A/N: Alright everyone. This is my first fic in a series of challenge fics. Part of the Candyland Pairing Challenge Game. Pairing: Barty Crouch Jr./Katie Bell
Love From Afar
When he'd gone on this mission, he hadn't expected to ever fall in love. Especially with her. Her name was Katie Bell, and she was in her fourth year at Hogwarts. He'd noticed her right away in his Defense Against the Dark Arts classes, her dark, sleek hair resting in a beautiful ponytail, and a constant serious, studious expression on her face. It didn't take long for him to realize he loved her. It was crazy. She was a Gryffindor, and he was a Death Eater as well as many years older than her, but he simply couldn't find it in himself to care.
Finally, he couldn't take it anymore, this whole loving her from afar thing. He made it a goal to tell her how he felt for her. He could only hope she would reciprocate the feelings.
"Miss Bell," he called out in Moody's low growl of a voice. "Stay behind, please."
The classroom slowly emptied out, until finally, there was only him and her.
"Did you need me, Professor?" She asked, walking to his desk so gracefully it made his knees knock together in nervousness and anticipation.
"There's something I need to tell you, miss Be-Katie," he corrected himself at the last minute, wanting to hex himself for his stupidity.
"Yes Professor?" She asked, giving him that same calm, calculating look that never seemed to leave her face.
"I've been watching you for the entire year and-well, I've become very fond of you, Katie. Actually, no. It's more than that. I've fallen in love with you, Katie."
It was the first time he'd ever seen her look so surprised; her eyebrows raised to her hairline, and she let out a soft, "Oh," of comprehension.
Then there was a silence. A silence so thick and intense that he almost thought it would never end.
Until, finally, she spoke.
"I-I really like you too, Alastor," she whispered quietly, leaning in to press a kiss to his lips.
And in that moment, it didn't matter that he wasn't really Alastor Moody, it didn't matter that he was older than her, it didn't matter that he was a Death Eater or that she was a Gryffindor, it didn't even really matter that she didn't really know the first thing about him at all.
The only thing that mattered was that he loved her, and she loved him. Everything else could be explained later. Maybe she wouldn't love him anymore once she knew the truth, but that was fine. Maybe their love wouldn't last that long, and it would end before it could even really start, but that was fine too. Maybe this would cause everything in the mission to fail, and maybe he'd be killed if it went wrong, but that was also fine. For now, all that mattered was that they were together, even if it was just for that one moment in time. They were together, and that was enough for Barty Crouch Jr.