Peter's Birthday
Remus decided to be petty, and left the empty drawer open. He caught Sirius staring at it several times but he never came over to apologise.
After three weeks of leaving the drawer visibly open and no apology, Remus came back to the dorm to find it overflowing with a mix of wizarding and muggle sweets and snacks that he didn't recognise at all.
He had assumed Sirius had done it but when the trio got back to the dorms, Sirius' shocked expression and angry look to James proved otherwise.
He listened to the two whispering that night.
"I was going to apologise, James!" Sirius hissed.
"Well it didn't seem like it! Why are you annoyed, I just refilled the drawer after you took his food!"
Sirius' response was too murmured to hear.
"To me", James replied, "not too him. Just because you don't like someone doesn't mean you can do bad things to them. Look go to sleep, we've got class tomorrow."
Sirius, surprisingly, didn't move back to his own bed. Instead, Remus heard shuffling from James' bed and then the two seemed to have settled down to sleep next to each other.
•
The trio had stopped sitting with Remus in classes and lunch. And Lily was happy about it, but also worried.
"I just think you might be lonely. I'm your only friend here and we don't hang out everyday."
Remus groaned and dropped his head, "I'm fine Lily. I like being alone, it's peaceful."
Lily tilted her head to the side, "You sure? You did seem to like those three, you're not just not hanging out with them because I don't like them, right? Because I know you don't like Sev and you don't expect me to stop being friends with him do you?"
"Of course not! But that's not why… I just don't want to be friends with them."
Lily lowered her voice and leaned over the table, "Did they do something? Are they bullying you?"
"What? No, Lily! I mean, Sirius stole all my snacks but I think he was just mad I didn't want to go to his birthday party. And James replaced it all anyway."
She rolled her eyes, "They're right gits. I'm surprised Potter replaced it."
"I'm not", Remus shrugged, "I think they're all pretty nice most of the time."
"Then why do you refuse to be friends with them?" Lily sighed.
"Because they're nosy, you know? What Sirius did just proves they don't have any sense of privacy. You don't try to get me to tell you things if I don't want to, and even if I did you wouldn't tell anyone; but hey're not like that. And I don't want them knowing my secrets and telling the whole castle."
Lily shook her head, "Right gits, they are."
Remus snorted.
"Now… is it my turn to complain about my roommates? Because Mary stole my shoes the other day and now she's lost them. How do you lose shoes?!"
•
The Christmas holidays were fast approaching, and it was Peter's birthday. So the trio were extremely loud.
They were playing exploding snaps on the floor of the dormitory while Remus was lying in bed trying to rest, the full moon having been only a couple days ago.
"Hey! You're cheating to help Pete win!" Sirius shouted.
James yelled back, "It's his birthday!"
"Cheat!"
Peter shouted, "I'll win fair and square without James' help!"
"I'd like to see you try!"
"You'll be eating your words soon enough!"
"Eat this!"
Remus groaned and stood up, grabbing his blanket and getting out of bed.
"Where are you going off to?" Peter asked.
"You lot are so fucking loud, I'm having a nap downstairs."
Sirius rolled his eyes as Remus left, "He's not 80, why does he even need a nap?"
Peter shrugged, "He's probably ill."
"I feel kind of bad now. We were being really loud." James said.
"He could've just told us if he wanted us to be quieter."
James grabbed more cards to pass out, "He's a bit rude isn't he?"
Peter snorted, "You're starting to sound like Sirius."
"Hey!" Sirius gasped, "what's that meant to mean?"
"Oh come on! You know you're both Cockwomble's, right?"
James and Sirius looked at each other.
"We're what now?" James asked in confusion.
"Did you say 'cock', Pete?" Sirius asked in excitement.
"I mean you're minted gits who don't get people who aren't also minted gits."
James frowned, "We're not!"
"Are you even speaking english?" Sirius' head turned to the side a little in confusion.
James patted him on the shoulder, "He's saying we're rich idiots."
"Hey! We're not!"
"I mean we're rich", James admitted, "But not idiots!"
"Alright forget it", Peter exclaimed, "I'm just saying if you want Remus or whoever to like you maybe you should try reaching out of your little upper class-ness for once."
Sirius frowned, "You want us to be poor?"
"No, just that you should try to talk to more people who aren't also rich purebloods."
James sprang up, "Tomorrow's mission! We shall hunt for poor muggleborns… hunt isn't the right word is it?"
Peter shook his head and sighed.
Sirius sprang up too, "We shall find poor muggleborns to befriend!"
"Was that okay?" They both turned to Peter.
"Better?" Peter said with a tight smile.
Peter internally sighed, this was definitely going to go well.
It did indeed go terribly.
The trio ran around the castle, James and Sirius shouting as they asked other students if they were either poor or a muggleborn. Everyone just ignored them, until another group of first years ran into them.
“Marlene Mckinnon!” James shouted and threw up his arms.
“James Potter!” Marlene returned the greeting, both running head on into each other and collided, falling onto the stone floor.
James looked up at her, as they untangled themselves, and pouted.
“You’re not poor or a muggleborn.”
Marlene slowly blinked, “No… I’m not.”
Mary, standing against the wall folded her arms, “Why are you saying that?”
