Posted originally on the Archive_of_Our_Own at https://archiveofourown.org/
works/6371476.
  Rating:
      Explicit
  Archive Warning:
      Underage
  Category:
      F/M, M/M
  Fandom:
      Harry_Potter_-_J._K._Rowling
  Relationship:
      Remus_Lupin/Lily_Evans_Potter, James_Potter/Lily_Evans_Potter, Sirius
      Black/Remus_Lupin
  Character:
      Lily_Evans_Potter, James_Potter, Sirius_Black, Remus_Lupin, Peter
      Pettigrew
  Additional Tags:
      Infidelity, Secrets, Accidental_Voyeurism, Confessions, 6th_or_7th_year
  Stats:
      Published: 2016-03-27 Updated: 2016-08-06 Chapters: 4/6 Words: 1603
****** A Question of Loyalties ******
by HeadmasterFelix
Summary
     Peter catches one of his best friends sleeping with his other best
     friend's girlfriend. Torn by loyalty pulling him in three different
     directions, he seeks council from Sirius, who comes off as
     suspiciously calm about the whole thing.
Notes
     This fic contains cheating. That should be pretty obvious from the
     tags and the pairings, but just. Dead Dove: Do Not Eat. What is says
     on the bag is exactly what you're gonna get. If cheating is going to
     piss you off, maybe this isn't the story for you. Maybe it is, I
     dunno. I just feel like with some of the comments an additional
     warning might be necessary.
***** Chapter 1 *****
Lily gave a throaty moan as Remus pushed her up against one of the columns of
the astronomy tower and gripped his shoulders roughly. As he dove into her
neck, she tangled fingers in his hair and whispered encouragements. His hands
wandered down her sides, raking nails down through the cotton of her shirt, and
then traveling lower to come back up under her skirt.
“We’re going to hell, Lils. I hope you realize that,” he teased as grabbed hold
of the waistband of her panties and inched them downwards.
She laughed, “It’ll be worth it, Moony. At least for you,” she grinned at him,
completely unashamed.
Her panties dropped to the floor and she swiftly unfastened his trousers,
exposing him with practiced hands. Remus grabbed her thighs and lifted her off
the ground, maneuvering like he’d done this a dozen times, and slid into her as
she wrapped her legs around his waist, moaning lowly as she was spread open.
Remus started slow, and Lily buried his her head into his neck, letting his
skin soak up her noises. With an exceptionally hard thrust, Lily cried out and
her eyes flicked open, giving her a momentary flash of the world around her,
but something seemed very off. She opened her eyes again, and found the anomaly
easily.
About thirty feet away, at the top of the staircase, was a curly-haired blonde
boy, still in his uniform and quite obviously watching the scene before him,
transfixed. Even in the darkness of the night, she knew his face instantly. It
was Peter Pettigrew.
With arms wrapped around Remus’s neck, she brought a finger to her lips,
silently telling him to stay quiet. He nodded, frozen in place, and she held
eye contact as she murmured encouragement to her lover.
Peter swallowed hard, and with Lily watching him, and saying all those things,
like they were directed at him? It made him squirm against his suddenly too-
tight uniform pants. Bashfully, he slipped a hand down his front and rubbed
himself through the fabric.
Lily’s voice picked up and she nodded her approval before closing her eyes and
focusing more fully on the fantastic ways Remus was making her feel.
“Fuck, Lils, quiet. If the boys find us, it’s gonna be your siren call.”
“Mmm, I think we’re safe tonight, Moony.” She grinned at him again, rolling her
hips in his grasp and making him inhale sharply.
Returning the grin, he pulled back and slammed into her again, speed increasing
with urgency. Soon, Lily was digging her nails into his back and begging for
him - both hims - to come for her.
As Remus set her back down, both of them panting and flushed, she kept his
attention on her, pulling on his tie and kissing him until Peter could slink
his way back down the stairs.
***** Chapter 2 *****
Peter went straight back to his dorm room, and was thankful the other two
hadn’t made it back yet. His heart was racing, and guilt weighed on him
heavily.
His first instinct, as a the good and loyal friend, was to tell James
everything, immediately. He had to know, right? But he would be so angry. And
what if Lily told him that he watched, rather than doing anything about it?
Didn’t that make him somehow an accomplice?
He paced the room, chewing on his nails nervously as feelings with no names
swirled inside of him, coalescing into what felt like a ball of lead.
But he had a duty of loyalty to Remus too, didn’t he? Including not spilling
his secrets? But Remus was doing something that was clearly, obviously,
unambiguously wrong. But did loyalty to your friends end when they screwed up?
Obviously not, they'd all screwed up plenty of times.
And Lily. They weren’t close, nothing like him and the boys, but the same went
for her as for Remus.
And then there was the guilt again, the idea that somehow he was in on it, and
that James would blame him. Telling James would destroy their little foursome,
no doubt about that. Nothing would ever be the same. But still, he had to tell
him. Right?
