Bolter ♰ Regulus Black

𝟎𝟏𝟏. duplicity and deadly affairs

ACT ONE, ESCAPE IN ESCAPING
[ 011 ] duplicity and deadly affairs

november, 1977 !

SUMMARY.
━━━ The mere fact that he shouldn't is enough motivation for Francis Greengrass to do the stupidest things.

"𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐖𝐀𝐒 𝐒𝐔𝐂𝐇 𝐀 𝐒𝐇𝐈𝐓𝐒𝐇𝐎𝐖," 𝐅𝐑𝐀𝐍𝐂𝐈𝐒 𝐋𝐀𝐔𝐆𝐇𝐄𝐃, "𝐖𝐇𝐘 𝐖𝐄𝐑𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐘 𝐅𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆?" A few hours after Sirius Black's birthday party was infiltrated by two egoistic teenagers breaking into bloodied fights in the middle of the room and scaring the birthday boy away from his own party, Francis and Barty found themselves at the top of the Ravenclaw Tower under the wind blowing ferociously... just conversing about those events.

Barty laughed because Francis is so oblivious. "I s'pose you better ask Astoria that. Besides, Evan needs to get his anger issues under control and Regulus needs to stop being so... Regulus..." he sighs loudly, "Quidditch training is going to be terrible."

Francis crosses his arms over his chest, elbow brushing with Barty's bicep, "Are you ready for the next game? You are fantastic in the air."

"You're just noticing?"

"I've finally been watching."

Barty knows where this is going but he doesn't exactly protest. It's... easy being around Francis. Kind, light-hearted, carefree Francis. Barty almost forgets everything, lets his mask slip ever so slightly and even though he pulls it back, Francis still sees. Still knows what it means.

The problem is, well, Francis is not a planner. Astoria really rubs off on everybody. Francis has always been more of a gut feeling kind of person. Act now. Think later.

When the two of them first found themselves under the starry night sky in another House's tower, it was Francis who initiated their first kiss. He always initiates it. Barty always leaves him shattered. Whenever Francis thinks his heart is putting itself back together, Barty does something else to lure him in and Francis lets himself break all over again.

Greengrass remembers their first kiss all too well. His chest aches, thinking about Crouch's face that fateful night, standing there after he'd kissed him, so fucking scared. Both boys started to decipher their heart does not work in the same way society expects them to. Liking the same gender, kissing the same gender— although they understood it, they never exactly acted upon it.