Under the Nose of a Foe

Plans for the Potters

"So you're the infamous Emmeline Vance that we've heard so much about," James said. It was somewhat awkward meeting someone through a glass window, especially your best friend's girlfriend. Emmeline was a member of the Order, but James and Lily had never met her. She was one of the five members who acted as a spy and performed investigative work.

"Yes, that would be me. I would shake your hand, but that seems to be out of the question, doesn't it?" she replied. James began to study her intently; apparently he was appraising Sirius' choice in women. She wasn't too gorgeous, but she had an interesting aura around her, one that could be felt even through an imaginary window. Her skin was the color of wheat and had very little imperfections, if any at all. James' gaze shifted upwards, toward her eyes. He was taken back by the color of her eyes; they were the color of morning glories. There was only one family in existence that had that eye color, the L'ancre family. It was well known that the L'ancre family was a family of French aristocrats, but the only thing more widely known than that was that they were powerful, dark wizards. Surely Sirius would've known this, wouldn't he? After all, his family must've been acquainted with hers, as they weren't a very "happy" family. Apparently Lily had noticed this too; she started to nudge at James' back.

"Well, it's nice to have finally met you, Emmeline," Lily interrupted. She never failed to put on her debonair act, even in the face of evil. Lily wasn't one to criticize other people, but she was sure Emmeline had ulterior motives with Sirius. Lily finally concluded that she would have to converse with Emmeline if she were to decipher anything suspicious.

"Likewise," Emmeline responded in a vague manner. "I'm going to go find that book, Sirius," she said and drifted off towards the east end of the library. Her wiry figure faded off and she could no longer be seen.

"Sirius M. Black!" Lily exclaimed. Her brow was wrinkled, a sign that Lily was very peeved. "Do you have any idea who that woman is?"

"Yes, Lily, I do. Considering she is my girlfriend, I know more about her than most strangers do." Sirius' tone was not his usual upbeat tone; it was hostile. Lily was taken back by the thought of Sirius being angry with her. She had only seen him in a foul mood twice, none of them ever being direct at her.

"She is a L'ancre, Sirius! They're very dangerous wizards. I would've thought you to recognize something like this."

"Lily, dear," Sirius began. He emphasized the word "dear". Lily took this negatively. "I'm a Black. You know my family. They aren't what anyone would call normal or relatively friendly, but I am nothing like them. I do not consort with the Dark Arts." He looked to his left and then continued his speech, "Here is another example, one you might be able to comprehend. You're a Muggle born. Your parents are Muggles, and for that you've been repeatedly prejudiced against. But you've proven yourself worthy, you broke the mold. You're one of the cleverest witches that I've ever met. I would've never expected this from one of my best friends, especially you." He looked at her with a stony expression.

James looked away. Yes, Sirius was being a bit rude to Lily, but he had a point. He sure was glad that he had not taken the initiative to question Sirius about Emmeline's background. There was a rumor circulating, however, that a member of the Order was passing information along to Lord Voldemort. Sirius certainly was protective of her.

"And what about you, James?" Sirius asked, "I saw the way you eyed her suspiciously. I know you like the back of my hand. Are you suddenly too good for her because you're a Potter?"

"Go to hell, Padfoot. You know as well as I do that I support you in everything you do. Your family is noble, they may not be at the height of goodness, but they're just as ancient and proud as the Potters. Yes, Sirius, it did occur to me that she may have some, er, ulterior motives, but I trust that you're wise enough to make decisions for yourself. Lily is just concerned about you. I would've never thought you to talk to her in that way, or to me."

James' cool manner seemed to have an easing affect on Sirius. His shoulders were no longer tense and he looked at Lily in an apologetic way. Lily smiled at him. It was a gesture she had hoped would ease his wrath and return him to his normalcy. She didn't know how she would've handled the situation if James hadn't spoken up. It was really true; women often come between men and their friends.

