Carpe Noctvm (A Barty Crouch Jr Fanfiction)

After...

Hi everyone,

I've had this short draft in my—er—drafts for a year now and I wanted to post it because I think it's cute. 

So enjoy ☺️ 

(ps, its very rough and unedited)

-----

It was exactly a month after the battle of Hogwarts, people were still mourning and recovering but there was a distinct air of relief about the Wizarding World. Keira and B had used the time to reclaim Crouch House and prepare for the upcoming trial.

She and B were to be tried. The sentence still filled Keira with dread although she had been assured that the trial was merely a formality, more like a pardon than a trial. Sometimes, Keira would catch B staring off into space at certain points of the day with a frown on his face, as if imagining their trial. She tried to comfort him as best she could but he had already faced one trial and lost.

Two days before the trial, they had a visitor at Crouch house. Keira was sitting on the floor of B's mother's lounge, she was pulling Severus' books out of crates and deciding which ones to keep and display in the room, her face was continually awash with tears throughout this task, remembering every book that Severus had asked her to read or had been reading himself. Adjusting to a life without him was a much more difficult task than losing her parents had been.

There was a ring at the door, she heard B trample down the stairs, and she got up off the floor. They stared at each other for a minute. Who the hell could be calling here? B eventually pulled the door open to reveal Hermione. Keira ran into her arms, hugging her tightly.

"What's happened? Why are you here?" She asked her pulling her inside.

"I think we'd better have a talk." She replied.

The three of them sat at the kitchen table and a minute before Hermione could begin, Winky had brought them cups of tea. "What is it?" Keira asked her after Hermione had hesitated, watching Winky warily.

"Two things." She began. "Firstly as acting Minster For Magic." Keira grinned at her. "I wanted to ask you to give evidence at all the other deatheaters trials. After you've both been cleared of course." She said looking between B and Keira. She's working on the assumption that we will be cleared.

"Evidence for or against?" B asked.

"As you judge them." She replied, creasing her brows. "We would like you to both to help decide who is guilty and who isn't."

"Will they get the Dementor's kiss?" Keira asked, her voice hushed. B moved about, restless beside her.

"No. The ministry of magic is no longer using Dementors." Hermione assured, reverently. "So will you?" She asked. Keira and B shared a look for a moment. B would be committing the biggest betrayal of all, turning on his fellow deatheaters. Keira had no qualms about the job, she knew that it would ensure those who should be pardoned received it.

"We'll do it," B said at last with a conviction in his voice that made Keira smile at him. Hermione looked relieved.

"Thank you, both of you." She said pulling out a few pieces of paper from her bag. "The other thing was more cheerful, well, maybe not for you." her eyes flashed to B's as is almost scared. Her eyes darted away from B's face and landed on the ring that Keira still kept there, Keira pulled her hands back off the table folding them in her lap, away from view. "The ministry wants to offer you a job." She said. Keira looked wide-eyed at her. Deatheaters? A job?

"Doing what?" B asked a little more withdrawn, not wanting to let his hopes get ahead of him, Keira knew that from a young age, he had high hopes for himself in a career, as any Ravenclaw would.

"There are certain groups of magical creatures who we believe could be coaxed back onto our side, there are certain ones who still remain loyal to - him." She said in a whisper. "And Keira told me that you used to recruit such groups for - him." She said watching B's face carefully.

Keira and Hermione watched B. He seemed to be battling between wanting to help the ministry and not wanting to do all the same things again, reversing the damage. "How likely is it that we'll- I'll get cleared?" He asked, quietly. There was no doubt in his mind that Keira would be cleared.

"Very likely, all the Order members are willing to testify and I know George in particular has something to say." She tried to sound hopeful. "I wouldn't be here if I didn't think you would be." She finished kindly.

"Will George want to after--you know," Keira asked.

"He's more fierce than ever at wanting the Deatheaters behind bars because of it." She answered.

Keira looked at B her eyes imploring him to say 'yes'. "We get to travel." She reminded him of what she had said to him in the Owlery more than a year ago. His eyes softened and he nodded at Hermione.

"We'll do it."

"Brillant! When you're home again, you can have any position in the ministry you want." Hermione said pushing the paper towards them.

"Minister's job?" Keira teased and she and Hermione laughed. Hermione left shortly afterward and Keira stood to clear the mugs.

"Are you sure you want this?" B asked. He hadn't moved from the table, his head resting on the table, thinking.

"Sounds like a dream," Keira said. "Will you stop acting like you're going to the gallows." She pointed a teaspoon at him. "If you get convicted, which won't happen because you're innocent, and anyway you heard what Hermione said, they don't use dementors anymore. No more kiss, no more awful time in Azkaban, just like muggle prison, which isn't that bad." She finished her schpeel.

"You won't mind traipsing around the world talking to horrible creatures," he asked, a ghost of a smile on his face.

"It's not traipsing to me, I've never seen it." She said, "It will be fun. Although we have three things to talk about." She said hugging him from behind.

"Three things I've done wrong I just know it. Let me guess, was it leaving my toothbrush in the wrong place?"

"No, shut up." She said. "I wanted to ask about the house." B pulled away from her, looking her in the eyes worriedly.

"You don't want to stay here." He said.

"B! Will you stop being so depressing!" Keira yelled exasperated at him, she sat in the seat beside his at the table. "I only meant what kind of decor do you want? Like did you want it like it was with your parents, or can we change it to our own style and can I change the furniture and can I bring my clothes over from home and can we leave Spinners End for Severus' muggle family?" She finished and sucked in a breath. B was smirking at her.

"Yes to everything," he answered quietly.

"Right, the next is Winky," Keira said, her eyes looking around for any sign of her. "I want to let her go back to work in the kitchens when we go to do that job for Hermione, so she won't be lonely---"

"Perfect." B interrupted her.

"And I want to pay her a wage. You know, so she can buy herself some nice clothes because we can't give her any, and put a bit aside for retirement or whatever house elves do."

"Perfect again," B said and kissed her lips.

"Lastly," Keira said, her throat was getting dry now but she knew if she did not carry on she might never say it. She pulled back from B a bit twisting the ring he had given her on her finger. "I don't want to get married, ever." She said in one breath, waiting for his reaction. He didn't move although his eyebrows creased together and he withdrew a bit too.

"You mean---" he started.

"I mean, Voldemort was the one who set us up, I don't want to ever marry, I don't think it's right after what happened, marriage has been tainted for me." She said.

"Right." was all he replied. He reached for her ring to pull it off the finger.

"No, I don't mean that, I want to be with you. I bloody love you, I want to be here for the rest of my life, I just don't think I can marry you." She said, her eyes, dropping to her lap. 

"We'll just have to live in sin then," he replied.