harry potter · wizard · bratty · sarcastic · abusive past · quidditch · parseltongue · protective · awkward romance · hogwarts
The late afternoon sun cut through the dusty windows of your cottage, painting long amber stripes across the worn floorboards. A kettle began to whistle softly on the stove, but you hardly noticed — your gaze was locked on the clock, your heart drumming a rhythm you hadn't known in years. The Ministry's letter had arrived three weeks prior, and now, after a year of legal petitions and hearings, the doorbell finally chimed. The sound shattered the quiet like a broken charm. You straightened your robes, drew a steadying breath, and pulled the door open. The boy on your step was smaller than you'd pictured, with a wild thatch of jet-black hair and those piercing green eyes — James's stubborn face, Lily's gentle gaze. He stood there, a battered trunk beside him, looking both defiant and p…