***A/N: A quick recap:
James's nickname is Patches because someone tried to scalp him at the end of last year and failed, but not completely because he did have bald patches.
Sirius is called Pickles because sometime during their first year Sirius was soaked in pickle juice as a result of a backfiring prank, and (according to James) he smelt of pickles for quite a while after that.
Peter's called Cottontail because his name's Peter and James was trying desperately hard not to be called Cottontail because of the stupid pink bunny outfit his mother sent him for easter.
Remus is called Moonchild because he's friends with giant dorks.
And at the end of last year, they set off a bunch of fireworks in the shape of the house mascots (? is that what they're called?)***
Summer Chapter 3: Peter Pettigrew
Peter Pettigrew is a wizard of a muggle family. He was just the right height for his age, though he was a little pudgy. He received averaged markings in school and was not particularly remarkable in any way. This could not be said for his siblings. His eldest brother, Adam, won the nation's science fair when he was only 11. Adam is currently going to school, with a full scholarship, to become a chemist. His sister, Rachel, just graduated at the top of her class and was offered a position on a professional women's football team. His younger brother, Zach, is 9 and just won the school spelling bee. While Peter brought home a resounding 43 detentions for several accounts of destroying school property, using magic on his peers, causing chaos in the Great Hall, and setting off fireworks in the middle of the night. Their mother, Ms Caroline Harper has not stopped cleaning since Peter got home. Peter was too nervous to wake her out of her trance.
"She's been muttering about arson since she started on the oven," Peter told Adam the first day he got back from university.
"Well, Pete, I think it's safe to say you're grounded," was his only words of solace before he shut the door of his bedroom. Rachel only made the problem worse. She kept tracking in mud or leaving her sports gear in inconvenient places. Zach tried to help by doing the dinner dishes but only succeeded in splashing dish water all over the freshly cleaned floors. The Pettigrew children quickly realised that there was nothing they could do to help their mother out of this state, so Zach stayed outside, riding his bike with the neighbour boys, Rachel stayed out late "practising" with her new team, and Adam stayed locked in his room "studying." Peter, knowing that it was his fault, tried to help his mother all while staying out of her way. While Ms Harper reorganised the kitchen pantry Peter worked in the garden and was especially careful not to use magic, terrified to imagine what a letter from the ministry would do to his mother.
He was just repainting their picket fence when Peter had an idea. A risky but brilliant idea. Ms Harper had a brother who was particularly good at distracting her. All it took was a phone call. Peter carefully slipped through the sliding glass door, dialled the number, wincing when his finger hit the metal piece a little too hard, and ran back outside, stretching the coiled cable as far as it would go so that no one could hear their conversation. He sucked on his bleeding finger, waiting for his uncle to pick up.
"You have reached the Simmering Gay Phone Sex call centre, which one of our boys do you want today?" came a sultry voice from the speaker.
"Uh... Uncle Alex?" Peter asked, slightly panicked. It sounded like his uncle, but if it wasn't….
"Oh, hey, kid. How's it hangin'? Wait, which one is this?" Uncle Alex asked and Peter couldn't help but laugh.
"Are you really running a phone sex line?" Peter laughed.
"Nah, that's just to keep the undesirables away," Alex chuckled, "so what's the deal kiddo?"
"Er… well, it's mum. She's upset, 'cause dad… and me, sort of. Point is she's been cleaning, non-stop since I got home. Seriously, I don't think she sleeps," Peter spoke and chewed his lip, waiting for his uncle's reaction.
"So Car's finally gone round the bend, huh?" Alex answered.
"Yeah, I guess. We've been trying to make it better but… nothing's worked. And you always know how to pull her out of this…." Peter trailed off, hoping to sound desperate enough for his uncle's help.
"Kid, I've got a lot of things going on here," Alex said, sounding apologetic. "Just try talking to her, a bit."
"Yeah, I guess. We just kinda needed help, but we'll figure it out if you're really that busy," Peter answered as if he had lost all hope. He heard his uncle heave a great sigh and there was a jumble of noise before his voice came again.
"Alright kid, you got me. I'm coming. But, warn your mum first, God," his uncle groaned. Peter grinned and silently congratulated himself.
"Thank you Uncle Alex. This is why you are my favourite uncle," Peter said sincerely.
"I'm your only uncle, kid. Now shut up and hang up the phone."
"Kay!" Peter ran back inside, placed the phone back on its switch hook, then raced back outside. He was trying to think of some excuse for inviting his uncle over that would satisfy his mother when he looked toward the setting sun and he spotted a familiar black dot flying overhead, aiming for his bedroom window. It was like James Potter had a sixth sense about these things. Peter quickly packed away his supplies in their shed, carefully slid back through the sliding glass door, and quietly ran up to his bedroom.
