25

AS the hours passed in the desolate and almost blindingly white room of her dreary room in St. Mungo's, Alice learned only from Anne Thatcher who'd extracted his memory and viewed it in a Pensieve, that it had taken a well-aimed Sectumsempra Curse to take Barty down, and that the Dark Lord himself had done it, it had taken everything in Alice not to cry. She was still reeling from everything that had happened, to say nothing of the immense hurt and betrayal at Crouch's actions that were resting uncomfortably in her heart and the pit of her stomach.

Her lower lip trembled slightly, and her heart rate increased rapidly, forcing her to take deep breaths in the form of long, slow exhales, to try to regulate her breathing. Again, Alice asked Anne if she could see Barty and was immediately refused, but Alice knew that she still had a chance of seeing him before she was released from here.

She'd have to try. The medical staff loved her and Frank, and she knew from Remus earlier that Barty was just a few doors down from her. It wasn't long after their friends left her, that a trio of Aurors had arrived and had started shouting all sorts of questions at her. But Alice hardly had the mental clarity to tell them what had happened, and she made sure to tell them that the man had saved her and Frank's life.

The questions lasted an hour or so longer before Frank barked at their colleagues to leave, and she was allowed to rest, but then they would come back, and the questions would begin again anew every hour or so.

She kept silent as they probed. She'd asked Aurors Runcorn and even Anne what they thought would happen to Barty pending his interrogation by the Minister of Magic and even Albus Dumbledore, who, for some reason, the Minister had requested Albus's presence for it.

They informed her that he would likely be placed under house arrest and not permitted to leave, with Anne assigned as his guard, unless of course, sufficient evidence was enough to convict the man. In which case, then he would be sentenced to several years in Azkaban Prison for his crimes if they could be proven. She could also go to the man's competency hearing if Alice wished it, they had said, she would most likely be compelled to, and testify for him on her suggestion, despite what he had done to her and Frank, there was a tiny shred of her being that clung to the small shard of hope that Barty could find it within himself to change. And that was what she was going to gift him with today, providing that she could see him.

Alice knew that Barty had a couple of Aurors outside his door and that the man was likely apt to be heavily sedated with copious amounts of Calming Draughts. The Aurors stood outside his door until the Minister and Dumbledore were set to arrive. Alice knew she would only be in the hospital for at most one more day before she was released and all set to go back home. Which meant if she had any hope of reaching Barty, it was now.

She had a concussion from when she had fallen, and there was a stress fracture in her ankle from where she had tripped a couple of times and twisted her ankle when she was helping Frank escape the Malfoy's home.

Though she had been feeling some pain in her ankle, Alice was surprised to learn that she had a stress fracture in the bone, according to the lead Healer who was assigned to her.

The running from the Malfoy's manor was most likely what had pushed her strained leg over the edge, the Healer had told her and Frank. The pair of them was told when she left, she'd be given an ugly black boot to wear for a few weeks until the bone healed. Their magic could only do so much, the rest was up to her body's natural coping.

Alice was also slightly undernourished and badly dehydrated. The Healers wanted her to remain in St. Mungo's a little while to ensure she was given the proper amount of fluids and her baby was safe.

Alice knew she had only a few hours to get in and see Crouch before the Minister and Dumbledore came, and then she would be forcefully removed from the room while the interrogation took place. It hurt, and she felt a little nagging in her chest. Sometimes, her eyes would well up with tears and she would close her eyes and try to take a little kip.

As she rested in bed for the afternoon, Frank had gone downstairs to the St. Mungo's cafeteria to see about getting Alice something to eat, she considered whether or not if this was a good idea, to try to see him, while she was still very much reeling and emotionally compromised from what Barty had done, what she and Frank had very narrowly escaped. Regardless, Alice had to try.

Alice slid out of bed and hastily dressed in a pair of slightly too big black flared pants, given she had lost a little bit of weight due to immense stress, and a pink sweater and padded out to the Healer's station.

She used the crutch Healer Jones had given her to keep the stress and weight off her ankle, but the junior Healers on staff were not happy to see Alice up and walking around. The two Aurors on the other side of the hall, both of them men, glanced at her, and she saw the pair of them stiffen.