"Well, I found it, Siri," Emmeline had returned and was looking very cheerful. She looked over at Lily and threw her an unfeigned smile. Lily's right eyebrow rose. Emmeline called Sirius "Siri"? That was her nickname for him, not anyone else's. And why was she so friendly all of the sudden? She had been rather rude before. It most likely had something to do with the antique looking book she had in her hands. Lily tilted her head to the side and read the spine "In the Depths of the Insane- A Look at Azkaban" What in the world did they need that book for?

"That's great!" Sirius looked absolutely ecstatic. "There is an opti-quill in my desk drawer. Go start reading it, if you like." Obviously this book was important or they wouldn't have to use an opti-quill, a special quill that copies selected fragments of a book onto a piece of parchment. Sirius seemed to think that copying a book word-for-word was a menial waste of time, so Peter had given him this quill at Hogwart's. It was also helpful for old books that are difficult to read because of the ancient language. The quill would translate them into modern terms. It had proved very useful in Professor Binns' class when they were reading "The Sacred Ideals and Traditions of Merlin".

"What's the book for, Siri?" Lily asked. Her emphasis on "Siri" verified that she hadn't liked Emmeline calling Sirius by "her" nickname.

"Oh, it's a book about Azkaban," he replied indifferently. Obviously there was something he was trying to hide from them.

"And what is the importance of that book," she urged.

"Lily Marie, if you ask me another nosey question I'm going to have to call you Snivellus," he laughed. Lily's lips curled in disgust. She didn't have a lot of patience with Severus Snape, especially after he had found himself face-to-face with a werewolf. She had always been civil towards him, but when he risked the lives of three people to discover the Marauders' secret, that was crossing the line. And then he didn't even have the decency to show good will towards James! Sirius noticed the impatient and somewhat annoyed looks that James and Lily were directing towards him. He drew a breath and reluctantly gave in to their subtle pleas. "Okay, if you insist, I'll tell you. Do not let Emmeline know that I've told you this. Do you understand?" His tone was solemn and they were suddenly aware that this was not a matter to be openly discussed.

Lily and James nodded in agreement. James hit his chest. "Marauder's Swear."

"Good," Sirius replied. "Okay, Emmeline's mother, Winifred de l'Ancre is in Azkaban." Sirius laughed heartily at the look of shock on Lily and James' face. "The real shocker is that Emmeline was the one to put her there.

"Winifred de l'Ancre is in prison?" James was flabbergasted. A lot had happened since he'd been under the Fidelius Charm. What kind of a person put their own mother in prison?

"Yes, and before you jump to conclusions about her, hear me out." He let out a deep sigh and quickly glanced towards his left to be sure Emmeline was nowhere near.

She wasn't, so he turned back around and cracked his knuckles before beginning. "The l'Ancres are almost parallel to us Blacks. They support the Dark Arts and cherish every last drop of wizarding blood they have in their bodies. One could even surmise that they dislike anything to do with Muggles. That, however, would be the understatement of the century. No, they didn't dislike Muggles, they loathed them. Families such as the l'Ancres were not content with just letting Muggles carry on with their lives, so they tortured any Muggles that crossed their path. I was reading at the library the other day, and it said that the l'Ancres were often reprimanded by the government. Can you imagine just hexing a random muggle? It's awful. I don't even think Bellatrix would do something that low." James had to stifle a snort. Bellatrix Lestrange, Sirius' cousin, would kill anyone, not just hex them. It wouldn't surprise him one bit if she went on a killing spree with members of her own family. It was obvious what James was thinking, so Sirius flashed him a grin and laughed at what he had just said. Maybe he was wrong.

"Well, anyway, Winifred and her family often argued. She did not want to be associated with "their kind". So, she packed up her bags and left. Didn't leave a note or anything. She had never been in the Muggle world for more than a few hours and she knew that her family would pursuit her if she wandered around in the wizard world, so she roamed the streets of Paris for a while. Her charm soon caught the eye of an English Muggle. He was studying in Paris at the time; at least that's what I think... He fell in love with her after a few weeks and it seemed, to him, that she was madly in love with him as well. Poor bloke. She liked the guy to a certain degree, but it wasn't anything she considered to be "love". He popped the question when they were inside of an antique shop. She accepted, but with reluctance. What else was she going to do with her life? They married and soon they had two children, Emmeline and Cecelia." Sirius paused for a second, hoping that he could remember the rest of the story. Emmeline had just told him this a few weeks ago.

