BARTY CROUCH JUNIOR

The first time Barty Crouch Jr. kissed a boy, he was 13 years old. The boy was Regulus Black. He still remembered it well, as he could never forget it.

In the days that followed, Barty found it hard to look at him without thinking about how soft his lips had been. How surprised he had looked afterward, his eyes wide, as if for a moment, he had forgotten how to breathe. How his pale, flawless cheeks had suddenly been covered by a warmth Barty had never seen before. And how quickly he had pulled away, as if afraid the closeness would burn him.

They hadn't talked about it for weeks. Not a word. And yet, it seemed to hang between them, unspoken and heavy. Every moment they spent together, the way Regulus sometimes held his gaze a little longer than necessary, or how Barty instinctively sought excuses to stay near him, was tinged with that memory, with what had been and what could have been.

Barty hated how much power Regulus had over him. Hated how much he needed him. Barty had been sure that eventually, he would get over it. He was sure that if he just stopped thinking about it, about that one night, he could forget it.

But then it happened again. And again. And again. Over and over, until it was no longer an exception, but a pattern they both silently accepted.

They didn't talk about it. Barty was almost grateful for that. Because he knew that if they did, everything could fall apart. He didn't even know what "it" was—how could he talk about it without getting it wrong?

Six months later, he still had no answers. Just more questions. Why was he so drawn to Regulus? Why could he not breathe in his presence without feeling like he was touching something forbidden and precious at the same time?

He had been friends with Regulus Black since they were eleven. Barty knew that Regulus was complicated. He always had been. In their first year, they talked about everything—well, almost everything. There were topics Regulus avoided, and that was fine. Barty had things he didn't want to talk about either, and he respected his friend's boundaries. But over time, Regulus began to withdraw more and more. It became uncomfortable for him to talk when others were around, and Barty didn't understand why. Still, he accepted it. For Regulus.

But then Regulus distanced himself from him as well. And Barty couldn't accept that. They fought about it often. It wasn't that Regulus was talking to others—he simply wasn't talking to anyone. He closed himself off from the entire world and retreated into himself.

Maybe Barty was worried. Or maybe he was just damn selfish. Regulus was everything he had. The only person in Slytherin, maybe even in all of Hogwarts, who liked him. He didn't mind having just one friend. But having no friends at all? That was something else. So, he confronted Regulus.

It had been an uncomfortable conversation, full of sharp words and defiant silence. But afterward, things were better. Regulus stayed withdrawn, still spoke to no one but Barty. But at least that. And that was all Barty could ask for.

Even though Regulus was never as open as he had been in their first year, he confided in Barty about the things that troubled him. That was what mattered.

Over time, Barty learned when he could push Regulus to talk about something, and when he couldn't. When it was just his usual habit of bottling things up, and when he really wasn't ready to talk. It had taken years to learn this, and Barty had been wrong enough times. But by now, he knew Regulus well enough to tell the difference.

Last night, though, he felt that it was important to press Regulus. There was something important, something his friend didn't want to tell him for some reason. Barty didn't know why yet, but he was sure: somehow, he would get it out of him.

Regulus often complained that Barty was annoying and persistent. However, Regulus complained about a lot of things when it came to Barty. "And what happens if this backfires? Oh, right, you never think ahead." "I don't understand why you always have to provoke people." "Barty, how can you live in this chaos?"

"Barty, I swear by Merlin's beard, if you don't get up immediately, I'm going without you."

Groggily, Barty sat up and opened his eyes. Regulus, glaring at him with an exasperated look, was the first thing he saw. He stood with his arms crossed, eyebrows raised, staring at him as though Barty were the cause of every inconvenience in the world. Barty groaned and fell back onto his pillow—the day had started far too early.

It was still before dawn when he had climbed back into bed. Regulus had, as usual, moved his sleeping spot during the night. Usually, Barty would sleep in the same bed as Reg, but today he had decided to go back to his own bed—even though Avery, as usual, was already up and probably hadn't even noticed that Barty and Regulus had swapped positions. A smart move, Barty thought, since it was safer if he wasn't so obviously staying with Regulus, even if they didn't always get caught.

