Mischief Managed Year Two Part One: The Poisoned Truth

Chapter Nineteen- The Importance of a Handshake

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Peter was losing his mind.

It was bad enough that the three of them hadn't woken him up to go to the Forbidden Forest, but they kept forgetting about him. He was trying so hard to get Sirius and James to be interested in him in the way they were with Remus. He had told them he had a secret! But just as he thought they'd be paying him some attention, finally, James had taken him aside after a particularly grueling Transfiguration class and told him under no uncertain terms was he to mention his secret.

"But why!" he protested loudly.

James hushed him and yanked him away from the classroom quickly. "Because Remus suggested we all talk to you about it but Sirius won't be able not to ask questions if that happens and then Remus will avoid us and we can't tail him. So you need to wait until after we get to tail him this month. Got it?"

Peter sighed and resisted the urge to point out that it had been James who had made things worse between them and Remus this time. Besides, the three of them had gone to the forest together so clearly, Remus wasn't that upset at them.

"Alright. But then you'll all listen to me? It's not easy to talk about and I want everyone there so I only have to say it once."

James gave him a look like he didn't believe anything Peter had to say could be that important. It wasn't fair! They hadn't even apologized for going to the Forbidden Forest without him the other day, though Peter knew he was a heavy sleeper.

They claimed even tickling his feet didn't wake him but he was beginning to think they hadn't even tried. Did they even want to be friends with him anymore? Peter had been careful to take Remus' advice and not mention how he had snogged someone first, though Sirius was adamant it was a peck like James got last year, and therefore didn't count. Peter didn't see the big deal. It's not like he was going to ever win against them in anything else. Couldn't they at least give him this?

"Fine. But I mean it, Peter. Remus is...things are shaky, and he isn't as comfortable around us as we need him to be. You understand right?"

Peter nodded though he personally disagreed. Remus seemed fine to him. Sure he had avoided them a lot, well maybe not him. But Lupin always eventually came back and when he did everything always seemed back to normal, at least until the next thing sent him running.

"What are you two talking about?" Remus called from further down the hall cheerfully. Of course, he was cheerful; he had gotten his desk turned into a hog and back nearly as fast as Lily and James.

"He seems fine to me," Peter chanced, whispering to James. Because it really wasn't fair at all!

James patted his back grinning. "Yeah, but let's keep it that way. You're a good mate, Peter."

He beamed under James' praise, suddenly feeling much better about the matter. Sirius, last to exit the classroom rushed ahead of Remus towards the two Marauders. Remus, moving at a considerably slower pace, brought up the rear, asking once more what they had been speaking about.

"Just how best to turn Sirius' socks into snakes," James teased easily and Sirius scowled, playfully slinging his arm around James' shoulders as he often did. He never did that to Peter unless it was in a threatening way, though he supposed Sirius didn't really do that to Remus either.

"You don't want to start a war with me, Potter. Don't forget I'm the best at bewitching rain clouds to follow people all day. It'll make you them wet and miserable."

"It's true. I can attest to it," Remus spoke up innocently. Sirius winced, glancing at Remus as if still expecting him to be mad about how they had teased him last year. But Remus was smiling, that rare and surprisingly wicked smile of his. "You know, I think I've learned it well enough to test it out and get you back for that. I never did that...yet," he added in a mock ominous tone, and James howled with laughter while Sirius momentarily looked stunned before grinning. Peter wished he could come up with witty retorts and funny things to say like that. Maybe Sirius and James would pay more attention to him then.