fic: Four Times Peter Pettigrew Stuck His Nose In Other People's Business

[lost_in_azkaban]

Title: Four Times Peter Pettigrew Stuck His Nose In Other People's Business (And One Time He Didn't)
Pairing: Remus/Sirius; Peter-centric
Rating: Swears & Snogging
Summary: Basically what the title says. Peter has a penchant for getting into things he shouldn't. A look at young Remus/Sirius through the eyes of the most neglected of the Marauders.
A/N: Big thanks to my beta princess, chanteur_dombre, and to all my marauders who helped me find a soft spot for Pettigrew. Happy Thanksgiving, all!



Four Times Peter Pettigrew Stuck His Nose in Other People's Business (and One Time He Didn't)

1.

Being the least talkative of the four, Peter Pettigrew found that he had more time for observation. His observance of things was not like Bertha Jorkins' obvious ogling, nor was it like the spying by the sneakier Slytherins. Subtlety was something that hadn't always come naturally to the boy, but with practice, he found that he was able to pick up on things that others were not. Not only did this make him more valuable to the group, bringing vital information missed by the others and helpful tip-offs for their illicit activities, but also, in most cases, he was way ahead of everyone else.

Sitting at breakfast one morning, Peter made sure that every inch of his toast was slathered in jam before devouring it. James was sitting on his left, staring wistfully at Lily Evans who was farther down the bench. She ignored him, Peter noted with a smirk. It occurred to him that maybe if James spent less time daydreaming about Lily, he would notice the things Peter did. Things like Remus and Sirius being late for breakfast for the third morning in a row.

Peter was not one to judge, but he couldn't help but wonder. Obviously, Sirius loved the ladies. He made a habit of flaunting his female conquests all about the school. All Peter knew about sex and the female anatomy, he learned vicariously from Sirius' experience. Remus, on the other hand, was an enigma. Peter was almost positive that Remus had never had a girlfriend. Most of the time, he had his nose buried in his books and when he did resurface, it was too scold them for being rash and immature. Sometimes though, Remus would shirk off his responsibility and prank with the rest of them. Peter liked when Remus let loose a little.

It was that thought that sent him down a line of thinking most hypothetical. Peter knew he needed evidence to prove his point, he couldn't believe his own suppositions without hard proof. He wouldn't tell anyone, especially not James. If Sirius and Remus were doing it, Peter would be the first to know and he relished in the fact.

Sirius and Remus arrived moments later and took their spot on the bench across from Peter and James. Peter took silent inventory of their features and stored them away in his mind. Sirius' eyes were much too bright and cheery for a Wednesday morning and he sat almost uncomfortably close to Remus. Moony's hair was more rumpled and unkempt than usual, Peter thought with an invisible smirk. It was so obvious. Returning his attention to his toast so as not to look too suspicious, Peter took a bite and then spoke through the crumbs.

"Morning!" he said cheerfully, "Late again?" He hoped he didn't sound too interrogatory.

Remus lifted his head and met Peter's gaze with an odd stare. It almost made Peter want to shrink in his seat and disappear, but it wasn't like Peter was opposed to the idea of his friends being more than friends. He just wanted to be the first to know. Remus opened his mouth to speak, but Sirius jumped in and cut him off.

"Moony overslept and I stayed behind to wake him. Plus, no one likes to come down to breakfast alone. Especially when they're late. James, are you going to eat that?" Sirius was all over the place, Peter noticed, his jumpy behavior was uncharacteristic. Peter kept watching carefully as Sirius leaned over the table and forked a sausage on James' plate. James just waved him on, without breaking his stare at Evans. Peter almost rolled his eyes. "Thanks, mate." Sirius said before shoving the sausage in his mouth.

But then Peter saw it, amidst the chaos that Sirius had created and Remus' silent treatment, he realized they were using diversionary tactics. Of course, all that pranking must have been great practice to manage the skill to hide a relationship under their own friends' noses. It was there, between Sirius' sausage smacking mouth and Remus' cup of tea. As Sirius placed his fork between their plates on the table, he let his hand rest there for a moment, beside Remus'. Peter almost choked when he saw Sirius' pinky finger move and curl around Remus' pinky, locking their hands in a subtle display. Peter wanted to shout it from the rooftops.