"Barty," Regulus said, as though he had just said something particularly unpleasant. The sound of his voice made Barty laugh. But Regulus's expression darkened, and he rolled his eyes as if Barty were an endless source of amusement. It was almost like a constant, grumpy familiarity between them, one that wasn't without charm.

Eventually, Barty got up, even though it was clearly too early to drag himself out of bed. It was probably still before 8 AM. He grabbed the school uniform, which, like everything else, was unsorted in his trunk. Regulus was different—his things were always neat and organized, as if he had every single detail of his life under control. Barty knew he'd do everything at the last minute, and it probably wouldn't bother him for weeks. Regulus was someone who always knew when to start studying, while Barty, on the other hand, tended to procrastinate until the last possible moment. Not that this meant he had worse grades than Regulus.

Still, he didn't know Pandora well enough to consider her a friend. Regulus always said they wouldn't really understand each other, but Barty didn't quite buy that. Sure, he wouldn't claim that he and Pandora weren't as different as a Thestral and a unicorn, but they had worked together a few times last year in Care of Magical Creatures, and they got along pretty well.

As he started changing, Regulus left the room without another word. "I'll wait for you in the common room," he muttered as he walked toward the door. Barty shook his head. It was typical of Regulus to never be around in those moments, to avoid the fact that Barty was changing. Every time Regulus had to change, he just disappeared into the bathroom, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Barty didn't understand it, but somehow, it was exactly this distant behavior that made Regulus who he was.

Once dressed, Barty found Regulus in the common room. He was leaning against the wall, talking to Pandora. Pandora was different—Barty had quickly noticed that. He understood that all too well. If he got a Galeon every time someone looked at him strangely, he'd probably be richer than Regulus.

"Look, he's risen from his sleep spell," Pandora teased as Barty joined them. Regulus suppressed a laugh.

"Good to see you again, Pandora," Barty said with a crooked grin. "Will you join us for breakfast?" She shook her head, a slight smile on her lips.

"I've already eaten," she said with a hint of amusement in her voice. It wasn't a surprise to Barty—he rarely saw her at breakfast. Regulus had once told him that Pandora loved waking up early and always being the first to arrive in the Great Hall. It seemed like she always had a head start, like she knew the game of time before it even started.

"Well, then, shall we go?" Barty asked. Regulus just nodded and briefly said goodbye to Pandora.

Breakfast went, as usual, in a mix of silence and fleeting thoughts. Barty watched as students entered and left the hall, as Regulus's expression darkened when his brother and his friends entered. Barty had often suggested that Sirius Black should pay for how he treated Regulus, but Regulus had never said a word about it. Barty found it idiotic that Regulus just went on, not reacting. He would really have nothing against wiping that self-satisfied grin off Sirius's face.

At the corner of the hall, Barty noticed the new Slytherins who were still walking through the hall a bit unsure. Two new faces he didn't recognize. It was rare for Slytherin to have so little new blood—only two new students, aside from the three others from Beauxbatons. The Rosier brothers. Evan Rosier was the one in Barty's year, if he remembered correctly. He hadn't spoken to him yet. Rosier had been immediately accepted into Avery's and Mulciber's clique. The evening had been spent talking to Avery about Hogwarts.

Barty watched the group. Avery, Mulciber, Wilkes, and the two Rosiers. The younger of them, Evan, seemed less interested in the conversation than the other, whatever his name was. Maybe he was like Regulus, Barty thought, and didn't like talking when too many people were around. Barty didn't know, but somehow, he couldn't stop thinking about it. Something had made Regulus despise Evan, that much was clear to Barty. Even though his friend wouldn't admit it, Barty knew that Rosier was the reason for Regulus's bad mood. He had claimed that they hardly knew each other, but Barty didn't believe that. Something had happened between them, probably at one of the many family gatherings Reg was forced to attend. Maybe Evan was just an idiot, and that was why Reg didn't like him. But Barty had a feeling there was more to it than just Regulus's usual dislike of other people.

