Forever A Marauder

Twenty-Three: Peter

PETER

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A pair of Gryffindor students walked through a small shop in Hogsmeade. The girl walked behind the boy and her eyes scanned the shelves. Smiling as if remembering an inside joke, the girl sneaked behind another shelf and grabbed a candy skull off of a pedestal. Sneaking up on the boy, she made him jump by grabbing his shoulder roughly.

Calysta held the red skull in front of her face and made gurgly noises. "Grraaahh I'm going to steal your soul!" Then a burst of laughter followed her joke.

"You scared me," Peter deadpanned, but began to join in with his own laughter. Calysta laughed airily and placed the hard candy back in its place. He watched her fingers adjust her gold and red scarf around her neck. A small moon and partner star charm twinkled under it on a silver chain. He cleared his throat nervously when her eyes met his.

"Sorry, I couldn't resist." She kept shuffling down the aisle and collected a few Chocolate Frogs and a small box of Drooble's gum. Peter walked after her, his mind deciding on words. He was suddenly nervous around her. Around his friends, it was easy but being alone with her wasn't so. Perhaps with everything else happening, what with the Death Eaters and her break up with Sirius, the air wasn't as clear as before.

"What's bothering you?" Peter changed the subject. The conversation before had clearly ended. Calysta stopped in the middle of her action of placing a licorice wand in her basket. She proceeded to bounce the candy wand in her opposite hand thoughtfully.

"A lot of things are going on right now and I don't know what to do about it, I guess." She was being truthful.

"Like with Sirius?" Peter pried further. She froze then and threw him a hard look. Her shoulders relaxed, however, and she slowly closed her eyes and opened them again.

"I don't really want to talk about it." She turned her back towards him and skipped towards the counter. Peter followed soon after, having purchased nothing. His motivation wasn't on candy.

"He's really upset." Peter hinted. Calysta didn't reply until they left the shop and got a short distance away from it. She sighed exasperatedly.

"Peter, I have mixed feelings about it and I don't know what to do, alright?" She gushed, her voice raised slightly. She sighed again and lowered her voice. "I don't want anyone getting hurt anymore."

"Does that mean you still fancy him?" Peter held his breath, expecting he already knew the answer. Calysta looked sideways at him, her head bowed. Her dark green eyes searched him.

"I suppose I do still, uh, fancy, him." Calysta's mouth formed a faint smile. Peter released his breath through his nose and gave her a minuscule nod. "But I can't do anything about it now, I can't change what I said." She decided. Peter shrugged.

"I don't think he'd mind if you did." He replied quietly. Calysta still looked at Peter. "Did you fancy anyone else before him?" He'd wanted to know. Calysta's eyebrows furrowed at him.

"Er, not really, actually. Before Sirius kissed me last year I didn't, no."

"So did you like Sirius before he kissed you?"

"Of course I liked him, but I didn't really fancy him, as you say, you know what I mean?" She tilted her head and picked her fingers. Peter nodded silently. He couldn't argue when his mind screamed that he fancied Calysta. He didn't deny it, though Peter could never tell her. Sirius' feelings were stronger than his own, and he didn't deny that either.

"He fancied you." Peter told her. Calysta's eyes glanced away and came back.

"I kind of thought so. But I wasn't sure." Calysta admitted. Peter shrugged and kept up with her pace.

"I can't believe they came after you in Hogsmeade," Peter said aloud as the pair passed the Three Broomsticks. Two Aurors stood outside, and one could be seen inside sitting at the end of the bar. If only it had been that way on the day it went to hell. Calysta's lips pursed tightly and she dragged her gaze away from it.

"I can't believe it either," She whispered in a small voice and walked even faster to pass it. "Where are the others anyways?" The subject changed again.

"Lily and James are on a date at Puddifoot's and Remus and Sirius are at the Three Broomsticks." Peter was alright with not talking about it anymore. Calysta's mouth formed an 'o' shape.

"They probably saw me outside." She stated. Peter smiled.

"Or not, I saw them head towards the back before James came for Lily," Peter explained. Calysta looked relieved.

"I want to go inside too but I don't think I will..." Calysta straightened herself out and pressed on. As they passed the tea shop, Lily and James were hooked together by their arms as they exited.

"What'd you get at Honeydukes?" Lily chirped. James nuzzled his nose in her neck and she laughed, playfully shoving him away. Peter stole a peek at Calysta and she watched them longingly. She did miss Sirius as much as Sirius missed her...

"I didn't get anything but Cal got Chocolate Frogs and gum. I think licorice wands too." Peter listed. Calysta subtly shook her head and blinked.

"You can have some too," She then offered. Lily and James shared glances.

"Thanks!" Lily cheerfully said. "I'm so full right now. James accidentally ordered a whole cake." They broke out in a fit of laughter.

"How do you accidentally buy a whole cake?" Calysta asked, joining in with the humor.

"No idea." James threw his arms to the side.

"What're you all laughin' about?" Remus asked as he came up beside Peter, hands shoved in his hoodie pockets. Sirius stood behind Remus and looked past Remus' back at James. Calysta's shoulder tensed against Peter's arm. But she smiled anyways when James and Lily burst into giggles again.

~~~~~

Hot water almost stung Peter's back as he rubbed soap over his arms. He scrubbed shampoo through his hair and his head sank into the stream of scalding water. Once it was all rinsed, Peter shut the water off and watched it swirl down the drain. Quickly throwing on a t-shirt and long sweat pants, he partially dried his hair with a towel and stepped out of the foggy bathroom into the boys' dorms tower.

"Where's James and Remus?" Peter asked Sirius, who was the only one in the room. His arms were hooked under his head, lounging in his bed and staring at the top of the canopy.

"James and Remus are studying with Lily for that charms test tomorrow." Sirius said quietly. "What'd you do today, Peter?" He asked casually, thought some hint of inquisitiveness was present in his tone. Peter gulped and took a seat on his own bed.

"Went to Honeydukes." Peter's voice was growing quieter.

"With Calysta?" Sirius pressed.

"Yes." Peter confirmed. Sirius nodded to himself and shifted around on top of the covers.

"She say anything?" His voice went soft. Peter sighed to himself and nodded, moving his eyes to the floor then back to Sirius. Sirius sat up to look at him, tilting his head. "What exactly?"

"Uh, I don't know if she'd want me to say anything." Peter tried. Calysta probably wouldn't appreciate it.

"Come on, mate, I'm going crazy. She's barely spoken to me at all." Sirius pleaded. Peter groaned and scratched his arms.

"She still fancies you, if that's what you want to hear, Sirius." Peter didn't plan to have it sound so snappy. Sirius raised an eyebrow. Seemingly satisfied however, he laid back into his pillow again.

"I might have to get word from her later." He said absently. Peter tensed and tried to hide it.

"Don't tell her I told you. She'd be mad at me." Peter covered. Sirius chuckled in his throat.

"No worries, mate. If I know her at all, she would hex me if she truly didn't want to talk." He assured.