Life's a Rat Race

Peter Pettigrew. Has very little clue what's going on. 

[hesitantly-courageous]

marleneofmckinnon :

“Fantastic!” Marlene sprung up from her seat triumphantly, one of those impossibly permanent grins lighting up her features. She did love spending time with her cousin - they could sprawl out on the fields, a bottle of booze between them, each with a cigarette, and relax the day away. It would be a relief from the boring routine she’d gotten herself stuck in.

“Good, because I’m fairly certain that I’ve drinken - drunken? - my supply dry. That reminds me, I’ll have to restock at the next Hogsmeade trip.” Slinging her bag over her shoulder, she began pacing her way to the entrance of the Great Hall. “Twenty minutes!” she repeated, and they both went off in their own directions.

Peter nodded in confirmation as he went off to go drop his things off. When he made it to the dorm he emptied his bag of it’s books and papers onto his bed. It would be a welcome change of pace to just be able to sit around in relative peace with Marlene. He rummaged around in his trunk, picking up a bottle of vodka before digging around for a thermos. Nobody asked about thermos’s, but they did question large bottles of alcohol. Filling the thermos he tossed it into his backpack, along with two bottles of lemonade, and a bag of candy. Snacks never hurt anyone. 

As promised, around twenty minutes later Peter was trotting down the hillside towards the Black Lake’s shore. He watched the waves hit the sand as he walked out to one of the small piers by the boathouse, taking up post near one of the docked boats and sat with his legs dangling off the edge. It was only a few short moments of waiting before the pier creaked with another’s footsteps, and Peter smiled up at Marlene as he lit a cigarette, “And here I was thinking you’d just never come. A whole twenty-five minutes Marls? You’re gettin’ slower in your old age.”

[hesitantly-courageous]

maraudingstag :

James rolled onto his side toward Peter, scooting a bit closer to rest his head on his friend’s knee. He had always been rather touchy with his three closest friends. Given his way with words (or lack thereof really) actions and little shows of physical affection tended to work out better for him in the long run. Plus, Peter made a very good pillow.

“Can’t blame her for being sick of the dream journals,” James said, staring up at the crystal ball. “I mostly remember we used to make up a lot of shite to fill those up. I don’t think the professor would want me back though, pretty sure she’s right sick of me after last year. Remember when we were doing star charts and Padfoot and I couldn’t stop laughing about Uranus? Or that time I broke… what was it, about a dozen of her tea cups? I don’t think she’d take me back in class even if I begged.”

He blinked, eyes flicking from the crystal ball up to Peter’s face instead. “Muggle Arts? Sounds like it could be interesting, yeah. My dad’s always going on and on about their paintings–if you want, I could ask him about that.”

Peter glanced back down to James from the crystal ball when there was something leaning on his leg, giving the other a tired smile. He never quite minded the way James or the others were affectionate, because it was just nice they were being kind in the first place. “Ah come on. I’m sure if you wrote some sappy apology letter and threw in some enchanted flowers, she’d be beggin’ you to come back to class. Maybe throw in a replacement teacup or two.” The boy laughed and looked back to the crystal ball to give it a hard stare. Still nothing. “I don’t even really know if I’m supposed to see something. Like I dunno maybe I’m seeing some floating things? But I think that’s just dust in the air.” 

With a shrug he tossed the crystal ball onto his pillow and returned his attention to James. “Your dad likes Muggle paintings? My mom has a couple in the house. I mean, they’re pretty I guess. ‘S shame they don’t move though. I really wanna learn how to use a, vase wheel or whatever it is, that they make their dishes and bowls on. I don’t think I’d have much of a knack for paintin’. And I wanna go to a Muggle museum.” 

Peter leaned back onto one of his hands, tossing his Divination book onto his pillow as well, “Y’know in Italy they got museums, and it’s just statues a naked people. Like, it’s ‘art’ I guess? You gotta wonder what the people making those were thinking. ‘I gotta make a nice statue of this, famous guy. Le’s make him naked and everyone can appreciation his bollocks’. Like I don’t get it.”