"Oh, okay. I think I got it now. Emmeline and Cecelia were raised in France, not knowing that magic even existed. Actually, I don't even think poor Alfred knew that Winifred was magical. When Emmy was eight, Alfred was overcome with depression. He missed England and moped around the house during the day. It was decided that the family was to move to London, where Alfred could get a job with some Muggle school. I think. They lived in a nice little tudor near the country. Can you imagine the nasty little shock Alfred and Emmeline had when she got her Hogwarts letter? Emmeline says he was somewhat baffled, but it grew into this strange obsession. He wanted to learn anything and everything there was about magic. Three years passed and it was Cecelia's turn to get her Hogwarts letter, but she never did. She was a squib, much to her mother's dismay. She came from a long line of royalty and power, and her daughter was a squib. I feel sorry for the girl. Emmeline says that their relationship soon deteriorated.

"Well, Voldemort's power was on the rise and he was rounding up some gatherers. He knew the de l'Ancres supported his theories, so he went after Winifred. To his surprise, she refused him." James was staring intently at Sirius, who looked as though he was reliving a tragic nightmare. His eyes were wide and dry looking.

"Now, Winifred was not an idiot. She knew that to refuse Lord Voldemort meant inevitable death. So she hid in her house, thinking herself safe.

"When Voldemort found her in this condition, alone and vulnerable, he easily managed to manipulate her to his whim. She accepted his invitation and became one of his most loyal Death Eaters." Sirius shook his head sadly. "One day, she went home under Voldemort's influence." A loud noise sounded from the other side of the room. Sirius jumped out of his chair and looked around for the origin of the noise. "Emmy, are you okay?"

"Just fine, Siri. I, uh, accidentally lost my concentration on a spell and a book dropped." Her voice was drowned and deprived of any emotion.

"Okay, Sirus, you were saying?" Lily intervened. This story was getting interesting.

" Well, she saw Alfred, Emmeline, and Cecelia sitting on the sofa, watching a Muggle movie. He... well, she was his wife. He went to greet her in the doorway. And she cursed him--Avada Kedavra. Right then. Right in front of her children.

"Cecelia flew at her in rage, and Winifred performed the Killing Curse on her as well, she just killed her daughter without blinking. Just kicked the body and muttered "Worthless squib." Then, she disapparated and left Emmeline behind with her father and sister's body." Emmeline has since devoted every waking hour of life to fighting Voldemort and the Dark Arts. That is why she's in the Order. Just a few weeks ago, she found her mother. Not wanting to lower herself to killing her own blood, she sent her to Azkaban. Emmy knows that her mother is a very powerful person and will use any means she has of escaping, so she has been reading everything that she can about it. I've tried to convince her that no one, not even Voldemort, can escape Azkaban, but she refuses to believe it. She's a stubborn little fox."

"Oh, Sirius I - " Lily was about to apologize for judging Emmeline. It's just that she seemed so detached. There was obviously a lot more to her than what appeared.

"Well, Sirius, that's two less people I have to tell about my "personal" life. Thank you." Apparently Emmeline had overhead the majority of the conversation, which explains why the book dropped when it did. She didn't seem angry, but she did have an amused look on her face.

"No, sweetie, that's three," he replied smartly, hoping to detract her from what he had just done. Emmeline looked at him curiously. What did he mean three people? "James, show Harry to Emmeline," he commanded.

James laughed and picked Harry up off of the ground, then held him up to the window for Emmeline to see. She laughed and waved to Harry, who surprisingly waved back. She had a natural talent with children, as Harry had to like someone a great deal to even consider waving at them.