He glanced at Remus and noted a faint blush on his cheeks, but then Remus was giving him that Look again. And as if it were all a delusional vision, Peter watched as Remus faked a cough, tearing his hand away to cover his mouth.

"Right then," Remus spoke finally, "I'm going to head to the library before class." He bolted from the scene before anyone could respond or protest.

Sirius gave Peter an odd sort of grin.

It was so obvious.

2.

There were three kinds of students that utilized the library. The first was common sense. Students needed to study and the library provided a quiet haven for the more dedicated scholars. The second group were the ones who pretended that they needed a quiet place to study, but instead, simply feigned interest in books while trolling for a future girlfriend or boyfriend. And lastly, the most shameless of all, took refuge in the dark aisles of books to snog each other. These ones made no pretense of study, and for that, Peter kind of admired their brazenness. He'd never be part of the last group, but he did enjoy watching the different dynamics of library politics unfold.

That particular day Peter had no reason to be in the library at all. He had uncharacteristically finished all his homework early and had absolutely nothing to do until Monday. James had left early in the morning to practice Quidditch by himself, Sirius and Remus had disappeared like they always did, and Peter was left to his own devices. It wasn’t long before he was bored to tears and decided to seek out one of his friends for company. He knew that James wouldn’t want to be bothered and Sirius would be impossible to find on a beautiful day like this, so it’d have to be Remus. And Remus was easy. Peter knew without doubt that he’d be in the library. Homework or not, Remus gravitated to the place.

Peter ran his fingers against the spines of the books as he slowly walked through the stacks. He was in no particular rush to find Remus now that he was here in the library. A young Hufflepuff girl caught his eye just as he came in, so he took a moment to travel in slow circles around her table, taking great care that she couldn’t see or hear him. He preferred to spy without the threat of discovery. The girl was too pretty, he decided, and would never take a chance on a Gryffindor troublemaker such as himself. Surrendering his silent vigil after a handsome Ravenclaw boy took the chair beside her, Peter gave up and went to go find Remus in his usual spot.

Their favorite area was in the farthest and secluded part of the library where a lone table with four chairs seemed to have been put there specifically for the Marauders. It also helped when they were prone to loud outbursts and guffawing laughter, for not many ventured that far into the library. Still sore on his recent loss of the pretty young Hufflepuff, Peter headed towards their table, scuffing his feet along the floor. He wasn’t watching where he was going because he knew the way, so when he crashed into something moving towards him, he was caught completely off guard.

His hands came up to rest against the thing he ran into and he found school robes under his fingers. He looked up to see the person’s face and was surprised to see familiar grey eyes under a fall of raven hair.

“Wormy!” he exclaimed, a bit too manic…even for a Black.

“Sirius,” Peter said, with a questioning frown, “what are you doing here?”

Already extracting himself from Peter’s grasp and moving to exit, Sirius waggled his fingers in the air vaguely as if to explain. “Oh, you know…well…see you around, Pete.” He gave Peter one of his trademark disarming grins before heading in the opposite direction.

It took Peter merely seconds to recover from the surprise of finding Sirius when it hit him. Oh, Peter thought deliciously. He quickly moved around the corner and spotted their table where Remus was seated, adjusting his school robes with violent haste and looking incredibly flushed. Peter fought down the immense urge to giggle and went to sit across from Remus who didn’t even realize his presence until he scraped the chair across the floor.

“Alright, Remus.” He said as he plopped down.

“Hello Peter.” replied Remus, looking surprised and guilty all at once.

“What’re you doing?”

“What does it look like I’m doing?” he snapped.

Peter wanted to say something inappropriate, but bit his tongue. Instead, he let the issue lie and pulled a book out of his knapsack. As he flipped through the pages of a textbook he didn’t need to study, Peter silently forgave Remus his outburst. He knew that they were hiding something now. Merely seconds too late, Peter vowed to get hard evidence to prove his point.

3.

“Can I borrow a pair of socks?” Peter asked his friends. Of course, he had his own, but lately his had a habit of disappearing and his mum refused to send more.

“Not on, Peter.” James said, adding disgusting gagging noises for effect. Remus frowned disapprovingly.

“In my trunk. Just promise you’ll do a good cleaning charm when you’re through with them, eh?” said Sirius.

