Chapter Text
The first thing Barty heard when he woke up was Regulus’ voice. Now, if you ask Barty, that’d be a fucking amazing way to wake up. However, they go back to school today and Barty is not ready for that.
In around two hours he’ll be forced back into Hogwarts full of everyone he despises. Honestly, Barty would rather just stay here in his apartment with one of the only people he can stand.
But Regulus was not giving up. Within two minutes all of Barty’s blankets were on the floor instead of where he was now sitting. Regulus was standing in front of him with his arms crossed, glaring at Barty.
“You’re going to make me late,” Regulus says, still glaring at Barty. Barty glares back, but he only lasts a few seconds before he’s sighing and throwing his head backwards.
“You’re really fucking annoying, you know that right?” Barty huffs before sliding off his bed and walking towards the bathroom. He can basically hear Regulus’ eye roll as he shuts the door.
Barty showers before pulling on a fresh pair of pants and one of his hoodies before stepping back into his room. Regulus was now sitting on Barty’s bed with his phone out, their packed suitcases sitting next to the bed.
Barty jumped onto his bed and almost landed on Regulus, earning himself an unamused look from the other boy.
“Do we really have to go?” Barty asked, laying his head on Regulus’ leg. Regulus moved his hand to play with Barty’s hair.
“Yes Bee, we do,” Regulus said, smiling sympathetically at Barty. “But it’s our second last year, it’ll be over before we know it.”
Barty sighed before moving his head so he was looking straight up at Regulus. Regulus was still scrolling on his phone, now furrowing his eyebrows. Barty could tell something was bothering him, but he wasn’t sure what.
Barty moved his hand up towards Regulus’ phone, and Regulus let him take it before leaning back against the wall behind Barty’s bed. His phone was open on safari, and he had done a google search for Barty’s father.
“I don’t understand, someone should’ve found him by now.” Regulus scoffed, throwing his unoccupied hand up into the air. “I mean, he was a very important person in the government, but yet there’s nothing. Nothing! It makes no sense.”
“I think you’re overthinking it, Reggie,” Barty said, shutting off Regulus' phone and placing it down next to them. “It’s only been a few hours anyways, I’m sure something will come out soon enough, don’t worry too much.”
“I guess,” he grumbled in response, and Barty couldn’t help but smile. He can’t help but find grumpy Regulus funny, and rather endearing. The little crease he has between his eyebrows when he’s annoyed, the way he sulks when something doesn’t go the way he wants, the insults he spits out, it’s all very very hot to Barty. How strange is that?
Regulus sighs before breaking the silence. “We should probably head off soon,” Regulus says, and Barty wants to curl up and literally die. He’d rather shoot himself than go back to school.
“I don’t know why I even have to go back,” Barty says, and before Regulus can even get a word out, Barty cuts him off. “No, just listen. My dad is dead. We killed him last night. He was the only reason I was even put in this school and forced to stay there, but now he’s gone and he has zero control over my life. I can very well drop out if I want to.”
Regulus stayed silent for a few moments, before removing his hand from Barty’s hair and pushing Barty off of his legs. In this moment, Barty is very thankful of the amount of self control he had, because if he had even the tiniest bit less, he would’ve literally whined in protest.
That didn’t stop him from frowning the biggest frown ever.
“Well, if you want to stay here that’s up to you.” Regulus said, grabbing his suitcase and heading towards Barty’s bedroom door. “I’ll just go back to Hogwarts alone and have to miss you for the next few months. Not like you’d care anyways.”
Regulus opened the door and walked out into Barty’s living room. “Oh fuck you!” Barty shouted from his bed and through the open door. “You’re trying to make me feel bad, you’re like…fucking guilt tripping me!”
“I’m expressing my feelings,” Regulus yelled back, and then Barty heard his front door be pulled open and slammed shut.
He lasted all of five seconds before he was muttering curses and running out of his apartment to catch Regulus. When he finally caught up to Regulus, he was halfway down the stairs in the building.
