valse di fantastica (severus)

What with all the unwanted attention put upon him, Barty hadn't had the opportunity to find Severus on the ship. The vessel was vast, after all: mostly it was adults swarming around for droaning Ministry-related chatter he found incredibly tiresome, but it also meant that he couldn't really see over the crowd. With immense effort he managed to get through to the corridor that led ouside onto the edge of the ship, but stopped immediately in his tracks.

Gripping the railings and looking out to sea was none other than the newly appointed Minister himself: Barty Senior. The man turned fractionally to look at his son, but his eyes didn't linger for long. They were back to the seemingly endless stretch of Atlantic ocean...

"Rather a lot of fuss," he mused, "Run along and find your Mother, would you? I wish to speak to her before I return..."

What happened in the minutes following his Father's request was still a blur to Barty. He tried to make sense of what had happened after fleeing the ship's starboard and running down its corridors, now in desperate need of consoling from Severus. Tears were whipped backwards to his ears as they ran past his cheeks. He didn't know where he was going, but it was far away from him: from all of them.

@Severus Snape

Although he could've stayed in the bathroom for as long as he wanted, it dawned on him that it'd be completely senseless to spend the entire remainder of the gala hiding in such a spot. Sure, it's standard of cleanliness was impeccable compared to Moaning Myrtle's bathroom, but it made him feel as if he was waiting for a gloryhole to be formed out of thin air. Severus made the decision to explore the ship and eventually find Barty. As long as he was away from the main event, he'd feel fine.

It was more fun than he initially thought to be exploring the ship; it made him feel more luxurious as the congregation was concentrated in one portion of the ship. At one point, he let himself lie on one of the first class beds. Never had he felt a mattress so comfortable. How much money did the Vexmoors have for this one ship to have such high levels of opulence?

As he began finding his way through another part of the ship, Severus froze as he heard some very familiar crying. What happened? Who did he need to kill now? Wait. Was he really willing to kill for Barty if it came down to it? Maybe he was.

Severus ran after Barty and pulled him in. "Are you okay? What happened?"

At least he was finally able to spend some time with Barty. If only the circumstances were better...

@Barty Crouch Jr

Although his vision was blurred by the onslaught of sudden tears, Barty could tell it was Severus coming into view. He sped up, threw his arms around him, and buried his head into his chest. He expected to be sobbing as soon as they were together, but the scent of him soothed him like a comfort blanket. A few shuddered sobs escaped him, but mostly he was sniffing up the remainder of the water works.

"Se-Severus..." he whimpered, clinging onto him, "I almost did it... I don't understand why I- I don't know..."

He thought back to that moment on the side of the boat. His Father was stood there, looking out to sea. The years of resentment pounded through his veins: of being ignored, dismissed; being made to feel as though he and his Mother were the extra, disposible parts in a life built around his ambitions. A moment of madness took over and his body moved forwards, reaching his wand, intent on binding his body then pushing the man to the merciless knives of the cold, deep sea. He was right behind him, wand pressing into his back...

Master Barty!

He collected himself and removed his head from Severus's chest. The tears had stopped, but he couldn't quite look at him. In a rasping whisper, he admitted: "If my house elf hadn't showed up, I would have definitely killed my Father just now."

@Severus Snape

He wrapped himself around Barty and rested his chin on top of his head trying to do whatever he could to comfort him. If it weren't for all the damn press, maybe he could've been there for him sooner...

"Shh, shh," Severus cooed, "I'm here."

Severus doubted anyone else would show up to this part of the ship, but he still felt the urge to try and find a place more private. What if the wrong person was eavesdropping? He wouldn't want anything to happen to Barty.

His eyes widened upon hearing why he managed to stop himself. "Oh, Barty...." Severus' face struggled to come up with any discernible emotion. "I-I know how that feels."

He wouldn't necessarily consider himself to be a very violent person, but there were moments he nearly left his father to rot from drinking. Giving him a kiss, Severus tried to figure out where they could go.

"Let's head into this room. I know there's nobody else around us currently, but I don't want you being vulnerable in front of the wrong people."

@Barty Crouch Jr

Barty was vaguely aware of his words, but took more from the comfort of his presence and tenderness. The world just seemed to stop spinning so wildly for a moment, everything slowed down and fell back into place, and his head was feeling more screwed on than bursting into a thousand pieces. He nodded and Severus's suggestion of going into the room, sniffing, believing it the best thing to do.

