Rebirth {Marauders Era}

CHAPTER 5: PETER: YOU ARE GOOD ENOUGH

Peter awoke with anxiety spiraling up and down his chest. He gasped, and then curled his hands into fists. He had had a dream about the meeting he'd had, just two weeks before school had started, with the Dark Lord.

The man had come to the front door of his house, demanding to be let in. His mother had caved because of fear for her family, and Voldemort had asked him to join his cause.

Peter had shook his head vehemently, even when the man had given him a glare.

"No, I'll never join you! I'm loyal to my friends!" He'd shouted, a rarity for him.

"You would put your own life before your friends'? How very Gryffindor of you." His mother had quaked in fear, and Peter had taken her hand and tried to get her to dissaperate from their house. He still hadn't mastered it, and the last thing they needed when fleeing was for one of them to be splinched or very badly hurt. His mother had refused, knowing the danger that came with defying the evil wizard. But still, he had tried.

"P-peter, what are you doing?" She'd exclaimed, and he'd reassured her that he'd be off to Hogwarts soon and he'd talk to Dumbledore about it. Then they did dissaperate to Hogsmeade, and they'd stayed in the inn for two weeks. Peter was yet to tell Dumbledore, and November was already nearing the end. He had told himself he was going to do it, but now his nerves seemed to be getting the best of him.

Now he lay, sweating in nerves, his anxiety hitting such a high point he started gasping for air. The Dark Lord had visited his house! Had threatened him! But Peter still quivered in fear, his thoughts turning to his poor mother, whom he knew was probably terrified. Then he thought the worst thought yet.

If I join him, maybe Mum will be spared. Should I join him?

Then his thoughts were shattered by Sirius shouting, jerking awake. He hadn't woken from a dream, but from the strange darkness and the figure, who'd told him to WAKE UP!

Somehow the other boys stayed asleep, all of them still recovering from last night.

"Pete, what's wrong?" Sirius immediately noticed that Peter was having an anxiety attack.

"I-I can't tell you!" He was having doubts yet again.

"Pete, did you have a bad dream? It's alright, I have them too, what was yours about?" He added when Peter nodded. "Don't you clam up on me! You know it will help."

Peter closed his eyes, and said the very thing that kickstarted the change in everyone's lives from what had happened in the other universe. "I saw Voldemort. He came to my house and talked to my mum and I. He tried to get me to join him. I was having a bad dream about it because it actually happened."

Peter would not have told anybody this, and he wasn't sure why he did. If Sirius hadn't woken up, he wasn't sure how far those thoughts would have gone, but now they had been vanquished. He felt warm and safe, even seeing to horror on Sirius's face. Especially seeing to horror on his face, because it meant he cared. And Peter was sure that if ha had people who cared for him like Sirius Black, he would be fine.

"Mate, you have to tell Dumbledore about this! He can keep your Mum safe, and you too Pete! Don't go bottling up your worries anymore." Peter felt grateful he had such great friends.

"I just feel so lost, Padfoot. I...I was having thoughts, terrible thoughts, about joining him! To save my mother!" Peter then started to cry. "I'm so weak, I'm hardly a wizard, and I don't think twice about betraying my best mates!"

"Oh Wormy," Sirius said, using the nickname fondly. "That doesn't make you weak. You were just thinking of your mum. And you clearly didn't join him, or you wouldn't be telling me this, right? We all have bad thoughts, all of us. You didn't listen, did you Pete? You told him off didn't you? You're stronger than a lot of wizards Peter, give yourself more credit! People over look you when they shouldn't. You're in the shadows, so nobody realizes how good you are. You became an animagus, and you're the only reason we can get to Remus on the full moon. Don't ever say you're not a good wizard."

"I guess you're right. I am friends with you lot after all, that was smart." Peter said, turning red at all the compliments. "I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"For dragging you down to see the Headmaster in the middle of the night. I just can't do it alone."

&-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-&

"So," Dumbledore looked down at Peter, his blue eyes sparkling as he stared down at him kindly. "You're asking me to help protect your mother?"

"Yes sir." Peter mumbled. "I'm just so worried about her, she was really shaken after he came after us, and I would really appreciate it, and...and..." Sirius shook his head with amusement at how he started rambling, like Dumbledore wouldn't help him or his mum. Peter seemed to realize that too, and he trailed off as Dumbledore chuckled.

"Peter, you're seventeen now, you can talk to me as an equal. You are an adult. You may still be a student, but you are all in the Order, and I treat them as equals." A pause followed, then the sweetest words poor little Peter Pettigrew had ever heard exited his mouth. "We shall find a safe location for your mother Peter. You will be safe."

&-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-&

Far away, from the void, the figure chuckled. It turned from watching the scene, then looked to where Peter was being strangled by his own hand, far in the future.

"It is begun. Second chances are given. Redemption to the traitor. But still..." A elongated pause and a breath as a deep sigh. "One couple must die, the prophecy must be fulfilled. Who does Sirius Orion Black chose? He decides. Not I. I gave him life again, a chance to live, but he decides. Not I."

The darkness trembled threateningly. It was telling the figure not to overstep their limits. The figure turned around, and part of a burning brown eye was caught in the light.

"I never overstep my limits. If he does not decide, we all die. I simply warned him. I simply told him to wake."

"And that is how you broke the contract. We were to send dreams, not give commands. But another step is to be taken. Send another. It is not enough. He needs to see the next two tragedies. Then perhaps his own. But the decision MUST be his, and his alone. Do not overstep yourself Decima."

"Oh, I wouldn't dream of it, Februus."