A sharp bang in one of the rooms interrupts Sirius.
“Hey, Prongs. Wait a couple of minutes, I'll be back soon. Maybe the guys came. New information and all that.” he throws back the mirror without waiting for an answer and hurriedly goes to the sound.
Sirius already wants to burst out with comic curses about where the hell they've been for so long, but he collides with Remus' gaze. This makes him close his mouth without uttering a word. Remus's hands are shaking and he's barely breathing. Sirius decides to look into the room and find out what shocked him so much.
Ooh...
And sees Barty Crouch. A broken Barty Crouch among the wreckage, in a pool of blood, carefully holding someone in his arms.
Sitting in the middle of their ruined living room, smeared in blood, Barty held Evan to his chest and rocked from side to side. Rosier's body looked like it had been tortured for a long time.
“Snakie… Barty, what's happened?” Sirius slowly enters the room, trying not to make sudden movements. They don't need another burst of magic right now.
Barty continued to hug Evan and howl on one note, not paying attention to anyone. He doesn't care even if he made a mistake and apparated them right into the hands of the Dark Lord. He doesn't feel anything. Or feels too much. Barty just lost his last loved one. Now he is completely alone.
“...ty, hey, lis...”
“...im alone. Sirius, re...”
Sirius?
Barty opens his eyes and finds Sirius looking at him sympathetically. He is kneeling in front of them, despite the blood. Remus is looming behind him, who clearly wants to drag him away.
“Where are we? How long...”
Remus interrupts him. “At my house. You've been here for about fifteen minutes, I think. Apparated.”
“We tried to reach you, but you didn't answer. Black looks at the body in Barty's arms. “Let's put him on the couch, okay? In the next room. I would suggest here, but you smashed the couch to splinters.”
“O-okay.”
After they laid Evan on the couch, Remus cautiously suggested moving to the kitchen for a conversation.
So they sit in silence until the tea, carefully brewed by Lupin, cools completely.
Sirius wants to say something, but Barty's exhausted whisper interrupts him.
“I just learned. To live without Regulus. Coping with this pain...”
Black gently puts a hand on his shoulder in support. He understands. But he hasn't learned it yet. He's trying, but…
“Now I can't even cry, it hurts so much… So much so that I want to scream.” Barty looks at his own hands with horror, as if they are still covered in blood.
And then he blows up.
“Why? Why did this war take them away?! They're all so brave!” he's twisting his face, “And where is this bravery now?! They're dead! Everyone is dead!” shouts and throws a mug at the wall behind Remus.
However, Remus does not seem surprised by this outburst of emotions. He just keeps looking at Barty with an impenetrable face.
“Snakie, let's don't break cups, it so limited cups in this home. You're going to sit down now and tell us in general terms what happened to you in the end.” Sirius tries to sound soothing, even raises his hands as a surrender.
Barty is not reassured by this. He seemed even angrier. Crouch turns to him and starts screaming.
“Do you want to know? Oh, no problem! That idiot threw himself at Alastor Moody! And he threw me into one of the shops, taking the wand!”
“Use the port-key, go to the others, blah-blah-blah, I'll cover you - he said. As if the two of us couldn't apparate away from this rabid auror! Crazy, brave idiot!” he throws up his hands in indignation.
“But you stayed there?” Remus is looking after him closely because the whole kitchen is shaking.
“He overdid it. I was knocked out. And when I woke up... they...” Barty is barely breathing, he starts shaking again. “He left Moody without a face, you know. And he was lying among the burning wreckage. And... I tried… I really tried to do something, but he was dead. Damn, I don't even know how long...?”
The kitchen sinks into silence. Barty weakly slides down against the wall and hugs his legs, plunging into his own thoughts. Sirius stares at the ceiling trying to hold back tears.
“Now is not the time for such conversations, but we have to bury him.” Remus sounds weird, like he's not here.
“Burn” Barty hits the back of his head against the wall. “He wanted to be cremated, I think that's what Muggles name it. He doesn't...” he waves a hand vaguely. “He was terrified of the prerogative of slowly rotting six feet deep.”
“Good. That's what we'll do. Remus rises heavily and approaches Barty, “Sirius and I will find a suitable place and make preparations. You could say goodbye for now or something else if you want.… We'll give you time.”
“Yes, as long as it is necessary.” Sirius comes up and pats him on the shoulder encouragingly.
Barty continues to sit against the wall and hug his legs.
After a short silence, he nods.
An hour later, they finish and return to Barty and Evan's body.
Barty is sitting right where they left him. He stares blindly into the void and doesn't even seem to notice their return.
“Hey...” Sirius tries, but Barty cuts him off, standing up abruptly.
“Go.” looks like during their absence, Barty went deeper into his grief...
“Yes, of course, I'll take Evan, if you don't mind. You go for now, I'll catch up.” Remus, without waiting for an answer, passes by and goes upstairs.
Sirius slowly approaches Barty and takes him by the hand, urging him to follow him.
They walk through the forest in silence and soon come to a clearing. Almost in the center is a strange wooden structure, where Remus carefully lays the body of Rosier.
Sirius transfigured something into a torch and passes it to Barty. “You have to do it yourself. It will be easier. For you.”
Barty accepts it and slowly approaches Evan. Looks at his lifeless face.
He wanted to scream, cry his whole heart out and somehow throw off the whole load of emotions. Barty can't control himself and falls to his knees in front of Evan's body, grabbing his arm to stay in the real world.
“I'm sorry. Damn, I'm so sorry.” he presses his lips to Evan's hand. “I will have to stay in this world, my love. I haven't finished our common cause yet. But as soon as it's over... I'll come to you, okay? Even if you're going to be mad as hell at me for it. Say hello to Regulus for me. And a good slap in the face for what he did.”
Barty stands up with difficulty and comes closer to Evan's head, kissing him on the forehead. “À la revoyure mon trésor, mon âme...” And then he sets fire to the funeral pyre.
Out of the corner of his eye, he sees how Sirius wants to come up and push him away from the fire, but Remus stops him, pulls him aside, urging him to leave Barty alone.
Barty slowly steps aside and remains alone to watch until the fire burns down to the end along with the body.
After that, he unfolds, adjusts the collar of his raincoat and silently walks away in the direction of the Lupin house.
Their plan. He should finish it as soon as possible.
Regulus and Evan are waiting for him.