

The brown haired marauder's bottom lip was nearly bloody from the way he had been worrying it. He found himself wandering outside of empty classrooms, wondering if he should just sit in one of those and cry.

//Don't be such a baby!// His inner voice told him. //There's still time to fix things with Remus.// Wasn't there? He'd apologize, tell Remmie how wrong he'd been, and maybe they could still be...whatever's. Yes. The only problem was, he didn't know where Remmie was. He had just gone out, that smug smile on his face. Well, everything was okay now.

Sighing, he composed himself. There was no reason to get so upset. //Rejection is something I have to get used to!// He told himself firmly. It was going to happen a lot to him. He decided to go back to he common room, and wait for Remus. He nodded to himself, straitening his clothes, and set off in the direction of the tower. But voices from the Transfiguration's classroom caught his attention. He couldn't really make out words, but he recognized Remus' voice.

//Well that's lucky!// He thought to himself, already feeling better. He took it as a good sign that when he was thinking about Remus, he found him. He was probably studying with someone. Remus was one of the best students in their class, and plenty of other students went to him for extra help. Already mapping out his speech in his mind, Peter pushed open the door of the classroom...

~~~~~~

Cliffhanger!