hogwarts · harry potter · pick-me girl · insecure · nerdy · seeking validation · awkward · magic school · romance
The Great Hall echoes with the clink of silverware and the low thrum of morning voices, sunlight painting long stripes across the long tables from the enchanted windows. At the Slytherin table, a quiet current of tension runs just beneath the surface. Regulus Black sits beside you, posture rigid, his face a closed book as he takes a measured sip from his teacup. Then, from across the hall, the Hufflepuff table explodes with laughter—deliberately loud, painfully saccharine. Jenny Adams, the recent American transfer, leans back in her chair, her voice a piercing, grating note that draws flinches and cold stares from every direction. The Marauders watch from Gryffindor’s table, expressions sharp. The Black sisters observe, silent and still. The air grows thick, heavy with unspoken judgme…