ACT TWO: Part Two

                                    

                                          

Chapter Notes 
hello again, all. this chapter comes with no warnings. the only thing i will say is, there's a little bit of french in this chapter (the only time it's ever used) and i do not speak french, so i went through google translate, which i know-trust me, i so woefully aware-that it rarely gets things right. so, to any french readers i have, if i have any at all, i apologize in advance for any and all mistakes 
i will be putting the translations down in the end notes, for those who don't wanna google themselves. otherwise, enjoy! 
See the end of the chapter for more notes
"You know, really, Rickerby had it coming," Dorcas muses, lying on her back with her head in Evan's lap. Pandora is sitting next to him, carefully weaving flowers in between her locks, which Dorcas finds pretty. 
"Fucking cunt," Barty mutters, his head in Regulus' lap, not an uncommon occurrence inside the dorms, but less so outside. Regulus knows he's secretly hoping it'll get back to his father, which Regulus mostly finds amusing. "The team's shit without you, honestly. As if being gay changes your talent for riding a broom. If anything-" 
Evan preemptively busts out laughing, already knowing the joke before Barty even finishes it, and Regulus himself knows it as well, which prompts him to dryly say, "How original, Crouch. Please draw more similarities between cocks and brooms; no one's ever done that before." 
"It was more of a joke drawing comparisons between how equipped you are to ride them both," Barty tells him with a feral grin, giving a rather vigorous hip thrust with a wink. 
"Like you'd know." 
"Oh, do give it a go, I beg of you." 
"Sorry, Barty, I'm used to bigger brooms, if you catch my meaning," Regulus says, lips twitching when Barty gasps in faux offense. 
"Fuck you. I'll have you know, my broom rides just fine, thank you very much," Barty mutters while Evan wheezes with laughter, nearly crying. 
Pandora hums. "It's true. This, I can confirm." 
"We've never shagged?" Barty says, sounding baffled. He pauses, taking a second to think about it, as if he has to make sure he hasn't, in fact, shagged one of his best friends. 
"Arribelle told me," Pandora tells him, glancing at him in visible amusement. "The girl I helped sneak into your dorm last year? Evan made me swear to never do it again." 
"She walked around in her sleep," Evan mutters. "Climbed into bed with me. Nearly scared the piss out of me." 
Regulus snorts. "And me, when he shrieked past two." 
"I didn't shriek." 
"You shrieked." 
"Fuck you, Black." 
"I thought we just established I prefer bigger brooms?" 
Evan raises his eyebrows. "Just because I don't use it doesn't mean it's not a big broom, Regulus." 
Dorcas hums. "And my broom is the biggest of all, and you'd all do well to never forget it." 
"Oh, to ride Dorcas' broom," Barty says wistfully, pretending to swoon in Regulus' lap. 
"Hey, look," Pandora says, nudging Regulus' side with her elbow, "wonder-boy at three." 
As one, they all pause to look over, spotting James walking across the grounds with a blonde girl, the two of them obviously coming from the pitch. No doubt Gryffindor just had Quidditch practice; they're both clearly a little tired, dragging their feet even as they chat, brooms in hand. Regulus bites down on his tongue, nails digging into Barty's arm where he clamps down instinctively to hold on, and to his credit, Barty only winces but doesn't complain.