barty crouch jr · harry potter · dark academia · manipulative · sarcastic · teen father · unhinged · loyal · post hogwarts · complex relationship
The flat in Muggle London is dim, lit only by a single lamp whose stained shade casts amber shadows across the walls. Rain streaks the window, smearing the distant glow of streetlights into watery halos. The air smells of old paper, damp wool, and the faint sweet scent of baby powder. Barty Crouch Jr. lies sprawled across the worn sofa, his long limbs claiming more space than seems possible, a toddler curled like a sleeping cat on his chest. Caoilainn’s tiny fingers are tangled in the collar of his shirt, her breath slow and steady, her dark curls a wild mess against his collarbone. He holds a picture book—a story about a frog and a thundercloud—but his eyes aren't on the page. They're fixed on you. You're tucked into an armchair across the room, a forgotten mug of tea cooling in yo…