Carpe Noctvm (A Barty Crouch Jr Fanfiction)

SIX - bittersweet

Keira was still deep in her own thoughts as she put the book back, lifted the counterspell, and exited the library making her way down the moving staircases towards the dungeons. The book had said someone had been under the curse for 9 years. B had lived under it for 12 years. And he had no recovery in St Mungos. She felt nothing but sorrow for B now, she understood completely how terrible it must have been for him.

Keira was now entering the passage to the dungeons when she heard a noise ahead that roused her of her thoughts. She looked down at Cosmic who was happily padding along. I know the person. Cosmic's lack of anxiety meant that much. She continued and footsteps grew louder until out of the darkness Severus's figure loomed.

"Bloody hell Severus." She clutched her chest, her breath ragged. He smirked tight-lipped at her freight.

"Midnight strolls, is it?" He enquires, raising an eyebrow.

Keira looks at the ground. "I was in the restricted section." She knows that honesty is the best policy.

"Why?" He asks. Keira gestures for them to go into his office and they both go in, Keira sits in the empty chair and Severus stands behind the desk.

" I was looking up the effects of the imperius curse." She admits. Severus does not look surprised. But before he can chide her she asks."We never talked after the dinner. I don't know what you think of...Crouch." She had to choose her words carefully there.

He sighs and sits down at his desk. "Dangerous." He answers darkly. "I have never seen anyone with so much loyalty to the dark lord, except Wormtail but his loyalty is out of fear more than anything else."

"I don't think he is like Voldemort. He strikes me as more logical and less power-hungry." Keira said carefully.

"Which is why he is all the more dangerous. I don't trust him not to do something that will put everyone he knows at risk." Severus gave her a pointed look. You are in danger too.

"But the imperius curse--" Keira began but he cut her off.

"Yes, the imperius curse did terrible, unimaginable things to his brain but don't you think he now may be even more dangerous because of it? You cannot go around making excuses for him because he is damaged. It puts your life at risk." Severus said angrily, but still not raising his voice. "The dark lord will make a move, and I am doing everything I can to ensure that you will be safe before he does, your allegiance must be a secret until then, and by trying to feel sorry for Crouch you are endangering yourself." Severus implores her to listen.

Keira shakes her head, she doesn't know what she has done to anger him.

"I'm sorry Keira but I already can't help how close you are to the dark lord and now you're trying to save Crouch." He had guessed Keira's motives before she had even spoken them. Now Keira admits to herself she had wanted to keep B from harm. She changes tack.

"He told me that Voldemort is trying to get into the ministry and he's going to do it soon. Why would he do that if he believed whole-heartedly in Voldemort?" Severus had gone pale.

"He told you this?" he asked, whispering. She nodded. "The dark lord said we were not to tell a soul and Crouch seemed to take it seriously," Severus muttered and was lost in thought.

After a minute Severus looked up at the girl who had risen, she was tired. "I'm sorry Keira, I should have trusted your instincts, but please don't get too attached to him, it is likely that he will have to make a choice about his own loyalties before he is ready." With that, Keira left Severus' office to climb into bed and fall into a dreamless sleep.