Coiled (Book 1 of 2)

Billiards, Then

"Spin the bottle, then."

At this, Evan damn near chokes on the modest sip of wine he's just taken. From his place at Evan's side, Reggie crosses his arms and leans forward in his seat, "Have you lost your mind, Henry? Don't be outrageous. No one wants to play that."

Rolling his eyes dismissively at Regulus, Henry sighs dramatically as he slides further back in his seat on the sofa directly opposite them, "Maybe you don't, Black. Perhaps others do -"

"- No. Absolutely not."

That'd be Evan, who's finally managed to successfully swallow the wine without choking or spitting it out.

Shrugging and rising up from his own seat, Barty shakes his head vigorously, "It's alright, Henry. It's completely alright you're gay. In a way, I suppose it's cool, even. But I certainly don't get into all that queer stuff. Pass."

Whipping his head up towards Barty, Mulciber stares him down intently.

You fucking closeted liar!

Just wait;

Just wait till I have you begging my name later -

"... Right. Of course you don't. How very foolish of me."

"It's alright, no harm done. Anyway, want me to refresh your glass for you, Henry?"

Sucking on his teeth, the dark haired boy lifts his newly drained glass upwards towards Barty, "You know I do, Crouch. Thank you."

"Evan? Reggie?"

But they both shake their heads no to the offer. And so, with both his and Henry's glasses in hand, Barty turns and makes his way towards the side table to pour fresh wine.

Huffing and already well on his way to being intoxicated, Mulciber gestures impatiently between Evan and Reggie, "... So what, then?"

This time it's Evan who speaks up on their mutual behalf, though it's taking all his inner strength not to show the amount of pain he's presently in, the searing headache he's feeling as a result of the telepathic link Mulciber forced between them.

Thanks - a - bloody - lot for that, Henry.

Gods, I hate you!

Mulciber feels it too, of course. That's mostly why he's drinking so much, so as to try to drown out the secret pain. That and because he's bitter and angry over Evan confessing his love for Reggie.

"What do you mean, 'so what, then?'"

"Exactly what I said, Rosier. 'What then?' Are we to just sit in silence together, to succumb completely to an entirely boring, absolutely unmemorable night?"

"Yes. Precisely."

"Nothing wrong with that, Henry."

"Oh go on, Black. You're so mind numbingly dull. We've never been ones to have an uneventful night so why start now?"

"Because, Henry. Read the room. Consider the circumstances under which we find ourselves here -"

"- Sod the circumstances, Black. Can't change what's happened to Lovegood. And Sleeping Beauty upstairs? Apparently content to sleep her days away."

"Don't call her that."

"And why not? It's literally all she's done since we arrived."

"- She's grieving, Henry."

"Grieving?! Grieving what? No one's died -"

From his place at their make-shift bar, Barty turns back around, half-empty bottle of Superior Red in one hand, "... Yet."