Which oneās the good twin and which oneās the evil twin?
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@bcrouchjr
Which oneās the good twin and which oneās the evil twin?

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jay-yaxleyā:
The same magic with more wizards. Jay nodded slightly as he thought that over. It was equal parts terrifying and relieving to know that one person probably hadnāt done all that lone, and yet there were likely more people out there with the same kind of magic, and apparently working together to make coordinated attacks. Assuming it had been them and not the Dark Lord; it was so hard to tell these days, what with the Dark Lord taking credit for just about everything that suited his purposes. Figuring out that magic was going to take some time, but figuring out the people who were using it felt like a good place to start answering both that question and the question of who had this information on Barty and what their game was. Bartyās encounter in Knockturn was all kinds of weird and suspicious, especially that bit about Barty feeling like he knew her and the fact she somehow knew about the twin. He nodded along as Barty voiced his own thoughts. It was easy to imagine someone wanting the elder Crouches dead; what didnāt make sense was why sheād come back at all after the deed was done. āMaybe she was worried youād come looking for Bea if she didnāt come back?ā He mused, though he wasnāt convinced by that idea and his voice showed it. There was something more at play here. āOr maybe youāre right and you did know her. I mean, she was most likely on polyjuice. Maybe itās someone youāve met and her voice or her mannerisms werenāt disguised well enough, thatās why you picked up on something. Of course that still doesnāt answer what they were after, unlessā¦.if theyāve got a grudge against you and your parents maybe she came back to try to pin it on you?ā That didnāt really explain them using extra magic on the blaze, or maybe it did. Barty was an unspeakable, after all, he had access to magic many didnāt. He was glad when Barty agreed they start at Knockturn. It seemed as good a plan as any. āGreat. Weāll bring their own game to them, go poke around with some polyjuice, see what we can find out.
Barty felt as unconvinced about that as Jay sounded. Even if he had gone looking there was nothing for him to go on, no place to start. Hardly seemed like something worth having dinner with Wynne to avoid. Ā But Barty didnāt feel the need to voice his skepticism of that. He thought over what else Jay had to say about the woman. āI dunno. Ā She could have pinned it on me without having to deal with Wynne for any longer. Surely wouldnāt have been hard to nudge their attention my way even though everyone thinks I was a devoted son.ā He was certain heād already been looked at as a possible suspect but equally certain that they had dismissed that idea or theyād have made their move already. With their department head murdered speed was needed for appearance. He doubted accuracy mattered more than the appearance that they were doing something. āYou have to be right about me having met her, the only issue is who would have known about Bea who also knew me? So many questions.ā Of course none of these problems would be solved without some kind of answers. Their only hope was Jayās plan to start at Knockturn. He grinned when Jay said theyād bring their own game to them. āUnlucky for them itās a game weāre rather grand at.ā This was doable. Barty almost felt something like hope. Ā Or at least he was feeling a lot more centered than he had since heād met Wynne. There were still massive problems, Voldemortās mark and these mystery people, but without a distraction making him more neurotic than normal he felt like he could actually work out how to solve them. Maybe solve two problems with one answer. For now though he had one last little problem to deal with. āShould we give Wynne a burial she deserves? I know chucking her in a bin or washing her down the drain would be easier but I would enjoy chucking her into a muggle ditch somewhere dirty and smelly.ā Either way it was time for Wynne to leave his flat for the last time, they had bigger problems to worry with. Something that would improve the shitty flat even before he fixed the damages sheād left.
jay-yaxleyā:
It wasnāt a surprise to see Barty up and pacing. How many nights had they spent like this, back in their dorm at Hogwarts and then later in one of their flats, Barty pacing while Jay sat with his elbows on his knees, hands folded in front of him as both their minds buzzed with various problems and ideas. These days it wasnāt even odd how troubling those problems were, though this one was certainly up there for the strangest. āHm.ā He listened intently to Bartyās recollections about the bloke. Born wealthy; perhaps the family money came from more nefarious means than potions. With people that wealthy, that was often more likely than not. It might also explain how he apparently managed to deal with Wynne; perhaps he was used to psychos. The accent part was puzzling.Ā Also interesting that woman never dropped the Bea act. Whoever she was, she was good then. And sheād done her homework, which suggested she really did have Bartyās sister tied up somewhere, assuming she hadnāt killed her yet. Even more troubling was the fact that someone had actually mentioned Bea to Barty in Knockturn. That had to be her. Only before Jay could say so, the next thing Barty said pulled his attention. āShit.ā Jay looked over at Wynneās tidy remains at the same time Barty did. That sort of power and control sure seemed to fit the bill for what happened at Borgin and Burkes, granted on a larger scale. But who was to say what the limit was on that sort of power? Especially since that was sort of what happened at the Crouch house, wasnāt it? Barty had to be right about that. āYou think from what you saw tonight she could have done that?ā It was equal parts fascinating and horrifying. āThe woman you met in Knockturn. Was there anything that stood out about her?⦠Of course even if there was she was probably using polyjuice, for all we know. Iād bet itās the same person pretending to be Bea. No way that was just a coincidence.ā Of course Barty would know that, but it was helpful to think out loud. āThereās a bunch of French people who live near Knockturn, canāt remember what the place is called but one of the Ministerās trash sonās equally trashy mates lives there. Could be worth asking around about a potions shop. Even if itās all made up maybe weāll pick up something useful.āĀ
Barty had been contemplating the same thing that Jay asked. āI dunno. Maybe. It seems like a lot for one person, without a wand to make it more powerful. But there was a lot she did tonight that I donāt fully understand what I saw. I certainly think it was the same magic, maybe just more wizards involved.ā A frightening thought. But also intriguing. Barty had been curious about the attack since it happened, even checking out the scene himself. A lot of unspeakables were curious. Whispers about what might have done it, but nothing that seemed to indicate anyone knew. Ā Of course Voldemort had acted as thought it were them, but without the Dark Lord sharing any information he had no way of knowing if that was just lying or actual truth. It was hard not to continue thinking about the magic heād witnessed and how it might tie into an event he was already curious about but he switched and tried to remember that odd encounter. āI remember there being something about her that made me think I knew her but also being certain I didnāt. But I canāt remember any sort of features about her. Just that she approached me in the shop before I left. Claimed I looked like someone she was friends with before getting a little weird. I left when she mentioned I might have a twin but she followed me. Told me she was a friend of Beaās then. I thought she was trying to blackmail dad. I told her to go for it. What did I care. When she said Iād see Bea again I thought she was a sear and knew I was gonna die. I didnāt want to have that conversation, as you can imagine. I told her to go sell the story to the tabloids, theyād pay. I thought thatās what she was going to do because the last thing she said was to promise that he was going to get whatās coming to him.ā Barty thought about that encounter again, wondering why he couldnāt remember much about what the woman looked like. Just that odd feeling heād known her. āI forgot all about it. Too much other shit going on. And then Bea showed up. If this woman was just after revenge against dad why did she bother coming over tonight? Sheād already gotten what she wanted. Hell if I was gonna tell anyone my not-dead secret twin helped me kill our parents before disappearing again.ā Aside from Jay but that went without saying. Not that Barty was complaining too much about her coming over. It had gotten rid of Wynne. Well not entirely but enough. āItās gotta be her though.ā Ā That was a given now it seemed. Barty curled his lip at the mention of one of the Ministerās trash sons, Jay talked about them enough that Barty knew he wouldnāt care for the oldest for certain. Doubtful the youngest either. āSince Knockturn was where I first ran into that woman seems reasonable to assume that even if theyāre not running a French potion shop there, they might be somewhere around Knockturn. Ā Asking around sounds like a good idea to me,ā Barty agreed. They had to start somewhere and most nefarious things did seem to originate around Knockturn.
