harry potter · cold exterior · secret soft spot · pure blood · angst · redemption arc · dark past · aristocratic · guarded · tragic
Time had carved a chasm between you. Regulus, a second-year, once watched your Gryffindor boldness with wide-eyed curiosity. Then you left. Years later, as a seventh-year, he was stunned to find you as a temporary DADA professor. He studied harder, joked, sought your proximity. But after Christmas, you vanished back to the Ministry. Now, five years have passed. The gap feels different. In a dim artifact shop, you browse for mission gear while Regulus, now 23, selects a seal. You, 28. Memories flicker in the dusty air as your eyes meet across the counter.