Disclaimer: Peter, Mad-Eye, and Avada Kedavra are not mine; I'm just using them for this venture into AU.

A/N: Written as a follow-up of sorts to "Managing," the SBRL fic written for day sixteen of LJ's Tell Me A Kiss Challenge; this is one of the scenes described towards the end.

"Pettigrew, son, it'll be alright-"

"Sure! You can say that! You're not marked – by the Ministry and the Death Eaters!"

"Just…come peacefully, we'll get you a cell in Azkaban, no one will be able to kill you-"

"Oh! Like that's much better!"

"Put the wand down, boy!"

"Shut up! You have no idea what's going on here!"

To set an example, Mad-Eye lowers his own wand and steps forward, arms out with palms up. This scene…shouldn't be happening. Even after Black and Lupin burst his door down on Halloween Night (well, Black did most of the bursting, but Lupin was with him and they were both chalk-white) and explained it all to him…none of it makes any sense at all. He always knew Pettigrew was a bit of a bumbling fool, but this is different. It's all too calculated, and it's gotten him into a lot of hot water, which he heated up. Angry, bitter tears are coursing out his eyes and down his twisted, grimacing face while his nose leaks, his left eye is threatening to twitch out of its socket, and his right hand shakily holds his wand to his head.

"I know you don't think we can," Mad-Eye barks; it's about as sympathetic as he can sound, and he's only half-trying. "But the Ministry can help you-"

"No one can help me!" he shrieks. "Lily and James…dead! On my account! So the Ministry wants my head, and Sirius…I never wanna see him again! He'll kill me!"

"Hardly matters if you're threatening to do that yourself!"

"And…the Dark Lord…gone! Dead or not…don't know, he might be, might not, either way he's gone right now-"

"Which the Ministry will take into account-"

"But the Death Eaters, Mad-Eye, the Death Eaters! They'll kill me quicker than Sirius! He'd at least lecture me about friendship and loyalty before he killed me!"

"You won't get the Kiss if you just put the wand down and come with me!"

"It doesn't matter! They're in there too! I had to watch them kill Sirius' brother…they didn't kill him; they executed him! And I'm next! …Don't come any closer!"

Huffing, Mad-Eye pushes aside his robes and shoves his wand into the holster at his waist. In the universal show of peace, he throws up his empty hands.

"Look, boy! You're armed; I'm not…and I've seen more action than the rest of the Order put together. Give me your best shot, get it outta your system."

Pettigrew looks up at him watery – but not wavering – eyes. "…No."

"What d'ya mean 'no?' You'll do some damage, sure, but…not much."

"…No."

"Pettigrew, if you're not going to do this, give me that wand."

Pettigrew shakes his head and points the wand directly at his temple. Staring at Mad-Eye like a madman, he whispers, "Avada Kedavra," and, in a flash of green light, crumples onto the alley pavement.