A/N: Here's another chapter, I hope you can handle it...lol.
Disclaimer: Although I'd love to take credit, "this book belongs to..." JK Rowling and Joss Wheaton.
Chapter SIXTEEN.
Buffy rose early that morning and washed and changed. She felt as though she had only had a few hours sleep, but more accurately she had had less.
She made her way to the Great Hall, remembering the way she had come with Professor Dumbledore. Sinking onto the bench in front of her, a mug of coffee was immediately in front of her. "Mmm" She murmured and sipped it thankfully. Watching the door she was pleased that Peter was the first person that entered. She gestured him over.
He came, but his face told her that he knew what she was going to say.
"Are you hungry?" She asked him.
"No."
"Very well. Is there somewhere that we can go and talk quietly?"
"Yes. Down by the lake."
"Lead the way." She gestured towards the door and he started to walk. She followed close behind.
Buffy sat on the grass and Peter sat opposite her. She made herself comfortable and saw that Peter looked distinctly nervous.
"I won't eat you, you know. We little people got to stick together."
"I might be short, but you are still shorter." He commented to her with a wicked grin.
"Ugh! Men!"
"I could say the same thing...about women that is."
"Peter, you have hardly changed at all." She studied him again. "No, you have changed quite a bit haven't you."
He nodded quietly. "Yes."
"Is there a reason that you want to align yourself with the Dark Lord?"
"How on earth did you know?"
"I just did. Don't ask how it happens, I can just tell certain things about people. Anyway, don't try to change the subject mister. Answer the question."
"Alright Buffy. He made me a really good deal."
"And what would that be, and what counter offer can I make?"
"He told me that I would be popular and that I would be more powerful than I could imagine."
"And you would rather take power over friendship any day?" Buffy was struggling to understand why he was making such strange decisions.
"You don't understand."
"Try to explain it to me."
"The last year or two, I have fallen behind the guys. I'm not as cleaver as they are anyway, but now I just feel really dumb. It took me ages to catch up with them but I feel like I'm more of a tag along than a real friend." He admitted.
"Did you tell the others how you are feeling?"
"Well...not exactly."
"Why not?"
"Well...I felt pretty stupid actually."
"Peter, did you ever doubt that Lily and I love you like our big brother, and you know how we look after our family."
"Even Petunia?"
"If Petunia was to send word that she was sick or that she was in trouble, then Lily and Myself wouldn't hesitate to take her in. Not at all. The thing is that she probably wouldn't ask for help and we would have to force her to accept it from us...but we would."
"I'm sorry."
"That's okay. Have you been to any of the meetings yet?"
"One. They didn't see me there though, and it was just for the new recruits from Hogwarts. No one gave me the dark mark though."
"Good." Buffy sighed in relief and sighed. "You do know what the dark wizards and bag guys do don't you?"
"Not really, I just assume that they do what they want and get what they want."
"Well, that's true to a certain point. You do realize that they have to win that power first, right. There's fighting and over half of you people will die. On both sides there will be casualties. It's also more that likely that James, Sirius, Remus and Lily will all be fighting in this war. They will all be on the side of the good guys. If you're on the bad guys side, then you will probably end up fighting against them. Is that what you want to do?"
"No, of course not."
"And, you realize that if Lily and everyone fights, then I will fight too, with them?"
"You? How?"
"I have my ways."
"Lady bug. I would never want to hurt you."
"But you would by changing sides. And you never know what you could be forced to do if that happened. You might have to betray us all to Lord Voldemort."
"I would never!"
"Peter, if you worked for him, he would command you. There would be no way that you would be able to stop your self."
At this point, Peter was shaking terribly. "I didn't know...I didn't know!" He repeated.
"So, does that mean that you have changed your mind and you are going fight with us?"
"Of course!"
"Great! Now we are going in to tell the others!"
"WHAT!"
"Trust me Peter, it is much better to clear the air no, that way it won't come back and haunt you. Someone might have recognized you at the meeting and said something to them. You are better to be the person that tells them than someone else. They might not take it too well, but I know that they will forgive you for it and you will all be stronger friends because of it."
"You know that I trust you Buffy."
"And I you Peter."
"Well, let's do this then." He stood and extended his hand to her and pulled her to her feet. She hooked her arm through his and they marched back up to the school.
They found the other Marauders sitting in the head common room with Lily. They were all grinning but saw the serious expression on both of their faces and became instantly worried.
"What's happened?" Sirius demanded jumping to his feet.
"Sit down Sirius." Buffy commanded and he sat. "Good. Now Peter and I have just had a long chat and there is something that I want him to tell you and he want to tell you too."
They all looked up at Peter and he started to mumble incoherently. Buffy pressed him into a chair and took up a defensive stance with her arms across her chest behind him. Her whole stance showed that she wasn't going to take any nonsense from anyone.
Slowly, Peter started to tell them about being lonely with them and how he had felt left out. He had heard some Slytherins talking and he wondered what it would be like to be smart and powerful with lots of caring friends and he went along to one death eater meeting.
The all took the news rather well in Buffy's opinion. They were all very sorry for leaving Peter out of some things and they promised to make it up to him. In only two hours, Peter had gone from wanting to sell his soul to Voldemort, to loving his friends more than he had ever done before.