It was one of the suites. It looked like someone was staying there but hadn't bothered to unpack quite yet. Everyone was so preoccupied by the evening's event that Barty was sure they wouldn't bother returning to their rooms.

He collapsed onto the bed, and loosened his tie slightly. "I just got so sick of it..." he said quietly, tracing the lines on the bedspread with his finger, "The whole show of it. The celebration. Everyone congratulating me... like this is something I actually wanted to happen."

@Severus Snape

Glancing around the room, Severus observed the unpacked suitcases. Oh well, it was the closest one, and it appeared nobody on this boat believed in locks. It did feel rather stuffy wearing what was essentially a redo of his Autumn Formal wear. He unbuttoned his blazer and threw it over to the other side of the room as he joined Barty on the bed.

"I can't fathom how you've had to attend these events your entire life. Aren't you old enough now that you could just run away from it?"

How nice it'd be to run away from the ship. Run away from the patricians. Run away from everything.

A smirk quickly formed on his face as he grabbed one of Barty's hands. "We can just run away from here... While everyone's occupied."

It was a pleasant daydream of his.

@Barty Crouch Jr

What had happened was still playing on his mind, but it was strange how quickly he seemed to recover from it. It starting to feel like someone else's experience, and Barty was merely hearing of it. He tried to convince himself that he wouldn't have killed his Father: no matter how close it seemed, no matter how strong the compulsion was.

He was looking at Severus in astonishment. Old enough to run away? It was funny... he never really considered running away before now. Why? Why couldn't he? Who would care, his Father? His Mother may worry slightly, but perhaps he could find a way of contacting her away from the ship...

Severus grabbed his hand, and Barty broke from his thoughts. He didn't really have to think. Not really. It was just... so simple. He stood up, smiling widely at him. "Do you remember the way out?" he asked rather breathlessly, now feeling giddy from the excitement of running away.

@Severus Snape

Severus watched Barty lie there in thought. Wherever they were going to go, he was sure it'd be better than being stuck on this dumb, expensive cruise ship.

"Not exactly, but I did some exploring while you were stuck in your predicament, so I think we'll be able to find the exit."

If they were going to leave the ship, he needed to take his blazer. It was one of the nicer jackets he possessed.

"What town are we in? If we're near something that can take us to London, maybe we can catch a screening of this muggle film called Rocky Horror Picture Show. I saw it once over the summer due to a work friend, and it was the first time I felt seen."

@Barty Crouch Jr

Barty was glad that Severus memorised something from his travels. To him it was all a blur: there were lots of cameras going off when they walked up onto the ship, and he didn't care to find out exactly where they were docked.

"The Rocky Horror...?" Excitement gripped him all the more. His Father, although well-connected with muggles, did not allow Barty to roam into the muggle world by himself: not until he was fully capable of magic, at least, just in case he got into any trouble. He really didn't trust him, or know him, at all.

"Hmm... I don't think we are anywhere near London, Severus," he conceded, "There is a fireplace in our suite on the ship though that's connected to the floo network. Winky will probably be back there though... and there's a higher possibility of being seen." He thought a little bit more: how else could two teenagers without an apparition licence get somewhere they wanted? If they made it off the ship, they would probably just be stranded in some strange, muggle town.

"The Knightbus!" Barty cried triumphantly, "Take us off the ship, then we can flag down the bus! It could take us straight to the Leaky Cauldron, I bet."

@Severus Snape

"It's a musical of sorts. At screenings, you get to dress up and yell at the screen. When I saw it, there were corsets everywhere and gold speedos. Best I could do was a top hat and eyeliner..." It was still a fun experience, and he wanted to share it with Barty. It was preferable to being overwhelmed by such a high-profile gathering.

That was a good point; having lived in Cokeworth, he barely comprehended the geography of London. He should've remembered that it was landlocked!

The Knight Bus?! That'd work!

"I'm not exactly sure of the ticket prices, so I think we'll need a stop to exchange currency..."

Outside of necessities, he'd rather save his hard-earned cash for something he can tangibly give.

Oh, yes, his blazer. Before they were to depart the suite, he picked it up from the floor.