Their first class was Defense Against the Dark Arts with Professor Bagshot. Another new professor. In the three years he'd been at Hogwarts, he'd had three different professors in Defense. Bagshot was the fourth. Barty had pushed Regulus to find out why at the beginning of last year. After a few months, they gave up. They had found out that it wasn't a coincidence and that the professors had also been replaced yearly even before their time at Hogwarts, but they hadn't found anything explaining why. A few older students they had talked to claimed that the position was cursed, but Barty was almost sure they were just trying to scare them. Maybe they had given up too early. Barty didn't like that Regulus had stopped helping him. Without Reg, Barty didn't want to continue. Maybe he could convince his best friend to start over again. Pandora might even be willing to help them. He will talk to Regulus about it later.

The classroom was the same as the previous years, so Barty and Regulus sat in the same seats as they always did. First row, as close to the teacher as possible. One of the things Regulus forced him to do since their first year, and when it came to his academic advancement, Barty had no chance against Regulus.

Eventually the classroom was filled with students. Defense was one of the classes they shared with Ravenclaw. There were five Ravenclaw students in their year, and Barty wasn't sure of their names. Except for one. Carisa Aguilar. Barty had decided at 12 that he was in love with her. For about four weeks. Much to Regulus's dismay, as he spoke of nothing else during that time. He hadn't even talked to her. It had been more superficial; he had to admit. Looking back, he couldn't even understand why he had liked her so much. After all, all he ever got from her were looks that weren't exactly friendly. He knew she could be really nice—he had often seen her talking to her friends or teachers. She seemed so incredibly sweet. She just hated him for some reason. Barty had gotten over it. He was 12, and she was a pretty girl. He quickly found someone else to obsess over. For a few weeks. Then it was someone else again. Until, well, Regulus.

"Attention!" Professor Bagshot had a loud voice and a rigid posture. Authority. Barty didn't like him.

"My name is Nicolas Adalgard Bagshot. For you, Professor," he seemed to be scanning the rows of students with his eyes. Barty heard the girls behind him whispering. That didn't impress him. He had grown up in the house of Bartemius Crouch Sr. Professor Nicolas Adalgard would need more than just a loud voice. On the other hand, Barty probably should feel some pity for him. Who names their child Nicolas Adalgard?

"Miss Mason," the professor didn't look directly at any of the students. Of course, Barty thought he knew their names but not the faces they belonged to. "Can you tell me how far you got in the textbook last year?" Apparently, the professor assumed they hadn't finished it. Barty honestly didn't know. He had read the book at some point when he was bored and hadn't touched it since. That's why it was hard for him to remember what he had read and what Professor Creevey had taught them.

"Until the last chapter?" "Which one was about, Miss Mason?" "Uh, Boggarts?" The Ravenclaw girl, Kara or something, seemed to guess. His suspicion was confirmed when he looked at Regulus, who just shook his head.

"Incorrect. 5 points from Ravenclaw for the wrong answer and 5 points for lying," Barty almost laughed. Mason wanted to protest but seemed to be deterred and let it go.

"Mister...?" Barty hadn't even noticed that Regulus had raised his hand. "Black. The last chapter of last year's book were Enchanted skeletons, Professor."
"And how do we get rid of enchanted skeletons, Mister Black?"
"Rictusempra, Professor."
Nicolas Adalgard seemed satisfied, though they still didn't earn any points.
"Open your books to page 4," Barty did as Nicolas Adalgard instructed. However, he wasn't listening. He had never paid attention in class and somehow got away with it, so why change anything?
"Mister Crouch, if you believe that you don't need to pay attention in my class, then you are gravely mistaken," the professor looked directly at him. This wasn't fair. Why did he know Barty's name but not the others'?
"10 points from Slytherin."
He couldn't do that! Regulus had not earned a single point for his correct answer, and Barty lost 10 for not listening? Barty decided that he and Nicolas Adalgard would never ever be friends.