"So, what are you planning on doing tonight," Lily asked them.

"I think we're going to the Longbottoms' Halloween party. It's actually a costume party. Emmy and I are going as Arthur and Guinevere" Sirius answered. He looked over towards Emmeline and made a kingly gesture. She rolled her eyes.

"Sounds like a lot of fun," James said solemnly. Everyone was going to be at a party and he would be stuck inside the confines of his house. "What about Remus?"

"Oh no! Bloody hell!" Sirius slammed his fists on the table, which seemed to startle Emmeline. Lily had noticed that she had been somewhat jumpy. "I forgot all about that. It's a harvest moon tonight too. I guess I will have to go talk with him."

"Did you two have something planned tonight?" Emmeline asked. James' eyes widened. Sirius and Emmeline had been dating for three months. They were extremely close too. It was quite shocking that she didn't know about Remus' lycanthropy. "If you did, I can just call Alice and tell her that we won't be able to come. I look silly with that gown anyway."

"No, it will be fine. I'm sure Peter will be with him. He won't miss me at all. I'll just Floo over to his place and tell him later.

"Well, I think it's best that we get going. I know Emmy has to start cooking the entrée for the party and I have some work to do for the Order."

"Alright, Padfoot. Have your mirror out later on tonight. There are some things I want to, er, talk to you about. It ill probably be around midnight," James said. He didn't want to leave, but he didn't want to seem possessive or anything.

"Will do, Prongs," Sirius replied, "Goodbye."

"Bye."

"Fair thee well, Lillian," Sirius joked, "I will be waiting for you, fair one." He winked at Lily and threw her a suggestive smile.

"Then await you shall, forever, you mutt," she answered. She turned around and her hair whirled around with her. As if she had remembered something she had forgotten to say, she flung her head back and winked. "Good-bye, Siri."

"Bye, Lily."

With that, James pulled the key out of the golden box. The window flickered and they both caught their final glimpse of Sirius' face.

"What do you think of Emmeline," James asked.

"Well, you have to feel sorry for the poor girl, but she seemed, I don't know, she seemed a little awkward, but maybe she was just nervous about meeting new people. Did you see how insanely jealous she became when Sirius and I were saying our good-byes? I thought she was going to launch at me."

"Yeah, I definitely noticed that. I was ready to jump in front of you." He puffed out his chest and did his best "macho" impression. "She seems like an introvert to me, but Sirius is obviously head-over-heels with her. You can't judge a wand by it's wood."

"You can say that again," Lily sighed.

"You can't judge a wand by it's wood," he repeated.

"I should've seen that one coming."

"Oh, I almost forgot," James added. "I transfigured some of these for you." He pulled a small brown bag out of his pocket. "They're called Caramello's Candy Corns. They supposedly make your insides tickle. They only come out around Halloween. I think Muggles have a version of them, only they don't "tickle your tummy". He dumped the contents of the bag into Lily's outstretched hands. She popped a few into her mouth and waited for the tickling to begin.

"James, I don't feel - " she began, but she was interrupted by a strange, tickling sensation in her stomach. She burst into a fit of laughter. "Make it stop, James! Ahhh!" She reached over and grabbed his shoulder for support, fearing she would fall off of the sofa.

"Hey, let me have one of those. You shouldn't get all of the fun around here." He popped one of the candy corns into his mouth and soon they were both rolling around on the floor like mad. Somehow Lily had ended up straddling James' chest. There was an unfamiliar tension between the two of them. Lily was staring at him; her heart was aching with desire. She wanted to make love to this man. He was the man who had given her everything in this world; her happiness, her son, this wonderful home. Every aspect of her life revolved around him. She needed to know that the feeling was mutual.

James' heart stopped when she looked at him. Lily was always so open with her emotions. He knew exactly what she wanted. She didn't even have to ask him, he would willingly do it.

