The Cave
Both Barty and Evan winced as their friend slashed his own palm with his dagger, but they didn’t protest, either. A blood sacrifice to enter, and then they were stepping into the cave proper. Barty couldn’t help the involuntary shiver that ran down his spine. The cave was cold and dark, and water lapped at his feet. He grabbed Evan’s hand for comfort, and Evan squeezed his back. The three of them took a second to stare into the inky black void, then lit their wands with a Lumos and continued on.
All was silent as they made their way to the center, noting the Inferi that lurked just below the surface of the water, waiting and ready to pull them under should one of them fall in. The silence was uncharacteristic, at least for Barty. He was used to always knowing what to say, but not this time. Not when he knew the weight of what they were doing, the danger that might come with it. Doing this would make them all traitors, would put them on the Dark Lord’s hit list. The stakes were too high to make light of the situation.
They stepped off the boat when they got to the center of the lake, and made their way up to a small basin, in which was what looked like a dark green potion. After a moment, Regulus spoke in a reluctant sounding voice. “I’ll drink it.” Both Barty and Evan’s heads snapped to Regulus, wearing matching incredulous expressions. “What? How do you know it has to be drunk?” Barty asked the obvious question.
“I did my research before coming here, you know. How do you think I knew we needed a blood sacrifice to get in? It was my idea to come here, and the only reason you both are even here is because you didn’t want me to go alone. I’ll drink the potion.” …Regulus made a valid point. If not for him, Barty and Evan wouldn’t be here at all. The boys shared a look, and then Evan hesitantly spoke up. “...Okay, but what does the potion do?”
Regulus sighed. “It will probably be extremely painful, but no matter what, you have to make sure I drink the entire thing, ok? I might beg for respite, but whatever happens, just make sure I drink the entire thing. Then, after it’s finished, take the horcrux and put this-” Regulus held up a locket. “-In its place. It’s a family heirloom that will serve as a replacement for the horcrux. A fake, if you will. Then, bring me straight out of the cave. Got it?”
And so Regulus began drinking the potion. Barty hated everything about this, especially as Regulus began showing signs that the potion was affecting him. Eventually, Regulus seemed like he couldn’t handle any more. But Barty and Evan remembered Regulus’ words- they had to get him to drink all of it. So, as much as it pained him (and Barty knew Evan felt similarly horrible) He pinned Regulus down and ignored his begging as Evan forced more of the potion down his throat. They tried to be as gentle as possible, but there was only so much they could do.
It was on their way out that the Inferi became a problem. Evan and Barty hauled Regulus into the boat, and almost immediately, Inferi began clinging on, trying to climb onto the boat and drag them all into the water. Regulus was not in any state to help, so Evan and Barty had to fight off the Inferi on their own as they made their way out of the cave and to safety.
Luckily, all three of them escaped unscathed. Or, at least, as unscathed as one could be, after an ordeal like that. They put Regulus to bed, helping their friend slip off his shoes and making sure there was a glass of water waiting next to his bed for when he woke up. Then, they made their way to the living room and sat heavily on the couch. Evan rested his head on Barty’s shoulder, and they sat in silence.
Barty wasn’t sure how long they sat there, quietly contemplating what had just happened. He was glad Evan was there with him, and equally glad that he was allowed to hold him like this, now that they were a couple. Barty thought he probably wouldn't have been able to deal with this on his own. He stared down at the horcrux on the table in front of him. For some reason, it gave him a sense of dread.