Chapter VII: explanations
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"Peter," Remus said, "what is she getting at?"
"Very good question Remus. Would you like to answer it Peter, or should I?"
He remained silent, "okay, I guess that I will then. Peter here," she said as she harshly patted the boy on the back, making him wince in pain. "Was staying with my family during the summer break. Particularly in the company of your father as well as mine Sirius, weren't you Peter?"
James and Remus looked as though they were about to maul Peter, but Sirius appeared indifferent. "I don't believe you, this is just another fucked up ploy to play with our minds. You really are worse then them."
"Sirius just hear her out, I don't like this either, after all it's about our, but there has to be a reason why she's telling us. Just listen to her, give it a chance," James said.
"No James, let him, he is like this every other day, why should this be different?" she turned her attention to Sirius, "you are an ass whole you know that? How do you think that my father knows about Remus' lycanthropy? Only four people other than him know and I didn't tell him. So who else could it be? James? The one that lives by his little code of loyalty towards you guys, it's all that he believes in so it's doubtful that he's the one," she said, ignoring the double meaning behind those words on her part. "And then there's Remus who would never admit to the fact, even if he was associated with them because he is too ashamed of it," Remus blushed at the truth behind the statement. "Then there is you. Sirius, my cousin, you may be stupid and naïve, but I can't deny the fact that you are unbelievably loyal to Remus and would never do that to him. So the last one left is Peter, the weak one."
"And what about you? You knew as well," Sirius asked, demanding an explanation.
"Because chances are that you will see me in the hospital wing for unknown reasons because wasn't the source rather then Peter," she told him angrily, not processing what she had said and regretting the words as soon as she had said them.
Realization dawned upon Remus, "wait, that's why you-"
Lily sighed, "yeah, Carter didn't know what to do since he would have to give the nurse an explanation and the boy is the worst liar ever. So he came to you."
"How long?" James quietly asked her and when she looked up at him she was shocked by the look in his eyes, he was absolutely furious.
"That's beside the point James," as she said that she saw Peter getting up to leave the room. She quickly grabbed him, "you aren't thinking of leaving, are you Peter?"
He turned to her, his face contorted in pure, unadulterated fury, "you're a disgrace you know?" He spat in her face. "After everything that your parents said about you I thought you would be so much more, but you only met half of my expectations. I mean, sure, you're brilliant; there's no doubt about that. You can wrap people around your little finger, just look at Remus and Carter, but you know what your problem is? You're such a weak person, no bravery at all. You always need someone to save you because you're too pathetic to help yourself for once."
She saw that Remus and James were about to mangle him, but she stopped them by quickly putting up a soundproof barrier up between them and her and Peter, "and who do you consider to be brave Peter?" she asked him, taunting him in the manner in which she laughed at his words.
"Your father."
"The man that would use an unforgivable curse on his own daughter?"
"Emotional detachment," he stated simply, smirking at her.
"Of course, you know all about that, don't you? It's how you justify your own betrayal."
"natruall-" but in the middle of his statement she hexed him.
"Ugh, I've been dieing to do that forever. How are you not ashamed of yourself?"
"You're going to have to learn to pick the winning side Black."
He shocked her with his reply and just when she started to think hat she had underestimated the little bugger she saw something. Her key, the fear in his eyes, poorly hidden behind his false front. She smirked at him tauntingly, changing her M.O. in a second, "Peter, you want to pick the winning side? Okay then, you have one chance to keep your life."
"What are you talking about, what the hell could you possibly do to me?" he asked her, but the fear was undeniable, he was breaking.
"You and I both know that I am capable of doing an unforgivable, and since I am a Black my family would find a way to persuade people from convicting me for whatever I might do to you. Now here is what you will do in return for you life. You have to tell me everything that you told my family or anyone associated with the dark arts. And be aware that I will double check this information, I have the resources. I can promise you that if you lie it will be a painful death."
"Okay," he nodded in fear; his brave front had quickly waned throughout her speech.
He told her everything.
As soon as he finished she turned to see a furious James, Remus, and Sirius. "Control yourselves boys," she told them with a grin, taking down the barrier.
James and Remus tried to calm themselves down, leaving it to her. Sirius, on the other hand was livid. "cont-" he screamed, but she had quickly placed a silencio spell upon him before redirecting her attention to Remus and James. "How much is that out of everything that he knows? Are there any more vital secrets?"
"There are a few more things that weren't mentioned," Remus told her.
"Are you sure that there wasn't anything else that you revealed Peter?"
He shook his head furiously in an attempt to convince her that he had been truthful throughout his confession.
"Very well, you're safe," she told him and noticed that he visibly relaxed at her statement.
"Can I leave now?" he asked in a meek voice.
"Just one second," she said right before stunning him. Lily turned to the boys, "its okay, the barrier is down. Um," she said, thinking of what to do next. "Remus, any chance you know how to cast an obliviation charm?"
"Yeah, sure," he told her catching onto what she wanted him to do.
"Just make sure that you don't erase everything, just whatever's a `marauder secret' and what just happened," she directed him.
"Okay, done," he told her as he put away his wand.
"Good, uh, he's probably going to be zonked out for a few hours so you are going to have to talk to Dumbledore about him, if you explain the situation to him, I'm sure that he'll understand," she rambled, trying to collect her thoughts. "Oh I knew I was forgetting something-- Sirius, I took off the silencing charm a while ago so you can berate me now if you'd like."
Sirius looked at her, taking a deep breath, sucking in his pride, "I still don't trust you, but you did a good job back there. Thank you," he told her stiffly, before leaving the room.
The surprise was evident upon her face. The last thing that she had expected was a compliment, "thanks," she quietly whispered to his retreating figure, well aware of the fact that he probably hadn't heard her.
"Do you think that he was lying?" James asked.
"Who, Peter? No, he has no backbone. He cares too much about himself to bother with loyalty. Don't worry. Anyway, I erased his memory as far as you three are concerned; you don't have to worry about him saying anything else."
"Thanks, for everything, we couldn't have done any of it without you," James admitted, still trying to process everything that had happened, cope with the betrayal.
James picked up an unconscious Peter and called for Sirius to help carry Peter to Dumbledore's office.
--
Once Sirius and James were out of earshot Remus turned to Lily and said, "There is something that I want to ask you Lils, and now that we are alone it just makes sense to ask."
"Fire away," she could tell that it was serious; the inner conflict over whether or not he really even wanted to know was evident upon his face.
"Would you have really killed Peter if he didn't tell you, or you later found out that he lied?"
"Remus," she sighed, all the while asking herself: Why hadn't I expected that question? "You have to understand something-"
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