Monday, August 8th, 1994
He’s so happy he hasn’t been able to stop smiling for 3 straight days! He can’t believe it, he actually won the United Kingdom’s National Chess Tournament! He knew his friends and competitors always complimented him on how well he played, but before this he always thought of it as a hobby. A passtime of sorts. Definitely not something people would potentially recognize him for. His friends were so excited for him that yesterday they threw a party at work for him, closing the shop for a day. It made him feel seen, acknowledged, and filled with something he didn’t know needed to be filled. Joy radiated off of him as they put a picture of Warren and his trophy in the breakroom. His joy briefly halted as he shouted “Verdammt Schieße!” burning his hand as he took the loaves of olive sourdough out of the oven.
“Ren, come to the front two of your friends are here!!” Sally then shouted from the front of the house as Warren grabbed a towel wrapping his hand.
~~~
“Remember we can’t kill him right away, there are too many muggles. I’m angry as well but please try to wait until he invites us back to his place or for drinks at some other more private location.” Remus remind him as they apparated down an alley a block or two away from the bakery, to which Sirius could only roll his eyes, he has been waiting for this for over a decade he wasn’t going to fuck it up. The plastered smiles on their faces before entering the good smelling bakery. Before entering they decided to prevent any mistakes, they would have Remus to the majority of the talking. “Hello!” Remus said to a woman who looked painfully similar to Lily, making Sirius flinch at the thought. He then heard a very familiar voice speaking a foreign language. Back at school they had all realized they could speak different languages. Sirius French, Remus Welsh and Irish, James Spanish and Hindi, and Peter German and Gaelic. So what did they decide to do every day afterwards? Of course learn swears in each other's languages. Sirius thought a moment trying to wrap his mind to thinking what language it could be. Definitely German. He then turned back into Remus and ‘Sally’s’ conversation.
“Yes, my partner and I are good friends of Pete’s and wanted to celebrate the victory with him.”
“Really? I mean no offense but, he’s never mentioned you all.” Sally said, visibly confused yet the utmost polite. Sirius could tell these two were friends. At the least, she believed the lies Peter had been telling her. Peter had always been able to read and relate to others. Which is why he was such a vital part to their plans in school, he could always direct the attention of teachers or peers to often make them either ignore what they were doing or feel comforted or heard. Part of him wanted to yell at the woman demanding her to let him see the Rat, the other part tell the woman what he did and to warn her away, but instead he said,
“That makes sense, you see we were all good friends in high school, then drifted as my boyfriend here got a job in Paris. We were traveling, visiting family and so on. You know, and saw his name in the paper and thought we’d come by and see how he was doing. We thought we’d go out for drinks. We’ve actually been planning on meeting up for a while now!” Sirius said, trying to make his voice as happy and convincing as possible. Thankfully she bought it then shouting to the back:
“Ren! Some of your friends are here to see you!” They then saw him come out behind the white curtain clutching a tea towel-looking as if he had just burned himself. Deserved you arse. He is pretty much the same as he last time the group was together, only older, lacking a murderous glint, happier, and strangely more rat-like if that makes sense. He knew that he even looked different, that's what 12 years in Azkaban as a dog will do for you.
“Sal, who is it” Peter said, god he wanted to kill him on the spot. Remus must have realized this as he gave him a hand squeeze, saying wait or I see you, just a few more minutes. “Hi!” Peter then said warily. Sirius then made a small wave as Remus exchanged pleasantries asking Peter if he would like to go out for a drink. “I would love too, but I have to finish prepping, closing, and cleaning the shop.” Sirius was then about to say how he didn’t mind waiting before,
“Ren, I’ll close up for you. You go take the night off, have fun.” Sally then said in her mind happy for her friend, oblivious to actually why “Ren” wanted to stay back.
“Really Sally, you don’t have too.” Peter said, making it sound like he actually cared about her opinion.
“I insist. Now go along.”
