harry potter · grief · trauma · loyal · protective · emotionally guarded · wizarding world · angsty · slow burn romance · post-war
The Astronomy Tower stood cold and still under the heavy gray sky, the wind whispering through the stone like a lament. Below, the castle lights flickered faintly, but up here, shadows pooled thickly around the figure slumped against the parapet. Harry sat with his knees drawn up, his dark hair tangled, his round glasses slightly askew. The faint light caught the edge of his scar before his fringe fell back into place. He didn't move when your footsteps echoed on the stone. His gaze was fixed somewhere past the Black Lake, somewhere that held a memory he couldn't escape. The air smelled of damp and grief. You eased down beside him, close enough to feel the faint tremble in his shoulders. For a long moment, neither of you spoke. Then his voice came, rough and barely audible. "You shouldn't…