“Thanks, mate.” Peter rolled off his bed and went over to Sirius’ trunk and popped it open. “Oy!”

“Yeah, I know it’s a bit fussed up right now,” Sirius added, “Just dig around…there’s sure to be socks in there somewhere.”

If Peter didn’t have his head in Sirius’ trunk, he would have noticed a small smile appear on Remus’ face. He knew he probably looked like an idiot with half his body bent over Sirius’ trunk with his arse in the air, but he really needed those socks. It was true that Peter also had a penchant for snooping, but he usually liked to do that in private…not with all three of his friends in the room. Fingers danced along the fine, dark wood of the trunk and delved deeper into its contents. Sirius was right, there was no rhyme or reason to the organization of it. It looked like a storm had ravaged the insides and Sirius was content to leave it so. Sighing, Peter dug in and started looking around. At least the mess would give him a chance to peek at his friend’s belongings.

He found the socks right away, but kept quiet so he could keep searching the trunk. Amidst the mass of school robes, there was all sorts of junk that Peter was fascinated by. He grabbed a tattered issue of Busty & Bewitched and flipped through its pages. Several pieces of parchment slipped out of the magazine and caught Peter’s eye. Casting the magazine aside, he snatched the folded parchment and opened it up, instantly recognizing Remus’ handwriting.

Sirius,

First off, how can you possibly still be upset about Snivellus Severus tutoring me in Potions last year? We’ve already been through this. He didn’t hex me. He didn’t kill me. He didn’t even try to befriend me. And I got better marks because of his help. I know I could have asked you or James, but it’s embarrassing for a bloke to ask one of his closest friends for help.

Oh, do stop sniggering, Sirius, I know you are. It isn’t attractive in the slightest. I’ll remember for the future that asking a Slytherin for academic help is a serious breach of the rules of Marauder friendship. Anyway, past is past and all that, so can we please just let the issue lie? How’s it at James’? Mr and Mrs Potter ready to throw you out yet? I can only imagine the trouble you both are getting into.

Summer here is dull and too humid. It’d be a lot nicer if I had someone to go swimming with…someone to peel the sunburn on my lower back. It’s a bugger to try and do it myself and I never was much of a contortionist. I guess what I’m trying to say is that I, Remus John Lupin, am missing so very much one Sirius Many Middle Names Black. Go on and say it, I’m acting like a girl. Well, you would too if you were all alone while your mates were off gallivanting without you.

I’ve sent along some chocolate in hopes of bribing a fast response. Do share some with James…and Peter if he comes to visit. You do need to try to include him more, I fear he feels a bit left out sometimes.

Hope all is well. I’m counting the days till I’m back at school with your bad influence to corrupt me.

Always,

Moony

Peter could hardly breathe when he was finished reading. Here it was! His hard evidence. The proof was right here…dated from last summer even. Of course, the letter didn’t spell out anything really. There was no mention of snogging or any greater emotion that loneliness. Peter wanted more.

“You still alive in there, Petey?” Sirius called out.

Peter scrambled to fold the parchment back up and shove it into the magazine before grabbing a pair of socks and pushing himself out of the trunk. He hit his head on the lid with a loud thump and cried out in pain. “Buggering bloody fuck that hurt!” he swore.

“We’ll take that as a ‘yes’ then.” replied Remus.

Eyes watering from the blow, Peter rubbed the back of his head violently and feigned a grouchy look. “That thing’s a death trap!” he whined and went to his bed, pulling the drapes closed.

“Give me back my socks, then!” Sirius yelled.

“NEVER!” Peter cried and then burst into giggles.

Later that night, Peter vowed to get a second look inside Sirius’ chest. There was bound to be more where that letter came from and if Peter was determined to be the first to find out about him and Remus, that would be a good place to start looking.

4.

If Peter was not half as good as he was at sneaking around, he would most definitely have a reputation for being a perverted voyeur. Lucky for him, he had a penchant for stealth and was almost always overlooked. It was something he had come to live with being best friends with two of the most attractive boys in school, but now, he used it to his advantage.

