Disclaimer - I own nothing you recognise.

Written for Hogwarts Assignment 6; Psychology 3; Someone admitting to a crime they didn't commit.

Other Challenges listed at the bottom.

Word Count - 2105

Beta'd by Sam

A Bad Fiction Novel

Regulus flipped the omelette in the pan, signing along with the radio quietly. He loved mornings when he could relax, when they didn't have to be anywhere, when he could spoil his boyfriend in the way he deserved.

Barty was still wrapped up in the blankets in bed, snoring quietly. He really wasn't a morning person, but Regulus had somewhat expected the smell of coffee and food would lull him from his sleep.

Still, this way, it meant that Regulus could treat him to breakfast in bed. The thought made him smile. It wasn't often they got chance to be lazy in the mornings.

After loading coffee, the omelette, and orange juice onto a tray, Regulus paused. He conjured a bright sunflower and laid it along the side of the plate before he picked the tray up.

It was cheesy, but it would amuse Barty.

"Wake up, Sleeping Beauty," he said, pushing the door open with his foot. Barty groaned, pushing his face into the pillow before he peeked his head out from under the burnt orange coloured covers.

"Huh?"

Regulus chuckled. "You're lucky you're pretty," he muttered. "I made you breakfast, you lazy sod."

Barty sat up, rubbing at his eyes, and Regulus set the tray down carefully on his legs.

Barty picked up the coffee first, taking a sip. His eyes closed in bliss and he hummed happily.

Regulus snorted, amused, and sat down on the bed in the place he'd vacated when he woke. He leant back against the headboard, his own coffee warming his hands.

They sat in a comfortable silence while Barty ate and woke up, until Barty tried to shift his legs under the tray, knocking the orange juice over the tray.

"Bloody fool," Regulus murmured fondly, spelling the orange juice away. He took the tray, placing it on the floor beside the bed.

"My hero," Barty teased, pulling him back up onto the bed, and wrapping him up in his arms, lying them both back down. "We should just stay here forever, wrapped up in blankets and each other."

"Whatever makes you happy, babe," Regulus replied, pressing kisses against Barty's neck. "Except we're going shopping this afternoon."

Barty groaned. "So that's why I got breakfast in bed? Cause you're going to drag me from shop to shop for hours later? Sneaky little sod."

"You love me," Regulus replied, amused.

"Yes, I do. Good job really, isn't it?"

"Hmm, how about you stop whining and show me how much you love me, huh?"

The smirk on Barty's face was wicked and sinful, and Regulus loved it.

…

Barty was waiting for Regulus to finish faffing around in the bathroom when he heard a knock on the door. Frowning slightly, because he didn't think they were expecting any, he answered the door.

Two Aurors stood there, their bright red robes vibrant in the late morning sunshine.

"Is Regulus Black home?" the taller of the two asked, his face stern and pinched. Barty nodded, stepping back to allow them entrance, directing them to the kitchen.

"Baby?" he called up the stairs. "Can you come down here please."

He followed the Aurors into the kitchen, nodding at the seats in offer, which they both declined. "What's this about?" he asked, just as Regulus walked into the kitchen.

"What's going on?" Regulus asked, looking from the Auror's to Barty.

Barty shrugged while one of the Aurors cleared his throat.

"Regulus Black?"

Regulus nodded, looking confused.

"You're arrested under the suspicion of murder. You do not have to say anything. But, it may harm your defence if you do not mention when questioned something which you later rely on in court. Anything you do say may be given in evidence."

"What?" Barty gasped, as one of the Aurors pulled magic suppressing cuffs from his belt. "No, Regulus didn't… he wouldn't… is this some kind of joke?"

"Barty," Regulus hissed. "Hush."

He held his wrists out for the cuffs, while Barty watched on with horror. Why would… Regulus couldn't… he wouldn't… but then… he didn't seem surprised. He was… utterly calm and… what if…

"He didn't do it," Barty gasped out in a rush. "I did."

"Barty!" Regulus growled. "Be quiet!"

