Title: Remembering the Forgotten: I

Summmary: Peter Pettigrew has become synonymous with the words traitor, rat, and sneak but what if he's undeserving of that? This is the story of Peter Pettigrew's first year as a student in Hogwarts as he discovers friendship, self-acceptance, and courage.

Pairings: none for this one, I think

Feedback: All feedback is appreciated, as long as it is not needless flames. Those you can keep to yourself.

Rating/Warnings: G/none

Author's Notes: This is my first attempt at undertaking a huge project. I plan on writing a story for each year Peter was at Hogwarts, and then either a short or long fic about his supposed betrayal. Also, I must warn you, I am a female with (at the moment) absolutely no interest, friendly or romantic, in boys because they're all so immature at my age. Also, I've never exactly been welcomed as a friend. For those reasons, it is rather hard for me to get inside a boy's head, and I'm afraid Peter might seem...girlish in his emotions and thoughts. This is really the main thing I'm interested in hearing about - whether or not Peter is a believable boy.

Alright...enjoy!

Chapter One:

I clutched at my robes and concentrated on my hands, my face scorching with embarrassment. The two boys opposite me were laughing hysterically, while the one next to me was frowning. "Are you alright?" he asked in concern.

"Y-yes," I stuttered, glancing into his face briefly. He looked as tired as Mum did on her bad days, and his eyes were a peculiar brown, flecked with amber. "Th-thank you." He raised an eyebrow and I reached for a wet cloth and scrubbed the remaining potion off my face. Professor Snape, potions master, cast a sneer in my direction and I shrank under his gaze. After only being at school a month, Professor Snape and his son Severus scared me more than anyone or anything ever had. A lot of things scare me. I had gotten homesick the first night and slipped out to find a professor, hoping for comfort. Snape had found me and given me four week day nights of detention.

Class ended and I gathered up my books and left before fifteen seconds had passed. I wasn't going to wait around for Snape to assign me even more detention.

"Hey! Um...you. The boy from potions!" I snuck a glance behind me, curious to see who was being called, and found the boy from potions looking at me intently and waving.

"M-me?" I squeaked, embarrassed at my nervousness and blushing further.

"No, the other Gryffindor right behind you," he said, though not unkindly, and he smiled. "I'm Remus Lupin." He stretched out a thin, long fingered hand and I grasped it quickly with my pudgy one.

"Peter Pettigrew," I replied, smiling tentatively in return to his greeting. "You - er - you're really g-good at p-potions."

"Thanks," he said, flashing me a smile. He didn't comment on my stutter - which I hadn't been able to control even in eight years of trying - not even sympathetically, and I was pleasantly surprised. "You want to be my partner for the rest of the year?" I squeaked once more, startled, and flapped my lips uselessly for quite some time. He remained impassive, waiting, and finally I nodded tightly. "Great. Oh...I'm sorry for those twits who were laughing at you. James and Sirius don't mean to be mean."

"Oh, n-no, it's okay," I said, trying to assure him. It had hurt, but I didn't want to alienate my first friend for holding grudges or something. He nodded and smiled once more.

"I'll be seeing you, Peter." And, with a clap on my shoulder, he was gone, calling after someone else - presumably James and Sirius. My heart was racing long after I'd settled into my seat for Charms. My mind was buzzing, and I was glad I had this class with Ravenclaws, who would answer all the questions.

That is, on any other day than the one I was distracted. "Mr. Pettigrew...what was the incantation?" Professor Flitwick asked and I gulped nervously, once again reaching for the folds of my robe and twisting them in my fingers. "For the levitating charm?" he prompted and I squinted my eyes, thinking.

"Um...Wegaridium?" I asked helplessly. He sighed as the rest of the class burst out laughing.

"That, Mr. Pettigrew, is a spell you will go over if you decide to have a career in delivering babies. The correct incantation is Wingardium Leviosa," he said and a hot flush charged across my neck and smothered my face before igniting my ears.

"Yes s-sir," I murmured, sinking in my seat as the final echoes of laughter died out.

"Perhaps you would like to demonstrate?" he asked, fixing me with a look that clearly said I didn't have an option. I nodded miserably and was prepared to take a stand in front of the entire class, when the door flung open and in strode Sirius and James.

James winked at me as Sirius pulled out a note and announced, "Would Peter Piper Picked a Peck of Pickled Peppers Pettigrew please come to the Transfiguration classroom?" He looked up and flashed a grin at Professor Flitwick. "Peter Piper also Peeps at Por-"

"I'm coming," I interrupted, standing up and releasing my hold on my robes. "Is th-that alright, professor?" I asked. He nodded, looking suspicious, and each of my arms was grabbed as I was forcefully escorted out of the classroom. As soon as we were a safe distance away, James and Sirius cracked up, leaning against each for support as they wiped at their eyes, crying tears of mirth.

"So, Peter Piper," James chuckled, "don't you have two words you'd like to say to us?" He batted his eyelashes at me and I pressed myself against the wall, weary.

"Not really," I answered. There was a beat of silence, and then Sirius started laughing once more.

