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“Alright. Any questions about the homework?” Barty held his hands behind his back and looked out across his classroom. He rocked a little on his feet.
It was the end of the school week, Friday, and his last class for the day. He was anxious to get this done, thinking of the homework he needed to grade. He never gave much homework, preferring for a more hands on type of approach for DADA, but about twice a year he gave his students a paper to write. None of the kids raised their hands for a few moments, but then Hermione Granger’s hand shot up into the air.
He chuckled and called on her. “Yes, Miss Granger?”
“About the paper, can it be longer than the given instructions?” Hermione lowered her arm and crossed her hands together on her desk. Ronald Weasley was sitting next to her, and he rolled his eyes at her.
Barty smiled and replied, “Of course it can. No worries if the essay goes over.”
Hermione smiled and leaned back in her seat. Barty looked over the rest of his class, looking for any raised hands or confused faces. A row behind Hermione, Parvati Patil and Lavender Brown were giggling and whispering to each other. Next to them, Seamus Finnigan was taking last minute notes, frantically looking between the board and Dean Thomas’ notes. Dean watched with amusement across his face.
He turned to the Hufflepuff side of the class (and making a mental note to include some inter-house activites in class), but no one had a raised hand either. In the front row, Hannah Abbott was watching Susan Bones write something on a tiny piece of paper. They thought Barty hadn’t noticed it was being passed between the two. Justin Finch-Fletchley was sitting in the row behind them, whispering something to Ernie Macmillan, who looked annoyed.
He gave the kids a minute more to ask questions before he announced, “Class dismissed.”
Barty turned back to the chalk board behind him and waved his hand, his magic instantly clearing the day’s notes.
When Barty moved back to his desk, he was surprised by the sight of Evan Rosier in front of it. Behind him, some of the students were still packing up. They kept glancing towards the two teachers, some of them whispering to their friends.
Barty cleared his throat. “Hello, Coach Rosier. What can I do for you?” Evan glanced at the desk in front of him before responding, “Dumbledore wanted me to tell you about a teacher’s meeting tonight.”
Barty thought it was a little weird that Evan came to tell him, when he could have just sent a note or student to do so. Maybe he just happened to be near Barty’s classroom? It was sweet of him to tell him in person. He worried at his lip and didn't miss how Evan’s eyes flicked down to the movement.
Barty realized he had not responded yet. He started talking as he packed up his desk. “Thanks. Do you know what time it'll be at?”
He was leaning down to sort his papers, but he glanced up at him when Evan said, “19:00.” Evan looked back down at him, some kind of emotion in his eyes. Barty ignored the way that look made him feel.
He reached down to open the lowest drawer in his desk, carefully placing his stack of paper into it. He stood back up fully and stretched his back. “I'm glad it's after dinner this time. The last meeting had me starving, I couldn't pay much attention.” He smiled at Evan, who had turned away from him and towards the window. Behind Evan, the last of the students were leaving the classroom.
Instead of responding, Evan swiftly walked over to the window. Barty couldn't see Evan’s face, but he imagined the man was angry, based on the way his posture got more stiff.
Barty tucked his wand into the holster in his sleeve before stepping up to the window Evan was looking out of. The windows were small, causing them to stand shoulder to shoulder. Evan’s cologne reminded him of a pine forest. He leaned forward a little to see outside.
It took him a moment, but he finally realized what was happening. He could just barely make out some kind of fight near the Quidditch pitch. Evan let out a frustrated sound.
“I just warned them to not fight.” Evan said under his breath. If they hadn’t been so close, he wouldn’t have heard it.
Barty glanced at him before heading towards the door of the classroom. “Well, come on. Let’s go break it up.” He didn't look back as he walked, but he heard Evan following. They (almost) ran down the hall towards the staircases, passing meandering students.
➷➷➷
When they were out on the grass near the fight, Evan rushed ahead of Barty to separate the students, grabbing an arm of each and pulling them apart. Evan immediately started to talk to the two culprits, but the kids’ shouting was too loud. He tried to get his words in but the kids just weren't paying him any mind.
Barty walked up to the scene and shouted, as loud as he could, “STOP!”
Oliver Wood and Marcus Flint stopped yelling at each other. They looked at Barty, then Evan, and then the ground. Marcus yanked his arm out of Evan’s grasp, and Evan let go of Oliver’s arm.
