Title: Fool me once
Author: ceria
Characters: Alice/Frank Longbottom, Barty Crouch/Frank, Barty/Alice
Rating: NC17
Kinks chosen: Pegging (which is a really loose interpretation of this month's theme.)
Word Count: 1500
Summary: Alice is a wee bit irritated.
Authors' notes: Thank you, elfflame.



Clothes had been scattered across the floor, buttons on Frank's robe had been torn loose. It had been a long time since Frank took charge like this. Prickly rope bound Barty's hands to the posts, the top of his head pushing against the broken headboard in a rented room at the Leaky Cauldron. It was hard to breathe like this and he loved it. "What's come over you, Frankie?"

"Do you like it?"

"Yes." The two pieces of the headboard clicked against the wall rhythmically and Barty blushed, knowing the noise couldn't be mistaken for anything else if someone was in the room next door. Had anyone seen either of them arrive? He wasn't sure. It'd been so long since he last saw Frank that Barty hadn't paid attention to details like that.

"Then don't complain. Want it harder?"

"Yeah," Barty said, his breath catching. "Make me come, Frankie. Please."

Low laughter then, "Not yet, Barty. I want to hear you scream first."

/ * \

He was usually so careful with Barty's notes. All this time and she never had a clue that their casual friendship had become more.

The fireplace was so warm, the flames climbing off the logs, eager for the small piece of parchment Frank was sure he'd placed inside the grate and close enough to the fire. He should have stayed to watch it burn, damn it.

Except he'd been in a hurry to gather the things he needed for Barty that he never needed for Alice. Massage oil, lube, rope… things they both enjoyed. Then he returned downstairs to leave the house, to Apparate to the Leaky Cauldron and meet Barty one more time. One last time. Though Frank always told himself it would be the last time, and it never really was.

He'd not heard Alice arrive home, expecting to find Frank in the recliner near the fireplace. He'd not seen her pick up the piece of parchment that was burnt around the edges, but not enough to hide the handwriting. He wasn't in the room to watch her narrow her eyes and decipher the not-so-mysterious puzzle Barty had written.

Though he heard her gasp as he walked toward the front door. And stopped. Since when did she come home early from her family's house on Sundays? Unsure what to do, he shuffled his feet where he stood; Alice behind him in the sitting room – he could hear her moving about now – or Barty waiting not too far away, just past the front door.

He waited.

/ * \

If only Barty didn't have to hide behind messages his father sent to the Aurors, stolen moments barely long enough for an intelligent conversation with Frank. He tilted his hips up as Frank thrust harder. "Fuck, Frankie."

"That's what I'm doing, isn't it?"

God, Barty loved this. Had Alice done something stupid again to infuriate Frank? Because he wasn't usually so aggressive. Maybe he'd made a decision after all. Barty had asked Frank to leave enough times in the past, to get away from England and the stupid war. To move so Frank had a chance to survive – if he found a new career. Aurors and wizards who protested too much were slowly disappearing, and Barty didn't want to lose Frank.

Pressure built low in his stomach and Frank moved as if he could sense it, leaning over, moving closer.

"Kiss me," Barty said, arching his back higher, needing to feel Frank against his back, then groaned as Frank leaned over, huffing against his skin, teeth grazing shoulder blade.

"Oh god!" Barty yelled, twitching uncontrollably as he came on dingy white sheets. Frank tightened his arms around Barty, forehead pressed against spine and groaned, Barty could feel the warm semen inside him and he collapsed onto the bed.

"Love you," he mumbled.

Frank froze behind him and didn't answer. Not that he ever did anyway.

/ * \

"What is this?"

She had to know already; why else would she be yanking on her hair? So Frank didn't answer.

"This is parchment from the Ministry," she said. "They're the only ones who use this kind. Is this from Barty?"

She shook one hand under his nose and pressed the other, fingers spread wide, against her belly. "Are you supposed to meet him?" Finally, she noticed the black rucksack Frank held in his right hand, straps tapping against his leg as he fidgeted.