[hesitantly-courageous]

thatchittock :

Glenda wouldn’t tell him that her time in Diagon Alley was usually very limited, going to toy shops hadn’t been a priority when it came to gathering her school supplies as quickly as possible. She could hardly recall a toy store hidden among the many shops on the crowded street because her experiences were a tunnel-vision of running to grab books and potion supplies within an acceptable time frame for her parents. But she supposed it made sense, wizarding children would have magical toys. 

“Oh, right, thank you,” she said, and placed the folded bird onto the table before grabbing the stack of of papers. She started to shuffle through, looking for her handwriting between the creases and pages. She was, however, somewhat distracted by her thoughts.

         “What other sort of spells are considered party spells?            Are there certain ones that are just… expected to be at wizarding parties?            Or is it more dependent on the host and occasion?”

“Party spells? Well uh. I guess it depends what kinda party. The book I have is mostly silly stuff, you know for entertaining kids. Like making paper animals or, dancing things, uh, some stuff like making decorations with magic, like confetti that explodes to spell words. Mostly that’s for young kids, or, I think people with some Muggle family, because you know how they get more kicks outt’a simple magic.” Peter took the papers that Glenda had deemed were not her own, folding the stack in half. 

“Pureblood parties, they’re mostly just. Lighting things, like expensive floating chandeliers. Uh, floating serving trays, fancy moving ice sculptures. All that stuffy bull-shite.” He frowned and gave a shrug. He didn’t really go to pureblood events anymore, it’s been a few years actually. But getting brought to them for many years as a kid, he remembers just how boring they always felt. 

The boy cracked another smile after a few moments, “But most of it’s charm work, mixing different spells together to get a new spell. ‘S not really practical, the book I have, but it has fun stuff in it. Like, uh, paper birds.” He held up the stack of papers.

[hesitantly-courageous]

“     Among my frivolous thoughts I believe there are beautiful things seen by the astronauts...     “

[hesitantly-courageous]

marleneofmckinnon :

Marlene shifted in her seat, her body having gone rigid at the mention of more than one uncomfortable topics. The first being the afforementioned mess which began with that strange competition in the forest and now presented the kidnapping of their classmates; the second was James and her lips pressed tightly together to keep his secret at bay; the third was Sirius, his petulant jealousy having landed them both in enough detention to last them two weeks. “Trust me,” she sighed, “I get it. All this nonsense is driving me bloody mad.”

A small smile was resurrected at the mention again of dragons. “Ridgebacks are tricky little buggers, aren’t they? I’d love to see one soon.” But even she had grown bored of this abtract small talk, and it was clear that both were too distracted to carry on. “Hey - what do you say the two of us go out to the pier and get absolutely wasted?” she offered as she took a bite of her nearly forgotten chips.

Peter offered a shrug in response to another mention of dragons, looking down at his plate of mostly eaten food when Marlene mentioned drinking. He glanced back up at her and then over to the chess game happening down the table, then nodded, “I mean, better than sittin’ here. That’d be great. Count me in.” Peter gave a smile to Marlene before he pushed his food away from himself. 

He got up from the table and grabbed his cloak where he’d left on the seat, shrugging it back on and leaning his hands onto the table. “You want, I can go meet you there. Gunna go leave my shit in my room and grab something. I’m sure there’s a bottle of something my room, right?” With a chuckle Peter was picking up his backpack to sling it over his shoulder. “Twenty minutes sounds good?” 

[hesitantly-courageous]

thatchittock :

One moment she was bent over several scattered pages of notes and homework for Ancient Runes, the next moment the papers were flying from her fingertips as what she could only, at the time, describe as a flurry of white hornets swarmed around her head. Her wand on the table only just out of reach, Glenda could only swat her arms in defense until she heard somebody shouting and then the little attackers fell. Everything having gone still, she recognized the shapes of paper birds and the boy who had felled them.

