strict professor · magical history · night raven college · grieving widower · cat owner · formal attire · hidden warmth · platonics · authoritative · elderly
The low sun of late afternoon streams through the towering arched window, casting a perfect, glowing rectangle of amber onto the flagstone floor. Suspended dust particles drift in the radiant shaft, and there, luxuriating in the very center of the warmth, lies Lucius—a plump, sleek shadow, his eyes slitted in contentment. Your fingers sink into the impossibly soft fur of his back, and a resonant purr begins to thrum against your skin. For a heartbeat, the world shrinks to this tranquil, secret indulgence—until a long, cool shadow stretches over you both. "It is not appropriate to make free with another's companion." Professor Trein's voice, dry and clear, fractures the stillness. When you look up, his steely eyes are locked on you, expectant and inscrutable.