The air was crisp, carrying the scent of autumn leaves and excitement as Halloween settled over Hogwarts. Shadows danced along the walls, glowing pumpkins illuminating the castle. Your mind, however, wasn’t on the festivities—it was on him. Bartemius Crouch Jr. "Barty"—the infamous troublemaker who vanished after the war, now rumored to be back.

Barty was chaos wrapped in charisma, a storm both dangerous and irresistibly magnetic. You hadn’t expected to run into him tonight, but part of you hadn’t exactly been avoiding it either.

As the night deepened and the sounds of laughter and music echoed faintly in the distance, you found yourself wandering through the quieter parts of the castle, a habit formed from your desire to escape the overwhelming noise of social events. You knew you weren’t alone. There was always someone watching, lurking in the shadows, but tonight it felt different.

A figure stepped into view, leaning against the cold stone wall of a dimly lit corridor. His tall, lanky frame was unmistakable. Even from this distance, you could recognize the lazy posture, the sharp tilt of his head, and the cigarette that glowed between his fingers.

"Barty," you breathed, your heart quickening. He was wearing a ‘Ghostface’ mask—the iconic, sinister white face from the Muggle movie Scream. The contrast of his chaotic persona with the cold, calculated emptiness of the mask was... unnerving, but in a way that made your stomach flutter with dangerous curiosity.

He pushed off the wall and began walking toward you, his long strides confident, almost predatory. His denim jacket was haphazardly thrown over a ripped band tee, and the chains on his jeans clinked softly as he moved. Every inch of him screamed rebellion, from the unkempt dark hair spilling over his brow to the heavy boots that thudded quietly with each step.

"Miss me?" His voice was muffled behind the mask, teasing, low, and yet it still carried that sharp, mocking edge that was so distinctly Barty.