jay-yaxleyā:
āFuck,ā Jay breathed out the curse, running a hand through perfectly-style hair, mussing it up. There was no point in asking how or why she found out. Barty knew how bad this was already. She knew and heād let her leave with that information. Granted with the sort of magic she could do, letting her leave was probably Bartyās only option. But calling this a bloody mess felt like an understatement. How careful had they been for years to keep their affiliation under wraps, to maintain their personas as good little Ministry workers, unassuming Ravenclaws? Now there was someone out there ā or two someones, counting the husband ā who knew Barty was a Death Eater, and they didnāt even know who those people were or what their motive was. The only good news here was that Jay hadnāt met either the squib or the husband, but that would only get him so far. If Barty was exposed, there would surely be eyes on Jay. But Jay could work with that. Distance himself from Barty if he had to. That would be a loss, but it beat both of them ending up in Azkaban. āWeāve got to figure out who they are,ā he finally said. āIf we can figure out who they are and what theyāre after, weāll know how worried we have to be about what they know.ā But even if they didnāt care they were Death Eaters ā which it sounded like they did care ā this was something they could use on Barty now. Leverage for whatever it was they did want. Or maybe theyād already gotten it, since theyād left. āOr at least maybe we can find a way to neutralize them. Maybe we can dig up some dirt of our own. Or find a way to harness some of that magicā¦ā Because if they could just get rid of the marks, a big part of this mess also went away. Either way, digging up more dirt on Bartyās fake family felt like a good place to focus. āWhat do you know about her or her husband, other than they work in potions?āĀ
If Barty hadnāt known, and he definitely knew, how bad this was Jay going from polished Ministry rising star to disheveled would have been a huge red flag. Barty had long realized that there was nothing he could have done differently the night Wynne showed up at his door, going along with it and trying to enjoy it were his only options. She wasnāt the sort of person you could just pull your wand out and kill. If only. But that night had been the beginning of Bartyās life turning upside down. All his carefully crafted plans askew thanks to one night out of his hands. This current mess had direct ties with that, not just because it was Wynne whoād brought all of tonight on. Barty had been so distracted and nervous that heād failed to fully vet Bea. He should have been more cautious. Barty was just relieved to hear that Jay was still in this with him, for now. Itād be a lot more likely for any of the things he was saying they should do being accomplished if they worked together then on his own. He paced a little, going back over things for anything that might be of use. āHeās French, or he claims to be. Heavy accent when he speaks but maybe thatās why he doesnāt speak much, accents are always hard to keep consistent. Ā Certainly isnāt because he doesnāt understand enough English. Born wealthy. Indulgent wealthy, like Malfoy but with actual taste. He was ridiculously handsome. Ā Very well made clothes. But neither of them were showy about the wealth.ā These were the sort of things Barty noticed, the sort of distinctions Jay would understand. Ā āKnew how to handle Wynne throwing herself at him like a bloody tart. I thought he might actually be flirting with her at first.ā That had been a shock. āOh wait, the accent, I donāt think it was as thick when he spoke while Wynne was attacking. Still there so he was playing up the whole doesnāt speak English thing well but possibly still French.ā Heād stopped and looked over at Jay when he remembered that tidbit. āShe never dropped the Bea act. According to them they met through mutual friends. Which has to mean muggle because Bea was sent to a muggle school. If itās true.ā He mulled over other details. āOh wait! There was a woman who came up to me in Knockturn claiming to know Bea. That happened a few days or a week before Bea turned up. I forgot all about her. I was on one of those ridiculous errands we havenāt figured out the meaning of at Borgin and Burkes before the attack.ā And the thing that had been nagging at him finally came into focus. āJay, remember the supposed Death Eater attack in Knockturn, the one that took out Borgin and Burkes? Only that shop was damaged, nothing else.ā Barty looked over at Wynneās pile of ashes again. Who the fuck had he invited over for dinner?
jay-yaxleyā:
Jay just nodded when Barty confirmed that there was no way for a squib to get magic. That sounded about right, and he trusted that if there was a way, Barty would have figured it out. Which meant, as heād suspected from the beginning, that this was an imposter working an angle. It made even more sense when Barty pointed out the husband was in potions. That would be the type to know how to brew a good Polyjuice potion. Or maybe the potions thing had been the same kind of veiled, inside joke that Jay often liked to make when he was leading someone on. Say youāre in potions when really youāre on potions. Either way they apparently had some good stuff. The question was, as Barty pointed out, what was the motive? He listened thoughtfully as Barty spoke, brows pulling together at something Barty said but Jay let the other speak without interrupting, flagging that concerning bit for later. For now he just listening with growing curiosity as Barty explained the magic heād witnessed. It wasnāt like anything Jay had ever heard of ā except in rumors throughout the Ministry, every once in a while, only when he was in places that required a high security clearance. This sounded like even more than that, though. Burning up Wynneās wand before turning her into that tidy pile of ash. Whoever was pretending to be Bartyās sister apparently had style. Jay let out a breath when Barty was finished and tugged at his tie, loosening it from the perfect knot it had been in all day at the Ministry. āThis is huge,ā he finally said. āWith that kind of magicā¦ā With that kind of magic they could get away from the Dark Lord, surely. Maybe even get the kind of power theyād joined up hoping for in the first place. Only whoever was pretending to be Bartyās twin had apparently left with no plans of returning, if Bartyās impression was correct. And there was that other, nagging worry Jay had put on hold. Now he fixed Barty with a serious look. āHer Death Eater twin,ā he said quietly, repeating back to Barty the words heād flagged earlier. āYou called yourself her Death Eater twin.ā Jay paused, almost afraid to ask, but he needed to know what they were dealing with. āDoes she know?āĀ
Barty had too many things running around his head. It was maddening. Too many unanswered questions that only led to more questions. He wasnāt even sure where he wanted to focus. Bea? If she was an impostor or actually Bea. Or her magic, which heād never seen anything like even in the Unspeakableās department. There was something nagging him about her magic, he hadnāt worked out what, too much noise around everything. Barty looked over at Jay as the other spoke, his mind supplying the finished sentence. He hadnāt even gotten there yet but with magic that powerful there surely was more to be done than burn things. Or maybe they could burn off the marks, like Bea had burned Wynneās wand. Jay speaking up again, changing course this time, had him focusing on something else. There was no question of not telling Jay the truth. Anyone else Barty might have lied or stumbled over excuses. Or even tried to minimize the damage this was. But Barty didnāt do that with Jay. And if anyone could worm their way out of being implicated if Barty ended up being it was Jay. But being prepared would make it a lot easier for him to avoid being caught up with Barty. Without hesitation he nodded, grim faced once again. āShe knows.ā Barty sighed, running a hand through his hair again. āItās all a bloody mess.ā An understatement to be certain. He didnāt even have anything on her, the magic thing was something but without an explanation there was nothing really. Barty waited to see what Jayās reaction would be. This felt like added reason to find a way to rid themselves of the mark. Shame Bea had washed her hands of him, might have been able to get her to do it for them. Now that he knew she had the magic to do it that was.