Disclaimer: Although I'd love to take credit, "this book belongs to..." JK Rowling and Joss Wheaton.
Chapter SIXTEEN.
Buffy rose early that morning and washed and changed. She felt as though she had only had a few hours sleep, but more accurately she had had less.
She made her way to the Great Hall, remembering the way she had come with Professor Dumbledore. Sinking onto the bench in front of her, a mug of coffee was immediately in front of her. "Mmm" She murmured and sipped it thankfully. Watching the door she was pleased that Peter was the first person that entered. She gestured him over.
He came, but his face told her that he knew what she was going to say.
"Are you hungry?" She asked him.
"No."
"Very well. Is there somewhere that we can go and talk quietly?"
"Yes. Down by the lake."
"Lead the way." She gestured towards the door and he started to walk. She followed close behind.
Buffy sat on the grass and Peter sat opposite her. She made herself comfortable and saw that Peter looked distinctly nervous.
"I won't eat you, you know. We little people got to stick together."
"I might be short, but you are still shorter." He commented to her with a wicked grin.
"Ugh! Men!"
"I could say the same thing...about women that is."
"Peter, you have hardly changed at all." She studied him again. "No, you have changed quite a bit haven't you."
He nodded quietly. "Yes."
"Is there a reason that you want to align yourself with the Dark Lord?"
"How on earth did you know?"
"I just did. Don't ask how it happens, I can just tell certain things about people. Anyway, don't try to change the subject mister. Answer the question."
"Alright Buffy. He made me a really good deal."
"And what would that be, and what counter offer can I make?"
"He told me that I would be popular and that I would be more powerful than I could imagine."
"And you would rather take power over friendship any day?" Buffy was struggling to understand why he was making such strange decisions.
"You don't understand."
"Try to explain it to me."
"The last year or two, I have fallen behind the guys. I'm not as cleaver as they are anyway, but now I just feel really dumb. It took me ages to catch up with them but I feel like I'm more of a tag along than a real friend." He admitted.
"Did you tell the others how you are feeling?"
"Well...not exactly."
"Why not?"
"Well...I felt pretty stupid actually."
"Peter, did you ever doubt that Lily and I love you like our big brother, and you know how we look after our family."
"Even Petunia?"
"If Petunia was to send word that she was sick or that she was in trouble, then Lily and Myself wouldn't hesitate to take her in. Not at all. The thing is that she probably wouldn't ask for help and we would have to force her to accept it from us...but we would."
"I'm sorry."
"That's okay. Have you been to any of the meetings yet?"
"One. They didn't see me there though, and it was just for the new recruits from Hogwarts. No one gave me the dark mark though."
"Good." Buffy sighed in relief and sighed. "You do know what the dark wizards and bag guys do don't you?"
"Not really, I just assume that they do what they want and get what they want."
"Well, that's true to a certain point. You do realize that they have to win that power first, right. There's fighting and over half of you people will die. On both sides there will be casualties. It's also more that likely that James, Sirius, Remus and Lily will all be fighting in this war. They will all be on the side of the good guys. If you're on the bad guys side, then you will probably end up fighting against them. Is that what you want to do?"
"No, of course not."
"And, you realize that if Lily and everyone fights, then I will fight too, with them?"
"You? How?"
"I have my ways."
"Lady bug. I would never want to hurt you."
"But you would by changing sides. And you never know what you could be forced to do if that happened. You might have to betray us all to Lord Voldemort."
"I would never!"
"Peter, if you worked for him, he would command you. There would be no way that you would be able to stop your self."
At this point, Peter was shaking terribly. "I didn't know...I didn't know!" He repeated.
"So, does that mean that you have changed your mind and you are going fight with us?"
"Of course!"
"Great! Now we are going in to tell the others!"
"WHAT!"
"Trust me Peter, it is much better to clear the air no, that way it won't come back and haunt you. Someone might have recognized you at the meeting and said something to them. You are better to be the person that tells them than someone else. They might not take it too well, but I know that they will forgive you for it and you will all be stronger friends because of it."
"You know that I trust you Buffy."
"And I you Peter."
"Well, let's do this then." He stood and extended his hand to her and pulled her to her feet. She hooked her arm through his and they marched back up to the school.
They found the other Marauders sitting in the head common room with Lily. They were all grinning but saw the serious expression on both of their faces and became instantly worried.
"What's happened?" Sirius demanded jumping to his feet.
"Sit down Sirius." Buffy commanded and he sat. "Good. Now Peter and I have just had a long chat and there is something that I want him to tell you and he want to tell you too."
They all looked up at Peter and he started to mumble incoherently. Buffy pressed him into a chair and took up a defensive stance with her arms across her chest behind him. Her whole stance showed that she wasn't going to take any nonsense from anyone.
Slowly, Peter started to tell them about being lonely with them and how he had felt left out. He had heard some Slytherins talking and he wondered what it would be like to be smart and powerful with lots of caring friends and he went along to one death eater meeting.
The all took the news rather well in Buffy's opinion. They were all very sorry for leaving Peter out of some things and they promised to make it up to him. In only two hours, Peter had gone from wanting to sell his soul to Voldemort, to loving his friends more than he had ever done before.