Chapter Eleven: The Thing About Peter Pettigrew

"This was a dumb idea, Sirius, just admit it," James pointed out with a great deal of frustration.

"Back off James, I was just trying to help," Sirius retorted defensively.

"No, you were being an absolute crazy person. Like you usually are!" James shot back angrily.

"I was not!" Sirius shouted.

"Guys..." Peter heard Remus pipe up softly, his voice sounding strained. Remus his friend...Remus...Remus the werewolf... Peter struggled not to let out a whimper. Why did this have to happen to him? Why oh why did he have to end up being friends with a werewolf?

"You were too. Remus didn't want to do this but you didn't think about that at all now did you?"

"Shut up James, you were excited about it too!"

"Guys..." Remus tried again sounding close to tears.

Had they even realized he fainted?

Then Peter realized he was lying on something soft...a bed perhaps? But without opening his eyes he could still feel the mustiness around him and the faint scent that mingled unpleasantly in his nose so he was pretty certain he was still in the shack. Peter didn't dare open his eyes he needed to think things through...he had to be careful.

Sirius and James were onboard with Remus being a monster because of course, they were. Peter doubted there was anything Remus could do to lose their friendship. Peter on the other hand...

He was terrified about Remus but he wasn't heartless enough to blame Remus for it he just...he just didn't want to become a werewolf himself. This was dangerous...Remus was dangerous. Peter knew though if he voiced his concerns James and Sirius would turn on him quickly. Peter also didn't want to get Remus into trouble despite him being annoying and exaggerating about his ailments. Only Peter realized at last that Remus probably wasn't exaggerating which made him feel really sad.

What do I do?

He could refuse to be Remus' friend since that seemed the safest option but Peter didn't really want to do that and that would also lead to him no longer being friends with James and Sirius. Well, at least Sirius' reaction made more sense now. A lot seemed to make more sense now.

Peter struggled between revolution and fear at being in the...the lair of a werewolf and sympathy for Remus who was the kindest of his friends and who Peter was certain hadn't done anything to deserve this.

Sirius still wanted to be Remus' friend and Sirius hated dark creatures. Peter took a shaky breath trying to decide if he was brave enough to be Remus' friend. He was a Gryffindor after all...

Barely.

But Remus was...well, Remus. Professor Corbyn had done a good job teaching them about werewolves and even though Peter was afraid he couldn't lose all his friends over this he just couldn't. In fact, he had the opportunity to be the very best friend there ever was if he could react the right way, react better than Sirius anyways. Then they would be all so very impressed with him and he wouldn't have to see any of them cry or shout. Peter didn't want to hurt his friends.

But that didn't change the fact that Remus was dangerous...right? Dumbledore must know and Peter knew that Dumbledore was very powerful. In fact, wasn't Remus powerful too? It would probably be wise not to upset Remus...

Peter fought with himself for a while longer while James and Sirius argued and Remus apparently wasn't feeling like his usual self and seemed helpless to stop them. Peter weighed his choices, he didn't always think things through but he knew that not thinking this through could be a disaster.

You can do it. You have to do it, they won't like you otherwise.

That really made Peter's mind up. He couldn't imagine anything worse than losing his friends. Well ok,...he could imagine a lot of things worse but nothing that would actually happen to any of them.

Peter tried to think about the best way to respond. He thought about crying for Remus only then Remus might hug him and Peter didn't really want Remus touching him at the moment...or maybe even ever again.

He would just have to act like it didn't bother him. No wonder James had been so worried when Peter had begun figuring things out. Only he had thought that Remus' father was the werewolf because...because Remus being a werewolf was completely ludicrous. Except...apparently it wasn't.

Peter sat up slowly and of course, Remus was the first to notice him. Peter was indeed on a bed, an unmade one with a large split down the mattress but it was better than the floor except thinking about a large wolf hungry for blood made him shiver slightly. James and Sirius were standing a bit away shoving each other and looking angry. Remus was sitting as far away from Peter as he could while still being close enough to help him probably. Or to silence him if he didn't take the news well? Only Remus didn't have any sort of malice or anger in his eyes and instead looked half part concerned half part frightened. Remus was frightened of him? That seemed laughable.

"...how...um are you feeling?" Remus asked softly over the loud insults that were being thrown around by Sirius and James. Peter shrugged wanting James and Sirius to be paying attention so they could be impressed as well. "Peter...I uh..."

"We should stop them first...arguing...before they start fighting," Peter suggested and Remus seemed to deflate slightly a great deal of disappointment in his eyes as he nodded and walked over to James and Sirius as if he was half hoping they would punch him. Peter felt a stab of guilt but Remus would realize he was fine with him being a werewolf soon, well sort of fine, and this way Sirius and James would overhear how well he was taking it. Plus their bickering was starting to give him a headache.

"Well, you know what you are Sirius you're a..." James stopped mid-shout as he finally realized Remus had walked over. Despite Remus not being much shorter than Sirius and nearly the same size as James he seemed so small somehow.

"...Peter is up..." Remus whispered his back facing Peter but whatever his facial expression was it made James and Sirius glower at him.