Slightly dazed from the onslaught, Peter’s words barely registered in her head for a moment. She knew of him because of Potter’s infamous little gang and immediately thought that this was just one of their little pranks that she’d been on the unfortunate end of this time. And perhaps she should be more annoyed by that, but instead her attention was on the many small birds now scattered around her. 

Snatching one up and inspecting it for a moment, holdings the folded paper by the wings, she looked back to Peter and held it up.

              “What spell was that?”

Peter was picking more of the birds up off the ground when Glenda spoke up, glancing up and standing straight again as he unfolded the birds in his hands, “The spell? Oh it’s uh, from a like. Party tricks book. I’d say it but these things would be flyin’ around again. But, it’s like a, little levitation charm and a. What’s it like..A bird. Behavior charm, I guess? It’s like what they put on toys that act like animals, you know? The ones you buy in toy stores on Diagon.” 

Peter kept unfolding the birds as he spoke, putting the stack of papers on the table as he walked around Glenda’s table to retrieve any more of the birds that fell to the ground. “I  was uh, tryin’ to teach it to Remus, but. Well it did work, of course. But they all flew away and uh. Found you.” The boy gave another sheepish grin as he picked up the stack of papers, “Is any of this yours? They might’ve picked some of your papers up...” He held them out to Glenda. 

[hesitantly-courageous]

thechrysalisblack :

Regulus took in a shuddering breath. He could feel their eyes on him and it was driving him up the wall. He just wanted to be able to study and wait for Severus to return from one of his excursions. Regulus’ hand shook as he tried to take notes from the book for next week’s History of Magic test. The ink dripped down from the quill like blood. It splattered on his parchment with a sound that echoed through out his ears even in the relatively crowded common room. He couldn’t deal with this right now. He stood quickly and vanished his work to his room with little care. He just needed to get away. The staring and the whispers. The rumors that his dorm mates uttered under their breath. 

He strode out of the common room, his back straight and his head held high. A heir didn’t show weakness. A Black heir’s emotions were second to his duty. His chest tightened at that thought. He didn’t know how to be this heir his parents wanted. He swayed through the halls, headed towards one of the rooms that Severus and he frequented. His throat tightened up and his stomach clenched. He wanted Severus’ company but he wanted to be alone. He was so ashamed at this weakness that plagued him

Grasping open the door and slamming it behind him, his breath finally shuddered out. It felt horrible. It felt like he was choking. His deep gasping breaths did nothing to lessen the clenching of his torso and begged silently for relief. He was blind to his surroundings.

Having only been sitting there for a short while, Peter wasn’t very high yet. It wasn’t what he wanted but he was pleasantly floating, just a bit. Enough to relax, enough to let himself think about other things than his worries. His attention was drawn back to the world as the footsteps outside got louder, almost like someone was running. 

Peter jumped when the door was flung open and slammed shut again, staring wide eyed at Regulus. He slowly got to his feet to avoid spooking the boy, who looked down right shaken. “Uh, uh. Hey. Regulus...?” He raised his voice hesitantly, not wanting to scare the boy, “You alright there?” Peter moved a bit closer. Touching Regulus while he seemed so shocked probably wouldn’t be for the best, so he kept a distance between them. 

It took a moment or two to realize he was still holding the joint, setting it aside on a table so he could walk a bit closer. He knew he wasn’t exactly a ‘friendly face’ to Regulus, but he hoped he could at least help the boy. “’S Something wrong? You don’t look too good, Reg.” 

[hesitantly-courageous]

Peter Pettigrew Moodboard -- General

For all my pals who live in the oceans and the seas With fronds like these, well, Who needs anemones?

[hesitantly-courageous]

maraudingstag :

With a groan in response, James trudged over to Peter’s bed and flopped down next to him, pressing his face into the blankets. He made a regular habit of making himself comfortable on his friends’ beds. After five years, he was probably a little too comfortable invading their personal space. “Longest fucking day,” he said, words half muffled. He rolled onto his back and stared up absently at the ceiling. “Peter, learn from my example, never agree to a ‘special project’ with Slughorn.”

