thirteen
They went to the lake a week late this year. Evan felt awful that he had no way to tell Barty. He still didn’t have a phone, nor did he have any clue what Barty’s home address was. They’d see each other in a few days, but he still felt bad.
Normally he’d just ask his parents to let his Grandma know to tell him if he came by, but apparently things went all weird while Evan and Pandora were away at school. He wasn’t really surprised, they always seemed a bit less lovey than some of the parents of their childhood friends, so maybe having the two of them around was the only thing preventing whatever this was. They were fighting all the time now, it was kind of irritating and a bit scary if he was being honest. Evan didn’t like to think about it.
Regardless, he didn’t want to intrude on whatever was happening between the two of them with a little issue, so he didn’t say anything. Still, he worried about it the whole week – genuinely losing sleep. Barty probably didn’t give a shit, but it kept Evan up nonetheless.
School had only ended a few days ago, but still.
Were these the codependency issues Regulus talked about at school?
—
Eventually, they made their way to her place. His Dad didn’t come this time, at least not yet. He had told Evan and Pandora he’d come in a couple weeks, but neither of them believed him. They both silently agreed to be thankful for the break from bickering instead of focusing on him not being there.
The ride was incredibly uncomfortable, nearly completely silent apart from quiet arguments over leg room and snacks. It did nothing but remind him about last year, so Evan did his best to distract himself by looking for yellow cars and punching Pandora when he saw them.
To his surprise, when they pulled in, he could see Barty standing at the kitchen counter. He and Grandma were laughing at something, and what seemed to be a batch of sun tea sat between them. Evan smiled to himself, watching as Barty looked out the window and realised he was there.
Through the window, he perked up like an over-excited dog, seeming to excuse himself quickly before bursting out the front door. His hair had grown out longer than usual during the school year, blowing back as he jogged across the lawn. Normally Barty’s dad would make him cut it shorter if it even got past his ears.
“You’re late,” Barty whined, taking on a frown as he threw himself onto Evan.
“Replaced me already?” Evan just barely caught Barty, staggering back to catch his balance. Barty scoffed. “Ew, you just spit in my ear!”
Pandora passed by, swatting Barty on the back of his head in greeting before walking backwards to look at Evan and roll her eyes.
—
They spent a lot of time at the lake rather than the creek this year. Barty said he was bored of the creek, and they needed to branch out, but Evan was fairly certain it was because Dorcas had a bunch of friends staying over for a few weeks. Girl friends.
All of them were nice enough. Evan knew they were pretty, but he wasn’t really interested in them that way. A few of the boys at school acted disgustingly dopey and scatter-brained when girls talked to them, but he just felt like himself. Maybe it was because he had a sister and knew girls or whatever.
Marlene was there though, Evan found her much more fun than the rest of them.
“Puberty’s treating Barty well then?” Marlene kicked the ball towards Evan with a passive aggressive snort, raising her eyebrows.
He paused for a moment, confused. Barty was starting to catch up to him in height, and had lost a lot of the baby fat in his cheeks since last summer. He kicked the ball back to her, trying to send it out of her reach. “What do you mean?”
“Oh, please,” She side-stepped and stopped the ball with her foot easily. “Look at them over there, they’re all over him.”
Evan turned around, looking back to where Barty and the rest of them hung out on the shore. He and Xeno were hitting around a volleyball, shirtless, and the girls were cheering on the two of them.
Pandora had been fawning over Xeno since, well, ever, but even more recently. Evan didn’t really get what she saw, but he never liked Xeno very much in the first place.
“Pfft, I guess,” He shrugged, turning back just as the ball nailed him in the chest. “Fuck, McKinnon. What the hell?”
She cackled, jogging past him to grab the ball once more before he could. “I don’t get it either. He’s nothing special.”
Well, Evan wouldn’t say that, it wasn’t like Barty was ugly, but he agreed anyway. “Guess so.”
“I miss the days where boys had cooties, you know?” Marlene sighed dramatically, dropping onto the grass and laying back. He sat down next to her, plucking blades of grass out of the dirt. “No offence and all, I guess.”
