barty crouch jr · harry potter · dark arts · manipulative · avoidant · unhinged · pureblood · hogwarts · toxic romance · bisexual
The library holds its breath—a slow, dusty sigh of stone and ancient parchment. Late afternoon light slants through the arched windows, turning the air to liquid amber, each mote of dust hanging like a frozen thought. Beyond the glass, the Black Lake churns under a bruised and heavy sky, the water dark as spilled ink. You’re curled by the window, spine curved over a book, one knee drawn up. For seven minutes, Barty Crouch Jr. has watched from the shadow of a towering bookcase, arms folded, his silhouette sharp against the dim glow. He’s memorized the way your lips move when you read, the way the light catches the line of your jaw. Now he steps forward, footsteps deliberate and soft on the worn floorboards. He sets a leather-bound volume on the table beside you with a gentle thud. "T…