The Story of Regulus Black - Years 1-4

XCIII. He's Your Cousin

Barty Crouch Jr. had never felt a particularly enthralling attraction to women. Ever since he was a boy, he just did not find them very attractive or interesting to him. 

That is until he met Phoebe Scott. Phoebe Scott, with her warm, brown, straight hair that reached to her shoulders, and the wispy bangs that hung over her forehead. Phoebe Scott, with her dark brown eyes which peered at him through her thin-framed glasses. Phoebe Scott, with her beautiful and captivating features, and her personality that could have you entrapped within seconds.

Phoebe Scott - the girl who Barty was so, completely sure that he was in love with.

So, he was a bit more than confused when he awoke with a pair of strong, warm arms wrapped tightly around him from behind. They were comforting, and they made him feel like he belonged, and they made him feel safe. And he found himself absently snuggling further into the owner of the arms, their chest pressed firmly against Barty's back, their breath and hair tickling his neck as they slept peacefully.

Barty let out a contented sigh, and he longed to fall back asleep in these arms - the arms that he found himself never wanting to leave.

And then the person behind him let out a quiet groan, and Barty suddenly remembered who it was. The comfort was replaced with awkwardness, and Barty tried to plot a way to extract himself from the arms.

The arms of Regulus Black.

Barty grabbed Regulus's left hand and slowly unwrapped it from Barty's waist. Barty felt a very confusing and odd sense of loss and longing when he felt Regulus's grip leaving him. Regulus - who was still fast asleep - groaned again and nuzzled his face into the nape of Barty's neck. Barty could feel Regulus's level breath brushing against his skin, and it sent shivers down his spine.

But, that was probably just because it tickled... right?

Either way, Barty did not try to stop the extraction from the arms of his best mate. When he had successfully gotten Regulus's arm off of him and wiggled away from the boy, it became quite easy.

Regulus could feel the coldness on his chest as Barty left, and he subconsciously rolled onto his back to wake himself up. He stretched his limbs out, letting out a very, very deep yawn as he felt his mind and body slowly waking up and coming back to him.

It wasn't until he opened his eyes and looked at Barty - who was sitting up in his bed - that he remembered where he was. He smiled at his best mate, blissfully unaware of the position that Barty had woken up with them in, and he rubbed his face with his hands to better wake himself up.

"Morning, mate," Regulus said, his voice hoarse with exhaustion and disuse.

"Good morning," Barty responded, and he gave Regulus a friendly smile.

"Merlin, your mattress is bloody uncomfortable," Regulus complained, slowly sitting up and placing his hands on the mattress to help hold himself up.

Barty raised an eyebrow, and he stretched his arms up above his head as he spoke, his voice strained by the stretch of his back. "We have the same mattress, you dolt."

Regulus shook his head, and he threw the blanket off of his legs. "Mine is better."

Barty let out a short laugh and he shook his head. "Whatever you say, mate."

Regulus and Barty both got out of Barty's bed shortly after that, and they found the dorm room blissfully empty. Neither of them mentioned what had happened the night before, for neither necessarily wanted to.

Regulus didn't want to bring up Barty's crying, for he knew that it would probably make the boy supremely uncomfortable to talk about. Barty didn't want to talk about it because he didn't want to talk about the questionable position that they had woken up in - the position that Barty had actually found himself quite liking. So, neither spoke about it - it was better for the both of them.