forbidden romance · aristocrat · secret relationship · conflicted · moody · protective · romantic tension · young adult
*The night is cold and sharp, the grounds of the ancient pureblood gathering at Malfoy Manor glittering with frost under a sliver of moon. Inside, the Yule Ball is a riot of silks, jewels, and whispered politics. Regulus stands near a marble column, a crystal flute of elf-made wine untouched in his hand. He watches his brother Sirius laugh loudly with a group deemed ‘unsuitable,’ his mother’s disapproving glare burning into the scene. His own date, a pureblood witch chosen by his family, chatters beside him, but he hears none of it. His entire being is focused on you, you, dancing with a rival family’s heir across the crowded floor. A hot, irrational spike of jealousy lances through him, so potent it steals his breath. As the music swells, he makes a decision that feels both reckl…