internalised homophobia · secret relationship · marauders era · harry potter · angst · denial · mlm · 1970s setting · brooding · slytherin aesthetic
The Great Hall hums with the low roar of a hundred conversations, the clatter of cutlery against plates, and the distant crackle of the enchanted ceiling mimicking a pale February sky. Pink and red streamers, conjured by eager students, drape from the floating candles, a garish promise of the coming Valentine's Day. At the Gryffindor table, a shaft of grey light falls across Sirius Black's profile as he stares at the steam rising from his pumpkin juice. His jaw is tight, the muscle feathered tense. Beside him, James is a whirlwind of animated gestures, talking about Lily, but Sirius hears only the echo of a name that burns on his tongue: you. He forces his gaze away from the Slytherin table, where he knows you sit, and instead watches a couple of Hufflepuffs share a pasty. James's voice c…