Author's Note: Written for the HPFC's "Musical Chairs – Revolving Prompts" Competition, with the prompt Regulus/Barty Jr. (it was either this or witch!Petunia au). And written for the HPFC's "Open Category Competition" in the Slash category.

I think it turned out quite well considering I've never written either of the characters before. Or slash, for that matter.

Kiss Goodbye

The forest was eerily quiet for so late at night. It only served to fuel Regulus' paranoia. He jumped at every rustle of leaves or chirp of crickets. He tried in vain to relax and enjoy the familiar surroundings as the sun went down on the fallen tree where he sat.

"A bit juvenile, isn't this? Meeting in the Forbidden Forest?"

Regulus jumped up from the log and shot three curses into the darkened woods, startled by the voice.

"Reg, calm down. It's only me," the voice continued, growing closer until the owner could be seen by the light of wand.

Regulus did calm minutely at the sight of Barty's smiling face, but that wasn't enough assurance that it was really him. Regulus knew all too well how easy it was to pretend to be someone else.

"What was it I gave you before I left school?" he whispered frantically, his wand still pointed at Barty's chest.

"Love, what's going on? Why did you ask me to meet you here?"

"Please, answer the question."

"You gave me your tie." Barty lifted his left sleeve to show the green and silver cloth wrapped securely around his wrist. Above that, just peeking out, Regulus could see the beginnings of the Dark Mark, red and raw around the edges. No more than a week old. The sight of it made his skin crawl and his own tattoo itch and burn terribly.

"Care to tell me what's going on now?" The younger man let go of his sleeve and slowly edged toward Regulus, mindful of the wand still pointed at him.

Regulus lowered it to his side and allowed himself to be pulled into Barty's embrace, wrapping his arms around the smaller man and letting out a relieved sigh.

"You've no idea how glad I am to see you," he admitted.

Barty pulled back to look him in the eye. "Reg, you've been missing for two weeks. We've all been worried. There are rumors, lies. They say you've abandoned Him."

"They're not lies, Bart. I'm sorry."

"No, Reg, you can't-"

"I was wrong. I was young and stupid and I didn't know what I was doing. He's not what I thought he was." He was crying now, scratching at the Mark on his arm. The burning sensation was worse now: they were looking for him.

"Regulus, they'll kill you," Barty warned, trying to take hold of his lover's hands. Regulus stepped back.

"I know. I … I've been on the run. Been busy, researching. There's so much I need to tell you, Barty."

"So go ahead. I'm not going anywhere."

"But I am. This – meeting you – it's just to say goodbye."

"Reg, no."

"I'm sorry. I know I got you into all this-" he nodded at Barty's arm, the Mark, "and I'm so, so sorry. I'm going to make it right, the best I can with the time I've got. They'll find me eventually, but I can do some good before then."

"What are you going on about? Tell me."

Regulus smiled sadly and shook his head. He leaned in to briefly kiss Barty on the lips before turning back to the fallen tree.

"I'm doing this for you. Always remember that," he said over his shoulder, before grabbing a small black stone from the log and disappearing, never to be seen by human eyes again.