“Thanks Sally!” Peter said as he went to the backroom to untie his apron and grab his phone and flannel jacket. “Thanks again, Sal. See you at knitting club?” At this Sirius’ blood dropped cold, his fucking cover up for going to death eater meetings casually being brought up in front of them. God he wanted to kill him right now on the spot.
“Yea! See you tomorrow!” Sally called as the three walked out of the bakery, Peter putting on his red flannel jacket over his black shirt. There was a few seconds of awkward silence as they walked down the sidewalk before Peter said:
“Umm… So my motorbike is in the shop right now, so do you all just want to take the Tube back to my place?”
Really, Peter, you took my bestfriend, boyfriend, and 12 years of my life away from me and now of all things you're copying my bike?
Remus then glanced at him before saying. “That sounds great.” and breaking into small talk about the weather, chess,books to pass the time.
God he hated how long this awful train ride was taking.
“Welcome to my flat.” Peter said as he opened the door, placing his keys in a stone bowl, on top of mail. He put his converse by the door, as Sirius started to look around the apartment. Honestly it reminded him of the friend who was dead, to him at least. The Peter he knew at Hogwarts would have loved the earthy tones with natural wood, the cozy fireplace, books and art projects littered about, with pale bright walls. No. He then thought, he can’t be having sentimental values, remember what he did to you? To James? Lily? Harry? Marlene and Dorcas? Remus? For Remus he then thought as he pulled his wand out of his jacket seeing Remus do the same. Pressing the tip of his wand on Peter's skull. “So, do you all want anything to drink?” Peter asked, not noticing that the wand that was digging into the back of his head, could him here and now, but he wanted Peter to admit it. Preferably while Remus was recording. He wanted him to acknowledge all the pain he’s caused them to experience. So he can show the whole world that Peter Pettigrew is a no good traitorous, cowardly, death eater rat. “I’ve got…”
“Enough with his charade, Peter.” Sirius then said chillingly, Peter then turned around confusion and fear in his face, but no signs of guilt or recognition. Making his blood boil. “Acknowledge what you did, you BASTARD!” Venom dripping from his tone.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about. I swear! You’ve got the wrong guy, I’m Warren not Peter!” He said in a high pitched voice flinching as the wand pointed in between his eyes looking like a deer in the headlights. As he slowly raised his hand, to say I’m innocent.
“Really? You don’t remember us, Peter? Your good old friends from Hogwarts? Maybe this will help you remember CRUCIO” A green splurt of light emerged from Sirius’ wand, and soon the only thing heard was Peter’s bloodcurdling streams as he begged him to stop and of his innocence. Remus hastily cased a muffling charm, until a few minutes later the screams stopped and Peter was clutching his head, about to collapse on his knees, clutching the kitchen cabinet for support.
“Wait,” Peter then said before Sirius could say anything or start torturing him again. His brown eyes gazed up to Remus’, before gaining a sense of familiarity as if a light bulb went off in his head.
“What? Are you going to beg for forgiveness?” Sirius said, preparing to cast another spell.
Peter then gasped for air, “You’re two of the people from the photos, aren’t you?”
Photos made him perk up. What photos? Sirius then glanced at him, and Remus used legitimmens to peer in Peter's brain to see nothing prior to the past 9 years. Everything from before was blurry, sort of like a static frequency.
As if someone- Remus assumed Peter- casted obliviate upon himself causing him to forget everything. Remus shot Sirius a look, to say I found nothing let's hear him out. “What photos?” Remus asked cautiously.
“I’ll show you what I found, just please don’t do that to me again.” Sirius nodded agreeing, in Peter’s mind, at least. Who then visibly looked better as he slowly started to stand up. While in Remus’ and Sirius’ mind, agreeing to find out as much information as possible then kill him.
