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Bartys pov: 2016:
For the twenty years he’s been alive, Barty thought the neglect would be the worst part about being a son, he was wrong.
In nineteen of those years, not once had his father noticed him, not once had he cared.
In his twentieth year, he realised how much of a fool he was for believing one day that would change, one day he’d get his fathers recognition. He was wrong for so many things in his life, it’s safe to say this is possibly the worst way to be wrong.
He’s twenty years old now, but he doesn’t recall the year leading up to it, its all a haze of pills and insanity. Honestly though, what is the difference? He no longer takes pills, but he feels like he’s losing his mind all over again. He lost it when he took his first pill, he started losing it again when he stopped. Unlike most people who come off pills, he doesn’t take it slow, he doesn’t have a doctor or anyone that would help him ignore the desire for said pills, he liked them when he was on them, he wants them again now he’s off. It’s not like anyone would notice a difference, they’re basically the only thing keeping Barty human, no one would notice.
No one would notice.
Being trapped in his room for a few weeks should be easy, right? Again, he found himself to be wrong.
Those few weeks are meant to turn into years. Good thing he’s the furthest thing from patience known to man kind, or to Barty kind. The word patience isn’t even in Bartys vocabulary, yknow?
For the twenty years he’s been alive, Barty had never tried to leave, that was until now.
No one would notice.
His windows only two stories away from the ground , he’s seen people jump out of higher buildings with no everlasting injuries, maybe he’d be lucky enough to have none. With his Dad at work, he could just leave through the front or even the back door, but with Winky so far up his arse, it would be a bit of struggle to go unnoticed. So the window it is.
After all, no one would notice.
He didn’t pack anything, he’ll be back before his Dad returns and Winky wont go in the room until five to give him his tea, that gives him enough time to leave and be free for a few hours. Now to jump (God, why’s he so tall? That doesn’t make going out of a window any easier at all).
He has one leg out of the window when he realises how stupid this is, but Evans worth it. So he jumps.
He lands awkwardly on his ankle before collapsing entirely under the pressure of his own weight after a fall like that. Movies make this look so easy. He gets to his feet and almost falls again when he attempts to put weight on his left foot; no doubt he twisted his ankle. Great, that’ll certainly go unnoticed.
Its only then he realises he has no destination to go. Evans place would be the obvious choice, but not only would his dad send him away, it’s too far of a walk, his foot wouldn’t keep him up for how long he would need to actually go, he would probably also be recognised and that definitely can’t happen especially if it means his father could easily find out. Next time, remember a disguise... and a ladder. Evan may be a no go, so a place he’d probably be welcomed in without having to hide.
He could go to the Greengrasses and meet Pandora, but the last time he checked, she was staying at her cousins who could apparently talk her out of dating a Lovegood, he doubts she’d give in to them but the Lestranges do have weird methods to persuade people to agree with what they want or say, she’s a tough cookie though, she’d be fine, she’d get out. Ok so not the Greengrasses or Lestranges.
Avery may welcome him with open arms but he is not ready for that conversation yet, and Wilkes will most likely be there and Barty doesn’t exactly meet eye to eye with him, so not them.
Snape? No, Severus isn’t a person he’d consider to be a friend, acquaintance maybe, but friend is stretching it a bit far, Barty doesn’t want to receive a stalker so he crosses that off his list pretty quickly.
Regulus? It would make sense, he’s only down the road and he wouldn’t have to hide. Just got to hope his parents wont want to talk, his father would not hear the end of it. So as long as Regulus’ parents don’t speak to him...
So, Regulus it is.
He limps down the street, trying to come up with excuses as to where he’s been.
Maybe he was on a cruise, a ship, and it crashed into an iceberg but he was the only survivor.
Or maybe he got taken to cure his cancer but instead became invincible.
Or maybe he found a car that goes to the future and he met himself.
Or maybe he should just tell the truth instead of pretending to have stared in a film or something, surely Regulus has watched Back to The Future.
‘Hey Reg, sorry I’ve been away, my father sent me to Azkaban, yeah, the prison, and now my mother has taken my place and will die in there, it’s okay though, it would’ve been me otherwise, probably should’ve been Winky instead but Father didn’t like that plan. Also, I’ve sort of fucked up my ankle, How’ve you been by the way?’
Yeah, because that doesn’t sound as if it’s come from a movie, no, of course not.
He knocks the Black Manors door in hopes Regulus would be the only one home, of course the world had other plans.
An old man, probably older that the house itself opened the door. It may have been a year since Barty had seen Kreacher but the man was barely praised by his presence. He looks Barty up and down with his face in a scowl before closing the door in his face, not giving Barty a chance to even open his mouth.
Right, maybe he wouldn’t be as welcomed as he originally thought, kind of forgot Kreacher existed so there’s that.
He was about to walk away when the door reopened but this time revealing no old man, but a much younger one who probably surpassed the elders knowledge by now, however the bags under his eyes reveal he hasn’t slept well in probably over a year, looks to be more but he didn’t look like that when Barty last saw him so the lack of sleep is a new addition to the mans life.
Regulus doesn't move, he just stands.
Regulus was standing. Regulus right in front of him was standing. Regulus. Jesus Christ.
