Picture You
Evan Rosier loved many things, being alone, his friends, the colour white, converse, late nights, parties, cigarettes, pissing off his parents, quidditch games, sketching, art, poetry, music, the clearing in the forbidden forest, Charms class, his sister, boys, most specifically Barty Crouch Jr.
Evan lays on the soft green grass outside school, his head resting on his sister Pandora’s lap. He watches her braid daisies into her wavy blonde hair, weaving each strand with grace, the same grace she applies to everything she does.
The only thing the twins shared was looks. Both were blessed with their father's cold, icy eyes and their mother's warm, blonde hair. Pandora was softer than Evan, sharing that with their late mother, who loved both of them dearly. Both she and their mother were sorted into Ravenclaw, whereas Evan and their father were both cold Slytherins.
Evan wasn’t cold, though. No, he was nothing like his father and never would be as long as he lived. Evan knew love in every form, from his sister and mother to his friends and reading about it in books Regulus would lend him. His father did not know love; he knew respect and obedience and believed children were to be raised without it to know the cruel world for what it was.
“The boy is nice,” Pandora says, breaking the silence as she plucks a daisy from the ground to add to her hair.
“Who?” Evan asks, staring up at the willow above, shading them from the late summer sun. The school year was well on its way now, three weeks in and in Barty, Regulus, and Dorcas’s counting, one quidditch game down, ten to go.
“Garrett, the boy you were with at the party. He’s in my house but a year above, quidditch team captain.” Ah, yes, Garrett. In Evan’s defence, he doesn’t keep track of the boys he snogs. Most are confused and need to experiment, and Evan’s more than happy to be of service.
“Mm,” Evan hums, picking at a blade of grass to keep his fingers busy. “Wasn’t aware I needed your approval.”
Pandora smacks him over the head with the back of her hand. “I’m your sister Evan, and it wasn’t approval I was simply stating he was nice. Would it be so bad if you tried anything other than snogging?”
Evan sits up and turns around to meet Pandora’s eyes with a smirk. “What like shag them? Come on Pandora you know I already do that-”
“No, like ask them out- or something like that!” She says, throwing her hands up in defeat. “I don’t like seeing you like this Evan, like- like him. You deserve to be loved just as much as anyone else.”
Evan stares at Pandora for a moment and blinks back any amusement on his face. Leave it to his sister to be brutally honest at any chance. “No thanks Pandora but thanks for the concern.”
She sighs. “I don’t know why I try with you.”
Evan opens his mouth to make a snarky remark back, but his attention is quickly stolen when Barty, Regulus and Dorcas come storming ove,r brooms in hand and Quidditch uniforms still on.
“Well pardon me Regulus were just trying to make sure that you won’t cost us the game because you care to much about your little boyfriends feelings!” Dorcas says to Regulus, who looks done with the conversation.
“I’ll tell you both the same thing I told James, I’m going to play the same as always. Feelings apart from the game.” They approach Evan and Pandora but don’t say hello or anything.
“I dunno Reg…” Barty offers Evan a smile, and he smiles back, his stomach doing somersaults. Barty looks fucking gorgeous even after quidditch practice, drenched in sweat and all tired. Evan’s sure he could get the same bodily reaction himself out of Barty.
“Oh fuck off both of you, this is exactly why I like Evan and Pandora better than you two.” Regulus grumbled, sitting down next to Evan and throwing his broom down next to him. Evan threw an arm around Regulus and pulled him in, ruffling his hair, receiving a snarl as a reward.
Dorcas is beside Pandora and leans her back on the tree, whilst Barty just sits directly in front of all of them. “We all like Pandora and Evan the best Reg, so don’t feel to special,” Dorcas says as she rests her head on Pandora’s shoulder.
Barty picks Evan’s sketchbook up off the ground. He had given up about an hour ago trying to draw the dragon in his magical creatures textbook from memory. He’d gotten to the tail and couldn’t remember if it was a spike tail or razor tail, so he left that space blank and went back to the head. His pencils and eraser were nuzzled somewhere in the grass, He’d have to look for them later, seeing as he had no interest in buying more from the shop in Hogsmeade.
“Why thank you Dorcas, I would have to say I feel the same about you.” Pandora smiles as she finishes the last braid and begins to make a flower crown out of the remaining daisies for Dorcas.
“Quidditch problems I take it?” Evan asks, lighting a cigarette and placing it between his lips, feeling the burn in his throat and enjoying it.
“Yes,” Barty and Dorcas agree.
“No,” Regulus grumbled from Evan’s side. Fighting Barty for the last cigarette, Regulus finally gets it. Barty kicks Regulus, but the pain doesn’t stop Regulus from lighting the cigarette and blowing smoke.
Evan offers Barty his, and Barty takes it gratefully, throwing daggers with his eyes at Regulus.