He didn’t know. It was too much, to difficult a choice to make on his own. He
wished he could talk to James about it. He always knew what was right.
Suddenly, the door opened and Sirius came sauntering in, tossing the inert map
onto one of the small tables. The anxiety that Peter was wrapped in was plainly
evident.
“You alright, Wormtail?” He spoke with a quirked eyebrow.
Peter shook his head. “We… I have to tell you something. But you have to
promise not to do anything… rash.”
Sirius felt his heart sink. He'd seen Remus and Lily together on the map, for
probably the fifth time this fortnight. He hadn't allowed it to strike him as
odd - he was the first of their merry little band she'd made friends with, and
they'd been close for a long while now. He always chalked it up to studying.
But with that look on Peter's face, the pieces clicked into place.
"Shit."
***** Chapter 3 *****
“Okay, yeah, spit it out.” Sirius already knew what he was going to hear.
Peter hesitated, wringing his hands nervously. Part of him told him that even
telling Sirius was a betrayal of Remus. “I… I went… I saw…” it was eating him
up.
Sirius stepped forward, drawing close to the other boy and took his shoulders
gently. “Hey, Wormy, it’s alright. No one will be mad at you, yeah?”
Peter nodded, and sniffled. He hadn’t realized he was about to cry. “I saw
Remus and Lily… shagging, in the astronomy tower. Lily knows I saw but he
doesn’t. I don’t know what to do, Padfoot. I know James deserves to know but I…
I can’t… I mean, we’re brothers. We’re supposed to keep secrets, no matter how
bad it is, right? I’ve still never told anyone about that thing you did.”
He was furious, actually hearing the words out loud, but pushed it all down for
the moment. He hugged Peter, trying to assure him that things would work out.
His first inclination had absolutely been to tell James, preferably before
Remus had a chance to show his face again, but… maybe his brother had a point.
Maybe Moony deserved some sort of consideration. He did take the whole luring-
Severus-to-the-shack thing with surprising grace. Not so much consideration
that James would never hear of it, obviously, but enough to have a warning
about the impending fallout. At least enough to have his wand ready.
“I’ll handle it, Wormy. I’ll talk to Moony, we’ll work it out. You did the
right thing by telling me. I’m proud of you.”
Peter nodded and pulled away. His voice was timid, sheepish, “Thanks, Padfoot.
I’m sorry to put this on you.”
“Hey, you’ll return the favor. I’m sure I’ll have a secret for you to keep
someday.” He smiled softly, trying to be reassuring, but just under the
surface, rage and jealousy made it hard for him to think.
***** Chapter 4 *****
Remus came into Gryffindor quietly, slinking about so as not to wake his head
of house or any of the prefects. It took the use of years of practice not to
startle and make noise when Sirius suddenly ambushed him in the common room. It
was an odd tone that Sirius carried, playful on the surface but seething
underneath, just the opposite of what Remus was used to.
"Moony. Glad you decided to come home. Muffliato." With a wave of his wand,
Sirius bid their conversation hidden.
Remus swallowed, eyes wide, mind already putting the pieces together. Sirius
knew. No, Sirius thought he knew. All he really had were feet on a map.
"Padfoot... you seem tense. What's the matter?"
"Don't play stupid, Remus." Sirius wasn't playing at all.
He considered his next move. "Padfoot," keep using the name, keep reminding him
of your bond. "Padfoot, it isn't what you think."
"Isn't it? What do I think it is, Remus?"
"We were just... just..." But fuck, it was harder to lie to his face than he
thought it would be.
"Just what, Remus?!" He was wrathful, and although he would never admit it, it
wasn't all just for James's sake.
He couldn't do it. Didn't have the stomach for deception, not when it came down
to it. "Fuck, Padfoot... How...?"
"Fuck how," Sirius advanced, large and threatening while Remus shrank into
himself. "Why?! Why, Remus? Of all people, why her? How could you, after
everything James has done for you. He loves her, Remus, truly loves her. And
I..." He wouldn't say it, wouldn't finish his thought.
He knew why he did it, why he kept doing it, but he was pretty sure Sirius
didn't actually want to hear it. "I'm sorry, Padfoot. Fuck, I'm so sorry," and
somehow they both knew, Remus wasn't just apologizing for what he'd done to
James.
"You're going to tell him. You're going to tell him before lunch tomorrow, or
I'm going to. I'll tell him right there, in the Great Hall in front of
everyone. And whatever he decides, whatever consequences he comes up with,
that's what goes."
Remus just nodded, didn't dare argue, wouldn't have even if he didn't feel like
Sirius might hurt him if he did.
"Say it!"
"I'll tell him! Before lunch, or it'll get much worse for me."
Sirius gave a snarl, but seemed satisfied enough. "Now get out of my sight.
You're not sleeping in the same room as him, not tonight and not again until he
says so."
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