Barty stood in front of Regulus and blocked him from continuing down the stairs. “Barty move, I’ll miss the train.”
“You’re a fucking asshole, you know? You think you can just sulk every time something doesn’t go your way,” Barty said, and Regulus furrowed his eyebrows. Great. Now Barty is going to pass the fuck out.
“Fuck you! I don’t fucking sulk. I just wont express my feelings to you anymore. Every time you just get angry at me.” Regulus says, trying to push past Barty.
“I’m angry because you’re trying to make me feel bad, and it’s working, and you know that. So stop being a fucking bitch and come back with me so I can get my shit and we can leave.” Barty says, putting his hand out for Regulus to take.
“No, you don’t want to go so I won’t make you.” Regulus said, attempting to push past Barty again.
“For fuck sakes, please just come with me Reggie. I don’t want to spend the next few months without you so I’m coming with you, but you need to come back upstairs with me because I’m not convinced you won’t run away.”
Regulus just stared at Barty for a moment, neither of them saying anything, until he nodded and slipped his hand into Barty’s, interlocking fingers and heading back up to Barty’s apartment.
⋅───⊱༺ ▬ι═ﺤ ༻⊰───⋅
Regulus knows he probably shouldn’t have tried to force Barty into coming back to school with him, and he knows he definitely shouldn’t have tried to do it in such an asshole way, but he knew it would work.
Regulus really didn’t want to spend months away from Barty, and he had very limited time before they had to be on their way to the station, so he had to act fast. He doesn’t exactly regret it, he just knows he probably should’ve done it in a better way, but oh well, it’s been done now.
Barty is currently asleep laying in Regulus’ lap as Regulus runs his fingers through Barty’s hair. Barty’s hair is one of Regulus’ favourite parts of Barty. He loves how soft it is, and how it always looks messy until you actually touch it, and every time it surprises Regulus how smooth it actually is, and how his fingers never get stuck in knots.
Regulus knows he loves Barty, how could he not. Barty’s been the only person he’s ever thought about wanting since they met, but Regulus couldn’t even do anything about it. Not with his parents watching his every move. Maybe they should be next on his kill list.
Ever since they killed Bartemius, Regulus has been wanting to do it again. The adrenaline he felt, the thrill he got from it, and how hot Barty looked as he stabbed his own dad in his neck. It’s sick, and twisted, but Regulus misses it.
But it was almost too easy. They had already been on the train for almost six hours, and there was still no news about Bartemius being dead. It’s almost as if he never existed.
Regulus wonders if he’s even been found. If he’s been taken to hospital, or a morgue, or if he’s just laying in his bed, rotting. It would serve him right if he is.
Regulus was snapped out of his thoughts when he felt Barty begin to stir, obviously waking up. When Barty opened his eyes and looked up at him, Regulus smiled. “How was your sleep?”
Barty shrugged. “It was okay, do you have any water?”
“No, I’ll go find you some though.” Regulus said, and Barty nodded before sitting up so Regulus could stand up.
“Have you seen the others?” Barty asked.
“Yes, they came by before but I told them to piss off because you were sleeping. I didn’t want them to accidentally wake you up,” Regulus said, and Barty smiled.
“You’re so sweet Reggie,” Barty said, and Regulus scowled at him. “If you come across them, bring them back. I haven’t seen Cas since before the holidays.”
Regulus nodded before sliding open the door to the compartment and leaving, closing it behind him. He walked through the corridor of the train before pausing outside the one his friends were in.
Regulus slid open the door and was instantly greeted by Pandora. “Hi Reg!”
“Hey Dora, do any of you have water?” He asked, and they all shook their heads.
“No sorry, we forgot to buy some and the trolley is long gone,” Evan said, and Regulus sighed before sliding the door open again.
