Okay, this is a REALLY mushy chapter! Please, don't think that I'm a sick freak! Ruby is supposed to be mature and wise beyond her years, and that's part of the reason that I did it. Well, if you likie, please review and tell me so!
!@#$%^&*&^%$#@!@#$%^&*&^%$#@!@#$%^&*&^%$#@!
Chapter Two
Fast-forward three years, exactly.
Barty Crouch trudged home from his job. Sure, he could have Apparated, but he needed time to think, before he got home, to the "hell-house." His father had gotten him a job at the Ministry, working with the Department for the Control of Magical Animals. Not exactly the job of his dreams, but he'd live. But he needed to think about something other than his unsatisfactory job.
People at work had been telling him that he looked strange lately, and maybe he did. He couldn't notice. His only and best friend was still Ruby Black, who was by now a twelve-year-old girl becoming more and more beautiful every day. Somehow, lately, Barty had noticed that she seemed to be more involved with the case of the Potters. She had bewitched a mirror to keep track of Harry, because Ruby was becoming a powerful witch, even at twelve years old. (Barty suspected that somehow, someone had told her to keep track of and watch out for Harry.) She could go at her own speedy pace, as she was going to be homeschooled until her fourth year. Ruby could perform some spells that Barty had difficulty managing, and a rare few that he just couldn't do, no matter how he tried.
And Barty had been having some weird feelings, that he didn't want to admit were about her. No, Barty wasn't sick in the head or perverted, he was just a guy. And Ruby seemed like much more than just a girl. It wasn't only her appearance that appealed to him, but it was her personality, and the way she could make him laugh and perk up any time he was having a bad day. And the more he thought about this, the more he couldn't deny it.
He finally admitted it - he loved Ruby Black. And this was so much more than the love he'd had for her ever since she'd befriended him. He loved her for her bravery and courage at overcoming the huge mess she'd been born into, he loved her for her constant laughter and gaiety (A\N: Stop laughing! You know what I mean!), he loved her for her compassion, and he loved her for being her.
It felt good to get it out, but now that he had admitted it, Barty could see no way that he could get on much longer. He was going to have to do something. Then, it struck him, as it often did on the day before this occasion: Ruby was having her Barty-and-Ruby party tomorrow. This was perfect.
By now Barty was at his front door. He slid his key into the lock and slowly opened it. He could hear faint grumbling in the kitchen. Father was home. Barty made his way up the stairs as quietly as possible, and stepped into bed. He didn't bother with supper, as he didn't feel like he'd have much of an appetite.
That night, he had another nightmare, this time that Ruby was slain by fourteen red roses, pricked to death by their thorns. And the worst part was that Barty had been the one to unleash them on her, without knowing what he was doing. And now all he could do was stand helplessly by and watch it. It was pure torture. And in his dream, Ruby was buried under a tombstone, in which was engraved not her name, but the Dark Mark. And then-
Barty opened his eyes and shot up in bed like a catapult. He was in a cold sweat all over. He tried to recollect the dream that made him wake up in such a rush, but found the details slowly slipping away from him, and by the next morning, he had forgotten that he had ever had such a dream.
!@#$%^&*&^%$#@!
The next morning, Barty woke up groggy and more than halfway unconscious. It was about ten in the morning, and the house was empty. Hi heavy footsteps thundered down the stairs, and it took all of his control not to dribble the milk from his cereal all down his front. This was going to be a very, very long day.
Barty finally made his way to Zorgo's, picking up his usual large bag of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans (they had become tradition for Ruby's birthday ever since she turned nine), and this time the card sang "What a Wonderful World." But, instead of getting another joke present this year, Barty then made his way to the Muggle florist. He bought some rather pricey roses (a dozen, as this was the celebration of her twelfth birthday).
Barty started for the docks, because that was where they usually met, but on the way there, she instead saw Ruby sitting on the fountain in front of the cathedral. She was looking serious and out of character, but the expression changed so quickly when she saw Barty that he almost couldn't believe that it had been there mere seconds before.
"Happy Birthday, kid."
"Kid, yourself. You're still a teenager."
"And you're not. So there." Ruby humphed, grinning. Barty started out with the traditional question: "So, are we doing anything, or are we going to stare into an abyss?"