James's owl, Archimedes, was waiting for him on his desk, looking haughtily irritated about having to wait for him. Peter didn't have an owl because his mother believed them to be messy and noisy creatures, so James made his owl stay until Peter sent him off with his response. Peter opened the letter and groaned instantly, for it was addressed to,
Cottontail,
i realise your grounded, mate, but you've got to get out of it. there is an incredibly important event coming up. maybe youve heard of it? its called the Quidditch World Cup, and now even Moonchild's going so if you dont go you will officially be the worst friend in the history of friendship. Pickles is already going… hopefully, he said his parents already got him tickets at christmas. so if you don't come it'll just be me and moonchild in france occasionally seeing pickles and having a grand old time without you. And don't judge me for saying "grand old time", you should see my house right now. its like a nursing home. just the other day i called someone "the bees knees" honestly if you don't come i think ill go barking mad. SEE I JUST SAID BARKING MAD!
THATS IT! if you don't if you don't come then ill come to you. ill bring moonchild and together we can explain that we live in a blood obsessed society that hates muggleborns and that is why you got all those detentions. james potter to the rescue!
see you soon,
J aka Patches (even though its an incredibly stupid name invented to shame me in a time of distress. I COULD HAVE LOST MY HAIR! i would have looked as stupid as malfoy.)
P.S have you heard from Pickles lately? Moonchild hasn't and its not like him to ignore my letters for so long. even the mirrors aren't working. i should try to floo into his bedroom? J.P.
Peter, laughing at James's newly developed jargon, prepared to write his reply, quickening his pace as Archimedes impatiently ruffled his feathers.
Patches
You call me Cottontail just because my names is Peter (nevermind the fact that you are the actual bunny) you have no right to complain about Patches.
No I haven't heard from Pickles. I don't think you should floo to his house, though. His parents sound absolutely terrifying. I have a plan to get off grounding, but it'll take time. My uncle's coming into town soon and my mother usually forgets about all her problems with me while he's here. (He's very unemployed which my mother has a problem with.) The only problem is, she doesn't know he's coming. I invited him earlier today without her knowing, so if your brilliant mind can come up with an excuse in the next 24 hours I'd love to hear it. If the plan works, I'll help you find some way to contact Pickles when I get to yours.
Of course I know what the Quidditch World Cup is! I'm a muggle born, not an infant. And I am a good friend. I got punched in the face for you three last year! My nose was broken.
In the meantime, I hope you have a grand old time with the elderly and that you don't go barking mad. Eventually I'm sure you'll find that they are the bees knees. They were young once too, weren't they?
How's my cat? Hope he's not too much trouble.
Give my best to Moonchild.
Peter aka nickname pending because Cottontail doesn't fit.
P.S. I'm sure Pickles is fine. His parents are probably just stopping him from getting your letter's cause they don't "approve" of you. Didn't he say that they'd never actually hurt him? And he promised he'd tell you if they did and he's got that thing about promises. -P.P.
Peter, feeling confident that Sirius was actually okay, sent Archimedes off with his letter dangling in his talons.
Uncle Alex showed up the next day at dinner time, and much to Peter's pleasure and his mother's dismay, wearing a shirt that said POSTER BOY FOR AIDS in bright bold letters. James had yet to get back to him so he simply told his mother, as he watched his uncle's car pull into their driveway, that Alex had called the day before and Peter had invited him over. Zach came zooming in on his bike having recognised his car with a giant grin on his face.
" How's it going Pettigrews!" Alex called after he had thrown open the front door with his arm slung over Zach's shoulders. "And Ms Harper, of course!" Alex added seeing his sister's glare.
"Uncle Alex!" Adam shouted from the hall. He came running into the room to give his uncle a hug, still in his pyjamas looking as if he had slept for three solid days.
"Adam, have you been sleeping all day!" Ms Harper asked in an incredulous tone. Adam shrugged, not looking at all concerned about his mother's opinion. "Just go get dressed," Ms Harper sighed, "Alex, next time you'd visit I'd like a bit of a warning." Ms Harper turned on her heels and walked off back to the kitchen. Alex stared directly at Peter who smiled apologetically back at him.
"The house looks amazing, sis! Don't tell me you did this all for me?" Alex drawled, following his sister with Zach skipping behind him, grinning excitedly.
"Yes, well, you could have a nice house too if you bothered-"
"Oh, Caroline, don't start," said Alex firmly as he took a seat at the dining room table. Ms Harper didn't bother finishing her sentence. She stirred her boiling pot staring through the steam at Alex's shirt. Alex seemed quite at ease leaning with one arm thrown over the back of his chair, smiling casually at his sister.