But she only leaned in to talk to the novice Healers who were in the midst of their internship. Healers Amanda Jones and Wendy Rounds liked Alice, she knew. She was respectful and even when she already knew what they were about to tell her, she listened, patiently and with immense respect. These two were the ones who had initially confirmed what Remus had told her, that Barty was only just down the hall from her own room. She hoped they would help her now.

"Hello, Amanda," Alice smiled as she leant over the counter and offered the younger witches bright, white smiles. "Wendy," she offered shyly.

"Hello, Auror Longbottom," the women greeted her warmly, but with disappointed shakes of her head as they told Alice with disapproving looks that she shouldn't be up. Alice could only shrug her shoulders and offer them both a lopsided grin.

"I—I was wondering if I could ask you ladies for a huge favor," Alice told them, lowering her voice as the two Healers leaned in, eager to hear her. "I want to get into Barty Crouch Jr's room, please…"

Both Healers were looking at Alice like she had lost her mind, and perhaps she had, but they did not outright refuse her request, and she had some hope. Alice nervously glanced towards the pair of Aurors, taking note of their young age and overall shiftiness as they shifted their weight from one foot to the other. She looked back to the Healers and thought out her words carefully, knowing they would be risking their jobs if they did this for her.

She did not want to pressure them into it, but she wanted to say it in such a way that Jones and Rounds would be inclined to make their own decision to help her. Alice looked at the counter for a few moments as she collected her thoughts.

She inwardly groaned when Frank's suspicious voice reached her eardrums. "Alice?" Frank demanded, her husband sounding slightly angered to see her up and walking around so soon like this.

Alice tried not to flinch when she felt the strength of the man's tempered hand on her right shoulder, as she slowly turned around to face her husband.

Swallowing down past a lump in her throat, Alice slowly turned on her heels as well as she could in this clunky black boot she was forced to wear and lifted her chin and nervously met Frank's glower.

"What are you doing?" he admonished his wife, concerned. He did not let Alice answer him, but instead, the man continued trying to comfort her. "You aren't to be moving a muscle," Frank told her firmly, a muscle in his jaw twitching as he spoke. "That's what I'm supposed to be here for."

Alice regarded him, woefully. "I'm not used to just lying around, Frank," she argued her case softly. "I'm an Auror, you of all people should know that. And…" she hesitated, biting down on her bottom lip, wondering how Frank would take the news. She let out the breath slowly and trudged on, hoping Frank wouldn't argue with her on this. "I need to see him," Alice whispered bashfully, suddenly unable to meet Frank's gaze as she lowered her lashes and stared down at the ground.

Frank frowned, his brows furrowed as he took her hand in his and held it gently. "No," he argued passionately, shaking his head. "You need to heal."

Even as Frank spoke the words, the Auror was taken aback by the nature of his wife's request to see the man who had almost killed him and had brought her to stand before the Dark Lord and had almost gotten the pair of them killed.

The request she had just asked of him was one he had certainly not been expecting, given everything Crouch had put her through, that she'd want to see Barty at all.

Nor was it one that Frank was completely willing to yield to as he vehemently shook his head no.

"Frank, please…I have to see him, Frank. Please let me," Alice begged. This time, she did turn to look at him, tearing her gaze away from the novice Healers and the guarded private door of Barty Crouch Jr.'s room. Her sky blue eyes were solemn and serious. There was something else behind them, but what it was, Frank couldn't place it.

Frank immediately hesitated, reluctant to release Alice from the safety of his arms for fear his wife would somehow vanish from his line of sight again.

"I…I…" Frank hesitated as his voice trailed off, sparing a quick, uneasy glance towards Crouch's guarded room. The Aurors assigned to guard it were now eyeing the pair of them rather blankly.

Crouch was the last person Frank wanted Alice even remotely close to right now. Especially after all that Barty had done to his poor pregnant wife.

Yet, when he returned his gaze to the front to look at his wife, her pretty face was set in a soft determination, her blue eyes were begging Frank.

Frank felt his throat start to hollow and his heart tightened and constricted for at least a solid minute, unwilling to give in to the nature of his wife's request out of a deep-rooted fear that Barty would just hurt her even more. His mind could not help but flit through all the dozens of rather unlikely possibilities that could happen if he let his wife go.