So far this was going horribly.

"Figure it out, Peter?" James asked judgmentally.

"He fainted...can't believe he fainted over it."

"Piss off Black you about fainted yourself."

"Did not?"

"Did too!"

Remus let out a muffled sob and the two boys stopped arguing at once.

"Remus...it's fine. I mean...I feel bad for you but...but I'm not judging you or anything," Peter said quickly partly because he wanted them to like him better and partly because if Remus started crying this whole day would be about him and not The Marauders as a whole like it was supposed to be.

Sirius and James' mouths fell open and Remus turned around cautiously looking weary.

"Really?"

"Yeah of course. We're all still the Marauders right?" Peter grinned and James beamed at him.

"Well said chap well said. Thank goodness for you, Peter, you're the best of us mate," James replied sounding quite pleased and Remus looked confused but pleased himself.

Sirius however did not seem convinced.

"You can't just be completely fine with it. Why'd you pass out then?" he asked pointedly.

"I...it was just a lot of blood...makes me woozy..." Peter defended himself shrinking a bit under Sirius' stern gaze. He didn't get it. Why was Sirius mad at him?

"And you aren't going to run around and blab your big mouth are you?" Sirius accused and Peter bristled, upset that this was not going at all the way he had planned. He was about to say something dumb which only further Sirius' glare but Remus spoke up first.

"Sirius, don't. I'm sure Peter understands he can't tell anyone...right?" Remus asked, his worried eyes glancing at Peter who nodded quickly.

"Not even freaking Marlene, Peter, got it?" Sirius added roughly.

"I'm not daft Sirius," he protested hurt when Sirius shrugged.

"Don't know about that," Sirius replied petulantly and James whacked his head, by the sound of it not all that gently.

"You wanker! Don't pay him any mind Peter he's just being a poor sport because he's the only one of us that made an arse of himself."

"No," Sirius protested giving James a shove, "I just expected him to be scared is all."

"Me...me too...sorry Peter...," Remus replied sounding sincere, "and...and thank you..." he added looking close to tears again.

"What are friends for?" Peter replied unable to grin with Sirius still staring at him suspiciously.

"Here, here, three cheers to Peter everyone, three cheers to the lot of us!" James shouted, giving Sirius a gentle elbow when he seemed ready to protest. "Come on mate this is a good thing. You're the sod who made it our official holiday or whatnot. So what's the first order of business."

Sirius stared at Peter a minute longer with his hard eyes and Peter was about to reveal he was in fact petrified about Remus when Sirius looked away at the nick of time allowing Peter to let out a shaky breath and wonder how on earth Sirius had managed to almost see through him.

Coward.

Peter didn't argue with the voice in his head, he knew he was a coward but it always seemed to be the stupidly brave people who ended up dying. There was nothing wrong with self-preservation. Peter was suddenly reminded of when he had first been sorted and gulped guiltily.

"Are you sure you want to be in Gryffindor? There's a great deal of self-preservation in you which might make it hard for you to dwell among the brave of heart." The hat had seemed to almost be taunting him back then "and the potential for a great deal of cunning that would allow you to find your place with the Slytherins."

"No, it has to be Gryffindor, all my friends are in Gryffindor."

"Hmmm yes, but what is friendship to someone who would use any means to achieve their ends. Slytherins would understand you while Gryffindors you may find will come to resent you."

"I don't care. It has to be Gryffindor, I can be brave, I want to be with my friends. Please Gryffindor please please Gryffindor."

"Very well just remember this was your choice, not mine." Peter swore the hat had laughed at him before it shouted after what had seemed like an eternity of arguing with it, "Gryffindor."

"Peter...earth to Peter?"

Peter jumped, glad it wasn't Remus who had gotten up in his face. Remus seemed to somehow know that Peter didn't want him near him...at least not right now. Deep down he knew being a werewolf wasn't something to be passed like a cold but it still made him really nervous.

"Sorry James, what is it?"

"Sirius, declared that the first order of business is to get out of this hell hole...er" James glanced over his shoulder "no offense Remus."

Peter couldn't see Remus due to James hunching over him, having been snapping his fingers in his face but he could hear his tense laugh. He must have really zoned out, although he supposed thinking about the sorting always made him feel like he was back there in the most unpleasant of ways, the sorting hat's creepy voice was probably something he'd never succeed to get completely out of his head.

"No offense James," Remus replied with dry amusement. "No offense at all let's just get out of here alright?"

"Here, here," James called again this time with much less enthusiasm stretching out his hand and helping.

AN: Two chapters this week since I forgot yesterday was Tuesday. Just so you guys know I might be switching my weekly update to Wednesday or even Thursday instead of Tuesdays since they got really busy all of a sudden. In general, it's a busy time of year but hopefully, things will calm down soon.

Also, I am revamping the series since my wonderful friend who is a published author has agreed to look over my story and correct my atrocious lack of apostrophes ;P . They have also pushed me to add more detail to some scenes which has been a lot of fun. I'm hoping to edit and repost 9 chapters every week starting with the first three chapters tomorrow. Don't worry this should not get in the way of my posting! :D