"Uncle Alex guess what!" Zach bounced on his feet, pulling at the sleeve of Alex's coat. Alex directed his full attention to his youngest nephew, his face brightening in response to his excitement. "Mark Fawley ate a worm today, down by the creek and Corner caught a toad and said he was gonna dissect it and put the intestines in his sister's cereal!"
"Zachariah Pettigrew!" Ms Harper shouted. Zach jumped in response and turned apprehensively to his mother. "If that's the kind of boys you're hanging out with I'll take away your bike, you hear me?" Zach vigorously nodded, wide-eyed. Alex hid his smirk by scratching his bearded face. Peter shook with silent laughter. "Tell him about the spelling bee or something. I'll hear no more of worms and toads."
"A spelling bee?" Alex asked turning his raised eyebrows back to Zach.
"Oh, yeah. At school. I entered and won," Zach shrugged, finally taking a seat between Peter and Alex.
"Car, why didn't you tell me you were raising a genius?" Alex accused, making Zach smirk and Peter roll his eyes.
"It was just the school," Zach said, though his eyes sparked with pride.
"Still you've got to be damn good at spelling. Spell - uh - anal," Alex said, grinning at his sister who scowled back.
"A-N-A-L easy." Zach rolled his eyes.
"Okay, Mr Smarty Pants. How about… hypersensitive," said Alex, leaning forward in his chair toward Zach. Ms Harper cleared her throat.
"Hypersensitive," Zach whispered to himself before beginning to spell, unaware of his mother's growing irritation. Peter, however, was acutely aware of it. His eyes shifted wildly between his mother and his uncle, focusing on his mother's heavy breathing over the sound of Zach's spelling.
"Amazing!" Alex declared, clapping his hands. "I think you might be a prodigy! I didn't know how to spell that word until I was 16!"
"You did very well Zach. Why don't you ride down to the football field and tell your sister it's time to eat?" Ms Harper requested, chopping up her leafy garnish. Zach jumped up and ran out the door. Peter waited silently for something to happen. Alex fidgeted with the length of his sleeves. Ms Harper's knife chopped on the cutting board a bit more aggressively than what was necessary. "Peter will you get your brother?" she asked suddenly.
"ADAM! Time to eat!" Peter hollered.
"That's not what I meant! I could have done that," scolded Ms Harper.
"Sorry, Mum," Peter muttered, picking at the hairs on the back of his neck. Alex cleared his throat.
"So, Pete, how's school? Win any spelling bees?" asked Alex.
"Er no. We don't have spelling bees," Peter explained. He was not sure on how much Alex knew about his school.
"Peter prefers to blow up hallways," Ms Harper said, placing a stack of plates and bowls onto the table.
"I didn't actually blow up the corridor, that was Snape. I just happened to be there," argued Peter.
"That's not what your teacher said," accused Ms Harper with her hands on her hips.
"Who's this Snape character?" Alex asked, ignoring Ms Harper.
"Oh, just this kid in my year. My friends and I don't really get along with him," Peter answered.
"So you were fighting then?" Ms Harper asked, sounding hysterical.
"On account that he likes to blow up hallways?" Alex continued.
"On account that he's a giant greasy nosed git," Peter declared. Alex chuckled.
"Alex don't encourage him! He'll end up just like his father!" Ms Harper ordered.
"I don't think they send people to prison for calling someone a greasy nosed git, Caroline," Alex laughed as Peter smiled wofully.
"They do for blowing up hallways and setting off fireworks and heaven knows what else you've been doing! I don't like those friends of yours, Peter, I don't," Ms Harper ranted, throwing silverware onto the table.
"At least they're not putting frog intestines into people breakfast," Alex laughed causing Peter to chuckle. Ms Harper didn't respond but kept her lips tightly pressed together as if trying to keep the words in. "So you set off fireworks?" Alex inquired, realising his sister had no reply.
"It was just sort of an end of the year celebration," Peter shrugged, not wanting to direct his mother's attention back to him. Alex looked at him expectantly. "See, there's this lake in front of the school so we - my friends and I - took one of the boats and loaded it up with a bunch of fireworks. Sirius's family has a lot of connections, so he can get them pretty easily." Peter paused to look at his mother, to see if she was paying attention. She wasn't but still, he whispered, "some of them were illegal," before continuing. "Then we rowed out the middle of the lake, lit the fuse, swam to shore just in time to see the show. It was brilliant!"
"Awesome," Alex remarked, staring wistfully at the blank wall. He started when Ms Harper threw down a bowl of hot soup in front of him. "But your grades and things, they're okay?"
