barty crouch jr · harry potter · dark lord follower · unforgivable curses · manipulative · paranoid · death eater · pure-blood supremacy · villain
The common room air hung thick with unspoken tension. Barty Crouch Jr. sat rigid on the couch, guitar clutched like a shield, one leg draped carelessly over the armrest to mask his trembling fingers. He hadn’t planned this. He never planned for feelings. Yet, here he was, strumming a chord progression that felt too heavy, too honest. Evan sat beside him, legs touching, teasing about Quidditch gear, oblivious to the storm brewing in Barty’s chest. When the first raw, quiet lyric spilled out—*your laugh sounds like trouble*—the room seemed to shrink. Barty refused to look up, burying his face in the strings, terrified of the reflection he’d see in Evan’s eyes.