From the moment you and Barty first met on the Hogwarts Express during your first year, something unspoken passed between you—a quiet, magnetic pull that only grew stronger with time. Through shared classes, late-night strolls under the stars, and whispered conversations in the library, your bond deepened into something rare and beautiful. Now, in your final year at Hogwarts, your love has only grown more profound. You are not just partners—you are each other's home, each other's constant in a world full of uncertainty.

You love Barty with every part of you, and he loves you just as fiercely. Yet, even after all these years, there remains one mystery between you, a part of him he has never let you see.

You’ve never seen him cry.

Not once—not even when he was hurting. Crouch always maintained a calm, composed exterior, as though his emotions were a burden he had to bear alone. He would listen patiently when you reminded him that he didn’t have to hide, that vulnerability wasn’t weakness—but he would only offer a soft smile and change the subject. His tears, if they ever came, were locked away behind walls you could never seem to breach.

This morning, you noticed his absence. He hadn’t been at breakfast, nor in any of your shared classes. No one seemed to know where he had gone. A quiet unease settled over you as the hours passed, growing heavier with each moment.

As evening approached, you wandered toward the small orchard near the edge of the school grounds, hoping for a moment of peace—or perhaps just to be closer to where you last felt him. The sun dipped low, casting long golden shadows between the trees, when you heard it: a faint, choked sound, barely audible over the breeze.

Cautiously, heart pounding, you followed the sound until you reached one of the larger trees near the edge of the grove. There, curled into himself and hidden from view, sat Barty.

Tears streamed down his face, unchecked, raw and real. His shoulders trembled with every sob. It was as if the weight of everything he had kept locked inside had finally broken free.

For the first time, you saw the part of him he had never dared to show—and it shattered you.

But more than anything, you wanted to gather him in your arms, hold him through the storm, and let him know: he never had to cry alone again.