Barty walked up to Evan’s side. Evan crossed his arms over his chest and said, “What is wrong with you two?”
Barty raised an eyebrow and turned to face Evan. Evan glanced at him and the expression on his face turned a little bit apologetic.
Evan closed his eyes and sighed. “I mean, what did I tell you both, not even an hour ago?”
Marcus kicked the ground with his foot but didn't respond. Oliver finally looked back at Evan and said, “To not fight.”
Evan uncrossed his arms. “So, why are you fighting?”
Oliver turned to give Marcus an angry look. “He said something rude about Percy.”
Marcus looked up from the grass and responded tauntingly, “It's not rude if it's true.”
Oliver lunged forward, but fortunately Evan was faster. He reached out to grab Oliver’s arm again and pulled him away from attacking Marcus.
Barty pinched the bridge of his nose in irritation. He moved so he was standing in between Marcus and Oliver. “Merlin, will you two stop?” Marcus turned to him and opened his mouth to respond, but Barty held his hand up, palm facing towards Marcus. “Just stop. Stop talking, both of you. 50 points from Gryffindor and Slytherin.”
Marcus huffed.
Evan added onto what Barty said. “And detention, tomorrow.”
Marcus rolled his eyes and looked back at the ground.
Barty turned to share a look with Evan, who looked just as exhausted as Barty felt. Evan glanced at Marcus and then back at Barty.
“I can take him back to the Slytherin commons, if you’ll take Mister Wood to Gryffindor?”
“Deal.”
Evan let go of Oliver’s arm, warning him to not fight again. Oliver huffed but didn't respond. Evan started walking towards the entrance closest to the dungeons, Marcus in tow.
Barty turned to Oliver and sighed. Oliver at least had the decency to look resigned, the fight gone out of his eyes.
“Come on,” Barty said, as he started to head back to the main entrance.
Oliver trudged along behind him.
➷➷➷
They walked silently up the staircases to Gryffindor house. The whole time Barty just kept thinking about how he’d much rather have spent his afternoon grading or doing literally anything else than escorting a student.
When they made it up to the portrait of the fat lady, Barty turned to face his student. He crossed his arms over his chest and said, “I hope you've learned something from this.”
Oliver looked him in the eyes and responded, “Yes, sir.”
“You're not gonna fight Mister Flint anymore, right?” Barty narrowed his eyes at him.
Oliver continued to look him in the eye as he said, “So long as Flint doesn't talk shit about anyone.”
A laugh escaped him, but he tried to make it seem more like a cough. He brought a hand to his face and glanced away. “5 points from Gryffindor for profanity.”
Oliver huffed and looked away. He turned to the portrait. The Fat Lady was watching the interaction amusedly. Oliver told her the password and the door swung open.
When he turned back to face Barty, his eyebrows were furrowed in irritation.
Barty raised an eyebrow at him. “Don't catch an attitude with me. You're the one picking fights.”
Oliver looked angry and he opened his mouth to reply. But then he closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths. He looked at Barty and said, “Sorry, sir.”
Barty sighed and turned away, heading back down the hall. “Don't forget about your detention with Coach Rosier tomorrow.”
He heard Oliver huff again, before the sound of the portrait swinging shut.
➷➷➷
Barty sat down at the big table in the meeting room. It was a minute or so till 7 pm, and most of the other staff were there already. He looked around the room, looking for a specific colleague. It seemed like Evan was always late to these things.
Barty leaned forward on the table and moved his arm up. His elbow rested on the table and his head rested in his hand. Closing his eyes, he sighed.
Even though Barty and Evan were both from pureblood families and had a similar upbringing, their differences were very evident. Barty, no matter how much he tried to ignore the etiquette lessons of his youth, would always show up early to things. When he was a teenager, he hadn’t cared about being early or on time to school things. But now? He loved this job. He didn't want to be the teacher that's always showing up late. Evan was different. Barty was sure Evan liked his job, but Barty also knew that Evan didn't like meetings. He didn't like the talking, the sitting. Evan preferred to be active on his feet or flying in the air.
Barty had noticed these things about Evan. They were never close friends, but after spending most of their lives in the same circles, he picked up on a few of Evan’s habits.
