HARRY POTTER X READERS [DISCONTINUED]

TRUST [PETER PETTIGREW]

Summary: Y/N has always been nothing but kind to Peter, standing up to him, being his friend, but everything changes when they learn the truth about James and Lily's deaths.

Pairing: Platonic Peter Pettigrew & reader

Characters: Peter Pettigrew, Remus Lupin, Sirius Black, James Potter, Lily Evans + Harry Potter is mentioned and present, as are Ron and Hermione but they aren't mentioned.

Warnings: mentions of death, angst

Word count: 1,223

It was a sunny day, as you sat with Lily, Remus, Peter, James and Sirius at the courtyard, watching how people played with Gobstones and laughing. Lily and James had just started dating, and now there you were, having to look at two of them cuddling and being cute. Remus was reading a book, and briefly looked up from it only to monitor the courtyard, he was the prefect after all.

"Oh stop, being that cute doesn't suit you, James." Sirius rolled his eyes.

"You're just jealous because I have the most beautiful girl in the whole school as my girlfriend." James grinned and took a better hold of your best friend, who gave you a sheepish grin, and you smiled back at her, happy for how happy she was, even after years of despising James - James had now grown up and Lily had fallen for him.

Peter seemed to be deep in thought, so you touched his arm, making him startle up and look at you.

"Hey, what's the matter?" you asked, and Peter shrugged and shook his head, but that wasn't enough for you. You sighed and turned yourself fully towards Peter, resting your hand on his shoulder. "Hey, tell me."

His eyes turned to look at you and then he sighed. "Well... Malfoy and his gang called me a rat. He said I look like a rat."

James gave out a laugh. "Well, you are a rat." Sirius joined into the laughter with a nod.

Peter's eyes saddened on that second as he turned his gaze back to his lap and you gave James and Sirius a glare. You knew they weren't serious with that comment but they just didn't realize comments like that stuck with Peter more than he let it be seen.

"Hey, cut it!" you exclaimed to them and turned back to Peter, taking his hands in your own. "Don't listen to that liar. And ignore that fancy pants Lucius, you're good as you are. Or come get me and I'll show them what they get if they bully my friend."

He gave you a confused look. "Would you do that for me?"

"What do you mean?" you cocked your eyebrow at him, but he just looked at you as if you had just said that you're going to have Dumbledore give you a piggyback ride or something as absurd. You grinned and ruffled Peter's hair. "Of course I'd defend you, you're my friend. Merlin's beard Peter, why wouldn't I? I care for you, you're a good person and an amazing friend. Plus Malfoy would deserve a good punch, I would go sit detention for it for a month if I had to, seeing a black eye on Malfoy's face would be worth it."

Peter was quiet for a moment, but then his lips slowly curved into a soft smile, and he muttered, "Thank you, Y/N."

You slinged an arm on his shoulders and shook him lightly. "Anything for my friend."

—

You saw Peter for the first time in 12 years, and all this time you had thought he was dead, that Sirius had killed him. The skinny boy from school had become chubby, his face was covered in pimples and he actually looked even more like a rat. A memory of Lucius Malfoy calling him a rat came to your mind, a memory of you punching Lucius for saying that when you were with Peter came to your mind too. How you had had detention for it and how Lucius never forgave you for his black eye. You remembered laughing at Lucius and telling him his black eye suits him. You remembered how Peter had told you how he treasured you as a friend for standing up for him and how he gave you a hug, how you were happy how you were important to someone. You remembered hating Sirius for what he had done, you thought he had given out James and Lily and murdered Peter too, when in reality it was Peter all along.

There he stood, cowering before you three, after years of playing dead, after causing your best friend's murder and sending one of your friends to Azkaban for twelve years to sit as an innocent, how he was ready to sacrifice everything just so he would be safe. You didn't recognize the Peter from Hogwarts standing there, you saw a coward. A murderer. Someone who was ready to give up everything for his own sake. A perfect example of selfish scum.

"You sold James and Lily to Voldemort, didn't you?" Remus asked and Peter whimpered, squeezing his eyes shut.

"I didn't mean to! The Dark Lord... he used ways to get me talking... Sirius, what would have you done?" Peter swallowed as Sirius pointed his wand at him with rage in his eyes. "What would have you done?"

"I would have died! I would rather die than betray my friends!" Sirius screamed and Peter scrambled away from him, approaching you, seeking comfort, empathy or anything from your now cold eyes.

"Y/N, Y/N... you always cared for me, you always stood up for me, you said I'm just misunderstood..."

"Yes, that I did", you seethed. "And I feel horrible about it. I always rooted for you, I always believed you're just not good with people and just need guidance, and what did you do to pay back? Murdering my best friend and her husband, leaving Harry orphan!" you took a hold of Peter's face and forced him to look at Harry. "You see James in him, yeah? You see Lily's eyes, yeah? How dared you just be there, sleeping in the same room with him, being next to him, looking at him, knowing you ruined his childhood, you took his parents away from him, forcing him to stay with his bitter aunt?"

Peter tried to get away from you, but you just held him harder, sticking your wand against his throat and he stopped squirming that instant.

He looked at you with pleading eyes and started talking again. "You saw it, you saw it, James was always mean to me, he always made mean remarks of me, he-"

"Oh, you know how he grew up to be a better person after we graduated, remember how he said he's sorry for how he treated you sometimes, remember how he and Lily arranged a surprise party for you when you turned 18? Remember how fun we all had? You got that expensive jacket you had admired at Madam Twine's shop and you almost cried when you saw it."

He was silent, and tears of hatred and disappointment prickled in your eyes. You let go of him and gave him a harsh shove, sending him to the floor. He raised his hand to his face, waiting for the green flash to come for him, to collect him away. You pointed your wand at him, as did Remus and Sirius too, you were ready to kill him, do the unforgivable curse to someone you had held dear and close to your heart all those years ago - but remembering Lily, thinking of Lily screaming for help, praying for Harry's life... it all would be worth it.

"You know, people were right about you", you choked out. "You are nothing more than a rat."