A Different Ending

Cowardly

It was Harry's ninth birthday and there had been so little progress Peter didn't know what to do. So far Lily had turned her head and moved her fingers and James and straightened his legs. Nothing more than that.

Every full moon he would go sit with Remus where he could see him but just for a little bit. Every week after the full moon he got a letter begging him to give any sign he was alive. To come see him. That he knew he was alive but didn't know where he was. There was one line that almost convinced him.

Peter please I know you're alive and I know you are working on something, please let me help you.

Could Remus help him heal James and Lily? The answer was yes Remus was a genius, but he hadn't gone to him because when he found the truth he would hate him. It was his fault James and Lily had been in comas for nine years, it was his fault Sirius was in Azkaban. It was his fault Remus was alone. He shook his head and tied the letter with it resealed. He couldn't go to him, maybe one day he will but that day was not today.

The next four months flew by, there was some improvement but not enough. He needed a genius wizard to help him. He sighed to himself knowing he should have done this years ago. He was an idiot for not doing it, he was paranoid and stupid. If he had just listened everyone would be together by now.

The next full moon Peter apparated to Remus but instead of running he tried to get the wolf to play. The moon was fading and this was where he would leave but he didn't. Remus transformed and Peter was there to catch him. He took him back to his house and started fussing over him. With the potion there wasn't much that needed to be done but he had gotten a few scrapes from playing. Once he was healed Peter went and got some chocolate. He did this by transforming into a rat and climbing the counter. He would accio some money and leave it on the counter. It was risky but hopefully soon he would be able to leave the house again.

Back in the room Remus was staying in Peter sat he just sat and waited for his friend to wake. He let him sleep as long as he needed to, back at school the boys would wake Remus the minute they were aloud to so they could smother him in gifts. Beside old habits telling him to wake the man, he let him sleep. He looked so peaceful and free of worry. Peter wondered how long since Remus had felt like that, how long since he had felt like that. He mind wandered, why he hadn't went and got Remus the second he couldn't find a cure? He inwardly groaned, he knew the answer; he was a coward, he was terrified Remus would kill him right when he found out the truth. If only he wasn't so scared; why couldn't he be a big brave gryffindor like James and Sirius or Remus. He wasn't brave, he had given into Voldemort's temptations, Sirius and Remus would have rather died than given them up. Why was it so easy for him at the time. They always told him he was brave and he wasn't just a gryffindor, he was a marauder. They weren't right.

"Where am i?" Remus spoke. Peter jumped up.

"Remus!"

"Peter? Care to explain how your alive and i'm at your house?"

"Yeah i'll tell you in a minute but first here i went and got you some chocolate." Remus's eyes lit up at chocolate but he stayed wary. He took the candy bar and sniffed it before devouring it. "Remus how long has it been since you've had chocolate?" He questioned laughing.

"To long... That's not important, how are you alive?"

"Yes this um well." His eye flickered around the room.

"Peter." He growled.

"Fine." He huffed. "Sirius wasn't the secret keeper i was we switched it at the last minute."

"What! Peter you better start talking if you want to walk out of this room again!" Remus jumped up at Sirius's name.

He flinched at the threat and Remus sat back down. "I ratted out James and Lily." He closed his eyes ready to run. When nothing happened he opened his eyes and Remus just sat there mouth open trying to take in what he just heard.

"You what?" His voice a whisper.

He looked down at the floor. "I gave up James and Lily." Before Remus could kill him he blurted out. "Wait i have good news."

"Oh it better be good, lead the way rat." Remus looked so angry even more angry than when Sirius had sent Snape into the Shrieking Shack. He lead the way to one of the extra rooms and opened the door to reveal the Potters on the bed still out. "No!" Remus rushed to the bed and collapsed down next to James. "Are they dead?" His voice free of the anger just sadness.

He took a deep breath. "No Remus their not dead."

Remus jumped up. "What! What do you mean their not dead." He motioned for him to sit down.

He sat, "The night of the attack i went in as a rat and deflected the spell and put a powerful sleeping charm on them. I couldn't get to Harry but he managed. The killing curse can not be deflected easily so it took all my energy to do, but with the sleeping charm combine with the curse deflection. It put them in a coma. They haven't moved much since that night."

Remus had his head in his hands. "Peter why didn't you come find me. I could have helped, did you think you could do this alone?"

"I didn't know how powerful it would be and the whole not getting help thing. I was sure you would kill me once you found out the truth. Like that i ratted them out in the first place and Sirius is in Azkaban for my mistakes."

"Well you're not making it easy to not kill you." Remus grumbled.

"Will you help me?"