“Hey, can you move your chair a little?” Barty sat up and looked up at Evan, who was leaning over the back of his chair. Evan’s face was close to his, and he could see the tiny specks of gold in his eyes. Barty held his breath, they were so close-
Barty scooched his chair so Evan could get into his own seat. As Evan was pulling his chair in, Barty turned to him and grinned. “You’re early.”
Evan faced him. He looked confused. “No, I’m barely on time.”
Barty pulled out his wand and cast Tempus . “Nope. Usually,” he looked up from his spellcast to Evan’s eyes, “you arrive later than this. So. Early.”
Evan stared into his eyes for a moment before smiling. He rolled his eyes and opened his mouth to reply, but was drowned out by Dumbledore announcing the beginning of the meeting. Barty turned to look towards the headmaster, who was sitting at the head of the table.
Barty could feel Evan’s breath on his neck as he whispered in his ear, “Well, maybe I didn't want to miss the chance to sit next to you.”
Barty turned in his seat, just enough to look at Evan. He had to manually breathe out the breath he’d been holding. Evan grinned at him. Barty unconsciously followed the way Evan’s mouth smiled, maybe looking a second too long at his lips.
Barty forced himself to look away. He turned back to listen to Dumbledore talk about the third floor.
Why was Barty even mildly shaken up by Evan’s closeness? Probably cause it was new. Evan wasn’t usually like that.
Barty wasn’t usually like this. He was confident and unphased by anyone’s flirting. (Was that flirting? Or just friendliness?)
He shook his head a little, clearing his mind. He should focus on the meeting, not Evan.
➷➷➷
Evan held onto his broom tightly as he circled the quidditch pitch. It was still early in the day, only about 8:00, but it looked like it’d be nice all day. The sky was clear of clouds, and the morning sun’s rays breathed warmth into him. He paused midair to sit more upright on his broom, and basked in the sunlight.
This high up, he felt free.
A whistle sounded from below him. He looked down and saw the Gryffindor team standing on the pitch. Oliver Wood was waving at him, trying to get his attention.
Evan sighed and tilted his broom down, making his way towards the pitch. He could free fly later, now it was time to train. When he reached the ground, he carefully got off his broom and turned to face his students.
“Good morning, everyone.” Evan looked over the Gryffindor quidditch team. Such bright, hopeful looks so early in the morning. He grinned and continued, “I hope you all got a light breakfast, cause you're about to run 2 miles.” He saw the light visibly drain out of their eyes.
The team made their way to the outer part of the pitch, right next the walls that held the spectator seats. They all lined up on the 7 lanes, waiting for their coach’s signal.
When Evan blew his whistle, the Gryffindor team started running.
Evan walked to the middle of the field, keeping track of which students were running faster or slower than normal. He mentally noted who looked more tired. He made a small list of who might need a talk about getting enough sleep and food.
After about 17 minutes (Evan kept track of the time) everyone was done running, and the team all walked over to him. Most of the kids sat down on the ground, with the exception of two. One of the Weasley boys laid down fully on the ground. Only Angelina Johnson stayed standing. She jogged in place, determination on her face.
“Alright! Good job. Take a minute to catch your breaths, drink some water, then we’ll get into the air.” Evan smiled at them.
The team cheered, with varying amounts of enthusiasm. Evan laughed and got back onto his broom.
➷➷➷
Barty crashed down onto his couch, bringing his arm over his eyes. It was Saturday night, and he had been working on grading all day. Normally he wouldn't be this tired over that, but he was at that point in the school year where everything just blurred together.
Barty laid there on his couch, only slightly uncomfortable, for a few minutes. Then, there was a knock on his door. No one ever knocks on his personal rooms late at night, as he wasn't a head of house and had very clear office hours. He looked over at the dark wood of the door. Thoughts on who the person might be circulated his head as he got up and walked over to the door.
He opened the door to find Evan on the other side, a smile on his face. Barty raised his eyebrows at him and leaned into the door frame. “Hey.” Evan was wearing more casual clothes than he’d normally be seen in. He had on a dark grey henley shirt, none of the buttons done. Barty tried not to look at the bit of exposed chest.
“Hey,” Evan looked up and down the hall before taking out his wand and summoning a bottle of white wine. “Look what I've got.” He held it out for Barty to read. He looked at the label on the bottle and gasped. It was an expensive (which, considering what Barty grew up with, meant something), and very rare wine.
He looked up, back into Evan’s eyes. “How. How did you get a bottle of that?”
