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innerslytherinTitle: The Tightening Circle
Character Pairing: Remus Lupin/Peter Pettigrew
Prompt: 5. never forgive, never forget
Rating: PG
WC: 783
Summary: 1979 - Order members are dying, and suspicion is mounting...
Author's Notes: Thanks to![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
severity_softly for inspiring my Lupigrew love and beta-reading. I'm doing the prompts as a series; this is 5/13.
Link to Prompt Table: http://innerslytherin.livejournal.com/842995.html
"I'm afraid there is no other explanation." Dumbledore's voice was heavy. Remus, clutching Peter's hand, looked around at the pale, solemn faces, and hunched shoulders, of the Order's inner cadre. Lily's eyes were red-rimmed, Sirius' jaw clenched tight. Beside him, Peter looked as if he might be sick.
None of them wanted to think the Prewetts were dead because of a traitor. They didn't want to believe that one of these people could betray the rest of them. They couldn't accept that someone in this room harboured murder in his heart.
Or her, whispered a treacherous voice in Remus' head. But it couldn't be Alice, it couldn't be Lily. And everyone knew that You-Know-Who was after Marlene, so it couldn't possibly be her.
Could it?
"It must be someone else," James said, his voice small and unJameslike.
Alice snorted. "The twelve of us were the only ones who knew there was a mission last night, and you can't think the Prewetts sold themselves out." Her voice wasn't that of sweet Alice Longbottom who hand-sewed and embroidered handkerchiefs for them all, tartan for the men and flowers for the women. Her voice was Auror Trainee Al, who had already gone up against the Dark Lord himself once, her husband at her side, and arrested Rosier after he took out a chunk of Moody's nose.
"But we're all friends here," Frank protested. His voice was generous, bewildered Frank--Civilian Frank, not the Auror. He looked as stunned as Remus felt. He didn't appear to be on the same wavelength as his fierce wife.
Remus didn't realize he'd tightened his death grip on Peter's hand until he became aware of Peter's thumb rubbing slowly across the back of his hand, forth and back, running along the ridge of his knuckles. Remus loosened his grip and gave Peter an apologetic look, but Peter was staring down at their joined hands, apparently fascinated.
"What do we do?" Lily asked, when the silence had become too heavy.
Dumbledore sighed. For the first time, Remus could see him as an old man, instead of the benevolent headmaster or the wise leader. "We watch," he said finally. "If you see something that looks suspicious, come to me. Don't share your suspicions with any others. We can't begin to foster mistrust among ourselves."
Remus frowned. He couldn't imagine not talking about something like that with Peter. They talked about everything.
"Not even our spouses?" Frank asked. He was watching his wife with a troubled expression. Remus thought of the rumours he'd heard, the way Alice maybe drank a little too much, the way Frank tried to distance himself from his rich, overbearing family.
But we're not like that, he thought, glancing at Peter again, feeling the familiar jolt at the way Peter's brown hair slanted into his eyes. What we have is special.
"Come to me," Dumbledore repeated, looking unhappy. He promised to let them know when the Prewett funeral would be, and to explain to Molly Weasley that her brothers had been part of a social dancing club so she wouldn't question the varied group of people attending (or why that exact group had attended the Potter wedding).
"Whatever happens," the Headmaster added, "never forget Gideon and Fabian Prewett. Never forget the sacrifice they made, trying to free this world of a wicked man."
"And never forgive," Sirius muttered under his breath.
As the meeting broke up, Moody barked at them to practice CONSTANT VIGILANCE! but no one laughed the way they usually did. Suddenly it didn't seem like such a ridiculous catchphrase.
"Let's go home," Peter said, ignoring the way James was trying to catch their attention. "I want bed and you."
Remus nodded. "Snuggling and tea," he agreed. It seemed frivolous, but he wanted Peter's arms around him, wanted the reassurance that they were still alive, still safe. The way the war was going, there was no guarantee that any of them had a long future.
They waved at their friends and Disapparated. Peter made the tea and they crawled into bed together, still wearing pants and vests.
Remus felt a little better once he was securely snuggled in Peter's arms. For reasons he couldn't explain, Peter made him feel safe, protected. It was a strange thought, since Peter wasn't most people's notion of a strong, valiant Gryffindor warrior. But he was Remus' knight in shining armour, and Remus knew that Peter would never let anything happen to him.
"I love you," Remus whispered, pressing his forehead against Peter's neck. "I'm so glad I have you."
Peter kissed his hair and tightened his arms. "You'll always have me," he replied. "No matter what happens, I'll love you till I die."
