The Library was nearly empty. Hermione couldn't say that it surprised her, considering the late hour, but something in the air had made her feel incredibly weary.

Peter was running late and she guessed that he had troubles sneaking out of the Gryffindor Common Room. There was still an hour until the curfew, so no teacher would be able to punish him for walking the corridors, leaving James and Sirius as the only viable option of Peter's delayed arrival. The boy had never been able to lie very good, especially not to his best friends, so part of her wondered if he had even managed to come up with an excuse to leave, without making them call out his lie.

Finally, the door creaked loudly and Peter walked into the room, looking positively out of breath. Apparently he must have realised that she had been waiting for him for about ten minutes and they now had under an hour to talk.

"Sorry I'm late", the boy breathed out and sat down across the table.

She smiled and nodded lightly, looking at him with caution. Not only he appeared tired and out of breath, but also incredibly nervous, scared even. His eyes flicked from side to side, searching for someone who would have been able to overhear their conversation, even by accident.

"There's no one here, Pete", she said quietly and then took out her wand and casted a non-verbal Muffliato.

The boy sent her a curious glance and she shrugged.

"It's just a spell to prevent anyone from spying on us. Technically, I shouldn't know it, as it is not invented yet, so... Don't spread the word", Hermione asked and leaned forward, putting the weight on her forearms resting on the table. "So… What is it that you wanted to talk about?"

"You're absolutely sure no one's here?", he asked in a hushed tone and she frowned.

"Yes, Pete. I've been here for the most part of the hour and I watched everyone leave. You can speak freely"

Peter looked down to his shaking hands and then squeezed his eyelids tightly. Hermione could have sworn that right before his blue eyes disappeared under the lids, she had spotted tears inside of them.

"What happened?", she whispered and reached towards his hand, covering his palm with her own. "I'm here to help you"

The boy opened his eyes and gripped her wrist with force.

"That's the thing, Hermione. I don't know if I deserve your help"

"Tell me what is going on. You can panic later, okay?"

Peter sighed and nodded, avoiding her gaze.

"Do you remember that talk we had on the stands? How I told you that you've changed some things for me?"

"I do", she admitted slowly, while her heart thudded against her chest painfully, once she realised that her first suspicion had been right and his problem really had something to do with Death Eaters.

"I am really grateful for your friendship, Hermione. It made me change so much, but... It couldn't have saved me from my prior mistakes and those mistakes are now threatening to ruin everything", he whispered and swallowed hard. "Some time last year, Mulciber approached me, saying that the Dark Lord could use someone like me in his troops. He said that my blood status and the fact that I'm friends with James and Sirius could make me very valuable. He promised me glory and recognition and... Things I've always wanted"

Hadn't she heard that story already? Was that the only way Voldemort recruited his supporters? Peter had been a good person, who simply wanted what his other friends had for granted; good looks, charisma and complete adoration from the crowds. It couldn't have been easy to be friends with them and while Remus made it work, appreciating that genuine care and love they offered, Peter struggled.

She couldn't blame him for wanting to change things. Considering his trusting nature, she couldn't even be surprised that a part of him believed Mulciber's words. Still, knowing that he managed to entangle himself in such matter made her feel angry. Angry and disappointed.

"Then I had met you and things changed. I found Mulciber and declined his offer, but... Apparently it wasn't enough. At first he let me go and I thought he was going to leave me alone for good, but a few days ago, he told me that the Dark Lord cannot be played and that if I backed out, he would kill me, my family and everyone I care about", he said and a muffled sob escaped his mouth, as he clasped his hand over it.

Hermione looked at him with compassion, her previous anger dissipating completely, while she watched his broken expression. What was she supposed to tell him? That she would manage to fix things? That she would protect him and his close ones?

Offering him comfort seemed weirdly out of place. Not only because the situation had been rather grim and Peter must have realised that, but also because he was about to become an adult, someone who would have to make his own decisions. Sweeping his mistakes under the rug would do nothing, beside teaching him that it was okay to make them and not think about consequences.

Still, what kind of a friend would she be, if she didn't even try to help him out of his misery? He had every right to be scared, he had every right to panic. Everyone else would have as well.

"Calm down, Peter", she asked gently, but her words didn't seem to reach her friend. "There's always something that can be done. I'm not going to simply let your family get hurt"

"I know, Hermione", he whispered in a broken, hushed tone. "I trust you, which is why I'm telling you all of this right now. But I don't know if there's a way out. Not this time…"

It pained her to admit that he could have been right. Mulciber had made a very smart move, approaching Peter like that. If her friend decided to do whatever he was told to, Voldemort would gain another supporter so driven by fear, that he would never be able to simply betray him. If Peter declined the offer, he would continue to live his life alone, knowing that his parents' deaths had been entirely his fault.

