Chapter 4 - The Marauders Established

At breakfast the next morning James and Sirius bored anyone who'd listen with their adventures from the night before. Getting caught didn't seem to have bothered them at all which annoyed Peter greatly as he was still cross they'd tried to make him feel guilty for not going with them (and not brought him back any sweets either).

"She was dead impressed really," James told Bessie Bagshot, one of the girls in their year. "She didn't really want to give us detention but obviously felt she had to. It was only fair, y'know?"

Peter snorted into his beans on toast. He was sure that was exactly how it had gone.

"Well I think you're both idiots." Lily Evans said predictably, tossing her red hair back as she spread marmalade on her toast. "Though at least you didn't lose any house points this time. I suppose I don't care if you want to risk your own stupid necks."

"I think it's amazing." Little Sylvie Smethwyck said, her blue eyes round as saucers as she gazed at James and Sirius like they were both deities. "You're so brave."

"We do our best." James said with a self-depreciating grin that fooled no one. "You should come with us next time."

"Absolutely not." Sirius said from beside him. "All adventures are strictly marauders only. No girls allowed."

Peter snorted again. 'Marauders' was the name the pair of them had given themselves after their adventure last night. They clearly thought it made them sound cool, this exclusive new club they'd created.

"So, what do you think?" Peter looked up. Sirius was grinning at him.

"What do I think about what?"

"Us. The marauders. Me, James, you and Remus." He said, turning to the others too.

"You know I'm in." James said.

"I think it sounds like an excellent way to get us expelled," said Remus, though he was smiling.

"Great. It's official then." Sirius said, although neither Peter nor Remus had actually agreed to anything. "The marauders." He grinned again.

Oh how Sirius irritated Peter. He was always so confident and sure of himself he didn't even bother to consider that other people in the group might have a different opinion. It had been like this since they'd met him. If Sirius had an idea he would just expect the others to go along with it, no questions asked. He was so arrogant it was quite unbelievable.

They finished their breakfast then headed out onto the quidditch pitch for their first flying lesson of the year. Peter was suddenly not so sure having a big meal beforehand was such a good idea.

James groaned and Lily squealed as they saw which house they would be sharing the lesson with.

"I am not learning to fly with Snivellus." James said as Lily ran forwards and threw her arms around the boy.

"Oh Sev!" She cried, clearly unaware that half of Slytherin was now laughing at her. "We'll be learning to fly together, isn't it wonderful? Oh you were right, Sev. You were right about anything! It's so amazing I have to keep pinching myself!"

Severus was watching her gush with a satisfied, protective, almost possessive expression on his pale face. He bent down to whisper something to her and she giggled. But then he looked up, appearing to notice Peter watching him. His eyes narrowed, an unmistakably hostile gesture that took Peter quite by surprise. What had he ever done to the boy? But then he realised that as a friend of James and Sirius' he was simply guilty by association.

Their flying instructor arrived and there was a sudden outbreak of giggling from the girls. Peter couldn't understand it. The professor looked perfectly ordinary to him. He was quite a young man with dark blond hair, blue eyes and tanned skin. He'd been levitating behind him a number of school brooms which fell to the ground with a clatter as he reached them.

"Hi." He said, grinning round at them. "I'm Professor Clancy." There was more whispering from the girls. Why were girls so strange?

He told them all he'd been quidditch captain for Hufflepuff while at school but had enjoyed it so much it was all he'd wanted to do as career.

"Why didn't he become a professional quidditch player then?" James whispered to Sirius.

"Those that can't do…?" Sirius replied.

"I'm not really here to teach, per se." He continued. "I'm here to help you learn. Flying comes as easily to those blessed with magical blood as does walking. But don't worry if you can't fly already. This is your blank canvas, your chance to learn. So, first thing we need to do is command our broomsticks. Everyone please grab a broom and let's get started."

Peter rushed over to secure a broom that didn't have too many bent twigs or scratches, snatching one quickly from a girl in his year who'd been about to pick it up. Sirius, James and Remus were all doing the same beside him, James bemoaning all the while that he hadn't been allowed to bring his own broomstick to school with him.

"It's a comet 71" he told them. "It's a crime that I'm having to fly one of these mangy things instead." He wrinkled his nose at the school broom.