"So," he pondered aloud, "should I whisk this beautiful damsel to the bedroom like a chivalrous knight or should I use the handcuffs? Well, you're not really into handcu- or are you?" He raised his eye brows in a suggestive manner and soon found one of the couch pillows smothering his face. Leave it to James to turn a romantic evening into a joke.

"The damsel in distress scenario sounds very intriguing..." Lily said in a seductive tone, very unusual of her subtle personality. Before she could finish her sentence, James had swept her off of her feet and was carrying her to the bedroom.

"You know," he said, slightly laughing to himself, "this seems very cliché. He sweeps her off of her feet and carries her to the bedroom. Could I be any more predictable?"

"James, all of life is cliché. You just have to follow where the road takes you, and that in itself may be cliché." All he could do was stare at her. Where on earth did she come up with these expressions? She certainly had a gift with words that he did not possess. She spoke for the two of them. He gently reached his hand out towards her face and caressed her cheek. The full moon was emerging and they made love to one another, on the edge of eternity.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Peter had now returned to his flat, having spent the entire day pondering the future. Would James' life be in vain if could not live up to the expectations of his master? Peter knew that he'd never been much of a wizard. Of course he excelled in trivial subjects, such as Herbology and Care of Magical Creatures, but that certainly did not meet the criteria of a wizard, especially one involved in the Dark Arts. His fellow Marauders had always shown their support and encouragement. They trusted him and they laughed with him, but there was something deeper in their relationships with one another. It was something that he, Peter, never had.

Within the vastness of his lingering thoughts, a twinge of doubt resided. It was very rare when this doubt appeared, but it had been appearing more and more often, especially when he was around the Dark Lord. He doubted that he, Peter, was worthy of their friendship. They were blessed with fullness and a carefree attitude, an attitude Peter could only possess in miniscule fractions. It was evident that they would be the ones to shape the future the moment they stepped off the Hogwarts Express. They were the champions. They were adored. Life was simply a game to them; a race to the very end, for you can never threaten the brave with death. With a flick of the wand, James could transform a raindrop into a rainbow. He hadn't always been that talented. Back in the beginning of first year, just after James had discovered Remus' secret, James was struggling with a few transfiguration spells. Of course they were very advanced for his age, but he didn't give up. He was determined. Peter secretly enjoyed seeing James Potter have a difficult time. He would ruffle his hair and crack his knuckles, a sign that James was either very angry or extremely frustrated. James Potter was not perfect and Peter was satisfied with this knowledge. With a simple smile, Sirius could coerce the world to follow him. He was quick and impulsive, always knowing what he wanted and how he was going to get it. And then there was Remus, the philosopher. He was sophisticated and radiant. He was a paradox of himself. One side of him was dark and monstrous; the other was ardent and light. He carried himself with dignity and had never failed to find the good buried within people. What was he, Peter? He was the final corner. There were four corners in the trio. He, Peter, was the one who made them even, he made them the square.

They all had flaws. James' flaw would be the end of him, for he had the loyalty of a Hufflepuff and had never doubted that a single soul could rise to be better.

Sirius appeared flawless, but Peter knew that he was beyond flawless. Sirius wasn't one to open up to people very easily; sure he was popular and well-liked, but he was reserved; thus he had always experienced relationship problems and this contradicted James' trust issue. He was arrogant, just as James was. He never did anything that other people did and the role of the leader was often bestowed upon him, bringing to him an ego that would surely destroy him if ever faced with someone of higher power.

Remus was one often taken for granted. He was the one people would flock to if they needed to vent their troubles. Remus always put others before himself and was frequently ignored when he tried to express his own. He was the one to be taken advantage of and people knew it.