Yet never before either had Frank been able to deny Alice what was in his ability to give his wife.

"Very well. But five minutes," Frank sighed heavily, anger and reluctance thick in his quiet voice, which was so soft, that none but Alice could have heard him. She smiled and turned back to the Healers, who were still looking at her in surprise.

"I really need to talk to Barty, you two. Just to see him for a moment. It will make me feel better. All I need you to do is get those two away," Alice whispered, motioning with a slight jerk of her head towards the two Aurors standing guard outside Barty's door. "Frank and I will go in alone. We'll be in our room when you make sure to draw them away. They won't know you had anything to do with this. If anyone gets into any trouble, it will be me and those two. Not you two, I'll make sure of that. Please, will you two help me out?" she asked.

Healers Jones and Rounds exchanged a wary look before turning back to the Longbottoms and offering the young couple collective sighs and nods. "Go back into your room and we'll keep them away," Healer Wendy Rounds told Alice, and Alice thanked them in earnest as she hobbled back to her room, keeping her crutch tucked under her armpit and letting Frank hold onto her other for support as she let Frank guide her back.

The pair of them waited anxiously by the door. This ward of St. Mungo's was small and nearly empty. It wouldn't be all that difficult to sneak into Barty's room without anyone else really noticing.

She had no idea what the Healers said to the two Auror's, but the wizards hurried away with the witches at once, running down the hall with stricken looks of panic etched on both their faces.

Alice wasted no time in leaving her room and moving towards the private room those two Aurors had been stationed in front of, Frank right behind her, his hands hovering over her waist, ready to catch Alice if her equilibrium failed her.

Alice swallowed a lump in her throat, terrified as Frank escorted her down the hallway, her heart beating in her chest harder than it ever had before.

She did not want to face Barty. Not really. She knew the man would very likely be angry with her, but she also wondered if she would see any pain in his eyes if Barty was awake enough to open them and look at her while Alice said her piece.

Alice didn't believe the Healers would keep Crouch too severely drugged the entire duration. She hoped it was the case. She wanted the chance to offer him an ultimatum, to let him know that, try as hard as she might, she could not summon up the energy within herself to hate the man for what he had done, despite everything Crouch had done.

She wanted the chance to explain everything to him, to let Crouch know that she did not hate him, and she did not want to leave him behind like this.

But she had to. She had absolutely no choice. She could not let Frank or herself keep going through this. She could not let the ghost of their relationship, all that they shared, torture her anymore. It wasn't fair to either one of them.

Gingerly, Alice opened the door slowly to find Barty's room shrouded in shadows, nearly pitch-black. The curtains were pulled, the lights were off, and not even any candles were lit, leaving Crouch in the darkness. Alice reached out nervously and flicked on the light, her blue eyes searching for her former friend on the hospital bed.

She saw Barty on the blankets, on his back, staring up at the ceiling. Both his hands were bound in a pair of magically enchanted handcuffs. Alice walked over slowly, the sound of her shoes making little noises in the otherwise silent room, but Barty did not even stir or look up to see Alice.

Frank escorted Alice to Crouch's bedside, stopping approximately three feet in front of the bound former Death Eater, and after giving the handsome dark-haired man a rather distrustful look, he moved to stand alongside his wife.

However, Frank kept his hands firmly planted on either of Alice's shoulders, steadying her gait and preventing Alice from falling, as his wife was still getting used to having to use the crutch for her foot and get used to that disgusting black boot.

"Barty?" Alice asked softly in a voice that was barely above a whisper, that even Frank had to lean forward in order to hear it, but it seemed Crouch had heard it just fine, judging by the way his head jerked slightly. "Oh, Barty…" She inched her way to his side and touched the man's hands, despite the rational side of her screaming at her not to.

Crouch did not look at her. "What was I supposed to do, Barty?" Alice asked Crouch with a hushed voice. "I—I didn't want to, Barty, you know that…" She squeezed onto Barty's hand, wanting her former friend and lover to squeeze it back, at least to indicate that he heard her words.

But he didn't. She felt tears come to her eyes and an inexplicable sadness and immense wave of guilt coursed through her, as she realized she was the cause of his torment, that perhaps it was better for the man if she were out of his life, completely, but she knew that even then, it wouldn't be good enough for him. Nor for her. He was…her friend.

