THE SCARS ON MY BODY ● JEGULUS |MARAUDERS|

✹EIGHTY-FOUR✹

BEFORE ANYONE POINTS OUT THAT BARTY HAS SOME FUCKING EXTREME MOODSWINGS, I KNOW, IT'S ON PURPOSE xx

LOVE Y'ALLLLLLLLLLL

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✹ I know ✹

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"Well, James and I will leave you two to finish looking for books. You guys have fun. It was great seeing you, Regulus." Lily beamed at the black-haired boy, who nodded with a smile, still avoiding James' strong glare. "C'mon, James, let's go."

James pushed himself off of the bookshelf he was leaning against, following Lily out of the store, making sure to walk into Barty's side as he went past, shoving him. Barty stumbled but Reg managed to grab his shoulder before he tripped. The door's bell jingled as the door opened, and then again when it closed. 

Barty and Regulus were the only people in the bookstore now, except for the owner, of course. Regulus was rather familiar with Mr Arno, an elderly man who lived in a room above his bookshop, never leaving the building and having his food delivered for him. He'd had a hard past, he had told Regulus many stories. It wasn't often that these stories were very happy, they were usually morbid and upsetting, though interesting and enticing. Mr Arno claimed that these stories were true, yet Regulus wasn't all too sure he believed him.

Stories of soul-splitting spells, humans being forced into the bodies of snakes, elder wands and stones that brought back the dead. They all seemed pretty fictional, although, Regulus supposed, they did live in a world of magic.

Regulus hadn't visited the bookshop since 4th year, he'd missed it. The smell of candle wax, the sound of a quill scraping on paper in an otherwise silent building, the dim lights, the many shelves of calmingly coloured books. It was all so comforting. The loneliness.

"It can't be..." A hushed voice said, coming from the bookshelf on the right. A man with a walking stick, limping as he walked, made his way over to Reg and Barty, putting his glasses on as he moved, "Regulus Arcturus Black. My, oh, my."

Regulus smiled, "Mr Arno."

"Oh, how long it's been. How many months now? Twenty-seven?" 

"You've counted the months?" Regulus asked, in disbelief.

"The weeks, my boy, the weeks. You're the only person brave enough to talk to me. Mad, they say I am." It was then that Mr Arno spotted Barty standing slightly behind Regulus, "Bartemius Crouch's son...Junior, is it?" 

"How do you know who I am?" Barty snapped, clearly trying to hide his fear.

"He's a seer, Barty. Calm down." Regulus rolled his eyes and Barty sighed, "I assume he has seen you in a vision?" Regulus said, mostly aiming it towards Mr Arno, who bowed his head - yes.

"Those two were a lovely couple, what were their names? Glasses and Red?" Mr Arno had clearly meant to be funny, but neither boy laughed. 

"James Potter and Lily Evans," Barty answered.

There was a rather awkward silence after that, Regulus fiddling with the loose strings on the sleeve of his jacket. Lovely couple. Well, Reg supposed, they were, weren't they?

"What brings you here this evening, then, my son?" Mr Arno spoke up, breaking the tension, "New books, stories, homework answers?" 

Regulus laughed, remembering the time in his third year when Regulus had first met Mr Arno. He had tapped him on the shoulder, believing he was a classmate and had asked him for the answers to the charms homework, only for Mr Arno to turn around and reveal that he was most certainly not Regulus' classmate, and most likely did not have the answers to the Charms homework. He had gone bright red and had apologised profusely until Mr Arno had laughed and led Regulus to the till where he had offered him a biscuit and asked him about this specific piece of charms homework, which he then ended up actually helping him with. 

"Just books." Regulus nodded towards the tall pile of books that Barty was holding for him. Mr Arno just grinned.

"I'm not surprised in the slightest. If you need me, you know where to find me." Mr Arno shook Regulus' hand, nodded at Barty and then left.

"What the fuck-" Barty started.

"Oh, shut up, Junior. Not right now."

"What do you mean, not right now?" His forehead wrinkled as his eyebrows furrowed, though, Reg ignored him and continued to look at the shelves of books, "Regulus."

"Why are we on a date?" Regulus questioned the second Barty had stopped speaking, it was so quickly conveyed that it was a wonder Barty had actually heard what he said. 

"Because I asked if you wanted to come on a date with me, and you said yes." It was such a simple answer to such a difficult question. Because he had said yes. "You regret it." They both fell silent, "You regret it, don't you?"

Regulus did not answer.

Barty laughed, which shocked Regulus profoundly.

"Of course...how could I be so bloody stupid. You're still in love with Potter, aren't you?" His voice got louder and louder as he continued to speak.

"Keep your voice down, Crouch."

Barty whistled, "Crouch? Well, alright, Reggie. Back to level one now, are we? Back to insults in corridors and glares over rooms. Back to last names and angry tones? Fine. If that's what you want."

Regulus pressed his fingers to his temples and let out a strong breath, "That's not what I meant. It's just that Humphrey said-"

"Oh, oh how wonderful. Do go on, I'm sure if Humphrey's the one saying it, it must be correct. Everything Humphrey says is right, everything, isn't that right, Reggie?"

"Why are you being like this?" Regulus complied, using his hands to help emphasise his words. 

"Because I'm angry."

"Why are you angry?" 

Barty rolled his eyes.

"Because you agreed to come on a date with me, let me kiss you. On your cheek, on your temple, on your jaw, on your lips." He paused for a moment, "But none of it matters to you because you're still in love with Gryfinddor's Pretty Boy. Why would you let me embarrass myself like that? How could you?"

"It does matter to me."

Barty took a deep breath and grabbed Regulus' left hand, intertwining their fingers. "How does that feel?"

"Good, it feels good but-" Barty held up his finger to shush him. He then let go of Regulus' left hand and held his right one instead. 

"Now imagine I'm Potter holding your hand. How does that feel?" Regulus fell silent, "Well, that just proves my point, doesn't it?" 

It was then that Regulus spotted the tears grouping up on Barty's bottom eyelid.

"I like you, Regulus. So, just tell me you don't like me already."

"I can't." His voice broke.

"I know." Barty whispered, "I know." And he hugged him.

Not a quick hug. Not a short one with a pat on the back or a ruffle of his hair.

A tight hug. One where they did not let go for a long time. Barty's arms are around Regulus' neck and his head on his shoulder. Regulus' arms are strongly around Barty's waist. A tight hug.

"I like you, Reggie." He mumbled, crying.

"I know," Regulus whispered, "I know."

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✹ I know ✹

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