"There's an optimist for you." The traditional reply.
"Well?" Ruby started to look a bit guilty.
"Actually, I haven't planned anything. I don't know why. Disappointed, are you?" Barty shrugged, and sat down next to her. The fountain was comfortably in the shade, out of the hot June sun.
"Well, not really, no. Want your presents?" She smiled.
"As always." Barty's heart began to thump so loudly that he was afraid she'd hear it. What was she going to do when she saw the roses? Why did I do it? How could I have been so stupid? A thousand doubts raced through Barty's mind as he realized that he hadn't even thought about what she might do when she saw the roses.
The wrapping came off of the usual bag of Every Flavor Beans, and she opened the usual singing card. She grinned.
"Louis Armstrong? Again, cute. Very cute." Another tradition. Barty's forehead almost began to glisten as she slowly took the tissue paper from the last bag. Crimson began to show through the white. Ruby lifted out the roses, wide-eyed.
"Wow. Oh, wow. Thank you. I...man..." She looked up at Barty. He gave a weak smile. It was over; she liked them.
"Welcome," he barely squeaked out, relieved. Ruby resumed her position from when he first found her; serious face, hands back on the edge of the fountain. Barty looked down at her, and began to speak before he could stop himself.
"You know, Ruby, I've been, er, thinking lately...I don't really know how to say this..." Ruby slowly turned her head, and looked directly up at him, straight into his eyes. Her brown hair was more outlined than ever against the cool stone wall, and her deep blue eyes shone like the sun itself, to Barty. He looked back in her eyes, and found...complete understanding. Somehow, Barty knew that, without his even having to say anything, she knew everything. She knew about how he really felt. They locked their gaze, and they didn't look away. Ruby spoke softly.
"You know what, Barty?"
"Yeah, I know." And they kissed, the softest, most beautiful thing in the world. An ache began to grow deep inside both of their hearts as they realized the pain that this love would inflict upon both of them, but they didn't care about what happened to themselves, as long as they could make sure that the other was all right. They knew about the age conflict, the secrecy they would have to keep shrouded in, but they also knew that it was worth it. To love so deeply, even if it meant waiting for a while to come out of hiding, it was worth it. Always. And so, they kissed.
!@#$%^&*&^%$#@!@#$%^&*&^%$#@!@#$%^&*&^%$#@!
Chapter Two
Fast-forward three years, exactly.
Barty Crouch trudged home from his job. Sure, he could have Apparated, but he needed time to think, before he got home, to the "hell-house." His father had gotten him a job at the Ministry, working with the Department for the Control of Magical Animals. Not exactly the job of his dreams, but he'd live. But he needed to think about something other than his unsatisfactory job.
People at work had been telling him that he looked strange lately, and maybe he did. He couldn't notice. His only and best friend was still Ruby Black, who was by now a twelve-year-old girl becoming more and more beautiful every day. Somehow, lately, Barty had noticed that she seemed to be more involved with the case of the Potters. She had bewitched a mirror to keep track of Harry, because Ruby was becoming a powerful witch, even at twelve years old. (Barty suspected that somehow, someone had told her to keep track of and watch out for Harry.) She could go at her own speedy pace, as she was going to be homeschooled until her fourth year. Ruby could perform some spells that Barty had difficulty managing, and a rare few that he just couldn't do, no matter how he tried.
And Barty had been having some weird feelings, that he didn't want to admit were about her. No, Barty wasn't sick in the head or perverted, he was just a guy. And Ruby seemed like much more than just a girl. It wasn't only her appearance that appealed to him, but it was her personality, and the way she could make him laugh and perk up any time he was having a bad day. And the more he thought about this, the more he couldn't deny it.
He finally admitted it - he loved Ruby Black. And this was so much more than the love he'd had for her ever since she'd befriended him. He loved her for her bravery and courage at overcoming the huge mess she'd been born into, he loved her for her constant laughter and gaiety (A\N: Stop laughing! You know what I mean!), he loved her for her compassion, and he loved her for being her.
It felt good to get it out, but now that he had admitted it, Barty could see no way that he could get on much longer. He was going to have to do something. Then, it struck him, as it often did on the day before this occasion: Ruby was having her Barty-and-Ruby party tomorrow. This was perfect.