There was also a third option; one that assumed that Peter had declined the offer, but his family managed to survive, mostly because of the Orders' actions. Dumbledore would be able to grant them protection, of that she was sure, but… Hermione knew that their survival would give Mulciber a very powerful information, that someone amongst Peter's group of friends had access to the Order of the Phoenix and, judging by the Slytherin's cunning and intelligence, he would have no troubles figuring out who that might be.

That led her to the fourth possible option. It was so ridiculous, that Hermione wanted to smack herself for even thinking of it, but after a few seconds of pondering on it, she had to admit that it had also been quite smart. Risky and dangerous, but indeed very smart. What if Peter was to say yes and become a spy for the Order? His family would be as safe as possible considering the situation, the Order would get information on Voldemort's plans and Peter would…

She scowled at her own thoughts and shook her head with disgust. There was no way in hell she could have let her friend join Voldemort's ranks. No matter how reasonable it seemed to be. Her memories of the older version of Severus Snape were still fresh enough to know what it would mean for her friend. Actually, it would be much, much worse, as Peter didn't possess such talent for Occlumency and Potions as Severus did and Hermione knew that both of those things managed to keep him alive much longer than anyone had anticipated.

"What are you thinking, Hermione? Please, whatever it is, I need to know", Peter's quiet voice broke her trance, as she blinked a couple of times, returning back to reality.

"I'm sorry", she muttered and bit her lip nervously. "I won't lie to you. This is not an easy situation, but you already knew that. Whatever we decide to do about it, someone will have to suffer or at least work incredibly hard to fix things"

Peter's broken expression told her that she had been right, assuming he had already figured it out, but it didn't hurt any less to watch him like that. Still, she couldn't do anything to soothe him.

"Since there's no perfect way out of this, we need to choose one that will keep you and your family safe, no matter the costs", she said and bit her bottom lip, thinking how to phrase her next words. "You already know about my affiliations with the Order, don't you? I can explain this situation to them, ask for their help"

"But Hermione, if Mulciber learns about it, he will know that someone among us has connections to the Order. It will put you in jeopardy", Peter protested weakly and shook his head. "I cannot let that happen. Those are my mistakes and I should be the one paying the prize for making them"

Hermione felt her eyes tear up at his statement, so she blinked furiously, trying to chase the tears away.

"Don't say that, Peter. I know that you don't want to endanger me, but I am in danger whether you want it or not. Mulciber suspected me all along and it's a pure luck that I had managed to convince him to leave me alone for the time being", she smiled bitterly, remembering that night in the Library, when the Slytherin had managed to break her defences. "But I'm prepared to fight, if that's what it takes. His lack of interest in me had always been temporary. If you want to risk someone's life, I'm the better choice"

Peter fell silent for a moment, looking at her with sadness and regret. She could tell just by his expression, that he wished to go back in time and change things. It almost made her smile, knowing that this exact same thinking got her in her current situation, but it wouldn't have been a happy smile.

"I made a mess, didn't I?", he whispered and looked down at their still joined hands. "I'm so, so sorry, Hermione. Sorry and ashamed. Do you know why I decided to tell you out of all people? Apart from the fact that I trust you and you're the most familiar with troubleshooting"

Hermione smiled at his little comment and shook her head, letting him speak.

"Because a part of me was so, so afraid, that I wasn't entirely sure if I had the strength to say no to Mulciber", he admitted and her smile disappeared instantly. "I genuinely wanted to agree, because I wanted to save myself. Not my family, not my friends… Death scared me so much that I almost forgot about everything that matters to me. How can I not be ashamed of that? I told you everything, because if I decide to be a coward yet again, at least you will know what I'm up to"

The girl sighed deeply, fully understanding his feelings. Truth to be told, he would be stupid not to be afraid. She used to think that life without fear was even more dangerous, since it took out most of the inhibitions that people usually possessed. If someone wasn't scared of dying, it was way too easy to make a bold, unreasonable choice instead of spending some time, trying to come up with a better solution.

Somehow, the society had little to no tolerance for people who admitted to being afraid. It posed such a strong contradiction to the figure of a 'hero' functioning on daily basis, both in the muggle and wizarding world. Hermione knew better than to believe such people existed and even if they did, they were a minority, rarity even. Fear was a part of human nature and nothing could have been done to change this.

