[Insert Working Title Here]

[Ritsu]

My criativity lapse is so huge that I don't even have a temporary title for the fanfic in question. This is the first chapter/part, call it whatever you want. It's poorly written, basically because I don't have the story completely plotted out yet, but I already have some ideas for the second chapter - which is good - so tonight I'll write more down. Enjoy.

I

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It was a strange kind of night. The kind of night that isn't cold nor hot, when you are sleepy but can't sleep, when the feelig that something is about to happen hangs above us. It was one of those nights. Leni's eyes were fixed on the ceiling for hours, she merely blinked - it looked as if she was in some lethargic state. She couldn't stop thinking, wandering, dreading. But she'd never been too good with predictions and omens, but still... Suddenly, a voice broke the silence, coming from the bedroom's balcony.
'Can't sleep?', asked the voice.
'No, not really. There's this buzz in my he- wait, what's happened to you?!' Leni got up immediately and ran towards the person who, at the moment, was entering the bedroom. A tall, dark-haired, handsome young man, wearing long black velvet robes. He looked extremely pale and distraught - an expression that would never leave him for years to come.
'I... I've just arrived from... I... I need water', and he started walking towards the kitchen, but his legs wouldn't obey him. He forced himself to sit on the bed. Leni sat next to him, putting her arm around his shoulders.
'What happened? And... where's your bike, by the way?'
'I borrowed it. To... Hagrid, you know. I don't think I'll be needing it anymore. For now. I guess.' He sighed.'I should've known... I should've KNOWN!' he cried, putting his head down and shaking it frantically.
'Sirius... what... what should you've known?' Leni was starting to worry.
'About Peter. I just...'
'Peter? Our Peter? What did he do?'
'He...' he paused 'water.' He managed to get up and walked out of the room, returning seconds later with a glass of water on his right hand and a piece of parchment on the left one. He sat back on the bed, closer to Rita and taking her hand.'Look, I have to go again, and... well, we'll never know what'll happen.'
'But...'
'Give this to Remus. Please.' He handed her the piece of parchment. 'And please don't read it.'
'... You don't trust me now, is that ot? Look, I'm freaking out here, you're not telling me whatever's wrong here and, seriously Sirius, I'm starting to worry and I really don't know if I should.' She stopped for breath.'Will you please tell me what's wrong?'
'I... have to go. Come with me. Hagrid must be at Godric's Hollow with the bike by now. We'll go to the city first, I have something to... do there' He paused for a second, a shadow of fear momentaneously crossing his eyes. 'We'll go to the city together, I'll do my business while you go to Remus and... promise me you'll stay there and give him the note. He'll tell you everything I'm not saying.'
'I'd rather hear it from you, though', she whispered.
He seemed to smile for a brief moment. He took Leni in his arms.
'I know', he whispered back, stroking her hair and back gently. 'Sorry for the way I'm acting tonight, but you have to understand that... I just don't want to shock you, I don't know what'll happen and I want to enjoy our...'
'Hush now', she said while pressing her fingertips on his lips,'I understand you.'
This time he did smile, broadly. 'I never doubted even for a second you wouldn't.' He hugged her even tighter. 'Now... we have a city to go to.'
They gut up holding hands, Leni clutching the piece of parchment tightly in her free hand. They walked towards the balcony where Sirius had Apparated minutes earlier and, faster than a bolt of lightning, disappeared into the night.
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[Ritsu]

II

While walking towards Remus's, Leni's mind was racing. Dreading. She was still holding the note Sirius had written, and, as dying as she was to read it, she was trying to be faithful to her promise. In all of their years together, this was the first time he was keeping something from her - well, there was that time when he and James were secretly scaring Snape using the Invisibility Cloak, but that was irrelevant. And he said something about Peter... like he was angry at him, but that was impossible, Peter was the most naïve person she knew, and Sirius loved the attention, so it couldn't be anything bad. True, Peter had been acting strange and distant since James and Lily's wedding, but Leni always saw that as jealousy.
Sirius had left for Godric's Hollow moments before, leaving her alone in the city without a proper goodbye. The fear and anger in his eyes was immense. 'Well,' she thought ' whatever it is, James can fix it. And one or two looks at little Harry will cure him alright!'
She stopped. She found herself in a dark, foggy street, which was not at all where she wanted to be. Assuming that she probably got distracted with so much thinking, she turned around to walk back to the main street and resume her walk, but that was when she saw someone - or something - hiding behind some cardboard boxes which were piled against a wall. It was breathing heavily, as if it had ran for very long, and was crouching and making sounds Leni could not decode. She stepped a bit close to it, remembering, with every step, Sirius's wish for her to go directly to Remus's, and stopped at the sight of the things face. It was a man, and Leni recognized him immediately. 'Peter!', she cried, running towards him and crouching by his side. 'Peter, what happened?'. She was beginning to feel that that night was filled with people behaving strangely and scared. 'Look at you, so scared...'
'Sirius!', Peter said, shuddering.
'Sirius?'
'He's... he's after me!'. Leni gave a small chuckle at the sound of this.
'Non-sense, sweetie, he loves you more than you know, you feed his ego anytime he wants, what more could he wish for?'
'Now... I've had enough of that, if you don't mind, sweetie'. His voice didn't sound scared and insecure anymore. It sounded determined and strong. So did his face. He stopped gaping and, slowly, was getting up on his feet.
'Er... Peter? Pete? What...' Leni was starting to feel she was at the wrong place at the wrong time and, without Peter noticing it, got hold of her wand under her travelling robes.
'I had enough of this helpless Peter attitude. I've realised I have a mind, a will of my own and-'
'Er, no, you don't-'
'Shush - I know what I'm syaing. Wasted my time feeling worthless with you lot while I could've been great and-'
'How?'
'S...sorry?', he looked clueless for a minute.
'How, enlighten me? We always helped you copy. You'd still be at school if it weren't for us, Lily in particular. You? Great?'
'Non-sense! He would've helped me anyhow!'
'He? He who?'
'The Dark Lord! He made me great and wise, and...'
'At what price?'
'Oh', at the sound of this, Peter smirked naughtly.'Just a little secret I happened to be holding'. He rolled his eyes sarcastically, while pointing his want at Leni's chest. Leni, on the other hand, turned pale at the sound of those sharp last words.
'Peter, you didn't... you couldn't!...you', she didn't know what to say, or how to say it. The whole thing sounded ridiculous, Peter telling Lord Voldemort what he solemnly swore not to tell... she then remembered the note, that she now began to believe to be extremely important, and put it inside her pocket - but not fast enough.
'What was that?', Peter snapped, while walking closer to her, want pointed sharply.
'Nothing', she answered, terrified. Images of baby-faced Peter admiring and gasping at Sirius and James spells flashed through her head. It couldn't be.
'Your problem. Now', he said, giving it a lot of emphasis,'I have to do something with you before I start hiding from your sweetheart again, I can't just leave you here, the Dark Lord wouldn't be pleased, so...'
'I DARE you to!', Leni shouted, pointing her wand back.
'Oh, do you?' he smirked again. Leni was starting to feel sick. 'Then dare this, a little trick Severus taught me.'
'Snape?', she said with desdain, 'what...', but before she could finish, she heard Peter scream something that sounded like Sectumsempera and, next thing she knew, she was bleeding and falling to the ground. The last thing she felt was Peter checking her pockets. She lost her senses seconds afterwards.