The Order of Mischief I

2.20

Peter clung to the pale chess piece in his hand, he spun it between his fingers and pressed it against the warm flesh of his palm. He sat awkwardly in a cabin that hosted only him. He had forgotten that he would be travelling alone and had denied himself of company. And now, several minutes into the journey, he hummed a dull tune to himself and looked out the window, staring at the pale and icy fields that shimmered outside. He thought to himself and wondered if his friends had forgotten him.

Peter Pettigrew received letters from his best friends, and none of them asked after him.

Peter promised himself that he was important to his friends. He was important enough for James Potter to have invited him over at the start of the holidays. He was important enough for Remus Lupin to always make sure Peter had finished his homework and could ask for help if he needed any. He was important enough for Sirius Black to always crack jokes to bring a smile to his face.

And yet, they barely wrote to him all Christmas, and whenever they did, it was to talk about everything else.

Peter had written to James, Sirius, and Remus often. And while Sirius and Remus took forever to reply, James would always go on about how Anya was. He always replied, expressing concern for her, but he wondered if his friends were even concerned of him. He could not help but wonder if Anya Zion had finally replaced Peter Pettigrew as James Potter's best friend. He wondered if Sirius and Remus felt the same way. He wondered if they missed him. He questioned whether they even remembered him. Had they forgotten him?

He could not help but let such ugly thoughts plague his mind.

The journey to Hogwarts had finally come to an end when the train pulled into the station. The tracks were cleared of any snow that decorated it, as was the ground where the students were expected to tread on.

The gamekeeper instructed as he gathered the students in front of him, "This way!"

Peter followed obediently. He approached the tall man and stood amongst his peers quietly. He felt out of place as he quietly hid amongst the other students, waiting to be taken to the castle. When the children all gathered in silence, the large man led them towards the magical carriages that moved on their own. Peter wasted no time in climbing the first one available to him. He was joined by five other children, all of whom were friends with one another and did not care to say a word to him. The boy was glad that they did not make an effort to speak to him; he was eager to return to his dorm and to settle into his room.

The short ride was bumpy as it concluded in front of the large doors of the castle. Peter waited for the other children to jump off the vehicle before he could dismount it. As soon as his feet touched the cobble floor, he walked as quickly as he could, making his way to Gryffindor common room. Despite his familiarity with the castle's layout, the distance from the entrance to his dormitory seemed long. But he was too determined to overthink the route he was taking and began running halfway through the trip.

"Surprise!" A chorus of voices greeted him as he pushed the door to his dorm room open. Peter stood in the doorway, shocked at the sight of both Remus and Sirius before him. The two boys stood on top of their beds and had hung up paper chains around the room, alongside a terribly coloured red and orange banner that read 'Welcome back!'.

"What-" Peter began, but his words were cut short as his best friends ran towards him and hugged him tightly.

Remus began speaking, "We are so glad you are back! We heard from James that he and the Zion cousins will not be back for a couple of weeks. And you stopped writing to us a few days ago. Is everything okay?"

Peter nodded, feeling out of breath, and overwhelmed by joy. He could not find the words to describe his affections or the relief he felt in his chest that his friends had not forgotten about him. He let the grin on his face stretch from one side to another, pushing his plump cheeks upwards. He felt as amused and foolish as he believed he looked, but he did not bother hiding the joy he felt.