Disclaimer: Nobody belongs to me. At least, nobody in this story.

Warning: Still slashy. I think at this point, we can be pretty sure it's going to stay slash to the end.

Dedication: This is for everyone who waited very patiently while I worked on this.

Author's Note: Sorry that this is short, but I hate breaking up a rhythm I have, and it was time for Harry's POV. He's not doing much but he's got a lot to think about. :-) Hope you enjoy. The next chapter will have a whole lot more action in it!

Timeless

Chapter 8

Harry was, quite thoroughly and completely, disgusted with himself. He lay, curled on the bed, ignoring everything else in the room. The joy and wonder of actually being with his *father* had been quickly striped away the minute he had kissed Peter.

//Why the hell did I do that?// Harry asked himself, shuddering. Peter had just looked so kissable, sitting there sucking at his lower lip. He hadn't been able to help himself. His body had taken over, and his brain had leapt into the backseat. And he had kissed him.

Peter was Wormtail. Wormtail. The man who would betray and kill his parents. And Harry had kissed him. He had kissed the dirty little traitor!

//I shouldn't have done that!// Harry buried his face in his pillow, wanting to be sick. The most awful thing was it hadn't been a bad kiss. It had been chaste and sweet. Peter's lips had been soft and pliable, and slightly moist. //Why can't he be as sniveling and nasty as I know he can be?// Harry asked himself. It would be so much easier that way. But in all honesty, there was nothing hateful about Peter. Not now, anyway. Now, there was just this sort of earthy innocent quality about him.

The dorm was silent. Harry didn't care. He felt awful with himself, for more reason then one. He felt awful because he had kissed Peter. And a small part of him was disgusted that he didn't even have an excuse as to why he had acted the way he did. Peter had left, and Harry was pretty sure he was crying. And he felt bad. And he was angry with himself for feeling bad. Why should he feel bad about hurting Wormtail?

//Because that's not who he is now.// Harry was forced to admit to himself. //Right now he's just...I don't know. But he's not a bad person right now. Unless he's a way better actor then anyone guessed. But I don't think so.//

Which led Harry to wonder what, exactly, made Peter turn traitor like he had. How did this naive, sweet, sort of pathetic boy turn into a loathed servant of Voldemort? What had pushed him to it? What had Voldemort offered to Peter in exchange for his loyalty?

"He'll be back, you know."

Harry sat up, and saw Sirius looking over at him, looking a little bit concerned. Harry just nodded, feeling very tired and confused.

"Peter....he's..." Sirius scratched his head, sighing. "He's fragile. Don't tell him I said anything, but it's true. He gets hurt really easy. Just uh...be careful with him. I don't like seeing him get hurt."

"Yeah." Harry nodded. He was more confused then ever. It looked like they really were all close friends. But...Peter would turn against them! //You might not like seeing him hurt, but he's not going to care about you!// Harry wanted to scream.

"I mean, I don't know what's going on, but just go easy with him."

"I will." //Maybe....// No. Those were the sort of thoughts that would get him in trouble. He couldn't change anything, he had to let events take their course. And he still had to deal with his own personal feelings regarding Peter.

//So you kissed him. Just...say you're sorry, and that you don't like him like that, even though you sort of do, you shouldn't because you know who he is and what he's going to do.// But...Harry still had problems associating the two people, even though he *knew*.

"Okay." Sirius nodded, and turned his attention back to whatever he was working on, after giving Harry a rather suspicious look.

//Great. now they're mad at me because I upset Peter!// He was almost wishing that he had never ended up here. But...no. Seeing his father, *talking* with his father had been worth it. Was worth it. Almost anything was worth being able to see his father.

//I'll fix things.// He decided. //I have to.// He did feel badly. He looked over at his father, bent intently over whatever he was doing. It was hard for Harry to see, due to the curtains.

//I have to see Dumbledore. But I have to make things better with Peter.// Harry wasn't sure why, but he knew he had to. It was...right. He was still worried about how all of this would affect the future. He tried thinking about it, but he generally just got a headache.

//When Peter comes back, I'll say I'm sorry and do whatever I need to do. Then I go see Dumbledore. I can't stay here any longer. I'm already messing things up. I've been here to long already...//

He settled back in, deciding shutting up and not doing anything was the best course of action. At least until Peter came back...

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