Cosmic Stardust - Jegulus

Chapter 16

**WARNING: this chapter has transphobic behaviour in it and mentions of abuse so please be careful if you're upset by reading about these topics <3**

**Also: a bit of an explanation with Barty. So I know that Barty Crouch Sr isn't 'in with the Death Eaters' in Canon, as a few people have pointed out, but this is a fanfic, not everything follows cannon (clearly lol). In this story they aren't Death Eaters, but they're still a pureblood family and so they still uphold pureblood family traditions like the Black family (well at least Barty's parents do, can't say the same for that fruit basket of a boy *wink wonk*) I hope this makes sense :))**

I've loved cackling evilly at having left you all in suspense and reading all the comments, but I figured it was time I let you in on how Reg is doing in that hell-hole. Anyways, ENJOY :D

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Mother hexed me before Father lectured me. That much I expected.

My belongings had been searched, all my binders and briefs had been ripped up. The underwear were unfixable, just shreds of fabric, the binders now sported gashes that looked as though they'd be fatal had I been wearing them when she destroyed them. She even jinxed me with a hair-growing jinx. Pretty juvenile for someone like her, but she realised what having short hair meant to me. Now I was back to waist length hair that was pin-straight. Every time I tried to cut it off, it just grew back. Hence the jinx.

It's only half way through the week but it feels like it's been a month. They permanently locked my windows and any others I could access in case I tried to escape. My wand was also locked away somewhere so I couldn't even heal my injuries. Luckily, Kreacher came in late last night and healed my less visible ones. They'd get too suspicious if the prominent injuries were healed, but they wouldn't notice the smaller, more hidden ones. When I escape this place - for the second time - I'm taking him with me.

I haven't really been allowed out of my room unless it's for dinner when we all sit in silence. This time last year, this would've been nothing out of the ordinary, but after living with the Potters, it was almost unbearably depressing. On Wednesday night, they called me down to dinner and I expected another hour of no talking. Instead, Father cleared his throat once the food was served and we'd begun eating. "As you know, Maia, you are to be married to the Crouch boy and with him you will produce heirs," he began and I had to do everything in my power to swallow the mouthful of food I was chewing and not throw it up all over the table. "Tomorrow his family will visit and we expect you to be on your best behaviour. You're lucky they're even willing to let their son interact with you after this serious embarrassment you have caused our family." The guilt and shame was swallowed down with the food as I stayed as silent as possible all dinner, only answering when spoken to.

Just as my father had promised, the following day the Crouch family stepped through the floo, their son looking almost as miserable as I felt. So much had happened since I ran away that I sort of forgot about Barty. Now that I think about it, he didn't seem too eager to marry me as he didn't even come and talk to me at all back at school, not that I wanted him to. After the prim and proper greetings, the adults went to discuss the details of our marriage in the study while Barty and I were left in the sitting room.

I'd hardly ever spoken to Barty. He's in the year above but he's friends with Evan who I sometimes hang out with when Pandora drags me along. The most we've ever interacted was a few short conversations here and there in the common room since we have mutual friends. We both sat on the sofa carefully, as if our parents were still watching, "well isn't this lovely." It took me by surprise as I hadn't anticipated him to speak so casually, sighing and flopping his head back to rest on the back of the sofa which couldn't have been comfy given its wooden frame. "I take it you're not a big fan of this arrangement," I asked as I leaned back too, still more poised than he was.