Chapter Text
Barty had learned very quickly that he enjoyed more hands-on classes. After his first week, he also had concluded that if Professor Slughorn didn’t let them brew something, he would officially decide he didn’t like potions class. He glanced down at his badly strewn notes and listened to the old professor drag on about ‘the cure for boils’. Regulus shifted ever so slightly beside him as he carefully took notes. Barty would look at them later, hopefully, that is. If he could manage to do so without Black’s knowledge. At least that's what he’d noticed Evan Rosier doing.
In reality, Barty had wished that at this point he would have spent more time with his roommates but Rosier seemed to be friends with just about everyone in Slytherin, seemingly interacting with anyone who would listen, and Regulus Black? Well, he only ever seemed to speak to his older cousin. Barty had put together that Regulus’s older brother, the one who was in Gryffindor, had a bit of an estranged relationship with his younger sibling.
It took a lot for him not to ask too many questions.
“ And so in regards to what I’m saying I would go ahead and pair yourselves up because you’ll be brewing your very own batch.” Barty perked up at the sound of that. Brewing their own batch? Would they actually get to do something? He glanced over at Regulus who had stopped writing his own notes. “So, are we working together or what?” He asked quickly before Regulus could walk away and he was left without any partners. Regulus glanced behind him to Pandora and Barty felt his stomach drop. “I mean come on I think with my brains and your excellent note-taking.” He continued and Regulus sighed before nodding as another girl walked up to Pandora, effectively taking her away.
“I don’t see why not..” Regulus began to flip through his notes, looking for the ingredients to brew ‘A Cure For Boils.’ Barty took this in stride and scooted closer trying to get a good look at his paper. Regulus seemed to shrink back a bit as he went ahead and began to heat the cauldron. He didn’t really make any conversation as he began to add what Barty realized were snake fangs to his mortar and crush them.
“So… what's your favorite class so far?” Barty asked when he noticed it seemed everyone else was having conversations.
He didn’t get a response and Barty felt a wave of curiously ignite in him, “You know we’re going to be rooming together for the next seven years so I think we might as well get to know each other. For example, I really like charms, and my favorite colour is probably green right now. Which I know works because we’re in Slytherin right?” He laughed while Regulus continued to work on their potion.
“Hey Black?” He waved a hand in front of his face and Regulus finally looked at him, “I really like the color blue.”
Okay. That’s a start.
When he didn’t get anything else out of him Barty looked down at his notes, seeing the next ingredient.
“Looks pretty simple to me- I think we just need to get,” He reached forward as he grabbed the porcupine quills, “These right? And we just add-”
“No! Wait!” Regulus grabbed his hands before he let them go into the cauldron. Barty raised an eyebrow, “What? You add these first right?” They kinda hurt his hands honestly so he’d really like to let go now.
Regulus pulled his hands away and looked down at his potions textbook, “We have to take it /off/ the heat first.” He pointed at a passage, “It says it right here. Did you even read this?”
He hadn’t.
After a moment of not answering Regulus sighed, “Just…” He reached out and removed the cauldron from the heat. “Okay, now put them in.” Barty grinned and let the pointy quills fall into their mixture. “Now we stir.” Regulus began to stir clockwise and Barty watched as the mixture seemed to come together.
“I really like all my classes. I haven’t decided what my favorite is yet..” Regulus said, finishing stirring. “Oh, yeah that makes sense.” He felt himself agreeing, “They’re all pretty cool huh? My dad never said it would be this cool.” He didn’t know why he was bringing up his dad right now. Regulus looked at him for a moment again, “Mine didn’t either really..” His voice dropped to a whisper, “But my brother did.”
Now he was getting somewhere.
“Your brother? The one in Gryffindor?” He tried not to sound too excited about him opening up even a little bit to him. “Yeah, that's him. He’s…actually pretty..well he’s pretty cool once you get past the part where he tries to disagree with everything you say.” A small smile fell onto his face. Barty didn’t know what to really say to that so he just nodded and at that Regulus went back to the potion, “Okay now we just finish it with our wands and I think we’re done.”
The potion was ‘Astoundingly perfect! Just perfect boys! I wouldn’t expect anything less from a Black and Crouch.’ Slughorn had adoringly said to them as most of the class finished their own potions.
