For Sophie via the Hogwarts gift tag (BartyLuna, past mentions of RegulusBarty)
Note: Voldemort wins!au where Barty never received the Dementor's kiss.
It isn't the first time Barty has been summoned to Malfoy Manor in the middle of the night. Over the past two years since the Dark Lord's ultimate victory at Hogwarts, they've found many of Potter's sympathizers. The rebels are always brought here to await their fate.
Barty feels a flicker of excitement as he makes his way through the halls. He hopes it's one of the Weasleys. That entire family has given the Death Eaters more trouble than they're worth.
When he finally reaches the meeting hall, he's disappointed. Instead of a Weasley, there is a girl with long blonde hair that's tangled and matted. Though she stands with her head held high, there is no anger or defiance in her eyes. Then again, Luna Lovegood has always been soft.
"Nice of you to join us at last," Bellatrix says with a smirk.
Barty looks around the room. All the higher ranking Death Eaters have been summoned, but their master is noticeably absent. Barty doesn't bother to ask. The Dark Lord has his own agenda, and no one else is worthy of knowing what he does when he's away.
"I present to you Luna Lovegood," Bellatrix says. She flicks her wand, and the young witch rotates slowly so that everyone in the room can get a good look at her. "Aside from the Weasleys, she is one of Potter's biggest supporters. Quite an elusive little brat."
Barty watches Luna curiously. Some of their captives have begged for their lives; others would remain stubborn until the end and spit obscenities at them. But Luna is different. There's a strange serenity in her clever eyes.
"Does she know anything?" Rabastan asks.
"Torture could not loosen her tongue," Bellatrix answers. "The poor dear is quite mad."
Not mad, Barty thinks.
He remembers her from his year masquerading as Moody at Hogwarts. There's a strangeness to her that can easily be mistaken for insanity, but he knows better. She doesn't cling to daydreams and impossibilities out of madness. They give her life; they give her strength.
"Put the thing out of its misery," Antonin says. "No use to us."
Luna doesn't flinch. Even faced with the possibility of death, she keeps the smallest of smiles on her pale face.
"I'll take her," Barty says.
There's a faint murmur throughout the room. Keeping a captive isn't unheard of. Even Bellatrix felt compelled to keep the Mudblood, Granger, as her personal toy for a few months. Barty's statement is only strange because of who the girl is. No one in his right mind would want a Lovegood as a pet. Still, no one challenges it. Barty may not be the highest ranking Death Eater, but he has proven himself.
Bellatrix lifts a shoulder in an apathetic shrug. With one quick flick of her wand, she sends Luna toppling to the floor at Barty's feet. "So be it."
Barty almost reaches out for the young woman but stops himself. Even a small act of humanity is seen as weakness. "On your feet," he says coldly.
…
Barty knows all about captivity. He guides Luna through the home where his own father kept him docile and trapped. He remembers Moody as well, trapped in that trunk for months.
Both seem so needless for Luna. She is reserved and doesn't try to fight. Barty supposes he can take the risk.
"There are spells in place to keep you from escaping," he tells her. "If you try, you will regret it."
The young Ravenclaw shows no fear. She offers him a small nod and an even smaller smile. "You aren't so bad," she tells him.
Barty feels rooted to the spot at those words. He studies her for a moment, half curious, half confused. Death Eaters are meant to be feared. Even the boldest Gryffindors have gone into hiding. He's even had the pleasure of seeing Minerva McGonagall tremble before him.
He scoffs. "Maybe you aren't as smart as I thought."
"I am." Her smile brightens. She doesn't say it as boast; it is a simple fact. "That's how I know you aren't like the others."
Barty turns away, lips curled into a scowl. Maybe it would have been kinder to let Bellatrix kill the girl. Her time on the runs seems to have made her delusional.
He shakes his head and forces himself to move, guiding her along to his old bedroom. "This is where you'll sleep," he tells her.
He doesn't want to linger there for too long. Even before his father had placed him under the Imperius Curse, this room had always felt like a prison. He remembers his youth, staring out the window, wishing for something more than the boring life his father expected him to lead.
"You don't like this room," Luna notes.
With a heavy sigh, Barty glances at her. Her silvery eyes are fixed upon him, and he shudders. It's almost like she's looking into his soul.
He doesn't bother to answer. Something in her dreamy gaze tells him that she knows without him voicing it.
"Don't try anything," he says instead before turning on his heel and retreating to the room that had once belonged to his parents.
He wants to put as much distance between him and Luna as possible. It seems strange, really. He had been so determined to spare her, but now he realizes he can't even be in the same room as her.
…
He is helpless. His father looms over him, a deadly smile on his thin lips.
"Should have left you to rot in there," he says.
Barty can only watch. His mind is hazy, and his limbs feel so heavy. He wants to scream, to lash about, but the curse is too strong, and he cannot fight it.
