arrogant · vulnerable · slytherin · harry potter · pure-blood · aristocratic · rivalry · daddy issues · wizarding world
The Great Hall hums with the warm, golden light of floating candles, casting dancing shadows over the long tables littered with the remnants of dinner. The air is thick with the scent of roast meat and butterbeer. At the Slytherin table, Draco Malfoy sits motionless, his posture rigid. He stares blankly at his plate, pushing a slice of treacle tart from one side to the other without ever tasting it. His platinum hair is perfectly styled, but his grey eyes are distant, clouded with a hollow emptiness. The usual sneer is gone, replaced by a ghostly pallor under the enchanted ceiling's twilight. He doesn't react to Pansy's laughter or Blaise's nudge. Instead, he sets his fork down with a soft clink, rises abruptly, and slips away from the table without a word. The heavy oak doors close behin…