Regulus with his dark, perfect hair that Barty loved to mess up, Regulus who looks like he hasn’t seen a bed in years, Regulus with a small faded cut just above his right eyebrow slightly hidden by his hair, showing their misadventures from when they were younger that led them to falling off Evans roof, Regulus and his wide eyes and smile he saves only for the people he loves., Regulus who freezes before running into him and giving him a hug he did not expect, especially from Regulus, Regulus who hates to be touched, Regulus who was hugging him like his life was depending on it, Regulus who does actually care, despite what the outside world may believe. Barty hugged him back but not with the same eagerness he was receiving from Regulus.
"Hi” he said through a mumbled laugh, face buried into Regulus’ shoulder as they hug, the words caused Regulus to hold him tighter, as if he was scared that if he even let go for just a second Barty would no longer be there.
When Regulus eventually does let go, it was obvious he had cried mid-hug and was possibly on the verge of doing so again. “You’re here” He tried to remain calm and steady but the crack in his voice gave him away for being anything but that.
Regulus grabs his hand and drags Barty to his room before locking the door behind them. “You’re actually...” Reg mutters after about a minute of silence of Reg just searching both of Barty eyes with his own, God knows why.
‘I am. Am I not supposed to be?”
"No...” He diverts his eyes away as he speaks and refuses to look Barty in the eyes again “No, you’re not supposed to be here”
“I can leave if you wa-“
"no, stay”
"ok... I’ll stay”
After another moment of silence, with Regulus examining Barty with his eyes, from his feet to his head, Barty breaks the silence “Is there a reason why you’re looking at me as if you’re staring at a ghost?”
“You are” he says, barely audible but not too quiet to go unnoticed.
"I am what?” Barty questions, in the same tone as Regulus
"a ghost” Barty reaches down to tilt Regulus’ head upwards so their eyes meet, Regulus’ eyes are swimming in unshed tears, it was as if he was refusing to let them drown him, but with Barty here, he had no reason to drown, Barty could save him from anyone who attempted to pull him down under, Barty was right here and Regulus was on the verge of drowning in his own grief, But Barty was here, so he wouldn’t have to.
“Reg, Is there something wrong?”
"You’re not supposed to be here”
"So you’ve said”
"So why are you here?”
"I had to see you”
"And Evan?”
"His house is too far and I’m not sure I’d be able to walk there” he chuckles looking down at his foot, barely touching the floor due to the pain it would spread through him, Regulus follows his gaze and the first tear falls once again, this time Barty could see it fall so he reaches out to wipe it away, Regulus catches his hand mid- reach and says “You’re hurt”
“I jumped from a window” Regulus looks back up, confused, “Winky would’ve told my dad if she saw me leave, so the window was my last option really”
“I’m confused”
“So am I... Ok, so first of all, I was in Azkaban-“
“What?”
“Yeah I know”
“The prison?”
“Yeah”
“For the insane?”
“Father sent me”
“He did?”
“yup, the only way for me to leave was if someone willingly replaced me...so... my mother might be dead now, that’s a thing”
“You’re meant to be dead”
“oh...” Suddenly what Pettigrew had said actually made sense. Oh. “A funeral?”
“It was horrible”
“No different than living here I assume?” Regulus doesn’t seem to appreciate the joke; however, it does cause another tear to fall which Regulus allows Barty to catch. “Sorry, not funny. Um... How’s Evan?” It was as if the question brought some sense into Regulus as the tears abruptly turned to stone and the grieving boy in front of him aged fifty years “You’re six months too late”
“What?”
“He ran away, haven’t heard from him since”
“He didn’t take you with him?”
“Clearly not”
“Right, stupid question. Yknow, you can stop acting all emotionless around me, you were just crying”
“I’m not emotionless”
“Then smile” Reg does not “C’mon, Reggie, smile for me, yknow what that is right? S. M. I. L-“
“Yes I know what that is”
“Then do it, Ready? Like this”
“You’re insufferable” The statement may have been believable if Regulus wasn’t close to smiling when he said it
“You’re almost there” Barty goes to touch his face to push the smile along but Regulus grabbed his wrist, stopping him from going any further, again. “Touch me and I’ll break your wrist”
“But I’m already injured” He says in a whine. Regulus moves away to his drawers where Barty knows he keeps bandages in, he sits Barty down on his bed and kneels down in front of him to work on his foot. “Yknow, with how good you are at cleaning up injuries now, its hard to believe you got yourself so worked up about that scar on your head”
“Shut up” he mumbles
“Good thing Evan knew what he was doing ey?”
He looks up “no, I had crooked stitches in my head for a year after that, they certainly were meant to come out easily, they did not”
“no, I can tell”
“Stop talking. There, can you stand?”
“But I like sitting”
“Barty” He stands up
“Yes”
“Can you walk?”
“On one foot, yes” Regulus sighs before saying “Sit down” Barty does and before long, they’re both asleep led next to each other, bodies scrunched close together, as if they were in Hogwarts all over again, now all they need is Evan and life would be perfect again.
Bartys not sure how long he was out for but he does know he wakes up to a face full of pillow.
“Evening” Regulus says “When does your dad get off work?”
“Eight” Barty replies through a yawn “but I need to be back by five, that’s when Winky comes to check on me. What’s the time now?”
“Quarter to five, go back now and I’ll meet you again at half past five. Dorcas wants to see you”
“You told her?”
“Who else was I suppose to tell?”
“No one else, if my Dad finds out-“
“Yes, I know. Now go. And be careful”
“I will” Barty heads towards the door before coming to a stop “Hey Reg?”
“Yeah?” He turns around and pulls Regulus into another hug, probably the last for awhile, and says “Love you midget” before leaving, ignoring the muffled “Fuck you” that Regulus mumbles as he goes.