Title: The Tragedy of a Slytherin Romance
Rating: T
Pairing(s)/Character(s): Regulus Black/Barty Crouch Jr.
Warnings: slash, underage (nothing except kissing though), language
Disclaimer: Don't own 'em - not making any money off 'em. Dern it.
Summary: Regulus Black and Barty Crouch Jr. start out friends and become more.
Notes: For the Quidditch Fanfiction Competition, Round 3. Pride of Portree. Optional Prompts: bruises / Dialogue: "Pretend that didn't happen." / "Life is an awful, ugly place to not have a best friend." - Sarah Dessen
Feedback: Yes, please
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Regulus Black and Barty Crouch Jr. met at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Despite both coming from pureblood families, they didn't really meet each other until Regulus was sorted into Slytherin a year after Barty became a snake.
The first time they actually talked was on a Monday. Regulus was very soft spoken, especially for a Slytherin. He didn't go out of his way to be noticed. A lot of Slytherins knew he had an older brother in Gryffindor House and took offense to that. They began teaming up on Regulus, only in the privacy of their house of course. To the public, they were a united front.
So, on a Monday, early in Regulus's first year, Barty came upon a scene. Three older housemates, looked to be third years, were pushing Regulus between them and there seemed to be no sign of them letting up.
Barty tended to keep to himself, but he still had some sense of what was right versus what was wrong, and he hated to see smaller kids being picked on. In that way, his sense of morality made him an unusual snake as well. He got in the middle where the shaking kid was and told the bullies what he thought of them.
The third years didn't seem too impressed, but thankfully Slughorn came and broke it up.
After that, Regulus became like his shadow. Barty should have known then. After all, Regulus didn't act like the typical Slytherin. Instead, Barty came to accept Regulus's presence and even embraceit. Having Regulus's constant companionship helped make what would have been lonely years bearable.
During summers Barty would spend a lot of time at 12 Grimmauld Place. It seemed that Regulus's parents were very uptight about giving Regulus too much free reign. They had with Sirius, and look what happened. He became a Gryffindor.
Barty's thoughts were of disgust where Regulus's brother was concerned. He was loud and brash, the epitome of Gryffindor. Not to mention his unholy alliance with James Potter. The two of them were known for their cruel pranks on a Slytherin in the same year as them. It was distasteful.
Barty didn't mind going to Regulus's place. It got him away from his father who had become unbearable ever since Barty's sorting into Slytherin.
One day during the summer, they were enjoying some refreshing juice. It was a torpor kind of day. Neither Barty nor Regulus felt like doing much. Suddenly Kreacher came out. "Lunch time, Master Regulus."
Regulus and Barty smiled at each other. Although neither of them wanted to get up, both of them couldn't deny that they were hungry.
Regulus stretched his arms over his head, letting his back arch. Barty saw something that made him pause in standing up. "Reg?"
"Yeah?" Regulus asked, putting his arms down again.
"Were those bruises on your stomach?"
Regulus suddenly found the ground very interesting as he stood up. "Come on, Barty. I'm hungry."
"But Reg…" Barty stopped himself, though. There was no point. The Blacks weren't the first pureblood family to use physical punishment. He was lucky that for all of his father's displeasure, Barty Crouch Sr. hadn't stooped to that level, yet. Barty knew there was nothing he could do for Regulus. He just hopped his best friend didn't have it too bad.
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It was Barty's sixth year and Regulus's fifth year. Barty had started to hear all about the Dark Lord and like the seventh years, he was determined to become a loyal follower. The Dark Lord had the right idea, eliminating all of the undesirables.
Barty vowed to make a name for himself among the followers. He vowed to become indispensable. He would be recruited as soon as he was allowed to.
While Barty was making plans for his future, Regulus was withdrawing. It took Barty awhile to see that, but once he realized it was happening Barty was not amused.
Regulus and Barty had been through a lot together. They had fights, but always made up relatively fast. What could have been a hellish school experience was made tolerable because of their friendship.
So, when Barty realized that Regulus was becoming distant, with vehemence equal to when he vowed to become the Dark Lord's follower, he vowed that he would find out the source of Regulus's problem.
Although Barty tried to corner his friend, Regulus did everything to avoid the upcoming confrontation.
Barty didn't like that.
