Title:
Time And Time Again
Author name: Moonstarlet
Author
email: sailorcomet18@yahoo.com
Category: Humor,
Romance, History, Angst ( just a l'il bit)
Keywords: Harry,
Lily, James
Spoilers: PS/SS, COS, POA, GOF
Rating:
5 stars... I mean... PG
Summary:
Voldemort plans to go back in time to kill James and Lily before
Harry is ever born. Can Harry save his mom and dad? What happens
when the mom *likes* the son? Plus, the Marauders at 15...oh
lordy!
Disclaimer: JKR and Warner Bros. own Harry Potter
and all related characters, locations and spells. I am making no
money from this and intend no copyright infringment.
(obviously)
A/N: Hi, me again. This is a little bit
longer than I intended, but I really got into the main POV. You're
welcome to flame me about it, but bear in mind, no one is born evil.
That's all I'm going to say about that. The next few chapters are
going to be a little bit confusing, but I've done that on purpose.
It'll make sense later on, trust me.
Winter, 1975, Peter
The attack on the castle was over, the Death Eaters were gone, the students were safe, yet Peter couldn't stop trembling.
The students had been lead to their Common Rooms and told to stay there until further notice. Some of the students had been crying, a few were scared that the Death Eaters would come back, but most thought everything that had happened was a *wonderful* adventure: A parody of a real attack, planned by James Potter and his gang of troublemakers. Remus wanted to tell them the truth, but was stopped by Sirius, who had been watching the pale and shaking Peter hold back tears of fright.
Now, though, Sirius and Remus were discussing possible ways the Death Eaters could have gotten past the charms and spells protecting Hogwarts. At the moment, Sirius was suggesting that there might be a spy, a traitor to Dumbledore and the forces of good, involved.
"And I say, Sirius, that we can't tar and feather him if we don't have any proof," Remus said in an undertone.
Peter shivered harder. *They don't think it was me, do they? Oh god, I don't want to be tarred and feathered...*
"Oh, come on, Moony, it's Snape; we don't need to prove that he's evil... he just is."
Peter wiped his brow and his trembles subsided slightly. *Phew. They weren't talking about me.* Watching his friends arguing, Peter had to remind himself that they would never suspect him of something so terrible. *Because I'd never do anything as bad as that.*
Peter felt himself sitting up a little bit straighter in his seat. *They trust me. And I deserve that trust. They're my friends and they like me. They're my friends and they like me.* Peter repeated this little mantra to himself anytime he was feeling down or insecure, and it often worked.
Peter decided to ignore Remus and Sirius' argument (he knew he'd never have to nerve to tell them his own opinions, let alone stand behind them), instead he looked to Lily, seated at the edge of the group, staring pensively into a nearby fireplace.
Peter felt his cheeks grow red. Lily was so pretty and smart and sweet. She never teased him or made him feel stupid. Lily always had a kind word for Peter when he was feeling low. Lily was the only girl who ever looked at him and because of that Peter thought he might be in love with her. Of course, he knew he had no chance with an angel like Lily Evans, but he could dream. Maybe, just maybe he could even start a conversation with her.
"Lily?" he said shyly. She didn't reply. She didn't even turn her head.
Peter felt his shoulders slumping, but forced himself to think positive. *Maybe she didn't hear me.*
"Lily?" he said again, a little louder this time. But at that same moment, Sirius shouted, "I am not being your off pick!"
Remus shook his head resignedly, in a motion that so obviously said (at least to one used to watching people from the sidelines) 'I brought that on myself.'
"I did not say 'you're being my off pick,' Padfoot. I said 'you're being *myopic.*'"
"I am NOT!" Sirius replied, just as loudly as before.
"Do you even *know* what myopic means, my friend?"
Peter tuned the conversation out, again, and turned to Lily, again. She hadn't moved throughout the entire scene, she just continued staring at the fireplace.
Peter cleared his throat, "Lily?"
Lily turned her head towards Peter, opening her mouth as if to speak, but just then the Fat Lady's portrait swung outward and someone stepped into the Common Room.
"Oy! Lily! C'mere!" James yelled over the commotion in the room. Lily stood and exited the room with James.
A few minutes later, Lily, looking slightly dazed and flushed, re-entered the Common Room, followed by James and another boy, whom Peter didn't know. Lily returned to her seat by the fire, but her eyes remained on James, who stopped to talk to the Head Boy, Stephen Derricotte, and the boy following him. Stephen also glanced at this boy before nodding curtly at James and hastily leaving the Tower.