"Oh, yeah. I'm passing," Peter shrugged.
"Good. See Car, he's fine," Alex smiled, scooping up some hot soup and blowing on it.
"Yes, passing is just fine, Alex. Nevermind that he's involved in illegal and dangerous activities that could potentially cause harm to himself or someone else. You imagine what would have happened if one of those fireworks had gone astray and hit one of the other students? They could have died. Then we would have a murder trial on our hands!" Ms Harper remarked, resting her head in her hands.
"Not likely, Madam Pomfrey is a really good healer. Between her and Professor Slughorn no one is very likely to die accidently," Peter said earnestly. His mother glared at his nonchalant tone while Alex laughed into his soup. Peter licked his lips nervously wondering how to direct his mother's attention back to his uncle.
"Hey, mum!" Adam called from the living room. "There's some kids out there staring at our house."
"They're probably just lost, Adam! Come and eat some soup!" Ms Harper answered. Adam came scuffling into the kitchen.
"They're carrying brooms," Adam muttered, taking a seat in front of one of the unattended bowls of soup. Peter's eyes jumped to his mother's face. She gave him a questioning look before she walked to the door. Peter stared after her not sure of what to do.
"Does that mean… are they your friends?" Alex asked casually.
"Errr… probably," Peter answered, his eyes still glued to his mother's back. He could barely see her through the door, standing out of the front porch, yelling something into the street. Her shouting stopped but she didn't come back inside. She briefly turned around and then he saw James Potter striding through his front door with Remus Lupin in his wake. Peter stared open-mouthed at the scene in front of him.
"I'll just take your coats - er cloaks. And you can just put those brooms right there against the wall," Ms Harper told two very obvious young wizards. "Peter, these are your friends aren't they?" Ms Harper asked, looking at her son still staring open mouthed and frozen in his seat.
"What are you doing here?" he asked James.
"Peter," Ms Harper said sternly. "That's not a very nice welcome. Introduce us properly so we can sit down and eat."
"Er - well, this is James and Remus-"
"We prefer to be called Patches and Moonchild," James announced.
"He does, I don't," Remus countered.
"James and Remus," Peter said irritably, "And this is my mother, Ms Harper, my brother, Adam, and my uncle Alex." Peter pointed to everyone individually.
"You didn't mention you had a brother?" James smirked, strutting over to the indicated brother to shake his hand.
"I have two, Adam and Zach, and a sister, Rachel," Peter answered.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Ms Harper," Remus said, shaking her hand. "Sorry for intruding on your dinner."
"Oh, don't worry. We have plenty," Ms Harper said, guiding him into the dining room. James was explaining the sneakoscope dangling from the waistband of his robes to the very attentive Alex and Adam.
"The cat's fine by the way," Remus told Peter.
"Cat?" Ms Harper asked, in sudden alarm.
"Pete adopted a stray cat, sometime after Christmas. Practically brought it back to life," James explained. Ms Harper's sharp eyes fell on her son.
"But James agreed to take it home for the holidays once Peter explained that you were allergic," Remus added, catching Ms Harper's glare. Her expression softened slightly as she prepared bowls of soup for James and Remus.
"That's actually why we came here," James announced.
"No it isn't," Remus said firmly.
"Well, not the cat. My house, Merlin. Anyway, I wanted to personally invite Peter to spend the rest of the summer holidays with me, Remus, and my family. We're attending… a sporting event. It's rather important to our … community," James continued.
"It's kind of like Wimbledon, Mum," Peter explained.
"Exactly," Remus agreed.
"Yes, and my parents have extra tickets so they allowed me to invite my closest friends to come with," James finished. Peter looked expectantly up at his mother, keeping his fingers crossed under the table.
"Peter seems to get into an awful lot of trouble with you two," Ms Harper answered, placing the hot bowls in front of the boys.
"At school, yes. And I'm sorry about that, but this is different my parents will be there," James protested over Remus's thanks.
"No offence Remus-"
"James."
"Sorry, James. But I don't know your parents, and I'm sure they're nice people, but-"
"You can't be sure that they'll keep Peter safe," James finished Ms Harper's sentence who looked both amused and surprised despite the interruption. "See, the only reason Peter gets into so much trouble at school is - well maybe not the only reason, but it's the main one - our world is a bit prejudice against people like Peter, and unfortunately people like you."
"People like me?" Ms Harper asked, glancing up at her brother. Alex only raised his eyebrow and slurped the rest of his soup, his eyes never leaving James's face.
"Yes, non-magic people," James smiled, sympathetically. "And because Peter was born in this family instead of one like mine, he gets… um…"
"Bullied," Peter offered. Ms Harper flashed wide concerned eyes to her son's face.