Almost a month after Barty started his pursuit of Regulus, did he succeed in pinning the boy down. Quite literally actually.
Regulus was alone in his dorm room when Barty barged in. Before Regulus could make some lame excuse to leave, Barty had jumped on the bed, and used his considered weight advantage to make sure Regulus couldn't move.
"Tell me what's wrong!" Barty demanded.
"No!" Regulus shouted back.
"Did you decide you were sick of my friendship? You could have at least been honest about it."
"Of course not," Regulus breathed.
Barty noticed that Regulus's piercing grey eyes seemed dilated. He also noticed Regulus's soft hair was brushing his knuckles. He decided to just succumb to the urge and pressed his lips to Regulus's full lips, enjoying their softness.
Sense came back quickly and Barty jumped away, putting some much needed distance between the two of them. "Pretend that didn't happen."
"I can't do that," Regulus said as he came towards Barty. He reached up and pulled Barty's head down, letting their lips meets again.
Barty wanted to fight, but couldn't as need rushed through him. If Regulus wanted this, who was Barty to say 'no?' He pulled Regulus closer, angling his head so he could deepen the kiss without their noses bumping.
Regulus's groan gave Barty's tongue access to a warm mouth. Regulus cupped Barty through his robe with hesitant hands and it was enough to get Barty to stop.
"Don't stop," Regulus begged.
Part of Barty wanted to comply, especially with his pressing need demanding attention, but a larger part didn't want to hurt Regulus. That same large part knew that if they rushed into sex, their friendship and whatever relationship they might have in the future would be destroyed. It wasn't worth the risk.
Instead, Barty peppered Regulus's pale neck with kisses. He enjoyed the fifth year's arched back and breathy moans.
Barty knew this was the start of something special. Regulus wasn't just some fuck to be used and discarded. Barty would never hurt him that way. He also knew he could never forget that they kissed. Barty wasn't sure how they would make it work, but he refused to give Regulus up, especially now that he knew the younger boy felt the same way.
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"Please don't, Reg," Barty begged plaintively. Deep down, he knew it was no use. Regulus was a Black, and therefore, was known for his stubbornness.
"Barty, I can't do this anymore. I might believe in the Dark Lord's ideals, but no one in my family is a Death Eater."
"Then why did you join in the first place? You didn't have to. You could have been like your family and supported without joining. You're a Death Eater now though, and if you try to leave, he'll kill you."
Regulus smiled sadly before he kissed Barty. Against what his brain told him to do, Barty returned the kiss. Regulus was talented in many things and one of those things was definitely kissing. Regulus pulled away way too soon for Barty's liking. "I joined to be near you and you know it. I can't do this anymore, though. He wants o kill Kreacher and you know how much I love that elf."
"It's just a house elf." Barty winced even as he said it.
Regulus's glare was furious. "That house elf raised me more than my parents most of the time. Besides you, he was my best friend. I won't let him be killed like an animal."
Barty pulled Regulus to him. "The Dark Lord is going to kill you when, not if, he finds out your betraying him."
"He won't find out. You're the only one I'm telling, and I trust you."
"Maybe you shouldn't," Barty muttered.
Regulus's smile was wistful. "Come with me."
Barty shook his head. "You need to do what you think is best for you and I need to do what I think is best for me."
"You won't even do it for me?" Regulus asked, tears pooling in his eyes.
Barty shook his head. "I love you with my whole heart, but I can't."
"I guess this is goodbye," Regulus's whispered, sounding absolutely heartbroken.
"One more night?" Barty asked, not ready to let go.
"One more night," Regulus agreed, pulling Barty to lie on top of him. They put all of their feelings, all of their emotions, into one last night of lovemaking.
When Barty woke up the next morning, Regulus was gone.
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Barty wasn't quite sure when he realized it, but he know Regulus, the only person he had ever loved, was dead.
Barty was furious. He told Regulus it would happen, but still Regulus refused to change his mind. As a result, Barty was alone. Barty was the one to suffer. Did Regulus take that into consideration? No, of course not.
He threw himself into being a Death Eater. He took risks that he wouldn't have in the past. Life was lonely and meaningless without Regulus by his side.
He even participated in the torture of Alice and Frank Longbottom using the Cruciatus Curse, earning him a sentence to life imprisonment in Azkaban. Who cared though? Regulus was gone. Nothing else mattered.