@Barty Crouch Jr

The idea of The Rocky Horror Picture Show was so bizarre, he didn't know what to make of it. Muggles had some peculiar practices, of course, so he supposed it was something of their culture. Thinking of women in corsets didn't exactly tickle his fancy, but he liked the idea of something a little raunchy, if that's what Severus was getting at. Something his parents definitely did not want him doing was something he definitely did want to do.

"All right, we can stop at Gringotts - that's not a problem. As for the bus tickets, I have few galleons in my pockets. That should be enough to get us both to London."

He was positively buzzing with excitement when he gripped Severus's hand after he had recovered his jacket.

"Come on! Let's get out of here right away!"

@Severus Snape

He smiled widely at Barty as they ran out of the suite. The two ran up and down the ship in their quest to get the hell out of there. Some moments were spent making up for lost time, others had them trying to figure out the best way to avoid the crowds.

The moment they confronted the great outdoors not facing the ocean was triumphant.

"That gave me more of a workout than advanced flying class..."

Severus looked over at Barty and chuckled. "How do you know how to flag down the Knight Bus? I don't know how soon after my birthday I'd be able to test for my apparition license."

@Barty Crouch Jr

There were a few moments where they had to double back where the crowds had gathered, but finally they made it off the ship. It almost felt as though the air was fresher being off there, and they raced away to the side of a road out of sight from anyone. They were still within the anti-muggle wards surrounding the ship for the event.

"I'm quite sure you just... erm." He lifted his right hand, and held it high up in the air. Immediately something huge, purple and three-decks tall came hurtling towards them after squeezing through a gap between a post office and a fish and chip shop. It stopped, abruptly, in front of them, making an almighty BANG. Then, as though exhausted from all that ruckus, the door opened quietly.

"Get on. You goin' London by any chance? It's next stop after Cheshire."

Barty confirmed that they were going to London, paid the fare for both of them and made his way to the rear of the bus with Severus. "I wonder if you can flag the Knight Bus down in Hogsmeade..." It would be nice to get out and about while at school. Then again, he doubted that would be allowed. "What you said before... I didn't know you did advanced flying. That's a little unlike you. Why did you take that up?"

@Severus Snape

To say the least, Severus was stunned by how the Knight Bus showed up almost instantaneously. Did that bus even have a proper schedule of trips?

"Almost like a taxi then."

Not like he was ever really exposed to taxis in Cokeworth. If anything, he usually played hitchhiker and hope he wouldn't end up a murder victim. Good thing he almost always kept a pocketful of rocks whenever he was among muggles.

"I don't know, surely somebody's tried it before? You know, now that I think about it, I don't recall Dumbledore saying it was prohibited," he mused as he got onto the bus. "I took it as I needed something else to fill up my timetable that wouldn't increase the amount of studying I have to do. What exams would advanced flying even have? An obstacle course? Also, I wanted to impress you as I noticed you're quite partial to whatever muscles I do have."

@Barty Crouch Jr

Once or twice he had used the Knight Bus as a child, and recalled that it was rather an exciting ride. Now that he was older, however, the constant sliding over the seats and feeling his insides lurch at every turn was particularly uncomfortable. He decided to cling onto Severus’s side.

“I’d rather stay around Hogsmeade. This is horrible.”

The outside flying past the window must have been Cheshire, but it looked just about the same as every muggle village in Britain. The bus stopped, an old man and his dog got off, then the bus took off again. “You wanted to impress me?” He chuckled a little. “Are you any good... at flying, I mean?” Apparently Barty was more interested in the flying skill than the supposed physical labour developing his muscles. Quidditch players did excite him, after all.

@Severus Snape

As the bus made its way through any space possible, Severus looked fearful; he was afraid that this was going to give him an awful case of motion sickness. The palm of his hand clenched his mouth when he dropped it upon the bus stopping. A moment to catch his breath...

"Er, I'm no professional at it, and I had awful experiences in regular flying class..." Potter was very much to blame for it. "I've been improving with practice. I'm the only guy in the entire class who's not on a quidditch team!"

At least he was somewhat more acclimated to the jerking of the bus. Hopefully, they'd be in London at the blink of an eye.

@Barty Crouch Jr

“That sounds quite positive then,” he breathed, wondering why his imagination was running wild with all sorts of ideas. He felt more like a silly, giddy girl envisioning Severus in that Quidditch uniform...