It wasn’t just the potion–though that played no small part in his current exhaustion. Why in the world Slughorn had picked what seemed like it had to be the most complicated damn brew in existence, James couldn’t guess. Maybe he was trying to punish them for something. The other part of the problem… he wasn’t sure where to begin there. He let out a sigh, his eyes flicking to Peter. “I should’ve stuck to divination like you. You don’t have to do a dream journal again this year, do you?”

Peter chuckled as he watched James face plant into his mattress, shaking his head at the boys words. “Oh, nah. Wouldn’t dream of it. Not entirely a fan of sitting through potions in the first place.” He scooted to the edge of the bed to reach over and set his pet rat onto the nightstand, where it quickly climbed over to sit in the sun on the windowsill. 

“Dream journal? No, not after last year. I think she’s probably sick of reading a hundred journals that say ‘I saw a puppy in my dreams, it means I’m going to die’. Cuz you know no one ever looked in the interpretation book. No. She wants us to do tea readings once a week though. S’not as bad I guess, you can be a lot more vague with that if you don’t see anything. Gives me an excuse to try different tea.” Peter grinned and scooted back tot he middle of his bed and sat cross legged before picking up his book and the crystal ball. 

“Maybe you can take it again next year. ‘S an easy class at least. But I might drop it next year for Muggle Art. That just sounds like fun. Y’ ever hear how Muggles make pots and planters like that? With a spinning wheel-ie thing? It looks hard but funny too.” 

[hesitantly-courageous]

@twofacedserpent

There was a sort of humorous satisfaction that came with being small. It was just fun to see things so big, and the climbing skills weren’t a downside either. A brown rat was curled up on a window sill, looking out over the field outside and the Forbidden Forest beyond. Peter felt antsy, so he decided a quick walk before bed would burn off all that extra energy. It wasn’t as quick to get around, but it did take more energy to get around as a rat, so he at least hoped he’d feel tired when it was time to go to bed. 

After enjoying the view the rat scampered back down to the floor and traveled the hall hugging the wall. You never knew when someone might walk on by, huh? And cats were notorious for chasing Peter down. At least the mean cats. Some cats were actually quite nice, once you got to know them. As he approached another cross section, the creature stood up on it’s hind legs to look around. Now, which way was the common room? All the halls looked the same really, even as a human. The need some bloody signs around this place. 

Footsteps rounding a corner down the hall cat the rat’s attention and as soon as it saw the pair of shoes approaching it quickly ran off. Most weren’t fond of rats in the castle, after all. Thankfully, he was small enough to squeeze under a door to a class room. What he hadn’t expected was smacking his head on the underside of a desk when he transformed back, “Fuck!” he snapped as he grabbed his head, now more concerned with his injury than the person in the hall. 

[hesitantly-courageous]

@goldenprodigy

With an exaggerated sigh Peter rolled his eyes and slumped on the table as Sirius quickly grabbed his things and rushed off for a class he was going to be late for. He frowned at the stack of books on the table that Sirius had claimed he was going to use to write his essay, but then didn’t even open. He grabbed the stack of books to look at the spines and glance over the titles. Borin, boring, boring. An Animagus book? Peter snorted and stood up with the pile of books. He’d think Sirius wouldn’t need a book about Animagi by now, but he also hadn’t been paying much attention to what the essay was about anyway. Maybe some famous Animagi or something. 

Most all of the books were from the same section so it was pretty easy to return them all to their spots. That, and most of the shelves were enchanted so the books would rearrange themselves if they were out of order. Such a convenience, really. The boy carried the last two books to the last shelf, glancing up at a student who was already standing where he needed to put the books back. Amos Diggory? He didn’t really know him, besides he was a quidditch captain, and James complained about him nearly every time Gryffindor played Hufflepuff. Good chaser, he was.