Still, letting it rule you was that one thing that no one should ever be even considering. Peter Pettigrew she had once known had done it and it led to betrayal of his best friends, who would have rather died, than let anyone hurt him. Hermione knew that the boy sitting in front of her wasn't a bad person, but to hear him admit to having those exact thoughts that started this entire chain of events… It felt terrible.

For a second there, she started to second-guess herself. Maybe Peter really couldn't be saved? What if he chose to betray them later on? He said it himself, telling her about this entire case had been also a measure of precautious. Those demons residing deep inside of him were obviously threatening to come out and once they did, there was no way of telling what they would do to him and everyone around.

Hermione knew, though, that even if he had his doubts and fears, he still chose to do the right thing. He faced his demons and he fought them off, no matter how difficult it must have been.

"You wanted to save yourself, but you didn't, Pete", she finally said in a strained voice and forced him to look at her. "You didn't and you came to me, wanting to find a solution. I think it's very human to be afraid, but I also know that this shame you're feeling can be good for you. Because next time something like this happens, you'll know better. You'll remember how you felt and you'll fight your fear, just like you did this time"

The boy listened to her every word with growing hope shining in his eyes and Hermione knew she made the right choice, deciding to put her trust in him. She had managed to pull him out of the dark place once and she had to believe she could do it again.

"What makes you so sure of it?", he whispered and Hermione smiled gently in response.

"Because you're surrounded by people who love you. And we won't let you fall. Even if you lack your own strength, you'll always have ours"

Peter didn't say a word, but no words were necessary. His expression was more than enough to assure her of his gratitude and agitation. She couldn't help but smile, even considering this entire situation. The warmth of Peter's hand and those watery-blue eyes filled with so many emotions made her heart thud against her chest in a calm, steady rhythm, giving her hope that no matter what happened in the future, she was strong enough to deal with it.

"I'll talk to the Order", she stated firmly and stood up, breaking their contact. "Avoid Mulciber at all costs until I get back to you, okay?"

Peter nodded and offered her a weak smile.

"Don't worry. Avoiding him is one of those things I'm good at. Besides, I'm a Marauder, aren't I?"

Hermione laughed softly and patted him on the shoulder, trying to comfort him once again. Then, she turned around and walked out of the Library, her head spinning from all the chaotic thoughts.

She really needed to find Dumbledore and she needed to do this as fast as possible. Instead of pondering on all the possible options, she decided to focus on Mulciber and his actions. His move had undeniably been smart, but it also made her wonder. Why now? Why get back to Peter after such a long time of ignoring the boy? Hermione didn't believe that Voldemort really valued Peter so much, that he couldn't stand the idea of losing his support. Actually, she didn't even think Voldemort knew about her friend's existence.

What was the Slytherin trying to achieve? There was a possibility that he actually saw something in Peter, but the chances for that were slim in Hermione's opinion. Not that her friend had no skills. He was just too quiet and laid back to let everyone know what hid inside of his head. Mulciber had been smart, but not that smart.

Hermione hated thinking that the Slytherin's actions had something to do with her. Not only it felt selfish, but also incredibly coincidental. After all, he had searched her head, trying to find anything that might confirm his theories, but he came up with nothing. Sure, what she told Peter was right, she really did expect Mulciber to get back to her sometime, but she hadn't done anything to gain his attention once again in the past couple of weeks.

Maybe he really craved information on the Marauders? It wouldn't be all that surprising, considering the fact that they were bright, charismatic and, most importantly, pure blooded. Even that stupid Prophecy that got Voldemort's knickers in a knot spoke of his interest in Harry's parents. He must have wanted their support quite badly.

Hermione slowed down her steps when a realisation hit her. There was no telling what really stood behind Mulciber's actions, until she got a confession out of him. Up to that point, all of it was just a bunch of theories that may or may not be true. She didn't have to speculate, though. Not if she decided to make use of her friendship with a certain Slytherin.

Telling him any of it would be risky, she had no doubts of that. Still, if things were about to get interesting, she might as well have tried to make sure that the Order would be the winning side. Not only would she get crucial information on Mulciber, if she had managed to convince Snape to help her, but it would also give her a final answer to the question that's been bothering her for quite a while now: whose side was he really on?

All she had to do was to play things perfectly.

So, there you have it! I hope this chapter didn't disappoint you, because I happen to like it. This story is long even now and we have still so many things ahead of us... I'm kind of worried that it is never going to end :D But this chapter puts me in a great place, because now I have every excuse to speed things up a bit.

Brace yourselves, action is coming.

As always, thank you for your reviews! I love every single one of them! Also, feel free to suggest your ideas to me, because I find that really helpful and AWESOME! :)