The bus came to its second screeching halt of the night, and Barty was glad it was just outside of the Leaky Cauldron at the muggle entrance. Thanking the driver quickly, who nodded vaguely in recognition, he and Severus left the bus and were left on the empty street. There were a couple of muggle girls standing around outside a bar smoking cigarettes, but they hadn’t noticed them.

“Have you used the muggle entrance before?” he whispered, taking hold of his hand. Although he had little to fear from the muggle world, it was still quite unusual to him.

@Severus Snape

"You think?" he asked with a chuckle as he dreamt about whatever muscle growth he may attain being adored.

Severus glanced around as he took in the sight and air of the muggle world. Yep, this was the kind of world he was familiar with when he was far away from Hogwarts. "I have, and you can't hold my hand around here!"

He grimaced and took a deep breath. There were a few things about the muggle world he needed to explain to Barty...

"This world isn't as accepting of our kind. London's one of the better spots for it, but it's all about knowing the right people. I know the crowd for Rocky Horror is more, uh, tolerant and kind to people like us."

Without rocks in his pocket, how was he supposed to defend the two of them if somebody were to attack them for holding hands? That was a risk Severus didn't want to confront. Right, where exactly were they in London? Hm...

"We should be able to walk our way to the cinema it's being screened at. Maybe get something to eat beforehand if you're up to it." Severus hadn't paid much attention to the time. "It's given midnight showings every weekend here."

@Barty Crouch Jr

He removed his hand from his at once, and glanced over his shoulder worriedly. No one was looking, but noting the alarm in Severus’s voice, he must have been quite serious. He nodded to him.

“Okay - I’m sorry. I won’t do it again,” he whispered, and started walking towards the entrance of Diagon Alley. It was an ordinary brick wall, from what he could fathom. There had to be a very simple trick to it, so he looked to Severus for the rest.

“I’d like to eat somewhere on this side,” he admitted, eyeing muggle London behind him. So they couldn’t hold hands: it wasn’t such a big deal. He didn’t want to run all the way to London during his Father’s celebration event to eat at the Leaky Cauldron: he wanted to sample some of the muggle food. “Once we visit the bank, I’ll find a way of contacting my Mother. Is it okay if I just tell her I felt unwell and went home with you? I’ve mentioned you before in my letters, so she knows that you’re my... friend.”

He smiled at him.

@Severus Snape

He patted Barty on the back and gave a smile. The least he could do was heavily protect him in these parts. After all, he was quite new to the nonmagical side of Britain. "We can always do more once we're done around here." Hell, he wouldn't complain if they managed to get a room within the muggle side. Severus didn't know if they'd be able to get away with it. Eh, who was paying attention?

"Whatever gets her off your back." Although his parents' neglect was terrible, Severus found himself preferring it over constant owls regarding the tiniest things. At least they realized he could be trusted on his own. "How'd you manage to convince them to let me stay over break?" Well, Senior didn't care. Not like he even paid attention to some of the stuff they were up to before the gala.

As he did the necessary knock to access Diagon, Severus explained, "Muggle food has some similarities to magical food. We also enjoy mince pies and fish and chips. However, one thing magical Britain doesn't have is Indian cuisine. There aren't a lot of places for it, but I think London has the most out of all of them."

@Barty Crouch Jr

What with the prospect of spending an entire night in London with Severus, the fact that he'd almost killed his Father had gone from his mind for the time being. He was enthralled by the idea of the night never ending. To think that he was wishing time away when on the ship, he was now hoping it would stand still.

When the brick wall gave way to the entrance of the Leaky Cauldron, they made way through the empty pub and into the even emptier streets. That wasn't too surprising: everyone and their Aunt was on board Merlin's Pride tonight, and he felt rather blessed by that. Getting to Gringotts was no trouble at all, and before he knew it, they were up at the counters.

"I'd like to withdraw a hundred for exchange into muggle currency, please," he told the goblin, then handed over his key. While they were waiting, Barty turned to Severus.

"Oh - Mother was thrilled at the idea of me having a friend come over to stay, but Father probably hasn't even acknowledged it. He was in the same room when I asked, but was more than likely not paying attention. You probably won't be seeing him much anyway." and that was for the best, really. "I've never had Indian food before... is it spicy?" He recalled some years ago when his Father had visited the Ministry in India, and had returned with some spices that were still in the back of their cupboards. Sometimes Barty liked to pull them out every now and again and inhale their warm, natural scent.

