The Marauders: Year One | #Wattys2016

Students Out of Bed

Students Out of Bed

Peter had completely forgotten which direction they'd come from when he scrambled into the hall. In his panic, he'd run the length of the corridor and, thinking he heard Lucius Malfoy coming up behind him, he blindly opened the first door he put hands on. Wrenching it opened, he ducked inside, stumbled backwards, and fell down a couple short steps that brought him into an inset part of the floor, landing flat on his back.

He found he was staring up at a ceiling that looked rather like a giant green fish tank, with long, swirling aquatic plants looming like shadows through the water beyond the glass. It cast an erie, dark green glow about the room. He rolled onto his stomach and looked around. There were couches and chairs surrounding a wrought iron fire place with large decorative snakes that wound and curled from the sides. Green and silver and stone walls cast a dark sophistication about the room. He felt his mouth go quite dry and he scrambled to his feet.

Somehow or other, he'd ended up in the Slytherin common room.

He rushed to get to the door again when a figure stepped out of the dark, blocking his way.

"What are you doing here?" came a slick voice. The figure stepped into the green glow and his shaggy, greasy hair was unmistakable. Severus Snape stared at him through the dark as Peter squirmed quite uncomfortably. Severus, who had heard Lucius Malfoy rush from the common room, had gotten up to go investigate and been nearly bowled over by Peter running into the room. Peter was now trembling before him, and obviously wasn't about to tell him what he was doing in the room. Only a Slytherin could open the door; in lieu of a password, the handle was bewitched in much a similar fashion as the sorting hat. Peter's ability to open the door was interesting, to say the least. Severus squinted at him. "Well?" he prompted.

Peter shook his head and made to dodge 'round Severus for the door, but Severus caught him by the arm to stop him going out and stared at him severely. Peter grimaced away. After a moment of silence, Severus's face lit with an expression of understanding, or suspicion. He looked back at the door for a moment, then back to Peter. "Where are your friends?" he asked thickly.

"I'm alone," Peter squeaked.

"Obviously," Snape said darkly. "But you weren't when you came down here to snoop about, were you? Where did they go?"

"Dunno what you're talking about," Peter stammered, "I – I came down – uh – alone."

Severus's voice was flat, "You wouldn't come here alone. You aren't brave enough."

"I'm brave," Peter said tremulously. "I'm in Gryffindor."

"I don't know how." Severus considered him a moment. "Either way – with or without them – you're in an awful lot of trouble. You aren't supposed to be in another house's common room for one, or even out of bed at all, at this hour, for another. I think Mr. Filch will be quite interested in hearing about this visit you've paid us here."

Peter couldn't believe the trouble he was about to be in, all because of James, Sirius, and Remus. It was all their faults! If they'd just minded their own business and not dragged him down here on this stupid, so-called mission... Like there was anything they could do about it – Them! First years! It was pointless, and now he was going to get detention – or expelled, or something – and it wasn't even his fault, his idea. Yet where were James and Sirius now? Not getting caught, that's where, probably already tucked back in their beds, warm and comfortable...

Severus smirked darkly. "Perhaps if you were not caught alone, you could explain exactly what happened and not be in so much trouble."

Peter looked up at Severus, a simpering sort of expression on his face. It was as though Severus could read his mind, he thought. And – oh, how tempted he was to tell Severus the boys had been there! It would be much easier to push off the trouble on the others... but they were the only others in the Gryffindor house, besides Lily, and he didn't want to lose them as friends. However much their adventures put him in danger or got him into trouble. He didn't want to spend the next six years in exile, with backs-turned in the dormitory. So, instead of giving them up, he shook his head, "I told you," he stammered, "I came alone."