Corruzione (A Barty Crouch Jr Fanfiction)

FIVE - Foiled plans

It was a few days after the cruciatus curse day and Darcy still had not received a reply from Barty. She assumed that she must be his last resort and that he would not contact her unless he had no other option. She was sitting outside in the late summer warmth with half of the Gryffindor quidditch team and half the Hufflepuff one. After five minutes of being irked by a fly who was intent on getting into her ear, she closed her books and lay back on the grass, closing her eyes.

"Who are you going to the Yule Ball with Fred?" Darcy asked, she had promised herself that she wouldn't bring it up and refused to be jealous of everyone having partners to go with. But she was hot and tired and that promise was easily broken.

"Angelina Johnson." He replied laying his head down next to hers, giving up his work.

"And you George?" She asked, opening her eyes and squinting over at him.

"Katie Bell." He replied not taking his eyes from the parchment he was scribbling over.

"Why am I not surprised." She muttered. "Who have you asked, Cedric?" Darcy asked.

"Cho Chang." He replied. This was a natural course she thought but still, for her to be left out, even when she knew no one really liked her was saddening.

"What about you Oliver?" Fred asked, lazily. "Asked that special someone yet?" He gave Oliver Wood a meaningful look.

Oliver shrugged. "Oh, I don't know." He said quietly. Darcy's heart skipped a beat, he still didn't have a date to the Yule Ball either, she daredn't hope that she was going to be asked, he obviously had someone else in mind.

Just then, Cassius appeared over the turrets of the castle and flew towards Darcy, she held out her arm for him and he fluttered onto it. He stuck out his leg for Darcy to detach a note from it. It was another short letter, Darcy made a mental note to remind him of etiquette when she saw him next, before remembering the nature of their acquaintance and the fact that he was a moral-less deatheater. The note said;

If you can tear yourself away from your - gang, we can talk in the library.

Barty.

She packed away her things, muttering an apology to the group and making some excuse that she had to meet Daphne in the library before hurrying into the cool of the castle. She hoped that he would be careful, the library is a terrible place to meet if you don't want to be overheard. It was that thought that made her almost sprint up to the library. But as soon as she entered she could see he had chosen the place well. It was dead. Not a soul had been in there for hours it seemed, even the librarian had probably taken to a walk in the sun. She proceeded down the lines of books looking for him, it was only at the very back of the library near the restricted section that she found him, sitting on a table reading a book.

She couldn't help but laugh at him, he was supposed to be this scary, unhinged deatheater and here he was, reading a book on - she peered at the title. 'Secrets of the Darkest Art'. He found her laughter amusing but she could tell the smile didn't quite reach his eyes.

"What's happened?" She asked, placing her books and bag down on the table too.

"Nothing," he muttered. She gave him a look that said 'I haven't left my friends and the sun for nothing'. "Alright, so something has happened, what are you going to do about it?"

"I'm going to help you."

"And why should you?" He slammed the book down and stood up, pacing the small alcove they were hiding in. "Your father hated us. He made it his life's work to betray us!" He closed his eyes. "And now you, you want to help, or you say you do, how can I know that you're not just a, a lovely diversion to make me fail?" He leaned on his palms on the table, next to where Darcy was sitting. Darcy could not answer, she didn't know herself what made her so determined to help him, only that she knew she must.