“I miss when girls had cooties, s’ it’s okay,” He didn’t mind hanging out with them at all. He grew up having group play dates with Pandora and her friends, anyway. It was just annoying when that’s all anyone talked about anymore. The last month at school was miserable, everyone chatting about their new crush of the day and flirting at meals.
Everyone sucked at flirting, Evan watched enough rom-com movies with his Mum and Pandora to know that. Somehow, they still all managed to get ‘girlfriends’ that they’d only hold hands with or hug in the hallways. He and Barty did that, for fucks sake.
They turned the conversation back to football, eventually deciding that they’d run together in the mornings to prepare for next year. This was the first year they’d be allowed to try for captain of their teams, and they both really wanted that spot. James would be first pick for Gryffindor, it was obvious. Maybe Sirius, too. Regulus would probably be the first pick for Slytherin, but Evan was getting better.
The first few days of this, Evan was gone and back before Barty even woke up. Eventually, after Marlene insisted they should run further, he came Barty wide awake on the bed.
“Where’d you go?”
“McKinnon wanted to start running in the mornings, get ready for captain tryouts and all that,” Evan took a swig from the water bottle in his hand, heading into the bathroom to get ready to shower. He’d just end up swimming later, but the sweat caking his hairline felt disgusting.
“You fancy her or something?” Barty questioned, his tone wavering slightly. Evan stepped into the doorway, pulling his shirt up over his head.
“And if I did?” He absolutely did not, but he wanted to see what Barty had to say about it.
“Fine, she’s alright I guess,” Barty looked away from him.
Evan laughed softly, biting onto his cheek while he watched him scowl, “I don’t fancy her, B. We’re just friends.”
He rolled his eyes, flopping onto his back, “It’s fine if you do, about time you had a crush on someone.”
“What's-? I don’t,” Evan went and turned on the shower, shutting the door loudly behind him. What the hell was ‘about the time you had a crush on someone’ even supposed to mean? They were only thirteen. There was plenty of time for that stuff, and plenty of other fish in the sea – or whatever old people say.
—
By the time it was the middle of the summer, Evan’s Dad still hadn’t come yet.
When they talked to him on his Mum’s phone, he just said he’d come soon or that something came up at work. Neither of them still really understood what he did at work, so they both decided to choose to believe him.
Deeper down though, they knew Mum and Dad didn’t want to be around each other much anymore.
The break from it all was nice, but he still missed his Dad.
—
One night, after Barty had fallen asleep, Evan snuck downstairs to find his Mum. He wanted to just ask her about it, she wouldn’t lie to him like his Dad probably was.
She was sitting at the kitchen counter, flicking through a stack of papers.
“Mum?” He whispered. There was no real reason to whisper, but he was supposed to be asleep, so he did anyway. She flinched at the sound of his voice, but quickly plastered on her usual smile as she lifted her head.
“Hi, sweetheart. Can’t sleep?”
“Uh, yeah. Can I ask you something?” Evan walked closer, settling onto one of the stools nearby. She nodded, prompting him to go on. “What’s the real reason Dad isn’t here? I know he says it’s work but I feel like there’s something wrong – you can tell me, I swear, I won’t tell him anything – I just–”
His Mum’s face tightened into a grimace before she sighed. “Suppose I would have to talk to you about it eventually, then. Dad and I… we haven’t been getting along recently. It isn’t your fault, or your sisters, I promise. We’re working on it though, okay?”
Evan frowned, but nodded.
“We wanted to take a little break from each other, to decompress for a bit.”
“...Like when you make Pandora and I get away from each other when we fight?”
She laughed, her eyes crinkling in the corners. She always reminded him of Pandora when she did that. His sister took more after their Dad, but she shared so many mannerisms with their Mum. Evan took after their Mum, he didn't think he had very much in common with his Dad at all. “Exactly like that, we just need longer than a few minutes. It’s supposed to be a surprise for the two of you but he’ll be here next week.”
“Really?” Evan perked up.
“Do not tell your sister, okay? Promise me,” He knew he was going to tell her first thing in the morning, but he promised her anyway.
After he ran back upstairs, he spiraled into that maybe their few weeks apart wasn’t enough time. What if the cycle started all over again? Xeno said his parents argued all the time before they got divorced. Evan didn’t want his parents to get divorced.