Frank watched as Alice and Crouch simply stared at each other, neither making a move towards the other, yet neither one the first to revert their gaze.

The former Death Eater lowered his head slightly and looked at Frank's wife with an indifferent, unreadable expression. As if Barty did not wish to show what it was that he truly felt towards Alice if it was anything at all left within him at this point.

Out of the corner of his eye, Frank could see Alice too was keeping her own expression impassive, but hers was less of stowing her emotions completely away and more of trying to keep them under control.

"Barty, who are you?" Alice finally asked her old friend, her voice soft and barely audible. "Is this the sort of man your parents intended for you to be?" Alice asked solemnly.

Whatever Crouch had been expecting, this was…clearly not it. As the handsome dark-haired man retained his emotionless expression, however, his dark eyebrows furrowed together in confusion.

Frank, however, could have sworn that something flashed in the ex-Death Eater's eyes. It was brief, for whatever it was that was there was gone in an instant. Crouch did not answer Alice.

Frank stiffened as two elongated shadows fell over the room, though neither he nor Alice looked over their shoulders. They could tell just by the silhouettes that Dumbledore and the Minister had arrived. Both wizards were silently listening, waiting to see what Alice had to say to Crouch.

Alice squeezed onto Barty's hand, wanting Crouch to squeeze it back, but the man did not. She felt tears come to her eyes and an unexplainable sadness and guilt course through her. She had not truly believed until this very moment that she had had this much of an effect on the man.

Was it Stockholm? She asked herself, but whatever she was feeling felt more real than that. The emotional pain was very real, she felt it in her heart and as a sickening feeling in her stomach that had nothing to do with her first trimester.

"I don't think this was the path your parents intended for you, Barty," Alice continued, her voice still soft and quiet. Behind them, Dumbledore, the Minister, and Auror Anne Thatcher who had come into the room, all fell silent.

Anne was looking incredibly angry, Frank could tell, that the pair of Aurors she had assigned to the guard the door while she was on her lunch break had let the Healers get one over on them and they had left their post, allowing for Alice and Frank to slip inside Crouch's room undetected. There were sure to be consequences later, but he would deal with Anne later, Frank told himself and turned his attention back towards his wife.

"Barty, please look at me," Alice whispered and sniffled. She patted his hand with one of hers and held the palm firmly with the other. "I have to…"

Frank had no idea what Alice was referring to, but it was obvious that Barty Crouch Jr. did, as the man continued to look at her blankly, staying still.

Alice squeezed his hand more firmly, shaking the young man gently to try to force him to speak. "This is the path that you chose to follow, Barty. I don't know if I can help you, though I have to admit, there's a part of me that doesn't want to…"

Her eyes reflected that sort of sadness that Frank recognized all too well, whenever you looked at something that only had an inkling of hope left.

Alice drew in a rather shaking breath and ducked her head low to hide whatever emotion was showing through that she didn't want anyone to see. Frank gingerly rubbed his wife's shoulders, hoping to relay some form of comfort to his wife that she was not alone in this. Suddenly, he wanted nothing more than to drag her away from this room, from him. She did not have to put herself through this. The stress wasn't good for her or their baby. She did not have to confront her friend.

And yet, it seemed like to Frank that Alice, in her own way, was looking for a sense of closure here.

An end to a very long nightmare. The young brunette Auror raised her head and looked her friend squarely in the eye, a new kind of strength within them and on her face at feeling Frank's hand on her shoulder.

"I know you do, Barty. But whatever help I think I could give you would not be enough for you, nor do I think, could ever be enough." Another pause as she drew in a shaking breath. "I—I do not forgive you, Barty. Not yet. B—but I would like to try, in time. Maybe one day. But now, I…" Her voice trailed off as she faltered, and Frank could feel his wife's shoulders beginning to shake as she choked back a half-sob. "Now all I want is for this to end. And you, Barty?" she pressed quietly. "What is it you want?"

Again, Barty did not answer her. Her friend just looked at her with the same blank expression and yet, something flickered in the former Death Eater's eyes. Something that had nothing to do with the cold, unfeeling steel that usually hardened the handsome man's dark brown eyes as he stared.

