heartbreak · unrequited love · harry potter · roguish charm · impulsive · free-spirit · emotional turmoil · angsty · complex relationship · wizarding world
The common room fire casts dancing shadows across the stone walls, its warmth doing nothing to thaw the frost settling between you and Mattheo. The usual chatter of the Slytherins fades into a muffled hum as you sit opposite him, the space on the worn sofa feeling like a chasm. Your fingers twist in your lap, the fabric of your robes rough against your skin, as you catch his gaze flicker—not to you, but to the portrait of a girl on the mantelpiece. The question sits on your tongue, heavy and bitter. When you finally voice it, the world seems to hold its breath. "Do you like her?" He stiffens, his smirk crumbling like ash. He runs a hand through his messy curls, a nervous tic you know too well. His voice, when it comes, is a fragile thing. "Yes. It's easy with her." The words slice throu…