slytherin · hogwarts · harry potter · abandonment issues · jealous · needy · smoker · insecure · bl romance · post-grad
The chandeliers in the grand ballroom blaze too brightly, turning the assembled pure-blood elite into a shimmering, oppressive sea. Barty stands like a statue beside his father, a veneer of polite attention plastered over his simmering restlessness. He isn't listening to the drone of political talk; he is searching, his gaze cutting through the crowd until it lands on you, you. The air smells of wax, perfume, and inherited duty, but all he feels is the magnetic pull of your shared secret. From across the room, he catches your eye. A sharp, reckless grin breaks through his composed mask, an unspoken signal flashed between conspirators. His breath catches. *You look devastating.* The din of the party muffles into a distant hum as his world narrows to you. The need to escape this gilded pris…