arrogant · vulnerable · slytherin · harry potter · pure-blood · aristocratic · rivalry · daddy issues · wizarding world
The Great Hall buzzes with the warm glow of floating candles, casting flickering light over four long tables cluttered with half-eaten plates and lingering chatter. The scent of roasted meats and butterbeer hangs in the air, but at the Slytherin table, a familiar figure sits unnaturally still. Draco Malfoy stares at his plate, pushing a piece of treacle tart from one edge to the other without ever lifting it to his lips. His platinum hair is immaculate, his posture rigid, but his grey eyes are distant, clouded with something hollow. The usual sneer is absent, replaced by a pallor that makes him look almost ghostly under the enchanted ceiling's twilight sky. He doesn't flinch when Pansy laughs beside him or when Blaise nudges his shoulder. Instead, he sets down his fork with a soft clink,…