Maybe this was for the best, her finding out now. Maybe she would choose to leave and not make Frank decide. He wasn't good at such decisions after all.

She took the bag from him, or maybe Frank handed it to her, ready to be done with the lies. Though it wasn't tears that greeted him after she opened it and looked inside.

/ * \

"Going to untie me?" Barty asked, wanting to roll over and see what was wrong. Frank was never this still following sex.

"No," he said and Barty looked over his shoulder.

"What…" and stared in terror as Franks' thin, lanky body dissolved into the shorter, softer body of his wife.

"Polyjuice," she said, unnecessarily.

"Where's Frank?" Barty asked, suddenly less concerned that he just had sex with Alice and more concerned with what she did to her husband.

"What's it matter?" She stood up, pushing long hair over her shoulders. He didn't even glance at her breasts.

"Where's Frank?"

"I came in his place," she smirked, "to tell you he won't be back."

"That's not your decision to make," Barty said, knowing it was a bluff.

"He'll abide by my decision," she said, touching her stomach and Barty glared at her.

/ * \

"You wanted to get caught, didn't you?"

"No. Yes. Maybe," Frank said, not exactly sure himself.

"I won't stop you from going," she said, pushing her long hair back, and he waited. "It's your choice, Frank. But you won't see this baby if you go. I will raise her – or him – on my own."

"You're not preg…" he glanced down at her hand, which was spread protectively against her stomach.

"I just found out, it's why I came home early today."

"Alice," he whispered.

"If you stay, it's to make this work, Frank."

He stayed.

She left, carrying the rucksack.

/ * \

"So you won. Why haven't you left yet?"

"Do I look stupid? Your last memory of fucking a Longbottom isn't going to be with my husband."

"Technically it wasn't."

She opened the bag and removed a fake cock attached to straps. Barty narrowed his eyes.

"What?" It won't hurt very much, I did just come up your arse, after all."

He didn't reply as she climbed back on the bed.

Her words, no comfort at all, were not completely untrue as she pushed inside. Barty tugged on the ropes again, wishing he could Apparate, but he'd never bothered to learn. That would have to change.

"You're cheating on your husband," Barty said, refusing to let her see that it hurt in any fashion, he was too sensitive to do this again.

"Not really, it's more like sharing."

It was more difficult than expected to not enjoy it, until he felt her small hands trembling on his hips. He pushed backwards, knowing the dildo had to press against her bits, smirking when she gasped.

"If you yell out my name, I'll stop," Alice said, pushing forward sharply, making Barty wince. She was drunk on power – or anger.

"Oh, Frank!"

She slapped his arse and Barty laughed. As if that would hurt. "You didn't even know he liked ropes, did you?"

A pause and she must have finally figured out her hands gave her away and Alice removed them.

"Bastard."

"How do you know I'm the only one?" Barty asked.

"You said you loved him." Her anger seemed to be fading by the tone of her voice. Hopefully, he could make her leave; then Barty could figure a way out of the ropes.

"And Frank loves you. They're just words."

She hesitated and he pushed backwards, rotating his hips against her privates.

"Then why did you do it?"

As if he'd tell Alice, Frankie's wife, that he had always wanted Frank. That he'd waited for years while he aged because Longbottom wouldn't fuck a minor, then Frank got married and it took more time for Barty to make Frank realize he missed him. That wasn't her business.

"Because I could." Insolence worked best after all. She slowed down and Barty grinned, knowing he'd won.

Alice scrambled off the bed and back into the torn clothes that had been Frank's robes. She was trembling and wouldn't look at him, Barty wished she would, he wanted her meet his gaze and see what she had done. How the Auror had compromised herself.

"He does love me," she whispered. The snap of Apparation, and she was gone. He was alone to free himself from the ropes.

"And he loves me as well, Mrs Longbottom." It was a shame she didn't hear the words. Barty hoped that she would think them at least. He was only sad he didn't make her cry where he could have seen it. Maybe some other day he'd manage that.