"What are you two doing?" I relaxed fractionally when I recognized Remus's voice.

"We rescued poor Peter Piper from a pathetic professor," Sirius answered innocently. I sighed and, unable to resist, grabbed a fistful of robes. Three pairs of eyes watched me worry the fabric for a moment, but no one commented.

"I'm going t-to get in trouble," I told them anxiously, too scared to meet their eyes. "He'll find out P-professor McGonagall didn't want m-me and-"

"Peter, it's okay," Remus said kindly, fixing me with another smile. "You can't be blamed for going along with a stunt Sirius and James pulled." He paused and then added sharply, cutting me off from speaking, "And don't worry about them getting in trouble! They're trying to set a record for the most detentions in a year without purposely doing things to get detention. So far they've had fifteen." His smile turned crooked and he rolled his eyes in the direction of his friends. "Besides, we're all friends here." I chanced a look at Sirius and James, who were nodding vigorously, and I felt a grin break across my face.

At dinner, I kept a nervous eye on the staff table, positive Professor Flitwick would ask Professor McGonagall what she'd needed with me. Then, halfway through the meal, his eyes met mine and he smiled faintly. I was shocked as Sirius grinned and elbowed me, bobbing his head as if to say see? and it made me smile. James also flashed me a grin, before turning back to his muted conversation with a second year. I watched as the second year palmed him a sizable package and a few sickles were dropped 'discreetly' in his hand. What was James buying?

"Peter? Would you like to get together in the common room to practice brewing the potion we have tomorrow?" Remus asked, drawing my eyes to him. I flushed, feeling the same way I had when I was younger and got caught brandishing my grandmother's wand and exploding glass happily.

"We c-can do that?" I returned, eyebrows lifting.

"Of course. Why shouldn't we be able to?" He lifted his eyebrows in return and I offered him a tiny smile, picking up my previously avoided knife and began cutting my steak.

"Alright th-then," I agreed, feeling immensely relieved to have a friend. He smiled back and engaged me in conversation for the rest of the meal, seemingly determined about something...and then I realized, like a knife of ice being plunged into my stomach. Remus was only trying to distract me from James and the second year. Of course...how could I have been so thick as to think anyone would actually want to be my friend?

"Peter?" There he was again, acting so extraordinarily well like he cared. I crumpled up my napkin and aimed a frosty smile at him.

"I'm not sh-sure if I'll be able to m-meet with you tonight," I told him.

He frowned and muttered, "Godric, you're complicated."

"Or m-maybe I don't like to b-be played," I pointed out, too loudly. Several eyes were drawn to me and I flushed, grabbing my robes once more.

"I wasn't..." his eye darted to James and comprehension flooded his face. "Peter, honest, I wasn't. I mean, I would prefer if you didn't know and I was trying to distract you, but I do like you. Honest." He spoke so earnestly I couldn't stay mad and I sighed.

"I'll see you later, Remus. I've got to go." I stood and left the Great Hall swiftly, embarrassed and confused. I found myself at the grounds, astride a branch in a tree nestled in between Hagrid's hut and the lake. Despite the five pounds or so settled on my waist and stomach, I was exceptionally good at climbing any tree.

I rested against the trunk and surveyed the scenery with half closed eyes, breathing deeply to calm myself. The lake glistened in the light from the half moon, the soft rushing sound of the water lapping at the shore. As I watched a lazy tentacle rose from the water, waving to and fro in the air, water cascading off it like a waterfall. The tentacle slapped down on the surface of the lake, spraying water in all directions and thoroughly soaking me. I was so surprised I dropped from the tree and landed on my elbows and knees. A jolt of pain accompanied an odd, faint popping noise and I screamed, a hand going to my shoulder.

The next thing I knew, Hagrid was kneeling beside me and I was spelled in place. Then, without warning, he reached up and jerked my shoulder. I let out another scream as the popping happened again. "Up yeh go," he said gruffly and swung me into his arms and brought me into his cabin and settled me down on the overstuffed coach. My shoulder still ached but I dug my finger around in the stuffing that was showing through a ripped seam. "Here." Hagrid handed a mug to me roughly the size of a normal tea kettle and I smiled weakly before sipping at the scorching contents. The liquid burned my tongue and lips, but I continued drinking, mainly oblivious, until Hagrid reached up and brought the mug down from my mouth. "How are yeh?" he asked, his face set with worry even beneath his shaggy facial hair.

"I'm f-fine. Th-thank you f-for help-helping me," I whispered. My stutter was worse when I was in or had recently experienced pain.

"No pro'lem," he said, eliminating the middle letter. I decided I liked the fact he had trouble speaking clearly - it made us similar...even if I had a stutter and he had an accent. "Yeh sure yeh feelin' good?" I nodded and carefully set the mug on the wooden table.

"I have a m-meeting with s-someone," I told him and he nodded.

"I'll be tellin' the 'eadmaster about yer injury, jus' the same," he informed me and I nodded once more, echoing his. "Good. Now...if yeh ever wan' to, feel free to visi'." I stood and smiled, feeling as if I had made my second (or perhaps fourth) friend at Hogwarts.