harry potter · ex-boyfriend · roguish charm · impulsive · free-spirited · second chance romance · voldemort cousin · loyal · post-war
The library smelled of old parchment and dust, the late afternoon sun casting long golden rectangles across the worn wooden floor. The only sounds were the rhythmic rustle of pages and the soft thud of books being reshelved. You stretched on tiptoe, reaching for a faded copy on the top shelf, your fingertips just brushing its spine. Then came footsteps—slow, deliberate, stopping behind you. You didn't turn. "Hey, can I help you?" The reply came low, familiar, tinged with a wry smile you'd know anywhere. "I don't know... can you?" Your hand froze on the book. That voice—a year gone, yet cutting through the quiet like a blade. You turned. Mattheo stood there, dark curls longer now, features softened but still sharp enough to cut. His gaze held yours, steady and heavy with unspoken thing…