"Consider yourself lucky you have one in the first place." He heard Sirius say a little irritably. Peter quite agreed.

It took Peter quite a few attempts to persuade his broom to fly into his hand. James, whose own broom (despite it not being world class) had flown up on the first attempt for him, had some words of advice. "It's not about the way you say it, it's about the way you feel it. The broom can pick up your confidence as a rider. If it's not going to you it's because it doesn't trust you."

Thanks, James.

He did eventually manage to convince his broom he was trustworthy and stood proudly holding it while he waited for the other stragglers to catch up.

There was the sound of whispering from behind him and he spun around. It was James and Sirius. They had their heads together and seemed to be plotting something. Sirius waggled his eyebrows in a conspiratorial sort of way then went back to their hushed conversation.

"Great! Now that everyone's got control of their brooms we can try mounting them." The professor was saying now. "Gently does it now..."

Peter looked down at his broom which was hovering obediently by his side. You don't go anywhere... He told it fiercely in his head. He swung a leg over it. it held him in place for a fraction of a second, then, without warning, bucked him straight off. He got quickly to his feet, looking around. Did brooms normally buck off their riders?

"Sorry Pete!" Sirius hissed from behind him. "Mis-aimed." He put a finger to his lips and he and James trained their concealed wands on the boy standing just in front of Peter.

It was Snape. He had successfully mounted his broom and was grinning proudly at Lily, who was standing beside him. "Oh you look great, Sev!" She said, breaming back at him.

But the next second his broom gave an enormous buck, as if it were trying to throw him off. Peter saw him glance nervously at Lily but he held on tight.

As the broom began to buck harder, more of the class began to notice. They were laughing. Peter saw a Slytherin girl with a horse-like face doubled over and pointing at him.

Snape, however, seemed determined to remain mounted. His grip was so tight his knuckles were white as his hair flew about his face, the broom continuing to try and throw him off. The laughter was growing louder now. Peter turned to James and Sirius who were crying with laughter. Peter saw James jab his wand upwards and Snape's broom rose up vertically, sending the Slytherin boy to slide off to the ground where he fell in a heap.

"Sev!" Lily cried, falling to the ground beside him. "Professor!" She called as the flying instructor approached them. "I think someone must have jinxed his broom, it was fine a moment ago!"

Professor Clancy glanced at Snape. He was flushed red with humiliation and looked like he might be holding back tears. Then, with lightening fast reflexes that surely served him well as a quidditch player, drew his wand out of his robes and cried "accio wands!"

"Hey!"

"That's mine!"

Sirius and James yelped as their wands flew from wherever they'd concealed them and into Professor Clancy's outstretched hand.

That was clearly evidence enough of guilt for him. They'd all been told not to take their wands to the lesson so the fact that James and Sirius had was clearly enough to prove their guilt. He frowned at them both. "Care to explain?"

"Sorry we jinxed Sniv-Snape's broomstick, sir." James said. "But we were only trying to help."

Oh here we go, thought Peter. Honestly, did they never know when to shut up?

"Yeah, we heard him showing off to Evans about what a brilliant flier he was. We thought he'd appreciate the challenge." Sirius added.

"Not our fault he was lying through his teeth." They both glared at Snape as if he was to blame.

"Right." Professor Clancy said, pocketing their wands. "Well I don't understand your explanation but you can try it on Professor McGonagall later when you collect your wands from her. Now if you've got time to mess around, you've got time to be flying. Up in the air, now." He gave a sharp blast of his whistle and the two boys, turning to grin at one another, leapt off into the sky together.

"Wow, they're really good!" Lily said, watching their flight. Snape's face darkened beside her.

As James and Sirius were now no more than black specks in the sky, Peter decided to play it safe and fly closer to the ground. He looked up at them, wondering how they had both learned to fly so well. From the sounds of it, and judging by the posters he had up in the dorm, James had been quidditch mad for a long time but Sirius didn't seem especially interested in the sport. Maybe wizarding families taught their kids to fly like muggles taught theirs to ride bikes. Peter wondered what else he had missed out on growing up with a muggle mother. How were his friends ever going to take him seriously if he couldn't even fly a broomstick?

