Sirius sat on his bed and placed his head in his hands, hair falling limply around them.

"But I don't understand, James! I did everything perfectly, what happened?" He wailed, falling backwards with his arm across his face.

"No clue mate, it all looked right, let's try again later." He answered him, grabbing his school book and shoving it in his bag, picking up his tie, not bothering to put it on.

"But I don't understand did!"

"Neither mate, if it doesn't go off during the day, we'll go down there and check it out. But right now, we have class, come on Pads, get up." Remus poked him, and grabbed his friend's stuff, walking out of the door, shutting it with a bang. He waited a couple of seconds before hearing a crash then a cry of  "Wait for me!"

oo0O0oo

"Why didn't it work though? I did everything correctly, exactly what I normally do, so why did nothing happen?" The long-haired boy whispered across the transfiguration classroom to Peter, who just ignored him as usual. He tended not to speak to Peter but James and Remus were at the front of the room grabbing the goblets that they were trying to change.

Peter had grown more and more distant over the last few months, to the point where he didn't even show up in their dorm anymore, not even to sleep. The other three had decided that at the end of the week they were going to go to McGonagall and request for him to move rooms so that they could get rid of the spare bed and replace it with stuff that they actually needed, such as a cabinet and drawers.

Sirius sighed and went to get a goblet of Professor McGonagall's desk. He glanced over and saw James and Remus finally come back.

"What took you so long?" He moaned, "I was stuck talking to Pettigrew."

"Well... we've just asked McGonagall if he could move out, when she goes and says he already did, about nine days ago. Like what the-"

"He didn't even tell us though." Remus cut off James.

Sirius frowned and turned around. "Oi, Pettigrew. Why'd you move out? Since when as well? I thought you were just hungry or in a mood or something and that you were camping out somewhere else for Merlin knows what reason."

The room went silent, staring at the display. Peter stood up, knocking his chair backwards, his face going an ugly shade of red. 

"Oh, of course you didn't notice me leave, that's why I left, you idiot. I've been planning to leave for months now because you ignore me, you constantly belittle me, calling me stupid and fat or whatever, and when I decide to give it a few weeks to see if it's worth staying, I find out that you don't even notice that I left! Besides, I've made new friends now. I don't need you." He grabbed his stuff and stormed out of the room.

All eyes turned to the three who were still standing there frowning. Seeing that no one was going to follow Peter to ask him if he was okay, Lily put her hand up, and not waiting for permission to speak, she asked "Professor, can I go and follow him?" McGonagall nodded and Lily stood up, shoved past Sirius and headed out of the room.

A few awkward silent moments passed, before a shout of "Back to work, class. I've not seen any of these goblets change into anything, no one is leaving until I see at least one."

ooO0Ooo

Eventually Remus produced a simple rat from his goblet, and the class was dismissed. As soon as they were, James and Sirius all but sprinted out of the classroom to go find Peter.

"Yeah but still, what the-" They shouted to each other as they ran.

"Exactly! Like excuse me, but we didn't know, neither have we been ignoring him, he was ignoring us! Ever since..."

"The 'incident'" finished Remus, dodging past a scowling Ravenclaw.

"Yeah, that. But that's not the point. He saw it, and decided to never speak to us again. It's not like it's my fault it's there! Well, I was there. It's fine now anyway, just because my family decided to pay some unwanted attention to me, and choose to show it off, doesn't give him the right to think any differently of me, does it?" Sirius yelled across to them, getting some strange looks from passers by.

Remus and James stopped running and Sirius turned around to face them. "Of course not. Don't you even dare think it is. Not for a second." Spoke Remus, hugging his best friend, James joining in.

"Thanks guys, but anyway, we still need to find Peter!"

oo0O0oo

They slammed open the common room door and looked at the armchair by the fire, expecting them to be sitting there.

They weren't there.

Then, they headed up the stairs, pausing when they heard his voice, as well as Lily's.

"Stupid...password...doesn't...map..." They managed to make out.

"What the... they're trying to break into our room!" He whisper-shouted.

"Leave this to me," Said Remus, "Stay here."

