First, some explanatory notes.

This is a series of MWPP ficlets, each one prompted by a word starting with a different letter of the alphabet. I am not going to admit how long ago this idea has been percolating in my head because it's a little embarrassing. Let's just say I'm looking at my harddrive and realizing that if I don't start posting, I might never. On the plus side, each one is contained and stands on its own merit.

These ficlets range from several hundred to several thousand words long. They are all gen. The only relationships alluded to will be canon ones, ie, Lily/James, but there will not be a romantic focus. The ratings fall between G/K and PG-13/T. Some will be humorous (hopefully), some serious, all of them about equally split between the different boys as main characters, set during all seven years at Hogwarts, plus the few years they had together after school finished. Since I started them all out of order, there might be concentrations of certain people or moods in the final order.

The Sticking Place

Later, Sirius said it was fucking ironic that the Death Eaters chose a slaughterhouse for the confrontation. Remus corrected him, saying their fight actually took place in cold storage. James took them both to task for taking it so lightly. People had died. They were better than that.

Peter didn't point out they'd all sung a different tune when they'd come across the bodies or when they realized they weren't alone in the building, whatever word they decided best described it. Peter didn't say anything at all. He didn't want to talk about it.

He didn't want to think about it.

It was cold in the warehouse, cold enough that Peter kept wanting to blow on his fingers or stuff them into his pockets, but he had to keep his wand at the ready. He wished he'd worn a heavily cloak that day, hadn't only because it was warmer outside than it had any right to be on a late spring day.

The others worn masks, as they always did, but Peter thought he recognized a few. Bellatrix Lestrange was usually easy to spot, being one of the few females on their side. She immediately sought out Sirius to duel, another giveaway.

Aubrey Wilkes favoured the Confringo Curse. Peter was sure it was him who sent one towards Edgar Bones, hit dead flesh rather than living when Edgar ducked out of the way in time, sending frozen hunks of animal carcass flying, hitting both of them. It didn't keep either of them down long. Nothing ever did.

The one in front of Peter, he couldn't place, but the Death Eater obviously recognized him, for the curses he cast kept hitting above Peter's head. Peter returned the favour by aiming for dead pigs just to his right.

But the relative safety couldn't keep for long. Things got even more chaotic when, out of the corner of his eyes, Peter noticed the formerly stationary objects starting to move. He didn't know who had hit them with what, didn't have time to think to figure it out. He began to fire indiscriminately, hoping that he would be able to Stupefy the animated carcasses. His spell got tangled with other ones springing across the warehouse and he didn't know if it had any effect.

James gave him a fright, half-hid in the shadows so Peter couldn't even see if there was a mask on his face. His wand-work had changed since Hogwarts, the movements more conservative than before. He had always wanted to be as flashy as possible, but the Death Eaters weren't likely to be impressed, not even if the spell was especially tricky. James just didn't have it in him anymore to put that extra effort into something that didn't help keep someone alive.

Recognizing him at the last second, James was too late to stop the words from falling from his lips, but not too late to jerk his hand up. Peter fell to the floor anyway, not trusting James to avoid cursing him. He did take the offered hand and let James pull him back to his feet, moving them both out of the way as one of the carcasses did a jerky skitter inches past them.

"You all right?" James asked, but his eyes were already scanning the room to find the foes amidst the distractions, his attention gone from Peter the second he realized his friend hadn't been hit.

"I'm fine," Peter said dully, wondering how quickly he could get away from James. James was a target; Peter didn't want to be.

But James was already charging off. He had seen Lily across the way, a bright splash of colour in the otherwise dull backdrop. Peter just wished it was her hair that attracted attention instead of the vivid streak of blood running down her face.

Peter didn't even get the chance to see if she was okay, for someone in a mask started firing at him. He ducked at the exact same time one of the carcasses jolted in front of him, taking the brunt of the blast. The spell bore a hole in it, enough to make it shudder and slow, but not enough to keep it from moving through the warehouse with all the other mindless slabs of meat.