"Ooh, scared, petty Pettigrew?"

It was one of the Slytherin boys. He had dark hair and a slightly squashed looking face. He was smiling nastily at Peter as he circled him like a vulture.

Peter looked quickly down at the ground but Professor Clancy seemed to be preoccupied with the students still setting off from the ground.

The other boy looked down too. "It's a high enough fall." He said, his voice unpleasant and nasal. "But if you land on your arse at least there'll be plenty of padding."

"Oh sod off, Mulciber." It was Sirius. He'd appeared out of nowhere and, shoving the Slytherin boy hard on his broomstick, turned to face him angrily.

"Ooh, Sirius Black!" Mulciber said, pretending to be frightened. "Oh I'm ever so disappointed you weren't sorted into Slytherin with us. You know how Nott and I have always loved your company. Tell me, what did you mother say when she heard the news, or has she already died of disappointment? I expect this really was the straw that broke the camel's back for her."

"I'll break your back you foul oaf." Sirius snapped. "You and Nott are welcome to one other. I see you've got Snivellus in your house too. You enjoy sharing a dorm with that greasy git. I bet he snores like an erumpent horn with a snout like that."

"You've always been so amusing, Black." The boy called Mulciber said unpleasantly, then he turned back to Peter. "Good thing you've got Black here to look out for you, Pettigrew. He's always had something of a hero complex. Well, enjoy flying, or whatever it is you call that." He gestured vaguely at Peter's broom and then zoomed off to the other Slytherins.

"Don't listen to him." Sirius said, watching Mulciber retreat through narrowed eyes. "He's a coward really. Our parents are friends." He added in response to Peter's questioning look. "But we never got on. Can't understand why."

Peter continued flying, grateful for Sirius' protection. People just didn't seem to pick on him like they did Peter. He had this indefinable air of unconquerability about him. It would be very helpful indeed having a friend like him around.

After classes James and Sirius left them to serve their detention from the night before and collect their confiscated wands while Peter and Remus set up a game of gobstones together. Remus was a very good player and Peter was sure he'd let him win once or twice but he pretended he hadn't. He was actually a very good teacher, telling Peter things like 'good move', or 'nearly there', which were kind and encouraging. Sirius or James would have probably thrown the board over in frustration with him by now.

Peter wondered what it was Remus saw to like in their two dark haired companions. Remus was gentle and quiet, and, more unlike the others, had a pleasant word to say for everyone. He did seem to genuinely care for their new friends though. He'd been very worried when they'd got in trouble again so quickly, hoping they wouldn't be subject to any of the awful things his dad apparently had to do during detention at Hogwarts.

"There you are!" Remus cried in relief as James and Sirius entered through the portrait hole an hour later. "What happened?" He asked anxiously, getting to his feet and examining his friends as though looking for signs of injury.

"The worst." James said, clapping Remus on the back before sinking into a low armchair, a shaky hand splayed dramatically across his face.

Remus turned to Sirius who, looking rather pale, nodded in agreement. "It was inhumane."

"What did she - ?"

"She gave us lines." James said. "Two hundred times. Something about obeying curfew, I forget. But that's not the worst part."

"What's the worst part?"

"The worst part," Sirius began, taking a deep inhale as though steeling himself to admit something awful, "the worst part is that we've got to apologise to Snivellus." And he too sunk into an armchair, looking ashen.

Remus looked like he might laugh with relief. "Oh!" He cried. "Is that it?" But Peter thought he could quite understand how James and Sirius were feeling. Admitting to being wrong was not something Peter liked doing either.

Though muttering and dragging their heels furiously, they did eventually do as they were told and apologised to Snape. The two of them walked over to the Slytherin table like two people sentenced to execution and as they went he noticed that McGonagall had her keen eyes trained on them as well.

The conversation didn't last long but it seemed to have satisfied the Slytherin boy, who Peter noticed was smirking long after his friends had returned back to the Gryffindor table.

"Little creep." Sirius said, sitting himself back down and shuddering slightly. "I can't believe we had to shake the git's hand. I'll never feel clean again." He wiped his hand dramatically on his napkin.

"Greasy git's going to lord that over us all term." James moaned.

"He wont. We'll get him back."