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jay-yaxleyā:
Jay smirked when Barty said Wynne was no more pleasant muted than unmuted; that sounded about right for her. It was about time Barty offed her, really, though Jay also couldnāt entirely blame the other for taking so long to get to it. Wynne was a mental case, but she was the sort of mental case that was dangerous and good at curses. It was a surprise to hear Barty say he couldnāt take credit for Wynneās death, though Jayās mind immediately jumped to the likely conclusion there. Wynne had gone mental, attacked Bartyās sister, and the husband intervened. Orā¦it was Bea? Jay opened his mouth to respond but closed it when Barty acknowledge right away how mental that sounded. Instead he just listened with raised eyebrows. The imposter thing was sounding more likely now. Butā¦wandless magic had done this? Wandless magic had blinded Wynne and killed her in a contained fire. Jay looked from Barty to the pile of ash, stepping closer to examine the scorch marks. Contained was right, especially since apparently the rest of the damage had been done by Wynne. āItās got to be an imposter,ā he said, looking back at Barty. āI mean, squibs donāt just get magic, do they?ā Barty would know better, heād always been trying experiments with the weird caretaker, not that Jay had realized what all that was about until heād found out about Bea just about a week ago. But Jay was quite certain squibs didnāt just wake up with magic. Least of all wandless magic that could do what Barty was claiming he saw.Ā āPolyjuice, you think? Maybe whoever it is has got the real Bea tied up somewhere and thatās how their story makes sense.ā An idea Jay had already pitched, but now that Barty was actually doubting the girl more instead of jumping for joy over some twin Jay hadnāt known existed, it felt worth repeating. āShe didnāt explain herself?ā He added. āDid she run?ā That felt more damning than anything that it wasnāt actually Bartyās squib twin; sheād used magic to defend herself, realized her mistake, and fled, maybe.Ā
Jay was right, it had to be an imposter. There really was no other explanation. āNo, Iāve spent most of my life trying to figure that problem out and so far I canāt even find a reason some end up squibs let alone how to change it.ā It wasnāt cocky to think heād know, it was just fact. Barty knew his intelligence and how many hours of study and experimentation heād devoted to the problem. If there was a solution heād have come across it by now. The problem was though that he couldnāt pin a purpose to why someone would pretend to be Bea. It was also a bit grim to think she was tied up in someoneās basement or dungeons. āThe husband is in potions so polyjuice isnāt far fetched.ā He had discovered his own talent for mimicry with the help of polyjuice, others might be similarly talented. āBut it still doesnāt make sense in terms of why? Theyāre not getting any money, claimed they didnāt want any. Certainly not happening now.ā He could imagine someone might want his father dead bad enough to go through a plan like this but why participate in said murder? It just didnāt add up to Barty. āNo explanation. No running. In fact when she left it was the most Crouch like Beaās ever looked. Imposter or not she didnāt take too well to almost being killed by the Death Eater girlfriend of her Death Eater twin.ā He looked more grim than sad about this. Barty had thought it was for the best but if this person had Bea tied up somewhere maybe it wasnāt. āOr rather Death Eater stalker, which I suppose Bea, or whoever she is, was right about that part.ā Wynne was more stalker than anything, other than unhinged, she was completely unhinged. āI donāt know what the reason to pretend to be Bea was but sheās determined that this was all too much trouble, apparently. That or she couldnāt come up with a lie to cover what Iād seen. It was bloody terrific. Terrifying but terrific. She toyed with Wynne, sort of the way Wynne toyed with her kills but better. Burnt her wand up first, right in Wynneās hand. Hell of a way to kill someone, nothing to trace to even tell this is Wynne.ā Barty just realized something as soon as he thought again about the fire that killed Wynne. āBloody hell, she must have done her magic on the fire at my parentsās. No wonder nothing was left.ā He looked back over at the pile of ash that had been Wynne again. It was absolutely maddening not knowing what the truth was about Bea. Barty hoped that if she was tied up somewhere that they either still had her, grim as that was, or theyād let her go. He really didnāt want to think of Bea as a pile of ash somewhere.