He thought he could recognize the Death Eater that had attacked him. Peter wondered if Slaymaker did it on purpose, if it was his way of helping Peter without letting the rest of the Order know what he was doing. Or if he really didn't care that he and Peter were on the same side, if he was really trying to hurt Peter.

That didn't last long. The pig gave one final quiver before settling back down into its dead state. Peter dove down beside it, taking what protection it offered him while Slaymaker continued to fire. Peter felt like a fool for even considering that he might be trying to help, however underhanded that help might be. Using his own wand again, he made sure all the spells were defensive ones. He had several choices: getting out of here alive or getting out of here having hurt someone else and facing the wrath. Of Voldemort or of the Order, he wasn't sure.

"Protego!"

The shield wasn't as good as Remus' or even Lily's, but it was better than Sirius' or James'. Sirius never cared much for defensive spells and James had never needed to use them until he'd left Hogwarts and entered the Order. Once, being better at something than James and Sirius would have been the pinnacle of Peter's existence. Now it did nothing.

"Confringo!"

Through a minor miracle, Peter actually heard those words and was able to process them in time to pull his shield in closer. There was a small explosion and Peter smelled smoke but his defences held.

"You have to use something stronger!"

The shout was in his left ear, coming from entirely too close behind him, and Peter twirled around, making sure to keep up his shield. It knocked Remus over, but he wasn't upset about that.

Off in another corner, Peter heard Bellatrix shriek. He wondered a bit about recognizing her, but her shrill voice had always been distinctive, even before he got to know her better. Sirius' distinctive bark laughter came two seconds later, but both of them were swallowed up by the rest of the chaos before Peter could make out what was going on there.

Remus was still on the ground, slightly stunned. Peter hesitated before holding out his hand to help Remus up again. Remus responded by knocking a stray Impediment Jinx out of the way.

There were more spells aimed at him when he was with someone else, but Peter couldn't decide if two made an easier target than one, or if most of the Death Eaters actually recognized him and let him be when he was on his own. Either way, the barrage was too much and he and Remus took cover behind one of the dead-again carcasses, backs against the cold, bloodless skin.

"Defensive isn't going to work here," Remus said, almost sounding like he was back in school, a prefect lecturing the second years on the importance of watching where they were going if they didn't want to get stuck in a false step or other such boobytrap set by bored poltergeists, not under heavy fire in one of the worst fights of their lives.

"I'm going to hit someone!" Peter cried. He bit his tongue immediately, but the damage was already done.

"You're going to get hit if you don't!" Remus yelled.

"This isn't—" Peter wasn't sure what it was or wasn't.

"Peter, this isn't Hogwarts! Sluggy won't give you a detention if you curse them! They are trying to kill us! Do you understand that? They are trying to kill us!" cried Remus.

He uncrouched from their hiding spot and shouted something that Peter couldn't make out over the din, not even from two feet away, not even after their opponent was knocked back, tripping over one of the many dead animals that now littered the floor. Peter knew he should recognize what Remus had just done but the image and the words and the results just wouldn't line up in his mind. Everyone was yelling, casting spells and crying out in pain. It all melded together until Peter was dizzy.

It was then that he noticed the red interspersed with the green, the black, the rents in the air where the eyes couldn't make sense of colour or shape. Whose wand it originated from, Peter didn't know. Probably someone on his side, he thought, before remembering that both sides were his.

He had always been good at Stupefy, had favoured the Stunning Spell, growing up, because of its power. Perfectly legal. Lauded, even. And just as deadly, if used properly.

"What are you waiting for?" Remus shouted, still standing, trying to finish the Death Eater off.

A shot of green hit the pig he was hiding behind; it did nothing.

Stupefy would be just as deadly today. If he hit an Order member, the jig was up. If he hit a Death Eater, they would be captured. Too many here today would sell him out if given the chance.

"Peter!" Remus shouted again.

The spells were coming more rapidly now. One concussive force knocked a chunk out of the pig, knocking Peter over with it.

He just prayed he wouldn't hit an ally.

He wondered if he would know if he did.

He couldn't stall any longer.

Peter screwed his eyes closed and fired.