Lily!! It's been lovely to have you on the team this season, thank you for choosing the Catapults! You've been fantastic!!! You chose Barty and Voldemort as your favourite pairing, which I thought was an odd one, but this is my take on it, so, have fun with this! You might want a few tissues, too. :P
Also disclaimer that Voldemort is human in this—or, well. As human as he would get. He doesn't look like he did in the films, picture an older version of the ghost, just because I said so ;)
OoO
This was stupid. He was stupid. He knew that. He knocked on the door to the Dark Lord's room and the door opened. He shouldn't have had a whole bottle of whiskey before this.
He took a deep breath.
"Voldemort, I need to talk to you."
3 hours earlier.
They were having a party because they won the Quidditch match. He was drinking next to Evan Rosier, who was already drunk off his head.
"Dude, you need some romance in your life. You're so boring. Regulus is interesting, he makes reckless decisions and complains about them to me after, but you say nothing. What's up with that?" Evan slurred.
Barty scoffed. "What's up is that if I did have gossip, I don't want it to be spread around the school," he replied, matter-of-factly, drinking some more whiskey.
"There must be someone you have a crush on. I swear I won't say anything!"
"Alright, fine! I do have a crush! There, can you shut up now?" Barty blurted out before he could stop himself. He thought he'd regret it, but actually, it felt good to finally have it out in the open.
He relaxed on the sofa with a warm smile on his face and drank some more whiskey, this time at a slower pace. Thinking of him always made him calmer, and to be honest, having a crush on someone who would never like him back was oddly fine.
"Okay well now you have to tell me who it is. And then we'll get you to ask them out. So spill." Evan slurred as he looked at Barty with an expression that said that he wasn't going to let the subject drop.
"Promise you won't judge me?"
"I'll try not to—"
At the look he gave his friend, he watched as Evan rolled his eyes.
"I won't, I promise. We're best friends, I'd never judge you—-"
"It's Voldemort."
There was a pause. Silence. For a few moments. He couldn't stand it.
"Thoughts?"
"And prayers. You're going to need them."
"Evan, be serious."
"Alright, alright. Well, it's not completely unreachable. Yes, he may have a thing for Bellatrix but have you seen the way he looks at Lucius? And the way he is with you out beats any of that. You've got a chance," Evan replied, supportively.
He looked at his friend with disbelief.
"Are you just saying that to make me feel better?"
"No, I swear. Actually, I want to play truth or dare. Come on," he said, quickly, stealing the bottle of whiskey.
The conversation had changed so fast he thought he might have whiplash from it.
"Wait, what?"
"Truth or dare?" Evan asked with a huge, mischievous smile.
"Dare," Barty replied automatically. He always picked dare. Though, in hindsight, he probably shouldn't have at this moment.
"I dare you to go and ask Voldemort out on a date."
"No." Barty deadpanned straight away. He was not going to do that. Absolutely no way.
"You never back down on a date, Barty. It's against your whole being." Evan told him with a mischievous smirk. "Let's plan."
Barty stole back the bottle. He'd need it.
Back to the present.
"I don't have time, Mr Crouch, especially since it's one o'clock in the morning," Voldemort sneered, stepping towards him, with a very pissed off expression.
Shit.
Well, this would teach him not to listen to Evan in the future. He'd kill him.
"Please? I just want—"
"Barty."
He froze and couldn't stop the light blush from appearing on his cheeks. Oh, Merlin's beard, he hadn't heard Voldemort say his name before. It was… indescribable, the way it felt.
"Yes?" He asked, voice just above a whisper.
"Leave."
"I'll be quick," Barty said, almost desperately. He didn't want to back down, leaving would mean giving up and he was stronger than that.
The look Voldemort gave him sent shivers down his back and he gulped as he stepped even closer.
"Two seconds."
He didn't know how best to begin. But his mouth formed the words quicker than he had time to think.
"I have a crush on you, please, will you go on a date with me?"
The moment he asked the question, he knew it had been a mistake. He wished the ground would just swallow him whole. The stare Voldemort was giving him—well, he wasn't sure if he'd make it out of this room alive.
But, for a second, he saw a flash of softness in his gaze. Maybe he had imagined it.
"I'm only going to say this to you once. I'm the Dark Lord. Love is something that I despise. You need to get rid of those feelings. I can never return them for you."
He should have expected it.
Honestly, he should have.
He was the Dark Lord, after all.
There was a small, idiotic part of him that thought that maybe Voldemort was capable of feeling something. More fall to him though.
He nodded stiffly. He could feel his stomach turning and twisting in knots, before suddenly, it all stopped. He didn't reply. Instead, he left, without another word.
OoO
The next day, he gelled his hair and changed his uniform, just slightly, and he put on a well–crafted mask as he made his way to breakfast. He tripped up a few first years while he walked, not thinking twice as he cursed a Gryffindor when they bumped into him.
He didn't care anymore.
When he sat down for breakfast he barely said a word. Evan was chatting away, trying to act like nothing was wrong. He knew his friend well enough to know that he was just trying to fill the awkward silence.
When the bell went for lesson, he started to leave, but Evan held him back.
"Alright, what's wrong? What happened last night?"
Evan's voice was full of concern but there was no need.
Barty smiled, somewhat sadistically, as he looked at his friend. "Nothing, I just had a wake up call. Are you joining me, or are you against me?"
The blond looked shocked and Barty raised his eyebrows as seconds went by. He stood up.
"Nice knowing you."
"Wait, please. I'm with you, I'll always be with you. What are we going to do?"
"You'll see."
OoO
It didn't take long for him to move up the ranks of the Death Eaters. He built himself a reputation. He was doing all of this for one purpose. He still had something for the Dark Lord—and he wasn't one to give up.
Evan was his best friend, he had even saved his life twice, which, Barty knew, was something that they'd never forget.
It was nearer the end of the war. He could feel it. The storm passed over. He kept these thoughts to himself as the Death Eaters prepared for battle.
He felt his arm hiss with pain, or what was supposed to be pain. He thought of it as welcoming. Yes, he was aware how insane that sounded. Being normal was something he hadn't done in a couple of years.
He walked into the Dark Lord's personal room and bowed when he got close enough.
"Barty, I need you not to go to the battle tonight."
He looked up, eyes wide, bow forgotten. He wasn't going to leave Evan's side. Not when his friend had done so much for him.
"No." He deadpanned.
"You cannot be injured. I will not have my best Death Eater in the front line. You will be reserved for another plan—"
"Didn't you hear me?" Barty sneered, trying to muster up some courage in him. "No. I am not leaving Evan."
There was silence for a moment.
"Is that all?" Barty asked, after a beat. He didn't know where his courage had come from, but it felt good.
"Don't die, that's an order."
Why was he pretending to care?
OoO
"I hate you!" Barty shouted, sending a curse to the Dark Lord. Of course, Voldemort blocked it easily.
He didn't care.
He sent another. And another.
Until he had nothing left in him and he collapsed on the floor.
He let out an outraged scream, letting his emotions out that he had hidden. Evan was dead. Mad-eye killed him.
"You don't hate me," Voldemort said, calmly.
Barty frowned as the man walked to him and crouched on the floor, joining him.
"Evan's dead," he whispered.
"We will avenge him."
"Promise me?"
"Promise."
He couldn't look away from Voldemort at that moment. They stayed like that, in each other's hold, for a long time.
It wasn't love.
But maybe something close to it.