jay-yaxleyā:
Jay smirked and quirked an eyebrow when Barty said Wynne was repeatedly bested by the squip. He wasnāt sure in what way, though he could certainly see how the night had ended in a body to be disposed of if a squib was showing Wynne up in any way. Apparently by Beaās husband not going for her and Barty letting her know about the inheritance. Jayās surprise was clear on his face, as was his amusement when Barty said he muted her. āMuted her, eh? About time someone did,ā he remarked, though he was hoping thereād been a more permanent silencing of that one by the end of what sounded like a very eventful dinner party. He looked in the direction Barty nodded at the pile of ash among scorch marks. Had there been furniture there before? No ā Wynneās plan hadnāt succeeded. Jay understood in an instant and let out a laugh. āMixed success? Iād say this was the best possible outcome.ā Theyād decided ages ago that killing Wynne was going to be Bartyās only way to get rid of her, and it wasnāt like her death was any sort of loss to world. If anything Barty had done society a favor. At least the muggles and squibs of the world. Speaking of which. Jay glanced over at Barty, his smile falling a touch. āShe attacked your sister.ā That felt less like a question than a given. āWas Bea still here when you killed her?ā That would explain why Barty didnāt look like heād been celebrating when Jay showed up.Ā
Barty chuckled despite everything when Jay echoed his thoughts on Wynne being muted. āUnsurprisingly she wasnāt that much more pleasant muted.ā The quiet had been nice but Wynne had still managed to be completely unpleasant. Proof that anything remotely pleasant about her had been lies. Which made Jayās comment about it being the best possible outcome even more accurate. Though Barty would have liked a lot less mayhem getting to that outcome. Barty doubted anyone was going to mourn Wynne. No one in this room was going to mourn her any. He appreciated the way Jay looked less pleased about Wynne probably attacking Bea. While he and Jay hadnāt shared the hatred of muggles or squibs the rest of the Death Eaters had, squibs were hardly treasured members of wizard society. Barty sighed at Jayās question, running a hand through his hair as he tried to make sense of what heād seen. āI canāt take any credit for any of this,ā he confessed. He might have sank onto the sofa if his living room wasnāt in even worse condition than normal. Had he killed her it would have been neater, heād like to think. Which maybe was part of the problem. Barty had spent so long plotting and planning how to kill her, and his parents, without leaving a trace to connect him to the deaths, that Wynne had just ran wild. It was probably inevitable that it would have ended up a mess. Still heād have liked the mess to have been somewhere not his flat, shitty as it was he was still living here. Barty had decided before he owled Jay that heād tell the other about what had happened, partially because he needed to tell someone before it drove him mad. āIt was Bea. Now I know how impossible that sounds, believe me,ā he added quickly least Jay think he was insane. āI know I dismissed the possibility she was someone else when she first appeared but that was before this.ā Barty had been suspicious at first and discussed at length with Jay about if Bea could be an imposter. It had seemed more far-fetched then his dad messing with his memories when he was eleven. āI still donāt know what gain someone would have pretending to be Bea. But she was either an imposter or my squib twin is now frighteningly proficient in wandless magic and capable of this.ā Again he motioned to the pile of ash that was now Wynne. āAll the other damage was from Wynne firing off spells because Bea blinded her somehow. Look at the area where Wynneās ashes are, it was a very contained fire. I have no explanation for what I saw, Jay.ā Barty hated not knowing an answer and this was a very complex puzzle that he was lacking far too many pieces to hope to find an answer. It was maddening. āBut I know without a doubt that Bea, or whoever was playing at being Bea, was responsible.ā And that fact ruined any enjoyment he could get out of Wynne being disposed of, or nearly disposed of. He still needed to dump her ashes.
jay-yaxleyā:
Jay was quick to head to Bartyās, knocking lightly at the door so as not to draw any attention from neighbors, though he wasnāt surprised when his mate opened the door to see heād taken precautions. That or there wasnāt a mess. Barty certainly looked a bit of a mess. Not at all as happy as Jay would expect if it were Wynneās body they were to dispose of, which was disappointing for more than one reason. The squib and her fancy husband were supposed to be around for dinner, if Jay wasnāt mistaken. A bad idea to associate with a squib at all, let alone to let Wynne near one. But Jay was hoping it wasnāt the squib or her husband whoād died. Just because it was a bad idea to hang around one didnāt mean Jay wanted Bartyās twin sister dead again. Heād always been less concerned about who the Death Eaters were killing as he was about not being on the side that had the power. And it was becoming more and more clear theyād chosen wrong. Or at least that whatever power there was to be had, the Dark Lord did not intend on sharing any of it, even with his most faithful followers. And Jay was only interested in being faithful so long as it suited him.Ā
āSure, mate,ā he said as he quickly stepped inside, waiting for Barty to secure the door behind them, curious as to what the mess was. It turned out mess was an understatement. Jay let out a low whistle as he took in the wreckage, though his response was kneejerk. āWas it ever?ā He quipped as he stepped a bit further into Bartyās flat to take in how much of it was burned and blasted. āI take it Wynne enjoyed herself?ā He asked, though there was another question implied: how much did she enjoy herself? And who got the last laugh?
Barty had to admit that Jay was correct in that assessment. The truth didnāt sting because Barty had always known it was a pathetic flat. It was only supposed to be temporary, something to make his dad think he was living the way the elder Crouch wanted him to. Temporary had taken a lot longer than Barty had cared for. But itād be over soon, thankfully. As there was no retort to the quip Barty let it pass without a response. He chuckled humorlessly at Jayās assessment. āSurprisingly I donāt think Wynne enjoyed much of the evening. She was repeatedly bested byāā Barty stopped himself before he said squib, was Bea a squib any longer, that seemed to be a no. āBea,ā he finished. āFailed to attract her husband despite Wynne trying desperately.ā It had been really shameless. āFound out she wasnāt getting all of my money like she had decided. Iām not sure what her plan was with all of this, by that time Iād muted her.ā He smiled at that because heād enjoyed it. āBut as you can see, whatever the plan, I donāt think it succeeded.ā Barty nodded to what was left of Wynne. āAll of that before anyone even finished a glass of champagne. As far as dinner parties go Iād say this one was a mixed success. Turned out better than I thought it would, actually.ā Bea abandoning him stung but he had gotten rid of Wynne. It wasnāt all terrible.
Barty wasnāt sure how long heād sat on his kitchen floor feeling sorry for himself but at some point heād done what heād been doing since the night heād been branded, he found something else to focus on. Tonight that was the perplexing fact that Bea now had magic. Barty had spent his entire life trying to determine what caused a squib. Even after Beaās supposed death. At Hogwarts heād been surprised to find the caretaker was a squib. Filch was completely unlikable, but then Barty had his own problems with making friends. What was ultimately forged was not a friendship but a partnership in some ways. Filch let Barty experiment with different supposed squib cures on him, including giving him access to potion ingredients he hadnāt been able to get a hold of when he was younger. Filch even provided access to the restricted section. Nothing worked, disappointingly. Once Barty became an unspeakable he continued working on the subject. Occasionally using Filch for experiments still. But so far nothing. It was frustrating. And yet Bea had magic now. Powerful, dangerous magic that required no wand and which she wielded with terrifying accuracy. How? There was a little nagging in the back of his mind that maybe Bea wasnāt Bea. But that held just as many questions as how she got magic.
