We're Called The Marauders

Ten: Peter

PETER

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Peter ran to catch up to James and Sirius. A few papers flew from his bag, but he managed to catch them before they got away.

"Wait up!" Peter called, rushing and dodging through students emptying the potions class room. James turned to look at Peter, holding out his arm.

"Sorry, mate. I'm just ready to relax after six long hours of class," He said the same thing every day. Not that Peter cared, because he felt the same way. Peter fell into step behind Sirius. He saw Sirius straighten as Calysta made her way towards them with Remus.

"How was Snivellus?" Sirius joked. Calysta shrugged simply. This caused the four boys to look at her questioningly, genuinely surprised at her reply.

"He wasn't as bad as you made him seem." Calysta said, somewhat disappointed. "Then again, he barely talked at all. I think he was mad that I grazed him on accident." She giggled.

"Are you eating with us again?" Remus asked as they climbed out of the dungeons. Calysta smiled sheepishly, shaking her head. The Marauders' expressions sank.

"Lily asked me to eat with her tonight. Sorry, guys." Calysta's arms crossed over her chest and she shivered. James' eyes went to Calysta.

"Can you put in a good word or two about me?" James pleaded, seemingly excited. Calysta giggled, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Will do, James." She nodded. The five finally reached the Fat Lady portrait. Peter said the password and they entered. Remus took Peter's bag and walked with James and Sirius to their room they shared. Calysta sat at the fireplace with her hands held in front of the flame. Her wand laid at her side. It was still fairly warm outside; why was the fire going? Peter decided to sit near Calysta. No sooner than he sat down did Calysta greet him with a smile.

"Hey, Peter!" She rubbed her hands together. " Is it cold in here, or is it just me?" She said.

"It's not even fall yet. I don't know why the fire is going in the first place." Peter wondered about it aloud. Calysta stuck her hands in her robe pockets.

"It's because I touched an Arctic Bulb in potions." Her fingers wiggled in her pockets. Peter chuckled. She had lit the fire.

"That happened to me in third year. Only, I didn't know I had it with me the whole class. I was sent to the hospital wing!" Peter exclaimed. Calysta gasped.

"What happened?" Her eyes were as wide as golf balls. Peter smiled.

"James set me on fire." 

Calysta covered her mouth with her hands. "Why did he do that?" She was ecstatic.

"No! Not like that! Only for a second. For my hands. I was all better afterwards. Took the effects away as soon as the spell was cast." Peter explained. Calysta's hand went to her heart.

"Oh, you scared me for a minute there!" She laughed to calm herself. Peter went on to tell her other times one of the guys saved him in a crisis like that.

"Come on, Peter!" James' voice was headed out of the common room. Calysta and Peter both scrambled to their feet to jog after them.

"Potter," A girl's voice said calmly after James made a flirtatious remark. Peter could tell the tone of voice Lily used was masking her irritation.

"Evans," James replied, throwing Lily a wink. Lily rolled her eyes, directing her attention to Calysta.

"I don't know how you can stand them. What with their constant flirting and rudeness." Lily snarled, daring to eye James from past her curtain of hair. Peter glanced at Calysta. Calysta looked a bit confused, if not irritated.

"They've been perfectly kind to me. I quite like them." Calysta said defensively. Sirius smiled and James looked proud.  Remus' lips twitched upwards. "Let's go to dinner, Lil." Calysta placed her arm on Lily's back and guided her away with a final glance behind her back at the boys she left speechless.

"She stuck up for us," Sirius said, dumbfounded.

"She did." James agreed. They watched Calysta leave them. A sense of admiration followed her. They had officially put their trust in her. Peter walked after the two girls along with the other three Marauders. Students were still arriving as they found a spot at the end of the table nearest the doors.

"I saw Snape and Calysta in class. They were quite amusing actually." Remus piped up.

"What happened?" Sirius asked, settling next to James. Remus smirked across the table at them.

"She apologized for hitting him with some ingredients and he told her off for it. She glared at him so bad, he blushed." Remus chuckled. Sirius broke out in laughter.

"She's good. And you seem to notice pretty well," Sirius hinted at something.

"Why do you say that?" Remus questioned.

"I see how you look at her," Sirius explained. Remus' eyes widened.

"I don't look at her any differently than I look at anyone else. However, I have seen how you look at her," He said, eyeing Sirius with a smirk. Sirius played along. He mirrored Remus' actions. Peter watched intently. James bit his lip, moving his eyes between the two.

"You look at her like she's the Crown Jewels!" James joined in. Peter thought he did have a point.

"You're talkin'! I'm not the one writing Lily's initials all over my homework." Sirius laughed. James blushed; that shut him up.

"Hey, look. Calysta's looking at you." Peter faked. Sirius' head whipped in Calysta's directions, groaning when he realized he'd been played. He proceeded to reach across the table and whack Peter on the side of the head. The three, save for Sirius, laughed at his reaction. Sirius hunched over in his spot and took an annoyed swing off of his pumpkin juice. James swung an arm around his friend.

"Come on mate, we were just messin' with you."

"Yeah, we know you don't look at her that way." Remus added. Sirius gave an unnaturally nervous laugh.

"I know." Sirius finished. The group was quiet for a few seconds.

"On a different note, I smelled something different in potions. Not Lily's perfume." James thought of something new just like that. He liked to keep the conversation going. He didn't like to quiet things down; Sirius and James were alike in that way.

"Why is that?" Peter asked.

"I don't know! That's what I want to find out." Was it really that big of a deal? Well, perhaps for James it was.

"Ya' know, Calysta mentioned something about Lily getting a new perfume in the mail from her parents this morning." Peter continued on in the conversation. He recalled the conversation with Calysta in Divination, the only class besides potions he had with her.

"Maybe that's it," James shrugged. "Whatever. I'm stuffed." He placed a hand on his stomach. Peter had to agree. He watched all the plates vanish on all the tables in the giant room. Remus pouted when his spoon of pudding was taken from his hand by the wonders of enchanted silverware.

"Dinner's over." Sirius sighed, pushing himself away from the table. James, Remus, and Peter followed as the Professors bid everyone good evening. First day back was complete and Peter was ready to sleep.