When it was time to leave Regulus gathered his things before giving Barty a final glance and saying, “See you in the common room.” before he walked over to Pandora. Barty felt glee come over him because after a full week at Hogwarts he felt like he’d actually made a friend.
-----
The day went by painstakingly slowly after that. Every once in a while he would share a glance over at his new friend (Or who he thought was his new friend? He honestly didn’t know.) but Regulus didn’t catch his eyes again for the entire day. He didn’t know whether it hurt or he was upset about it but either way by the time Barty got back into the common room he had decided to just ask. How bad could that be?
Quickly that thought was fleeting when he entered the room and didn’t see Regulus Black anywhere. He did have transfiguration homework so maybe he could just wait for him and get cozy by the fireplace. He made his way over and sat down, back against the couch as he tried to ignore an older Slytherin who seemed upset about his presence. A few students joined them and soon small talk was all he could hear. Not that Barty was particularly good at paying attention but he wondered if he should go up to his room to do this.
It was until he heard the mention of Sirius Black that he completely gave up on trying to read the same passage he had gone over a few times now.
“Do you think they’ll try and play another prank soon?” Prank?
“The Noble House of Black must be so proud of their heir running around with a blood traitor and a half-blood.” A seventh-year Slytherin girl, whose name Barty could not place, sneered rolling her eyes.
A few people shifted uncomfortably before she leaned forward, “I heard from my great aunt that Walburga and Orion don’t know what to do with him, not since he got sorted in Gryffindor.”
“Sh, Lena keep it down we don’t know whose listening..”
He breathed out, listening intently as the two older Slytherins hushed their voices.
“You mean Regulus?” She rolled her eyes, “ I’m sure he’s heard it all before. At least he seems normal compared to his brother.” At that Lena laughed, “Or maybe he’s set up for failure. Who knows. It would do him well to try and talk a bit more. I thought a family like that had tutors for that sort of thing.” She shrugged as a few others chuckled. Barty didn’t realize how intently he was staring until Lena gave him a hard look and raised her eyebrow, “Are you eavesdropping little creep?”
He scrambled for a moment, dropping his quill in the process.
“No, No-I just was-” He didn’t get much more out before the older Slytherins began to laugh at him. Barty felt a hot wave fall over his face and he knew he was probably as red as a tomato. “Oh look at him he’s embarrassed.” Lena continued to laugh and that only made his skin flush more. “Be careful Lena he looks like he’s getting angry. Wouldn’t want his daddy hearing about this he is head of the law department.” Another teased.
Barty began to grab at his things, trying to stuff them in his bag.
“Oh please spare me. I am absolutely shaking.” She replied sarcastically which caused another laugh to erupt amongst the older Slytherins.
He stood and turned to rush over to the stone stairs listening to their laughter fade away before he slammed into his room, causing a startled Evan Rosier to jump. He felt hot tears sting his eyes and he felt frozen for a moment as the boy looked over him.
“...Are you okay, Crouch?” Evan asked as an awkward silence fell over them.
Barty felt himself nod and he forced a smile, “Just some older kids being prats..”
Another long moment passed before Evan nodded, “Sorry about that mate.” He didn’t seem to know what to say and Barty could tell so the best thing to do was change the subject. He glanced over at Regulus’ bed, “Where’s he at?” He pointed. Evan shrugged and went back to what was also probably transfiguration homework.
“Couldn’t really tell you.”
Barty stood for another moment before sighing and sitting down his stuff on the bed. Evan didn’t seem like he was in a particular mood for talking which was pretty normal when it came to them. He felt like he just couldn’t connect with anyone and it was starting to weigh on him slightly. He had expectations that he would have at least twenty friends by the end of his first week so the reining disappointment of maybe only having one, if that that was even the case, made his chest ache slightly. At least tomorrow was Saturday and he could spend it relaxing, maybe finishing up homework if he could figure it out in time.
Time passed and he didn't get much further into his text, eventually, Evan left him alone to go get some dinner but Barty had decided to skip tonight. He didn't want to face the other Slytherins at the moment. At some point, he began to hear others walking down the hallways, back from dinner before he gave up completely on his homework and laid back in his bed.
His stomach growled slightly and he wondered if there was a way to sneak into the kitchens later.
