WC: 573 (writing month, dragons)
Char App: 5. Sneer (bonus for barty)
Book Club: Master Legend: (trait) villain - (word) wish - (dialogue) "No need to look at me as if I'll sneak into your house at night and strangle all your kittens."
Funfair: North: Balloon Wall: emotion: fear East: Hook a ship: (word) eye patch South: Wheel of fortune: Barty Crouch Jr.
"I really wish you wouldn't do that," Regulus says, coming up behind Barty on the Astronomy tower. His voice is calm, but Barty can hear the faint undertones of fear.
Barty twists his torso, legs dangling over the edge. "Do what?"
Regulus grimaces as though Barty is the bane of his existence, and Barty sighs.
"No need to look at me as if I'll sneak into your house at night and strangle all your kittens," he says with a wry twist of his lips that's almost but not quite a sneer.
Regulus rolls his eyes.
Barty twists back around, and then arches his back so far he's staring at Regulus upside down.
"Aren't you ever tempted to see what falling feels like?"
"No," Regulus says. "I'm really, really not."
Barty rights himself and shrugs. "I am."
He goes quiet for a minute.
"I think I'm going to join the Death Eaters," he says, after the silence stretches so far it feels like it might snap. "I'm not sure how much of it is because I want to and how much is to spite my father."
He's always found it easiest to be honest like this — when he doesn't have to see Regulus' face.
Regulus sighs, but it sounds weirdly brittle.
"I think I am, too." A pause, and then, "I'm not sure how much of it is because I want to and how much is because I fear disappointing my father."
Barty laughs, cold and bitter.
"God, aren't we a pair," he says.
He hears Regulus move closer.
He wonders if either of them are ever going to mention what they've been dancing around — he's pretty sure Regulus likes him. He knows he likes Regulus.
It's taboo, though, and Regulus is always a stickler for the rules. He thinks it may be up to him to broach the subject, and he doesn't know how to do that without risking pushing Regulus away, so he won't.
Regulus is the best friend he's ever had. He's not going to risk that.
After a long moment, he stands up and hops off the stone wall, facing Regulus.
Regulus looks at him.
Barty looks back.
Regulus shivers.
"Dammit, Reg, warming charms are not that hard," Barty says, and his tone is fonder than he means it to be as he flourishes his wand, casting a warming charm.
Regulus smiles, and Barty wants.
"There, isn't that better?" he says instead of anything else he wants to say.
"I don't understand why you have so much movement on that spell," Regulus says instead of answering the question. "One of these days you're going to poke your damn eye out."
"That's fine," Barty says blithely. "Then I'll get an eye patch, and pretend to be a pirate. Everyone loves pirates."
"Pirates love pirates, Barty. Everyone else hates pirates."
Barty shrugs, grinning. "See, then? I was destined to be a pirate."
Regulus rolls his eyes.
"Don't worry," Barty says. "You can come with me. We can rule the seven seas together!"
Regulus hums. "I'm not sure the pirate's life is for me."
Barty considers this. "No, that's true. You'd be a terrible pirate. Guess I'd best keep both eyes, then."
Regulus grins at him. "Not exactly the reasoning I'd have gone with, but I can't fault your conclusion.
Barty steps away from the edge.
The truth is, with Regulus there, he doesn't feel so much like he needs to try freefall.