“I've got to go find some, but Barty’s awake if you guys want to see him. Says he misses you, Cas.” Regulus said, not waiting for a response before walking out of the compartment and away from his friends. Barty’s water is more important than whatever small talk they’d want to make about the holidays. He’ll deal with that later.
Sticking to his words, Regulus continued on his nearly impossible quest of finding water for his friend. He was about to give up and go back empty handed when he heard a familiar bark like laugh coming from a compartment near him.
Regulus sighs before sliding the door open and slamming it to get the attention of the boys sitting inside. “Reg?” A voice asked, and Regulus wanted to die.
“Do you have water?” Regulus asked, staring straight at his brother. Regulus hasn’t properly spoken to his brother since last year before Sirius ran away from home. Sometimes Regulus misses him, but he’d never admit it out loud.
“I- what?”
“Water? The flavourless clear drink. Do you have any?” Regulus asked, now visibly frustrated.
“You want water… from me?”
“For fuck sakes, nevermind. I’ll go ask someone else,” Regulus scoffed before slamming the door open again. But just as he was about to leave, he felt someone grab his arm.
“Hold on, just,” he says, digging into the bag he has sitting next to him. “Do any of you have water? I didn’t pack any.” Sirius asked, turning to all of his friends. Unfortunately, neither Remus nor Peter had any, so Regulus is stuck with James’ water.
“Here, you can have mine!” James said, way too enthusiastic for Regulus’ liking. “It might not be cold though, sorry about that.”
“It’s not for me so I don’t really care,” Regulus said firmly, shutting James down completely before averting his attention back to Sirius. Regulus nodded in his direction before turning around and walking out, shutting the door behind him.
Barty is so fucking lucky Regulus loves him because otherwise he never would’ve asked Sirius for water.
Regulus hurries back to the compartment he left Barty in, and sees it now full with their friends. Regulus sits back down where he was previously sitting next to Barty and hands him the water bottle.
“Thank you Reggie,” Barty said before taking a sip.
“How was your summer, Reg?” Pandora asked. Pandora was one of Regulus’ first friends at Hogwarts, and he probably wouldn’t have survived without her. She’s a bit odd, but Regulus doesn’t mind. No one’s normal anyways.
“Yeah, it was alright. Pretty uneventful,” he said, and Barty snickered quietly beside him. Regulus snapped his head to the side and glared at Barty because seriously, what does he think he’s doing?
“I wish mine was uneventful. All we did all summer was help dad out in the ministry. Job after job after job, I swear to god it’s fucking child labour.” Evan rambled.
“It was fun!” Pandora said, slapping her brother. “Besides, now I have so much dirt on almost everyone at this school. Did you know that Professor Caddel cheated on her husband with Janine’s mum? That’s why she wasn’t teaching for those months last year, she was in family court trying to keep custody of her kids after her husband filed for divorce and full custody.”
“Dora, how do you know all of that?” Dorcas asked, her eyebrows raised in shock.
“Oh! I read the file. Don’t say anything to Janine though, she’s really sweet and it’s not her fault her mum’s a homewrecker,” she said, before reaching into her bag and pulling out her sketchbook before flipping it open and beginning to draw. See? Odd.
Regulus just shook his head, already used to these kinds of things from Pandora. It’s very normal for her to dump a massive amount of information on you and move on while you’re still processing things.
“Oh, by the way Barty, how are you holding up?” Evan asked, and Pandora dropped her sketchbook and pencil before knocking her brother across his head. “Ow!”
“You weren’t supposed to say anything! What did dad say right before we got out of the car!?” Pandora said, now glaring at her twin.
“Sorry, what?” Barty asked, now sitting up straight.
Pandora sighed before giving him a sympathetic look. “Our father told us not to say anything as it’s fairly new and you’d still be grieving, but how are you holding up about your dad?”
“My dad?” Barty asked, furrowing his eyebrows.
“His death.”
Barty snapped his head around to look at Regulus, Regulus mirroring his actions.
Fucking shit.