╔═══*.·:·.☽✧ ✦ ✧☾.·:·.*═══╗
❝ my friends are fake ❞
╚═══*.·:·.☽✧ ✦ ✧☾.·:·.*═══╝

𝓔𝓿𝓪𝓷𝓰𝓮𝓵𝓲𝓷𝓮'𝓼 𝓟𝓞𝓥
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 4th 1977

"Found them!" The voice of James Potter awakens me from my slumber.

I whimper at the headache in my skull and nuzzle my face closer to the warmth wrapped around me.

"They look so cute" Peter coos.

"I have to get a picture of this" Regulus laughs.

There's a bright flash and my warmth groans loudly, causing me to peel my eyes open in confusion.

"Sirius?" I croak out.

"Morning" He replies with a raspy voice.

"C'mon, cub" Remus speaks up, scooping me up into his arms with one arm under my knees and the other holding my back.

I whine, hiding my face in the crook of his neck and he chuckles in amusement.

"Carry me, Prongs" Sirius demands.

"You have legs. Use them" James replies simply.

"She's not using hers" Sirius argues, pointing at me as he drags himself to his feet.

"Because I have a Moony" I smirk at him, wrapping my arms around Remus' neck.

"That's our Moony!" Sirius gasps dramatically "You bloody thief!"

"Indoor voices today. Bad dog, snuffles" I tease the eldest Black brother and the boys all laugh.

"Can we keep her?" James asks.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Now cleaned and in my school robes, I head towards DADA with Mallory and Pandora.

"Did you have a good night?" Pandora asks me cheerily.

"I can't remember a lot of it. I think I blacked out" I admit sheepishly "But I do vaguely remember using someone's polaroid camera to take a bunch of pictures"

"Did the future Mr and Mrs Lupin sneak away for some alone time?" Mallory teases me.

"No, it was his best friend's birthday party" I groan, pushing her playfully.

"Was there even a teeny weeny little kiss?" Mallory pries.

"With Remus? Maybe" I shrug vaguely.

"Of course Remus. Who else would I be talking about? You didn't kiss anyone else" Mallory scoffs.

I look at her with a small smirk and the girls gasp as I turn, walking backwards to look at them as we talk.

"Who did you kiss?" Pandora questions.

"Marlene McKinnon, Peter Pettigrew and Regulus" I answer "We played spin the bottle and seven minutes in heaven"

"Which kiss was seven minutes?" Mallory grins mischievously.

"None of those. They were spin the bottle kisses" I reply.

"It was Lupin!" Pandora giggles.

"Maybe" I grin widely.

My back abruptly hits a hard surface and I spin around to see Barty with his brows raised in surprise.

"Watch where your going" Amycus sneers at me before Barty can talk.

"You got a problem?" I hear a voice snap and I turn my head to see Remus glaring at the ginger, the other marauders behind him.

"I think we both know that I do" Amycus retorts, trying to get in Remus' face.

"Oi, that is enough" I demand, slipping between them and pushing Amycus away from the much taller boy, my eyes landing on Barty "Sorry for bumping into you"

"It's okay" He assures me.

Rabastan and Alecto drag Amycus into the classroom followed by the marauders and I make a move to follow them when I feel a hand grab my arm tightly. I look down at the whitening skin around the death grip on my arm before looking up at a very pale and ghostly looking Barty Crouch Jr.

"That's a bit tight, Barty" I warn him.

"You're cutting off her circulation" Mallory scolds the boy, ripping his hand away from me in anger.

"I'm sorry" He says shakily.

"Are you okay? You look ill" I ask him in concern.

"I need to talk to you" He avoids the question, pleading me with his eyes.

I hesitate, glancing into the class to see that both Regulus and Remus are staring right at me intensely. My gaze then moves to Mallory and Pandora who are protectively stood at my side.

"I'll be right back, okay?" I tell them "If anyone asks where I am, say that I left my wand in the dorms and had to go back for it"

"But, Angel-" Pandora objects.

"Okay?" I press.

"Okay" They grumble in unison.

They both shoot Barty a glare before reluctantly storming into the classroom and I look at the Crouch boy, holding out my hand. He shakily takes a hold of it and I tug him away from the class, leading him out into the grounds.

We walk in silence until we reach a familiar tree that makes me smile, the bark of the tree completely jet black and the blossoms flowering despite the cold weather are pale pink in colour.

"This is one of my favourite spots at Hogwarts" I speak first, sitting down at the base of the tree.

"Do you bring everyone here?" He asks curiously, sitting down next to me.

"No" I answer truthfully "The only people who have been here are Lily and Reg"

"You brought the mudblood here?" Barty asks in surprise.

"I didn't bring her here, she found me. Also, dial down the blood supremacy slurs. It's just us here" I tell him and he looks down at his lap, picking at the loose threads of his hoodie sleeve.

"I don't have anyone else to talk to" The boy admits quietly.

"You have friends" I state in confusion.

"My friends are fake. I wouldn't trust any of them with a mere quill" He counters.

"And you trust me?" I question with a raised brow.

"More than I trust them" He answers simply.

There's a short silence before Barty sighs and turns his head to look at me.

"Look, Angel. We were friends once and I know that was a long time ago, but I really don't have anywhere else to go" He explains.

"You've terrorised me and my friends for years" I declare.

"I know, and I take full responsibility for all of it. I'm sorry" He stresses with tear filled eyes "You were right when you accused me of being jealous, okay?"

"Barty" I sigh sympathetically.

"What do you have that I don't?" He rambles "Why am I not good enough to be the first choice?"

"You are good enough" I argue, turning my whole body to face him "I'm not any more worthy of love than you. I promise you that"

"If my parents knew about me and Reg, they'd be so disappointed in me" Barty says with a frown.

"Can't be as bad as the reaction I got" I try to joke.

"Your parents know about you and Lupin?" He breathes out in surprise.

"Yup, thanks to Alecto and her big trap" I scoff "My father hit me with every curse in the book until I passed out from the pain"

"I heard whispers about you arriving at Hogwarts that night in bad shape" He tells me.

"I was fine. Just a few cuts and internal pain" I wave him off and he rolls his eyes playfully.

"Are you eventually going to tell me why you look like you haven't slept or seen the sun in a year?" I add.

His playful demeanour fades away and his skittish one is back. He starts picking at his sleeve again and I reach out, placing my hand on his.

"You can tell me" I assure him.

The boy hesitantly turns his hand over, wrist facing upwards and slowly lifts up his sleeve with watery eyes. My eyes fall from his own pair to his exposed forearm, the dark black mark staining his pale skin causing my heart to drop. I pull the boy into my arms and he lets out a pained sob, clinging to me tightly.

"I'm scared" He cries.