“Yes Regulus,” Dorcas corrects him, holding eye contact. Dorcas’s stare can make anyone look small, including Regulus Black.
Barty hands Evan his cigarette back, their hands lightly graze, making Evan’s heart stop. Barty, of course, pays no mind to the red creeping onto Evan’s face. “Dorcas and I think that Regulus is going to sacrifice the game so he doesn’t hurt James’ feelings, you know cause he gets all butt hurt about losing and all?”
“First off he doesn’t get all butt hurt. Second, he’s gonna have to deal with it, you all forget I care just as much about quidditch as he does.” Regulus retorts, pulling the cigarette from his lips.
“Just shag him if he loses, I’m sure he’ll forget all about it Reg” Evan’s the best at bloody advice, someone gets him an award or two.
Regulus, for a moment, looks like he’s considering it, that is, until James makes his way over, dressed in his quidditch uniform and broom in hand. They must be heading out to the pitch for their practice. A bleach blonde, short, angry-looking woman walks by his side, also in her quidditch uniform and carrying her broom in hand.
Evan can understand why Regulus fell for James, he can practically see the muscle under his tight uniform, every single defined curve. Regulus must have fun with him, Evan thinks as James gets closer.
“Afternoon lot.” James's face lights up as he greets all of us. We say the same back, apart from Dorcas, who’s just outright staring at the girl James brought along. James leaned over and placed a kiss on Regulus’s cheeks, and Evan watched as he went red. “Afternoon love.”
“Quidditch pitch is all your Potter, we finished bout a half hour ago, preparing to kick your asses,” Barty says trying to put his cigarette out with his hand, Evan catches it though and scolds him before waving his wand and putting it out.
“Cheers, and you wish Crouch. No Black seeker or Meadows captin will save you,” James says, running his hand through Regulus’s hair.
Dorcas snorts. “You and McKinnon wish you had a seeker like Reg, wouldn’t lose to Ravenclaw so often.”
James laughs as the girl, now known as McKinnon, rolls her eyes. “Well if it wasn’t for him then I wouldn’t have much competition when it came to playing Slytherin, so I’m happy he is where he is.” He bends down and kisses Regulus again before standing up straight. “Were on for later, right love?”
Regulus blushed and nodded before James and the other girl walked away, leaving the five of them alone again.
Barty turns to Evan just as Evan turns to Barty. “Were on for later right love?” Barty mocks with a wink.
“Of course Mon chéri,” Evan responds with the same mocking tone as Barty.
“And you know I don’t know what that means but I hope it has something to do with ‘lets fuck’ cause I’m down” Barty sounds a little too serious this time but Evan knows he doesn’t know a lick of French so he just laughs.
“That would be faisons l'amour, I said ‘my dear’”
Barty’s jaw hangs open for a moment before he clears his throat. “Sometimes I forget your French, Regulus as well.”
“I’m not French, I can speak it but I am not French,” Regulus responds, getting up.
“Going somewhere?” Evan asks, looking up at Regulus, having to shield his eyes from the sun with his hand.
Regulus grabbed his broom from off the ground. “Yes, to go get clean and have a moment of silence before you two hooligans come back. I would suggest you shower as well Barty, but I could do with a break. So if you do, go to Dorcas’s dorm or something like that.”
“Sure Reg since you hate me so much,” Barty says, putting the back of his hand to his forehead and shaking his head.
Regulus doesn’t respond to this and just walks away back towards the castle. Dorcas stands up next, grabbing her broom. “Suppose I should take a shower before dinner as well.”
Pandora stands and places the flower crown on top of Dorcas’s head and smiles. “I have divination homework that I have to complete so I’m off, drop me off will you Dorcas?”
“Of course Dora, its on the way anyways”
“Divination has homework?” Barty asks, rubbing his temples and looking between Evan and Pandora in confusion. Evan stand,s leaving Barty on the ground alone. “You two Evan? Bloody hell am I the only one who doesn’t have something to do on a Sunday afternoon?”
“Sorry Barty… hey you could get a head start on gathering stuff for that potion were making, amor- amer- amoran-” Dorcas interrupts Pandora’s poor attempt at naming the love potion Slughorn is working on with us.
“Amortentia, the name your looking for dear is Amortentia. And yes Barty you should get a head start, I made one last year in slughorns class, took an extra day because I couldn’t find the ingredients in time.”
Barty stands and sighs. “Nah I’ll just get Pandora to get doubles of everything, where you off too anyways Evan?”
“Garret wanted to meet in the library, said he’d help me with some studying,” Evan says, picking up his sketchbook and sifting through the grass for his pencils before tucking it under his arm.
Barty scoffs. “Sure, right studying… sure he doesn’t just want to get in your pant?”
More like Evan wanted to get in his.
