Cinnamon~ A Peter Pettigrew Love Story

FOUR

There they were. Sitting by a tree, side to side, talking to each other about random things. Both Ava and Peter had left their friends alone, due to the fact that James and Sirius were drunk and they didn't want to get caught up in having to drag the two idiot boys home, so they both fled the scene and found a nearby tree to lean on and look out at the lake that was viewed before them.

Ava took a deep breath in and out and leaned her head back on the base of the tree. Every once in a while, though, she would sneak some glances at Peter when he had his eyes closed or looking in a different direction. She thought he was handsome and he thought she was beautiful. What was keeping them from being together, though? Their inability to admit feelings for people. But, maybe they could change for each other?

When Ava shifted her gaze from the glistening lake to Peter, she noticed something. She noticed how he didn't always have an emotion on hi face. Not that that was a bad thing but she looked at him and the more she looked, the more she noticed how emotion less he looked. Sometimes, Peter looked happy. He was smiling and laughing with his friends, but other times, she would see him at the Quidditch field late at night, just staring off into the distance. Like he was a stone statue with nothing to do or say.

But, Ava cared about him. A lot, actually, though she never got to talk to him, seeing as he was always with his friends. So, she decided to ask the million dollar question.

"Peter?" his eyes opened and he looked down at her face.

He hummed in response. "Are you okay?" she finally asked.

Peter seemed a little take back by her question, but his eyes softened as he processed what she had asked.

"A little." Peter answered softly, his gaze shifting back to the lake.

Ava's eyebrows furrowed and she leaned up to face him. He caught on to her gesture that she was confused.

"I guess sometimes I feel really alone and even though I have the guys," He gestured toward the bar where the others were. "I just feel alone and the reason I don't show it is because I have this feeling that If I show any emotion, then they'll think I'm weak and I don't like to be thought of as weak." He finished his sentence and looked into her eyes.

Ava felt grateful that he had opened up to her about how he felt but she also felt bad for him. Though she wanted to pity him, she knew well enough not to. Instead, she looked at him and pursed her lips, seeing as she didn't know what to say. Even if she did, she wouldn't know how to say it. At least, not in the way he would probably want to hear it in.

Peter's eyes flickered from Ava's eyes then to her lips continuously but not long after his confession of his feelings to Ava, he couldn't take it anymore. So, he cupped her face and brought her lips to his. Ava was taken aback by his sudden movement but soon accustomed to it, seeing as she melted into the kiss right away. The kiss wasn't heated or sexual, but it was something more. The kiss was sweet and slow. Ava felt butterflies in her stomach as she moved her lips in sync with his, her hands brought up to his.

They both pulled away from each other, Peter's hands still lay on Ava's face. They stared at each other for a while, steadying their breathing. Peter then brought his hands down from her face and looked down.

"I'm sorry, its just I-" Peter started to apologize but was cut off.

"Why are you sorry?" Ava asked, eyebrows furrowed, wondering why he was sorry.

"I shouldn't have done that..." Peter trailed off as he looked back at the lake, trying to avoid her sympathetic gaze, but failed as his eyes met her piercing green ones.

"You shouldn't be sorry, Peter." Ava reassured him. "I liked it.. a lot, actually."

Peter was a bit shocked as to hearing what the blonde girl had just said to him. But, the shock faded and was replaced with a heavy, relieved sigh and a smile replacing his frown. A smile, also plastered on Ava's defined face. Peter lied his head down on her lap, while she just sat there, staring off into the view of the lake, while Peter lied there, dozing off.

Little did the two know that there was a tipsy James and Sirius standing there, watching the scene unfold. But, not close enough to hear what you two were saying, thankfully.

"Thank you." Peter whispered, almost inaudible, but Ava heard it.

"For?"

"Everything. You've helped me trust a bit better. I opened up to you. I rarely do that to anyone." Peter answered, his eyes still closed.

"What about your parents?" Ava had apparently hit a blind spot because Peter opened his eyes and lifted his head, leveling with hers.

"I uh, I don't have parents. I grew up in the system." Peter answered, his nose scrunching up.

Ava's face dropped and she apologized. "Oh Peter, I'm so sorry."

Peter turned his face toward her and let a small smile curve his lips. "It's okay. You can't really miss someone you've never met, now can you?"

Ava raised her eyebrows and nodded, pursing her lips. "Yeah, I guess so." She looked at him, then the lake.

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The rest of the day went by quickly. Ava and Peter sitting by the tree, talking and laughing as if they had known each other for years. They had both roamed the streets of Hogsmeade, going in shops, cracking jokes along the way, as well. It was near sunset when they had finished their day together, time flying by rather quickly.

"So, you have learned a lot about me today, but I have yet to know much about you, Miss. White." Peter said while eating his ice cream cone that he had gotten not that long ago.

Ava nodded and smiles as she looked straight ahead. "Well, I guess there is not much interesting things in my life." Ava turned her head to look at a smiling Peter. "But, if anything I have a little sister named Lucy. She's in her fourth year, though." Peter hummed in response. "My parents are not that interesting, just some purebloods." Ava shrugged and looked straight again, squinting her eyes against the cool wind. "I had a brother." Ava said, her smile fading, along with Peter's.

"What do you mean 'had'?" Peter asked, his brows furrowing in confusion.

Both of them had found a nearby bench to sit on, so Ava gestured to sit, in which Peter obliged.

"When I was around nine, my brother was in his fourth year and while he was here he ended up getting lost. He went to the forbidden forest but he never came back out." Ava lowered her head. "They found his body two weeks later." Ava finished and looked back up, squinting her eyes, fighting back tears at the memories of her brother. "I didn't really want to come to Hogwarts at first because of his death and how they never did anything about it, but I'm glad I did."

Peter was looking at her, trying to read her expression, but he failed. "What was his name?" Peter asked, trying not to upset her.

"Evan." She answered, an extremely small smile forming, remembering him. She remembered how he would always play with her, how he would defend her if someone bullied her, but she also still remembered the last things she had said to him.

'I love you, bubba!' Yelled little Ava as her brother waved to her, Lucy, and their mother from the cart window.

'I love you too!' He yelled back, making the young girl smile.

Ava let a tear slip from her eye, but before she could wipe it, Peter's hand came in contact with her face, brushing the tear off her face. Smiling, she turned to him and pressed a quick kiss to his cheek before getting up and walking toward Hogwarts, Peter following quickly after.