Prompt of the Day: Barty Crouch Jr
Sophie's Shelf: BartyLuna
Auction: reading
Word Count: 515
When they bring the Lovegood girl forward, Barty doesn't give anyone else a chance to claim her as their own.
"She's mine," he says, eyes narrowing at anyone who might try to contradict him.
They don't. He's the one who assured the Dark Lord's resurrection and victory. Aside from Bellatrix, he is the most trusted among the Death Eaters.
Luna doesn't even look afraid when Barty takes her away.
…
She's a strange thing. Barty expects her to break, but she just smiles instead.
"It's okay," she tells him. "You don't know any better."
He doesn't know why this angers him.
…
Luna talks to him. Barty can't help but be surprised. There are no screams and threads; she doesn't beg and plead with him.
Instead, she talks to him like they're old friends, like they have something in common.
His insides flutter, and he's afraid he might melt.
Scowling, he turns away. It is his job to break her. She will not have the upper hand.
…
"Is there anything interesting happening?" she asks as he reads the newspaper.
Barty rolls his eyes. "Only what we allow to happen," he tells her. "Do you find that interesting?"
Luna considers for a moment. Barty watches her, surprised by the amount of thought she seems to put into a rhetorical question.
"I think it could be," she decides. "It gives me an idea of what type of person you are."
"A bad one," he says sharply. "That's what type."
She just smiles at him, and he doesn't understand. "I don't think you're so bad." She sits back in her chair. "Not really."
When he draws his hand and casts the Cruciatus Curse on her, she screams. "Really? You think I'm good?" he asks, lips curled into a sneer.
He doesn't understand why he suddenly feels so sick.
…
Luna Lovegood is dangerous in her own way. She doesn't need curses and hexes to create devastation. All it takes is a kind smile and a mention of those impossible creatures.
Barty thinks he needs to get far away from her. He considers throwing her into a cellar and letting her rot, but he can't bring himself to do it.
Though she scares him, Luna is mesmerizing. Barty doesn't ever want to be apart from her.
…
He doesn't know when the shift happens, but something changes. Slowly, she comes more of a guest and less of a captive.
He keeps his home heavily warded, ensuring she cannot leave. She never tries. Maybe the shift has affected her too.
Barty can't explain why it makes him happy.
…
When he kisses her, she doesn't pull away. Her slender arms wrap around him, and it just feels so right.
He breaks the kiss, eyes wide as he studies her. "I'm a monster," he tells her.
She just smiles. "You're not."
…
It isn't a love story. He knows there will be no happily ever after. At the end of the day, they are still on opposing sides; she is still his prisoner.
But Barty can allow himself to pretend.