"I'm ashamed of you, boy."
His father has always been ashamed of him. No matter what Barty did, his father would look at him with those same apathetic eyes. He will always live in his father's shadow, unworthy of the name he's forced to carry.
The scene shifts, and he's sixteen again. He's curled up against Regulus, safe and sound.
"I'll never leave you, Barty."
Liar! Barty wants to scream, but he only smiles, brushing his fingers through Regulus' dark hair.
The Astronomy Tower blurs and changes, and he's sitting in Azkaban. He wraps his arms around himself, but it does nothing to stop the chill that seems to sink into his bones.
His mouth opens, and a terrified shriek escapes his lips. "Mother! Mother, please! Save me!"
She always comes for him, but not this time. Barty is alone.
His father's face appears before him. "Worthless boy."
It's quickly replaced by Regulus. "Join me, Barty. It's so much better here. I miss you."
A shadow seems to wrap around him. There's no way out.
Barty screams.
...
He's still screaming when he opens his eyes. Cold sweat beads his forehead. It takes several moments to realize he isn't alone in the room. Soft hands rest gently on his shoulders. Barty blinks rapidly, his eyes slowly adjusting to the darkness.
"I used to have nightmares too," Luna tells him. "It's okay."
Barty pulls away from her touch, his heart racing painfully. He wants to deny it, but there's no use; she's already heard him scream. "You shouldn't be in here," he says sharply, his voice tight and trembling.
Luna doesn't seem to take the hint. She remains firmly in place. The moonlight that filters in through the curtains reveal a kind smile on her lips. "I can make you a necklace to help with the nightmares. Mummy made one for me when I was younger."
"I don't…" He trails off, letting out a sigh. There's no point arguing with the girl. "Thank you."
He expects it to be enough, but Luna doesn't leave. Before he can ask what's wrong with her, she climbs into bed beside him. Barty tenses. He's only ever let one other person get close to him like this. Regulus always found his way into Barty's bed somehow.
He shakes his head. Regulus has no place in his thoughts now. Regulus is a traitor, and Barty does not want those memories.
Luna doesn't seem to notice the tension in his body. She lays down, sinking into the pillow. Barty shivers. It has been too long since he's felt the warmth of another person beside him.
"It will help with the nightmares," she says softly.
Barty doesn't protest. A faint smile plays at his lips. It's the first time he's felt safe in years.
When he closes his eyes again and manages to drift off to sleep, there are no nightmares.
…
At first, Barty is confused when he wakes with his arms wrapped around another person. His heart skips a beat, and he bolts upright, half expecting to find Regulus at his side. He relaxes ever so slightly when he realizes it's Luna.
Regulus is dead, he reminds himself.
Luna stirs beside him. After several moments, she sits up, yawning as she stretches her arms. "Oh, good morning," she says, as though she's just noticed Barty beside her, as though there's nothing out of the ordinary about waking up next to a Death Eater. "I'm hungry. Would you like breakfast?"
Before he can answer, she's out of bed and disappearing through the door. Barty stares at the now empty spot on the mattress beside him.
He's made a mistake bringing Luna here. She doesn't deserve death, but she's too pure to deserve this life. She should be out there, healing those who need it, and he's trapped her here.
Barty climbs out of bed, wringing his hands nervously. A thought crosses his mind, but it's too dangerous. Letting her go would mean his death…
And yet, he's surprised to discover the thought of dying isn't so terrifying anymore.
…
"You can't stay here," he says, watching as Luna dumps piles of eggs onto two separate.
She glances up only briefly before returning her attention back to the stove where plump sausages sizzle. "That's not the way imprisonment works," she says simply.
Barty rolls his eyes. Having spent a brief period of time in Azkaban, he's well aware of how imprisonment works. He doesn't bother to tell her this; she already knows. "I don't want you to be my prisoner," he tells her. "I want you to be free."
Luna shrugs before adding the sausages to the plates. She takes a seat, calmly cutting into her eggs with her fork. "I told you that you weren't a bad person. You're just lonely," she says. "I used to be lonely, and I know it doesn't feel very good."
Barty takes the seat across from her. He pushes his food around with his fork, frowning. Once again, he can't shake the feeling that she can see into his soul somehow.
"I'm not leaving," she continues. "You're lost, and I think you need someone."
He'd had someone once. Regulus had been just as kind, just as lovely as Luna is now. Though he wishes he could deny it, there's a deep sense of nostalgia in him. He longs for those days when he had someone by his side, someone who could take the pain away.
His eyes flicker to her. Can he really let her into his life? More importantly, can she fill the hole in his heart and chase away his demons?
"It isn't going to be an easy life," he whispers.
Luna reaches out, her hand resting on his. "That's why it's best not to go through it alone."
Barty almost laughs. So this is what healing feels like.