The fall from grace is the hardest part
The screams of the crowd below them were the thing that finally pulled Evan’s focus from his keeper duties and he would have given anything for his eyes to be deceiving him.
Slytherin were barely in the lead with 10 points over Gryffindor and he knew Reg was using everything he had to try and hunt down the snitch first. As he turned from the latest attempt at a goal his stomach dropped as he saw his boyfriend plummeting towards the ground, broom blown off into the grounds by the wind and the beater's bat freed from the boy’s grip.
‘BAR!’ He held onto his broom in a death grip attempting to dart forward to the younger boy but finding himself being held back. A sickening crack echoed across the eerily silent arena as the pitch was rushed by the headmaster and their head of house. The headmaster had his hands raised and he called for a stop to the match and ordered everyone in the stands to remain in their seats but Evan could barely think.
Barty wasn’t moving.
The movement around him started to blur together as Regulus joined Dorcas beside him. Regulus took control of the situation, carefully guiding the both of them to ground level where he was ambushed by the bundle of blonde hair and trinkets known as his twin sister.
‘I-is he….?’ He hid his face, working hard to keep his breathing under control.
‘No one knows love.’ Pandora tried to keep her voice to it’s usual calming tone despite the obvious distress among her friends.
Before the four could even begin to put the pieces together to try and figure out what was happening the sound of raised voices and heated remarks peaked Evan’s interest. Peering up from his sister’s shoulder he saw the asshole himself. Of course the day Barty gets… hurt?… is the day his father is in the stands to show his potential voters what an upstanding family man he really is. Fucking pathetic. Any other day and he would barely even think to have a get well soon card sent but now this was going to get blown out of proportion for some stupid popularity contest. The snippy comments, the suppressed anger and the demanding tone are all normal but insulting the … insulting those who couldn’t fight back.
The man spoke as though he was reading from a script. Practiced and precise for the reporters who were accompanying him.
‘I did not raise him to act like that. He was educated on proper decorum and etiquette; it just appears we will have to revise his lessons before the campaign run, especially if you want to get those shots with the minister’s daughter.’
Of course his reporter crew was the priority here. Not like anything else was going on. Evan felt his anger bubble closer and closer to the surface and before any of the group around him could think, he stormed over to Bartemius Crouch Snr. glaring at him. ‘Fuck you. You know nothing of your son. Thank fucking Merlin he’s nothing like you. He’s.. he.. why can’t you just leave him alone? Not like that’s a new concept to you I know about the barely handful of times you are home in the summer… you have an amazing, handsome genius of a son and you should fucking appreciate him for who he is you stuck up, ignorant bastard!’
The older man stared down at him with a disgusted look. ‘I would rather my boy die than to see him waste his time on the likes of you…’
To her credit Pandora had learnt to be quick, quick and quiet. It was these skills that thankfully had her close enough to grab her brother as he tried to launch himself at the ministry official and dead beat father in front of him.
‘YOU TAKE THAT BACK! TAKE THOSE WORDS BACK RIGHT NOW! HOW FUCKING DARE YOU! YOUR ONLY CHILD COULD BE DYING LESS THAN 100 METERS AWAY AND YOU’RE OKAY WITH THAT?!’
Seeing the obvious commotion their head of house was quick to act, a spell to forcefully calm the older student and then a levitation charm to get the young beater onto a stretcher ready once the matron was happy to move him.
With no other way to release his anger and frustration Evan wiped viciously as tears slipped down his cheeks and he fell forward onto his knees, eyes glassy and unfocused.
How in Merlin’s name did Barty even f-end up on the ground? He was the best flier on the team. It had pissed the two boys sharing a dorm with him off to no end but there was basically nothing Barty Crouch jr couldn’t do. Perfect grades, handsome looks, envied and adored across the school,heartthrob of Slytherin, top sportsman and star pupil for almost every teacher. Evan would swear that he liked girls but truthfully a certain best friend of his had pretty much solidified that he was really really far from straight he just didn’t want to admit it at first.
A blurry figure appeared in front of him gently rubbing his cheek and possibly speaking to him…? Why couldn’t he hear it? Instinctively he jerked back in a panic before the world before him began to emerge from the fog his brain had wrapped it in.
