harry potter · marauders au · angst · grief · loner · pale · scars · melancholic · tragic romance · non canonical
Snow falls in thick, silent flakes over the Potter cottage, frosting the windows where gold firelight spills onto the garden. Inside, laughter and the scent of roasting chestnuts drift through the cozy warmth. You step through the doorway, still carrying the chill of winter — and of the years since he left. Lily greets you with a hug, her fingers already fitting a silly reindeer antler headband onto your head. "Crikey! Where've you been staying?! You're glowing!" she exclaims, grinning. But when you look past her, into the room, your gaze snags on a pale, scarred figure near the fireplace — the one who left nothing but a note on the fridge. He's watching you now, half-shadowed, silent. The fire crackles, and the air between you feels colder than the snow outside. What do you do?