Harry Potter Oneshots

The Good and the Bad

A/N This is not finished. I've been working on it for about a month now (longer than any other of these one shots) and can't come up with a way to end it. I figured I could upload what I have and add the rest in a later chapter/part two. This first part is super long, so I doubt that will be a problem.

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"Wormtail. The boy."

Wormtail flicked his wand, saying the words of death, and the boy that he had been using to train was no more.

"Very good, Wormtail."

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It was winter time. Hogsmeade field trip, to be exact. All four of the self-proclaimed marauders were huddled together, swaddled in cloaks, with faces betraying their excitement.

"James! Can you believe it! We finally get to go to Hogsmeade!" shouted a boy with shoulder-length black hair, Sirius Black.

His best friend grinned back at him. "I know! I've only been here once before, mum thought that it would be a nice place to visit during the Easter holidays... But that was so long ago!"

Peter Pettigrew looked at his hands. They were cold and pale due to the weather and wind. He had given his gloves to Remus, and had no regrets about it. Remus acted more like his friend than James or Sirius, and Peter appreciated him for that. Peter always liked to give more than receive, even though his efforts were not always noticed.

Remus Lupin, who had been silent, met James Potter's eyes. Brown to brown. "James? What if they kick me out of the Three Broomsticks? They might know who I am... What I am..."

James Potter looked defiant. "There's no way. And anyways, if they kick you out, we'll kick their arses." James met Sirius' eyes and Sirius nodded. Peter was ignored, treated as if he wasn't even there.

Peter walked up beside Remus, hugging his friend both for comfort and warmth. Peter whispered, "Don't worry, if they make us leave, I won't leave you."

Remus shrugged off Peter, the closeness obviously making him uncomfortable. "Okay, Peter," he muttered.

Peter's face fell. All he wanted was friendship, love, or any semblance of warmth. He knew that Remus was doing his best to be nice, Remus always did his best to be nice. But Peter, not wanting to press, took a few steps away from Remus.

He rubbed his hands together quickly, delighting in the warmth created by the friction, as his friends led the way to the Three Broomsticks. James was the first to enter, hair blown back from the wind yet flawless in its own wild right. Sirius walked in at James' heels, dragging a reluctant Remus by his left hand. The door swung shut just as Peter went to enter, and he stood in the cold for a moment longer before shouldering open the door to the pub. Once inside, he waited at the door, trying to find the table with his friends. They were in a corner, next to a window, and Peter moved quickly to join them.

Their table only had three chairs. The three boys sitting in them were conversing loudly, and didn't notice Peter had even arrived. Remus was the first to acknowledge his presence.

"Peter? Sit!"

Peter looked bewildered: how did they not notice that there were no more chairs? An exhausted-looking hostess quickly seemed to realize that he meant to sit and brought him a chair. He took his seat, directly across from Sirius.

"A butterbeer, please?" He asked her before she left, and she nodded quickly before disappearing behind the bar.

Peter turned his sad, brown eyes to Remus. "It's tonight, isn't it? The full moon?"