Evan rolls his eyes as everyone begins walking off after Dorcas and Pandora. Barty and he trail behind. “He doesn’t just want to get in my pants Barty, and honestly I wouldn’t care if he did. He’s just helping me study.”
“Sure Ev, you do you.”
Evan can practically read the disappointment or annoyance on Barty’s face as he picks up his pace. “Hey you don’t get to be like that, what are you going to do, go shag another girl or two? Just because I like shagging guys instead of girls doesn’t make it any bloody different.”
“I-” Barty looks almost stunned, his face flooded with regret.
“I’ll see you at dinner, Barty.” Evan walks off towards the school to head to the library. He didn’t know why Barty had such a problem with Evan studying with Garrett. I mean, it seems like a stupid thing to be upset over. It wasn’t like Evan was replacing him or anything; he just needed help with a few of his classes, and Garrett was a year above.
All Evan had done for the past year was put up with Barty’s need to shag every girl within a ten-mile radius, if anything he should be the one upset. But no, Evan’s the bigger person; he’ll push his feelings away, go silently. Barty will never feel the same, and Evan has to live with that, so why should he get to be upset about Evan spending time with a boy he may actually like for once?
—
It doesn’t take Evan very long to get to the library; it turns out he was on the right side of the school for once. He weaves through the shelves like a maze, dropping off a book he took out last week on the way, towards the back of the library to a small enclosed studying area where he had first met Garrett.
Garrett’s already seated at the far end of the twelve-seater table when Evan arrives. His nose is buried in a book, and his textbooks are already laid out for their long few hours of studying ahead. His fluffy brown hair hides his face and hazel eyes, and because it's the weekend, he’s wearing a cozy blue knitted sweater and a pair of jeans.
Garrett was an attractive guy, though that may not have been the reason Evan was drawn to him at first, it did help. See, Evan’s known for having a short attention span when it comes to guys. His longest lasting relationship lasted for two weeks, and that was over a year ago.
That was before he began to have feelings for Barty.
“Bonjour,” Evan says as he sets down his stuff in the seat across from Garrett. The other boy’s head snaps up in confusion before it settles again to a friendly smile.
“Rosier” He tends to call Evan by his last name. Evan would be lying if he said he didn’t find it in the slightest attractive.
Garrett closes the book he seamed so fixed on before Evan interrupted him. “What are you reading?”
He moves his arm off the title that was previously hidden. “The Picture of Dorian Gray… read it?” He asks, putting it into his messenger bag hanging off the side of his chair.
“No, but I’ve heard of it. Oliver Wilde, if I’m correct. Is it any good?” Evan had heard of it for three weeks straight in fifth year thanks to Regulus and his obsession with morally gray characters and absolutely heartbreaking stories.
“It’s brillant, really. I’ve read other Oscar Wilde books but this one has to be one of my favourites. You can borrow it after if you’d like, I don’t mind.”
Evan smiles. “I’d like that.”
Garrett smiles back. They're silent for a moment, just gazing at each other before Garrett runs his fingers through his hair and clears his throat. “Right, well we should get started on the studying and all unless you want to be here at all hours of the night. And I’d rather not since I have the quidditch pitch booked tomorrow morning right before the gryffindors, hard slot to get.”
Evan begins to flip through a textbook Garrett’s lent him, attempting to find the page on Patronus’s, their next assignment in Defence against the dark arts. “Yes, well James can be extreme at time. Especially about quidditch and Regulus.”
Garrett peers over at Evan’s textbook to see what page he’s on before flipping to it as well. “Regulus is his boyfriend right? What an odd pairing… quidditch match next week should be fun”
“Tell me about it, I’m not even the one playing and I’m sure it’ll end in flames.”
“Your friends are on the team, right? That means you’ll have to deal with the aftermath… you wanted to work on patronus, correct?”
Evan nods. “Yeah, Barty, Dorcas and Reg… and I suppose Jame’s is my friend as well, so. And uh yeah I did, Professor Ruben said we were gonna start tomorrow.”
Garrett drags his finger along the text in the book, quietly mumbling to himself, talking to Evan in between paragraphs and pages. “I had a hard time with my last year, barely got it before the end of the unit. When you lack happy memories, then it can be tough.”
Instead of thinking of himself, Evan’s mind immediately goes to Barty. His entire family is crap, the greatest thing in his life is drugs and his friends, even that isn’t enough sometimes. Regulus, as well. God, is he ever lucky to have James.
“Ah, I have plenty. If not with my friends, then my sister.” Evan says, setting down his pencil.
Garrett looks up and smiles and Evan can’t help but think of how fucking hot he looks right now. Like he had said to Barty earlier: he wouldn’t be opposed if all Garret wanted to do was fuck him stupid. “Then you shouldn’t have a problem.”