—
Marlene and the rest of the girls left a few weeks before summer ended, but the lake was still the designated hang out spot. It was much better for swimming, he’d give it that. The town had even put one of those water trampolines earlier in the summer. It’d only caused six bloody noses so far, so that was a win.
Barty was trying to fling him off of the trampoline when Evan realised Regulus had yet to come this summer. He shoved him back, trying to stay on. “Are Reg and Sirius not coming this year?”
“Nope, guess Sirius got in trouble. Got caught staying at the Potter’s, or something. Told his parents he was at Snape’s,” Barty grunted as Evan swiped at his ankles, making him fall onto his back.
“Snape’s? Seriously? They fell for that?” Sirius and his friends spent the entire school year terrorising Snape. He had some serious problems with the Lupin kid, for whatever reason, which caused the rivalry in the first place apparently. Evan didn’t blame them, he was a twat.
The pranks they came up with against him were pretty impressive, too.
Barty grabbed onto Evan’s leg, spinning so he’d fall over next to him. “That’s what I said! Their own fault, really. Don’t know what they have against the Potter’s, either. I’ve always thought James was cool.”
James was cool. Very cool. He was great at football, and extremely funny. Evan wasn’t around him much apart from football matches, but he wished he could be friends with him.
—
Barty picked Jurassic World for their camping movie this year. They watched all of the earlier movies over the last few weeks, mostly because Evan ‘owed him one’ after making him watch Star Wars .
“When I was little, I wanted to grow up to be a dinosaur,” Barty said with a blank face, furrowing his brow while he watched.
Evan looked away from the screen, staring at him somewhat concerningly. “Seriously? How did you plan on becoming a dinosaur?”
“Dunno, can’t a kid dream?”
“Okay. Did you have a specific dinosaur you planned on being? Or was it going to be a surprise?”
“Yup,” Barty paused the movie, minimising the window to go onto google. Evan was shocked when he typed in the actual name of it, spelling it correct on the first try. “One of these bad boys.”
He had pulled up a photo of a species called Euoplocephalus and spewed out some facts on it, particularly thrilled about the huge club on its tail. “That thing can take out, like, anything.”
Evan looked him up and down before smirking. “You look like you’d turn into one of those.”
“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” Barty narrowed his eyes before tilting his head. He seemed to think it over for a moment. “Actually, never mind. That’s a brilliant compliment.”
Before opening the movie back up, he typed in another name of a dinosaur. The screen read Plesiosaurus, showing some sort of species that lived in the water.
“You’d be one of these, cause you’re a good swimmer. Silent but deadly and stuff,” He tapped through a few of the pictures. Evan thought they were kind of weird looking, but supposed there were worse options out there.
“That’s not how that statement works at all,” He took the computer back from Barty, opening the movie back up and pressing play.
Eventually, the movie ended and Barty shoved the computer aside. He attempted to hop up in the air while laying down, to try to move his sleeping bag closer to Evan, but didn’t make it even an inch closer. Evan stuck his arms out and tugged him closer.
“I’m glad we don’t have to wait all year to see each other anymore,” Barty murmured, grabbing onto Evan’s left arm, the one with the scar, before he could tuck his arms back into his sleeping bag. Barty ran his fingers over the raised skin constantly when they were together, but Evan didn’t mind.
“You sure you aren’t sick of me yet?”
“I don’t think I could get sick of you, Evs. You’ll be here next summer? Don’t come late again, please.”
“Yep. Every summer. I’ll try not to, promise.”
“Swear it?”
“Swear it.” Barty looped his pointer finger through Evan’s and shut his eyes.
His free hand sat limply on Evan’s arm still. Evan stared at it until he fell asleep.
✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧
Neither Evan nor Marlene made captain this year. As predicted, it went to James for Gryffindor and Regulus for Slytherin. Regulus was one of the youngest captains ever, actually. Both of them were mildly upset by it, but it definitely made them work a lot harder. Regulus even complimented him on improving over the summer one night after practice.
Evan had to bite onto his cheek to keep himself from grinning.