"There's nothing I can do for you, Barty." Now, Alice's soft voice was beginning to shake, and Frank could tell that his wife was fighting back her tears. "If it was in my power to do so, then maybe I…" Alice paused as the witch lifted her gaze to look towards the Minister and Professor Dumbledore, both of whom were eyeing both Frank and Alice sympathetically, their faces grim.

Anne was, too, Frank noticed. He frowned as a light of understanding seemed to ignite in his wife's eyes. He recognized that look all too well in her by now. Her blue eyes would light up in intrigue whenever she was thinking about something or whenever she'd gotten a good idea. He could only hope that for her sake more than this, that this new idea of hers wouldn't cause her any more stress or strife than Crouch already had.

Alice offered a curt nod of understanding as something unspoken passed between her and Anne just then, words unspoken, but it seemed that there was nothing there to be said between the witches.

Before Frank could ask his wife what was going on, Alice slowly turned back towards Barty's bed.

She knew deep in the recesses of her heart, that she would not see Crouch again. Not for a long time. It ate at her. Sick due to missing Barty, and sick because she knew that she would miss him.

It was disgusting that she would feel this way, given everything that he had done to her and Frank.

She was sure that, once the truth had come to light and after she'd had several hours to ponder this over in her mind before coming to see him, that she would have felt better, more relieved. Another few months and she would no longer be attached, considering what she was about to ask Anne to do, in the hopes that she would say yes.

Slowly, her eyes fluttered open after she closed them for a moment to compose herself and she looked down at Barty.

"I'm sorry, Barty," Alice whispered in a half-choked sob. "But I have to do this." She watched as the man's strong jaw clenched, more emotion on his face than she had ever seen before. His hands curled into fists as they shook, the metal of his handcuffs clinking as they did so, trembling.

His lip curled up into a snarl, and she watched in amazement. It was confusion and hurt, but it was raw, unbridled emotion on Barty's face. Visible on his face. Unmistakable emotion. Her lips parted open in utter amazement.

"I should hate you," Alice answered dryly, as she ignored Frank, Anne, Dumbledore, and the Minister's presence alongside her in the room with her. Let them all watch this, she thought, almost bitterly to herself. Maybe then, they'll see that there's still hope for the man. She could only pray.

"You should," Barty agreed in a hoarse voice, surprising everyone within the room, even Alice.

His first words since she had come to see him.

"I should turn around right now and walk out of this room," she continued, glowering at him. "I should denounce our friendship, and swear that I will never see you again, after what you've done."

Crouch's heart, the damned quivering muscle within his chest, was breaking as he listened to her.

He knew she was right. Of course, she was. What else had he expected? Barty knew he had no right to hope for anything from his sweet, lovely friend.

Barty remained motionless in his hospital bed, unable to speak as he waited for Alice to continue.

Alice paused for a moment to regain control over her emotions and then forged ahead. "I should." She breathed out an almost defeated little sigh, her eyelids closing for a moment. "But I can't do it."

Barty raised his brow and looked up at her. He could tell that even Longbottom was shocked at her words, judging by the look Frank was giving Alice.

Surely, it was too much to hope that she would accept him, even after all that he had done, yet he found himself doing just that in spite of himself. Frank, however, was looking at his wife as though Alice had just sprouted a pair of antlers.

"Al—" he started to say, though he immediately fell silent when Alice whiplashed her head sharply around and she turned to look at her husband, her expression grim, though she softened slightly.

"Please," she whispered, pleading. "I have to." Only when Frank heaved a tired sigh and nodded his head, begrudgingly so, did Alice tear her gaze away and turn back towards Barty. She began talking slowly, her pace an effort to quell the tears that were forming behind her eyes. "When you showed me…that…" she muttered, gesturing towards his left forearm that was now scarred, though no signs of the Dark Mark remained at all, "I—I wanted nothing more than for the ground to just…open me up and swallow me whole, Barty."

"Alice, don't, love," Crouch pleaded, shaking his head, not wanting his friend to do this to himself.

