- 2 Week Drabble Wars/Prompt 4: "How can you go through life pretending that you're happy?" - Saw I

Pairings/Characters: Barty/Andromeda

Word Count: 501


Secrets at Breakfast

Barty sucked in a breath as Andromeda Black, an older student at Hogwarts, sat down beside him and reached for a piece of toast. He couldn't understand why she had chosen to sit beside him, and frankly, he felt a little intimidated. Maybe it was because she was from one of the most prestigious families in the country, or maybe it was because she looked so much like her older, much scarier sister.

It was probably the latter.

"Can I help you?" Barty mused out loud, looking weary. She smiled through bites of toast, apparently uncaring about the crumbs that scattered down the front of her robes. She swallowed each bite carefully, and dabbed her mouth before speaking.

"I wanted to talk to you about Regulus."

Barty felt every ounce of colour drain his face. How did she know? His mind raced, trying to think of any possible occurrence that his secret relationship with Andromeda's younger cousin could have been noticed. They always tried so hard to keep to the shadows, only touching or kissing when they were absolutely sure that they were alone. In public, they barely interacted, terrified of any rumours that might surface. Regulus would be abjured from his bloodline if they were discovered, and as for Barty...

Well, Mr. Crouch might just about kill his son for embarrassing him.

Andromeda laughed suddenly, bringing back down to the dizzying present. He narrowed his eyes and opened his mouth, hastily trying to come up with a defensive statement. "Save it," Andromeda said, waving a hand in his face. She lowered her voice and leaned closer to Barty, ensuring that no one else would hear them. "Regulus told me everything. He confessed to me during the Christmas holidays. I think he just needed someone else to talk to about this...situation."

Barty let out a breath, thankful that they hadn't been spotted or discovered around the school. However, his defensive wall still stayed up—he didn't know if he could trust Andromeda yet. "What are you going to do?" he asked warningly.

"I'm not going to tell anyone, if that's what you think," Andromeda snapped, looking appalled that he would even suggest the notion. "I just...I want you to know that you're not alone. Regulus isn't the only member of that family who is having a secret relationship. A wrong relationship." She mimed air quotes around her head at the word 'wrong.' "If you need someone to talk to, I'm always here."

"Thanks, I guess..." Barty replied carefully.

"You just have to keep going until you finish school, then you can...I don't know, elope or something. You just have to pretend everything is okay."

Barty nodded slowly. "But how can you go through life pretending that you're happy?"

Andromeda shrugged. "I guess it just gets easier. Maybe eventually you start to believe it." She stood up from her seat as Barty nodded again, and rubbed the top of his head lightly. "See you around, kiddo. Remember where I am."