"I did have a beard. The startings of one. Everything has to start small." Regulus huffed, not willing to let that one go because no, it wasn't over - he had stubble. Very vague, very patchy stubble. "Suffering or not, you're still a frustrating bastard, you know?" Or maybe he was just easily frustrated. Either way, he smiled faintly because, well, Barty made him happy too. Made him want to smile and laugh.
So few things did. "Good to see nothing changes you." It was reassuring.
"Oh, I know. I believe, if nothing else, I know myself better than ever." Barty laughed, leaning in to Regulus' lips, just for the tiniest flick, immediately kissing him after, then kissing him again, because he could. Much better to focus on than the details of what he'd told Regulus already. Was there anything good to say? "I was a professor at Hogwarts. DADA. In disguise, naturally, but still. How grown up am I?"
"I mean... I can't say you're not qualified but I question your commitment to educating children." It was a funny mental image though. He laughed to himself, smirking a little as he imagined Barty teaching a class full of snot-nosed brats. Well, he supposed it was better that Azkaban. "I should hope you got good pass rates that year."
Knowing him, he probably did. "It's so weird. You're such an adult." And he still felt so very young... it was a bit strange to imagine he was a man now.
"Not too bad. Turned a student into a ferret, that was fun." Well, he didn't have to tell him that had been his cousin, he just enjoyed the mental image. "McGonagall didn't approve." And it was all so funny to imagine. McGonagall never much approved of him as himself either, back in school. Not that Barty had been a troublemaker. At least not openly. Maybe that was the problem. "Slytherin has really gone downhill since we graduated."
"Well, do you remember the sort we were in class with? Those people reproduced, God help us. I don't fancy seeing what they brought into the world, honestly." He was imagining nothing good, frankly. And those were the current death eaters, he assumed? Good. That was just great. "There was a time when being a pure blood and a Slytherin meant something but I feel the value slips year on year. Quite tragic, really."
He says having missed many years being dead but he was a pessimist - he doubted it got better, only worse. He idly thought of Sirius and he knew he had to finally ask the question he'd been dreading to ask.
"As far as I'm aware--" Barty frowned, looking at Regulus. Where to start with that? Good news first. At least he would assumed that he would consider it good news. It was hard to tell, his relationship to Sirius was complicated. But then, Regulus' first attempt at actual speech, it had been Sirius' name. "Your brother is alive. Recently he survived a duel with Bellatrix. Almost fell Behind the Veil in the ministry. Punched Dolohov."
Sounded about right for Sirius Black, so at least some things hadn't changed. "I can't say how well he is doing."
"Well. He's alive. Good for him." That was something. Regulus was unsure how he felt but he did know that the relief that washed over him said a lot. Sirius was alive and that was ... something. He wonder how Sirius had taken his death or what he believed had happened but he knew he'd likely never know unless he saw him again.
And he wasn't sure how possible that was.
"Am I allowed to leave this room ever or am I here for good?" Seemed like a fair question to ask.
"For now-- No." Barty supposed that would put a dampener on things. Was Regulus his prisoner? He didn't like thinking about it that way. "I have to see what is the smartest way to proceed."
He shifted, ended up stretched out on the bed, but slung an arm around Regulus, looking up at him. "Right now, whether the world realises or not, the Dark Lord is on the rise. I can't take you to their side, if that was what you wanted. I couldn't risk you."
His soulmate. His humanity, or so it felt. How could he ever be without him again? "I have decisions to make."
"I wouldn't defect but-- I can't serve the dark lord either." And if Barty hated him for it then he didn't know what else to do but he couldn't pretend that he could be something he wasn't. He tried and failed at eighteen, it wouldn't change now he was older. "I don't know what I'd do because I never had to -- to consider any of this."
His parents decided his fate. He did everything he could do to be perfect for them, followed everything they said, did all he could and yet he still couldn't convince himself to follow the Dark Lord. He didn't believe what he was told any more and that made it harder to play along.
"This wasn't supposed to happen. Neither of us is supposed to still be around. That's what we get for defying fate." An intriguing concept in theory, but very difficult to figure out in practice. What was he supposed to do? "All I know is..."
He turned his head, looking up at the ceiling. That made it easier. "I love you." A love that he had buried for so long, because he had to. But it was still there, painful and unrelenting. "I love you and it seems to outweigh all else. Even my loyalty."
Blasphemy, wasn't it? To so much as say that. "I don't know where there's space for us in this world. But I'll make it, if I have to. I won't die without leaving my mark. And I'll keep you safe. I failed once. That's enough."
"You love more than you've ever given yourself credit, you know? To defy the world and bring a man back to life. You old romantic." He thought it was funny, personally. With a playful smirk, he leaned forward and stole a quick kiss, wanting to lighten the bleak mood and hell, he was riding high on being loved.
Like a teenager, his heart was racing and it may have been naive but what could be so bad if he could be so loved? He didn't think he'd ever get to feel like this and yet. Here he was.
"I'll keep you safe as well. Don't think it's all on you. I have to worry as well."
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So few things did. "Good to see nothing changes you." It was reassuring.
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Knowing him, he probably did. "It's so weird. You're such an adult." And he still felt so very young... it was a bit strange to imagine he was a man now.
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He says having missed many years being dead but he was a pessimist - he doubted it got better, only worse. He idly thought of Sirius and he knew he had to finally ask the question he'd been dreading to ask.
"How's my family?"
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Sounded about right for Sirius Black, so at least some things hadn't changed. "I can't say how well he is doing."
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And he wasn't sure how possible that was.
"Am I allowed to leave this room ever or am I here for good?" Seemed like a fair question to ask.
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He shifted, ended up stretched out on the bed, but slung an arm around Regulus, looking up at him. "Right now, whether the world realises or not, the Dark Lord is on the rise. I can't take you to their side, if that was what you wanted. I couldn't risk you."
His soulmate. His humanity, or so it felt. How could he ever be without him again? "I have decisions to make."
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His parents decided his fate. He did everything he could do to be perfect for them, followed everything they said, did all he could and yet he still couldn't convince himself to follow the Dark Lord. He didn't believe what he was told any more and that made it harder to play along.
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He turned his head, looking up at the ceiling. That made it easier. "I love you." A love that he had buried for so long, because he had to. But it was still there, painful and unrelenting. "I love you and it seems to outweigh all else. Even my loyalty."
Blasphemy, wasn't it? To so much as say that. "I don't know where there's space for us in this world. But I'll make it, if I have to. I won't die without leaving my mark. And I'll keep you safe. I failed once. That's enough."
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Like a teenager, his heart was racing and it may have been naive but what could be so bad if he could be so loved? He didn't think he'd ever get to feel like this and yet. Here he was.
"I'll keep you safe as well. Don't think it's all on you. I have to worry as well."