Sirius sprang forward right into Mary’s personal space, “We’re trying to befriend them.”
“And why?” Mary folded her arms.
“Pete said we’re…” He turned to Peter, “What was it?”
“Cockwombles, minted gits, rich idiots.”
Sirius nodded, “Right, that. Which means we need to befriend poor muggleborns to make us understand muggle and poor stuff more.”
James nodded, “So we’re not clueless…”
“Prats?” Lily supplied, from next to Mary.
James stared at her for an awkward moment, “Yeah. That. Hey, Evans, you’re a poor muggleborn right?”
Lily frowned at him, “Yes.”
He grinned, “Great! And what’s it like to be poor and muggleborn? How do you buy your stuff?”
“Shops.”
“Yeah but where’d you get the money from?”
Sirius nodded, “Poor people don’t have any money, especially muggles. It’s why they steal from us and live in dirt.”
James turned to him, “They do?” He then turned to Lily, “You live in dirt? Don’t you get ill from that?”
Lily glared at him in anger before huffing and storming away.
Remus, who had been almost hiding behind Lily made to follow her but turned to the boys first, “You two really are clueless prats, huh?”
Mary and Emmeline ran after them, Mary gesturing for Marlene to follow.
Marlene punched James in the arm, “Man, that was the dumbest thing you’ve ever said”, she sent a glare to Sirius before turning back to James, “he’s a bad friend for you. I can’t believe you replaced me with him.”
She then ran to catch up to the others, jumping and wrapping her arms around a protesting Emmeline and Mary, but neither made to shake her off.
James turned to Peter, “Why are they all mad at us?”
Peter put his hands up, “It’s you two they’re mad at. I’m innocent here.”
“They’re women. Being overly emotional is who they are due to their excess fluids”, Sirius shrugged.
James scrunched up his face, “Why are you talking about women’s fluids? That’s gross!”
“I’m talking about the humours, you know! Science!”
Peter let out a chuckle, “Sirius! What century do you think we’re in? No one believes in that stuff anymore, that’s like medieval!”
Sirius titled his head, “My mum taught me about it! It’s how people’s body and stuff works!”
“It so is not. Go ask Pomfrey, you’re so wrong about this. Do you seriously think that?”
Sirius grinned at that, “yes I am Sirius.”
Peter groaned, “No. Why did I have to say that. It’s such an annoying joke!”
James interrupted their argument with a pained look, “Guys, I’m really worried about this. Marlene is mad at me. She can be terrifying, I mean not as much as Evans but Evans is always mad at me. But Marlene’s my best friend.”
“And what am I?” Sirius frowned.
James shrugged, "It's just that I've known Marlene practically all my life. We know everything about each other. But I only met you a few months ago."
"Fine. I guess we don't know each other well enough to be friends!" Sirius yelled before storming off.
James shouted back, "That's not what I meant!"
He then slowly turned to Peter, “Okay now four people are mad at me. Help me, Pete. Make me likeable like you. No one’s mad at you, how’d you do it?”
Peter shrugged, “I don’t listen to everything Sirius says for one.”
“What’s wrong with Sirius?” James questioned, defensively.
“He’s just… wrong about almost everything. I know he’s not a bad person or anything, but with a family like his… he has questionable morals and views about people.”
James glared, “okay maybe I was wrong about no one being mad at you, Pete. Because I’m pretty angry right now.”
“James, you can’t be pissed at me for this. You can’t deny Sirius says bad things sometimes."
"A true mate sticks by his friend no matter what."
Peter frowned, "A true mate doesn't put his friends above his own morals and will hold their friend accountable when they do something wrong."
James scratched his head, "But I love Sirius."
"Which means you should try to help him do better."
"Right", James nodded, "And how do I do that?"
Peter sighed, "I don't know. Go to Professor McGonagall or something. She's meant to help with this stuff."
"Thanks Pete", James grinned, running off to McGonagall's office.
Peter leaned against the wall, sliding down it, "Everything's about Sirius", he muttered.
Two sets of footsteps started getting louder and louder until they stopped just by Peter. He looked up to see the curious faces of Frank and Kingsley.
"Hi Peter, are you alright?" Kingsley asked, crouching down to be face to face with him.
Frank followed suit, "It's your birthday today, right? Happy Birthday."
"How did you know?" Peter asked.
"Those friends of yours are loud", Frank grinned, "they probably broke my ears screaming about how it was your birthday."
"What are you doing on your own?" Kingsley said, moving to properly sit down from the uncomfortable crouch, "I'm sure those friends of yours had some sort of celebration planned."
"James and Sirius got into a fight."
Kingsley sent a look to Frank before replying, "Well then, how about you join us? Alice got us invited to this small party to celebrate the upcoming holidays in hufflepuff."
Peter beamed up instantly, "Really?"
Frank pulled the younger boy up, "Yep. And it's just us third years so you're really special to be invited."
"I am?"
Kingsley nodded, "It's gonna be great. Frank's got his guitar to perform some Beatles songs."
Frank swivelled the guitar from his back to his front, "And I can teach you a few songs if you want."
Peter eagerly nodded, "Yes. Please, please."
Kingsley laughed, "Alright. Let's go!" He grabbed Peter's hand and the three ran down to the Hufflepuff common room.