Messr Prongs and His King|| Jegulus

Ch. 5: One Week Later

Three Years Ago

Regulus sighed as he waited. Twenty minutes has passed and his lawyer has still not shown up. Part of him wonders if his father lied when he said he was sending an attorney, possibly as punishment for getting caught. It seemed like something Orion Black would do, except when you consider the fact that it would look bad for the Black family if the only remaining heir got sent to prison. For murder of all things.

Regulus was just starting to consider if prison life was better than his current one when the door opened and man walked in. The man was young, couldn't be that much older than Regulus himself, who was currently twenty.
"Mr. Black", the man greeted with a crooked smile.
"Call me Regulus. Mr. Black is my father", Regulus said and inwardly cringed. That sounded like something Sirius would say. No, his brother would've said something more crass.
"Well then, Regulus, my name's Barty Crouch and I'm the lawyer your father was talking about"
The Black heir scoffed, "You're not Crouch. Crouch wouldn't be caught dead talking to my family", Bartemus Crouch, the real one, was a stiff old man who refused to defend anyone he thought was guilty. And Regulus was definitely guilty.

Barty sighed and sat down on the opposite chair, "You heard of my old man, then. My full name is Bartemus Crouch Jr. Mr. Crouch is my father", he grinned, throwing Regulus' own words back at him.
"How come I never heard of you then?"
"My dear ol' dad doesn't like to mention me", Barty shrugged, a "what can you do" look on his face, "I'm kind of a disappointment". He opened up his bag and took out a file, placing it between the two of them.

Regulus looked at the lawyer curiously, "My father sent you"
"Yep"
"So you know I did in fact kill that girl"
"Uh-huh"
"So why are you helping me?"
Barty stopped reading the file and looked up, "The money was good", he said simply, "Now why don't we stop focusing on my lack of moral compass and start focusing on how to get you out of here"
***

Present Day

Barty and Regulus became quick friends after their first meeting, helping someone get out of prison is apparently the perfect way to bond. So when the crooked lawyer decided to go into hiding, Regulus was the last person he called.
"I know too much", he explained over the phone, panicking, "Being their lawyer gave me access to all kinds of info they don't want getting out. They haven't gone after me yet but they will, I just know it. I'm sorry Reggie, I really am, but this'll be the last time you'll be hearing from me until something changes."
"Barty wait-", Regulus didn't get a chance to say anything as Barty immediately hung up as soon as he was done talking.

That was five months ago, King had existed for thirty days by then. Regulus partly blames himself, he knew that his friend probably stumbled across that info while helping him. He didn't want to be the reason Barty gets killed. However, Barty said he'll be in hiding until something changes and things are changing now. Regulus needs that information badly. Knowledge is power, and Barty holds the key to taking Orion Black down.

And luckily for Regulus, he had a pretty good feeling where the lawyer was. Barty was simultaneously unpredictable and a man of habit, quite a rare combination. The problem was that Regulus needed backup in case something went wrong. He couldn't take Cissa, she was supposed to be in mourning. Evan was busy doing work for the Lestrange brothers and Lucinda didn't know how to fight. So that basically meant that all the people he trusted were off the table. Great.

And then, just then, an insane idea wormed its way into Regulus' mind. It was so absurd, so impressingly stupid, that it would make Sirius proud if he knew about it. Regulus sighed, 'I don't really have a choice', he thought. This was his best option, no matter how reckless it sounded. Cissa had long left so Regulus was once again alone in his flat. The Black heir went back to his room and took out the trunk he stuffed the dress in days ago. Well he knows where he's going tonight.
***