For the If You Dare Challenge (595. Change of Mind); the Triwizard Competition (Pairing: RegBarty, Quote: You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face." -Eleanor Roosevelt, Word: flying, Dialogue: "I don't need your help") and the Popular Song Competition (One Last Kiss).
For Paula, because let's face it - she's the reason I ship these two. I hope you don't mind the fact that I fluffed up RegBarty Paula!
Regulus was fourteen when he was first approached. He was a Black, an obvious choice.
They tried to paint his world with lies.
It's a way to purify our world, they whispered. We won't attack people from wizarding bloodlines, only the dirtypolluting Muggle ones. You won't even have to do anything, just give our cause money. We won't expect anything more from you.
We don't want to kill anyone, they said. We just want the Mudbloods to go back to their own world and stop polluting ours. The newspapers you've read are just propaganda, Dumbledore trying to lie to you.
A year ago, he would have believed them. A year ago, he would have joined without hesitation.
A year ago, he would have been too afraid to say no.
But life moves forward, and things change.
A year ago, Regulus met a brown haired boy named Barty, one year older than. A year minus a day ago, they became friends.
Eleven months ago, he fell in love with Barty Crouch Jr.
Six months ago, Barty walked up to him and kissed him. Six months ago, the two of them started dating.
Three months ago, he started talking to his brother again.
Yesterday, he owled his parents to tell them that he would never be the perfect Slytherin they wanted. Yesterday, he asked them to disown him.
A year ago, Regulus Black had nothing.
Today, Regulus Black had a boyfriend he was madly in love with, a boyfriend who loved him back just as much and with whom he planned on spending the rest of his life.
Today, Regulus Black had a boyfriend who cared enough about him to convince him to regain contact with the one member of his family who actually cared about him. Today, Regulus Black had a home he was planning on going to with his brother for the holidays.
Today, Regulus Black was worth so much more than his family name.
So even though he was still as afraid as he would have been a year ago, today, Regulus Black looked them in the eye and told them no.
Today, they approached Barty, whispering their lies.
We'll help you get back at him, they whispered. We'll make him suffer for ignoring you.
Your father shouldn't treat you like you're the least important thing in his life, they whisper. We'll make him see that he's wrong, that you're worth more than he can ever imagine. We'll make him see that being in Slytherin isn't a bad thing; it's the best thing that could ever have happened to you.
A year ago, Barty would have accepted eagerly. A year ago, he would have done anything if it meant making his father see that Barty wasn't as useless as he thought he was.
But that was a year ago, and things never remain the same for a whole year.
A year ago, Barty stumbled into a Slytherin boy a year younger than him. A year minus one day ago, that boy decided that the two of them were going to be the best of friends.
A year minus one day ago, Barty Crouch Jr fell madly, inexplicably, crazily in love.
Eight months ago, he told Regulus all about his family situation.
Six months ago, he finally worked up the nerve to approach Regulus and kiss him. Six months ago, Regulus kissed him back, making him the happiest person alive.
Three months ago, he finally convinced Regulus that houses meant nothing as long as he had one family member who still cared about him. Three months ago, he finally convinced Regulus to start talking to his brother again.
Two weeks ago, Sirius invited him and Regulus to spend the summer running away from their families to the Potter's home. Two weeks ago, he owled his father to tell him he wasn't returning for the summer.
Two days ago, his father told him he didn't care, and Barty couldn't have been less bothered.
A year ago, Barty Crouch Jr would have jumped at a chance to prove that he could be someone important. A year ago, Barty Crouch Jr would have jumped at a chance to prove his father wrong.
But today was completely different. Today, he had a boyfried who loved him just as much as he loved Regulus and a place to go that wasn't home.
Today, Barty Crouch Jr had so much more to look forward to than his father's downfall.
So he looked them in the eye and said, "I don't need your help."
A year ago, if the Death Eaters in Hogwarts had asked Barty Crouch Jr or Regulus Black to join their ranks, they would have gone flying to them in their eagerness.
But the thing about the wheel of time is that it never stops, never halts. And a spin of the wheel can change – everything.
A year ago, Barty Crouch Jr and Regulus Black would have given anything to be Death Eaters. But a year ago, Barty Crouch Jr and Regulus Black did not know the other person existed.
And so the two of them stumbling into each other changed the course of the future. And in the long run, for the big picture, it changed nothing at all.
But for the two of them, that little stumble made all the difference in the world.
I hope you guys liked it! Don't forget to drop a review on your way out :)