By now Barty was at his front door. He slid his key into the lock and slowly opened it. He could hear faint grumbling in the kitchen. Father was home. Barty made his way up the stairs as quietly as possible, and stepped into bed. He didn't bother with supper, as he didn't feel like he'd have much of an appetite.
That night, he had another nightmare, this time that Ruby was slain by fourteen red roses, pricked to death by their thorns. And the worst part was that Barty had been the one to unleash them on her, without knowing what he was doing. And now all he could do was stand helplessly by and watch it. It was pure torture. And in his dream, Ruby was buried under a tombstone, in which was engraved not her name, but the Dark Mark. And then-
Barty opened his eyes and shot up in bed like a catapult. He was in a cold sweat all over. He tried to recollect the dream that made him wake up in such a rush, but found the details slowly slipping away from him, and by the next morning, he had forgotten that he had ever had such a dream.
!@#$%^&*&^%$#@!
The next morning, Barty woke up groggy and more than halfway unconscious. It was about ten in the morning, and the house was empty. Hi heavy footsteps thundered down the stairs, and it took all of his control not to dribble the milk from his cereal all down his front. This was going to be a very, very long day.
Barty finally made his way to Zorgo's, picking up his usual large bag of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans (they had become tradition for Ruby's birthday ever since she turned nine), and this time the card sang "What a Wonderful World." But, instead of getting another joke present this year, Barty then made his way to the Muggle florist. He bought some rather pricey roses (a dozen, as this was the celebration of her twelfth birthday).
Barty started for the docks, because that was where they usually met, but on the way there, she instead saw Ruby sitting on the fountain in front of the cathedral. She was looking serious and out of character, but the expression changed so quickly when she saw Barty that he almost couldn't believe that it had been there mere seconds before.
"Happy Birthday, kid."
"Kid, yourself. You're still a teenager."
"And you're not. So there." Ruby humphed, grinning. Barty started out with the traditional question: "So, are we doing anything, or are we going to stare into an abyss?"
"There's an optimist for you." The traditional reply.
"Well?" Ruby started to look a bit guilty.
"Actually, I haven't planned anything. I don't know why. Disappointed, are you?" Barty shrugged, and sat down next to her. The fountain was comfortably in the shade, out of the hot June sun.
"Well, not really, no. Want your presents?" She smiled.
"As always." Barty's heart began to thump so loudly that he was afraid she'd hear it. What was she going to do when she saw the roses? Why did I do it? How could I have been so stupid? A thousand doubts raced through Barty's mind as he realized that he hadn't even thought about what she might do when she saw the roses.
The wrapping came off of the usual bag of Every Flavor Beans, and she opened the usual singing card. She grinned.
"Louis Armstrong? Again, cute. Very cute." Another tradition. Barty's forehead almost began to glisten as she slowly took the tissue paper from the last bag. Crimson began to show through the white. Ruby lifted out the roses, wide-eyed.
"Wow. Oh, wow. Thank you. I...man..." She looked up at Barty. He gave a weak smile. It was over; she liked them.
"Welcome," he barely squeaked out, relieved. Ruby resumed her position from when he first found her; serious face, hands back on the edge of the fountain. Barty looked down at her, and began to speak before he could stop himself.
"You know, Ruby, I've been, er, thinking lately...I don't really know how to say this..." Ruby slowly turned her head, and looked directly up at him, straight into his eyes. Her brown hair was more outlined than ever against the cool stone wall, and her deep blue eyes shone like the sun itself, to Barty. He looked back in her eyes, and found...complete understanding. Somehow, Barty knew that, without his even having to say anything, she knew everything. She knew about how he really felt. They locked their gaze, and they didn't look away. Ruby spoke softly.
"You know what, Barty?"
"Yeah, I know." And they kissed, the softest, most beautiful thing in the world. An ache began to grow deep inside both of their hearts as they realized the pain that this love would inflict upon both of them, but they didn't care about what happened to themselves, as long as they could make sure that the other was all right. They knew about the age conflict, the secrecy they would have to keep shrouded in, but they also knew that it was worth it. To love so deeply, even if it meant waiting for a while to come out of hiding, it was worth it. Always. And so, they kissed.