The Bloodied
Dusk is a beautiful thing. If you are lucky enough to see it, you realise just how beautiful it is. You realise that people weren't lying when they said it was mesmerising. You may find that a single tear will come to your eye and fall down your face, and you'll wonder why that happened. It happened, because dusk is beautiful, but it is also the start of something new, a new day. Which is sad, because it means that something had to end first. The dusk is the beginning of the end. The domino effect that sets everything in motion. This is what Peter Pettigrew realised as he looked out of the window at Malfoy Manor, at the dusk overtaking the sky. As he felt his own cold metal fingers wrap around his throat, he realised that the dusk was heartbreaking, because like the sun it was inevitable. Like the sun, it would consume everything, before leaving, only to return later and consume everything once again.
"Petey! Come on, breakfast!" Enid called up the stairs. Her son, Peter, had been in his room for at least half an hour, which was strange as he knew that she had been cooking breakfast.
"Enid, leave it, he'll come down when he wants to." Leonard said, watching as his wife called worriedly up the stairs. He had to admit that this was strange behaviour for his son, however he wasn't going to complain. It was obvious that Peter was growing quite a bit around the middle, and he knew how cruel children could be these days. Enid was about to argue, when she was distracted by her daughter, Holly, throwing her cereal on the floor from her place on the high chair. She rushed over, pulling out her wand, she hesitated a moment trying to think of the spell.
"Oh, I'll just use a cloth." She grumbled, giving up, collecting the dishcloth from the sink, and beginning to mop up the mess on the floor. She sent another worried glance towards the staircase before looking back at her husband, who was reading the paper, unbothered. "Leonard!" She whined through gritted teeth, he looked up slowly from his paper, still unbothered by the issue. "Will you go and check on your son, please? And tell him that breakfast is ready." He sighed, reluctantly getting up from his seat and moving up the stairs. Holly stared down at her mother, giggling, making Enid look up. "Oh, you're going to be trouble, I can tell." Holly just shook her head innocently.
Leonard made his way up the stairs and knocked hesitantly on Peter's door. They had never been very close, Peter was definitely a mother's boy, in fact Leonard was already closer with Holly than he ever had been with Peter, and Holly was only two-years-old.
"Come in." His son's muffled voice came through the door, and Leonard took a tentative step inside the boy's room. Peter was sitting at his desk, running his nails over the wood, making it squeal occasionally, making Leonard shiver but Peter seemed unaffected. He sat warily on Peter's bed, clearing his throat awkwardly.
"So, what's up?" He asked after a long hesitation, cringing at how uncomfortable he sounded.
"Nothing much."
"Well, mum says breakfast is--" He started, getting up hastily from his seat and moving for the door, trying to find a way out of the uncomfortable situation, when Peter interrupted him.
"James has got his Hogwarts letter." He blurted.
"Oh." Leonard said in disappointment. That piece of information disheartened him a lot. His brother had been a squib and he was hoping to not turn out another one. His mother was a very stern woman, when she realised that his brother would not be receiving a Hogwarts letter, she had treated him with so much hatred that he had run away, and had not been seen since. Leonard did not want the same fate for Peter, even if they didn't really get along with each other. "Well, I heard that there are a lot of new students going this year, maybe too many for all of the owls. I'm sure yours is just running a little late." He patted Peter on the shoulder in what he hoped was a comforting gesture.
"Yeah, that's what James said."
"See! You're just being silly and working yourself up for nothing, I'm sure it will be here soon. Come on, mum says breakfast is ready." He patted his shoulder again, and left the room with Peter following after him.
"Hey, pumpkin!" Enid said, seeing Peter coming down the stairs, from her place on the floor. "You don't happen to remember the cleaning spell do you?"
"Tergeo, mum." Peter said. He and his mother had spent much of the summer in the kitchen, baking and cooking, when he wasn't helping her, he was out with James in the woods.
"Ah, thank you." She took out her wand, pointing it at the floor, where she had unsuccessfully mopped up Holly's mess. "Tergeo." It took a moment, but eventually the mess disappeared, leaving the floor and dishcloth clean. "No more cereal for you, missy." She scolded, pointing at Holly. "You alright, pumpkin?"
"Yeah, dad sorted it." Enid sent a surprised look to her husband, who just looked back at her with a smug smile. "Hey, mum, can I go out with James later?"