"You're arresting the wrong person," Barty continued on, as the Aurors looked at him with disbelief. "I… I thought I could… but you can't arrest Regulus for my crime. It wasn't him. It was me."

The Aurors looked at each other for a long moment before the shorter of the two shrugged slightly. While the taller undid the cuffs on Regulus, the shorter one placed his own on Barty, reciting the same rights that had been said to Regulus only a few moments earlier.

Barty didn't fight. He looked at Regulus, who was staring at him with pain written all over his face, the disbelief and worry clear in his eyes.

"Don't do this," Regulus begged quietly.

"I love you," Barty replied, before he was tugged through the house to the garden, and then Side Along Apparition took him away from his home.

…

The cell was cold and damp, and Barty huddled in the corner, missing the burnt orange blankets he'd woken up surrounded by just that morning. How had this happened? How had he gone from being happier than he'd ever been, to sitting in a cell in Azkaban on the charge of murder?

He shivered violently.

Regulus… Barty would never have thought him capable of murder. His boyfriend was so affection, so sweet and pure and… but the look on his face when the Auror's read his rights. He looked… he looked so calm.

Barty didn't understand.

He didn't even know who was dead, who Regulus had supposedly murdered, but he knew that he couldn't let Regulus rot in prison.

Regulus wasn't… he wouldn't survive Azkaban. He'd always been the softer of the two of them, the more gentle one. He was the one that cooed at small animals, and 'aww'ed' over babies.

Barty… he would rather face this future himself, than sit in the comfort of their home and think of Regulus here.

And if… if Regulus had… Barty knew it had to be for a good reason. Regulus didn't… he wasn't…

The cold seemed to be getting worse. He wrapped his arms tighter around himself in a futile effort to ward off the chill.

A rattling breath sounded close by, and Barty closed his eyes. He could get through this. For Regulus, he could get through it.

The Dementors got closer and Barty screamed as his mind was filled with images he'd hoped to never see again.

…

John Dawlish sipped at his coffee, leaning against Shacklebolt's desk. "It wasn't him," he commented. "I… At this point, I don't even think it's Regulus Black that's to blame, but it certainly wasn't that kid we've just put in a cell."

Kingsley Shacklebolt sighed. "I know, I know. What can we do? He admitted it, we had no choice but to arrest him. He… he thought he was protecting his boyfriend, I suppose."

"Hmm. Perhaps we need to have a look at the scene again, and look into enemies of Ted Tonks, instead of Andromeda. We automatically thought it was her being targeted, but… perhaps we were wrong."

Kingsley nodded. "Let's go."

…

His lips were dry and cracked. His hands dirty with dried blood and stiff, where he'd clenched his fists so tightly his nails had broke skin. He felt drained, so tired he found it hard to even shift position.

He was still in the corner of the cell, the threadbare blanket around him, offering little comfort and warmth.

A clang sounded in the corridor, making him flinch involuntarily, gasping when it caused a shot of pain to run through him. He didn't even know how long he'd been there. The sound of footsteps had him squinting at the bars of the gates, until two figures came into sight.

It took Barty a moment to focus on the faces, but when he realised that one of the figures was Regulus, he gasped.

"Reg," he whispered, his throat sore from screaming. Regulus had tears streaming from his eyes, and Barty forced himself to his feet and stumbled to the bars, reaching a hand through them to wipe the tears away. "Baby, don't cry."

"You shouldn't be here," Regulus whispered, leaning into the touch for a moment, before he gripped Barty's hand in his own, rubbing warmth into the stiff cold fingers. "This is all my fault."

"No," Barty shook his head, glancing at the guard. "No."

"I didn't mean that I committed the crime," Regulus said, shaking his head. "I didn't. Baby, I wouldn't. How could you think I did?"

"I didn't… I don't… but you were just so… calm, and I didn't, I couldn't watch them take you, and -"

"I was calm because I knew I didn't do it, sweetheart," Regulus replied. "I was calm because I knew they had nothing to hold me on. And then you had to go and tell them you did it! What were you thinking?"