"How are we going to do that?"

"We'll have to think very carefully."

"It's got to be good."

"It will be good."

Peter wasn't exactly sure what they were hoping to 'get back' at Snape for, but he didn't try and stop them. The Slytherin boy clearly didn't like Peter and he shared a dormitory with that Mulciber boy. If Snape was out of action then it would probably make life a bit easier for Peter.

He let them get on with their plotting, not even bothering when one of them picked up a potato and lobbed it at the other. It bounced off James' glasses and fell to the table. Peter picked it up and put it on his plate.

But James it seemed, was not one to move on so quickly. He began flicking Sirius with peas, launching them off his thumb and forefinger like little projectiles. One fell in Remus' glass of pumpkin juice and he fished it out.

"Oh stop it will you?" Sirius said crossly, taking the bowl of custard and flicking a spoonful at him.

"Mmm." James said, licking his lips. Sirius snorted. He threw the sponge cake at him too. "Delicious." James added.

Sirius took the bowl of creamed spinach and dumped it entirely over James' head.

Peter watched as the green vegetable oozed steadily down his face, waiting for the rection. James opened one eye. "You're a deadman." He said, and, removing the bowl from his head, picked up just about anything he could reach from the table and threw it at his friend who laughed and ducked, trying unsuccessfully to avoid the onslaught.

The food fight slowly gathered momentum and soon almost all of Gryffindor house had joined in. The Hufflepuff table, catching on, initiated their own attempt but the Ravenclaw and Slytherin students maintained a dignified, clean abstinence, looking at their classmates as though they could not imagine anything quite so silly.

Peter's attempts to continue with his dinner were thwarted when James grabbed the bowl of spaghetti and dumped it over his head. Well, that was dinner ruined then.

There was an inevitable fight for the first shower that night up in the dormitory. Sirius, whose hair was matted with shepherd's pie and custard (what a combination) claimed it should be he who went first as he was the one who'd been attacked first by a potato thrown by James. ("I'm the ultimate victim here.")

Remus put in a fair argument for being tired and wanting an early night and James didn't seem to really care, he just didn't want Sirius to get his way.

In an uncharacteristic show of understanding, James and Sirius both allowed Remus to go ahead of them. Peter didn't see the logic in this as Remus always took forever in the shower (he insisted on changing in there too for reasons best known to himself), but he waited patiently.

Sirius went next, quick as a flash, soap foam still in his hair as he emerged back in the dorm. "You next, Pete." He said, taking off his towel and whipping it at Peter who dodged to avoid it.

Peter could just make out the sound of the others laughing from the dormitory over the roar of the shower. Were they laughing about him? He strained his ears to hear their words but he couldn't make them out.

Peter was pleased the others considered him a marauder but he knew he mustn't get complacent. He'd had a friend once in primary school called Barnaby Fletcher. He and Barny had done everything from sharing crayons to playing hopscotch together but then one day Barny had gone to off to play with some other boys at breaktime. Peter had been furious and ignored Barny all through afternoon maths but Barny had just acted like nothing had happened. Slowly the pair had grown apart, Barny spending more and more time with Richard Davidson and his gang while Peter remained on the sidelines, watching alone.

He knew it didn't do to dwell on the past but it was so easy to think the same thing could happen again. Peter supposed he ought to be used to being abandoned by now, it seemed to happen so often. He wondered if perhaps James, Sirius and Remus would do the same to him one day.

He joined Sirius and Remus back in the dormitory as James went off to shower, picking up in the debate they seemed to have been having about the age of their strict head of house. Sirius was convinced she was one hundred and eighty ("it's the only explanation for she's always so irritable - she's world weary!") and Remus was saying he thought probably fifty but that it probably wasn't polite to say.

They all climbed into bed before realising they'd forgotten to turn out the main light in the dormitory. Peter was quite warm and comfortable in bed and didn't really feel like stepping out again so soon.

"Will you do it Pete?" Sirius asked. "You're the closest."

Peter had never really been a 'Pete' before. He'd always been Peter at primary school and with his family. But then wasn't this his chance to start again? To be a better person?

Peter got out of bed and moved to turn out the light.

"Thanks." Sirius said.

"Sure." Peter said. "What are friends for."