It was only a squirrel: not the most interesting find ever but a nice little treat all the same. He pawed at the ground. Yes, it wasn’t far at all. Head tilted to Padfoot to say Follow me and then his nose was back to the trail. He had only taken a couple of steps before Padfoot distracted him with a bark. He watched Wormtail run around him and then followed him with his gaze as he set off after Prongs and Padfoot. Moony whined. He didn’t see why they would go somewhere else when there was a perfectly good squirrel here, but it was Prongs’ decision and he wanted to stay with the pack.
His body was a little shaky, a little achy, following a difficult transformation but that melted away with the feeling of running. He let out a sharp bark. Wait for me, wolf’s stride no match for the stag though the chase did made him forget all about the smells of the Forest.
Prongs only skid to a halt when the stag turned back to see Moony racing past him. Shaking his head, he took off too once more, the brush of thunderous steps shaking the solid formation of the ground as he broke neck and neck with the wolf in his stride. Wormtail was skimming the forest ground as he looked to Padfoot.
Padfoot’s race to be first was the bout of the playful bounces the dog took before them all, as Prongs slowed his steps to a gallop. Dufftown was too close to keep at the pace they did, as he craned his head. Padfoot, Wormtail, you go on. Moony and I will stay here. It was the logical thing, to not awaken any dangerous senses of the wolf who lingered with their pack.
He loved running. As Padfoot, everything was faster and easier and he felt more agile, with the grass beneath his paws. He felt light yet powerful, not at all bulky despite the size. The way the wind felt through his fur was better than his hair while on a broomstick. As Padfoot, he felt free. He stopped right at the line before the town, right at the edge of the forest, sitting and staying still as he waited for the others. Nose in the air, sniffing for sausages to catch a scent to follow. He waited for Wormtail to catch up with him, looking around and sniffing for his friend. He gave a nod to Prongs that he heard, still looking for Wormtail.
Come on Wormy, found sausages. Once he spotted the rat, Padfoot stood up and began walking to where the scent lead him, towards a butcher not too far away. Okay, I will bark and then make the man chase me then you grab the sausages. The plan was easy enough, something he could follow easily and will outrun the man in no time. The fun will be in the chase, slowing down to make the man think that Padfoot could be caught before sprinting off. Just enough time to give Wormtail enough time. He walked right up to the butcher’s shop, began barking and moving about, causing enough of a scene to make the man walk outside, try to shoo him away. But Padfoot didn’t stop, pretending to push past the man, as if to go inside, which angered the man the way he wanted. Then with a gleeful bark, Padfoot playfully nipped at the man and took a few steps forward, looking back to see if the man would follow. As he did, that’s when the real fun began and Padfoot was off, heart pounding to the same tune as his paws on the street. The butcher yelling at him. Good luck, Wormy.
Once you got rid of the worry that came with being close to school and seeing Moony through his transformation, things got... lighter. Peter loved being a rat - he loved the freedom and the sense of being able to hide and stay safe from just about anything. Running through the forest used to be annoying because he’d have to jump over every tall root and the grass sometimes slapped him in the face. But after years of doing it, it felt natural and thrilling. He felt fast and free, nearly as much as Padfoot did. He’d be smiling as a man when he watched his mate run forward at top speed with Prongs and Moony close behind them.
He caught up and then followed as Sirius sniffed the air and found them their target. ‘Roger that,’ he responded to the plan. From behind a bush, he watched the drama unfold as the butcher came out to shoo Sirius away, only to be met with a persistant dog. As the man was distracted, Wormtail shot forward and slipped into the shop from behind. Climbing onto the shelves and onto the string that held the sausages. With his teeth, he made the string fall onto the ground just as he heard Padfoot wish him luck. ‘Almost done!’
And then he was off. The sausages still attached to the string he had in his mouth, Wormtail bolted out the shop towards where he knew Prongs and Moony were. The man noticed at the very last minute and started yelling and cursing before running after him. Wormtail would have been laughing if he could.
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