Peter. He was the weed among the garden. He was a Bludger among the Golden Snitches. To them, Peter was there for their entertainment and the menial errands, but Peter was there for the power; he had been put in Gryffindor to prove himself and he was intent on doing just that. It was this desperate need that was Peter's flaw. It was Nott and Rosier who had noticed it first. They watched him grow closer to the trio and were delighted when he faltered among them. This was used against him. He was now promised that power by Lord Voldemort. With few words, they had taken him as their captive, luring him with his own shadowy thoughts. Secretly he rejoiced in being their hook, knowing that once he allowed himself to submit to them, they would shape him into the person he was destined to be. He tightened internally at Malfoy's presence, a taut bowstring ready to release its arrow. A scream trickled in his throat, but he remained hushed. He'd heard in whispers of the rise of a potent Dark wizard seeking a circle of partisans. Would he be able to live between the two? James would be mortified. Sirius might avenge him. Remus would do his best to dissuade him. At that moment, pressed down by the still air of the October night, he was prepared to give everything he had to belong, even if it deprived him of everything he ever knew. A sedative feeling swept over him. His reward would be granted. There was a feeling of belonging tainted with the sense that he could never turn back. It was pride and trepidation, confidence and sacrifice, all coming together in one flawless cadence.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Remus quickly rose from his chair and walked briskly towards the door. It must've been a neighbor knocking, a wizard would have apparated. The last thing he needed was another nosey intrusion from Mrs. Whittaker, the widow who lived beside him. Her petty chatter was overbearing and he was trying to set his own affairs in orders. His affairs were much more important than two black labs and fifteen "adorable" grandchildren. The Marauders were all concerned in different affairs right now, so it's not like he could consult with them. James was no longer able to leave the house, Sirius had a new girlfriend, and then there was Peter. Peter had always been loyal to Remus. He wrote often and visited him regularly, but there was something different about him lately, almost as though he was being forced to show himself. It was quite perturbing. Peter had always turned to Remus for solace and that need was fulfilled. Remus felt cheated and useless, it was his niche to offer advice to the world. The Marauders' condition wasn't the only thing that had been disturbing him lately. He desperately tried to keep his hands on a steady job, but his employers were shrewd and eventually discovered what was wrong with him, why he disappeared around the same time every month. With every job he lost, he felt his separation from society grow deeper. Without work he felt dormant and unchallenged, almost useless. It was as though an invisible knife was twisting inside of his gut. He opened the door and surprisingly found Peter standing there patiently, drenched in rain.

"Wormtail!" Remus was ecstatic. He had since dashed the idea of having company over when no one had showed up for the dinner he'd prepared. He reached for his wand and tapped it lightly against Peter's. "I was beginning to think that no one was going to be here tonight."

"Well, Remus, I can't stay for too long. I have, er, other affairs that I need to attend to." He could see the disappointment in Remus' face; his smile had just unraveled like a ball of twine. "I just thought that we could spend some time together, before you go into "werewolf mode."

"Oh, well, of course! Come on in. Why would you knock in the first place? You practically live here."

"I was taking a walk and I ended up at your front door." Peter stepped into the kitchen. One would've never guessed that it belonged to Remus Lupin. It was very untidy and various newspapers were scattered about. It was a rather dejecting atmosphere, considering Remus was very nature oriented. Remus poured Peter a cup of tea and they both sat near the window. Peter stole a glance at the Daily Prophet. The headline read: "Death & Disappearances: Dark Lord on Top"

"There are some weird things going on nowadays. Most of it is because of the "Dark Lord", Remus began. "Honestly, don't people realize that he feeds off of fear? They say over twenty-seven witches and wizards have disappeared without a single bit of evidence Of course it's no one that I know, but all of these disappearances are surely linked; especially when they've been occurring so close together. Sirius told me things are worse than civilians can even imagine. The Prophet isn't authorized to tell some of the things that the Ministry knows. Strange deaths, some people even tortured, and homes are being destroyed. It scares me. Sometimes I doubt whether I will see you or James or Sirius ever again."

Peter practically spilt the entire contents of his teacup down his robes. Remus had just confirmed that he knew Peter was linked with Lord Voldemort. He had obviously planned this. Peter would have to make a run for it now; Sirius would be after him any moment. Of all of the Marauders, Sirius and Peter had the least stable relationship. Sirius seemed to intimidate Peter with his rash anger and impulsive attitude, but he always made up for it with his jokes and friendly smiles. Anything that threatened James, Lily, and Harry certainly be deprived of life.