Evan grinned. “Secret.” He took a step closer. “I might tell you if you let me in.”
Barty grinned back. He reached out for Evan’s hand and dragged him in.
➷➷➷
Evan felt very fuzzy, and he blamed it on the wine. Definitely not his proximity to Barty, nope.
He took a drink from his glass before setting it down on the coffee table in front of him. He was sitting on the couch and Barty had been sitting next to him, up until a few moments ago.
Barty had gotten up to reenact a story, but Evan couldn't tell you what the story was about. He was distracted by Barty standing up and walking around, and also Barty wasn't the best storyteller. Evan smiled and sighed, leaning back into his seat. His eyes followed Barty waving his hands and talking. He had untucked his dress shirt from his trousers, and his hair was more wild than usual. He looked even more beautiful when he was like that, than when he was clean and prim.
Suddenly, he moved back over to the couch, sitting down again. Evan thought maybe he was sitting closer than he had been before. He unconsciously looked at Barty’s lips, imagining what they’d feel like. His lips looked soft.
Barty smiled widely at him. “Y’know, when we were younger I thought you were stuck up.”
Evan blinked. For a moment, he just felt a little shocked, before a laugh escaped him. He brought a hand up to cover his mouth.
Barty laughed with him. “It's true! I thought you were just a stuck up Slytherin.” Barty glanced away for a moment, frowning. “Honestly, I didn't like you much during our school years.”
Evan chuckled, trying to cover up how those words hurt a bit. At least, it seemed like Barty liked him now. “Cause of my ‘stuck up-ness’?”
Barty turned away from him. “Yeah. You reminded me of everything I wasn't.” He laughed dryly. He leaned back into the couch, putting his arm over his eyes. “My teenage years were awful.”
Evan watched him for a moment before leaning back, too. He stared up the ceiling. “You're not alone in that.” Evan crossed his arms over his chest. “I used to be jealous. Of you.”
Evan glanced at Barty and saw the other looking at him with confusion. Evan closed his eyes and laughed. “I wanted your confidence. It was like, you didn't care about anyone’s opinion of you.” That, and Barty’s confidence was attractive. Evan’s feelings about Barty when they were teens, would flip flop between wanting to be Barty and wanting to be under him. To be honest, he still wanted to be under Barty.
After a few moments of silence, Barty responded. “I did care. And I hated that I couldn't let it go. That need for approval.”
Evan stayed silent, his thoughts circulating his head. After what felt like an eternity, he spoke. “I think that's what everyone wants. Someone to see them. Someone to be proud.”
The two’s quiet breathing were the only sounds for a couple minutes. Evan thought over the conversation. He thought about Hogwarts, when he and Barty were teenagers there. He thought about the many times he'd pass Barty in the hallway, envious of his attitude towards the rules. He thought about the times he had seen Barty in the library, studying alone. How he seemed more at peace when he was by himself, with no one to judge. Evan had related, from afar. To be a pureblood was to act.
Barty sat up. Evan looked over at him, only seeing his blonde hair and the back of his collared shirt. Barty cleared his throat and glanced at Evan, over his shoulder. “It's getting late. Can you make it back to your rooms by yourself?”
Evan frowned and sat up. He didn't want the night to end. It was nice, actually hanging out with Barty, as just themselves. No teacher talk, no brief hello in the hallway. Just them.
He got up from the couch, stretching his arms over his chest. “Yeah.”
He brought out his wand and vanished the empty wine bottle. Then he turned to face Barty. He looked tired, but smiled up at Evan.
“Well. Goodnight.” Evan smiled weakly.
“Sleep well.”
Evan turned and headed towards the door. He had his hand on the handle, about to turn it open, when Barty spoke.
“Let's do this again. I had fun.”
Evan looked over at him. He smiled and winked at Barty. “I’ll get an equally expensive bottle of wine for next time.”
➷➷➷
Barty sat down at his desk, finally getting a moment of peace and quiet.
It was Tuesday, his busiest day of the week. He had more classes on this day, and more higher level ones than the rest of the week. Normally, he'd be okay with it and handle it well. But today was different. He woke up with a raging headache, was late for breakfast. He hadn’t eaten much, only shoving a single piece of toast in his mouth before rushing from the Great Hall for his first class. Barty was not having a good day. But, he hoped and prayed it'd get better.