James and the boy made a quick circuit of the room, pausing to speak to all of the prefects, before they stopped in front of Lily and the Marauders.
Sirius and Remus were oblivious to everything: Sirius was determined to convince Remus that "swift and decisive" action needed to be taken against Snape; Remus was determined to convince Sirius that Snape wasn't that... oh, heck, Snape was that bad, but "we can't just go around acting like vigilantes, Padfoot."
James cleared his throat loudly. A bit too loudly, actually, because the room became quiet and everyone turned to listen to what the Quidditch captain would say.
*I wish I could get people's attention like that,* Peter thought.
Grinning sheepishly, James cleared his throat, "Sorry to interrupt everybody, but since I've got your attention, I'd like to make an announcement."
He clasped one hand on the shoulder of the mysterious boy, who squirmed, uncomfortable with the attention. "This here's my cousin, Henry. He'll be staying with us for a short time. The Sorting Hat put him in Gryffindor, so he's one of us. That's it, really. Thanks."
James pulled up two chairs, sat in one, and left Henry to sit in the chair nearest Lily. Henry, Peter was upset to see, never seemed to take his eyes off Lily as he sat down.
Remus shook hands with Henry, welcoming him wholeheartedly, in the way that only Remus could. "I'm Remus. Do you know what classes you'll be taking?"
Henry grinned, his eyes lighting up. "I'm Henry. Yeah, I do know. I'm going to have the same schedule I did at my old school. "
Sirius however, seemed wary. "Since we're on the subject, Henry. What was the name of your old school?"
Henry's eyes widened and he looked to James for help. Which James did. "It's called the 'Mind Your Own Business, School of Shut Up, for Students Who Don't Know When To,'" James said, eloquently.
Sirius' eyebrow arched almost imperceptibly. He didn't say anything else, but Peter knew that Sirius could be like a... well... like a dog with a bone.
Henry, however, looked on the verge of breaking a rib from the sheer force required to hold back his laughter.
Peter, although unsure of whether he liked this new boy or not, decided to welcome Henry. If James and Remus liked him, he couldn't be that bad.
Peter extended his hand, and said, "Hi, Henry. I'm Peter. Nice to meet you."
Henry turned to Peter, and Peter stiffened from the coldness in his eyes. Henry looked at Peter's hand, then at his face, then turned back to Remus.
"Are there any teachers I should be careful around?" he asked the teenage werewolf.
Peter didn't hear the reply, because there was a loud roaring in his ears. Henry didn't like him. They had just met and already Henry didn't like him. Peter felt tears spring up into his eyes, and then the only thought on his mind was to get out of there before he started crying and gave everyone another reason to make fun of him.
He rose from his seat, and quietly said, "I'm gonna go take a nap," but everyone was absorbed in a story Henry was telling about how his best friend had set their past Potions teacher's robes on fire and no one heard Peter leave.
*****************************
Winter, 1995, Peter
Peter had never been more terrified in his life. His heart was pounding dreadfully hard in his chest. There was a loud roar in his ears, making it impossible to hear what his underlings were saying. He was sweating, of course. Cold sweat on his forehead and palms, hot sticky sweat in his armpits and crotch. Generally, when Peter was scared (and he'd been scared a lot in his relatively short life), he'd do anything to make the feeling go away. But, now, he'd do anything to prolong this terrible wait, because what he was facing was a thousand times worse than the fear.
The Death Eaters around him, all younger than him and new to the service, were apprehensive as well. They had never failed the Master before though, as Peter had, and therefore, they knew not what lay before them. Perhaps they expected to be scolded loudly, or maybe to be hit on the nose with a rolled up newspaper and hear the Master say 'bad, bad boy'.
Despite his fear, Peter found himself wondering where that last thought came from. It sounded like something Sirius or James would have said. He pushed aside *that* thought quickly. Some how, the Master always knew when Peter was thinking of his old friends and was quick to punish him for his mental transgressions.
Peter came to the end of the underground tunnel and paused before the closed door. Screams, barely discernible through the thick stone, came from the other side. The cries lasted for more than 5 seconds, fortunately. If the Master was in a bad mood, he used The Cruciatus Curse on whomever was closest. Those screams never lasted more that a few seconds before the victim was overcome by pain; in those cases you would mostly hear great, loud sobbing and pleas for mercy. But, as in this case, if the screaming lasted longer, the pain wasn't too great, the Master was probably initiating a new member.