"I'm sure we'll all make it through." He refused to incriminate himself, "The Dark Lord has no need to kill any of us."

"No, I'm not so easily assured. Lily and James may be under the Fidelius Charm for Merlin knows how long, they have defied him thrice now; he will surely seek vengeance. Sirius is of course James' best friend, a member of the Order, and an influential Ministry official. Then there's you and I, members of the Order. We are all against him. I hear he has the patience of a raging hippogriff."

Peter laughed at the idea. It was so true.

"Are you okay, Wormtail? You seem a tad distracted."

"I'm fine, Moony. Nothing to be concerned about at all," Peter quickly assured. He flashed Remus a contrived smile, to which Remus eyed suspiciously. He looked Peter in the eyes, hoping they would reveal his innermost secrets.

"I know you're lying to me. I can see it in you. I've known you for over a decade, your pupils dilate when your nervous or when you're lying." Remus was the essence of a bottle of Veritaserum and both of them knew it. "Is it something that I should inform Sirius of?" He was hoping that Peter would admit what it was, knowing that Sirius would obviously act if something was wrong with one of the Marauders.

"It's not important at all. Remus, please, promise me that you won't tell Sirius I was here. You know how crazy he gets when he thinks something is wrong with one of us. I don't want him interrogating me over something so trivial, and I assure you, it's trivial."

Remus, usually the pacifist, had to stop himself from stretching his arm across the table and punching Peter in the nose for causing him such angst. As he looked at Peter, however, it seemed to him that someone had already done so. He hadn't noticed the blemish, but it was definitely visible, somewhat dulled. There was something mysterious lurking around, but there were no clues pointing the way to the answer. There had to be a connection between Peter's demeanor and the reportings in the Daily Prophet, but he couldn't see the association.

"Peter, is someone torturing you? Are they hurting you? Are you being black mailed? Just tell me, Pete," he pleaded, "You know that we'd do anything for you. Heck, we would die for you if it was deemed necessary. Peter, I'm begging you; you can come and stay with us if someone's after you. We'll hide you. You'll be protected. Sirius and I, we'll watch out for you, you're our little buddy."

"Is that all I am? Your little buddy?" Peter answered, voice quivering with anger.

"I don't understand why you're hiding something from me. You always tell me what is bothering you. Have I ever been rash with you, Peter?"

"I'm not hiding anything! Why are you so caught up in this, Remus?! I'm going to be the next one to disappear! That's what you want to hear, isn't it?" He could feel Remus solidify in shock at his remark. In that moment, he despised his pathetic self for lying to Remus, who had always been the sympathetic listener. At the same time, he smiled at a well-placed move in his game of evil versus good. The only thing that had held him back all this time was the great friendship he knew Remus, Sirius, and James had for him. He shared that feeling, but it couldn't eliminate the void in his mind that begged to be filled with the wisdom that comes only from power.

"Why would you think I wish you dead? How could you say something that hurtful? Peter, you're like a brother to me. You have done so much for me, I feel like I could never repay you. I want to keep you safe, it's the least I can do. You're Wormtail."

Peter drew in a breath of relief. Remus didn't know anything, but he was deeply touched by his concern for him. He wanted to tell Remus, but knew that it would be the end. Peter knew that Remus admired James and Lily beyond life. A searing pain soared up and down Peter's arm. He immediately recognized this as his calling.

"Well, Remus. I must be going now. Duty calls." Peter had said these words so fast that they slurred together and it was near impossible to understand them. "Good-bye."

"Goodbye then, Peter," Remus replied. Peter had already left, leaving Remus sitting bewildered and alone at his kitchen table.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

An eye-opening snap reverberated through Remus' living room. Remus exhaled a sigh of relief when he saw Sirius' pleasant face pop around the corner of his kitchen doorway. He'd been sitting there for a few minutes, contemplating Wormtail's reactions.