He picked up his coffee mug and drank. Right now was lunch time and usually Barty would eat with the other teachers at their table, but today he just wanted to be alone. He set his coffee down and picked up his fork, happy to be eating a meal for the first time that day.
“Sir, are you busy?” Oliver Wood barged into the defense classroom. He had a plate of food in his hands and a proud smile on his face.
Barty sighed. He set his fork back down and looked tiredly up at the 5th year. “What is it?”
Oliver made his way to the front row table. He set his plate down on the table, before taking off his book bag and setting it down on the ground. “You should be proud. I didn't fight Flint today.” Oliver sat down in the desk chair with a huff. “He said something shitty. And I didn’t fight him.”
Barty raised his eyebrows in mild surprise. “Well. Good job.”
“I know! I was so proud of myself for walking away.” Oliver pulled his plate closer to him and picked up his fork. “Then, I thought you’d like to know I didn't fight him.”
Barty laughed and picked up his mug of coffee, taking a quick sip. “I'm glad you’ve learned something from that detention with Coach Rosier.” Barty picked up his own fork and finally ate some food.
“Yeah.”
It was quiet for a minute, before Oliver spoke again. “What do you think of Coach?”
Barty set his fork down. He stared at his coffee mug, lost in thought. What did he think of Evan? They were colleagues. Co-workers. Friends? He wasn't sure if they could be called that. They weren't close, the many years they've known each other. But recently something changed. He had started to want Evan’s presence.
He liked when Evan would seek him out to tell him something, especially when Evan didn't need to go through all the trouble. And just the other night, hadn't they spent hours together? Talking and laughing, telling stories over a bottle of wine. They both loved quidditch, and had similar senses of humour. He was actually funny, something Barty never thought he'd think about Evan.
He’d started to think of Evan as a friend.
Barty glanced over at the student, who was casually eating lunch and waiting for his response. Barty cleared his throat. “I think he is a good teacher and colleague.”
Oliver rolled his eyes. “Yeah, but are you guys like, friends?”
Barty narrowed his eyes at him. “That is not a concern of yours, Mister Wood.” He paused, curiosity taking over. He added, “Why are you asking?”
Oliver looked down at his desk. “I was just curious. Percy said Coach looks at you a lot.”
Barty looked at him confusedly. “What?”
“During mealtimes. I didn't notice at first, but Percy has always been more observant than me. He pointed out how Coach looks at you a lot.”
Barty opened and closed his mouth, not sure what to say.
Oliver didn't look at him, instead using his fork to push the food on his plate around. “Then, when you and Coach broke up that fight, he was acting weird. He would like, look at you longingly before talking. And sometimes, when he comes to tell you something in the middle of class, his face goes a little red.” Oliver looked up from his plate, his eyes wide. “Oo, do you think he has a crush on you?” Then he made a face. “Wait no, ew, gross. Teachers aren't supposed to have lives outside of teaching. Eww.” He shook his head and picked up his fork. Oliver went back to eating, like he hadn't just revealed all that.
Barty stared at him for a few seconds, before going back to staring at his coffee mug.
Huh.
➷➷➷
He couldn't get those words out of his head. Evan? Having feelings for him? Barty didn't know what to think.
On the one hand, he could understand how Evan could feel that way. Barty wasn't unaware of how he looked. He was attractive, by societal standards. And he held himself with confidence, which, Barty heard of a muggle saying once, that confidence was important. Confidence was attractive. Barty felt that it could be likely Evan wanted him, but how far did that want go? Was it surface level, a want for him because of his looks? Or more? Barty knew he wasn't a perfect person, he had the capacity for cruelty. This was truth he’d always known. But he worked every day to be a better adult for his students, never yelling or losing his temper. He was a good teacher, a good man, but could Evan see beyond that? Did Evan know him enough, to form feelings? They'd worked together for years, but hadn't really spent time outside of work until this past month. But maybe Evan’s supposed crush has been building for years?
On the other hand, how did Barty feel about Evan? Evan was hot, Barty could admit that. He liked the warmer months, when Evan would wear less thick clothes. Sometimes, he could be seen in a teeshirt, coming back to the castle after working out or quidditch. He would look maybe a bit too long at Evan’s arms, his muscles covered in sweat or dirt. Whenever he was caught staring, Evan would grin and wink at him, and he would wink back. And Barty loved quidditch, no doubt about it, but if he cheered extra loud cause Evan was the referee, well. That was his business.