Peter slid the heavy door open, told his inferiors to wait outside, then entered the Master's throne room.
The room was very large, at least twice the size of the Hogwarts Great Hall, but dark. A few torches and sconces lined the walls at random intervals, but even the magically enhanced flames couldn't dispel the darkness that creeped and seeped into every corner. Burning flesh, blood, dank and the all too real scent of fear filled the room and Peter's nose, but years of service had taught him to ignore this.
The Master's snake, Nagini, lay on the hard dirt floor before the Master's feet, her head resting in his lap. Her hissing seemed to punctuate the screams of the man kneeling at the Dark Lord's side.
Peter went over any possible lies he might be able to tell the Dark Lord, but quickly decided against the idea. The Master knew everything and would punish Peter severely if he was found lying. He would tell the truth. Peter didn't expect mercy, for the Master had none, but maybe he'd be lucky. If the Master was in a good mood.....
Finally, the screaming abated, the man fell heavily on his side, panting. He had barely hit the ground before he was back up, on his knees, kissing the hems of the Master's robes.
"Do not disappoint me." The Dark Lord's voice rang out, clear and cold. The Master could say more with that tone, than Peter could with a thousand words.
The new initiate, bowed, mumbling "Yes, master," as he quickly backed out of the room.
Peter swallowed deeply, and was surprised when the sound echoed in the room.
"Wormtail." The Master already sounded displeased.
"My Lord, if you would allow me to ex- aaarrrrgggghhh." Thousands of needles were pricking at Peter's skin, every bone in his body was breaking, his organs were being ripped out of his body, someone was hitting his head with a sledgehammer. Then it stopped.
Gasping and wiping at the tears on his face, Peter looked down at his body. It was all there. He was okay, for now.
"Explain, then, Wormtail."
"I..." Peter's mind drew a blank, he didn't know why he had done what he did. "Master.... I...." He couldn't mention Harry or his life-debt, that would only anger the Master even more.
"You are a fool, Wormtail." He raised his wand again.
"Please! Master, please! Forgive me," Peter was sobbing now. He didn't want to die, oh, god, he didn't want to die. He was sorry, he was stupid, he would never betray the Master again. "Never again. I swear it, Master. I swear."
Soft, cold chuckling filled the room, echoing off the walls and high ceiling. The Master's laughter came from everywhere, all around Peter and at that moment he knew that whatever delusions he's harbored about escaping from the Dark Lord's clutches were futile. The Dark Lord was everywhere. He would never escape the Dark Lord. He belonged to the Dark Lord, now and forever.
Peter stopped sobbing. Tears were still streaming down his face, but the loud, wet, sniffling noises he'd made ended.
Peter rose from his crouched position on the floor, stood, straight and tall, before the Dark Lord and waited.
The laughter soon ceased. "Are you ready to die, Wormtail?"
The tears began to subside, leaving Peter's face wet and sticky. "Yes, Master. I am."
Then the Dark Lord did something Peter had never seen him do before. He smiled. It was frigid and deathly, grotesque, like the weird, painted on smiles of clowns. Clowns had always scared Peter, but this smile froze his blood.
"Good." The Master stopped smiling, thankfully. Peter closed his eyes, not wanting that terrible face to be the last thing he saw. He thought, then, of the happiest time of his life, his years at Hogwarts, and the best people he'd ever known, Lily Evans and the Marauders.
"Now, you are a Death Eater, Wormtail."
Peter thought of the day he met James, Sirius, Remus and Lily. His first year at Hogwarts. He was so afraid that everyone would see that he was practically a Squib, but they had been so nice to him.
"You will serve me well now, Wormtail."
Peter's eyes snapped open. *What?*
The Master chuckled again. "No, Wormtail, I will not kill you today."
Peter stood stock-still, completely dumbfounded. Normally, this would have resulted in punishment, but today, the Master seemed almost pleased. He chuckled again.
"You will not anger me again."
Coming to his senses, Peter dropped to his knees and crawled to the Master's feet. Kissing them, Peter replied, completely sincere, "Never my Lord. I am your servant, forever."
**************************
A/N2: I cried while I was writing the last part... I freely admit it. I've always wondered why Peter would turn against his friends. Anyway, thanx for reading, please review, I'll be your best friend....
