Four To The End (prev Shifting Lines) Book Three (Marauders Era)

Chapter Thirty-Three - More Fighting

Author's note: CW emetophobia mention

-x-

The rest of Sunday was agony for Remus. He spent the afternoon with a miserable Peter then switched with Sirius, as Remus and James had detention together after supper. Thankfully, it was writing lines so James was unable to complain about Peter during the actual detention though the whole walk to and back was spent nodding quietly as James grumbled.

The evening was tense and after everyone went to bed Remus figured that would be it and he could get some homework done, however ten minutes after James disappeared into his bed there was a gentle tap at Remus's bed. He flicked aside the curtains to see Peter's wide eyes.

"Can I talk to you a minute?"

Remus slid back so Peter could climb into his bed. Instead of talking, Pete sat there with a heavy frown on his face. Remus traced designs on his Runes book, waiting for Peter to say something. Finally he did after what felt like an eternity.

"Can I sleep with you?"

Remus jumped a little, rather shocked by the request. Where had this come from? He stared at Peter who stared back, looking so pathetically sad that he didn't have the heart to kick him out of the bed.

"Er, I—I suppose. I mean, yes, it's fine. Is it because of the fight or...?"

Peter nodded, climbing under Remus's covers. "I'm sad. Really sad. And kinda scared my mum's gonna be furious about the camera."

Remus shuddered, thinking about how his father would react if something expensive of his had broken. "Will you get into trouble?" he asked as he closed his book.

Pete shrugged. "Dunno. Maybe. Probably." He ran a finger across Remus's cover, nail catching in a loose thread. "She'll probably say I shoulda put it up after leaving the pitch."

"It's not your fault," Remus said immediately. "It's a very unfortunate accident, and Catterick is the one to blame. The President of your club even said he did a failure of a job with the spell—"

"I lied."

Remus blinked a few times. "About... how your camera broke?"

"No. Yes. I mean, it—it wasn't the flipendo spell." Peter began gnawing at one of his fingernails, eyes going a little shiny. A tear slipped out down his cheek. "I didn't recognize the spell. But since it sent me flying back I—"

"You got hit with a spell you don't know about?" Concern seized Remus and he grabbed Peter's arm. "Do you need to go see Madame Pomfrey? If it did that to the camera, it could have done something to you! Why did you lie? Why would you protect Catterick?"

Peter turned his head away. "I don't know! I panicked. I felt stupid because I didn't know what the spell was and didn't want to admit it—I don't know. I panicked."

"Do you remember what he said?"

"Not really. I think it had 'ful' in it."

That could be dozens of spells. Remus wracked his brain trying to connect 'ful' with what happened to the camera, and right when he thought it might not have 'ful' in it something clicked.

"Fulgurus?" Remus whispered and Peter screwed his face up, shaking his head. Remus let out a quiet sigh. Thank Merlin. "Fulmerio?"

"Oh, that mighta been it," Peter said. "What's that?"

"It's a weak lightning spell," Remus explained. "No wonder your camera got fried. It's not something we're supposed to learn until our fifth year. Fulgurus is—is the advanced version. Seventh year. They're both rather dangerous though, and it's absolutely stupid of him to do that! We should tell Professor McGonagall—or Professor Sprout—"