Hm. Barty hadn’t had an actual romance in quite some time. He's had sex though, usually with cute strangers, sometimes casually with friends. But it'd been… What, over a decade since he actually dated someone? Wow. How has it been that long already?
Barty hadn’t been dating for a couple reasons. The first, and biggest one, was that he just hadn't fallen for anyone. Maybe for lack of trying, as reason two was his lack of time. He spent most of his year at school. And during the summer, he had curriculums to tweak. Still, he could try to find someone during his breaks, but would he even want to do long distance?
Evan was here, though. And it's not like Barty hadn't considered Evan. He thought about Evan a lot, sure, but his thoughts tended to be more on what sex with Evan would be like, than say, dating. Though, the dating part did sound nice. But did it sound nice cause he hasn't dated in so long, or cause it was Evan?
Dating Evan would be fun. He's pretty and funny. Smart. He needed someone that could keep up with him.
And Barty did want to know Evan better. He had always been kind of mysterious, a friend of a friend. And with their recent wine night, Barty could see himself being close to Evan. They had similar interests, too. Quidditch, niche areas of study, music.
But what do you even talk about with someone, on a date? Should he ask him out on a date?
Barty didn't even know if Evan liked him, and he was overthinking everything.
He rested his head against the chalk board and took a deep breath. He let the smells of the now cold coffee on his desk and chalk board calm him.
He was standing in his classroom, waiting for his next class to start. Lunch had long since been over, Oliver staying the entire period, eventually joined by Percy. The two kids talked about random things while Barty half heartedly ate his lunch, his mind going in circles over the revelation.
“Uhm, sir?” Said a voice behind him.
Barty opened his eyes and turned around. He looked out over his classroom, now filled with students, all looking at him with concern.
Barty took another deep breath and clapped his hands together.
“Good afternoon!” He declared in his cheery, I-don’t-want-you-kids-worrying-about-me voice, and started talking about the material they would cover today.
It was gonna be a long afternoon.
➷➷➷
Barty walked through the castle’s halls, a mission in his head. He was going to find Evan and talk to him.
He headed towards the Great Hall, as it was nearing dinnertime. He had just finished with his last class about an hour ago, and been taking a break from people since then. He’d managed to put his focus on teaching, but now he was back to overthinking.
If this was all for nothing, if Evan didn't even like him back, he was gonna ban Oliver and Percy from sitting in his classroom at lunch.
Okay, maybe not. They would be sad and Oliver would complain about it constantly.
But he would still be upset with them. Mostly, he'd be upset with himself for listening to two fifteen year olds who really shouldn't be in the business of teachers.
Barty entered the Great Hall, making his way over to the big table at the end. He looked over it, searching for Evan.
There he was. His silvery-blonde dreads, in a half up half down ponytail. He was looking out over the room, until his eyes landed on Barty. They locked eyes as Barty walked up.
“This seat taken?” Barty asked, staring down at Evan. He didn't wait for a reply before he pulled out the chair next to Evan and sat down.
Evan looked at him with those beautiful brown eyes. The expression on his face was unreadable. Barty just looked back at him, mind blank.
The table filled up with plates of food, magically transferred from the kitchen. The signal that dinner had begun. Immediately the chatter from the students and other teachers quieted a bit, as people filled their plates and started eating. Barty broke the eye contact and reached for his goblet of water. He took a deep gulp.
“So.. what have you been up to today?” Evan asked him. Barty could feel his eyes still on him as he set his goblet back down.
“Just the usual. Teaching.” Why was he nervous to bring it up? If he was wrong, he didn't think it would change much between them. They could move on and continue their budding friendship. Probably. “I, uhm. I was wondering if you wanted to spend some time together. Tonight. We could read books, or talk.”
Evan smiled at him. “Yes, I'd love to. Should I bring some wine?”
Barty thought about it for a moment, but decided against it. “No, but thank you.” He would rather have a clear head to talk.
Evan nodded his head and picked up his fork to start eating, Barty copying him.
➷➷➷
Barty stood in his little living room, looking around at it. He was a tidy person, but he still looked over everything, trying to find a mess that needed to be cleared. He fluffed up the couch pillows and sent a spell to clean the coffee table of dust.
There was a knock on his door and he moved towards it. Opening it revealed Evan standing there, a small smile on his face and a book in his hand. Barty grinned at him and widened the door so he could enter.