Character Pairing: Remus Lupin/Peter Pettigrew
Prompt: 5. never forgive, never forget
Rating: PG
WC: 783
Summary: 1979 - Order members are dying, and suspicion is mounting...
Author's Notes: Thanks to
severity_softly for inspiring my Lupigrew love and beta-reading. I'm doing the prompts as a series; this is 5/13.Link to Prompt Table: http://innerslytherin.livejournal.com/842995.html
"I'm afraid there is no other explanation." Dumbledore's voice was heavy. Remus, clutching Peter's hand, looked around at the pale, solemn faces, and hunched shoulders, of the Order's inner cadre. Lily's eyes were red-rimmed, Sirius' jaw clenched tight. Beside him, Peter looked as if he might be sick.
None of them wanted to think the Prewetts were dead because of a traitor. They didn't want to believe that one of these people could betray the rest of them. They couldn't accept that someone in this room harboured murder in his heart.
Or her, whispered a treacherous voice in Remus' head. But it couldn't be Alice, it couldn't be Lily. And everyone knew that You-Know-Who was after Marlene, so it couldn't possibly be her.
Could it?
"It must be someone else," James said, his voice small and unJameslike.
Alice snorted. "The twelve of us were the only ones who knew there was a mission last night, and you can't think the Prewetts sold themselves out." Her voice wasn't that of sweet Alice Longbottom who hand-sewed and embroidered handkerchiefs for them all, tartan for the men and flowers for the women. Her voice was Auror Trainee Al, who had already gone up against the Dark Lord himself once, her husband at her side, and arrested Rosier after he took out a chunk of Moody's nose.
"But we're all friends here," Frank protested. His voice was generous, bewildered Frank--Civilian Frank, not the Auror. He looked as stunned as Remus felt. He didn't appear to be on the same wavelength as his fierce wife.
Remus didn't realize he'd tightened his death grip on Peter's hand until he became aware of Peter's thumb rubbing slowly across the back of his hand, forth and back, running along the ridge of his knuckles. Remus loosened his grip and gave Peter an apologetic look, but Peter was staring down at their joined hands, apparently fascinated.
"What do we do?" Lily asked, when the silence had become too heavy.
Dumbledore sighed. For the first time, Remus could see him as an old man, instead of the benevolent headmaster or the wise leader. "We watch," he said finally. "If you see something that looks suspicious, come to me. Don't share your suspicions with any others. We can't begin to foster mistrust among ourselves."
Remus frowned. He couldn't imagine not talking about something like that with Peter. They talked about everything.
"Not even our spouses?" Frank asked. He was watching his wife with a troubled expression. Remus thought of the rumours he'd heard, the way Alice maybe drank a little too much, the way Frank tried to distance himself from his rich, overbearing family.
But we're not like that, he thought, glancing at Peter again, feeling the familiar jolt at the way Peter's brown hair slanted into his eyes. What we have is special.
"Come to me," Dumbledore repeated, looking unhappy. He promised to let them know when the Prewett funeral would be, and to explain to Molly Weasley that her brothers had been part of a social dancing club so she wouldn't question the varied group of people attending (or why that exact group had attended the Potter wedding).
"Whatever happens," the Headmaster added, "never forget Gideon and Fabian Prewett. Never forget the sacrifice they made, trying to free this world of a wicked man."
"And never forgive," Sirius muttered under his breath.
As the meeting broke up, Moody barked at them to practice CONSTANT VIGILANCE! but no one laughed the way they usually did. Suddenly it didn't seem like such a ridiculous catchphrase.
"Let's go home," Peter said, ignoring the way James was trying to catch their attention. "I want bed and you."
Remus nodded. "Snuggling and tea," he agreed. It seemed frivolous, but he wanted Peter's arms around him, wanted the reassurance that they were still alive, still safe. The way the war was going, there was no guarantee that any of them had a long future.
They waved at their friends and Disapparated. Peter made the tea and they crawled into bed together, still wearing pants and vests.
Remus felt a little better once he was securely snuggled in Peter's arms. For reasons he couldn't explain, Peter made him feel safe, protected. It was a strange thought, since Peter wasn't most people's notion of a strong, valiant Gryffindor warrior. But he was Remus' knight in shining armour, and Remus knew that Peter would never let anything happen to him.
"I love you," Remus whispered, pressing his forehead against Peter's neck. "I'm so glad I have you."
Peter kissed his hair and tightened his arms. "You'll always have me," he replied. "No matter what happens, I'll love you till I die."