@Severus Snape

As they walked through the emptier-than-usual alley, Severus kept his focus on Barty. Waves of lust erupted all over him. He quickly determined it was bound to be a challenge to act normally once they were intermingled with the nonmagical. He would kiss him all night long if it were possible, but they had to keep it together until their impromptu date night of sorts finished.

"I'd rather not see that mug of his," Severus agreed in disgust. His own father was awful, but he actually gave a shit about his son's mortality. When he learned of the werewolf attack, he'd never seen him act so protective. It was short-lived as before long, he was back to being a drunkard who interrogated him about being a magical nancy boy. Harsh. "Yeah, their food has a kick to it, hut it's more flavorful than anything served to us at Hogwarts." Indian food was more of a special occasion or a treat than fast food; it was exciting him that he'd be able to share it with his boyfriend.

He stood in place waiting for the goblin to return. What would make this time go faster? Severus moved to directly face Barty and began kissing him. He'd do more if it weren't for the fact that they were at a bank. It wasn't the sexiest place to be.

@Barty Crouch Jr

Barty sniggered. It was good to know that Severus shared in his resentment. There was only he - in being an empathetic boyfriend - and the vast majority of the pureblood population who shared that view. Everyone else thought he was some sort of saint. Not the most likeable, not the most charismatic, but got things done. That was Barty Crouch.

He was just about to reply with his thoughts on Indian cuisine, but Severus had turned to face him head on. Barty ceased the attempt, and smiled at him. Then they were kissing each other. He held onto his waist tightly, responding with the need he had felt since the beginning of the night. Severus had saved him, his knight, and he desperately wanted to show him just how much he appreciated it.

"Mm... I love you in this suit." Pressing his forehead against his, he ran his fingers over the knot of his tie and down his chest. "That's one good thing that came out of this. Seeing you all dressed up again..." His eyes were so beautiful up close. Smiling broadly, he moved to kiss him again, but they were interrupted by a pointed clearing of the throat.

Barty loosened himself slightly as he turned to the attention of the goblin, who slapped his currency down on the counter. With his hand still on Severus's waist, he grabbed the money and turned towards the exit. "Are there muggers about in London streets?" he asked Severus casually, dismissing any negativity the goblin was showing them at being ignored. "Perhaps you should hold onto this."

@Severus Snape

He could feel a deep burning within him as their lips meshed together; the yearning that occupied him all night was pulsing through his veins. Why didn't he drag him away earlier? They could've dealt with any unwarranted attention and consequences later. It was exhilarating to push the rules, the boundaries, the limits imposed upon them. Why else would they still frequent the Forbidden Forest despite the whole school knowing of them? It was ritualistic.

"Mmm, Barty," he moaned as his focus briefly darted to a certain area of Barty's. "Maybe you could see me like this more often if we ever find the opportunity to go to a place you enjoy..." From what Severus gathered, it sucked being related to somebody so high-profile, but there had to be some perks to such an upbringing. Right when he was beginning to move his hands up Barty's jacket, they had gotten interrupted by the goblin. He gave the goblin a sheepish smile as his face became pinker.

"Yeah, there's muggers, but they usually go after people who are alone or seem vulnerable." Severus' eyes widened looking at the large amount of money in his boyfriend's hands. It really wasn't a lot in the grand scheme of things, but to him, he might as well have just become a millionaire. "Half and half?" It'd better their chances if not all of their eggs were in one basket.

@Barty Crouch Jr

It had been a wild ride since he'd started hanging out with Severus. He felt as though he had gone about the last fourteen years burying a lot of emotions, and feelings, and opinions. Now he had someone who he could truly be himself around: it wasn't someone he needed to impress, but making a strong impression on Severus was something he wanted to do.

They left the bank and he thought little of the goblins watching them. Shuffling through the notes and not knowing their identity, he simply split the bunch in the approximate centre and handed one wad to Severus.

"So where are we going now? Are we taking a train?" he asked excitedly, trying to imagine what mode of muggle transport would get them to their destination now. He knew there was various machinary on two wheels or four in all sorts of sizes. Trains and buses were the only his familiar with, although he could only imagine them being like the Hogwarts Express or Knight Bus respectively.

"Tell me more about the Rocky Horror," he said eagerly, while they exited the Leaky Cauldron back to the muggle streets again.

@Severus Snape