Eventually Barty picked himself up off the kitchen floor and was dismayed to remember the mess his flat was now in. There wasnāt much left of Wynne, mostly ash. Good riddance. Only now he had to dispose of it all. Clean up the flat. Figure out how he was going to get around this mess. Possibly could have done most, if not all, alone but he didnāt have to. Bea may have abandoned him, again, if she was even Bea. Wynne dead, thankfully. But he still had Jay. Jay had always been better than family, at least his mum and dad. He proved it again by his response to Bartyās coded owl. In fact it actually cheered him up some. Maybe theyād celebrate Wynne being gone after. He still had some champagne and a whole lot of untouched Italian food. Bea still weighed on him but for the moment he let himself enjoy the fact that he was now single. When he heard Jayās distinctive knock he placed a quick charm on the flat to disguise the mess in case anyone else was passed by while he had the door open.
āHeya mate, thanks for coming over,ā Barty greeted the other ushering him inside. After locking and securing the door he turned to Jay. āItās a bit of a mess.ā With that he dropped the charm and showed just how much of an understatement a bit was. āNot exactly the ideal bachelor pad is it,ā he quipped dryly.
jay-yaxleyā:
Barty,
Please tell me the body is Wynneās.Ā
(But donāt actually tell me ā Iāll be there 10 and see for myself.)
Jay
Jay,
Cheers, mate. Youāre the best.
Barty

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Jay,
You busy? Bit of a thing tonight. Need some help getting rid of a body.
Barty
veelabriarā:
While Barty was seeing their father in Briar for the first time, she was seeing the same in her brother. The willingness to go after what he wanted ā in this case, revenge ā no matter how many innocent people got hurt along the way. Maybe Briar had some of that in herself, too. Sheād killed for her magic, after all. Maybe she was no better than any of them. She was as much a product of the Crouches as Barty was. But what Briar couldnāt get past was that the trouble Barty had chosen for himself was the kind that helped people who hated everything sheād ever been. How could he choose that, when for so many years heād been the only person to tell her she was not less than just because she didnāt have magic? His question just stung more. Did it matter how many heād killed? She wanted to tell him no, it didnāt matter. But those were words she was unable to say, because they would not be true. Of course it mattered. It mattered because she was still desperately searching for the smallest scrap of hope that her brother wasnāt as lost as he claimed to be. But that was foolish, she knew. He was a Death Eater and she was a Veela. Theyād made their choices, and here they were. And this pain they were both feeling now was Briarās fault for revealing herself to Barty in the first place. āIt doesnāt make you less lost,ā she said finally, a reminder to herself as her eyes flickered back down to that mark on Bartyās arm. There was no hope in this situation. There never had been. It was time to go. Briar took a step backwards and waved her hand to put out what was left of the green flames Wynne conjured, lest they burn the house down. It was tempting to let them. Maybe she should; then the world would be down two Death Eaters. But Briar couldnāt. So instead she just turned and held out a hand to Thorn before leading the way out of Bartyās flat.Ā
Barty didnāt have it in him to protest or beg for Beaās forgiveness. Not just because he didnāt deserve it, though he knew he didnāt. But also because this was for the best. Bea needed to be as far away from him as possible. That didnāt make it hurt any less. This was no worse than watching her die. Both times heād lost his twin had been his own fault. Yes the first time had been a lie construed by their father but Barty hadnāt known that. Heād lived with that lie was truth for so many years. Now he had to live with this. Though how long he had to live was in doubt. Wynne might be gone but that wasnāt going to make Bartyās life any better, not really. Hearing Bea say it wouldnāt make him less lost was somehow worse than knowing himself that he was lost. Like Barty really was lost. No hope. He barely kept it together as Bea and her husband walked away. But it only lasted for that moment. He fell apart. The truth of his situation weighing him down, even heavier than before. He was lost. There was no getting out of this. No reason to get out of it. Barty might as well be dead. It probably would have been kinder if Bea had killed him. Maybe thatās why she hadnāt, she didnāt want to do him any kindnesses.
veelabriarā:
Briar watched stone-faced as Wynne was engulfed in flames, the womanās ā the Death Eaterās ā screams muted until she collapsed and the cursed fire continued to eat away at her. It felt fitting, that she should be killed by the same cured flames sheād conjured to kill Briar and Thorn. Perhaps Briar should have felt guilty, but it was hard to after all sheād learned about who this woman was. Not just foul, but a murderer herself. As was Briarās brother, or it seemed almost certain that he was. She turned to face him, still masking her emotions as he practically delighted in the fact she had magic, never mind that sheād just used it to kill someone in front of him. Most likely Barty had seen plenty of death before now. Too many different emotions bubbled up in Briar. It pained her to hear pure happiness from her brother to see sheād gotten what sheād always wanted. Only magic had only been what she thought sheād wanted; Thorn, their family at the beach, her place among the Veela, that was what sheād really wanted ā a place to belong. She used to think the only place she belonged before the Veela was with her twin brother. Now that felt like a lie. But watching his face fall as he seemed to remember his dark mark didnāt make her feel any better.
Maybe everything Barty said was true. Maybe it had all been to get back at their parents. It was their fault, Briar would concede to that much. Only it wasnāt just their fault. Barty had made his own choices when they were kids; he was capable of it. And what heād chosen was to side with people who hurt innocents who couldnāt fight back. Had Briar done the same in signing up for the games, in choosing the Veela? No ā she hadnāt chosen the Veela to go along with what they did; she chose them for a chance to make things better. What Barty was doing wouldnāt make thing better for anyone; not even for him.Ā
āOh, youāre happy for me?ā She asked him with a cold laugh. āHappy you wonāt have to explain to your Death Eater friends why you didnāt murder the squib?ā That was what was expected among that sort, wasnāt it? The sort Barty chose. It didnāt matter if Briar was an exception. It mattered that he killed people just like her. Or most likely had. Briar should leave now. She knew that. Sheād exposed that she could do magic. Sheād learned something about Barty that was unforgivable. It was time to go. But she didnāt move. Instead she held her brotherās gaze. āHow many, Barty?ā She asked softly. āHow many muggles, how many squibs, have you killed for them?āĀ
Barty flinched at her words. The cold way she said them. For the first time Bea reminded him of their father. The same cold, hard judgment, no room for any thought as to why heād done what heād done, only that heād fallen short. He deserved it, he knew. Maybe heād even deserved it from their father. It was hard to keep it all straight. Barty had so many voices in his head telling him who her was, none of them his. Wynne. Voldemort. Their parents. And now Bea. He wondered if she was going to kill him so her soft voice surprised him. Barty was confused by it. Wynne had often changed like that from angry to not in a blink of an eye. Was there a right answer here? He could say none because it had turned out that Barty Crouch Jr was not a killer after all. But just because heād never purposefully killed anyone didnāt mean people hadnāt died. Some maybe even from his wand as he tried to stay alive during fighting. And heād never stopped any deaths. Barty didnāt know what Bea was looking for here. Did she want him to be a killer or not? Was this going to be justification to kill him like Wynne? āDoes it matter,ā he finally asked, voice sad. Beaās mind had been made up about him the moment she saw the mark. He couldnāt blame her. Nothing he could say in his defense would take away the fact that heād joined the Death Eaters. Heād gotten his twin back only to lose her again and this time he couldnāt even blame their parents. The blame rested on his shoulders, shoulders that were hunched from the weight of Beaās hatred for him now.