“Uh, hey. S’cuse me mate.” He mumbled as he glanced up to Amos, putting one of the books back on a lower shelf.He was just about to return the Animagi book to it’s place right in front of Amos before holding the cover to him for the other to look, “You ain’t looking for this book, right?” Might as well give him the book if he wanted it after all. 

[hesitantly-courageous]

veelarosalie :

Having studiously placed herself next to Emmeline, the pair apt at working together, she anticipated for them to be partners when she came in that afternoon. However, it appeared her presumptuous thoughts led to a wasted outline, the blueprint unfit for any other as it was specifically designed for the two of them. 

Letting out a huff, Rosalie did not hide her annoyance at even the mention of being grouped with a new person. It was an inconceivable concept. She didn’t have the time nor the want to be sat with a boy who exuded a raw, palpable interest in pressing himself on her, all other plans toss out by the simple craving of her touch. 

Fingers tugging there way through the ends of her hair, her teeth bit down on a soft lower lip with a gentle sigh. She hated the anticipation and wished the professor would just be out with the name. And, finally, a ho-hum voice sent her over to the timid boy of four. “ Hey, ” she repeats, tediously. Reading over the assigned work, too, Rosalie heard him before she saw him. His abrasive confusion triggered a muffled laugh, hair covering her face as she looked away. “ They’re just items to make an antidote to uncommon poisons. Could come across them in stores or the forest. ” She recited, clinging to an air of ease. 

Peter glanced to the girl beside him with a frown when she laughed, and he could only assume she was laughing at him for not paying attention. He sniffed and looked back to the book, actually reading over the ingredients, “Well I ain’t going into any kinda forest ‘round here to get this with all this crazy shite going on...” the boy mumbled as he stood up. “I’ll get everything,” he muttered as he walked to the shelves of ingredients to grab things along with other students. 

“Professor,” a girl called from the shelves, “There aren’t enough lacewing flies for everyone.” Slughorn looked up and went over to see for himself, “I see. Well, I’ll go check the storeroom. But how about this: If you don’t have some for your table, why don’t you see if you can find a suitable substitute?” Peter returned to the table and set everything down, sighing as he took his seat again. 

“Do you got any idea what else to use? Cuz I got no bloody clue,” He looked to Rosalie before grabbing his potions book, flipping through the pages to find the ingredients index in the back, “With our luck he’ll want someone to drink it too. Don’t really wanna send someone to the hospital wing cuz they drank whatever, liquid death comes from making this wrong.” 

[hesitantly-courageous]

marleneofmckinnon :

It was thrilling to hear that an antipodean opaleye was under the care of her eldest brother - or at least it had been to her. Peter’s attention had drifted off to a chess match farther down the table where a girl made a dreadful move, losing the game for herself, and Marlene’s words trailed off at the lack of an audience. Rather than poke his arm or whistle to snap him back, she waited patiently ( and expectantly ) with her chin resting on her palm and the slim fingers of her other hand tapping on the table.

An amused smile tugged on her lips, and she let out an exaggerated sigh. “It was my brother and a dragon, but close enough. What’s got you so spacey?”

“Right. Dragon. Sorry.” Peter let out a sigh and glanced to the game of wizard’s chess as the players began a new game, “I dunno, really? I think I’m kinda tired. All this mess goin’ on really makes it hard to sleep, you know? Gettin’ everyone all stressed. It makes me antsy too. Everyone’s getting really hostile. Especially with James and Sirius, since they’re so, you know, they like boasting about our pranks. So people keep pointing fingers at them.” In the back of his mind Peter mused over the idea of going for a smoke. The tension in his posture made his back ache. 

“Jus’ a long couple days, yeah?” He mumbled as he looked back to Marlene, his shoulders slumping a bit, “But sorry. I did like hearing about your brother’s dragon. Did you ever get to see it yourself? I saw a Ridgeback once, on a preserve. Real, real nice dragon.” 