He crept up the stairs and snuck behind them, watching Peter struggle to open their heavily armed dormitory door.

"Excuse me, what the hell are you doing?" Lily jumped, turning red, visibly trying to think of an excuse. Peter however was looking for a way out, unknown to him that James and Sirius were standing blocking the stairs with their wands raised at them.

"You are a prefect, Evans, sneaking into someone's room isn't going to look good with Dumbledore, is it?" Lily paled and started stuttering, flinching lightly.

"And what the hell to you too, Pettigrew? Like you said, you moved out, therefore you aren't welcome in my room. And yeah, we did change the password. We don't need random people in there."

Peter went silent.

"Yeah, that's what I thought. Evans, what were the two of you doing trying to get in anyway?"

"I um...well, Peter said... I mean..."

"Well spit it out Evans I don't have all day."

"Peter said that the reason you play your pranks and sneak around without getting caught is because you have a...um...magic map." She trailed off weakly, blushing in embarrassment.

"A map? Is that what he told you? We bloody well know our way around the school, thank you very much. We've been here for five years now. Honestly, you actually believed him? I mean really Evans, we've been doing our rounds together after lessons for months now, surely you trust me?" Remus felt bad for lying but he knew it was the only way, he'd secretly make it up to Lily somehow.

Peter glanced at her and all his hopes shattered. Her eyes locked on to Peter's for half a second and then she nodded at Remus.

"Now what do you both have to say for yourselves?"

"I'm really sorry, Remus. I should have believed you, and that I'm an idiot for trying to sneak into your room. I don't know why I believed Peter about you having a secret map, I'm sorry I didn't trust you about it when you've given me no reason not to. Please don't tell Professor Dumbledore or Professor McGonagall!" Tears welled up in her eyes. Remus's face softened.

"I forgive you, Lils. I won't say anything to Dumbledore or McGonagall, I just want you to trust me more," he said, hugging her. They broke apart, and she headed back down the stairs, and up the correct ones to her own room.

Remus turned back around on Peter. Sirius and James came out of their hiding spot to join Remus in confronting him. Peter began to pale, backing up towards the door.

"What, you really thought we would keep the same password and precautions in place after you left? Do you think we're that stupid?" Shouted James after producing a muffliato curse in case anyone heard their yelling and got suspicious.

"We changed it straight after you stopped turning up. You made it clear you want to leave, so don't bother trying to come back. And about the map, nice try Pettigrew, really. We changed the password for that as well." Smirked Sirius from next to James, arms crossed.

"And Lily doesn't suspect a thing about it. On the up side, she won't believe you over me about it either, so I suggest you head back off up to your new room with your new friends. You aren't wanted here." Remus finished.

"What's your deal anyway? You've been weird- well, weirder than normal ever since you saw what my dear mother did to me. What's your problem? It hardly affects you." Said Sirius, staring him down. 

"Because...because I don't need the whole world knowing I'm friends with you," he spat looking at the three towering fifth years, "Your family is one of the biggest Muggle lovers around, a huge target, your family are literally out to kill you and are right up with the death eaters, and as for you... Well- your furry little problem is enough."

"You fat coward. You bloody little rat. You're scared. Some Gryffindor you are. Get the bloody hell out of my sight before I do something worse than what any Death Eaters will do to you, let alone Voldemort." Sirius roared at him. Peter flinched at the name, hoping none of them noticed. Unfortunately for him they all definitely did. 

"Wow. You can't even bloody hear his name. How the hell did we ever put up with you!" Shouted Sirius. They each turned around, and entered their room, slamming it shut in Peter's face.

They heard him attempt to kick the door and then a shout of pain. They had also added anti-damage charms to their door, so in the events such as this where someone tried to kick or punch or curse their door, it will rebound any of it straight back at the perpetrator. No one could ever claim them to be unprepared.

oo0O0oo

"We're gonna have to do something about him," said Remus.

"Yeah. This can't continue. For all we know he's willing to turn us in to the Death Eaters if he ever comes into contact with them."

"Hey...I have an idea...are Fidelius charms usable on people?" Grinned Sirius.

"I like where you're going with this."