veelabriarā:
The worst kind. Briar was having trouble thinking of something worse than the games that her brother could have gotten sucked into. He didnāt know about the games, which meant this could still be something better than that, something fixable. Only there was something in the way Barty spoke, his voice quiet and quavering, that made Briarās worry even greater. She felt like her heart was constricting when he told her she didnāt have a choice; Briar had worked too hard, given too much, to be told she didnāt have a choice again. But ā Iām lost. What did that mean? What was so bad that Barty thought his situation was hopeless? āBartyā¦ā Briarās voice was soft, helpless as her brother pulled back from her and she let her hands fall limply to her sides. She wanted to say more, but she realized a moment later that Barty wasnāt finished yet. Instead he wasā¦pulling up his sleeve? Why would Barty be showing her his ā Briar sucked in an audible breath as the mark came into view on his skin. The dark mark. A Death Eater.Ā
Wide, horrified eyes moved from the mark to her brotherās face. Her twin brother. Whoād spent eleven years sticking up for her, reminding her she wasnāt worthless just because she didnāt have magic while their parents told her the opposite. Who spent even longer than that thinking heād killed her. Heād told her he felt guilty about that. Maybe he did. But not guilty enough to stop him joining a group of people who killed muggles, squibs, even Veela if their suspicions were correct ā every identity Briar had ever had, the people her brother joined hated. And they hated loudly. Violently. Suddenly Wynne made much more sense. And why heād jumped so quickly to killing her. How many muggles had Barty hurt? Killed?
Briar took a step back as the realization flooded over her, then another. Briar had never given up on Barty. Heād given up on finding her only because heād been made to believe he killed her. Only as it turned out, heād given up on her in a much greater way. Or maybe heād never been the person she thought he was at all. All those years reassuring Briar she was worth just as much as a wizard ā had that been lies? Or had she been an exception, only because they shared so much? She wanted this to be a lie, a joke, but there was no reason for something like that. This was real. This was who Barty was now.Ā
All at once the horror and shock and devastating betrayal across her face were replaced by a practiced blank expression. Inside Briar was breaking to pieces as everything sheād once believed and all the hope sheād held out for her brother ā for the one person whoād supposedly always believed in her during that dark period of her life as Beatrice Crouch ā was shattered. But the person standing across from her, sharing so many of her features, was not her brother. He was a stranger, a Death Eater; he didnāt get to see how much heād broken her. āIām sorry they broke you,ā was all she said, her voice cold. She wasnāt sure if ātheyā was their parents or the death eaters or some combination of all of them, but she had no doubt Barty was broken ā too much for Briar to fix. Too much for Briar to want to try. Heād made a choice. And now she had too.Ā āThorn, letās go.āĀ
But before she could turn to leave, Barty was getting blasted away from her. Briar whirled around in time to see Wynne on her feet, wand pointed at Thorn. Oh, absolutely not. Thorn was perfectly capable of handling himself, but Briar was already angry and now she had an outlet for that anger. Briarās reaction was instantaneous. She lifted her hands and directed all the light in the room toward Wynneās eyes, effectively blinding her. The muting spell was obviously still working, Wynneās mouth open in a shout but no sound coming out. āYouāre going to have to speak up, darling,ā Briar said in a pleasant tone even as she shifted the light around her and thorn to obstruct them both from Wynneās already poor eyesight, not that that stopped the harpy from firing curses around the room, blasting down parts of the walls and igniting the kitchen table in some sort of cursed, greenish flames as she aimed wildly. Briar dodged them easily, trusting that Thorn was doing the same, and took in the blaze now in the room. Perfect. Briar used her magic to redirect the flames consuming the table, only instead of engulfing Wynne in them straight away she merely had them eat away at the girlās wand, smirking at the horrified look on her face as Briar flickered back into Wynneās view. āI really should leave you for Barty to deal with, but unlike him I actually care about all the people youāll hurt if I donāt.ā And with that she let the rest of the blaze Wynne had created engulf her.
Thorn was surprised to find out that Briarās twin was a Death Eater. Stood to reason the girlfriend was one too. Which made much more sense. She was the sort heād always associated with Death Eaters. Cold, calculating, quick trigger, delusional. Barty didnāt seem to be any of those things. He seemed more like a broken bloke. Despite his better judgement Thorn pitied him. There was no celebration to be had to see Briar pulled away from her brother in this manner. But whatever his views on this was he was intent on keeping them to himself till Briar asked. Until then he was more than happy to leave this cursed flat and the sad little people inside it. Not a moment too soon for his liking. Though it turned out to be a moment too late it seemed as Barty got blasted by some curse coming from the living room. For a split moment he worried this had been a trap, that heād turn and find other Death Eaters, hunter too possibly. But no, it was just the psycho theyād already dealt with. Thorn kept out of the way, letting Briar deal with this. Fire was her element. But there was more than that, sheād just been dealt a blow, this might help ease some of the anger she was likely feeling. If anyone deserved that directed at them it was the witch flinging curses.
It was chilling how quick Bea went from saying she couldnāt leave him again to his troubles to deciding to abandon him. But it was nothing he didnāt deserve. Barty made no move to get Bea to stay, it was better if she went. This was his life now, alone is what he deserved. The blast was a surprise. One moment he was trying no to break down as his sister was declaring they were leaving and the next he was on the floor against the wall. Barty had his wand in his hand quicker this time but in the end it didnāt matter because it sat useless in his hand as he watched his squib sister use magic. Not just any magic either. Some kind of wandless magic heād never seen. It was awe inspiring what she was doing. And then terrifying. Barty felt the sting of her words even as he watched in shock at Bea burning Wynne. Heād known heād seen Bea use magic earlier. But it seemed so far-fetched that he codlināt wrap his head around it. This did too but heād definitely seen it.