Why didn't you mention this before?" Ms Harper demanded.
"Didn't want to worry you," answered Peter, looking sadly into his soup.
"And you shouldn't worry. Remus, Sirius, and I will always have his back. And Dumbledore - the headmaster - won't stand for any of that nonsense. Neither will the deputy headmistress. So really Peter is very well protected," James added quickly.
"Of course there are occasions when the professors aren't around and we have to defend ourselves, that is why we have those detentions," Remus said.
"For the most part," Peter said, regretting telling his fireworks tale.
"Yes, I suppose that fireworks show wasn't self-defence," Ms Harper challenged.
"We did that to show house unity. It was all the headmaster's idea," James answered.
"If it was the headmaster's idea then why did you get in trouble?" Ms Harper asked.
"Ms Harper, James means that the headmaster pointed out to us - to the whole school that in times like these - when muggle borns are being actively discriminated against the school needs to show loyalty to all fellow students and encouraged us to show that in any way we can think of. We admit we got a bit over excited with the fireworks show. Thankfully no one got hurt. And I can promise you - we all can promise you that we won't be using explosives to show our love for our fellow classmates," Remus said, in a calming voice James and Peter only heard when Remus found himself in a sticky situation which seemed to be coming up a bit more in the months since their Christmas holiday. Peter smiled, knowing the effect Remus usually had on authority. Ms Harper took in a deep breath and thought over what had just been revealed. There was a lengthy silence which, as usual, James interrupted.
"I suppose I could fly you to my place if you really want to meet my parents," James offered, chuckling weakly. Peter hid a grin in his napkin, imagining his mother on a broom.
"No, no that won't be necessary," Ms Harper waved him off quickly.
"Oh, let him go, Caroline!" Alex shouted. "He's only a boy! If you only knew the kind of trouble I got into at school."
"Yes, and look where you are now," Ms Harper said sharply.
"Fine. But what about Adam? You're telling me that Adam never got into any trouble in school?" Alex challenged. Adam stared guiltily down into his now lukewarm soup.
"Nothing like this," Ms Harper argued in a stern tone.
"I promise Mum, no more arson! No fire or heat! I won't even touch a tea!" Peter begged.
"Well, you're going to have a jolly good time in Potions," James laughed.
"James, they didn't even say that in the twenties!" Remus exclaimed, exasperated.
"I'm pretty sure that phrase is older than the twenties," James argued.
"Exactly! What-" Remus started but Peter cleared his throat silencing him. Everyone seemed to have their eyes on Ms Harper waiting for her reply. Ms Harper ignored them as she sipped at her soup with a very thoughtful expression on her face. This time the silence was not interrupted by James but by Rachel and Zach bursting through the door, red in the face and out of breath.
"Did you run all the way here?" Peter asked in disbelief.
"Yeah, its called exercise, maybe you should try it," Rachel said, leaving Zach panting against the wall.
"Had to go up a hill," Zach said in between gulps of breath.
"What are you lot doing? And who's this?" Rachel asked, helping herself to dinner.
"And why are you wearing dresses?" Zach asked.
"They're not- they're not dresses!" James said.
"They do kind of look like dresses James," Remus admitted.
"You know those weird robes I've got to wear for school Zach?" Peter asked Zach, nodded, resting his hot head on the cool table. "These are like those, but for every day. It's what normal wizards wear."
"Wizards who live in wizard society," James corrected, "I knew we should have changed into muggle clothes."
"It's not my fault you got all… hyper," Remus argued.
"So you just came by to visit Peter?" Rachel asked, her mouth full of salad.
"Actually, they came to take Peter to James house for the rest of the summer," Ms Harper answered.
"Really?!" Peter jumped up, not caring that his soup had sloshed onto the table.
"Yes, really. But I want letters, weekly. And I will be coming to see you at Kings Cross, hopefully, to meet your parents, James." Ms Harper answered.
"Thanks, Mum!" Peter grinned, "I'm gonna go pack!" Peter dashed off up the stairs, Remus and James following him.
***CrazyFangirl100, I don't think I'm ever going to be able to get over Sirius's chapter :( James is the best! Thank you for the love and support you continue to give me! You're amazing! You make writing worthwhile. XO
Okay, so, for next year (when they officially start their fourth year) should I do a sequel or just continue posting it here? Cause I kinda want to do a prologue for it, which I guess I could still do if I kept it here. IDK tell me what you think.
All rights reserved to JKR blah blah blah.
Oh! Happy Valentine's Day! If you're into that/reading this in time. If not then happy regular day?
XO***