Evan sat down on the couch, placing his book on the coffee table. Barty stood by the door, unsure of how to bring up the topic he wanted to discuss. He must've looked worried, cause when Evan looked at him, his smile dropped.
“What's wrong?”
Barty decided to be blunt. He sat down on the couch next to Evan and looked him in the eyes. “I didn't really bring you here to hang out. I wanted to talk about something.” He took a quick breath, “I have feelings for you.”
Evan blinked. “As more than a friend?” His tone sounded hopeful, but his face was blank, a mask of zero emotion.
Barty nodded. “Yes. And, well I was hoping you liked me back.”
Evan looked into his eyes for a moment, before reaching his hand up to cup Barty’s cheek. He pulled him into a kiss. It was soft, a light brush against his lips.
Sparks exploded around them.
Well, not really, but he felt like there were sparks, like a miniature muggle lightshow right there. After a moment, Evan pulled away, but his hand remained. There wasn't much space between them and Barty could smell mint coming from Evan’s breath.
Evan looked into his eyes. He smiled at him, and Barty couldn't stop his own smile. He moved closer to him on the couch but didn't kiss him again.
Evan glanced away when he spoke. “I've liked you. For years.”
Barty felt his eyes widen a little. “Why didn't you ever say anything?”
“I didn't know how you would react. We weren't truly friends before this past month.” Evan dropped his hand from Barty’s face. “I’ve liked you since we were in school. I admired you. But I didn't think you were the type of person who would like someone.”
“What do you mean?” Barty stared at him, his eyebrows furrowed.
“I always heard from our friends, that you didn't date. That you only wanted casual things. And well. I've always wanted more than just sex. So I didn't tell you.” Evan looked down as he spoke, not meeting his eyes.
Barty continued to stare at him. “It's true I didn't like dating when I was younger. The past few years though, I haven't been dating because I didn't have the patience for long distance. And,” he reached up a hand to Evan’s chin, bringing his face up. His eyes met Barty’s again, finally, “I didn't want to ruin our work relationship. Until I knew you’d like me back.”
Evan tilted his head to the side and chuckled. “Was I that obvious?”
“No, actually. Oliver Wood ate lunch in my classroom today, and he told me that you had a crush on me.” Barty rolled his eyes. “We need to talk to him about keeping his mind off of the personal lives of teachers.”
“That kid.” Evan laughed, closing his eyes. Barty watched with fondness.
Barty cleared his throat. “Let's go on a date.”
“Please, yes. This weekend?”
“Yeah, I was thinking I could take you to this restaurant I love. They have the best smoked fish.”
Evan smiled at him. Barty moved his hands to hold Evan’s face. He looked down at Evan’s lips. “Can I kiss you?”
Evan breathed out, “Yes.” And Barty leaned forward, closing the gap.
Evan’s lips were soft, and Barty moved against them. Evan’s hands moved to his waist, pulling their bodies closer. Evan’s thumbs rubbed back and forth on his waist, sending shivers up his spine. The kissing continued lightly, until Barty moved closer. He brought a hand down to Evan’s chest and pushed him into the cushions. He then followed him on, moving around until he was sitting on Evan’s lap, straddling him. Evan’s hands fell lower, until they rested on Barty’s hips.
Barty broke the kiss, pulling away to look into Evan’s eyes. He felt a little breathless. “I dont want to fuck you. Not tonight. But I’d like to keep kissing, like this?”
Evan smiled. “I feel the same way.” His hands squeezed Barty’s hips lightly. Barty grinned and started kissing him again.
He deepened the kiss, opening his mouth and licking at Evan’s. Barty scooched forward, until their bodies pressed against each other. With his height advantage of sitting in Evan’s lap, Barty pushed Evan back and down further into the couch. He moved one hand to hold Evan’s face and the other stayed on the back of his neck. Barty felt tingles all over his body. His blood was rushing through his veins faster, adding to his breathless feeling. He had dreamed about kissing Evan many times, but it was better than he could have imagined. Evan’s hands moved lightly up and down his sides, from the top of his thighs to his hips and then his waist. Barty moved his hands to hold the sides of Evan’s jaw. He licked at his tongue, their mouths moving against each other.
They spent the rest of the night kissing. And when they weren’t kissing, they were talking about everything and nothing.
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