Peter slouched along the cold cement footpath, scowling at the dark stormy clouds overhead. Bloody hell. He thought as fat raindrops began to fall, just my luck. He shrugged his jacket collar up higher and scowled deeper.

"I bet the rest are all having a good time together." He muttered, "Without me. I mean, it's not like they have remembered me or anything."

There was an almighty thump and Peter fell over backwards.

"Watch where you are going, rat!" a tall muggle boy said.

Peter gulped. He looked really tall from the ground. The muggle sneered and lifted Peter up by the collar.

"Say sorry, rat."

Peter went red but remained silent and defiant. The muggle sank his fist into Peter's gut. Peter dropped back to the ground, gasping for air.

"I asked you to say sorry." The muggle boy snarled, "I expect an answer."

Peter mumbled.

"Sorry."

The muggle boy smirked.

"See you around, rat."

He stormed off, leaving Peter alone on his back on the footpath. Peter growled and sat up, running a hand through his mousy coloured hair.

That wouldn't have happened if my friends were here to protect me. He thought, bitterness filling him.

A shadow fell over him, briefly shielding him from the rain.

"Hello Peter." Avery remarked, smoothly, "What an interesting position to find one such as you in. I mean, a pureblood being humiliated by a muggle. Really makes you think doesn't it?"

Peter frowned again and got to his feet.

"What do you want, Avery?" Peter asked, sullenly.

Avery looked up at the rain that was drenching both of them.

"Oh, nothing. I was just walking in the neighbourhood when I heard that rather uncouth young muggle brat make an effort to make your life hard. Tell me, where are your…"

Here Avery smiled slyly,

"Friends?"

Peter scowled.

"I don't know." He replied, looking at his feet. He hated how the Slytherin was smirking at him, as if he was going to laugh at him at any moment.

Avery tilted his head, radiating innocence.

"They mustn't be very good friends, then, to not even write a note to you over the summer holidays. If they were here, no putrid little muggle would even dare to take you on."

Peter thrust his hands into his pockets.

"Well, they aren't here." Peter retorted, "So I suppose I just have to deal with the muggles myself."

Avery tutted.

"But we cannot have that. That muggle was using pure strength upon you, something you do not have in large amounts and you are not allowed to hex him."

He smiled again.

"Tell you what, Peter. Meet me here tomorrow and I will show you what real friends do for each other."

Peter looked up into the looming shapes that were Crabbe and Goyle.

"Umm…" he gulped.

Avery laid a soothing hand on his shoulder.

"Don't worry, Peter." He smirked, "Crabbe and Goyle and myself will take care of your little muggle problem."

Crabbe and Goyle both gave lumbering grins and cracked their knuckles. A figure was approaching from down the footpath.

Avery raised an eyebrow at Peter.

"Tell me your friends would take revenge for you. Or would they be too afraid of what it would do to their reputations."

Peter found himself chuckling. James, Remus and Sirius would never do what Crabbe, Goyle and Avery were doing for him now.

As Crabbe and Goyle started to beat the living snot out of the tall muggle boy who had insulted Peter the day before, a startling thought hit Peter's mind.

Maybe being friends with the Slytherins isn't such a bad idea after all.

A few days later, and James and Sirius had set off for Diagon Alley. Sirius was in high spirits, bouncing around with a jingling moneybag; spending it on books, quills and, of course, food. James was with him, laughing and joking about anything that came into his mind.

Both kept a sharp eye out for Remus. They found him, nose in a book outside the second hand bookstore that he, supposedly, had the book from. Sirius snuck up behind him, "Hello Mister Wolf."

Remus spun around and grinned at them both.

"What large teeth you have." Finished Sirius, who was closest to where Remus was standing. "How have you been, Moony?"

Remus shrugged, "So-so. You guys?"

James laughed, "Fine. Sirius bought an apartment for himself."

Remus raised an eyebrow, "You have that sort of money?" he asked, "What did you steal?"

Sirius smirked, "Why would you think I'd steal anything? I got that money quite innocently from my uncle." His cheerful expression darkened, "About the only good thing the 'Honourable House of Black' has ever created. He lives a little by their rules, and therefore has money."

James looked at him, "Awww…" he said, no particular sympathy in his tone, "Well, they created you, so they must be okay."

"Okay?" Sirius's voice was strangled, "Are you joking? You don't want to know what they do. What they train their children to do." he shuddered.

"Hey, guys." Came a voice from behind them, then a thump told the three Marauders that the owner of the voice had fallen over.

"Hey Peter." They chorused without turning. Then they did, and grinned at him. James strolled forwards to grip his elbow and help him up.

"How have you been, Wormtail?" he asked as he brushed the dirt from his back.

Peter looked down. "Okay." He said defensively.

James frowned at Peter's tone, "What have you been up to?" he asked, trying to draw Peter into the conversation.

"Nothing!" Peter snapped. Sirius raised his eyebrows at James. James shrugged slightly in answer.

"Anyway," Peter glared up at them, "What have you guys been up to? Over at each other's houses, I expect."

Sirius rolled his eyes, "Wormtail." He said exasperatedly, "You knew I was over at James's house. But now I have an apartment all my own. How wicked is that?"

"All three of us haven't really caught up until just now. And now you're here, so all four of us are here." Remus said, looking hard at Peter, "Why?"

Peter looked down again, "No reason." He muttered, "Just… curious."

Sirius looked at him, frowning and wondering what was keeping him so snappish and sharp, "Come on, guys! Let's go and explore the bookshop!"

Remus leaned backwards slightly, "Bookshop?" he asked sceptically, "Sirius, you and books do not go in the same sentence… unless of course there is a negative in it somewhere."

Sirius shrugged, "Mieh. Come on guys" he called over his shoulder as he bounced off.

"What does he want in there?" Remus wondered aloud.

James said nothing; he too had seen the flash of red hair among the aisles, and was grateful to Sirius for giving him the opportunity to check it out.

Lily growled; these 'Invisible books of Invisibility' were impossible to find. She shrugged, her gaze flicking out the window. Her eyes widened and she ducked behind a pile of books: the Marauders were just outside! More than that, James was with them. She bit her lip, then relaxed slightly; as if they would go into a bookshop.

She froze as she saw Sirius bound in first, what the…? She thought, what is wrong with the world? Then she saw Sirius towards the counter, where the store kept some confectionary bars. Okay, she thought, now the world can start spinning again.

Sirius picked one up, "These are cheaper here than anywhere else in Diagon Alley."

"No they're no" James began, then stopped when Sirius winked at him, "Ooooh." He breathed, "Yeah… sorry, I couldn't see the price tag."

Lily watched their lips move, wishing fervently that she could read them. Then she froze and tried desperately to burrow into the books behind her as James started to walk in her direction, No. she thought, Potter. Damn. Anyone but him. Even Siri… well… maybe not him. But Remus I could deal with. James squatted down in the aisle next to her, and started to look at the books. Just as Lily started to relax, he spoke.

"That's you, isn't it, Lily?"

"No." she said quickly, then cursed, "I was reading the titles of these books here." She said as nonchalantly as she could muster. Yeah, that's a good one, she thought, beat that, Potter!

"Uh… Lily?" he asked, "All the spines of the books are facing me."

Lily turned bright red. Damn she thought, "I… was just… umm…"

"Hey Prongs!" Called a voice, and James spun around to wave at Sirius. Lily closed her eyes in relief as James said goodbye, For once in my life, I will be grateful to a Black. She watched them walk out of the store, only then noticing that Sirius had not, actually, bought one of the 'extra cheap' candies.