Being a passerby in HP female protagonist fanfiction

Barty Crouch Jr. got up very early today.

I opened my eyes to find the room already bathed in soft light, and the faint, cheerful chirping of birds seemed to have no problem with the grogginess of getting out of bed.

As usual, I checked and tidied the room, took out my wand from under my pillow and placed it on my person, opened the window to let in some fresh air, and dispelled the soundproofing spell—I had to be very quiet so as not to wake Claire.

Claire likes to stay in bed longer.

For children, liking to stay in bed is not a special thing. In fact, many adults cannot resist the urge to stay in bed. But Claire is different. She does not express her desire to sleep a little longer.

Perhaps due to the unconventional behavior of the adults around her when she was young, Claire is very good at self-control. For her, the small wish to sleep a little longer is not enough to make her ask others for help.

So when she realized that Little Barty was awake, she would yawn and stagger out of the room, tidy herself up, and then look at Little Barty with longing eyes, as if she wanted to ask him what she should do.

If you don't observe her closely, it's hard to imagine that Claire actually likes to stay in bed, and even enjoys rolling around in bed, because she never shows it and usually tries her best to present herself as capable and mature.

"Good morning, Gavin!" Claire says this every day, full of energy, with only occasional squinting and nodding proving that she is really sleepy.

"If you're sleepy, sleep a little longer," Little Barty said softly. "I'll take care of these things."

But Claire was still dazed. For her, the moment of sleeping a little longer seemed so precious that it filled her with a strange sense of guilt. She would look around, trying to find anything she needed to do, but in the end, Claire would still go back to sleep. But at this time, sleep was no longer entirely her own choice, but rather an obligation to rest under orders.

When Barty first said that to her, he could even see awkwardness and panic in the child.

"Okay," she would say, and then obediently comply.

So sensible, so cautious.

Is it a lack of trust in Barty Jr.?

Or perhaps it's because Claire comes from a Chinese family, and her emotional expression is naturally reserved and gentle—to the point that she feels guilty about her wishes and requests.

I still can't help but be curious about it.

Little Barty begins preparing breakfast.

Claire is from China and prefers strongly flavored food, meaning she enjoys Chinese cuisine.

Every time she smells a delicious aroma, her eyes light up with anticipation. If she has nothing to do at the time, she will pace around the living room somewhat anxiously, like a small animal searching for food, wary but unable to resist the anticipation in her heart.

Unlike her usual seemingly easygoing demeanor, Claire was only picky about food. When she saw something she didn't like, she couldn't hide her forced smile and would become depressed and even aggrieved. However, she wouldn't let this bother others and tried her best to hide her emotions.

Of course, this didn't escape Little Barty's notice. To verify this, Little Barty specially cooked a meal that Claire didn't like. Watching Claire's shocked expression, but also her habitual concealment due to her upbringing, and her forced eating it little by little, Little Barty inexplicably felt like he was committing a crime.

"Don't you like it?" Little Barty asked, amused.

“No, I mean…it’s very good, but I don’t really like it…” Claire hesitated, lowered her head, and didn’t say anything more.

"You can say so if you don't like it, Claire," the young man coaxed softly.

At that time, he was still trying to extract something from Claire.

“I’m just not used to it…” Claire said. “I don’t want to cause you any trouble.”

This is no trouble.

Barty wanted to say that, but looking at Claire, he couldn't bring himself to say it.

Why do you have such an expression?

Such unease.

Such expectations.

We eagerly await the young man's response.

Barty Jr. was reminded of his time at Crouch's house.

Could it be that I was like this before?

The young man almost laughed.

You can't treat Claire like this...

“We won’t make these next time,” the young man said. “Since you’re not used to it, Claire, we’ll eat something else.”

"……Thanks."

Claire thanked her softly.

Even without further conversation, Barty Jr. could still sense that Claire was very happy.

That's just how kids are.

A little bit of care can make me happy.

When they are with their family, they always hope to be tolerated. This tolerance contains the shadow of kinship and love. Family members need to be accommodating and caring for each other.

Simple, fulfilled wishes only happen among family members; the desire to be accepted and loved.

When Little Barty realized this, he almost burst out laughing.

What? This is so easy to do.

Why can't I have it...?

Claire leaned quietly against the kitchen cabinet, tilting her head to watch the young man as he emerged from his busy work.

"What's wrong?" the young man asked.

"Um... well, I was just wondering what Gavin likes to eat?" Claire said, her tone slightly embarrassed.

"...Me?" the young man asked thoughtfully.

He looked at Claire—and Claire looked at him too.

“Yes, yes,” Claire said seriously. “We can’t just expect Gavin to cater to me. If I knew what you liked to eat, I could find a chance to make it myself.”

"..." The young man was slightly stunned.

He discerned unspoken meaning in Claire's simple words.

Because they themselves have been embraced, they in turn hope to embrace the wishes of young people.

Because their own expectations have been met, they in turn hope to meet the expectations of young people.

Shouldn't this be how real family members act?

These are things that Barty Jr. cannot obtain, yet Claire takes them for granted in exchange.

Like her younger self, she may not necessarily have these beautiful family bonds, but she is hopelessly looking forward to them.

Do other children do this too?

Little Barty thought.

“Claire is such a good girl…” The young man leaned down, his beautiful eyes seemingly trying to imprint Claire in his mind, and a smile played on his lips. “Please keep it up.”

"Huh?" Claire stared blankly, seemingly not quite understanding.

The young man just laughed.

Back then, they didn't spend much time together. Now, with Claire on vacation again, Barty finally sensed that she was willing to express herself more.

Perhaps this indicates that Claire trusts young people more?

Little Barty had just finished making breakfast when Claire woke up and sat groggily in the living room. Her hair was combed, but a messy strand was still tangled next to her ear, making her look like she wasn't fully awake.

"Come and have breakfast, Claire!" the young man called out.

"Mmm." Claire perked up, smelled the delicious aroma, and quickly moved to the dining room to have breakfast with Barty.

Claire's back...

There was a strange sense of satisfaction in the young man's eyes.

—Take good care of Claire.

After all, they are family members who live together.