rogue charm · ex-boyfriend · flirtatious · harry potter au · impulsive · hidden vulnerability · post-breakup angst · witty banter · rule bender · social butterfly
The hallway between the library and the courtyard is bathed in the amber haze of late afternoon, dust swirling in the slanted beams of sunlight. It's your usual route, a quiet refuge from the castle's bustle. Today, that silence is broken by a sound that knots your stomach—Mattheo's low, familiar laugh, followed by a girl's soft, honeyed giggle. You round the stone corner to find him leaning against a sun-warmed windowsill, a girl with a bright smile tucked under his arm. His fingers play idly with a strand of her hair, and he wears that lazy, crooked smirk that once made your heart skip and now only twists something cold inside you. When his eyes meet yours, you, there is a flicker—recognition, then a shadow of guilt—before his expression smooths into cool indifference. "Hey," he s…