How long had he been on the ground?
Pandora was patiently crouched before him unfazed by his sudden sharp rejection. But that wasn’t abnormal… when had the stands emptied?
‘Dora…? How long was I… where is he?’ His heart rate picked up as Evan feared the worst. If everyone had been moved away did that mean… his spiraling thoughts were interrupted by his sister’s voice.
‘We’ve been here over an hour love.’
Evan stared at her in disbelief. An hour?!
‘As far as I know he’s okay. Or well alive. I haven’t had any visions about him Ev so I have every hope pinned on him being okay, this wasn’t something I’ve seen. You uhr you should know that his father is sticking around to keep an eye on him, please don’t do anything stupid to him. I don’t want you getting kicked out or arrested okay?’
‘I-‘
‘I said no Evan. Barty would kill you if you got kicked out over something like that. You know how he feels when people think he can’t defend himself.’
‘Fine.’
Helping her brother to his feet Pandora wrapped his arm around her shoulders to help him slowly towards the castle doors.
Evan felt like throwing up. He had to check on his boyfriend.
‘Thanks for your help Dora. I’m probably going to head to bed but I wouldn’t want you to miss dinner so I’ll see you tomorrow okay?’
Peeling himself quickly away from his sister's loving embrace Evan waited until he was far enough out of her sight before ducking into an empty classroom. He needed a plan and fast.
Clearing his mind Evan thought about his best route forward. Nothing was going to stop him getting to his boyfriend’s side. Steeling his mind he started towards the hospital wing.
Awake or… otherwise Barty needed him.
As he neared the edge of the clock tower the hospital wing was finally in his sights. This was going to be the hardest part and he knew it. Carefully ducking from one hiding place to the next he gradually got closer to his destination.
As he pressed himself quietly against the brick of the alcove he was concealed in he held his breath as a the doors to the wing swung open and a conversation began mere meters away.
‘… find a way to fix him. Money isn’t a concern but I will not have an invalid for a son.’
‘Sir he’s lucky to be alive… to push him further so soon after those injuries.’
‘I’m not asking you to wait, am I? If you won’t fix him then I’ll find a better healer who will. I have a month before the next round of polls.’
Evan heard the woman scoff at this clearly in disbelief ‘Your son needs rest and support Mr Crouch. It’s hard enough on the poor boy that he’s plagued by his sei-‘
‘Episodes!’
‘Right… of course.’ The sarcasm was practically dripping from her voice. ‘plagued by his “episodes” but with the injuries he sustained today? He-‘
‘That’s not my problem matron. You have a month to fix him or I’ll make my displeasure known. Now, I have important business to attend to, urgent damage control to run so I must be off.’
Evan slowly released the breath he had been holding as the man strode off and the healer turned back towards the hospital wing.
‘You may come in if you behave Mr Rosier. He’s been asking for you and as much as I don’t usually allow visitors Mr Black is already asleep beside him and it seems like the two of you are far better for the boy than his true family so I will make an exception for tonight.’
Stepping out into the light of the corridor Evan stared at his feet. ‘I didn’t mean to eavesdrop ma’am…’
‘Nonsense! When people insist on being so loud it becomes far less rude to over hear them. Now in you go, I’ll have my eyes on you though so don’t go making him worse.’
Evan rushed through the doors, tears already threatening to spill again. Spotting the younger boy sat up against pillows on one of the hospital beds, Regulus asleep in the chair beside him he couldn’t hold back. ‘B! You’re okay!’ The tears slipped down the previously worn path on his cheeks as he saw Barty’s face light up.
‘Rosie!’ The boys clutched each other as though their very lives depended on it. It took Evan longer than he would ever admit to realise that the other boy was sobbing quietly against him. ‘You’ll always love me right?’ The uncertainty in Barty’s voice broke his heart.
Evan didn’t hesitate ‘I love you more than life itself that isn’t changing. What has you so worried?’ He met the other’s eyes gently taking his hands in his own.
‘I… when I fell … it was a hair from killing me. I… I’m going to have to postpone our romantic midnight walks b-because… well…I’m scared of the dark’
‘B…’
‘Fine fine I-‘ Barty couldn’t meet his eyes ‘They’re fairly sure I won’t ever walk again.’