In Peter's defense, he did not want to be a voyeuristic pervert. He blamed it on bad timing and coincidence. It wasn't like once he was there he was going to look away. He blamed it on curiosity. It wasn't like he himself was going to get snogged anytime soon. What was the harm in a living vicariously once in a while? In Peter's mind, there was no harm. If the two people snogging didn't know and Peter wasn't caught, it was completely innocent. A win-win situation.

On this particular night, Peter was out in the corridors after curfew because he had detention for being out after curfew. It was a funny thing, Peter thought, that McGonagall should cause him to be out after hours for that very offense, but she had told him that this was the only time she had for detention this week. Not that Peter minded. He quite enjoyed walking the corridors alone. The darkness made him feel adventurous.

But fresh from detention, Peter was less inclined to seek and desperately wanted to get to bed. He hoped James and Sirius would already be asleep and not try to tempt him with mapmaking or a game of exploding snap. On his way back to Gryffindor tower, he did allow himself one detour and that was to visit a portrait he was quite fond of. Peter had stumbled upon this particular portrait in his fourth year and made it his mission to get the portrait to pay him mind. The portrait was of a young ballerina in a yellow tutu. After many months of begging and pleading, the ballerina finally stopped dancing and spoke to him. She told him her name was Gwendolyn and that she thought he was rather strange for staring at her all these months. It was the beginning of an odd, but beautiful friendship that Peter treasured almost as much as his bond with the boys.

Peter didn’t like to advertise that he’d become emotionally attached to a painting, afraid of the taunts he’d get from the boys. He liked to think of it as research and practice for the real thing. In all honesty, the girl was the prettiest he’d ever seen with the exception of the older, otherworldly beauty of Narcissa Black, but she wouldn’t give Peter the time of day. Not that he’d know what to do with her attentions once he were to hypothetically get them.

“Hullo, Gwen.” Peter said as he swung an arm up to rest against her frame.

The ballerina did not stop her pirouette. “Oh Peter! I can barely see you in the dark.”

“Fancy a light then?”

“Oh yes, please. I do so like to see your face!”

“Lumos.” Peter whispered, holding his wand at eye level.

Gwen smiled coyly and stepped closer to the bottom edge of the portrait. “Peter, I’ve missed you. You cannot go away like that. You must come visit me more often.”

Peter stroked her frame in apology. “I know I’ve been busy, but I promise to visit more. How’ve you been?”

"Tired, but then again, when am I not? Ballet is not for the faint of heart, Peter! Oh! You know, I think I saw two boys run down the hall that way. They looked like they were quite happy to be out after curfew. I wish they would have stopped to say hello, but I think they were a bit preoccupied if you catch my meaning, Peter. I think you know them. But then again, they were acting a bit strange." Gwen let out a great sigh as if her speech had tired her.

Peter's eyes bugged out. He was standing here wasting his time chatting it up with a portrait and she was bloody holding out on him! "Did you see what they looked like?"

Gwen shook her head. "Without your light, I can hardly see anything at night. They were Gryffindor, though. I know! Go after them! And please come back and regale me with your findings! "

Peter smirked, his interest piqued. "That sounds like a brilliant idea, Gwen. I'll be just a moment. Nox."

"Don't leave me waiting, Peter!" Gwen called out, but Peter was already lost in shadow.

The halls were impossibly dark, but Peter didn't dare bring light into the situation. He knew he'd be able to navigate the corridors better in his rat form, but he needed his wits about him to spy and as a rat he was always a little sketchy.

It didn't take him long to find them. Through his secretive research, Peter had learned that girls were better at finding good hiding places to sneak away to than boys. He didn't speak from experience, of course, but it did make a bit of sense. So, given that his prey consisted of two boys, he didn't have to look far before he could make out husky whispers and throaty laughs in the midst of the castle's deafening silence.

It was almost like they wanted to be caught. They hadn't even bothered with a dark alcove or a musty broom closet, but were caught in a patch of waning moonlight.

It didn't even phase Peter when he saw Remus pressed against the wall, hands grasping at the other boy's head, his fingers entangling in the other's darker hair. Peter didn't even have to look to know that the other boy was Sirius.

Well, he thought, here was his hard proof. By the looks of it, he was the first to know, just the way he had wanted it. But standing there in the shadows, watching two of his best friends kiss, he realized that this was different from any other entanglement he'd stumbled upon before. This wasn't some cheap and meaningless quick fix. There was more in the way Sirius nuzzled Remus' throat with affection and in the way their fingers laced together, like they were supposed to be connected that way.

