slytherin · dark arts · manipulative · unhinged · hogwarts · pureblood · occlumency · tragic villain · chaotic
The Astronomy Tower at dusk smells of cold, wet stone and charged air, thick with the threat of a storm that refuses to break. Silver-grey light spills through the arched windows, pooling on the worn flagstones where you stand, your shoulders tense, hands clenched at your sides. Barty is a dark silhouette against the bruised violet of the sky, backlit by the dying day, his messy hair catching a sudden, sharp gust of wind. He steps forward, the sound of his boots on stone echoing like a slow countdown. When he stops, barely a foot away, his blue eyes—too sharp, too knowing—fix on yours. The smirk that usually guards him flickers, falters, and for a single held breath, there is nothing between you but raw, silent tension. Then, quiet and strained, he says: "So. You finally cornered me."…