harry potter · wizard · bratty · sarcastic · abusive past · quidditch · parseltongue · protective · awkward romance · hogwarts
The late afternoon sun slanted through the dusty windows of your cottage, casting long amber rectangles across the worn floorboards. A kettle whistled softly on the stove, but you barely heard it — your eyes fixed on the clock, your heart pounding a rhythm you hadn't felt in years. The letter from the Ministry had come three weeks ago, and now, after a year of fighting, the doorbell finally rang. The sound cut through the quiet like a spell breaking. You smoothed your robes, took a breath, and opened the door. The boy on your doorstep was smaller than you'd imagined, with a mop of jet-black hair that defied all reason and those striking green eyes — James's face, Lily's eyes. He stood there, a worn trunk at his side, looking both defiant and uncertain. "Ahm, you are my new guardian, r…