"I had to protect you," Barty whimpered. He pushed against the bars, wanting to be as close as possible to Regulus, wanting to feel the connection between them. He just wanted to hold him and be held.

The green cashmere scarf around Regulus' neck felt wonderful against his skin and he tried to rub his face against it, but the bars blocked him.

Barty felt like crying. He just wanted to be warm again.

"I'm going to get you out of here, baby, I swear," Regulus promised, still holding Barty's hand. "I'll get you home. Just hold on for a little while longer, okay?"

Barty nodded. "I will. I love you."

"I love you too, Barty. I love you so much. I'll get you home."

…

Barty was sleeping when the door to his cell was slid open, the clanging making him flinch awake. He blinked up at the Aurors who'd arrested him.

"Come on, Mr Crouch, let's get you out of here."

"I can, I can go home?" Barty asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

The taller Auror nodded, his expression full of sympathy. "Your Regulus helped us find the real killer. He's waiting for you at the hospital, okay? We're going to take you right to him."

"Why… why is he in hospital?"

"Because that's where you're going to be," the Auror replied. "Can you walk by yourself, or do you need some help?"

…

The travel from Azkaban to St Mungo's was a blur in Barty's mind. He wasn't sure if he'd passed out, but when he blinked his eyes open, he was in a clean white room on a comfortable bed, and he was warm.

"Hey, sweetheart."

He turned his head to find Regulus sitting at his bedside, holding onto his hand.

"Reg," he murmured. "I missed you."

"I missed you too, sweetheart. How are you feeling?"

"Warm. S'good."

Regulus' lips tilted slightly. "I heated the blankets for you when they put you in the bed. I know how much you hate the cold."

"They said, they said you helped them. Find out the…"

"It was Bellatrix," Regulus interrupted, his tone flat. "She thought that she could kill two birds with one stone, kill Andy and frame me."

"Wh… Why?"

"Revenge, because I refused to join him."

Barty reached a hand out, and rubbed Regulus' back. Regulus shook his head at him.

"You're not supposed to be comforting me, I'm supposed to be helping you feel better."

"Come up here," Barty murmured, tugging at Regulus' jumper. "I need you here, with me. That's what'll make me feel better."

Regulus didn't need prompting twice. He stood, toeing his shoes off, before he carefully climbed onto the bed, wrapping his arms around Barty and shifting closer until the two of them were touching from their legs up to their heads.

"I love you," Regulus whispered, holding onto his boyfriend tightly. It had been far too long since he'd been able to hold Barty like this. He felt Barty relax against him, and he smiled into his hair. "I love you."

He felt Barty drift back to sleep, his torso heavier against him, his breathing evening out. Regulus knew that this ordeal would haunt them for a while, but right now, in the moment, he felt like he could finally relax.

The whole situation was like a bad fiction novel, but they'd managed to get through it, and Regulus hoped so much that they would be able to get back to normal, back to being them.

Written for;

Character Appreciation - 30. Lying

Disney - C2. Someone doubting a loved one

Book Club - Harrison - Hero / Suspicion / Fiction

Showtime - 17. Fool

Attic - 10. "Is [name] home?"

Buttons - W3. Sneaky / C4. Barty Crouch Jr

Lyric Alley - 20. Whatever makes you happy

Sophie's Shelf - 12. Revenge

Em's Emporium - 3. Connection

Angel's Arcade - 1. Cinder - Heated / Bright Red / Rubbing your partners back

Cookie's Corner - 5. Setting; Breakfast time

Gris Gris - Character - Barty Jr

Costume Party - 1. Amused / 89. Green

Pizza, Step 1 - 6. Dry

Boyfriend Day - 1. Meaningful moment where the couple hold hands.

Days of the Year - 41. Male character cooking

Autumn - Drift

Colour - Burnt orange

Element - Bliss

Dessert; Chocolate Buttercream - "You're lucky you're pretty."