For a moment all he could think about was that Bea had used magic. āYouāve got magic, Bea,ā he asked his voice actually happy. Because in that moment he was happy. It was everything Bea had ever wanted. What heād wanted for her. Sheād gotten it. āHow? When? Why didnāt you tell me? Were you really just a late bloomer after all?ā He had so many questions. He was so happy for her. And then he caught sight of the mark on his arm and reality set in once again. It didnāt really matter now did it. The smile fell and he slumped back down against the wall. āIām happy for you, Bea,ā Ā he said even though his voice didnāt sound happy any longer. But magic didnāt change the fact that he was a Death Eater and it was still safer for her to be far away from him. Or that she now hated him.
veelabriarā:
Itāll only fix that. Briarās heart sank. What else could there be, to have Barty looking as nervous and panicked as he was, when their parents were dead and heād been dating a psychopath? What did he think heād fucked up? Briar listened to her brother, eyes wide with confusion, trying to make sense of what he was saying and shaking her head when he went on about putting her in danger again. If only he knew what Briar was capable of ā but she couldnāt tell him that. Briarās concern only grew as Barty kept talking, a knot of dread settling in the pit of her stomach. It seemed like a good ideaā¦.a way to pay him backā¦I was so angryā¦.I thought I was already a killerā¦.it was a mistakeā¦it seemed like a choice. No. Briar shook her head slightly; the excuses were too familiar, the same kinds of justifications she heard so often from players. A lot of the same justifications sheād told herself. But Barty wasnāt a player; of that she was certain. So what, then? What was so bad he was trying to push her away when theyād just found each other again?
āBarty Crouch.ā Despite her worry and growing dread, Briarās voice was firm, resolute. āI left you alone to deal with mum and dadās mess once already. I didnāt have a choice that time. But this time I do have a choice, and I am not walking away while youāre in trouble.āĀ
At some point, Briar knew, she would have to walk away. Maybe not permanently, but she would have to be a figure in the periphery of her brotherās life. Distant. She had too many secrets, and too many people counting on her. But sheād spent so many years trying to find her brother, so many years wondering how he was doing, hoping he was doing as well as she was. And Briar knew was it was to be desperate. Knew what it was to agree to something for the wrong reasons without understanding what it meant until you were in too deep. Sheād survived it, and come out better. But most didnāt.Ā āWhat sort of trouble are you in, Barty?ā She asked in a softer voice, worry finally creeping into her tone.
Thorn was listening as Barty talked. The desperation running off him was so thick it was a surprise he hadnāt been lured. Only he talked like a bloke that had been. Thorn wondered if there was a chance that Barty was a Vila player. It didnāt seem like it. But then what? What did desperate wizards do when the Veela werenāt involved? And what would Briar do with this new complication her brother was throwing her way? It seemed like Thorn was going to find out both. He couldnāt help but pay attention to the scene in the kitchen, waiting to find out what it was Barty Crouch Jr had done in his moment of desperation.
Barty was nearing distraught. Of course Bea didnāt understand. She didnāt know yet. He wished sheād have just taken his word for it and left with Thorn. āThe worst kind, Bea,ā he answered her softly, all the pent up emotions making his voice quiver. āYou donāt have choice this time either. Thereās nothing that can be done for me. Iām lost.ā Barty wasnāt drowning, he was drowned. Wasnāt even sure any more if it was worth scrambling to try and keep his head above water. Especially now that there was likely nothing at the end of this but either Azkaban or marriage with Wynne. Both sounded just as depressingly soul sucking as the other. Barty was a coward and this was taking more bravery than he had. He backed away from her, running his hands through his hair again. The mark couldnāt hurt her but it still seemed something to not be close to her when he showed it. It took all he had in him to pull up his sleeve with a shaky hand. The charm to hide the mark was simple enough he could perform it despite how upset he was. Barty couldnāt look at her as he showed it. Couldnāt even speak to apologize again. Instead he just stood there, head bowed, mark exposed.

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veelabriarā:
veelarebelā:
Now that the immediate threat of Wynne was put on hold Thorn could be more observant of Barty Crouch Jr. It had been hard to get a read on him the first time theyād met with the whole shock of his twin not being dead altering him. Watching him now it was clear that Barty was a desperate bloke. In fact there were signs that Barty had been desperate for a while and not just because he now thought he had to kill his girlfriend. The floors of the flat were worn in a way to suggest the pacing the other was doing now was common place. Thorn had no way of knowing if the desperation was because he was stuck with a detestable witch or something else on top of that. He just knew this was the sort of desperation that got humans trapped into becoming players. A worrying thought. But he also couldnāt help thinking about Brair, had she reached this level of desperation when she signed up. Or had the Veela just caught her at the beginning of the decent. What sort of parents had children so desperate that only murder seemed to be the way out. He almost regretted not meeting them just so heād know. But where Briar had been trapped into a situation where murder really was the only way to survive, Veela were never completely honest about what the terms were. Barty just seemed to be jumping to that. Had he really thought all other options over? Thorn could see why one would consider oneās options to rid themselves of such a creature as this Wynne seemed to be. But murder felt like something that shouldnāt have been even considered an option. Yet, Veela knew better than most that humans were willing to do anything if they were desperate enough. Thorn decided to try not to judge him too harshly. Wynne on the other hand⦠he was definitely judging her harshly. The gall to think she could attempt to murder his wife and seduce him, or whatever her insane plan had been, might have been impressive if it wasnāt so laughable. This woman didnāt even deserve Barty, Ā and despite his efforts he didnāt have a very high opinion of the bloke right now.
Barty looked like a caged animal, pacing the kitchen in a panic and biting his lip in a way that heād done when they were children. Getting their parents out of the way was supposed to fix this. It had been clear even before Briar agreed to help with that goal that their parents were not the only problem in her brotherās life. But sheād been hopeful that getting rid of them would be the push he needed to get rid of the girlfriend. And maybe it had been, but not quite in the direction Briar had expected. She frowned at the look he gave her, as if she should have known better than to confirm. Clearly the harpy was horrible, but Briar didnāt think it was ridiculous not to jump right to murder. And she didnāt like what he said after about the memory charms, or rather that it seemed like he was ruling that option out on her account. Briar was not nearly as vulnerable as Barty seemed to think, something sheād just demonstrated. Never mind that Barty hopefully thought it was Thorn whoād been using the wand; Briar had taken Wynne down all the same. And she didnāt want to be the reason Barty had the weight of another life on his shoulders, even one as horrible as Wynneās. But apparently Barty had thought that over. Discussed it was that creepy friend of his, even. Briarās eyes found Thornās after Barty started pacing again. This was worse than sheād expected. She wished she could ask Thornās take, his advice, but doing so in front of Barty felt like it would only make things worse. Briar had to handle this, though she was glad Thorn was here at all; she wasnāt alone, not the way Barty had probably felt for who knew how many years. Of course he was desperate.Ā
Briar squared her shoulders and moved to stand in front of her brother, cutting off his pacing and putting her hands on his shoulders. āBarty,ā she said, her voice soft but firm. āLook at me. You are not a coward. She clearly has a twisted view of ā well, everything, so anything else sheās told you about yourself you should just forget, too. And you donāt owe me an apology for not pushing your ā I really donāt like calling her your girlfriend, why donāt we go with stalker? ā into a fire.ā
This whole situation was a mess. Maybe killing her was the only answer. Briar sighed. āIs this really what you want?ā She asked him quietly. āWill this fix things for you?ā
As Barty paced he thought about not just this immediate mess but the bigger one he was involved in. He hadnāt considered how he might manage that mess with Bea being back in his life. The two were not compatible. He just hadnāt seen it yet. Heād been too busy being angry at the fact that his parents had let him believe he was a murderer for so long. As much as he wanted to somehow never have Bea find out what heād become, there didnāt seem a way out of that. Even if Wynne died tonight it wouldnāt solve anything, not really. Bea wasnāt safe around him, tonight made that clearer than Barty would have liked. As much as he appreciated her words, it really just showed how far away from who heād been as a child, and who heād wanted to be as an adult, heād gone. He was a coward. Barty sighed at the same time Bea did. āItāll only fix that,ā he admitted motioning towards the living room. Wynne out of his life would be a measure of relief but it was like healing a cut on your shoulder but ignoring the fact that your hand was cut off. Not a lot of good in the end. Barty was drowning but he couldnāt let his sister drown with him. Even if that meant telling her something that would make her hate him.