"Please," she continued. "Let me finish, Barty." Taking a deep breath, Alice forced the honesty she knew she needed to show the former Death Eater. "You made your choice," she said coldly. "But…" She hesitated, not understanding why, if his hatred for her husband was rooted so deeply within the man's veins, that he had stabbed Frank in the Forbidden Forest. "You stabbed Frank, Barty. Why?" she asked, forcing herself to remain calm.

"There was no choice to make, Alice. I had no choice." The man's tone became urgent, trying to get Alice and Frank too, to understand, as the handsome dark-haired former Slytherin lifted his gaze and looked up at Frank, a strangely pained expression on his face. "I am sorry for—for having to do that to you, Longbottom," he confessed, sounding as though just uttering the words were causing him great pain. "But it was the only way that I could ensure that you did not follow me. I was acting under the Dark Lord's orders to bring Alice to him. He—he said all he wanted was to talk. I—I had no idea that he would have…that… he'd…" His voice cracked and wavered as he forced himself to keep looking Frank in the eyes. "That," he said at last as a chill ran through him, referring of course, how the Dark Lord had attempted to murder Frank and Alice's unborn baby. "Alice, love, you—you have to believe me when I tell you had I had no idea that's what Voldemort wanted." Crouch frowned as the Minister of Magic gave a flinch at the Dark Lord's name, though he ignored it and carried on. "I—I couldn't let you both die," he growled. "I had to stab you in order to stop you, Longbottom," he snapped, looking at Frank as he spoke. "You would have followed her to your own death, but his forces caught up you," he admitted, ruefully.

Frank, strangely enough, despite all that Barty had done, could not help but feel pity for Barty Crouch Jr.

The stab wound to his side had not been fatal. The man in the hospital bed had suffered long and hard, at the hands of his own father, no less, the master whom he'd once served who Crouch had thought he trusted had betrayed him when he had gone against his word and had harmed Alice.

He had gone against Lord Voldemort himself and was now firmly letting the Dark Lord believe that he was dead, and, in Frank's eyes, seemed to be trying to redeem himself, for Alice's sake and the sake of their friendship, what they once had.

Crouch had been willing to sacrifice his own life in order to ensure the safety of perhaps one of few witches in this world who did not look upon him with fear or scorn, the other, of course, being Anne, who Frank saw was regarding him pitiably.

With that realization, the worst of Frank's anger left him. His wound was fully healed, had been within ten minutes of Anne finding them in the Forest and Crouch having attempted to subdue him.

And when the other Death Eaters had managed to capture him leaving his mum and Remus to Disapparate and leave him be so they could fetch backup if needed, Crouch, he remembered, hadn't been the one to lift a wand against him. Rookwood and Fenrir Greyback had primarily been the ones to beat him over and over.

"You truly would have given your life to keep my wife safe?" Frank questioned the former Death Eater, not really needing an answer at this point, but still wanting to hear Barty say it for himself.

"I would have let the Dark Lord kill me a thousand times over if it means Alice has one moment of peace," Crouch solemnly vowed, his expression telling Frank that in doing so, Barty would consider himself lucky in the giving. "I know what I am," he muttered, a note of hatred seeping its way into his tone, though not directed at Frank. But at himself. Crouch continued, though he noticed Alice open her mouth to say something, he did not give the young witch a chance to speak. Now it was his turn to say his piece. "I chose that you both should live, and to do what I could to try to keep you safe. I don't hate you, Longbottom," he grunted. "I don't like you, but I don't hate you either. When I…when you left, I had every intention of trying to kill the bastard." Barty faltered and hesitated in his words. "But I couldn't do it. I wanted to try, but I couldn't…" He swallowed as his voice trailed off.

"Because I told you, Barty. You're a good man," Alice interjected, her tone softening slightly towards him, though he lowered his face in shame.

Alice took a deep breath and exchanged a quick glance with Frank before looking at Barty softly.

"You sacrificed yourself for us. You know what this means, Barty…" she whispered, as horror dawned on her features. It wouldn't be long, surely, before word of Crouch's traitorous actions would spread through the Dark Lord's ranks and Lord Voldemort would learn Barty was still alive since Anne brought him to St. Mungo's to receive treatment for his wounds, his records were on file.

He and Anne, assuming her colleague accepted her request to look after her friend, would not be able to stay in London for at least several months. Barty would more than likely have to flee the city, if not even the country until things settled down for him.

