Of Loneliness And Friendship

Peter walked down the path towards the Potter house. No, house wasn't the right word. A manor, that's what it was. Looking like it was from another century. Which it probably was. Peter knew that, what was waiting behind those ancient walls, was the most welcoming and open-hearted family to ever exist, but he still caught himself being intimidated by the huge and mighty facade. His day at school has been exhausting and it showed as he dragged himself up the front steps leading to a heavy mahogany door. Just as he was about to raise his knuckles to knock, the door flew open and a bespectacled mess of limbs jumped at him overexcitedly.

"She said yes, Pete! Can you believe that? She said yes!"

An awkward laugh was Peter's response while he patted James' shoulder in a brotherly manner. To be honest, he didn't know if he should cry or laugh. Don't get it wrong, he was beyond happy that his best friend finally had a date with the girl of his dreams! But that also meant that he was now officially the only Marauder without a date for Prom night. Not that he'd wanted one in the first place.

"That's amazing, Prongs!"

"Thanks, man! Bloody hell, I still can't really believe it. Lily Fucking Evans! I'm going to Prom with Lily Fucking Evans!"

"Yeah, wow!"

Peter was probably the worst liar on the face of earth and his fake smiles were absolute trash as well and James would usually see through his week facade immediately. Not today.

"Come on, Pete. If we leave the others alone for too long, they'll start snogging and I don't want to walk in on them half naked again."

Turns out Sirius and Remus were already all over each other. Given, they still had their shirts on but somehow the sight managed to extinguish the last bit of excitement Peter had had left for this evening anyways.

Couldn't they just go back to being four best friends doing stupid shit together? 
No girls, no relationships between any of them. Just four idiots having the best time of their lives. Apparently that was too much to ask. Nowadays, everything had to be about sex and snogging and love interests of any kind and Peter just felt trapped and there was no escape.

' Pete, who do you think is the hottest girl in our grade? '

' Have you had your first kiss, yet? '

' So, Petey, do you have a girlfriend? - Or a boyfriend, Bernie! You know, we will accept you no matter what! - Of course, or a boyfriend. - no? Well, better hurry up then, or all the good ones will be gone! '

' Who was your first crush? '

' Boobs over butt! - Nonono, Prongs, you got it all wrong! - What do you think, Wormy? '

Personally, his most terrifying experience had been to find out that literally every boy in his year had, at some point, watched porn and wanked over it. Except him. Also, everyone apparently seemed to have an urge to press their food hole onto the one of another person. Except him. He felt so out of place. Like something was wrong with him. He knew there wasn't. He knew the word, he'd done his research. It still felt surreal. Like it was something that existed in another world.

Maybe that was why he never said it out loud. It would make it real. And if it was real, then he'd be completely alone.

"Hey, Pete. Who did you say you are taking to Prom?"

Here we go again.

"I don't know, I thought I'd ask Mary, maybe."

"Sorry, mate. I'm pretty sure she's agreed to go with Dearborn."