𝔚𝔞𝔯 𝔬𝔣 ℌ𝔢𝔞𝔯𝔱𝔰 // 𝔍𝔞𝔪𝔢𝔰 𝔓𝔬𝔱𝔱𝔢𝔯

NINE || Barty Crouch Jr

Estella
December 14th, 1774

Outside of the Divination stairwell I wait for the students in class to get out so I can finally talk to Sirius. After fifteen minutes they all exit and file out of the classroom and I spot Sirius walking with his mates.

"Sirius," I get his attention, he turns around and sees me.

"Yeah?"

"Can I talk to you?"

"uh, sure," he waves off Remus, Peter, and James, and we walk off together down the opposite hall. "What is it?"

"It's Regulus." Sirius stops walking and looks at me, annoyed.

"I apologized."

"I know. He told me. But he says you're still ignoring him, he just wants to talk to you, to have a real conversation."

"Why?"

"Because you're his big brother, and he feels like it's something he did that's making you ignore him, he loves you and he just wants his brother back."

"Why should I care?"

"He came to me in the middle of the night crying because of how much of a toll this is taking on him." I let slip,

"...He was crying?"

"He told me not to tell you, but yeah, he was."

"Shit..."

"Just talk to him, you guys should go to Hogsmeade and just talk."

"Maybe," he sighs, "But speaking of Hogsmeade, I heard James asked you out and you bloody rejected him?"

"Has he given up yet?"

"No, you made him more determined."

"Tell him that it's still no, and that I really am sorry. I gotta go," I leave the hall quickly, not liking that James told all his friends about me rejecting him.

~

"Well, if you're sure you're staying..." Andromeda sighs,

"It's too late now, you'd better get to the carriages before Bellatrix bites your head off." I tell her,

"Okay, I'll see you in two weeks, and I'll be sure to write to you, alright?"

"Okay, have a good break."

"You too," she turns and leaves, hauling her trunk behind her.

I sigh and turn back to the common room. Everyone's gone, all my family went home for Christmas, well, Sirius went to the Potters' as usual, but Vanya and Mattheo are also gone, leaving me alone in the castle along with few other students, one of which includes-

"Crouch," I greet from the couch in the common room and Regulus's friend, Barty Crouch Jr. approaches me.

"Black," he gives me a slight grin and sits next to me. "Why're you still here?"

"Decided to stay for Christmas this year; lots of homework." I lie about the true reason. "What about you?"

"Same."

We sit in silence for a second, a bit of an awkward silence. As I pore over the Daily Prophet, I feel a hand graze my thigh, I look up and spot Barty eyeing me mesmerized and lustfully.

"c-can I help you?" I stutter, staring into his eyes, deep into his crystalized brown orbs.

"Can I kiss you?" He whispers. I don't know, I know he's always had a thing for me, but that feeling was never mutual. But right here right now, staring into his eyes, feeling his warm breath on my skin, hand on my leg...feeling the pain inside my chest at my growing crush on James Potter...I want this right now and...it doesn't have to mean anything does it?