Alice wracked her brain for something—anything—that she could say or offer that would begin to set Barty on the path that she knew he was more than capable of. "You aren't one of them anymore, Barty," she said, speaking softly, referring to the Death Eaters. "You have a choice. Think of this like a second chance, Barty. To start over, to have the life that you should have always had. I—I want that for you, I really do, and I hope that you find it, Crouch," she said, wishing the man well and hoping she sounded kind. "But it isn't going to be with me," Alice murmured softly.

Here, she looked towards Anne.

"What will happen to him?" she asked, flitting her gaze between the witch who bore such a striking resemblance to her, she almost thought someone had taken Polyjuice Potion to transform themselves into her, except for the eyes.

Anne furrowed her brows and had been about to speak, but before her fellow Auror and friend could, Albus Dumbledore interrupted her, quietly.

"What do you think should?" he asked her, his blue eyes twinkling softly as Albus studied Alice over the rims of his silver half-moon spectacles intently.

Alice shivered but did not dare look away. She'd always gotten the feeling like he was boring a hole straight through her whenever he did this, like the headmaster and founder of the Order had the ability to sense the thoughts and feelings of those he was around. Or perhaps he was just intuitive. He chuckled, seeing Alice's startled look.

Alice's blue eyes widened as she realized the implication of Professor Dumbledore's words. That her testimony and however kind she wished to be to her former friend would have a heavy, weighted impact on Barty's life going forward.

His future and whether or not he spent several years in Azkaban behind bars depended on her testimony, right now.

Alice forced herself to try to remain calm and she let out a breath in the form of a long, slow exhale and turned back to face Crouch, not even aware that Anne had moved to stand by him, albeit stiffly and at attention, ready to help her friend at a moment's notice if Alice needed her help.

"One year," she spoke firmly, her expression hardened as she felt a muscle in her jaw twitch. "I'm giving you one year, Barty, to do whatever it is that you need to do in order to get over yourself, to—to get over me," she stammered nervously, "and get your life back on track, the right way," Alice commanded, confidence seeping into her voice as she straightened her posture, tall and proud. She looked towards Anne. "Leave the country until Voldemort no longer harbors a vested interest in you, Barty. I hope that you find happiness with another witch someday, Barty. Maybe even…maybe even Anne, even just as a friend, if you'll have her. As part of the conditions for you avoiding Azkaban, an Auror will be required to be assigned to you to monitor your actions for six to eight months," she announced, parroting back what Anne and Moody had told her. "Anne has volunteered graciously for the role. She was the one who found you, saved your life."

Alice paused as she saw a flicker of something flit through Anne's eyes.

Was it pity? Sympathy, even, as she looked at Barty? Whatever the reason, Alice fought against the tiny smile of hope that tugged her lips upward, but she managed to tamp it down.

She drew in a breath and continued, feeling her exhaustion and fatigue beginning to settle in.

Suddenly, she felt exhausted. She just wanted to go back home and be with Frank, where she belonged.

"I want to see you outside the Three Broomsticks in Hogsmeade, Barty, a year and two months from now. And Merlin help you if you're not there, Barty, then I'll track you down wherever you are and jinx you so hard you'll be lucky enough to remember your own name," she added, a dark shadow of anger flitting across her face at the thought that her friend wouldn't show. She almost let herself smile at the look of shock on Barty's face, but Alice forced herself to tear her gaze away from Barty's quizzical look of shock and surprise and instead, turned her attention to Anne. "You'll look after him?" she asked, hoping that her tone conveyed the urgency and importance of what she was asking as she waited for her to speak.

Anne looked towards Barty, and then to Alice, and it was a moment before she nodded her head.

"Of course," she muttered, heat creeping to her cheeks as Anne no doubt could feel Barty staring at the young witch with an incredulous look on his face. "I'll look after him. We'll see you in a year, Mrs. Longbottom," Anne murmured quietly.

Alice nodded, and this time, she did allow an affectionate smile to snake its way onto her features as she made to turn away, though she and Frank were halfway to the door on their way out to allow the Minister of Magic and Dumbledore to question Barty when Crouch called to them again.