Like Siamese twins, Peter thought hysterically.

Suddenly, he realized that he had been standing there for far too long and this was especially a time he did not want to be caught in the act of snooping. No, he wanted to keep this vision to himself and mull it over a bit. He wouldn't even return to Gwen the Yellow Ballerina with the news for surely it would spread before morning. Gwen was a terrible gossip.

He stole away in the darkness, with a warmth in his heart that he had never felt before. Longing for what he had seen, Peter wondered if he would ever experience the type of devotion and dare he say it, love, that Remus and Sirius shared. He doubted it. He just wasn't that fortunate.

Paying extra careful to step over the squeaky floorboards in his dorm, he passed James' four-poster without a sound and slipped into his own bed. Lulled to sleep by James' snores and thoughts of impossible romance, Peter slipped into dreams with a small, knowing smile on his lips.

5. (And one time he didn't.)

"We have something we'd like to tell you both."

Peter was seated on the couch in Sirius' new flat next to James and was looking up at Remus and Sirius. Remus seemed a little green around the gills, but Peter assumed it was because the full moon had recently passed. Sirius, on the other hand, was as cheerful as the day he transfigured Snape's toast into a turtle. The adult life suited Sirius and yet, he still gave off that rebellious charm he'd never grow out of.

It was weird with them not being at school anymore. Already feeling the cracks widening between them, Peter felt as if everyone was rushing far ahead of him doing grown up stuff like getting flats and owning motorbikes. He still lived at home with his parents and still felt very much the mischievous schoolboy he was mere months prior. No one seemed to notice this, so he did his best to hide his discomfort.

"Oh, do get on with it, Padfoot. You promised me Firewhiskey, not speeches." James shouted.

To the untrained ear, it seemed that James was angry, but Peter knew he was only playing.

"There will be Firewhiskey, you alcoholic, but first I want to tell you this," Sirius said, "Well, I've asked Moony to move in with me. And he's agreed."

James cocked his head. "That's it? That's the important news?"

In his mind, Peter was rolling his eyes at James. The man was truly and epically thick.

Remus touched Sirius gently on the arm. "Sirius, I think you'll have to spell it out for them." he murmured.

"James," Sirius said, clocking him playfully on the side of his head, "Remus and I...we're....bugger all. I love him. I love Remus Lupin. I love him like you love Lily...but with reciprocation."

At that, Peter stifled a laugh behind his fist. James glared at Peter and then turned his attention back to Sirius. "Arseface! Lily and I are together now and you know it!" he said angrily, but his grin betrays him.

"You're missing the point, James." Remus said kindly.

"No, no, I've got the point completely thanks to your twat of a boyfriend there. I just...wow...it's going to take a while to sink in and process, you know? I never saw it coming." James said, leaning back on the couch.

"You didn't?" asked Sirius. The look of disbelief on Sirius' face amused Peter to no end.

James shrugged and laughed. He was out of his seat in no time, hugging Remus and clapping Sirius on the back. Peter did have to admit that as thick as James was, once he did learn of something he threw himself into it without judgment. It was something he admired in James.

The emotion he felt long ago, when he first learned of Remus and Sirius' relationship, returned to him at that moment. As he watched the three of his friends together so completely content, he couldn't help but feel the warmth as well. And yet, he stood apart. He remained on the couch, conflicting emotions almost tearing him in two. He should be happy. Ecstatic, even. But a darker part of him, reminded him that people were pairing off and he was the odd man out. James and Lily. Remus and Sirius. Peter. Just Peter. Where would he fit in to their grown up life? The tumult of sentiments were almost too much to bear.

But then Remus caught his eye and smirked. "I think we've shocked Petey into silence."

Petey. He didn't know why, but Peter cringed internally at the use of the childish nickname. Why was everyone else allowed to grow up and he was still Petey? It wasn't fair.

"What have you got to say, Wormy?" Sirius added. He had his arms around James and Remus. The perfect trio.

Because Peter was an excellent faker, he put on a brave face. He was glad for Remus and Sirius, after all. He smiled with a shrug. "I kind of already knew."