"Yes, of course, pumpkin. Make sure you're back for lunch, though." She reminded him. At the sight of the delicious food on the table, and the sound of his stomach rumbling, Peter tucked into the feast in front of him. Enid watched as he ate, still worried, but glad he was okay. She moved back over to the kitchen, taking out another bowl and filling it with cereal. She placed it in front of Holly and spooned it into her mouth, making sure she couldn't launch it across the room this time. Leonard picked his paper back up and scanned the front page.
"There's more drama in the Ministry." He tutted.
"Oh, yeah? What's that?" Enid asked, not really paying attention.
"Something about the Werewolf Registration Act. If you ask me, I think they should all be executed on site."
"Awful creatures." Enid agreed. "Dangerous. I completely agree, Lenny." She said, before being cut off by a tapping noise on the window. "Ah, the post, I was wondering when that would arrive." She opened the window and took the mail from the owl, dropping a few coins into its purse. The owl flew away as she closed the window, while Peter sat up straighter in his seat, and Leonard sent him an expecting look. She took the letter on top, placing the rest down on the table as she took her seat. "Oh, Elena is ill, apparently she's been transferred to St. Mun--"
"Petey!" Holly exclaimed pointing to a letter on the table. Enid looked at it curiously before picking it up and examining it. Peter and Leonard watched with bated breath as her face lit up in excitement.
"Peter, it's for you." She handed him the envelope and his eyes lit up as he saw the emerald scrawl on the front. He opened it carefully, unlike James, who had torn his open, he placed the envelope carefully on the table, as if it would run away if he startled it.
"Well, what does it say?" Leonard asked, watching his son read the letter in excitement.
"'Dear Mr. Pettigrew,
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted into Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment. Term begins on 1st of September.'"
Enid squealed excitedly as Peter finished, before snatching the letter out of his hands, mumbling about when their trip to Diagon Alley should be. She paced up and down the kitchen as Leonard grabbed his son's shoulder, shaking it heartily. That was probably the first time he had shown Peter genuine affection, and they both smiled, thoroughly enjoying it.
"We'll have to go soon. As to avoid the rush of all the people, but we also need to make sure that they've definitely got everything in stock. Oh, how about this weekend, Leonard?" She asked excitedly. "I can cancel my lunch with Rachel, we can make it a family occasion! Oh, I'm so proud of you, pumpkin!" She rushed over to Peter and, as James had predicted, smothered his face in kisses. Peter was saved from the onslaught of puckered lips as he saw James through the window, hands stuffed in the pockets of his leather jacket, walking towards their house.
"Mum, I need to go, James is here."
"Oh, alright, then." She said giving him one final kiss, before patting down his hair and sending him on his way. They heard the door open, before Peter rushed back into the room and grabbed the letter to show to James. Leonard and Enid chuckled as Peter rushed from the room. Leonard placed his arm around her shoulders bringing her closer so he could kiss her forehead and Enid giggled again, both of them incredibly proud of their son.
…
Peter shrugged his coat on, kicking the door shut with his foot, as he ran towards James. He was looking at the floor, not really paying attention to where he was walking, so he didn't notice the big ball of Peter coming towards him until Peter called him.
"James! James! Look, I got my letter!" He exclaimed excitedly, waving it in his hand. He was able to come to a halt just before he hit James and presented him with his letter.
"Woah, look at that! That's amazing, Pete! I told you so!" He said, punching Peter in the arm playfully as they moved together towards the woods. "You excited?"
"Definitely!"
"What house do you reckon you'll be in?"
"Probably Hufflepuff." Peter muttered grumpily.
"Hey, there's nothing wrong with Hufflepuff. It just shows that you're incredibly loyal, and kind."
"True. Look, promise me, that if I'm in Hufflepuff, you'll still be my friend?"
"Yes, of course, you'll always be my friend, Pete." James said, honestly, as they moved into the trees on their way to their next adventure.
James was telling the truth, Peter realised as darkness began to cloud his vision. James had always been his friend, he may not have been Peter's best friend, but he had always looked out for him. Peter and James didn't return from the woods till dusk that day, forgetting about lunch and dinner, instead getting lost in each other's company. It was dusk, he realised, that had taken that day away from them. It was dusk that had taken the days from the Marauders. He was dusk, he realised as he closed his eyes. He had been the one to take the good days from the Marauders. He had always believed that the others didn't care for him, but as he stared into Harry's eyes he saw not only Lily, but Remus, Sirius, and James, and he realised just how wrong he had been.