The Rat's Gift |Peter Pettigrew| (Completed) #harrypotterawards2019

2

James poured a hot cup of tea and pushed it towards Peter, who was still shivering from being completely drenched. James suspected that the cold was not the only thing that was making him shiver.

"Drink it up, Pete," he said in a soft voice. He poured a cup for himself and settled down opposite Peter, across the wooden table and on to the bench beside it. Peter gave a nervous glance at him before picking the mug up and taking a sip.

"What is this p-place?" asked Peter.

"I dunno. It looks different each time I come here. Today it looks like the Forbidden Forest," replied James.

Peter had not noticed that and after James' observation, he too found it familiar. They were sitting inside a small cabin and the wooden table and benches on either side, were the only pieces of furniture present. The entire cabin was adorned with a single window, located adjacent to the doorway and opposite to which was the fireplace, where a copper kettle, with which James had prepared the tea, was hovering.

"Are we in Hagrid's cabin?" he asked, looking around.

James too, looked around taking in the surroundings. "Blimey! It is Hagrid's cabin."

Peter stared at his friend in front of him. He had a slightly wild smile which he always wore when he used to talk about quidditch. Sitting like this in what appeared to be Hagrid's cabin, another memory which Peter thought he had long forgotten surfaced.

Peter sat up in the middle of the night gasping for breath. It was that nightmare again. Every time he closed his eyes, he could hear his parents arguing.

He looked over at his friends who were peacefully asleep. Even Sirius, who was the one usually with the nightmares, looked to be sleeping with a smile on his face and Peter knew why.

During the Christmas holidays, Sirius had finally decided to run away from his home. After enduring nothing but abuse and hatred from his family over the past years ever since he had joined Hogwarts, Sirius had decided that he finally had enough. He had packed a few of his belongings and set out straight for Godric's Hollow to James's place, where he had been accepted with open arms. Peter wondered what would have happened if instead of Sirius, it had been Remus or him at the Potter's doorstep. They would probably have accepted Remus, but he wasn't so sure about himself.

After all, ever since the first day, he had to endure his troubles all alone. When it came to the other three, if anyone of them, was slightly down in the dumps, the other two would figure it out immediately and they would do their best to cheer them up. When Sirius had his nightmares, James would hold him and make him a cup of tea. They would sit in the Gryffindor common room and talk till the next day. Sirius would also seem better.

But no one seemed to notice him. Even when he took an effort to appear miserable. The small clock on the desk, which Lily had given Remus as a present, read three a.m.

Peter sighed and went back to sleep.

The next day, the nightmares were getting worse. He imagined himself falling through a dark hole with no end. He wanted to scream out when he felt someone shoving him gently.

"Pete!Oi Pete! Are you alright?"

Peter opened his eyes to find that he was still in his bed, drenched in sweat. James was looking at him with concern and Sirius was right beside him. Peter sat up and rested against the headboard. He was trembling.

James asked him once again if he was alright and the fountain broke. Peter started to tell them everything that had happened over the summer and even during the Christmas holidays. When he had finished, the other two looked aghast.

"Blimey Pete! You've been holding this inside you all this time? You could've told us. We won't know unless you tell us!" chided Sirius.

Peter wanted to retort that between Sirius, James and Remus, they didn't have the need to tell each other but he kept his mouth shut. He was grateful enough that his mates had woken up in the middle of the night for him. He must've looked miserable because James stood up suddenly and grabbed the invisibility cloak. "Sirius! Wake Remus up."

"Where are we going?" asked Peter, looking alarmed. He appreciated that they were willing to listen to his problems, but he didn't want to get in to any trouble.

"We are going for a swim in the moonlight!"

------------------------------------------------

Peter curled himself up inside the stag's antlers as it raced through the grounds with Remus on its back. The huge shaggy dog kept its pace beside the stag and they headed for the black lake. As the wind gushed past them, Peter felt the weight in his chest lessen. He was with his best mates and there was nothing in the entire world that could dampen his spirits.

The stag came to a sudden halt and Peter felt himself being hurled forward. Involuntarily, he transformed back in to his human form and landed with a huge splash in to the Black Lake. Beside him, there was another splash and he figured Remus was in the water too.

He got up to see James and Sirius on the edge of lake, holding their abdomens in pain from laughing.

"We agreed it would only be swimming," muttered Remus as he got up to his feet. James and Sirius doubled over in laughter and Peter couldn't help but laugh too. Trust those two to bring a laugh to any funeral.

"Brace yourself, Wormtail," said Remus and Peter turned to see a wicked grin on Remus' face.

"Wha-?"

"Accio James and Sirius!" said Remus, his wand pointed at the two.

Both the boys came flying towards them and as a result all four of them fell in to the water again. They began splashing about pulling each other down and somehow it was almost dawn.

They got out of the lake and having dried themselves with their wands, marched towards Hagrid's cabin.

"HAGRID! HAGRID!" bellowed Sirus, banging hard on the wooden door.

The door swung open and an irate Rubeus Hagrid, emerged from inside. "Who the hell is callin' at this bloody hour?"

However his expression softened upon seeing them. "Oh! It's yeh lot. What are yeh up to now?" He peered around looking to see if any damage had been done outside his cabin.

"Aww come on, Hagrid! We just fancied a cup of tea with you, mate!" said Sirius, in a sweet voice.

Hagrid grinned at him. "Yeah. I bet that wasn' why yeh are here at all. Come on in." He ushered the four of them inside.

As the sun rose outside, Peter took a sip of the tea, Hagrid had made for them. It didn't taste very good but sitting here with his friends by his side was worth way a lot more.

Peter felt his eyes moisten again, as he felt a pang of regret. Where had all those memories gone?

"Remember how we would spend whole nights at the Black Lake and have tea at Hagrid's in the morning?" asked James, as if reading his mind. "Good old days, huh?"

Peter nodded but couldn't think of anything to say. They finished their tea in silence and Peter finally found the courage to broach the subject.

"James, I-"

"Why Peter?" interjected James. The smile had vanished and he looked dead pan serious. "Why didn't you come to us in the first place?"

And once again Peter couldn't think of anything to say as it had been the very same question he had been asking himself for the past seventeen years.