"Frank." Barty's tone rose with a sense of reluctant respect, and Frank was surprised when he turned around slowly at the waist, one hand on the small of Alice's back as he helped her shuffle towards the door, careful to mind her black boot.

"Yes?" he asked cautiously, and the Auror's voice was so austere, that Barty's smile widened a little bit, though his smile was sad, and didn't reach his eyes.

His eyes were shining with unshed moisture that Frank knew to be tears, knowing that this was the last he would see of Alice for a year, and he looked as though he was not sure what to do with the knowledge that she'd forgiven him.

"You're a lucky, lucky man," Barty declared.

Frank's blood went cold at hearing the words as he scrutinized Barty Crouch Jr. for a moment. The fingers of his wand hand curled tightly around the handle of his wand, ready to jinx the man at a moment's notice. Barty, who had stabbed him, who had lusted and fawned after his wife for years.

But now, he realized that Barty was not and had never truly been a challenger for Alice's affection.

There was a tiny part of Frank that even dared to feel sorry for the man. Frank had once spent a time lamenting the love that Alice did not feel for him, crushing on the young witch even when she'd been dating Barty.

But now, it was he who held her heart, he who had married her, and he who would be the father to their son or daughter in another eight months, and Crouch would be the one living the rest of his life without Alice's heart.

The brief smile that cracked across Frank Longbottom's face was genuine.

"That I am, Crouch. That I am," he repeated as he pulled back his arm and draped it confidently around Alice.

She was his, forever, until their dying days, and even then after that, whatever followed this world. Alice returned his gaze as if they were the only ones in the room.

After a few minutes, Alice tore her gaze away from her husband's admiring stare.

"Goodbye, Barty," she whispered, somewhat affectionately. "One year, outside the Three Broomsticks. Don't be late," she reminded him.

Crouch could only stare at her for a moment, his dark eyes softened with the love he would always have for her. Finally, Barty lowered his head and allowed Frank and Alice Longbottom to leave him.

Even still, as Anne Thatcher moved to stand by his side, while Dumbledore and the Minister conjured a pair of chairs with their wands and began their initial informal line of questioning, Crouch tried not to shake away the feeling that he wasn't sure he would ever see his dear friend again.

As Alice allowed Frank to escort her down the corridor of St. Mungo's and towards the elevator, she let herself think of Barty. In her wildest imagination, she could have never predicted that he would have joined up with Lord Voldemort.

Or that the man would have sacrificed himself, to save her and Frank's lives.

They had once meant so much to each other, she felt that even given the man's betrayal and what he had done, that there would have been some lingering anger, even rage.

But as she had stood only a few feet from him, she realized now that the only desire she felt for Barty now was the hoped that Crouch would be able to find his peace, that he would be blessed with a satisfying and full life, as Alice had for herself. Alice's thoughts swirled joyfully with her memories of Frank as the pair stepped in the elevator, and the life the two of them had built.

She wouldn't trade one moment with Frank Longbottom for a thousand lifetimes with Bartemius Crouch Jr. She smiled at the thought of how much she cherished and loved her husband as her hand instinctively drifted overtop her abdomen and settled protectively there. She wished that Barty had not suffered the mental and physical pain that he had gone through.

Alice also regretted that he had spent all this time dreaming of her, only to have his hopes all dashed. Even after all he had done, Alice would never wish that kind of pain for her old friend. She knew all too well how it felt.

Alice mumbled a prayer to Merlin above that Barty would somehow find his own peace and happiness. Alice hoped that he would experience the same happiness that she had found in Frank.

She could only hope so. "We'll see in a year…" she whispered to herself as a hopeful smile crept onto her features as the pair stepped outside the front doors and a cool gust of wind wafted her bangs off her forehead. Alice bit her lip, thinking about the man she loved, her eyes growing playfully.

She wondered if there would be time for her and Frank to spend a little alone time before heading over to the Order's Headquarters for dinner. Almost as the thought crossed her mind, she chuckled. What was she even thinking?

Alice shook her head at her own folly and laughed out loud as Frank squeezed her hand and Disapparated with her back to their own living room. She was married to Frank Longbottom.

There was always time. "Always," she whispered affectionately, and wound her arms around the column of Frank's throat and pulled him down for a passionate kiss, her lips meeting his with fervor.