Madness, Longbottom

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Madness, Longbottom



Peter walked down the corridor with a speed and elegance like he'd never had before, a bit of a swagger to his motions, pyjamas swishing about his ankles.

Frank and Ali were in by the stairwell, Ali sitting on Frank's lap, facing him, her hands on his chest as they kissed and she giggled as he whispered things in her ear... Peter walked by and they both turned to see who it was, freezing, afraid they were about to be caught by Filch. Frank breathed in relief, "Hey Pettigrew, what're you off to?" he asked, seeing Pete go by -- but Peter didn't even turn or slow when he spoke to him. Frank's brow furrowed.

"Peter?" Ali called... but no response. Peter just walked on by.

"That's odd," said Frank. Usually, any attention Peter got at all was matched with an excited-to-be-noticed response.

Ali nodded, "Very peculiar..."

Frank said, "Think something's the matter?"

"Possibly."

"Should we check on him? Make sure he's alright?"

"Definitely."

So Frank and Ali got up from the steps, untangling themselves from about each other, and hurried after Peter, following him down the stairs and to the front doors of the castle. Peter was just wrenching the door open and going out onto the snow-covered grounds as Frank and Ali reached the grand staircase.

"Is he mad? Going outside in his pyjamas and slippers?" Frank exclaimed.

"There's got to be something terribly wrong - he didn't even have time to change or pause to say hello or anything. It's got to be something awful!" Ali's eyes were fearful. "You don't think James or one of the other Marauders could be hurt, do you?"

"With all the hijinks that lot get up to, it wouldn't surprise me..." Frank answered, "C'mon."

They hurried after Peter, even though neither had their jackets on, they at least were wearing their uniforms and real shoes, and so they hurried out after Peter onto the grounds, Ali hugging her cardigan tighter to her as they ran over the snow. They could see Peter's form ahead of them on the path and followed after him, their breath turning to crystal clouds in the air, hanging in the moonlight.

"Where in hell is he going?" Frank complained as they were nearing the end of the little roadway. It ran down in a looping fashion to the gates that surrounded the castle and Peter was nearly to the gates... "He's mad if he thinks he's going to get through all of Dumbledore's protective charms on that gate."

But much to their dismay, a moment later, when Peter had reached the gate, it did, indeed, begin to unlatch before him and the locks coiled and the iron that held it shut slid apart and the doors creaked open of their own accord. Peter slipped out and Frank put on a burst of speed - followed by Ali - not wanting to get shut in and lose Peter.

The forest outside the grounds of Hogwarts was dark - darker than the average forest. The lane rutted and jagged from the thestral drawn carts moving in many rain showers over the years. Frank and Ali just made it through the gates before they closed and they heard the iron sliding over and the coiling of the locks.

Ali grabbed hold of Frank's hand - her fingers were icy cold, he noticed.

Peter had come to a stop in the roadway ahead and for the first time, Frank and Ali were gaining on him. Frank squeezed Ali's hand protectively, afraid of what they would see, and he carefully tucked her behind him so he would see first and be able to keep her from seeing if it was really bad... But there didn't seem to be anything... Peter had simply come to a halt... as though he were waiting for something...

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