Cursed Child Years 5-7 | Marauders Era

40 | Only One Direction To Go

Only One Direction To Go

Thursday 21st October, 1976

"Hey," Barty smiles, sitting opposite Evan in the leather armchair.

The Slytherin Common Room is packed with students waiting for time to speed up and dinner to be announced. Barty loves it when the room is like this. The fire is lit, the shadows mirroring witches and wizards as they rotate around each other, laugh with their friends and read books or talk about the latest drama in the castle, or the latest death.

It's never been loud in the Slytherin Common Room, Barty knows it is in the Gryffindor and Ravenclaw ones, but he thinks that the Slytherin and Hufflepuff houses are much the same when it comes to their Common Rooms.

It's been nearly a month since the kiss and Barty misses his friend. He won't pretend to understand what's happening, but he's not entirely sure that he likes it.

Evan bolts upright, once noticing Barty, his books closing as his head whips around anxiously. "What the hell are you-"

"I broke it off with Rose," Barty cuts in, stroking the glass of the window as Magical Creatures float by, he watches Evan from the corner of his eye.

"You did?" Evan frowns, zeroing in on Barty, his face harshly suspicious.

"I never told her why. I'm not an idiot," he snaps. "She was upset, I was sorry but at the end of the day I'm no cheater and it's not right, me and her together anymore."

"You did this because of me?"

Barty turns to face Evan, a pitiful look overtaking his features. "Very full of yourself aren't we?"

Evan rolls his eyes, snapping his History of Magic book shut. "When?"

"Yesterday," he shrugs, fiddling with a loose string at the end of his sleeve. "I've been building up the courage to tell you."

"Barty! Why- wait... you've been what?"

Barty nods, bowing his head embarrassed. "I didn't know how you'd react."

Evan doesn't know how to reply to that. He wants to tease Barty, but he's too uncomfortable too - which makes him want to make a joke even more. But Evan knows Barty, if he tells the joke that he was thinking of, then Barty would look up and glare at him and then roll his eyes and sigh and Evan would laugh and apologise and Barty would look at the glass again.

It's strange that I know all of that, he thinks.

"You were together for three years, Barty," Evan snaps. "You loved her!"

"Love her. Present tense."

"So why the ruddy hell would you end it?"

Barty rolls his eyes, he pulls out his wand tucked up his sleeve and waves a silencing charm around them. The Common Room noise dulls out into mute silence and it's just them in their little bubble now.

"Because..." Barty shakes his head. "...you. You kissed me."

"Because, I-"

"Because you kissed me. Yes"

Evan grunts, rubbing his temples aggressively to calm himself down before he pulls his own wand out. "You're an idiot."

"I cheated."

"That only counts if you want to do it."

"We kissed and I had a girlfriend at the time. I couldn't kiss you back without feeling guilty and we couldn't do it again without it being disrespectful."