[hesitantly-courageous]

@thatchittock

“I told you mate, you’re not sayin’ it right, ‘s not gunna work--” Peter tried to correct Remus as the other boy very muttered a spell at his notes in a frustrated manner. Suddenly the papers all sprung to life and folded themselves into little birds, causing both boys to jump back in surprise. Both Peter and Remus were laughing by their startled reactions and the spell actually working. Peter started to laugh enough more as the paper birds started swarming around Remus’s head and the other boy had to swat at them like flies. 

It was funny enough until the birds did the same to Peter who nearly tipped himself backwards out of his chair trying to swat the paper cranes away. They quickly left the boy and in a little flock took off, “O-ohoho shite.” Peter chuckled and looked to Remus. He snatched his wand off the table to chase after the birds.

Unfortunately they were already fluttering around someone by the time he caught up, the birds flitting around Glenda’s head and stirring up the papers on her table, “Sorry! Sorry!” Peter called as he approached, waving his wand at the birds and causing them to drop to the ground. He walked over with a sheepish smile, picking one up off the ground, “Sorry Glenda. They got a bit excited.” 

[hesitantly-courageous]

@thechrysalisblack

A gust of wind made Peter shiver and hunch his shoulders as he walked further into the classroom, settling into a nook just under one of the windows. He’d rather sit somewhere a bit more warm, but he just hated smelling like weed and a least the draft would take away a bit of the smell. Something in the back of his mind nagged him that he shouldn’t be smoking at all because it wasn’t good for him. Another part of his brain was much more fixated on the joys of being high, and it won out this time. 

Pulling the Muggle lighter from his pocket Peter glanced it over. It had a silly little cartoon of a rat on a motorcycle, so Sirius had gotten it for him. It still made Peter crack a grin to look at the picture. Muggle’s were so funny. Lighting up the joint he glanced towards the hall where he’d left the door cracked open. To be honest he really couldn’t be assed to get up and close it properly so instead the boy just leaned back into the wall. 

It was only a few minutes of quiet before he heard the dull sounds of footsteps coming down the hall, and Peter eyed the door warily to see if anyone would actually come inside. 

[hesitantly-courageous]

@maryxmac

“So she climbs up the tree, yeah? Adelaide’s like, halfway up,” the boy paused his story to move a knight on the board, taking another pawn and putting the broken pieces to the side, “And that’s when she looks down, and she’s too scared to come back. So her brother won’t climb up, so I gotta do it, right?” Peter leaned back in his seat as he waited for Mary to take her turn. 

“So I get up to where she is, and I’m helping her down, an’ like the last branch she slips. And she’s usin’ my arm as an anchor and jus’-Pop!-Pulled it right out the socket. Hurt’s like a bitch. I mean shit, who knew?” He shook his head with a laugh as he looked idly around the common room, “So Monty had to help me down so I could get him to help me pop it back, which hurt even more. And I still can’t even lift it all the way up cuz it’s sore.”   

[hesitantly-courageous]

@veelarosalie

Peter was one of many who let out a resounding groan when Professor Slughorn announced they’d be switching partners for this next assignment. He and Remus both gave each other quite a sad look, and when the other boy’s name was called Peter put his elbows on the table and sighed, “Stay strong Remus. You can make it through!” He called after his friend as the boy moved to sit next to a Slytherin girl. 

When Peter’s own name was called he glanced up from where he’d begun idly scribbling on his page, staring at Rosalie as she took a seat next to him. “Hi.” he offered quietly sitting up a bit more straight than before. He didn’t really know the girl, mostly just in passing. She was nice, though some attributed her kindness to her Veela nature. Peter didn’t really know what the difference was, to be completely honest. He really didn’t know much of anything about Veelas. 

When the other students started milling around the classroom and moving around, Peter glanced around before leaning over to look at the book at the table next to theirs, flipping to that potion. He grimaced at the long list of ingredients, “What in bloody hell is this shit...”