Chapter 2
Chapter 2
"Yes!" Lily squealed gleefully, besting James in a duel, who even though he wanted to let her win, was genuinely overcome by her sheer skill. Sometimes the Order would practice special tasks like conjuring a patronus, however most often, the group would spend hours and hours duelling each other.
"It is beneficial," Dumbledore had told them when Sirius asked, practically begged, to move onto something else. Beneficial, to everyone but Peter, he felt. After every duel, Peter felt more and more of his confidence slip from his grasp. Yes, he was improving, but it wasn't enough, it never seemed to be enough.
"Hey don't worry about it Peter, I bet one day you'll utterly destroy me in a duel and I'll be on my knees, begging for your gracious mercy!" Marlene nudged him, laughing, with her innocent attempt to cheer him up after he lost to her, for what felt like the fiftieth time that day.
"Funny, Mar, funny," Peter replied and Marlene laughed even louder. Others may have seen it as an odd pairing, but the two had been friends for as long as they could remember, years before they graced the halls of Hogwarts. Peter often felt like if he were to have a 'person', it'd be Marlene. Not romantically, never romantically, but he liked to imagine she was the 'Sherlock' to his 'Watson', 'Sirius' to his 'James'.
Shortly after, their training ended - Dumbledore knew he couldn't keep the members too long, it'd raise suspicion amongst the other students.
"Peter, could I have a word?" Dumbledore beckoned the boy (who was now frozen in fear) over as everyone else departed. "Fuck! I'm going to be kicked out!" Peter immediately thought. He knew he was behind and originally unwanted, but kicking him out seemed a bit extreme he pondered. James could see him swallowed by anxiousness.
"Pete, Pete, breathe. He probably is just going to give you advice," James reassured him in a calming tone, "I know what you're thinking Wormtail, but over my dead body will he kick you out. You are as much a member as any of us." Behind him, Peter could see the other marauders nod in solidarity.
"See you at the dorm mate!" Remus called out before he was dragged away by a giggling Sirius.
Romance. Peter rolled his eyes, thinking how unfair it was how two people could be so disgustingly in love with each other, whilst it felt as if he was condemned to a life of solitude. Peter longed to be in love, he really did, to experience the utter bewitchment with another soul, but at the same time, he felt deep in his bones that it would never happen for him. That thought made him cry himself to sleep more times than he would ever admit.
The door closed behind them, leaving just Peter and Dumbledore alone. Peter couldn't recall ever being in a situation like this ever before, the headmaster never spoke to students by themselves unless it was critically important.
"Ah Peter, cup of tea?" Dumbledore asked, smiling at the puzzled boy.
"Er-um-er no thanks Sir, i-i mean Headmaster," Peter stumbled over his words, clinking his fingers agitatedly.
"Now, now, Peter come on take a seat," Dumbledore nodded to the two chairs in the corner of the room, "I have something very important to discuss with you."
Peter's blood ran cold, "I'm trying my best, I promise. I will improve, please don't kick me out," he begged earnestly, only to be met by a chuckle. Peter couldn't figure out for the life of him what the old man found so funny about his suffering. Yes, he was a victim to many jokes being at his expense, but those weren't cruel, not like this.
"No, Peter, that's not it. Rather quite the opposite," Dumbledore explained (although he didn't make much sense) and a mixture of relief and shock shot through the young Gryffindor's veins. "I have a task for you, that I think you, only you, could complete for me." For some reason, this made Peter feel extremely special. The old man then continued, "Ah, I believe right about now I have a guest joining us who might be able to explain it to you."
As fate would have it, that second Peter heard the door open and whipped his head around to see his translator for the riddles he was being presented with.
Snape walked in.
Peter froze.
A hushed "What the fuck?!" escaped his lips before he could stop himself, and the Slytherin boy greeted him with a harsh eye roll.
"Professor, you can't seriously be doing this!" Snape practically shouted at Dumbledore, unable to control his tone, a contrast to his usual suck-up self Peter thought. Their headmaster seemed quite unfazed by the outburst, and Peter thought if he wasn't so stunned, he might have even laughed but no laughter could possibly exit his body at that moment. "
What's going on?" He questioned, slightly scared. "Am I getting murdered for being bad at spells? What the fuck?" Peter's thoughts were running wild, and the madness within was reflected through his trembling hands.
"You would do anything for your friends, wouldn't you Peter?" Dumbledore began.
"Yes." No hesitation. Peter believed himself to be a loyal person, if someone showed him care he would undoubtedly do the same.
"But would you be a death eater for them?" Snape snarled, interrupting their conversation.
"WHAT??!!" Peter exclaimed. He was absolutely flabbergasted, temporarily paralyzed by shock. He couldn't fathom for the life of him what was going on. Then it hit him, it must be a dream, a fucked up dream. There was no way on Earth it was real.
So, he did the only reasonable thing he could think to do to reassure him; he pinched himself.
He was horrified. It was real.