"How's life, Moony," Sirius asked. He slapped Remus playfully on the back, causing him to spit out the coffee he had just sipped. Sirius snorted at Remus' annoyed look. "What? Are you not happy to see me? By the way, that little impression you did, you know the one with spitting out the coffee, reminds me of a fountain I used to have by my coffee machine."

"Well, that is certainly, er, interesting, Sirius." He hated to ruin Sirius' mood, but it was imperative that he tell him about Peter's strange behavior. "Padfoot, I think there is something wrong with Wormtail. He has been acting very different. He seemed a little

delusional." Remus then proceeded to tell Sirius all about his conversation with Peter.

"I have no idea what could be wrong with the little guy. I'll go and check on him when I leave, I've been meaning to talk to him about a few things anyway." Maybe the stress of the Fidelius Charm was too much for him. That was the most logical reason. Or maybe Voldemort had caught up with Wormtail and was torturing him for the information. That would certainly explain the blemish that Remus had described. Of course Remus had no idea that Sirius was not Lily and James' secret-keeper. He wasn't allowed to inform Remus of this because it was suspected that someone among their group was passing information along to Voldemort.

"So, you're not going to stay here tonight?" Remus asked. He was extremely frustrated. This was the worst night of the year and he had to bear it all on his own. He couldn't be angry with his friends; they did have a life and it obviously did not revolve around him.

"No, I can't. I'm really sorry, Remus. I completely forgot. James reminded me this morning and I had already made plans with Emmeline. I had to break our plans a week ago for a meeting and I knew she would be upset if I did it again. You know how she is, Miss Socialite. Has to make an appearance at every party, even if she doesn't like the people," Sirius explained. He truly regretted doing this to Remus, who would be with Sirius in a heartbeat, no exceptions. It wasn't that the feeling wasn't mutual, it was just that he had certain obligations. He had been with Moony during every full moon for the past seven years, except for the two months that he and Remus had had a falling out, back in their sixth year.

"That's perfectly okay, Sirius. I understand. It's important you keep this relationship with Emmeline. I don't want to interfere with anything you two have. I'd rather you go, you deserve it." Maybe next month they could all be together again; Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs all reunited under one roof. It was this prospect that kept Remus' spirits alive."

"Well, I think I'm going to go see how Peter is doing. I'll drop by tomorrow and see how you're doing. I might bring Emmeline as well. She has been asking about you."

"Okay," Remus answered. He was extremely tired of this. He'd been so lonely lately and felt somewhat ignored. Everyone was so preoccupied with themselves and the lives of those around them. Where was he in life? He didn't have a job, he didn't have a girlfriend, he was living on his savings account, and his friends only dropped by for minutes at a time. He refused to let any of his emotions show, fearing he might appear to seem weak in front of Sirius.

Sirius gave him a quick pat on the back and disapparated to Lockard's Crescent. He searched around the house, which was extremely tidy for a single guy, calling Peter's name throughout different rooms. He tiptoed to the bedroom and opened the doors of Pete's closet to see if his rabbit foot was hidden behind the shelf. Peter never went anywhere without that rabbit foot. It was gone, but Sirius was more distracted by a strange buzzing noise behind him. He turned around and immediately recognized James' Snitch flying frantically around the room. Where in the hell had that come from? He reached out and closed his rough fingers around it. Sirius had excellent reflexes, which he had acquired from all of the practices that James had enforced upon him. A triumphant smile spread across his face; apparently the past three months without Quidditch hadn't taken there toll yet. He walked out of the bedroom, the Snitch still flapping in his fist, and into the living room where shards of glass gleamed in the light of the moon. Sirius walked over to where the remnants of Peter's foe glass lay.

"Reparo." The broken pieces of glass soon reformed and formed a very distinct picture. It suddenly occurred to him why Peter had been acting so oddly. "Oh, Peter. What have you done?" Sirius roared in rage. He kicked the wall and immediately disapparated.