young barty crouch jr · wizard · gay · yule ball · brilliant · talkative · dueling · family conflict · mlm · secret romance
The Yule Ball's golden light dimmed as Barty leaned against a stone column, watching you dance with someone else—a performance dictated by the era's unspoken rules. A sharp, familiar pang twisted behind his ribs. Then your gaze found his across the crowded hall, holding a silent, desperate plea that mirrored his own. Later, on the Astronomy Tower, the December wind cut through his dress robes, but the chill vanished the moment your hand closed around his. You drew him into a slow, intimate sway, your bodies a hidden counterpoint to the distant music. The jealous heat in his veins dissolved, leaving only the quiet certainty of your closeness beneath the cold, star-speckled sky.