He was just beginning to doze off when the door creaked open, he opened his eyes as Regulus Black finally made an appearance. He sat up and smiled, “Didn’t see you in the common room after classes.”
Regulus looked at him, “Oh? Sorry-I was in the library with Pandora.” Barty felt himself scowl slightly, “Do you normally hang out with girls?” He didn’t mean for it to sound mean but by the way, Regulus looked at him he had to guess he at least sounded a bit snippy.
“She’s my friend.” He replied just as snappy and Barty put his hands up, “I’m sorry! I didn’t-Look..” He gulped, “I’m just..not..”
Regulus watched him carefully and Barty breathed in, “I just was wondering if we could..be friends.”
Merlin, this is so embarrassing.
He couldn’t tell if Regulus was about to laugh at him but he was thinking about running at any point before Regulus sat down on his bed.
“Evan told me you seemed like you needed help with transfiguration. Do you want me to help?” He was already pulling out his books and Barty nodded slowly.
He was beginning to learn Regulus Black may not say much with words but maybe more with his actions.
---
After that Regulus and Barty would work on homework almost every night, Regulus was surprisingly a good teacher, and he picked up on it all way too fast for Barty’s taste. It wasn’t very fair but he was so helpful he couldn’t be too angry at him. They never talked much about anything personal and he quickly came to the conclusion Regulus was like a frightened rabbit and it seemed any sudden movement would make him run away.
Any time not spent studying with Barty, Regulus spent with his older cousin or talking to Pandora who honestly he thought was a complete nutter. He didn’t really know how the ditzy girl was sorted into Slytherin and not Ravenclaw but he had a suspicion it had something to do with her family.
On one particular night near the end of September, he watched her talk to Regulus about what the fireplace might want to say if he, the fireplace was him apparently, could talk.
Regulus seemed to find her amusing enough though. He always entertained her ideas and Barty tried not to let himself get jealous of how comfortable they seemed next to each other. Their other roommate seemed to be friends with everyone in their year.
It was pretty comfortable for a few weeks after that, Barty was beginning to do better in his classes and Regulus was finally warming up him a bit more. As Halloween drew closer he felt himself get more and more excited.
He laid in his bed one night, not reading his textbook as he listened to Evan snore and Regulus turn pages of a new book he had gotten out of the library, “You know what would be fun.” He beamed as an idea popped in his head, “We should sneak out and go down to the courtyard super later on Halloween night.” He looked over at Regulus, “Doesn’t that sound fun?”
Regulus closed his book, “I don’t know if getting in trouble sounds like much fun..”
“Come on! We can have a night picnic.” Regulus seemed to ponder that for a moment before he chuckled.
“You’re telling me for Halloween you want to have a ‘night picnic.’?” He asked, looking at him curiously before Barty nodded excitedly, “It’s better than spending such a joyous occasion as Halloween with everyone else. I’m so tired of gossip.” He pushed a little bit more, “Come on we can even bribe a house elf or something to get us sweets.”
Regulus shook his head, “Do you want to dress up as well, Crouch? Truly get into the spirit?” Barty threw a pillow at him, “I’m being serious!” He laughed and Regulus dodged before he got that look on his face, the kind where Barty could tell he was thinking about what he had proposed.
After a few seconds, he nodded, “If we can figure out a way to make sure we don’t get caught.”
“Doesn’t that take the fun out of it?”
Both boys jumped as Evan spoke up. “Sorry we thought you were asleep..” Regulus said quietly looking at him with wide eyes, “With Crouch practically yelling? No way anyone can get any sleep with that.” He sat up and stuck his tongue out at him.
Evan laughed and propped himself up on one arm, “If you two want to sneak out with sweets I want to come.”
Barty and Regulus looked at each other for a moment before Barty stood up, “Then it’s settled! The three of us, Halloween night, sweets, and the courtyard!”
“Barty people are trying to sleep!” Regulus was smiling slightly as he shushed him, “Yeah Barty people are trying to sleep.” Evan’s grin widened, “It's a plan then.” He finished before he laid back down, “Now if you two would do a little favor for me please go to sleep so I can go to sleep.” He playfully said before turning onto his side.
The other two boys exchanged another look before Regulus laid down as well. Barty highly doubted he would be able to sleep but he certainly would try.