Peter then quickly took several double shots of whiskey. Before leading Sirius and him to Peter’s bedroom. Peter, unable to shake the nervousness and fear from being cursed as he now had two wands pointing on his back, leading them to his closet. Remus noted that although the curse had been new and appearingly painful for this version of Peter- “Warren”. His body hadn't quite reacted as if it was the first time it had ever received the curse. Making Remus wonder in a moment of sympathy for the “destroyer”, when or more importantly who had done this to Peter? Peter then scoured his closet before pulling out two boxes that looked like they hadn’t seen the light of day in over 5 years. Remus then levitated the two cardboard boxes out of the lavender bedroom and into the tannish green living/dining room. Remus placed the boxes on the table with a flick of his wands noticing Sirius’ quick slide into a chair. As Peter hobbled over, his face still somewhat in shock and distant from the aftermath of the curse before quickly shaking it off. Then lifting a cage Remus didn’t notice was on the table, muttering to what looked to be a rat.
“It's okay Worms, they're just some old friends from boarding school.” As he placed the rat on the kitchen counter, grabbing himself another shot of whiskey and after rummaging through the cupboard. Peter retrieved a pack of stashed away cigarettes and a lighter that he then put in his pocket. Remus could swear he saw Sirius flinch, the rat and its name hit way too close to home for the both of them.
Peter then sat back down nervously before saying, “I’m sorry for whatever happened to you all with this Peter fellow, but I’m Warren. Several years ago before I got the job at the bakery I was in a car accident and came out of it with a prosthetic and amnesia. This is all I have from my life before. Now, I don’t understand most of it, but maybe you two will be able to help me fill in some blanks.” From the first box he pulled out a few sheets of loose paper, bundles of polaroids, and something Remus recognized. A photo album James had given Peter for his birthday during 6th year. His eyes visabley widened, as “Warren” flipped the pages to one of a Quidditch after game party. Seeing Sirius and him hugging as they played most likely a drinking game with Marlene, Mary, Dorcas, James, Lily and Peter. Warren must have noticed him gazing at the photo for too long. “Would you mind telling me who these people are? I know these two are you both.” He pointed to the couple on the velvet couch, “and I’m pretty sure that's me.” he then in fact pointed to himself. The little Peter slightly off to the side of the majority of the group, grinning as he held up some sort of book.
Remus then casted a charm used to protect the book, muttering to what Peter heard gibberish and the phrase “I solemnly swear I’m up to no good” and suddenly the photos lighted up as the figures in them no longer frozen in time began to move around in their given scenes. Making Peter make some sort of ‘aww’ sound as if he had never seen this before, which Remus and Sirius knew wasn’t the truth.
Remus then began to explain, “ We were friends back at Hogwarts. You’re right that Sirius and I, that is James, your childhood best friend.” Feeling his gut contort and twist as he pointed to the boy with glasses. “This is Lily, James’ wife.” He pointed to the girl with bright red hair, “Dorcas with her girlfriend, you’re other childhood best friend Marlene. And lastly Mary.” Remus said as he pointed to the remaining friends out, feeling angry at Pete for putting them in this situation. Though Remus assumed, in Peter’s ideal plan this would never have occurred and Remus would be suffering alone, with Sirius still in Azkaban for the crimes Peter committed.
“Hogwarts? What's that? From what I know I went to Inverness Royal Academy.”
“You what?” Sirius then asked to be pulled out of his prior train of thought, shocked to hear that Peter would go that far, not even remembering the slightest amount of a friend group and the magic that is Hogwarts. Though, Remus supposed it made sense as an extra precaution. You cowardly rodent. Remus thought.
“It’s got to be here somewhere.” Peter then mumbled as he put to the side his uniform, “Here!” he then said as he handed Remus two sheets of paper that had Peter's familiar handwriting on it. Remus started to read, somewhat impressed, but mostly horrified as the lies Peter had been telling himself. “What happened to them? Also do you know where my parents are?” Peter asked, eyes full of hope.
“All of our friends are dead.” Remus then said, looking up from the paper to make eye contact with Peter, who now visibly looked uncomfortable. “As for your parents…”