—
On Friday’s they were allowed to go to Hogsmeade, a small town next to the school, after classes were over. There wasn’t all that much they could do, especially since only a few of them had brought spending money to school, but it always ended up being interesting in some way.
Barty taught Evan how to steal small things one week, but he never wanted to do it again after that. He didn’t mind getting up to stupid things with Barty, but stealing made him feel gross. He’d still gladly use or eat whatever Barty was stealing, though.
“Doya’ think Filch will catch us if we stay out past curfew tonight?” Barty asked with his mouth full of chocolate.
They sat on a curb, splitting a jug of butterbeer between the two of them. “Why would we need to stay past curfew? Don’t talk while you’re chewing, either. Nasty.”
Barty chewed the rest of his food obediently before talking again, “It’s a full moon,” Evan raised his eyebrow, shaking his head to ask ‘ Okay? ’. Barty’s eyes lit up, clearly thrilled to talk about whatever apparently happened on full moons. “Heard someone say freaky stuff happens at that place, on the hill. Screams and shit. They call it the shrieking shack.”
He pointed up at a poorly built shed that looked like it was about to fall over. Evan squinted at it and scrunched his nose, “Freaky stuff? Shrieking shack? I bet it’s just some seventh years that go up there and scream. Is that worth being caught by Filch? He gives me the creeps.”
“The creeps? He’s built like a paper straw, Evs.”
“I dunno, he stared me down in the hallway the other day and, ugh,” Evan groaned, dropping his head against his knees.
“Who’re we talking about? Filch? He’s a creep,” Marlene appeared beside them, slapping a hand on Evan’s back as she sat down and took the jug from Barty’s grasp. “I’m sure Barty will protect you from Big Bad Filch, Evan.”
“Sure would,” Barty reached his hands out for the bottle back, or at least that’s what Evan was fairly certain was happening. He was still staring down at his shoes. “I’m still confused what Filch is going to do. Detention? We’ve all been in detention before.”
They had all been in detention before. Barty frequented it, usually for being a menace in class or never shutting his mouth. Evan had no clue why Marlene ended up there, but it was probably for the same reasons that Barty was ending up there.
He had gotten detention for trying to tell Barty off of something, and then another time for egging Barty on.
“I can’t get detention again,” Evan turned his head, still resting it on his knees. He looked over at Barty, who was already watching him. “They can take the scholarship away whenever they want.”
None of the staff had ever threatened it on him before, but they had covered that area in the contact. As long as he kept his behaviour, grades, and football scores up he’d be fine.
“Oi, Lupin’s here on a scholarship and he’s been in detention plenty of times,” Marlene bargained, kicking her foot against Evan’s while she blew a piece of hair out of her face. She'd just cut and dyed it, the roots dark while the rest was bleached. She said her parents would 100% kill her when they found out, but started talking about dying it pink next nonetheless.
“Remus is a genius, that’s different.”
“Oh come on, you have top marks for every single class,” Barty rolled his eyes. Evan did sit at the top of his class for the majority of his subjects, or at least within top three. Both of his roommates were the other competition. He didn’t know how Barty always did so well, he never seemed to study or do his homework and was always asking Evan for a pencil or paper in class.
Regulus was a given for top marks, that kid never seemed to have a single breath of fun apart from football.
After bickering back and forth, and gathering Marlene’s opinion on the shrieking shack situation, they decided to stay past curfew. Just as Evan thought, it was a pre-recorded set of screams that sounded from the shed. At first it sounded terrifyingly real, but halfway through, the recording skipped. Barty was completely devastated.
Luckily, they managed to avoid getting caught on the way back. Evan still had a nightmare about Filch chasing him down a dark hallway that night.
—
The rest of the school year went mostly well. Slytherin lost their undefeated streak in football and Regulus practically went nuts, but it was alright. He got over it as soon as he remembered he had control over their practice schedule.
Needless to say, the rest of the school year after that loss was exhausting and somewhat painful. But, they did get better and won against Ravenclaw in the re-match. Evan didn’t really mind the extra work, he liked being pushed towards the limit when it came to football. There was something rewarding about nearly falling asleep in the showers post-practice. Somehow. Pandora told him it was something called a runner's high, but that didn't seem like a real thing.