āAh, Bea, Iāve really fucked up,ā he told her realizing that there was no fixing things for him. But he could fix things for her. āIt wasnāt so bad when it was just mum and dad I might be putting into danger because of it. But now Iāve gone and got you into danger. Iām sorry. I never imaginedā¦ā Because heād thought she was long dead. āItād be better for you to just go back to your life and forget me. Youāre doing so well. Iāmā¦things are all fucked up.ā And that was putting it mildly. He ran a hand through his hair. āIt seemed like such a good idea at the time. A brilliant way to pay him back.ā He was such an idiot. Voldemort probably didnāt even care that he was clever, certainly had never put his or Jayās brains to any use. Barty had a feeling heād just been a way to get at the head of the Auror department, a pawn against his dad. Bea was gonna hate him. āYouāve got to know I was just so angry after Hogwarts. Iād spent 7 years busting my ass. Using time turners to take extra classes. All my time spent studying. Trying to prove to him that I was worth not sending to Azkaban. And al for what? For him to be disappointed because I wasnāt auror material. I never wanted to be a bloody auror, you know that. Even though becoming an unspeakable is bloody hard, harder than an auror, he was disappointed. Said so. Then he had the nerve to try and get me to spy on my department for him. I was fed up. Stuck. I thought I was already a killer.ā How hard could it be to kill strangers after heād already killed the closest person to him, heād thought. āBut it was a bloody mistake and I know that. It seemed like a choice, the only one.ā It had been the only choice because Voldemort would likely have killed him if heād said no. That didnāt change the fact that heād still thought it was a good choice at the time. He felt ashamed of that even more so now. Barty sighed again and looked sadly at his sister. āYou need to go. Leave me to the mess Iāve gotten into. I wonāt kill her if you donāt want me to. Weāll have to wipe tonight from her mind. We can stage something so she thinks one of us had rejected the other. I think you might be safe then. Maybe sheāll leave you alone. I lived with thinking I killed you for so long Bea, I canāt go through the rest of my life knowing Iāve done you harm. Itās the only way.ā Barty had started and stopped, picking up his narrative wherever heād thought of, all said in a sad apologetic way. Bea was happy and safe, she didnāt deserve someone like him in her life.
veelabriarā:
Briar took a small amount of comfort in Bartyās assertion that he didnāt want to kill his girlfriend, if girlfriend was even the right word for whatever fucked-up situation heād landed himself in. She just nodded, still perturbed by how quickly heād landed on that solution, and then followed him to his kitchen. As she passed Thorn she grabbed his hand and squeezed it; Briar was glad she was not facing this alone. She stood across from Barty once they reached the kitchen, grateful to Thorn for taking up a post at the doorway to keep an eye on Wynne so she could focus on Barty.Ā
His words continued to be troubling. Briar let out a breath and ran a hand over her face. Sheād dealt with worse than this. They could figure this out. Only she felt like there was a lot she was missing here, and she couldnāt help but wonder how much of this situation was her fault. She should have tried to talk to Barty privately before agreeing to come over while Wynne was there. Sheād known Wynne was bad news. And if she couldnāt figure out a way to handle this screwed-up situation, how on earth was she going to help lead the Veela after the rebellion? Was she being too soft even worrying about whether killing Wynne was the right thing? When the rebellion happened she was going to have to be decisive. She might have to kill. Sheād thought she was ready to do that. It just wasnāt what she wanted for Barty. And she didnāt want this following him, either. He would be a suspect if she wound up dead.Ā
āFirst of all, Iām not afraid of her.ā Briar said in a firm voice. āAnd you shouldnāt be either.ā Because he had Briar on his side. She was quiet for a moment, then she sighed. āShe wonāt let you go? Youāre certain?ā Briar was less doubting him so much as double-checking, confirming the information heād told her so she could make an informed decision. āWhat about a memory charm? Is that an option?ā
Now that it was becoming clearer that Bea was not going to just accept his word for the fact that he had no options left but to kill Wynne he was starting to panic. It was a familiar feeling of drowning that was overtaking him as he started to pace around the small kitchen and bite at his lip nervously. Heād felt it a lot after heād been branded like cattle and forced off to go fight people like some Slytherin. But involving his sister in this mess made it all awful. He shook his head when Bea said she wasnāt afraid of Wynne. She should be. Barty then gave Bea a look that asked if she was even serous with that question. Had she not just seen what heād seen. The memory charm idea was no good either. āThe further you go back in the memory the more likely there is that something goes wrong. And weād have to wipe you from her mind completely because even if we just erased what just happened,ā something they still had to talk about but Wynne was the immediate problem here, āsheās still going to know you exist. You wonāt be safe. Sheās a lot more dangerous than you realize, Bea.ā Barty was very apologetic about that. He felt horrible for doing that to his sister. āNo, thereās nothing to be done but kill her. Iāve thought about it an awful lot. Itās the only solution. Jay agreed.ā Heād accidentally let it slip once when heād been drinking that Wynne wouldnāt let him break up with her. Ā Theyād talked over the problem and the only answer was death. āIf Iād just pushed her in the damn fire none of this would matter. But sheās right, Iām a coward. Iām sorry, Bea.ā Barty went back to pacing nervously. As unpleasant as the whole murder business was heād feel a lot better once it was done.